4 October 2012

Stories from 4 October 2012

Philippines: Anti-Cybercrime Law Sparks Online Protests

  4 October 2012

Many websites and social networks turned 'black' this week in the Philippines as internet users protested the passage of the Anti-Cybercrime Law which critics believe threatens internet and media freedom in the country. Hackers also targeted several government websites as a protest against the law

Peru: Pardon Requested for Former President Alberto Fujimori

  4 October 2012

On Thursday night, September 27, 2012, the hashtags #noalindulto (no to the pardon) and #sialindulto (yes to the pardon) competed to gain visibility on Twitter. They referred to a possible humanitarian pardon for former President Alberto Fujimori, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence for human rights violations.

Iran: “Leave Syria Alone, Think About Us”

No shops were open in Tehran's Grand Bazaar on Thursday, October 4, 2012, one day after shopkeepers and merchants went on strike to protest against the free fall of the national currency. Iranian netizens published several videos of protest gatherings, the presence of security forces in the Bazaar areas, and closed shops.

Brazil: Staying Informed on Electoral Candidates

  4 October 2012

2011's Rising Voices grantee Amigos de Januária, from Brazil, posted [pt] several tips for citizens who want to use existing online transparency tools to find information about the candidates running for the municipal elections that will take place on October 7, 2012.

Belize: The LGBT Community Seeks A Strategic Plan

  4 October 2012

How do we get political and build alliances in a small civil society environment where organizations are sheepish to take a public stand? Caleb Orozco asks how the LGBT community in Belize should strategize in response to the opposition of gay rights by religious leaders.

Venezuela: Where's the Capriles Excitement?

  4 October 2012

[…] from what little I have seen in two days in Venezuela, the excitement is greater on the side supporting incumbent President Hugo Chávez, rather than challenger Governor Henrique Capriles. That is exactly the opposite of what I’ve read on most of my favourite English language websites about the country,...

The Breakthrough of Films in Local Languages in Sub-Saharan Africa

  4 October 2012

Nicole Gillet, General Delegate of the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur, now in its 27th edition, was interviewed by Falila Gbadamassi [fr] on afrik.com: In the past, Senegalese films were in French. Since then, things have changed. They want to produce films with local actors, in their own languages,...

Kuwait: Shotgun Used Against Stateless Protesters

On the International Day of Non-Violence, the stateless community of Kuwait decided to demand their right to citizenship. More than 3,000 protesters took part in the protest, which was repressed with rubber bullets, smoke bombs, tear gas, sound bombs, and for the first time shotguns.