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Enough is Enough, a Coalition of Nigerian Youth Groups, Protesting Government Corruption
Nigerian Elections: Will the Benefits of Social Media Outweigh Its Risks?
The date for presidential elections in Nigeria has been repeatedly pushed back, a list of confirmed candidates remained elusive up until last month, and an accurate voter roll is still nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, Nigerian civil society is gearing up to play an important role in the 2011 elections. The prevalence of technology has increased significantly since the 2007 contest, and campaigners plan to use social media—which is used widely both on PCs and mobiles—to its fullest. But in a country with severe divisions along religious and ethnic lines, how can they ensure that their efforts to get out the vote will also promote peaceful elections?
Internet Censorship
Digital Activism Daily: Is the Utility of Anti-Censorship Tools Overblown?
The digital activism daily is a round up of interesting stories related to technology, protest, activism and social entrepreneurship. In today's post, The Berkman Center releases findings that global use of circumvention tools is only at about "3% of Internet users in countries that engage in substantial filtering;" Reuters reports that Thai Red Shirt protesters remain a potent force; and Twitter's Biz Stone offers the latest response to Malcolm Gladwell's "Small Change" theory. Want to point something out? Send a note to tips@movements.org or Tweet it to @aym.
How One Twitter User Became an Online Influencer With Global Reach
An individual's Twitter account pretended to be representing BP's public relations department, amassing thousands of followers and causing a stir in the media world -- how did he do it?
Blog Action Day 2010
At AYM a big part of what we do is support other organizations' online activism campaigns. Today, Change.org has organized Blog Action Day 2010. We love this campaign. They've reached out to blogs and organizations and asked them to blog about the same topic on the same day—in this case, water—to stir up awareness.
From Plixi User 刘宾雁
One Week In, Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Ignites a Debate in China
Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Peace prize, awarded one week ago, has stirred up a whirlwind of chatter in China and elsewhere around the world. Liu, the renowned literary critic, writer, and political activist, was detained in December of 2008 for coauthoring Charter 08, a manifesto that openly challenged the Communist regime and called for a new constitution. He was formally sentenced to prison in 2009, and remains there for “inciting subversion of state power.” Liu has served several previous terms in prison, including one for his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
Liu’s Nobel has heated up a long-standing debate about the future trajectory of political reform in China. With or without the prize, many in China recognize the need for reform; the question has been how that reform should take place. Reactions to the news reflect the ferocity of this debate.
Does Social Media Matter in the Fight to End Genocide?
This post is part of an ongoing series where we feature the work of activists in the AYM community—in their own words. Janessa Goldbeck has been a part of the AYM network since the beginning and is the field director for the Genocide Intervention Network.
A hundred rebuttals to Malcolm Gladwell's piece declaring social media a relatively useless mass of "weak ties" have already been written. But given his affection for anecdotal evidence, I thought I'd provide some of my own, based on events that unfolded this week. Yesterday evening, concerned about the upcoming referendum in Sudan and its potential to reignite a civil war there, our online networks came alive to flood a town hall meeting featuring President Barack Obama with questions about Sudan, via Twitter. Driven by students who are a part of STAND, the student-led division of Genocide Intervention Network, more than 250 people tweeted 770 Sudan questions at the President in less than 24 hours using the hashtag #askSudan.
Digital Activism Daily: Surveillance-State
The Digital Activism Daily is a round-up of interesting stories related to technology, protest, activism, and social entrepreneurship. In today's issue, we learned a little more about the steps that governments are taking to observe citizens on online social networks; the latest online action to get (even more) "socialized" is search, as Facebook partners with Bing; and RIM, the makers of the Blackberry, have now reached agreements with the UAE and Saudi Arabia that are completely opaque, begging the question: just how much has the company sold out the activists who rely its level of encryption for privacy?
Want to point something out? Send a note to tips@movements.org or Tweet it to @aym.
From Ken Banks, kiwanja.net
Group Texting: The Next Big Thing in Mobile Apps?
A number of companies have recently released free mobile apps that make it possible to send text messages between a small closed group of people. Group texting provides the same utility as a chat room, but via SMS. A text sent by any one group member is received by all other members. Could new group texting apps change the way we collaborate and organize?
From Flickr User jevit3x
What Lessons Did Venezuelans Learn from Their Parliamentary Elections?
Many deemed the recent parliamentary elections in Venezuela a success for the political opposition as well as for civil society in one of Latin America's most wired countries. While this is in many ways true, there are plenty of kinks to work out before the crucial 2012 presidential elections.
From Flickr User kimosorg
Digital Activism Daily: More Clashes in Egypt
The Digital Activism Daily is a round-up of interesting stories related to technology, protest, activism, and social entrepreneurship. In today's issue, following a weekend of protests, the Egyptian government is now cracking down on SMS, Liu Xia, the wife of Nobel winner Liu Xiaobo, is under house arrest, Chinese party elders call for free speech, and more.
Want to point something out? Send a note to tips@movements.org or Tweet it to @aym.
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