DOCSLIB.ORG

Digital Activism Arabs Can Do It Themselves Interview with Sami Ben Gharbia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Digital Activism Arabs Can Do It Themselves Interview with Sami Ben Gharbia Digital Activism Arabs Can Do It Themselves Interview with Sami Ben Gharbia PERSPECTIVES: You have returned to Tunisia a very emotional time for me. For many years, after 13 years of exile. What made you leave writing has been the only means of expressing the country and return? myself and dealing with exile. I’m still in a state BEN GHARBIA: In 1998 the Tunisian police of utter surprise that the revolution that is now arrested and interrogated me on the grounds spreading throughout the Arab world, started in that I had studied in Iran. I visited Iran because Tunisia. I didn’t expect it, and now suddenly my life has changed. For the moment I cannot plan, Nawaat.org is an independent I still have to get adjusted to the new reality. But of course I’m very busy working on the media collective blog on Tunisia. and providing information and analysis about It was launched in order to developments in Tunisia. There is actually no provide a public platform for time to do anything else. So many things are oppressed voices and debates. happening every day that it consumes all of my Today, it provides information time to stay on top of events. on the Tunisian revolution. PERSPECTIVES: When and why did you become an Internet activist? I was interested in political Islam and how the BEN GHARBIA: I first got connected to the revolution had developed there. I also wanted to Internet when I was applying for asylum in understand how this process transformed into Holland. I had to research information about a dictatorship. When I was summoned again to human rights violations in Tunisia in order the Interior Ministry, I fled first to Libya. Then a to make my case. This is also how I came long odyssey through several countries followed, into contact with Tunisian organizations and Sami Ben Gharbia until I finally ended up in Holland where I activists. I began to write on the Internet and Sami Ben Gharbia is a was granted asylum. It was the revolution that engage in digital activism. Later I set up my own Tunisian blogger and brought me back to Tunisia. Ten days after blog and joined the organization Global Voices, human rights campaigner. His is advocacy director Ben Ali left Tunisia, it was officially announced which is a platform for non-Western blogs. In at Global Voices, and that political refugees could enter the country. 2004 I co-founded Nawaat.org. co-founder of nawaat.org, I immediately applied for a passport which a Tunisian collective blog about news and politics. I received within a day, packed my bags and PERSPECTIVES: What is Nawaat.org about? He wrote the first Tunisian came back here. BEN GHARBIA: Nawaat.org is an independent e-book ““Borj Erroumi XL. – Voyage dans un collective blog on Tunisia. It was launched in Monde Hostile” about his PERSPECTIVES: What are you doing right order to provide a public platform for oppressed forced exile from Tunisia. now? voices and debates. Today, it provides His platforms and projects are, amongst others: BEN GHARBIA: I’m catching up with family and information on the Tunisian revolution, culture, samibengharbia.com, friends who I haven’t seen in 13 years. There are socio-economic and political developments, nawaat.org, twitter.com/ many people I left behind here, others have gone corruption, governance, and issues of ifikra, cybversion.org, and babtounes.com. into exile as well and are now coming back. It is censorship. Most of the coverage of Al-Jazeera 86 Heinrich Böll Stiftung that you see on Tunisia is provided by us through a friend. We spent time together in Beirut, our Posterous1 alerts blog hosted at 24sur24. we had a drink and chatted. There was great posterous.com. We made available for them diversity in dialects and backgrounds, and yet the footage, and translated and contextualized a common cause. These personal encounters much of the Facebook communication about create a very strong sense of solidarity. the Tunisian revolution. PERSPECTIVES: There is now a great deal of PERSPECTIVES: Why does an Arab-language international attention on Arab bloggers and news channel like Al-Jazeera need translation Internet activists. Do you feel the pressure of Tunisian Facebook communication? increasing? BEN GHARBIA: The Tunisian Facebook world BEN GHARBIA: Yes, absolutely. Social media is actually quite difficult to access for non- is very fashionable at the moment. Every locals, even for other Arabs. Facebook users day I receive dozens of mails, asking me for here communicate in Tunisian dialect, which in the contacts of bloggers to invite them to addition is written in Latin. PERSPECTIVES: A long-standing idea of Let’s not forget that the social yours is to encourage the linkage between media are a big business. Many digital activism and what you call “offline international agencies sustain activism.” Is this not precisely what happened themselves through training during the current revolutions? and consultation. BEN GHARBIA: Yes. We still have to assess how far the connection between Internet- based activism and other forms of activisms international conferences. I could open an was shaped, which aspects are successful agency and live very well from only facilitating and where it should be improved. But the such contacts. I receive numerous requests group that we, Global Voices and Heinrich Böll for interviews and appearances on TV. I’m Foundation, brought together during the two not very keen on that, therefore I’ve started to Arab Bloggers Meetings that took place 2009 refuse most of them. There was a time when and 2010 is now at the heart of the struggle in I opted for publicity because it was only us the different Arab countries. There are of course bloggers and activists in exile who were able to many other bloggers, but the many activists speak out freely and influence public opinion. that we gathered in this group are the ones that But now people within Tunisia can express currently facilitate Internet connectivity, get the themselves as well. Therefore I try to step back information out and network both amongst each and give others the chance to speak. There are other and with the mainstream media. We have also representatives of all kinds of international all been virtually connected, but the face-to- organizations and donors, who are now flowing face experience at the Arab Bloggers Meetings into the country to explore possibilities for was very important. Now, Ali Abdulemam for funding and training. example who had been imprisoned in Bahrain and was just freed,2 is not only a fellow blogger PERSPECTIVES: Aren’t there are enough who I defend as an activist, but he has become media-savvy Tunisians and Arabs, so that this expertise could be provided within the 1 Posterous (www.posterous.com) is a basic blogging platform country or at least within the region? Or are which integrates posting to other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. [Editor’s note] international trainers needed? 2 The latest news is that Ali Abdulemam has gone missing in BEN GHARBIA: Of course we have this expertise Bahrain. See Sami Ben Gharbia’s alert, posted on 18 March 2011: http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2011/03/18/alert- in the region. But let’s not forget that the social ali-abdulemam-goes-missing-in-bahrain/ [Editor’s note] Heinrich Böll Stiftung 87 media are a big business. Many international agencies sustain themselves through training and consultation. And some international experts cultivate themselves as social media “gurus”. There are also some Western donors that can be very insistant, especially American organizations such as USAID who seek to promote their agenda. I don’t seek this kind of funding. There are activities that anyhow don’t need financial support, like blogging Sami Ben Gharbia If it is possible to put source: shareconference.net constraints in the export of role. weapons into conflict zones, why can’t there be prohibitions PERSPECTIVES: There are several Western on exporting censorship companies producing software that are used software to authoritarian for online censorship. How, in your view, should they be dealt with? regimes? BEN GHARBIA: It is natural that companies aim mainly to make profit. As long as they are itself. As for activities that need support, such not restricted or criticized, they will not stop as training and meetings, I prefer to stay with producing and exporting such software to more independent institutions that don’t impose repressive regimes. The problem with these their political views. The current revolutions programs is that there is hardly any awareness. have shown that Arabs can do it themselves. The Palestinians for example are very aware It was also a different experience from for of the international companies that support example the Green Revolution in Iran, which the Israeli occupation or settlements, and took place in an international political climate they initiate campaigns and boycotts. There that strongly rejects the Iranian regime. Our is nothing similar in the region with regards to revolutions rather took place despite Western software that is used for the suppression of support for our dictators. We want to continue freedom of expression. The information needs this independence from external intervention, to be spread. There should also be criteria for be it political tutelage or aggressive “assistance” prohibiting the export of such software when for democratic transformation. it is obvious that they will be used to silence dissent. If it is possible to put constraints in the PERSPECTIVES: Some analysts interpret the export of weapons into conflict zones, why can’t social media as being a part of US American there be prohibitions on exporting censorship “soft power.” Do you agree to this view? software to authoritarian regimes? BEN GHARBIA: No.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Digital Divide in Asia: Cases from Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China
    This article is downloaded from http://researchoutput.csu.edu.au It is the paper published as: Author: T. Zia, Y. Al-Saggaf, M. Z. Islam, L. Zheng and J. Weckert Title: The Digital Divide in Asia: Cases from Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China Journal: Journal of Information Ethics (JIE) ISSN: 1061-9321 Year: 2009 Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Pages: 50-76 Abstract: This article explores the digital divide in four Asian countries: Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China. The research the article reports on is done by researchers who come from these countries making it possible to ground the results of this study within the context of those studied. To allow the reader the opportunity to see the results of this research from multiple sources, the researchers selected four different groups of people to study. The groups of people studied come from interesting backgrounds, yet not typically paid attention to in the literature. The groups of people that will be discussed here are Women in political online forums in Yemen, Rural Students in Bangladesh, Cyber Activists and Virtual Protesters in Pakistan, and Farmers in China. This research will show that the reasons these groups of people are standing on the -have not- side is not just because of, as often thought, economic reasons but could also be due to cultural, technological or political reasons, providing fuel for further research on the digital divide. A discussion about any digital divide is not complete if it did not include a philosophical analysis which is what this article does towards the end when it addresses the moral significance of the digital divide in these countries.
    [Show full text]
  • The Global Expression Report 2019/2020
    The Global Expression Report 2019/2020 The state of freedom of expression around the world The Global Expression Report 2019/2020 II The Global Expression Report 2019/2020: The state of freedom of expression around the world III First published by ARTICLE 19, 2020 ARTICLE 19 Free Word Centre 60 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3GA UK www.article19.org ISBN 978-1-910793-42-8 Text and metric analysis © ARTICLE 19, 2020 (Creative Commons License 3.0) Data © V-Dem 2020 ARTICLE 19 works for a world where all people everywhere can freely express themselves and actively engage in public life without fear of discrimination. We do this by working on two interlocking freedoms, which set the foundation for all our work. The Freedom to Speak concerns everyone’s right to express and disseminate opinions, ideas and information through any means, as well as to disagree from, and question power-holders. The Freedom to Know concerns the right to demand and receive information by power-holders for transparency good governance and sustainable development. When either of these freedoms comes under threat, by the failure of power-holders to adequately protect them, ARTICLE 19 speaks with one voice, through courts of law, through global and regional organisations, and through civil society wherever we are present. About Creative Commons License 3.0: This work is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license. You are free to copy, distribute and display this work and to make derivative works, provided you: 1) give credit to ARTICLE 19; 2) do not use this work for commercial purposes; 3) distribute any works derived from this publication under a license identical to this one.
    [Show full text]
  • 0 Characterizing Web Censorship Worldwide: Another Look at the Opennet Initiative Data
    0 Characterizing Web Censorship Worldwide: Another Look at the OpenNet Initiative Data PHILLIPA GILL, Stony Brook University MASASHI CRETE-NISHIHATA, The Citizen Lab JAKUB DALEK, The Citizen Lab SHARON GOLDBERG, Boston University ADAM SENFT, The Citizen Lab GREG WISEMAN, The Citizen Lab In this study, we take another look at five years of Web censorship data gathered by the OpenNet Initiative in 77 countries using user-based testing with locally-relevant content. Prior to our work, this data had been analyzed with little automation, focusing on what content had been blocked, rather than how blocking was carried out. In this study, we use more rigorous automation to obtain a longitudinal, global view of the tech- nical means used for Web censorship. We also identify blocking that had been missed in prior analyses. Our results point to considerable variability in the technologies used for Web censorship, across countries, time, types of content and even across ISPs in the same country. In addition to characterizing Web censorship in countries that, thus far, have eluded technical analysis, we also discuss the implications of our observations on the design of future network measurement platforms and circumvention technologies. KEYWORDS. Censorship, Internet filtering, measurement. Categories and Subject Descriptors: C.2.3 [Computer-Communication Networks]: Network Operations General Terms: Measurement, Security Additional Key Words and Phrases: Censorship, network measurement ACM Reference Format: Phillipa Gill, Masashi Crete-Nishihata, Jakub Dalek, Sharon Goldberg, Adam Senft, and Greg Wiseman. Under Submission. Characterizing Web Censorship Worldwide: Another Look at the OpenNet Initiative Data ACM Trans. Web 0, 0, Article 0 ( 2014), 29 pages.
    [Show full text]
  • The Determinants of Customer Internet Banking Resistance and the Role of Mediating Variables in Yemeni Universities
    THE DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMER INTERNET BANKING RESISTANCE AND THE ROLE OF MEDIATING VARIABLES IN YEMENI UNIVERSITIES WAIL ABDULALEM MOHAMMED ALASWADI DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA June 2015 THE DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMER INTERNET BANKING RESISTANCE AND THE ROLE OF MEDIATING VARIABLES IN YEMENI UNIVERSITIES. By WAIL ABDULALEM MOHAMMED ALASWADI Thesis Submitted to Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, in Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy cah uWk llWTmWH~(W~) I ~~em@ot) TIE W OF CUSMWR BIITE#ET BANI<lW RESISTANCE AWD ROLE OF THE MEDlATKIG VBR1mES M YEfEM UWEMES Rof. Dr. Wm Nor& Wan Huaakr B-PefinePiksaLuor : Plof.DI.lWahaddrahbhgRMB Mu- Exmhwj : M.Dr.Shahlambar T&h25Jlwra015 Wf The !At and ~ Rck cd I PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in fulfilment of the requirement for a Post Graduate degree from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), I agree that the Library of this university may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by my supervisor(s) or, in their absence, by the Dean of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business where I did my thesis. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts of it for financial gain shall not be allowed without any written permission. It is also understood that due recognition given to me and to the UUM in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Samena Trends
    SAMENA TRENDS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS Volume 03 Issue 12 BUILDING DIGITAL ECONOMIES December 2012 A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter THE FUTURE OF TELECOMS H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim Director General Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, UAE “Meeting the Digital Agenda: Maximizing Revenue Through Excellence.” Beyond Connectivity 2013 6th & 7th March, 2013 Kempinski Hotel Ciragan Palace Istanbul, Turkey EDITORIAL Fortunately, for the benefit of all those who consume telecommunications services and rely on them for both socio-economic successes, various governments around the world have pledged willingness to redefine and revamp their ICT policies. The SAMENA Council views such initiatives as a sign of progress and stakeholder involvement; the latter being highly critical to the success of the telecommunications The Future of Telecommunications industry’s future. The SAMENA Council also feels that the future of the telecommunications rests on our collective ability to work together, fulfill the requirements of national With a new year ahead, the future is here before us. In this digital agendas, and facilitate the creation of a digital moment in time, the SAMENA Telecommunications Council environment that catalyzes not only economic development feels highly privileged to extend its warm New Year greetings but also socio-political participation for the common man. to the leadership of the telecommunications industry, the telecommunications operator community, technology As the world embraces
    [Show full text]
  • Download (1462Kb)
    Manuscript version: Author’s Accepted Manuscript The version presented in WRAP is the author’s accepted manuscript and may differ from the published version or Version of Record. Persistent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/136687 How to cite: Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a published version is known of, the repository item page linked to above, will contain details on accessing it. Copyright and reuse: The Warwick Research Archive Portal (WRAP) makes this work by researchers of the University of Warwick available open access under the following conditions. Copyright © and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable the material made available in WRAP has been checked for eligibility before being made available. Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. Publisher’s statement: Please refer to the repository item page, publisher’s statement section, for further information. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected]. warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications Always in Control? Sovereign States in Cyberspace Sarah Mainwaring Abstract For well over 20 years, we have witnessed an intriguing debate about the nature of cyberspace. Used for everything from communication to commerce, it has transformed the way individuals and societies live.
    [Show full text]
  • EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 21.8.2013
    EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 21.8.2013 SWD(2013) 307 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Annual Report 2013 on the European Union's Development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2012 {COM(2013) 594 final} EN EN Table of Contents 1. CHAPTER 1 - DELIVERING ON COMMITMENTS .............................................. 3 1.1. EU response to world developments in 2012.................................................... 5 1.2. Leading the way in development policy ........................................................... 9 1.2.1. A more strategic approach: implementing the "Agenda for Change" ............................................................................................... 9 1.2.2. Responding to global challenges and supporting long-term reforms 10 1.2.3. Making a difference: new instruments and aid modalities................ 12 1.3. Keeping long-term promises ........................................................................... 13 1.3.1. Progress in achieving the MDGs and preparation of the post-MDG framework ......................................................................................... 13 1.3.2. Focusing on poverty .......................................................................... 18 1.3.3. Strengthening human rights and good governance ........................... 20 1.3.4. Mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues .............................................. 21 1.3.5. Cooperation
    [Show full text]
  • The Determinants of Customer Internet Banking Resistance and the Role of Mediating Variables in Yemeni Universities
    THE DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMER INTERNET BANKING RESISTANCE AND THE ROLE OF MEDIATING VARIABLES IN YEMENI UNIVERSITIES WAIL ABDULALEM MOHAMMED ALASWADI DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA June 2015 THE DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMER INTERNET BANKING RESISTANCE AND THE ROLE OF MEDIATING VARIABLES IN YEMENI UNIVERSITIES. By WAIL ABDULALEM MOHAMMED ALASWADI Thesis Submitted to Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, in Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy cah uWk llWTmWH~(W~) I ~~em@ot) TIE W OF CUSMWR BIITE#ET BANI<lW RESISTANCE AWD ROLE OF THE MEDlATKIG VBR1mES M YEfEM UWEMES Rof. Dr. Wm Nor& Wan Huaakr B-PefinePiksaLuor : Plof.DI.lWahaddrahbhgRMB Mu- Exmhwj : M.Dr.Shahlambar T&h25Jlwra015 Wf The !At and ~ Rck cd I PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in fulfilment of the requirement for a Post Graduate degree from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), I agree that the Library of this university may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by my supervisor(s) or, in their absence, by the Dean of Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business where I did my thesis. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts of it for financial gain shall not be allowed without any written permission. It is also understood that due recognition given to me and to the UUM in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Unstoppable Trends
    Thesis Master of Global Journalism 2006-2008 Örebro University UNSTOPPABLE TRENDS The Impact, Role, and Ideology of Yemeni News Websites WALID AL-SAQAF Superviser: Stig-Arne Nohrstedt 20 May 2008 A Word of Gratitude I would like to acknowledge my two university mentors, Stig-arne Nohrstedt and Roland Stanbridge. Aside from being the ones who helped me carry out this thesis academically, they are the ones who assisted me throughout my ordeal, which was a consequence of the Yemeni government's ban of my website Yemen Portal . I can still recall their gentle words of encouragement and support. To them I am ever grateful particularly as I believe that they will continue their support for me in working for, what I believe, is a noble cause. And through them, I would also like to express my gratitude to Örebro University for standing up for me and for sending an official memo to the President of Yemen asking him to lift the unjust ban. They have demonstrated how a university and its student could come together in defense of the freedom of expression and research. The courageous stance of the university should be respected and admired for it has also shown that academia and activism can sometimes go hand in hand to achieve a higher purpose. Then I also want to acknowledge my colleagues in class, Calixte, Adriana, Ning, Victor, Bussaba, Jacky, Besnik, and Alex. All have shown support in many ways during my troubles and have helped lift my spirit to face the odds that I confronted. Last but not least, I would like to thank my loving wife Afaf and my two wonderful daughters Rania and Sarah, whose endless love keeps me going on and on.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a Global Data Privacy Standard
    Florida Law Review Volume 71 Issue 2 Article 3 Towards a Global Data Privacy Standard Michael L. Rustad Thomas H. Koenig Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/flr Part of the Privacy Law Commons Recommended Citation Michael L. Rustad and Thomas H. Koenig, Towards a Global Data Privacy Standard, 71 Fla. L. Rev. 365 (). Available at: https://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/flr/vol71/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UF Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Florida Law Review by an authorized editor of UF Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rustad and Koenig: Towards a Global Data Privacy Standard TOWARDS A GLOBAL DATA PRIVACY STANDARD1 Michael L. Rustad* & Thomas H. Koenig** Abstract This Article questions the widespread contention that recent updates to European Union (EU) data protection law will drive a disruptive wedge between EU and United States (U.S.) data privacy regimes. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect in May 2018, gives all EU citizens easier access to their data, a right to portability, a right to be forgotten, and a right to learn when their data has been hacked. These mandatory privacy protections apply to non-EU companies that offer goods or services to EU consumers, whether through a subsidiary or a website. The “Brussels Effect” hypothesis projects a “race to the top” as multinational entities find it easier to adopt the most stringent data protection standards worldwide, rather than satisfying divergent data privacy rules.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Information Society Watch 2015 Sexual Rights and the Internet
    Global InformatIon SocIety Watch 2015 Sexual rights and the internet AssociAtion for Progressive communicAtions (APc) And HumAnist institute for cooPerAtion witH develoPing countries (Hivos) Global Information Society Watch 2015 Sexual rights and the internet Steering committee Anriette Esterhuysen (APC) Will Janssen (Hivos) Coordinating committee Monique Doppert (Hivos) Valeria Betancourt (APC) Mallory Knodel (APC) Jac sm Kee (APC) Nadine Moawad (APC) Project coordinator Roxana Bassi (APC) Editor Alan Finlay Assistant editor, publication production Lori Nordstrom (APC) Proofreading Valerie Dee Stephanie Wildes Graphic design Monocromo [email protected] Phone: +598 2400 1685 Cover illustration Matías Bervejillo Financial support provided by Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) APC and Hivos would like to thank the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for its support for Global Information Society Watch 2015. Published by APC and Hivos 2015 Printed in USA Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence ‹creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0› Some rights reserved. ISBN 978-92-95102-41-5 APC-201510-CIPP-R-EN-P-232 YEmEn “LIKE A RAVING MONSTER”: USING THE INTERNET TO CONFRONT SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE STREET IN YEMEN Internet Society Yemen Chapter (ISoC-YE) of Shari’a law, it becomes apparent that the legal Walid Al-Saqaf system would place content advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) sexual rights [email protected] in the prohibited category. When the state-owned
    [Show full text]
  • Global Information Society Watch 2011 (Hivos)
    bisagra bisagra In the year of the Arab uprisings GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY WATCH 2011 investigates how governments and internet and mobile phone companies are GLOBAL INFORMATION 2011 trying to restrict freedom online – and how citizens are responding to this using 2011 the very same technologies. SOCIETY WATCH 2011 Everyone is familiar with the stories of Egypt and Tunisia. GISWATCH authors tell these and other lesser-known stories from more than 60 countries. Stories about: INTERNET RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATISATION ETY WATCH PRISON CONDITIONS IN ARGENTINA Prisoners are using the internet to protest ETY WATCH Focus on freedom of expression and association online I I living conditions and demand respect for their rights. TORTURE IN INDONESIA The torture of two West Papuan farmers was recorded ON SOC on a mobile phone and leaked to the internet. The video spread to well-known ON SOC I human rights sites sparking public outrage and a formal investigation by the I authorities. THE TSUNAMI IN JAPAN Citizens used social media to share actionable information during the devastating tsunami, and in the aftermath online discussions contradicted misleading reports coming from state authorities. GISWATCH also includes thematic reports and an introduction from Frank La Rue, UN special rapporteur. GLOBAL INFORMAT GLOBAL INFORMAT GISWATCH 2011 is the fifth in a series of yearly reports that critically cover the state of the information society from the perspectives of civil society organisations across the world. GISWATCH is a joint initiative of the Association
    [Show full text]