· April, 2013

Stories about Activism from April, 2013

Cameroon: Blogger Enoh Meyomesse Still in Jail

  30 April 2013

Cameroonian writer and blogger Enoh Meyomesse has been in jail for over 17 months. Accused of stealing and illegally selling gold, he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after a process that several organizations considered illegitimate. Free expression advocates believe that authorities wish to silence Meyomesse, who has written extensively about human rights violations and inequality in the country.

AFTE Releases Legal Guide to Digital Security for Arab Human Rights Activists

  29 April 2013

The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, in Egypt, issued a “legal guide to digital security” as part of its digital freedoms programme. The guide was produced for campaigners and human rights activists and lawyers interested in freedom of digital expression and the confidentiality of communications and information stored on mobile phones, computers or any other device used to store or distribute data or information

Human Rights Verdict Could Affect Cisco in China

  24 April 2013

In 2011, two separate lawsuits were filed against Cisco Systems alleging that its technology enabled the government of China to monitor, capture, and kill Chinese citizens for their views and beliefs. To what extent are these human rights violations attributable to technology provided by Cisco?

Mexico: Another Voice Goes Silent [UPDATE]

  19 April 2013

A social media user known only as Valor Por Tamaulipas recently announced plans to close Facebook and Twitter accounts that have become popular sources of information on drug violence in northern Mexico. Valor por Tamaulipas (Courage for Tamaulipas) has been using social media to crowdsource reports from citizens in the state of Tamaulipas, which has been riddled with drug-related conflict and corruption since 2006.

The Psychological Strains of Digital Activism

  17 April 2013

Iran's Green Movement marked one of the first large-scale movements where new media served as a platform for coordination and communication between activists and played a vital role in showing the world what was happening on the ground. The post offers a first-person narrative on this experience from Cameran Ashraf, an Iranian-American citizen living in the United States who helped facilitate communication and information exchange for activists and protesters during this period.

Russia's #1 Netizen Heads to Trial

  17 April 2013

Pussy Riot, eat your heart out. On April 17, Russia’s most polarizing blogger, Alexey Navalny, will stand trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars from a state-owned timber company in the city of Kirov. In a country constantly plagued by politicized legal proceedings, prosecuting the nation’s most prominent netizen promises fireworks.

Bangladesh: Global Voices Condemns Assault on Bloggers

  6 April 2013

The Global Voices community, comprised of bloggers, writers, and activists from more than 100 countries, wish to express our concern about the current state of freedom of expression online in Bangladesh. We call for the immediate release of detained bloggers and urge government actors to uphold their commitments to national law and international human rights doctrine.

About our Activism coverage

Stories about activist campaigns or the work of activism – strategy, tactics, actions, outcomes – whether digital, analogue, or some combination