Stories about Digital Activism from December, 2020
Will poetry be enough to get Czechs to embrace anti COVID-19 vaccination?
The Czech government has launched a new communication campaign aimed at overcoming the population's fear or suspicion of vaccination.
Saudi court slams internationally criticized jail term for iconic female activist
Hathloul, a symbol of Saudi political prisoners, was sentenced after a three-year pre-trial detention and a rushed trial that overlooked her claim of being tortured, drawing global outcry against Riyadh.
‘How do you live here?’ A local podcaster takes on misconceptions about eastern Ukraine
In Slavyansk, one podcaster is attempting to refocus outsiders' perspectives of eastern Ukraine — for Nika Perepelitsa, it is not simply the site of tragedies, but also of diverse cultural possibilities.
Online backlash follows blurring of Christmas imagery on popular Chinese TV show
A Chinese online TV outlet had to pixelate its variety show's Christmas setting as the political campaign to boycott foreign festivals gained momentum.
2020 round-up: How the tragedy of COVID-19 became a success story for the China model
The year 2020 began with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan. Throughout the year, COVID-19 was the most discussed topic on the Chinese social media.
From COVID-19 to Caribbean literature, this is what the region looked like in 2020
COVID-19 was at the top of the news cycle this year. In the Caribbean, the pandemic exacerbated already existing issues, but also allowed regional netizens to reimagine their collective future.
European NGO uncovers 15-year Indian disinformation campaign
The explosive report by a Brussels-based Non-Governmental Organisation has unleashed a new war of narratives between India and Pakistan.
In Kyrgyzstan, social media hate goes unchecked
In the wake of a contested election, Kyrgyzstan’s civil society activists, opponent politicians, and independent journalists are being heavily targeted online — with help from the country’s post-crisis leader.
In Belarus, a new civic culture is born out of recycled historical symbols in urban yards
As Belarusans continue to fill the streets in protests against Alyaksandr Lukashenka, a hyper-local movement is forming a new civic culture.
‘Stop silencing MENA critical voices,’ say activists in open letter to Twitter and Facebook
A decade after uprisings heavily relied on social media to topple dictators across the region, human rights defenders denounce these platforms' discrimination against voices of dissent still fight for freedoms.
After years of protests, the Islamabad Zoo will convert into an animal sanctuary
A happy ending for 2020, a year when Pakistanis debated animal abuse like never before.
How global tech companies enable the Belarusian regime — and the Belarusian revolution
Belarus has globalised enough for its rulers to be undermined if western technology becomes less accessible, but also globalised enough to reorient itself to larger markets in the East
WATCH: Belarus 2020: Still uploading?
In this edition of our Global Voices Insights series, media analyst Maryia Sadouvskaya-Komlach, artist Rufina Bezlova and scholar Gregory Asmolov revisit the events in Belarus following the August 2020 presidential elections.
‘It’s not just a joke!’ Nigerian comedians unite against rape culture
"We have to stop turning survivors of sexual and gender-based violence into collateral damage, just for laughs. Because rape is not a joke…This has to stop. Now!"
To revitalise their ‘severely endangered’ language, Gitxsan internet users get creative
The Indigenous Gitxsan language is under siege, but by harnessing the very technology that threatens to erase it, one Facebook Group, Gitxsan Got Talent, is renewing interest in the language.
The fight against fake news: A restrictive policy for online freedom of expression in Senegal
In Senegal, the government’s attempts to control fake news raises questions about how to fight against it without infringing on rights and freedoms — particularly online freedom of expression.
Internet artist behind satirical Australia war crimes image hailed as a hero on Chinese social media
The satirical image of an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan child was shared by China’s Foreign Ministry's spokesman on Twitter, causing a row between the two countries.
Hong Kong suppresses political dissent by freezing bank accounts
Pro-democracy activists believe that the banking system is being weaponized by the national security police to crack down on activists and pro-democracy NGOs.
Tanzania launches mobile app to help victims report gender-based violence
The Taarifa (Information) mobile app will allow GBV victims to report their cases and access critical information. During the pandemic, reports of GBV decreased by 30% in Tanzania.
‘Don't come back, or you will disappear': Uyghur mother pleads with her daughter abroad
Global Voices interviewed Mehbube Abla, a 38-year-old Uyghur activist living in Austria since 2004. All the members of her family who stayed in Xinjiang are in prison.
Pressure mounts on Egypt to release prominent human rights defenders
Three senior members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), one of Egypt’s most prominent human rights groups, were arrested earlier this month on charges of terrorism.
