Stories about Digital Activism from April, 2019
Jailed Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor's life is at risk, after six weeks on hunger strike
Mansoor was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015. He has been jailed multiple times since 2011.
Benin sees internet blackout on election day
A nationwide internet shutdown that lasted well into the night, leaving voters in the dark about their election day choices.
#MySkirtMyRight: Women in Madagascar fight sexism and victim-shaming by the government
This incident is merely the catalyst that opens our eyes to the reality: In Malagasy society, violence against women is only the tip of the iceberg.
Netizen Report: Saudi Arabian authorities arrest three bloggers and execute 37 prisoners, several of them protesters
Saudi Arabia's assault on free speech continues, Careem might be sharing your number with drivers, and the internet is still shutdown in Chad.
Leica's promo video referencing Tiananmen Square massacre went viral on Chinese social media. Then, it disappeared.
For days, users were forbidden from writing the words "Leica" in English and "徕卡" in Chinese on Weibo.
Government actions in Sri Lanka Easter bombings raise the question: Is social media helping or hurting?
The swift decision to block certain social media platforms suggests that in the eyes of the Sri Lankan government, these services can make an already bad situation worse.
Netizen Report: If protecting your privacy is ‘part of a conspiracy,’ then we’re all in big trouble
Digital privacy tools draw suspicion in the US and Ecuador, India tackles Tiktok, and a Chinese man learns that facial recognition works -- even while you’re sleeping.
Bangladeshi paint company advert draws criticism from lovers of traditional Alpana art
"Berger is offering their synthetic paints to the Alpona artists of Tikoil village. The artists will no longer need to paint every season, colors will last forever. What a horror!
China's Censored Histories: Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre
The crackdown on internet freedom in early June has become an iconic source of panic for the Communist Party of China.
Jailed UAE activist Ahmed Mansoor continues hunger strike
Mansoor is serving ten years in jail after a court convicted him of publishing false information and rumours on social media.
The scent of revolution: The story behind Sudan's legendary perfume label remix
Artist Amado Alfadni transforms Sudan's iconic Bint El Sudan perfume label into a revolutionary message.
How Uzbeks learned to love (and live on) the Telegram messenger app
The service whose growth in the country at one point felt almost accidental is now a mirror to a nation on the move.
Women are leading the protests in Sudan
“Women are front, left and center of the revolution. When people started protesting, they were like, ‘Women should stay at home.’ But we were like — no.”
Colombian activists deliver letter about killings of social leaders to the ICC
Over 163 community leaders and activists have been murdered over the past three years in Colombia.
These women ride across Bangladesh on motorcycles to spread the word about empowerment
Sakia Haque and her friends wanted to talk to Bangladeshi girls about women's empowerment and educate them about reproductive health, so what did they do? They hopped on motorbikes!
Luis Carlos and Global Voices, 12 years and counting
"Luis Carlos represents certain characteristics and qualities: strength, resilience in the face of obstacles, solidarity and commitment to human rights and a rather brilliant and idiosyncratic sense of humour."
Netizen Report: As water levels rise, Iran’s ban on messaging apps is slowing emergency relief for flood victims
Iranians ask for censorship pause in face of fatal floods, Indians suspect Facebook of election meddling and Australia tries to ban violent videos.
‘Opposite Dreams: The Politics of Local’: Art raises awareness around social issues in Nepal
For decades Nepal’s history has excluded the stories of marginalized, underprivileged and indigenous peoples. These exhibitions draw attention to problematic social hierarchies and invasive international influences in Nepal.
How pro-government media in Morocco use “fake news” to target and silence Rif activists
While the internet can provide a platform for marginalized voices, it can also facilitate their victimization.
Hashtag battle in India as candidates go head to head in 2019 summer elections
The fiercely contested political campaigns embrace slogans, counter-slogans and a lot of drama as the world's largest democracy goes into election from the 11th April to 19th May 2019.
