Voices of conscience in the Middle East: Raif Badawi

Raif Badawi is famous for a sinister occurence: he was condemned by the Saudi Arabia authorities to 10 years of prison and 1000 lashes - yes, we are still in the 21st century - plus fines of an amount of the equivalent of 194,00 Euro, for his texts published on his blog. His wife, Ensaf Haidar, who is a strong militant for his release, run the country together with their 3 kids and is a Canadian resident. 

His only guilt is to have been approached sensitive issues for the theocractic Saudi Arabia, such as secularization, need to get rid of religious extremism, liberalism, pluralism, respect for diversity of religions and freedom of thought. The texts published on his blog between 2010 and 2012 were erased by the high tech authorities who are meanwhile maintaining a strict control of the www, in order to prevent any actions or writings against the predominant Islam. Some of the short written interventions were gathered in a thin book. Pledging for the adoption of a secularist model similar to that introduced in France after the French Revolution, he approaches various issues at stake in the Middle Eastern and particularly Saudi society: the contradictions between religious assumptions and scientific reality, the chutzpe of wanting a mosque close to the ruins of the WTC destroyed during the terrorist attacks of 9/11, equality between men and women, the rejection of autocratic movements such as Hamas. He also warned about extremists and the danger of the 'Caliphate'. There are a lot of interesting ideas and concepts outlined but unfortunately this is only the beginning of a larger discussion and clarification of concepts that as long he is in prison cannot be continued or developed. The original texts were published in Arabic, but translated in several languages. Personally, I've read the German version.

In December 2015, Badawi was awarded the prestigious European Sakharov prize by the European Parliament for freedom of thought. His condemnation is going on, with the last January 50 of the 1,000 lashes being done, although medical warning about Badawi's health situation were issued. At the end of the last year, he went on hunger strike for a short while.

He is not the only member of the family persecuted by the authorities. His sister, Samar Badawi, a human rights avocate was shortly detained this January. 

Back on the writing track

For almost two years, this blog was silent. Other writing assignments and interests kept me away of one of my biggest passions: foreign policy. Now, with more time in my pocket and a lot of writing ideas, I am ready to continue.

The content will not change too much. I will try to post at least twice the week, analysis and researched articles on daily topics. I would also try to write once in a while fresh content with interviews with experts on different topics and book reviews on topics relevant to foreign policy. The focus will be on analysis, trying to understand current events and trends as well as to give different answers to common questions. We will always use a mixl approach, which combines the fine psychological observation with the deep historical knowledge and familiarity with the usual trends and tendencies in the political arena.

Although Europe and the US remain important global players, I will prefer as often as possible to offer more space for analysis to the countries and regions outside the usual mental comfort zone.

As I am preparing for this year the publication of two books on topics related to foreign affairs, one of them dedicated to the influence of social media to diplomatic trends, I will regularly write on issues of interest for my upcoming editorial projects. 

There may be many dramatic changes endeavoured but only in the second part of the year, after I have the guarantee that my blog is finally back on the track.

As for now, time for preparing the next posts and the editorial agenda for the coming days and weeks. I hope that this long silence was a useful respiro for a dramatic change of the blog, following the new insights and understandig that I won while being offline. 

Keep in touch with good writing news!

Foreign policy news on Tumblr?

I am familiar with Tumblr and even operate a blog on this platform, and I am aware of the constraints. In general, the most successful Tumblr blogs are covering colorful domains, as fashion, arts and spectacular teens productions.
However, with a lot of inspiration,Tumblr could be used as well for foreign policy news and blogging. An example is the new blog of the International Relations and Security Network - ISN ETH Zurich that launched recently a new online media tool. It is an elegant and appealing presence, pleasant to read and with a very interesting content.

Help Solve the Global Water Crisis with Social Media

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

It is time for action, not for indifference and lost opportunities. Today may be the first day of the real responsibility.

Reloading

The author is back after a long long offline period. Sometimes it is brain healthy to take a distance of everything, including your own projects.

We will try to post once or twice the day, with more interested devoted to conflict areas and creative diplomacy. With more analysis than links.

OSCE media freedom representative calls on Azerbaijan to improve media freedom, hopes detained bloggers may be released soon

BAKU, 10 September 2009 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, criticized the continued imprisonment of media workers in Azerbaijan on "trumped-up charges" and called for the repeal of recently imposed restrictive media regulations, but added that he hoped statements made by the authorities in meetings signal that these trends will be reversed. "The case of the two bloggers, Emin Abdullayev (Milli) and Adnan Hajizade, charged with hooliganism, demonstrates that law enforcement has not yet given up producing undue accusations against critically-minded media workers," said Haraszti following meetings in Baku. He also referred to the cases of Eynulla Fatullayev and Ganimat Zahidov, whom he visited in prison. The two are Azerbaijan's best known independent newspaper editors who are serving long prison terms on charges such as terrorism, tax evasion and hooliganism.During his visit Haraszti, together with Ambassador Bilge Cankorel, the Head of OSCE Office in Baku, met Ali Hasanov, the head of the Public and Political Issues Department of the Presidential Administration, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyevand and Commissioner for Human Rights Elmira Suleymanova."In my meetings with officials, I was assured that defamation will soon be decriminalized. I was also encouraged to hear that the presidential administration shares my concerns about the bloggers' case. I welcome these statements, and hope that Abdullayev and Hajizade may be released soon," Haraszti said.

"For Azerbaijan to improve its media freedom record, law enforcement should be firmly instructed to protect journalists instead of endangering them through harassment and trumped-up charges."Haraszti stressed that urgent improvement was also needed regarding the ban imposed earlier this year on the BBC, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America from accessible FM waves, which gravely diminishes pluralism, and to new media law amendments which gave the government extended rights to interfere with the press.Haraszti also urged authorities to release imprisoned journalists and publicly disclose information on the state of the investigation into the 2005 murder of investigative journalist Elmar Huseynov.

During his visit to Baku, Haraszti and Ambassador Cankorel also presented the Azerbaijani edition of the Media Self-regulation Guidebook, published by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/item/39507.html

Blogs grow up

in Madagascar crisis.

Alternative information, counter-weight to media tools controled by the state. And cyber-space is open for everyone with an Internet connection.

The state of art

of the Middle East blogosphere.

Blogging all over the world

- the dangers, opportunities and the networks.

The Political Perils Of The Internet

Adam Boulton

Sky News

April 13

‘Have you ever sent an email that could embarrass the President?’ is one of the questions asked as part of the confirmation procedure for the thousands of applicants to join the Obama Administration.

The question is generally taken as evidence of the near-impossible height to which Obama has raised the bar for people who want to work for him.

One reason why many well qualified individuals are reluctant to go into public service and why more than half of the jobs in the Administration remain unfilled.

But the Administration’s precautions also betray a sensitivity to the dangers of the internet which Derek Draper and Damian McBride would have been well advised to respect.

The “Red Rag” affair is a story of the internet about the internet and broken on the internet by Guido Fawkes (even if Paul Staines, Guido’s alter ego, did call in back-up from the dead tree press to give his scoop critical heft).

The internet has changed the rules for people in public life in two significant respects.

Firstly emails leave a trail of written evidence far more accessible to exposure than any paper trail or series of phone calls. Secondly, the blogosphere and websites offer the public quicker and easier access to potentially damaging revelations and allegations.

Long before his abortive foray into blogging, Damian McBride’s flaming emails were legendary around Westminster.

The Sunday Times reported on one he sent to me, claiming that the ex-cabinet Minister Stephen Byers could not be considered a legitimate spokesman for the Labour party.

A number of sites, including Iain Dale, Coffee House, ConservativeHome and, yes, Boulton & Co, have broken stories online. But in Britain Guido Fawkes' ‘Order Order’ has set the pace for scoops that have been politically significant.

Mr Staines says he is anti-government rather than anti-Labour, and it’s certainly the government which has had the worst from a right-of-centre anarcho-libertarian perspective he has forced resignations or enforced self criticism from the likes of Peter Hain, the John Smith Institute and now the Prime Minister’s private office.

In the US sites such as Politico, Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, The Page, and Drudge Report have become instant sources of information which bypass the print media and traditional broadcasters.

Obama’s comments about clinging to guns and religion were broken by Huffington – whose White House correspondent was given a question at President Obama’s first news conference. From Sarah Palin’s family to the Obama’s new dog web sites were the first source of information.

Meanwhile in America newspapers are closing, laying workers off and cutting back. Established news organisations increasingly see the internet as the main place to grow revenue, although it remains to be seen if the hopes of the likes of AP and the Wall Street Journal of charging more for content will work.

Increasingly large organizations see websites as the way to disseminate printed information, and increasingly pictures and video, about themselves on their own terms – just look at the 10 Downing Street or White House Websites.

But from TV networks to the top of politics, there’s a nagging anxiety that established organizations are too staid, too inflexible, too old fashioned to compete effectively in the world of Google, Youtube and Facebook.

This neurosis is particularly severe for New Labour which had always prided itself with being at the cutting edge of communications. The door of Number Ten was wide open to an over-confident self-proclaimed expert such as Mr Draper.

The moral of this story is to do what you do best. Politicians, let alone governments and political parties are not journalist, media organisations, or lone gun campaigners, and are ill advised to try to be so. It will end in tears.

At Sky News we believe we have the skills, the news gathering resources and the reputation to make a big useful contribution on line.

With millions of websites out there – we think there’s still a big need for websites you like and trust.

Essentially we are providing the journalism we have always offered in new formats. I expect that other news organisations would say the same kind of thing.

That doesn’t mean we will become Guido Fawkes, even if we are sometimes competing with him. But the point about Mr Fawkes is that he understands what he is trying to do and is putting his heart and soul into it.

Political blogging is not just a matter of thinking up a few smears and sending them out on email.

Cuban blogger talks about citizen journalism project and 'blogostroika'

Los Angeles Times

Yoanie Sanchez, Cuba's star blogger, has elaborated a little more about the citizen journalism project she launched on the island in January in an attempt to challenge media censorship there.

Sanchez, who is the author of the blog Generación Y, started the Voces Cubanas (Cuban Voices) blogging platform to gather citizen journalists from across the island, according to the Knight Center for Journalism's Journalism in the Americas blog.

Global Voices' Claudia Cadelo interviews Sánchez about the project, which she says is different from Generación Y and the existing Desde Cuba.

She says in the interview: "It is a website where all those who want to express ideas, put their projects online, can do so. It is born and inspired by the experience that we gained through the administration of other sites, but there is not an editorial policy that guides it, rather each blogger is his or her own director, editor and even censor."

Sanchez also talks about the concept of "blogostróika," the name used by many for the blogging movement in Cuba.

The idea of calling this new phenomenon with the label of blogostróika came from Cubans writing their blogs from exile. [It is what] they called this new wave of personal and collective sites with Cuban themes that have appeared in the past five years. The use of this term is a clear allusion to the process that came about when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, especially during the information transparency process called glasnost. Even though the term sounds nice, I have to make a small comment that perestroika was pushed from a position of power, while the alternative Cuban blogosphere did not ask permission from anyone to exist.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Facebook Diplomacy

Washington wants to use the Web 2.0 to win hearts and minds. Trouble is, the tyrants got there first.

Evgeny Morozov

Newsweek
Mar 2, 2009 Issue

Barack Obama came to the White House on a wave of Internet support, so it makes sense that he plans to use the same vehicle as a tool of diplomacy. His secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said as much earlier this month. "There is no doubt in my mind that we've barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world," she said at a Feb. 4 meeting in Washington, D.C. "We are, in my view, wasting time, wasting money, wasting opportunities, because we are not prepared to communicate effectively with what is out there in the business world and the private world."

Clinton is right to be enthusiastic about Web 2.0 tools. They offer the promise of promoting democracy in countries that currently give the United States big geopolitical headaches—particularly Iran, China and Russia. But it's not going to be easy. Tehran, Beijing and Moscow already have a presence on the Internet and in recent months have stepped up their campaigns to manipulate public opinion at home.

The kind of outreach that Clinton is emphasizing can have a significant payoff. At the height of the war in Gaza, Israel's Immigrant Absorption Ministry waged a campaign to recruit an "army of bloggers" made up of polyglot Israelis who could counter anti-Israel sentiment on English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and French sites. According to reports in Haaretz, after having registered with the ministry, the volunteers were directed to sites that authorities found "problematic." Volunteers could even sign up for automated alerts urging collective action in reaction to specific articles and polls.

If the U.S. government takes a similar path, it's only logical to assume that the nations it targets will take steps to counter the intervention. American leaders may think that the millions of Russians, Chinese and Iranians who have been heading online in recent years are seeking Western points of view, but their governments are by now well practiced at turning this tendency to their advantage.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that his administration is not going to censor the Internet, but that may be because it has found something more effective: spinning it. The Kremlin uses a private firm, New Media Stars, founded by Konstantyn Rykov, a 29-year-old Duma deputy. Rykov's new media empire includes online news sites, a site for supporters of Vladimir Putin (zaputina.ru—"For Putin!"), online games and an Internet TV channel with a pro-Kremlin bent. Navigating these mazes of propaganda and trying to plant effective pro-American messages would be difficult even for a Web-savvy State Department.

In China, both national and local authorities have begun to encourage loose networks of ordinary Netizens to promote government ideology by identifying and countering dissenting opinions on the Web. The practice is so widespread that government-supported commentators are referred to as the "50 cent party" (for the tiny payments some of them receive for their work). Hong Kong's Apple Daily puts the membership of the 50 cent party at 280,000. Under particular pressure are popular Internet portals and news Web sites. According to David Bandurski, a media researcher at the University of Hong Kong, the most important of them are also required to hire their own in-house commentators to counter antigovernment comments that citizens append to articles.

Iran's clerics have also climbed the cyber-learning curve. When the Internet began to catch on earlier this decade, religious teachers tried to supervise the online activities of their young students and promote the use of the Internet mainly for religious study. As access became widespread, this method became untenable. More recently, Iranian cyberspace has begun to mirror the complexity of contemporary Iranian politics, with different factions—religious, paramilitary and secular—competing for influence. To keep up, government and religious institutions have employed armies of bloggers to push their points of view. (The most recent chapter in these information wars is a decision by one of the units of the infamous Iranian Revolutionary Guards to launch 10,000 blogs to counter both secular and competing Shia voices.) The result is a cacophony of warring religious factions. John Kelly, an expert in the Iranian blogosphere at Harvard's Berkman Center, has found that in the last year, the proportion of religious sites among the top 5,000 most-linked Iranian blogs has grown from 16 percent to 31 percent.

What does this mean to the future of Diplomacy 2.0? That so many governments manipulate the Internet to their advantage—all the while still practicing old-fashioned tactics like throwing bloggers in jail—suggests that those who hoped to use cyberspace to promote democracy and American ideals on the cheap may be in for a tough fight. If anything, the Internet may make their jobs harder.

See also:

Ha'aretz - The Army of blogging, word for word

Cyber-war in Malaysia

About how the Internet - where many of the ethical laws could not be applied - could be used as a defamatory political tool. You don't have nothing to do against, and no ways to fight in justice against a hostname.

Why Republicans Don't Get the Internet

by Meghan McCain, the daughter of the Republican Presidential candidate. Indeed, the Republican voice on the web wasn't heard at all. The grass-root of the party was rather reluctant to such new techniques and the initiatives created by and for youngsters, weren't merchandized. Meghan McCain's blog - http://mccainblogette.com - or the Conservative Punk - http://conservativepunk.com/ - could be a good starting platform. Now, the Republicans started little by little to adopt e-politics techniques. But, first of all they need to reorganize the whole political basis, in order to get support from the younger electorate. Otherwise, they will simply try to copy the successful campaign of Obama and they will get nothing more than a copy.