Social Media and the Tunisian Revolution

Sami Ben Gharbia, outgoing editor of Global Voices Advocacy addresses the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Conference on 20 July 2012.

He speaks about the role of digital activism in the 2010 Tunisian revolution and the Arab spring. He shares some of the strategies used to expose government corruption and nepotism and to combat its censorship, both online and offline.

In addition he touches on the involvement of Wikileaks and Anonymous in assisting the campaign.

Professor Sarah Joseph, Director of Monash University's Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, chairs the question time that follows the presentation.

Lion Promenade - Pride of Masai Mara

'Shot' at Masai Mara National Park, Kenya on 26 June 2012.

Music: nebife by Oumou

Seizing Kenya's Sporting Chance: Richard Wanjohi

Kenyan Richard Wanjohi speaks with GV author Kevin Rennie in Nairobi at the GV Citizen Media Summit 2012 in July about the challenges facing Kenya and Africa in general.

Richard speaks about political, social, and economic issues. He reflects on the role of blogging and the growing importance of citizen media in Africa.

He is a great sports lover and would like to be Global Voices sports editor.

When Change Comes - Kenyan Poet Njeri Wangari

Kenyan poet and blogger Njeri Wangari reads her poem 'When Change Comes' at the Global Voices Summit in July 2012 in Nairobi. Njeri also talks to GV author Kevin Rennie about the challenges facing Kenya and Africa today, including political, economic, educational and health issues.

She speaks about her role as a blogger and the growing significance of citizen media in Africa.

From her poem 'When Change Comes':

When villages grow into towns
Towns into cities
Shops into malls
Spaces into estates,
When streets turn into avenues
Avenues into highways, super highways
Subways and runways
Then things change.

Njeri blogs at Kenyan Poet.

Melbourne’s Eco-city

Melbourne is supposed to be one of the world’s most liveable cities but it will have to work hard to make sure it has a truly sustainable future.

As Melbourne City councillors, the two main candidates in the Melbourne State parliament by-election on 21 July 2012 are key players in its program to be an Eco-city.

Please see my post for ThinkBrigade Melbourne’s Eco-city: Working for a Sustainable Future for more.

What Would Change Your Mind on Climate?

My latest roundup for Global Voices Online: Australia: What Would Change Your Mind on Climate?

The scenario is simple. A wily conservative ex-politician and a young climate activist visit their ‘experts’ around the globe together. It’s a futile and inevitably failed attempt to change each other’s mind.

...The ABC, as our national broadcaster, is supposed to help us to form our views by presenting competing ideas. Many feel that giving equal time to the small percentage of scientists and commentators who are climate sceptics, delayers or deniers provides unwarranted weight to their arguments not true balance.

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You and me and everyone we know: Rio+20

Giedre Steikunaite, one of the ThinkBrigade team, is a finalist in the TckTckTck Rio Blogger prize.

Her post You and me and everyone we know is a must read for anyone interested in the Rio+20 Earth Summit, plus all those who should be:

No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible – Stanisław Lec

Whoever still doubts that our planet is in crisis has their eyes wide shut. The avalanche that is approaching us at a seemingly unstoppable speed presents perhaps the most challenging confrontation of them all, the confrontation with oneself: how far am I ready to go to make future possible again? What am I willing to sacrifice? And just how honest are my replies?

We the snowflakes are rebels with a cause. Our mission is to atone the crimes we’ve committed against our planet – to right the wrongs and never repeat them again. The ways to do it are as diverse as life itself.

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