The Power of Social Media and Protests in Egypt
From Fox News
With rocks and sticks in hand, thousands of Egyptians are organizing in the streets of Cairo to protest the regime of President Hosni Mubarak along with the widening gap between the rich and poor and the large percentage of jobless youth. President Mubarak has been in power since 1981 and the Egyptian people are ready for change. These demonstrations were inspired somewhat by the nearby riots in Tunisia that successfully removed Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after ruling for 23 years. The current nature of the protests in Cairo is said to be one of excitement for a new Egypt, one with hope and possibility, without deteriorating economic conditions, rampant corruption and oppression.
The importance of social media shines through in Egypt’s current situation, especially as the government’s grip tightens on social media outlets, which have been utilized to organize some of the demonstrations. In addition to completely banning all protests, reports suggest that the government has blocked Facebook and Twitter. Protesters were using the hashtag, used for searching a common topic, #Jan25 to communicate through Twitter. While these social media outlets are no longer accessible for those participating in the demonstrations, protests continue to take place. Limiting internet access is clearly no challenge to the strength of this movement.
It may be too soon to predict if the outcome of these protests will lead to political change, social justice and equal distribution of wealth, but this has certainly proven the power of communication and social media. Further exemplifying the influence of social media is the television series The Station. This soap opera addresses controversial social issues as well as solutions to move Egypt in a constructive direction. Episodes address daily issues for the people of Egypt, such as youth unemployment, corruption, democratization and privatization. The goal of this Search for Common Ground production is to provide hope for a better future as well as practical tools to achieve that vision.
Former child soldier from Sudan, Emmanuel Jal now sings for peace. His resilience as well as his voice are an inspiration to all.
What musician inspires you?
Moderating the Airwaves in Cote d’Ivoire
In addition to our grassroots peacebuilding efforts which directly work with community leaders, Search continues to broadcast and distribute our programs through the internet to a network of 42 radio partners in every region of Cote d’Ivoire including the national radio and the UN Radio.
Search programming provides a space for moderate voices, something that has great resonance in times of crisis when rumors and bias in media can have disastrous results. We’ve noted an increase in listeners on the radio especially, which speaks to the desire of Ivoirians for moderate dialogue.
A recent episode of one of our programs, Unis dans Nos différences (United in Our Differences) brought phone calls of congratulations and encouragement to our studio in Abidjan:
“We are going through a moment of psychological shock. When we go out in the morning and we glance at the newspapers, we think ‘this is chaos.’ When we watch the TV, it’s even worse. read more…
Participants observe activities of the Solidarity Event in Minankro
Tensions are high in Côte d’Ivoire with incumbent president Gbagbo refuses to concede to his rival Alassane Ouattara, who was declared the winner by the IEC. Cases of Ouattara supporters and a lesser number of Gbagbo supporters “disappearing” are on the rise and instances of violence have broken out in the capital and beyond.
Political crisis is, unfortunately, familiar to Ivoirians. Civil war broke out in 2002 between the largely Muslim north and the largely Christian South. The war ended as recently as 2007, when the Ouagadougou political accord was signed. Much of the underlying causes for the war remain unresolved, however, and other conflicts have arisen as a result of it.
At the heart of the matter is the issue of belonging. Who is and who is not an Ivoirian. With its abundant natural resources, Côte d’Ivoire has long been West African success story, drawing immigrants from all over the region but particularly from Burkina Faso. Many native Ivoirians resent this immigration; recent immigrants and those with longtime roots in the country are all called “foreigners.” This sentiment is easily manipulated by politicians. Indeed it was this concept of Ivoirité that delayed previous elections. Controversy arose over voter lists, with the nationality of one million Ivoirians being contested. Even now accusations regarding Ouattara’s heritage are used as rationale against his eligibility to hold office.
On a grassroots level these tensions are most often expressed through land conflict. Identity has real consequences when citizenship entitles land ownership. read more…
Dwelling for some farmers near Kadugli, South Kordofan, Sudan.
Two Sudanese boys in ‘Kandahar, Sudan’ on a donkey cart.
Most prominently known for rampant human rights violations and severe conflict, at least part of Sudan now has a renewed sense of hope for the future. Earlier this month Southern Sudan hosted a referendum vote for the creation of an independent state. Overall, the voting process has been regarded as successful despite weak state institutions and a tense political environment. Although it has not even taken its first breath, many experts have already declared the prospective new nation a failed state. While the prospective country may be unprepared for sovereignty, her future citizens are passionate for independence. read more…
Musical Chairs and the State of Our Union
During the state of the union, party divides are often made obvious by seating arrangements. One half of the room stands in applause while the other half sits, perhaps with crossed arms or sour faces. Yesterday’s state of the union, in response to the increased calls for civility and bipartisanship, was a little different.
Members of congress sat next to opposing party members in a symbolic act of civility. Nearly 60 lawmakers made the pledge in advance of the speech and as the cameras panned the crowd you could see pairs like John Kerry and John McCain prominently seated next to each other. Members of Congress also showed solidarity by sporting the black and white lapel ribbons in honor of the victims of the Tucson shooting. An empty seat was left open by the Arizona delegation in honor of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who is still hospitalized.
Obama’s opening remarks addressed the tragedy that sparked debate about the virulence of public debate saying:
“There’s a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid the noise and passion and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater—something more consequential than party or political preference.”
While it’s important not to overstate the degree to which creative seating or change in tone can go toward bipartisan action, it show a step in the right direction and hopefully a willingness to try.
Missed it? Wanna relive it? You can find the full video and transcript of the speech here.
What did you think of the State of the Union address? Did the changed seating make it seem less partisan?
