Iran - Counting Down to a Day of Solidarity with Those Who Speak Out

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On Thursday February 11, 2010, Amnesty International is calling for support for those participating in the mass protests standing up to the authorities and the abuses of Basij militia and Revolutionary Guards by disputing the outcome of the last year's June Election. As of this posting, it is February 11th in Iran.

Current local time in Mashhad, Iran

In creating this post, the arena of collaboration that I have chosen is again, Bloggers Unite, who are working with Amnesty International to get the word out on February 11, 2010 which isVictory of the Revolution Day in Iran. Equivalent to the Fourth of July in the United States, it is a day commemorating liberty, independence and freedom.

Admitting to being a slacktivist is my way of recognizing that this blog on its own is only a minor contribution and does not compare with the commitment being made by others. After all, I am writing this from usually sunny southern California where although the economy is bad and jobs are now tenuous, I am safe writing this post rather than fearing torture or death. That for me though is an argument against keeping quiet. Small voice blogs such as this one can help spread the word and push awareness beyond the edge of mainstream news sources. By using multiple means of communication through writing, podcasts, and video we can provide greater clarity regarding the impact of these issues. This YouTube video from the Amnesty International (Belgium Flemish) chapter shows former detainee Ali Kheradnejad talking about his experience.

As Amnesty International asserted

Since blogs and websites like Twitter and YouTube were virtually the only way the Iranian people could expose the horrific treatment being inflicted on them in the days following the contested Presidential election, we full expect Iranians to turn to the Internet once again to carry their messages. That is why we are asking everyone to show their solidarity online on February 11th whether its on your blog, website, or social networking profile.

It is also an assertion that having more slacktivists on the web will not lead to those committed to causes leaving to Farmville on Facebook, as some argue, rather it will help accumulate into potential tipping points of change. This is especially true as these efforts are done in collaboration as with Amnesty International's effort to support protester's in Iran. The sort of effort can be faulted for being "activism for a lazy generation”, but as ict.developmentgateway.org, The Boston Globe -News of Iran, edited in Newton and Clay Shirky: Social Media vs. the Dictator demonstrate social media tools such as Twitter can be effective tools in creating social awareness.

News #CNNfail: Twitter Blasts CNN Over Iran Election

Twitter users blasted CNN this weekend for a lack of coverage of the Tehran protests, with Iranian citizens claiming ballot fraud and taking to the streets.

Twitter has proven a powerful tool for spreading news of developing events in the country, but it has also taken on the role of media watchdog: thousands of Twitter users adopted the hashtag #CNNfail to highlight a lack of Iran coverage from the news organization.

Language: EnglishSource: Mashable: The Social Media Guide

Added by John Daly

June 15, 2009 Archive Date: June 15, 2009

News of Iran, edited in Newton - The Boston Globe

The website is called Tehran Bureau, but it is not housed in the Iranian capital. It’s edited from Niknejad’s parents’ living room in Newton

The English-language site has generated a lot of attention over the past few weeks as tensions escalated over allegations of electoral fraud by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government. When demonstrators were shot and communication with the West was curtailed in a government clampdown, Tehran Bureau’s stream of news alerts and Twitter feeds became a valued source of information cited by The New York Times and other Western news organizations.

Clay Shirky, in this TED Talk looks at how the end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics, Iranian protestors streaming news to the world, showing how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news by bypassing censors (if all too briefly).

Although it is not the primary focus of this blog, it has in the past supported Amnesty International efforts on behalf of dissident Hana Abdi, a women's rights advocate in Iran and posted on Kristof and WuDunn's general theme in their book HALF THE SKY". To wit, the brave women of Iran who took to the streets to protest the results of the recent election.

In the final analysis, it recognizes the perspective put forward by Former Irish President Mary Robinson, also former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that Progress on MDGs Requires Focus on Human Dignity, Equality and Equity.