Editor

March 11, 2011

Let’s Beef Up and Meet Up

For the past few years, Iranian cyber activists have used Western sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Wordpress and other blogging tools with enthusiasm and intelligence. They have also created their own platforms such as Balatarin, which is reminiscent of Digg, and Gooya, which predates blogging and was born as a kind of political yellow pages, expanding into news gathering and political discussions.
March 11, 2011

Creating Social Capital in Politically Restrictive Environments

To preserve power and political stability, many repressive regimes have taken measures to prohibit extensive civic engagement and bar the development of a free, civil society. In cases where engagement in the physical public sphere may be limited, a rise in virtual space has provided alternative mode for collective organization, linking closed societies to an open sphere of civic dialogue. The question remains then, can civic engagement in the virtual sphere allow repressed societies to create social capital equivalent to that seen in the open, democratic physical sphere? As we will examine later in this article, the power behind Iran’s Weblogistan has been playing a crucial role in developing ideologies, increasing interconnectedness, and strengthening social ties. Through the weblog and similar mediums of virtual communication, technology presents an alternative to traditional public space in engaging individuals, connecting society, and developing social trust.
March 10, 2011

Two Faces of Revolution: (Or, why dictators fear the internet)

The events in Tunisia and Egypt have riveted the region and the world. The eruptions of people power have shaken and taken down the seeming unbreakable edifices of dictatorship.  (At the time of writing Mubarak has not formally acknowledged that he has been toppled, but the force of the movement is too powerful and determined to fathom any other outcome). Events are moving at breakneck speed and a new narrative for the future is swiftly being written. In the throes of a changing future it merits returning to the stories of two young men, the two faces that stoked the flames of revolution thanks to the persistence of on-line citizen activists who spread their stories. For in the tragic circumstances surrounding their deaths are keys to understanding what has driven throngs of citizens to the streets.
March 10, 2011

Contributors

Avery Oslo (Creating the Impossible: The Invisible Network of Britain’s Activist Subculture) began ethnographic research on Scottish Road Protest Culture in 2004. As a part of […]
February 27, 2011

ICT and Environmental Sustainability

In this paper, published as part of a report on ICTs and Environmental Society, Arseh Seovm's Sohrab Razzaghi argues that ICT can be used to promote sustainable growth in Iran. He suggests using Information and Communication Technology to address issues of city management, pollution, and environmental issues. The paper stresses the need for more open access to ICT and a commitment to democratic values. (Continue reading...)