Author Archives: Denise

Kissing for Civil Rights in the Arab World

In the beginning of October a Moroccan teenage couple posted a photo of a kiss in their Facebook account and later were arrested for “violating public decency”. This action led to a campaign promoted by Moroccan civil activists to defend … Continue reading

Non-Violent Activist Razan Zaitouneh and her Team Kidnapped in Syria

Four activists, among them internationally acclaimed non-violent activist Razan Zaitouneh, from Syria’s Violations Documentation Center (VDC) were kidnapped by unidentified masked gunmen from the center’s Douma office on the outskirts of Damascus. Zaitouneh, along with her team made up of Nazem … Continue reading

International Human Rights Day – “Write for Rights”

Every December, to mark International Human Rights Day, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe take part in the world’s largest human rights event: Write for Rights. This year, people can write letters, send SMS messages, take action online … Continue reading

Reverend Billy Faces a Year in Prison for JP Morgan Chase Toad Protest

On September 12, performance artist Reverent Billy Talen and his Stop Shopping Choir walked into a JP Morgan Chase asset management bank in Manhattan. Forty-five minutes later Bill and his musical director, Nehemiah Luckett, were arrested by the NYPD with charges … Continue reading

10 Bangkok Rallies That Almost Toppled the Government

A temporary truce between anti-government protesters and government forces in Thailand has somewhat eased the political tension in the country. More than 100,000 protesters have stormed the streets of Bangkok in the past two weeks demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck … Continue reading

“Lantern” Helps China’s Web Users Dodge Censors Through Trusted Friends

On China’s heavily censored web, many web users depend on Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and proxy servers to access blocked sites such as Facebook and YouTube. However, most of non-commercial proxy access points are blocked once the Chinese government identifies their existence. … Continue reading

Digital Activism – A Nonviolent Tool

Digital activism is usually nonviolent and tends to work best when social media tools are combined with street-level organization, according to new research from the University of Washington. The findings come from Digital Activism Research Project’s report. Founded by Philip … Continue reading

Bulgaria – “Resign” Is Not Enough

Bulgaria is undergoing a deep political crisis. A mass social mobilisation against austerity, poverty and electricity price rises took place in February, toppling the centre-right government. After elections in May, the independent Plamen Oresharski became prime minister (back in 1997 … Continue reading

Egyptian Activists Arrested Under New Anti-Protest Law

Eighty-nine activists who are part of the No Military Trial campaign have been arrested by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior on November 26, 2013 following the new anti-protest law issued by interim president Adly Mansour on Sunday (November 24). Hundreds … Continue reading

Ukraine Protests: Students Join Demonstrations In Kiev Over EU Deal

Several thousand Ukrainian students ditched classes on Tuesday and joined protests in the center of Kiev against the government’s abrupt move to freeze integration with the West and tilt toward Moscow. Kiev announced last week that it was halting preparations … Continue reading

Activism Against Gender Violence

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign that starts on 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day. The campaign hopes to raise awareness … Continue reading

From Quebec to Spain: Anti-Protest Laws Threaten Democracy

In a number of recent front lines of popular protest, state capacities have been reconfigured to meet the challenge. In some instances, as in Greece, this has meant periods of emergency government. In Chicago, in Quebec and now in Spain, … Continue reading

Fighting Pakistan’s YouTube Ban, One Hug at a Time

Youtube has been banned in Pakistan for more than a year, but the love for the video-sharing site in the country has not died. Many Pakistanis use proxy or VPN services to use it and Pakistan For All (PFA), a group of … Continue reading

Hawaii’s Big Island bans GMO

The governing council for Hawaii (or Big) Island Tuesday banned biotech companies from operating on the island while barring growth of genetically modified organisms. The Hawaii County Council approved Bill 113 by a vote of 6-3, which would mandate a possible … Continue reading

1,000 Days of House Arrest

The three leading figures of protests that gripped the attention of the entire world as millions took to the streets of Iran remain locked up in their homes. On November 12, 2013 Mir Hossein Mousavi, his wife, Zahra Rahnavard and … Continue reading

Spain – Activists Fight for their Housing Rights

Over the past two years in Catalonia, Spain, more than 700 people have made empty houses owned by banks their new homes thanks to the support of the Platform of People Affected by the Mortgage, or PAH. In Andalusia, another … Continue reading

Bulgarian Students “Sit-In” to Put a Stop on Government’s Corruption

Ivaylo Dinev, a 24-year-old anthropology student, is an informal leader of the group that has occupied Sofia University’s main building and he believes the time has come to change his world. To do so, he’s chosen a tactic straight from the … Continue reading

India’s Gulabi Gang – A Community Effort for All

Sampat Pal is an unlikely hero. She is a single mother of five, born to a poor and conservative family of Indian farmers and was able to undergo only basic formal education during her youth. Pal´s experiences, combined with her … Continue reading

Bulgaria: An Ongoing Fight for Freedom of Press

More than 20 years after the instatement of democracy in Bulgaria, the country still fight for basic democratic rights such as freedom of speech and media freedom. According to some recent studies and public sentiment, Bulgaria is rated as the … Continue reading

Yemenis Looking for Action: TEDxSanaa 2013

It seems that the TedxSanaa is the only positive action taking place lately in Yemen. No wonder many Yemenis were eagerly awaiting the beginning of a new series of inspiring talks in TedxSanaa 2013 to kick off, to take their … Continue reading

Maldives – “Silent Protest”

There was both excitement and tension in the air as the Maldives geared up for presidential elections on November 9. After several months of intense campaigning, people have grown restless with prolonged delays in holding the election. Even with the … Continue reading

Anonymous “MillionMaskMarch” in London and Around the World

Last Tuesday evening in London, an Anonymous protest joined thousands of people in the streets, many wearing the now infamous Guy Fawkes mask, to protest against austerity cuts. The event was part of a MillionMaskMarch with similar protests being held in cities … Continue reading

Egypt: Satirist Bassem Youssef´s Show Censored

Just a week after the airing of the first episode of the third season of his popular show “Al Bernameg”, Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef has seen his show taken off from air. The news was greeted with disbelief, irony and … Continue reading

Bulgarian Students Protest for Change

“Wake up!” chanted some 2,000 protesters rallying in front of Sofia University after students, who have been occupying part of the university since October 25, called for faculty and anti-government protesters to join their demonstration. Chanting “Resign!” and “Red trash!”, students blocked … Continue reading

“Nonviolent Peaceforce” for International Awareness

Over the past few months there have been many discussions about alternatives to war and armed military intervention in light of the ongoing crisis in Syria. Nonviolent Peaceforce is an international humanitarian organization that was started in 2002 with the … Continue reading

“Estudiantes por la Libertad” in Chile

“Harboring a little liberty in Chile in #EsLibertad while denouncing electoral fraud in Argentina.” That was just one of the many Twitter messages, utilizing the hashtag #EsLibertad, to refer to the first Estudiantes por la Libertad Latin American conference, held … Continue reading

Iranian Student Leader Majid Tavakoli Is Out on Bail

Majid Tavakoli, Iranian student arrested on December 2009 for criticizing the Iranian government, was temporarily released on bail. His arrest created a strong online protest campaign to counterattack the regime’s attempt to humiliate him by claiming he had fled from … Continue reading

GMO Corn Suspended in Mexico

In Mexico, genetically-engineered corn has been banned indefinitely. Judge Jaime Eduardo Verdugo J. of the Twelfth Federal District Court for Civil Matters of Mexico City ruled that the genetically-engineered corn posed “the risk of imminent harm to the environment.” Companies like … Continue reading

“Walking The Word” – Colombia’s Peace March

Colombia’s Peace Community of San José de Apartadó organized a march to spread the word about abusive police forces and guerrilla groups that killed and displaced hundreds of people from local communities. About 150 people converged upon the village of Rodoxalí to … Continue reading

Palestine´s Nonviolent Hope

It was the hottest week of the year in Palestine. All Fadel Jaber wanted was some water for his family. But he ended up being arrested. Fadel lives in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli government has redirected water … Continue reading