We are young digital natives reaching out across seemingly impenetrable national, social, political, ethnic, and sectarian barriers, employing the freedom created by media platforms to demand and create our own civil discourse.

Civil Rights

Letter from Kurdistan, March 16th

March 16th, 2010Vahal

22 years ago today, the former Iraqi regime ordered its air force to bombard the Kurdish town of Halabja with chemical weapons, instantly poisoning to death 5000 men, women and children. I went to Halabja for the first time in the spring of 2006 to pay my respects to the dead. I [...]

Mainstream Politics, Hypocrisy and Civil Society

March 14th, 2010Pouyan (Iran/Germany)

Hypocracy[1] is understood as a so called democratic government in which hypocrisy rule i.e. the ruling party/individuals does not keep on what is being promised and/or told.

VideoBloggers should not be killed

February 17th, 2010Uzma (UAE)

Bloggers across the globe are being imprisoned for writing posts that are deemed “blasphemous” or are accused of “spreading false information harmful to the country.”
In the last month almost 10 netizens and bloggers have been arrested worldwide.
The March 18 Movement aims to shed light on these cases and calls for free speech on the [...]

Once upon a burka – Part 1

February 16th, 2010Marian (Somalia)

It’s oppressive. It’s degrading. It’s this, it’s that. Jack Straw claimed this, Nicholas Sarkozy mentioned that. Let us liberate them in Afghanistan, let us liberate them in France. Yawn. I am getting fed up of these burka stories. They seem to be never ending and at times very cringe worthy. ’Burka woman sacked from her job!’  ’Lets [...]

Donkeys that have Kinship to London !!!

February 7th, 2010Sami, the beduin.

This story happened more than 70 or 80 years ago, in the Galilee Heights, during the British occupation “Mandate” to Palestine, a long time before we had the “honor” to host our “cousins’ the jews. There, in one of the Galilee villages, there was a Palestinian peasant who had a stubborn donkey. Both, the peasant [...]

Who Will Win In Iran?

January 13th, 2010Nissim Dahan (Israel/USA)

I had the opportunity recently to read the Manifesto of the Green Movement in Iran. It’s quite an impressive document; very reminiscent, in many ways, of American democracy, as spelled out in such historic documents as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Thomas Jefferson would have approved. The trouble is, however, as the [...]

Iraqi women: A story of unjustice through decades

January 2nd, 2010Wamith Al-Kassab (Iraq)

The Arab communities and even non-Arab Islamic had left us a legacy of customs and traditions against the female, and had subsequently generated a series of consequences of the process of discrimination between human beings on the basis of gender, ie, discrimination between women and men because of masculinity and femininity, both [...]

VideoMaziar Bahari thanks supporters on Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere for his freedom

December 23rd, 2009Esra'a (Bahrain)

Maziar Bahari, an Iranian Canadian journalist and documentary filmmaker who was arrested without charge during the Iranian election protests in June, thanks supporters everywhere who campaigned for his release on Twitter, Facebook, and through diplomatic relations which all contributed to his eventual freedom. Below is a video taken by our partners, Highest Common Denominator Media [...]

Did Naji Al-Ali fear death? Did it move him away from his art? And if he dies, will we forget him?

December 20th, 2009Haroon R. Abu Arra (Palestine/Norway)

Art is a path charged with risks and dangers. Undoubtedly, when I mention this statement I shall face wide opposition voices saying that art is the path to money, fame and beauty.
My dear reader, Naji Al-Ali, who is beyond description, is among the magnificent artists who adopted art as a way for resistance, freedom fighting, [...]

Image12/12 Arts United 4 Iran

December 11th, 2009Esra'a (Bahrain)

This is what the United 4 Iran movement has in storage for tomorrow: “a day devoted to worldwide displays of musical, visual, and performing arts highlighting the issues of human rights in Iran.”
We are proud to be collaborating with United 4 Iran on this project alongside Shahrzad Dance Company, Kala Art Institute, Design Action Collective, [...]