Digital activism: an Egyptian perspective

Join WACC North America for a free webinar on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 from 11 AM to noon Eastern time. To register please click here. 

Egyptian digital activist, blogger, and WACC member Kamal Sedra will lead a webinar about how social media has influenced—and is influencing—the Egyptian political landscape.

Based in Cairo, Mr. Sedra founded and manages DISC Development, an organization that works in the fields of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression, and provides technical support for other civil society actors. Mr. Sedra also serves as a Senior Technical Advisor for ICT4Peace Foundation, a Swiss NGO that supports global peace through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). He is a well-known digital activist, blogger, and digital media consultant, having served as a trainer with international NGOs in numerous countries on these topics. As an expert on digital activism, Mr. Sedra has presented at conferences around the world, including the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference in San Francisco (2011), the Internet Governance Forum (2012), and many others.

In 2009 Mr. Sedra’s website www.nazaha-eg.net won the eDemocracy Forum and Politics Online prize as one of the top ten websites how changing the politics and world. To register for this timely and interesting webinar please click here. 

WACC and IFJ launch Resource Kit to strengthen gender-ethical journalism

WACC and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have launched a new resource to promote gender ethical journalism. The kit draws from the insights of media practitioners, educators and communication researchers from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America and Pacific. It brings together practical guidelines to enhance women’s representation in media content and encourage dialogue within media structures and self-regulatory bodies together with civil society groups.

Please support the awesome work of WACC Global and IFJ. The Learning Resource Kit available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish may be downloaded free of charge at www.whomakesthenews.org and www.ifj.org.

2013 Communication for Social Change Awards

If you’re reading this blog, you probably know someone who should be considered for these awards. The Centre for Communication and Social Change out of The University of Queensland (Australia) awards “specifically those that have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to using communication to transform and empower marginalised communities.” For more information on the awards and on the nominations process, please visit their website.

“Telling Their Own Stories, Building Their Own Countries”

My most excellent pal and colleague Ali sent this along a few weeks ago (sorry, sorry, this blogger has some time management issues . . . ). But here it is! Check out this groovey website and this groovey article about some of the work that Journalists for Human Rights is up to. It’s a really eye-opening read about what can happen to media outlets during times of conflict and war, and about the necessity of strong media even in peace times. Check it out!