ISSUE #84 CONTENTS:
- Essay Contest Re-Launch for MLK Day
- Human Rights Film Fest Inspires Cairo
- Tunisia on Fire
- Quiz: What is George Clooney Watching?
- Become a Partner in CRIME
- Forward this newsletter to friends & encourage them to subscribe.
- Support Ali Abdulemam by joining the Free Ali Facebook Group
- Join 11,000 others in demanding Nokia stop aiding Iran's crackdown.
SPOTLIGHT CASES:
Essay Contest Re-Launch for MLK Day
The annual Dream Deferred Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Middle East has just re-launched for the sixth year in a row. $10,000 in cash prizes and 50 book prizes are being awarded to outstanding young writers. A panel of celebrity judges from the Middle East and the US will select the best essays exploring the “dream deferred” of guaranteed individual rights in Middle Eastern societies.
The contest, which opened on the eve of the birthday of Martin Luther King, aims to inspire young thinkers to follow in King’s footsteps to pursue nonviolent advocacy for civil rights. Writers under the age of 26 can enter the contest, writing essays in English, Arabic, Farsi, or French. To help inspire creative civil rights campaign ideas, AIC has also published online a comic book about King in English, Arabic, and Farsi.
This year, contest participants have a new way they can enter the contest: with a video or film script. The contest asks young thinkers to propose a viral video to promote nonviolent reform for individual rights. Outstanding videos will be screened at the next Cairo Human Rights Film Festival (see below). Click to see the essay contest webpage.
Human Rights Film Fest Inspires Cairo
When she tried to launch the Cairo Human Rights Film Festival in 2008, AIC's Dalia Ziada found that most theatres were afraid to host screenings. So to get beyond the reach of the security services, she rented a boat on the Nile River and hosted the opening screening on the water in the middle of Cairo.
Now, three years later, the Cairo Film Festival has become an annual institution, and the latest edition was held in the prestigious Sakyat El-Sawy hall and broadcast live on the Internet by Radio Bokra. Over 400 people attending the opening night, which honored legendary human rights attorney Negad Elborai. Over four days, the festival screened 40 films from around the world, including "2081" featuring Armie Hammer (star of hit film "The Social Network").
The audience included hundreds of viewers, including representatives from the UN, foreign embassies, and the Egyptian National Council on Human Rights. Ziada also noted the high percentage of young viewers in the audience. "Egyptians are hungry to learn about human rights around the world and see inspiring human stories," she said. "This year we received media coverage from around the world, from the BBC to Agence France Press to… Egypt State TV! The festival has come a long way since 2008."
Seemingly out of nowhere, grassroots protests have ignited across Tunisia. The initial spark came when a young man in Sidi Bouzid set himself on fire after police confiscated his vegetable stand. 26 year-old Mohammed Bouazizi died last week from his injuries, but his act has fueled a national wave of demonstrations by ordinary Tunisians against the ruling regime’s repressive policies. With protests both in the streets and online, Tunisia is experiencing an unprecedented revolt – and activists across the Middle East are watching in amazement.
Shortly before Bouazizi set himself on fire, Tunisian cyber-activists released (via WikiLeaks) a cache of U.S. State Department internal memos which described Tunisia's President as out of touch and corrupt. The government tried to censor all access to the so-called "TuniLeaks," only spurring greater interest in the documents. In response, an international group of hackers took down several Tunisian websites, including government sites and the stock exchange.
The tense battle continues to escalate, and Tunisian authorities have arrested several leading bloggers, including Slim Amamou (previously featured in The CRIME Report). While the international press has not paid the Tunisia protests as much attention as the June 2009 protests in Iran, today's demonstrations are an earthquake in the region. And the US has now summoned the Tunisian ambassador to express concern over the government's crackdown. The conflagration appears to be only growing.
Quiz: What is George Clooney Watching?
ANSWER: Southern Sudan. The Hollywood star has enlisted the help of Google Earth’s satellite imagery for his new Satellite Sentinel Project. The project is using daily satellite images to monitor Sudanese military activity in response to this week’s groundbreaking referendum on independence for South Sudan. “A lot of bad things really happen when the lights are turned off,” said Clooney. “We are the anti-genocide paparazzi. We want [the Sudanese regime] to enjoy the level of celebrity attention that I usually get. If you know your actions are going to be covered, you tend to behave much differently than when you operate in a vacuum.” It is a historic moment for southern Sudan, and thanks to George Clooney you can watch along in real-time from above.
BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
Here are some ways you can contribute to the Middle East civil rights movement:
