2013 is here! And we’re excited to share what we’ve got planned. It’s going to be a busy year. We’ll be conducting various projects this year to improve the skills of social media trainers, citizen journalists, as well as working with international and Arab organizations to tackle the issues raised by new Internet laws and policies emerging around the MENA region.
In this issue, you will find links to our newest guide, an update on Lebanon’s draft E-transactions law, and opportunities to learn about Internet policy and to vote directly on what you want your world to look like in the next few years. We will also highlight two successful online campaigns: Take Back Parliament in Lebanon and #FastForBassel, an initiative to secure the release of Creative Commoner Bassel Khartabil in Syria.
Enjoy and engage!
The SMEX Team
NEWS: Creating Facebook Pages with Impact, English edition, now online
After the success of the Arabic-language version of Creating Facebook Pages with Impact, we adapted and published the guide in English. The English guide is not only a translation but also an update reflecting 2012’s changes in Facebook Pages platform, such as the addition of the cover images and timeline. The guide, which earned a mention on Facebook’s official Nonprofits Page, follows the same structure and cites several examples of successful pages from around the region.
NEWS: PCM Convenes Discussion about E-Law
The Presidency of the Council of Ministers has invited representatives from several companies organizations, including SMEX, to participate in a discussion about recent amendments to the proposed E-transactions law in Lebanon. The conversation will take place this Thursday, January 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. SMEX will be represented by Mireille Raad, a web developer and longtime advocate for a fast, affordable, and open Internet in Lebanon. we'll be live Tweeting the event in English and Arabic at #eTransactionDraft and share an analysis of the results afterward. Have a question you want us to ask? Let us know by email, Facebook, or Twitter before Thursday.
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Internet Governance & Policy Training Program
In collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation Hivos will host a training program on Internet governance and policy in the MENA region in Tunis from March 16–19, 2013. The aim is to inform Internet users, including representatives of civil society organizations, journalists, online activists, and others, about how Internet governance affects them and to encourage their engagement in regional and global debate about Internet policy going forward. Interested applicants should submit their application (in Arabic, English, or French) by February 3.
United Nations "My World" project
With MYWorld, the UN is conducting a global survey asking citizens of the work to set the priorities that will make the world a better place. Voters can choose six priorities from a list of 16 or even add their own. The UN will use the results to define the next set of global goals. SMEX is partnering on this initiative to help the UN reach out to new voters. Go to http://www.myworld2015.org to participate.
CAMPAIGNS from Lebanon and Syria
Take Back Parliament is a new non-partisan political movement of men and women who have come together through civil society and social media to create an alternative political campaign for the 2013 elections. Among the goals are to recruit politically independent candidates that, says the website, “look a lot more like us” to run for office. Get involved by following the Facebook Page for updates in Arabic and English about the political agenda and activities around Lebanon.
mohamed.tumblr.com
After software developer and Creative Commoner Bassel Khartabil was moved to a military prison in December, Bassel’s friends escalated the campaign for his release by starting a fasting chain. Named #FastForBassel campaign and organized via Twitter and a Doodle poll, supporters volunteered to fast for a series of days as a tactic to demand his release. He has been detained in Syria since March 15, 2012. The campaign, along with Al Jazeera news reports and Bassel’s inclusion on Foreign Policy’s top 100 global thinkers list, has resulted in Bassel’s transfer to a civilian jail where his family is allowed to visit him. Unfortunately, he has not yet been released. The campaign will remain active until he is free. You can join by signing up on this Doodle poll. Go to FreeBassel.org for updates about his case.
