This article focuses on the popular political movement on the Internet In the Arab world and the risk of possible meeting with the foreign policy of the United States and its interests in the region. And proceed from the premise is almost inevitable that the intervention of foreign policy-makers U.S. Internet companies as well as the U.S. giant, such as Google and Twitter, in the field of popular political activity on the network and the field of freedom of expression on the Internet that is harmful to freedom And the future of digital social activity itself
symbolizes what has traditionally been called «digital activity» (Digital Activism) to a political movement and human rights and social network uses the Internet and media Applications and services that are often available free of charge and easy to use by militants. These media are the spaces of blogging and social networking sites and mapping And the sharing of video and petitions. And used for advocacy and mobilization to sensitize public opinion about the case, or the pressure on decision makers and influence the policy of governments. P «digital activity» Required to provide workers to use new communication technologies on the web, mobile, or both together to get organized or sensitization. Perhaps the difference between «Activity» and «struggle», It is a term most commonly in the tradition of political action, is not necessarily an activist belonging to the current political, ideological, what, is «active» outside party structures and frameworks and regulatory And Organizational.
and had expressed many from outside the United States, not only in the Arab world, expressed concern «Talisman» Internet freedom, which became emitted from the political circles Washington. They considered this spell is just a cover for a geo-strategic agenda which seeks America, specifically, to penetrate the networks of political protest and social activist On the Internet. The policy of the dome and the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton b «Internet Freedom», and put him in the highest foreign policy priorities of the administration of President Barack Obama during her speech, the beginning of this year, will not apply in a vacuum. It will be built first on the basis of general foreign policy and ancient of the United States, apply the objectives and work To protect its vital interests. Valmsai made by America and Western governments generally to be an actor, but a major, in the defense of freedom of Internet users in the Access to information and delivery, will not pose a real threat and direct all the activists who accept its support and funding, but will have an impact on the nature of the activity itself Arab Digital And orientations. And now many bloggers believe (from China to Morocco, passing through Iran and Russia) that the hyper-politicization efforts to blogs and blogging activity and attempts to Ride on some of the successes to achieve geopolitical objectives, is «the kiss of death», which threatens their legitimacy on the ground. Worst-case scenario is that Western funding leads to the initiatives of bloggers and activists Digital, as well as the excessive politicization of their space, to the distortion of the digital activities and the emergence of «digital parallel activity» ignores the local context of the Arab region and its complexities. This By the hypocrisy and double standards which have come to characterize the movement advocating freedom of expression on the Internet in defense of prisoners of bloggers and resisting the policies of blocking and control exercised by the Systems. So there are blatantly targeting and traveled to Iran and China as if they were the only two countries Tbthan the network and the rights of its users.
The development of Internet freedom in the heart of the strategy General of U.S. foreign policy under the umbrella of utilitarian pragmatism that we are back by Washington will not lead the United States to risk b «stability» of the repressive regime Which sponsors the Arab interests. It is not realistic to expect from America or from any other Western government has announced «electronic war» on the blocking policy, that actually work to support the oppositions Political against its Arab allies to the extent that it does or seeks to establish against Iran and China. Because we can not afford the consequences of «piracy» issue of freedom of expression on the Internet by the forces of serving agendas Geo-strategy, and often are not in our interest, we must awareness of the «Virtual Reality» new and diligence in dismantling Vaalih Ojs dynamics.
and there are traces Many side will impose new realities on the field of the global movement defending freedom of expression and access to information on the web. That each bridge is built between the U.S. government And research centers, civil society organizations, the U.S. will lead to the destruction of a number of existing bridges which link this recent activists and bloggers from the Arab world and the Middle East. What has not changed the dynamics of American foreign policy, particularly in the forms of dealing with the «Arab dictatorships friendly», you will always be seen as a hypocritical policy Disappear behind the slogan of freedom of the Internet's broad service to its interests or just the local media consumption.
if threats to field activity Arab Digital significant, especially in The current stage of development, young, and need therefore to the discussion and treatment. These are but a modest attempt to understand the new chessboard, which was launched by the United States U.S. title of «the art of government in the 21 st century» and the location of the political movement of the Digital Arabic.
digital activity a powerful force for change
filled the activity of the digital political Arab basal gap left by traditional media and civil society organizations in addressing the issues of human rights and citizenship. Imposing the same, although Trauhaa Between success and failure, as an agent for change, refine a significant part of public opinion, especially within urban environments young, educated, and connected to the network site. It grows in cyberspace seems to be more suited to the elusive and resistant to the appointed government censorship. The latter is largely succeeded in controlling the traditional means of organizing and media And communication across Tkmimha or domesticated. Activity thus able to enter Arab Digital new dynamic confused accounts of the ancient systems, civil society, both through initiatives Several. Including those digital condemning the torture and sexual harassment in Egypt, which succeeded in imposing these issues on the agenda of traditional media and the judiciary far from doing so for reasons Several, mostly due to the dependency and vulnerability of these sectors. Initiatives as well as expose the practices of bribery, which ravage the body of the Moroccan police, which ended with the payment of the government to investigate the matter And the separation of the police officers involved, leading initiatives to condemn the Tunisian block machine which largely succeeded in making the case for the defense of freedom of expression and access to information and delivery The concerns of the average Tunisian browser and non-politicized, thereby ending the isolation of opposition political parties and human rights organizations such political activism.
should be Noted that the most successful advocacy initiatives for the activity of the Arab political and human rights popular on the Internet were not funded by any government or from Western NGOs Affiliates. In contrast to some current digital initiatives that have emerged thanks to the support and care of by the United States and its agents. It is characterized by the first generation, and any Allammul Associated with external, local digital initiatives the following characteristics:
1 - of necessity: It was not the motive behind the use of modern communication tools in order to push forward social change And political and human rights is the interest or mercenary media and financial support. On the contrary, was to meet the needs and realistic spawned a firm commitment to defend human rights in the Arab world. What those needs are a direct result of the authoritarian environment list and solid characterized by a lack of open spaces where activists practiced their citizens. Was the use of activity Digital as it provides an easy and fast and almost complete absence of the financial cost.
2 - Independence: The field of digital activity in the Arab world from the fields to more decentralized and dispersed, and vital. This is what makes him reluctant to intrusion and employment by non-governmental organizations and opposition parties Arabic, even those experienced in the techniques of modern communication. His independence Entity that made him attractive and resistant at the same time for all types of government censorship or politicized employment of the opposition. But the character of independence that does not necessarily mean to isolate this activity Digital environment. The number of digital activists in the Arab world are cooperating with the opposition political parties and civil society organizations during periods of important and critical, passenger terminal Electoral and human rights setbacks. Most of these activists also are linked to each other through the dynamics of networking double, partly on the Internet and another one on the ground. They collaborate Between them during major events in the region, (as a matter of Gaza and the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006). Also coordinate with each of the crowd and advocacy campaigns for the electronic Campaigns, demanding the release of imprisoned bloggers. Besides all this, the activity associated with the digital movement of the Arab world of digital activity through conferences and training workshops. Add to all this the enormous capacity of self-Networked characteristic of the Internet, especially social networking sites. In summary, the activity Arab Digital, do and interact In the context of multi-layered, some local, national and some other national and global.
3 - Complexity: At first glance, it seems the digital field activity simple and superficial, but if we Tvhsnah Closely quickly bring it to us the hidden complexities. It differs from one country to another, and develop the means and techniques adapted to the mobile environment and the complexities of the government strategy to control the Arab On the network and adapted the name of fighting terrorism and maintaining public morality.
all of these characteristics have made the activity Arab Digital vulnerable to a number of challenges. His independence may Lead to the exacerbation of structural and financial crisis is now threatening its future, which is mainly due to the absence of sources of funding and support the local Arab and independent of the digital activity. In such circumstances, Any activity depends entirely on digital independent volunteer work and charitable donations for activists and simple. And thus, will not stand up to the methods of blocking and advanced control, which is now used Arab governments wishing to control what is posted on the network. The necessity of development of techniques for blocking and evasive control, as well as techniques of securing sites against digital piracy initiatives And vandalism target, requires a professional approach to the financial resources available on the one hand, and knowledge of cognitive and applied new technologies on the other hand. Strategies can not be Primitive and start-ups are designed to resist censorship, censorship and piracy to withstand the torque and the oppression of Arab governments to police Internet providers money, equipment and advanced experience. Vakaddrat Security and technical support for Arab Internet activists to meet new challenges is limited, if not completely non-existent. The encryption technologies and security measures and preventive measures are not feasible When it is dragged passwords and sensitive personal data from bloggers and activists under torture, as in Egypt, Bahrain and other Arab countries. On the other hand, the The complexity of the phenomenon of political activity of the Arab public on the Web made it difficult for foreign and international actors concerned with supporting the digital policies take the complexities of And the particularities of each country of the region into account when formulating or implementing programs often target the entire region and as a field test.
these properties that accompanied the activity Since its inception the Arab-mail are about to change under the impact of foreign interference that threatens their independence. The question that now arises is: how to overcome these multiple challenges Aspects without compromising the independence and impartiality of our Arab Digital and protection of the hands of employment and foreign intervention?
as far as consumption increases the slogan «Freedom of the Internet» and «Activity Digital »politicians and Western media and used in the framework of« Theories of Change »political and social, are increasingly spending Western money to this field. This was a chance Valuable and an unprecedented number of non-governmental organizations and the designers and promoters of circumvention software and electronic surveillance to push political agenda American axis, and sniper sources of funding New and additional.
Valtcather unprecedented non-governmental organizations and research centers that are in dispute with each other to win a piece of «cake Finance» West, will help to decay Notice the inherent self-activity. Funding mechanisms and procedures of the bureaucracy will cast a digital activist, turning it into a «small bureaucratic» main concern in writing applications Funding and reporting. But it will produce a new kind of «activists mercenaries», their purpose «commercial» strictly kept pace with the wishes of donors and dismissed by and actively traded for fake money, lost The independence of the strength of its legitimacy. Allergy foreign funding of civil and social activity in a region like the Arab region important to the extent that they delegitimize almost all Initiative fall into the trap of funding. Digital Initiatives funded locally-based and volunteer and charity work are the most successful echo regularly employed in the mobilization of popular support.
Those initiatives, new digital and hybrid sponsored by or secreted finance and foreign government support are less successful and attractive to domestic support. Which is closer to «Political marketing» them to activity, it is overwhelmed by a focus on themes and statements for attracting media attention and the West such as youth, women, sexual freedom and human Minorities and gay and dialogue between religions and civilizations. Initiatives which are dominated by the English language at the expense of the local language, content and logos cool loose. Featuring These digital initiatives are also foreign-funded firm and the multiplicity of channels of communication with the West and the mass media and the blessing of the major governmental and non-governmental organizations at the expense of her Rooting depth in the local channels of communication and poor grass-roots. Digital euphoria, which does not arise in response to local needs not only take the trade of apparent activity and techniques Digital bait to catch the funding and fame.
Between suppression of the Arab regimes on the one hand, recruitment of political and media-west, passing the Arab-mail activity, as well as the movement of Defense Freedom of expression on the Internet, one of the most dangerous stages, which may lead to a drastic change of the dynamics and performance. Without examination and the dismantling of the new context that is going through mobility Digital Arab blogosphere is difficult to accurately predict the consequences of this employment and foreign intervention on the nature of this new field. The number of conferences and training workshops organized by the Non-governmental organizations and U.S. Bank funding and the blessing of official target of bloggers and activists, Arabs, Iranians and Chinese, has grown at a remarkably attention It even became a worry that our governments are repressive was watching the movements of bloggers inside and outside.
new context
During her speech, «Notes on the freedom of the Internet», which delivered On January 21, 2010 in Washington, raised the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton freedom of the Internet to a central level in the heart of the foreign policy of the administration of President Obama. Said «Today announced that during the next year we will work with partners from the industrial sector, and academic fields, and non-governmental organizations for the establishment of a permanent effort using power technologies Communication and applies them to our diplomacy ». Two months before that speech, in November 2009, Clinton announced the initiative of «civil society 2.0» which aims to help organizations People all over the world for the use of digital technology and modern. Initiative has allocated $ 5 million to fund pilot programs in the Middle East and North Africa That will promote new media and the potential for networking among civil society organizations.
Certainly, the United States is not the only country that officially announced The adoption of the saying freedom of the Internet and integrate foreign policy public. Has expressed a number of European governments also for the same intentions, even if to varying degrees. For example, announced Both the Netherlands and France introduced a joint program to adjust the «rules of conduct» to protect their foreign policies in which the freedom of the Internet. There will be a meeting at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries in Later this month in order to support policy-making «dissidents electronically» (cyber dissidents), a recipe that calls of political opponents who focus their activities on the opposition web spaces Blogging and social networking sites. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said during a preparatory meeting held in Paris: «we have to support cyber-dissidents The same way that we supported the political opposition ».
Moreover, it has grown among U.S. Internet giant companies like Google and Yahoo, Twitter, convinced of the importance Saying «Internet Freedom» as often intersected with the efforts of its economic interests and the interests of the administration. Google is working currently with the U.S. and European officials Payment policy that would make internet censorship barrier to trade. Since the company's strained relationship with China, Google has become one of the largest companies vocal about Internet freedom. The director of political contacts in Google Bob Boorstin, who served as editor of Letters of the administration of President Clinton: «Our goal is to maximize the freedom of expression and access to information [...] It is a very important part of our business ».
other issue of concern is the relationship between the close and complex decision-making circles in Washington and managers of Internet companies U.S.. Quite a number of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had previously worked in Internet companies, like four of the managers of Google who went to work with the administration of President Obama. The most recent example of this is Jared Cohen, «Altknubragmati» (technopragmatist) and a specialist in the use of technology to promote the interests of the United States and the fight against terrorism and extremism. The He served as Minister of State for Planning in the administrations of both George Bush and Obama, then left his job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lead the new division will launch Google soon called «Google Ideas». Jared Cohen is the same person who intervened in June 2009, the company demanding a micro-blogging «twitter», to postpone the scheduled maintenance of the site during the unrest in Iran after the elections June 2009. This was in order to give opponents of Ahmadinejad's more time to use Twitter to organize protests. Believed Jared Cohen and others who called them the title of «Mtvawlo Technology », that Twitter has played and called Balriisi protests in Iran recently, prompting some to promote the theory of« revolution Twitter »(Twitter Revolution). For to those, including The administration of President Obama, 2009 Iran protests represented the first major global historic turning point has proven the ability of modern technology on the face of censorship and government repression. This is clearly reflected In Clinton's speech on Internet freedom during which Iran stated seven times.
and looks forward «twitter» also to hire a coordinator of the government in Washington, the mandate to assist the company to understand what must be done Tags in order to «provide better service to candidates and decision makers» America and drawing international strategies of the company. On July 9, 2010 joined by Katie Stanton had been working for Google in 2003 To calculate the administration of President Obama in 2009 as responsible in this new section.
and this was expressed by Cohen, Jared when he was running his ministerial post, said during his speech on the use of the ministry New technologies in the exercise of diplomacy: «every university and every company from the private sector is in fact a strategic partner for the U.S. administration in the field of technology and innovation And how to apply for the service of our foreign policy ».
As we said above, is characterized by the new context of the political ferment on the Internet in the Arab world and the Middle East in general Great interest of U.S. government institutions and non-governmental organizations that they fund, as well as from research centers, universities and Internet companies giant. In this window Several activists and bloggers, the Arabs and Iranians great assistance to those research centers, such as the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Faculty of Law at Harvard University. , Helping to Understanding, translating and mapping of Arab blogs and its location on the Internet, the Centre has benefited greatly in its analytical content for Arab and Iranian blogs. The clearest example of this format Between activists and bloggers, the Arabs and Iranians on the one hand, university research centers and the U.S. on the other hand is the maps together Arab and Iranian blogs designed by John Kelly and Bruce Oltenk who run the initiative «Internet and democracy» of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. And sponsor the initiative and the U.S. State Department through a grant of $ 1.5 million provided by the Middle East Partnership Initiative, which was founded in the reign of President Bush.
If we examined the general framework of this study were given a map of Arabic blogs And Iran and the terminology used, Fsnlahz a clear and focused too much to understand and explore the site occupied by the «radical» and «terrorists» and «Islamic» and «cons» And «Secularists» in the blogosphere for Arab and Iranian. And John Kelly has been recognized during the response to some criticism by a number of Arab bloggers of the map: «We would write something Read all the political circles in Washington, it is natural that we turned in some parts of the study, to use the language associated with the debate going on as there ». Kelly, the architect of the mapping Blogging, Ivan Siegel, Executive Director of the «Global Voices», the most important organization for tracking what is published on blogs and the translation of global content to more than twenty languages, They had participated in the conference organized by the U.S. Institute of Peace in January 8, 2009, along with the commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus and other security officials And the military. One of the tasks of the conference, identified the role of social media and online and how this role can be exploited for the creation of «non-military solutions» challenges Faced by foreign policy in the broader Middle East. Speaking for the design and analysis of networks of bloggers Arabs and Iranians, and the importance of this work for a U.S. United States, Kelly stressed the need for «development and refinement of these networks when they are small, they grow very quickly». Later, the Senate passed the American Law «victims of censorship Iran »(Victims of Iranian Censorship Act), which allocated $ 20 million to assist Iranian activists in the fight against and overcome the Internet censorship and trained in techniques for exchanging and disseminating information on the web. Then commented Rob Vares, a research director at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society «Behold, you enter the front electronic warfare as well as the good guys». This highlights the dominance of the imagination «war Cold »on the minds of these researchers, politicians, and then drop it on the field, the political movement on the Internet, which is intended to be a new war front topography and electronic information Directed against a bunch of authoritarian regimes that do not keep pace with the expansionist policies of the U.S.. And also exposes the extent to penetrate the political decision-making and the U.S. intelligence apparatus And military centers of academic research and employment for their productions of knowledge to serve America's vital interests in the world. Evolution
the most cause for concern is that the set of knowledge and data On the Web site of Arab or Iranian, Chinese and Russian, in the hands of politicians and the military and security forces and intelligence services to ward off U.S. interests or the tapping of drums «war E »which calls for a new neo-conservative ideologues. The gathering of this information is often thanks to the coordination of voluntary and charity among Internet activists and bloggers, and local centers Research and U.S. NGOs. Every step you take American civil society organizations, research centers and studies in the direction of the U.S. government will lead at the end of Eventually to the weakening of the location of these organizations among Internet activists and defenders of freedom of expression on the Web site.
Perhaps the most serious of the relevant examples of politicization Excessive blogosphere Arab and Iranian both employment and struggles to serve the interests of the West and Israel, is the initiative «cyber dissidents» or cyberdissidents.org. Shopping Initiative Itself as an ally of the forces of reform and democracy activist on the Web Middle East. Says «The bloggers and political dissidents who use the Internet In authoritarian countries of the Middle East are exposed to serious risks. We believe that the West and a moral imperative to defend those brave dissidents who are the biggest ally to us ». Has been described Former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Kristen Silverberg this initiative as «the world's leading organization devoted primarily to defend the opposition Democrats Users of the Internet ». In spite of the hype and media coverage given to this initiative, particularly in Washington has committed itself to everyone silent about who stands behind them. The initiative Are made by Israeli politicians and the Zionists and the Americans have experienced in the fight against terrorism and are closely related to intelligence and security agencies in both the United States and Israel, They are now members of the board of directors. The project itself is an initiative of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies of the Institute founded by neo-conservatives in Washington just two days after attacks September 11, 2001. Among the members of the management initiative «cyber dissidents» aimed at «Defense» for Arab and Iranian bloggers find Natan Sharansky, who has held several ministerial posts In the Likud government of Israel. The Director of the Initiative is not only CyberDissidents.org David Keyes, former Assistant to the Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, which has held senior positions in the Division strategy Of the Israeli army.
in order to achieve political movement Arab Digital noble objectives it must maintain its independence and adherence to local Bamgah. It should also be sought To obtain financial and logistical support in the frame instead of the popular base to resort to «Liquidity easy» coming from overseas and carrying with it the political agenda and ideology Harmful to the forces of reform in the region. Of course, this does not mean cutting bridges with the global digital experiences of struggle that we desperately need to understand and interact with and learn Them. Amidst this onslaught Bank seeking to take advantage of the struggles of our youth and lure us, but Igracna in the abyss of the funds and suspicious actions, we urgently need to form a collective consciousness Resistant. Awareness of piracy defied all efforts to our issues and concerns of citizenship by Western governments and organizations «NGO» circle in its orbit, the rosary Bhmayora. Awareness of the dangers Politicization of our space arachnoid Arab by these parties is extraneous as the first step taken in order to maintain the legitimacy of our struggle on the Internet, and in order not relevant Nqayd Intimate with the local reality and naive to accept the funding to support the ideology of color colors trick «Internet Freedom» bright. If the United States and other Western governments You want to really support freedom of the Internet, it should start to ban the export control programs and blocking used by the police the Internet in the Arab States, which is essentially an American-made والتسويق.
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