Among the 90 students involved in the program, ten students from each country will be selected to participate in an advanced media education program in Vermont in the summer of 2009. American students will then travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the spring of 2010 to work with their DOTCOM peers to bring media action to a broader audience. Students will be selected based on their commitment to the program, grasp of media literacy and willingness to engage constructively in cross-cultural dialogue.

Students not selected for the physical exchange will remain in the program to continue their media work and civic activism through the online forums.

What will DOTCOM achieve?

• 90 participants from Armenia, America and Azerbaijan will work online to explore media literacy and the role that web-based social networking can play in changing stereotypes and perceptions.

• 30 participants from Armenia, America and Azerbaijan will travel on overseas exchanges to work with their DOTCOM peers to motivate change in their communities.

• Media produced during the program will be released via the Internet and through a network of global NGO’s and media organizations, using Web 2.0 tools such as personal blogs, mySpace, Flickr and Youtube to reach audiences worldwide.

• Community service projects with youth and community groups in the U.S. and abroad will provide an opportunity for students to engage in community service in a tangible, concrete way with their DOTCOM peers.

• A participant-run weblog and online community will provide an open exchange of news and images from participants’ communities and countries, allowing for dialogue and exchange among participants on current events and social issues.

The deadline for applications for children aged 15-16 is 1 December 2008 and more information can be found at http://dotcom.ph-int.org/. There is also a Facebook Group for the project here.

Jonathan Elendu created Elendu Reports in 2005. It is an online news site focusing on federal corruption, economic mismanagement and government inefficiency. Jonathan has been living in the US since 1999:

Born and raised in eastern Nigeria, Elendu has resided in the US since 1999. He is president of Elendu & Associates, Inc., a public relations firm in Lansing, MI. He is Contributing Editor and Columnist for USAfricaOnline.com, the USAfrica Newspaper, Nigeria Central.com and Special Correspondent for the Black Business Journal Magazine. He is also the founder of SongDanceAfrica, Inc., a multi-media company.

According to the Nigerian blog, Nigerian Curiosity, Jonathan was arrested because his activities have generated some national security issues:

Jonathan Elendu, the writer at Elendu Reports, was arrested by Nigeria's SSS on Saturday evening upon arrival in Nigeria from the United States. Elendu was reportedly arrested to answer questions because his ‘activities' have allegedly generated some national security issues. One publication specifically reported that Elendu was arrested for “sponsoring a guerilla news agency.”[sic]
He was held for over 24 hours before he was interrogated.

Jonathan was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport:

Our source revealed that Sahareporters which is known for alleged subversive reports against the federal government and important personalities in the country, was allegedly the brain child of Elendu.

It was further learnt that when Elendu was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as soon as he arrived via KLM Airline around 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, he was immediately whisked away to the SSS headquarters, Asokoro, Abuja.

Said our sources: “The hefty publisher was accosted on arrival by two SSS operatives who told him that he was being invited for a chat with their boss, he responded that since it was an invitation, they should give him time to go home and freshen up.

“The security operatives turned down his request, seized his international passport and whisked him away, only for him to remain incommunicado since then.”

Elendu's family members expressed concern and worry over the state of his health, as nobody has been able to communicate with him since Saturday.

Elandu Reports has been publishing articles considered sensitive by the ruling class:

Several of Elendu’s recent articles have been about the economic and ecological disaster under way in the Niger delta, where there have been armed clashes between government forces and separatist rebels for years. It was this story that led to US freelance journalist and filmmaker Andrew Berends and his Nigerian interpreter, Samuel George, being questioned for 10 days at the start of last month.

Was Jonathan arrested because of a mistaken association?:

News reports reveal that Elendu was mistaken to have some association with Sahara Reporters, a Nigerian site, hence the arrest. I have said it before and will say it again- although I can appreciate the interest in the sometimes sensationalist and “juicy” stories Sahara Reporters shares on its website, I am constantly taken back by their inability or refusal, to back up their claims and allegations. As a result, I personally do not endorse that site.

Nevertheless, association with Sahara Reporters on its own should not be cause for arrest, detention and the infringement of Constitutional and Human Rights. There was no need to ambush and arrest Elendu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.

Point Blank News writes, “Why SSS Arrested Elendu …As Hunt For Publishers Of Pointblanknews.com, Saharareporters.com Continues”:

According to top SSS sources, the federal government had been on the trail of publishers of internet-based news organizations such as Pointblanknews.com, Saharareporters.com as well as Elendureports.com, and had therefore spread a dragnet to arrest the publishers if and when they are sighted in Nigeria.

According to the sources, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration has been unsettled by damaging yet true reports from these online news organizations on its activities and style of governance and had, in fact, threaded where angels feared to, by publishing exclusive stories which newspaper editors in Nigeria would not touch.

The worry of government, according to these security sources, was that the opposition may have gone beyond feeding these online publications with damaging stories on government, but financing its activities. This worry is heightened by the fact that with increasing access to the internet by Nigerians, these online publications now gain wider acceptance over conventional Nigerian newspapers as sources of information. The situation is not being helped by Nigerian editors who often cull stories from these online sources to enrich their papers.

According to Aba Boy, the closure of Nigerian television station, Channels TV, was the signal of things to come:

The closure of Channels TV wasn’t a one-off, it was an signal of things to come. Yardy's henchmen on Saturday arrested Mr Jonathan Elendu – online publisher of Elendu Reports. According to PM news, the United States-based publisher, who was arrested on arrival in Nigeria, was allegedly linked to Saharareporters, another online Nigerian news agency.

The Waffarian is very disappointed:

I am very disappointed with this news. The SSS has arrested Jonathan Elendu of Elendu reports, a political blog that features news and political articles about Nigeria. He was arrested on arrival at the airport under suspicion of being a journalist for Sahara Reporters, one of my favourite places to get the main “koko” of the matter.

What is happening? First Channels Tv, and now arresting an online blogger? I am afraid Yar'adua is going to be a surprise to many in that country. He is one of those that actually bites before even barks!

We need to rethink the idea that online journalism is the safest form of journalism, argues Ayobami Ojebode:

Online journalism has been considered the safest form of journalism, the least susceptible to state clampdown. It has negotiated for itself a clear space in the public sphere for citizens’ engagement of government, its actions and policies. This form of journalism is understandably attractive to Nigerians given the experiences of orthodox journalists in the hands of the Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha—Nigerian military dictators who hounded and pounded journalists for nearly fourteen years. (See, for instance, Sunday Dare's Guerrila Journalism)

Media scholars and political scientists who support the idea of a free press find in online journalism an avenue for unfettered freedom of expression. Not only this, online journalism has led them to announce and in fact celebrate the death of gate-keeping and censorship. [See, for instance, Williams and Carpini’s (2000) “Unchained reaction: the collapse of media gate-keeping…”, Journalism (1) 1:61-85]. Jonathan Elendu’s arrest by the government of Nigeria should lead theorists to cut short this celebration and rethink the universality of their conclusions.

The Committee to Protect Bloggers promises updates of the situation:

As of yesterday, 22nd October he had not been released or charged and it is not clear if he will indeed be brought before the courts.
We will give updates as the situation unfolds.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the detention of Jonathan:

Reporters Without Borders condemns the detention of Jonathan Elendu, the publisher of the online newspaper Elendu Reports (www.elendureports.com), since 17 October, when he was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) on arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, in the capital Abuja, on a flight from the United States, where he lives.

Denying that Elendu had been arrested, SSS spokesman Kenechuks Onyegogu said he had been “invited” by the SSS to explain certain matters involving “national security.” Elendu is being held at SSS headquarters in Abuja, where close relatives were refused permission to see him yesterday.

Which Way Nigeria denounces his arrest:

WWN denounce the arrest of Jonathan Elendu by the SSS. Elendu is an online journalist whom the SSS have in their custody and have been denied access to a lawyer. Since the SSS clamped down on Channels Television without any caution, the SSS have been embolden and easily dwindle into military era methods in handling Nigerian journalists that will make the Gestapo look like a rookie.

Human Writers Association of Nigeria describes the arrest as calls for his release:

At least now we know that Elendureports.com is classified by the government as a guerrilla news agency and it has a thing or two against”citizen reporting” websites. We understand that the SSS has refused him access his lawyers and family. How much worse can it get?

Yar ‘Adua not only wins a medal for lack of vision, he also seems set to top us all in stupidity! Whatever the case may be, let them release Jonathan Elendu NOW!

The arrest of Jonathan Elendu is one in a long line of attacks against freedom of press in Nigeria, says Sokari:

The arrest of Jonathan Elendu is one in a long line of attacks against freedom of the press in Nigeria (arrests, harassments and murder of anyone critical of the government) and one which is particularly characteristic of military dictatorships the remnants of which continue to remain active in the country.

Ayobami is disturbed by the silence of most Nigerian papers on the arrest of Jonathan. “Do orthodox Nigerian journalists consider their online colleagues comrades or rivals?,” he wonders:

There is some worry about the silence of most Nigerian papers on the arrest of Mr Jonathan Elendu. We do not know for sure why most papers, unlike bloggers, have been quiet on this. Even the BBC has done a report on the arrest. Do orthodox Nigerian journalists consider their online colleagues comrades or rivals? Maybe this is a good question for empirical investigation. However this goes, in my view, Nigeria is the first African country and the second country in the world (after China) to attempt a clampdown on online journalism.

Why is Tunde Akinloye not surprised by the arrest?:

I'm not surprised that Nigerian security officials arrested Elendu. You'd agree with me why, if you reason that this is the same country where government image makers made fool of themselves lieing openly to the 150 million people where the truth is public knowledge.

Perhaps, now the new generation of Nigerian youths would learn to take charge and elect credible leaders in future elections.

Human Rights First hosted its annual dinner and 30th anniversary celebration honoring those at the forefront of the struggle to defend human rights, featuring actress Sigourney Weaver, who will serve as the master of ceremonies, Caroline Kennedy, who will accept an award on behalf of her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, and singer Mary Chapin Carpenter, who will perform.

 Fustat reports:

She shares the prize with Oleg Kozlovsky, a young democracy activist in Russia - a country that slides further from the straight path of democracy for each day it seems. Senator Ted Kennedy is also awarded for his long and distinguished career as a human rights defender.

Human Rights First have been very supportive of human rights in Egypt, during the last years and Campaigned for Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who won the same award in 2002, Alaa and Kareem among others, and I would like to extend my greetings and humble thanks for your support on this happy occasion.

Fustat proudly shares Human Rights First's description of the female blogger saying:

This is how they describe Nora:

… When Egyptian soldiers used water cannons and nightsticks to brutally evict Sudanese refugees from a public square in Cairo, Nora Younis was there, taking notes and shooting photos. Her blog of the incident drew international attention to the Egyptian government's abuses against these vulnerable refugees. Nora continues to raise awareness about rampant human rights abuses in Egypt through her compelling blog posts.  

Erraji's case inspired a bit of a renaissance within the Blogoma, reminiscent of when bloggers mobilized in support of Fouad Mourtada, an Internet user arrested earlier this year for creating a fake Facebook profile of another member of the royal family. Inspired by prolific blogger Larbi and DigiActive, bloggers from around the world sent in photos of support and on Monday participated in a blog strike.

And today bloggers are celebrating both Erraji's release and the mobilization of the Blogoma. Myrtus congratulates Erraji and hopes for change:

Congratulations to Mohamed Erraji!

Wishing you all the best! (:

But justice will not be fully served till those who wronged him have been diciplined accordingly. This should never happen again.

This is the perfect opportunity for the justice system to prove it's worth and build the necessary trust. The ultimate goal should be partnership and not constant strife between the citizens and the authorities in Morocco.

For the sake of peace and harmony, let us work together for a country we can all be proud of.
God bless!

Omar el Hyani [fr] is happy about Erraji's acquittal but laments Moroccan justice:

Le blogueur Mohammed Erraji a été acquité par la cour d’appel d’Agadir. Encore une affaire qui finit bien, mais qui montre à quel point notre justice est malade…

Navire Ivre [fr] expresses a similar sentiment:

Mohamed Erraji, premier blogueur à subir les foudres des autorités marocaines, a été acquitté en appel après abandonnant des charges retenues contre lui.

Est-ce que sa libération est un nouveau signal des autorités envers la jeunesse marocaine qui s’exprime sur internet, ou une erreur (une exception) qui ne peut faire jurisprudence ?

Larbi, who had a large part in mobilizing the blogoma, believes that it was this mobilization that so strongly impacted the decision of the judge. He says:

La mobilisation extraordinaire a poussé à accélérer la procédure et arrêter cette mascarade judiciaire. Sans cette mobilisation on n’en serait pas là. Alors bien sûr il est facile de venir après coup dire que ce n’était qu’une erreur judiciaire qui a été « normalement » corrigée. C’est faux, c’est malhonnête.

Il était beaucoup question dans mes écrits du roi Mohamed VI. Je n’entends pas m’en excuser. Encore une fois le fond du problème est celui là : Le roi Mohamed VI règne et gouverne, l’Etat c’est lui, il concentre l‘essentiel du pouvoir, il est dès lors naturel qu’il soit objet de critiques acerbes, excessifs et durs. Et il n’est pas acceptable que cette épée de Damoclès qui s’appelle « atteinte au respect dû au roi » plane sur chacun de ceux qui critiquent le chef d’Etat marocain. Voilà le problème. Maintenant si d’autres préfèrent « blâmer les victimes » (pour reprendre la jolie expression de l’indispensable écrivain Laila Lalami ) c’est leur droit.

Il faut songer à une chose : C’est la première fois dans l’histoire du Maroc qu’un accusé soit acquitté après avoir être poursuivi pour manque de respect dû au roi. C’est la première fois. Tous les procès précédents ont été conclu automatiquement par des condamnations. Alors au vu du lourd casier du Maroc en la matière qu’on ne vienne pas parler d’une simple erreur de justice .

Finally, plus jamais d'illusions… [fr], claiming that “the blogoma is what bloggers make of it,” states:

Erraji a été acquitté pour vice de procédure, mais un autre débat est d’ores et déjà lancé. Difficile d’évaluer l’impact de la mobilisation (très relative) de la blogosphère marocaine dans cette issue heureuse. Difficile aussi de cerner les raisons d’une telle faiblesse de mobilisation (serait-ce le cursus du bloggeur ? La langue d’écriture ? Ou le sujet traité, en l’espèce touchant la personne du Roi?). Peut-être qu’une conjonction de pressions internes et une mobilisation internationale (certains blogs marocains jouant en l’occurrence un rôle d’intermédiaire), un mauvais calcul (selon moi à écarter vue l’existence du précédent de Fouad Mourtada) de la part du pouvoir, un message à passer et qui est déjà bien reçu et assimilé par bien de bloggeurs sur la sensibilité d’aborder certains sujets, ou comme le pensent certains, un excès de zèle, une justice dont les dysfonctionnements sont trop nombreux et un système que le pouvoir a mis en place, entretient, dont il est en principe imputable mais refuse (ou rechigne à) de démanteler car bien commode à blâmer suivant en cela la fameuse fable d’une monarchie bienveillante mais mal entourée et mal servie.

Erraji was acquitted on a procedural flaw, but another debate has already been launched. It is difficult to assess the impact of the Moroccan blogosphere's mobilization (very relative) in this happy outcome. It is also difficult to identify the reasons for weak mobilization (could it be the blogger's background? The language of the writing? Or the topic, in this case involving the King?). Perhaps a combination of internal pressure and international mobilization (some Moroccan blogs in this case playing an intermediary role), a miscalculation (in my view to be excluded given the Fouad Mourtada precedent) on the part of the regime, a message to send and which has already been well-received and assimilated by many bloggers on the sensitivity required when addressing certain issues, or, as some people think, an overzealousness, a justice whose failures are innumerable and a system that has been established and maintained by the powers that be and that they refuse (or are reluctant) to dismantle as it is quite convenient and fits the famous myth of a benevolent monarchy poorly surrounded and badly served.

On that day Bloggers will recommend other blogs to their blog visitors. With the goal in mind, on this day every blogger will post a recommendation of 5 new blogs. This way, all blog readers will find themselves leaping around and discovering new, previously unknown blogs.

Members of the Latin American team from Global Voices Online decided to recommend five blogs collectively as a group, and one post in particular that may be of interest to others:

Venezuela

Luis Carlos Díaz recommends El Chigüire Bipolar [es], which is an increasingly popular blog from Venezuela and one that has received half a million visits in less than four months online. The post titled, “We Never Thought That 203 Other Countries Would Attend” [es] is a satirical post about Venezuela's participation in the recent Olympics:

El presidente del Comité Olímpico Venezolano (COV), Eduardo Álvarez, aclaró hoy en rueda de prensa las razones por las que hasta ahora la delegación venezolana no ha cumplido las expectativas trazadas en un principio en las Olimpíadas de Beijing. “Cuando hicimos el pronóstico de 5 medallas de oro, nunca pensamos que iban a asistir otros 203 países a la cita. Eso echó al suelo el pronóstico inicial” informó Álvarez ante la insistencia de los medios y la opinión pública, que esperaban ver a los venezolanos en los podios de Beijing.

Peru

Juan Arellano highly recommends the blog Choledad Privada [es], which may only be understandable by Peruvians for its slang and “inside jokes.” However, articles are meant to elicit laughter from its readers for its tongue-in-cheek articles “How Much Does a Peruvian Cost?” and about other subtle peculiarities of Peruvian society [es].

Argentina

Jorge Gobbi from Buenos Aires, recommends Merodeador [es], which is a blog that focuses primarily on the media, but also other topics such as the lack of recycling programs in the capital. There was one law called Basura Cero (Zero Garbage) that sought to reduce the amount of waste by 30%, however, that was ended by the current mayor. There is one type of informal recycling program that is carried out by “cartoneros” (cardboarders):

Todas las noches, los cartoneros revuelven las bolsas de basura antes de ser recogidas por los camiones, en busca de papeles y cartones que luego venden para su reciclaje. Es ésa su única retribución: el pago por la cantidad de papel que juntan.

Ecuador

Milton Ramirez, who writes about Ecuador recommends Dialogo con Joselias [es], which discusses the role of provincial autonomies in the new Constitution. Joselias criticizes a recent editorial in the newspaper El Telégrafo, which dismisses the call of the province of Manabí for increased autonomy.

Con el más puro egoísmo intelectual analiza la aspiración manabita de su autonomía administrativa. Nos ubica como “sucursal menor del bastión guayaquileño”. Que la autonomía es una cantaleta que “vuelve desde otra provincia, Manabí, para confundir a la opinión pública”. Que desde Manabí se está calificando al Presidente de “dictador” y “traidor” porque la Asamblea Constituyente no aprobó la autonomía manabita.

Bolivia

One of the new bloggers from the Voces Bolivianas project, Virginio Sandy, represents his indigenous community as one of the leaders. One member of the community is named “Authority” for the duration of one year, after which it is rotated to another. He also represents his community online with his blog Ayllus de Dalence [es], where he writes about festivities, traditions, but also about archeaological ruins near his community.

Por las caracteristicas que presenta, se evidencia que fue una fortaleza, la que fue construida con fines defensivos y refugio de los habitantes, cuando eran atacados por otros pueblos. Al pie de esta fortaleza se encuentra la Comunidad de Pucara Grande, población milenaria, cuyos origenes se pierden en el tiempo y espacio. Esta fortaleza conserva aun parte de las tres murallas que se erigieron alrededor de la colina y en la parte superior de este cerro, se encuentra los cimientos, de viviendas circulares, todas con puertas orientadas hacia la salida del sol.