For young bloggers and activists from around the world, especially those participating in the Arab Spring revolts of 2011, there is no question that Internet connectivity has become the weapon of choice for waging cultural revolutions in the 21st century.

Seven of them came to Geneva in June to tell their poignant and often dramatic tales about how Internet technology not only helps anti-government protestors organize but also to get the story out when brutal crackdowns begin and foreign reporters are not allowed in. Their message was that this new media weapon has a very contagious potential as long as the Internet remains open to all.

The activists came from Burma, China, Egypt, Indonesia, North Korea, Tunisia and Uganda, socalled ‘freedom fellows’ sponsored by the US State Department and a Geneva-based NGO, the Institute for Media and Global Governance (IMGG). Their testimony at a panel discussion on “The Human Voice of Freedom: The Internet and Human Rights” coincided with the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council (May 30-June 17).

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by Pamela Taylor