Blogging for Democracy
Cuba, the European Union and the influence of Web 2.0
"Yoani Sánchez fights tropical totalitarianism, one blog post at a time" (Wall Street Journal)
The online conference is chaired by Franziska Brantner (Greens/EFA MEP) and Christian Engström (Greens/EFA MEP)
Speakers:
- Manuel Desdin, Founder of the Blog www.cubaencuentro.com
- Benoit Hervieu, Reporters sans frontièrs (Expert for the Americas)
- Susan Dennison, Amnesty International (Executive Officer Common Foreign and Security Policy/External Relations)
Background:
Causing much sensation with her online -and also real life- interventions, Yoani Sánchez is the protagonist of the Cuban Blogger movement. Her Blog Generation Y (www.desdecuba.com) imposingly mirrors the repressive implications of Cuban politics on every-day-life. She is winning international prices and receiving invitations all over the world, but the government refuses to let her leave the country. Moreover, since March 2008, it has enforced a computer filter that prevents access to her website, so that Yoani depends on solidarity of friends off the Island to post her texts on the web. Also, Generation Y can not be accessed in Cuba.
The conference features the most influential figures in the Cuban alternative blogsphere, which are, besides Mrs Sánchez :
- Claudia Cadelo (Blog: Octavo Cerco.)
- Luis Pardo (Blog: Lunes de Post-Revolución)
- Miriam Celaya (Blog: Without Evasion) and
- Reynaldo Escobar (Blog: Desde Aquí)
We need an open debate about the situation in Cuba and the Blogger Movement as a possibility to raise one's voice regardless of the media censorship in Cuba. The conference also challenges how EU policy on Cuba is seen on the island and what future role the EU should play.
In case you are not able to attend physically, you are welcome to participate in the conference online.
Send your questions to: cubablogging@gmail.com
You can follow the conference on the blog: http://theembeddedcitizen.blogspot.com/2010/02/cuba-blog-event-live-here-thursday.html
You can also put your questions by phone at the number +32 2 28 30184.
