A recent event at the United States Institute of Peace featured a discussion on the effects of social media, particularly in the Russian blogosphere. The project was carried out by Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet andSociety, and consisted of an analysis of over 11,000 Russian language blogs to understand how and by whom politics is discussed. The study was also designed to look for evidence of social mobilization caused by the blogosphere. Other studies by the USIP have found that new media—for example blogs, Twitter, and YouTube—have had mixed effects …
Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 produced the current Islamic republic, university students in the country have been on the frontlines of speaking out against the repressive measures of the Ayatollahs’ government. This week an exhibit at Georgetown University’s Law Center is showcasing portraits of Iranian students who have taken action and suffered for the cause of justice and human rights. The last 30 years of Iranian history are marked with injustices, especially against the liberties of speech and education, including, for example, the Cultural Revolution of 1980–82 that shut …
