From September 20-22, 2016, activists, journalists, media professionals, and influencers met at the Global Forum for Media Development’s (GFMD) fourth international conference, “Decoding the Future: Rethinking Media for a New World,” in Jakarta, Indonesia. The GFMD is a network of media assistance groups with the mission to “make media an integral part of international development…
ArtLords was founded in 2014 by artists and activists who paint the defensive walls of Kabul, Afghanistan with thought-provoking murals that promote peacebuilding. The defensive “blast” walls were originally placed throughout the city to “protect embassies, police buildings, and homes of the Afghani elite.” The intricate murals transform the formerly grey walls into a source…
On August 30, 2016, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), a prodemocracy coalition of 31 non-governmental organizations, facilitated a public seminar in Harare, Zimbabwe. Members of the network presented their observations of Zambia’s recent elections which described a government clamp down on independent media coverage and polling stations that experienced late openings, missing materials, and delayed…
Ethiopian marathon runner, Feyisa Lilesa, recently drew international attention to Ethiopia’s human rights crisis when he crossed his arms in protest after finishing his Olympic race. His protest was against the government’s crackdown on peaceful protesters this past July that took place throughout the Oromia region. More than 200 protestors were killed during the demonstrations…