The Ethiopian Zone 9 Bloggers
The BBC picked this up because it was trending on Twitter. It appears as a Twitter human interest story on their “BBC Trending” feed, here.
It’s an actual news story in the New York Times in their World Briefing section, both in print and on paper, here.
I picked it up because this morning De Birhan Media/Blog (@DeBirhaner) and Kidane Chane (@KidaneChane) started following me on Twitter. I was intrigued and rather delighted to have picked up two Ethiopian tweeters. They didn’t message me or comment – just quietly started following my feed. Most of my followers are in the children’s book business or are readers of my books, with a few friends and on-line friends, a sprinkling of randomers connected to general aviation, and the occasional confused European wine merchant who doesn’t realize “Wein” is my name.
So I was curious about these two, and checked out their profiles.
This led me to discover yet another terrifying, but unsurprising I suppose, human rights violation currently unfolding in Ethiopia. Global Voices Advocacy has an excellent explanation here of what’s going on. Suffice it to say that 6 Ethiopian bloggers and 3 journalists have been arrested and are being held in prison in Addis Ababa, apparently for daring to voice their political opinions on line.
My fellow bloggers – especially those of you who live in the U.S. and have to cope with all kinds of weird reactionary laws, yet can nevertheless complain and advocate and cry out for your human rights without fear – please spread the word about these brave silenced voices.
How simple and amazing, really, that [so many people can’t live] without fear, without suspicion. I don’t mean the straightforward fear of fiery death. I mean the insidious, demoralising fear of betrayal, of treachery, of cruelty, of being silenced.
I have spent the past week fighting a frustrating battle against Internet sexual harassment trying to stifle someone who was exercising their “right to free speech” by making casual, threatening, and foully filthy anonymous remarks to my daughter and dozens of her online friends. I have successfully silenced an online voice. This is the opposite battle, and I am aware of the irony. All I can say is: Choose your battles wisely. I do try.
Fresh from my triumph over smut on Facebook, and having seen for myself how successful the human voice can be when it shouts in unison, I also feel that perhaps I can make a small difference here. Why did those Twitterers follow me? Were they aware I have a literary connection to Ethiopia – that I have friends and family outside Ethiopia who have been and still are Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, charity workers, archeologists, teachers and parents when they were inside Ethiopia? That I have written four historical novels set in Ethiopia and am working on another? My connections to Ethiopia are external. But they are there. Or were these new followers merely aware that my last two books are in essence about people whose human rights have been deeply violated, and who are determined, through writing, to make these violations known beyond the walls of their prisons?
Or did those new followers just look at my 3000+ Twitter follower tally and think, well, maybe one of her friends will notice?
Anyway, I am adding my support to the #FreeZone9Bloggers campaign and I encourage those of you who feel strongly about freedom of speech, especially in connection with blogging, to do the same.
Suggestions for ways you can help are here at Global Voices Advocacy.
Tell the world.
It’s an actual news story in the New York Times in their World Briefing section, both in print and on paper, here.
I picked it up because this morning De Birhan Media/Blog (@DeBirhaner) and Kidane Chane (@KidaneChane) started following me on Twitter. I was intrigued and rather delighted to have picked up two Ethiopian tweeters. They didn’t message me or comment – just quietly started following my feed. Most of my followers are in the children’s book business or are readers of my books, with a few friends and on-line friends, a sprinkling of randomers connected to general aviation, and the occasional confused European wine merchant who doesn’t realize “Wein” is my name.
So I was curious about these two, and checked out their profiles.
This led me to discover yet another terrifying, but unsurprising I suppose, human rights violation currently unfolding in Ethiopia. Global Voices Advocacy has an excellent explanation here of what’s going on. Suffice it to say that 6 Ethiopian bloggers and 3 journalists have been arrested and are being held in prison in Addis Ababa, apparently for daring to voice their political opinions on line.
My fellow bloggers – especially those of you who live in the U.S. and have to cope with all kinds of weird reactionary laws, yet can nevertheless complain and advocate and cry out for your human rights without fear – please spread the word about these brave silenced voices.
How simple and amazing, really, that [so many people can’t live] without fear, without suspicion. I don’t mean the straightforward fear of fiery death. I mean the insidious, demoralising fear of betrayal, of treachery, of cruelty, of being silenced.
I have spent the past week fighting a frustrating battle against Internet sexual harassment trying to stifle someone who was exercising their “right to free speech” by making casual, threatening, and foully filthy anonymous remarks to my daughter and dozens of her online friends. I have successfully silenced an online voice. This is the opposite battle, and I am aware of the irony. All I can say is: Choose your battles wisely. I do try.
Fresh from my triumph over smut on Facebook, and having seen for myself how successful the human voice can be when it shouts in unison, I also feel that perhaps I can make a small difference here. Why did those Twitterers follow me? Were they aware I have a literary connection to Ethiopia – that I have friends and family outside Ethiopia who have been and still are Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, charity workers, archeologists, teachers and parents when they were inside Ethiopia? That I have written four historical novels set in Ethiopia and am working on another? My connections to Ethiopia are external. But they are there. Or were these new followers merely aware that my last two books are in essence about people whose human rights have been deeply violated, and who are determined, through writing, to make these violations known beyond the walls of their prisons?
Or did those new followers just look at my 3000+ Twitter follower tally and think, well, maybe one of her friends will notice?
Anyway, I am adding my support to the #FreeZone9Bloggers campaign and I encourage those of you who feel strongly about freedom of speech, especially in connection with blogging, to do the same.
Suggestions for ways you can help are here at Global Voices Advocacy.
Tell the world.
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