#FIFAfrica19 I gave a talk on how few #Eritrean-s access the Internet as communication in the country is extremely limited. Internet access is hard to come by and is excruciatingly expensive. Thanks to @cipesaug for the invitation!
#Eritrea is on the list of #mostcensored countries& eritreans remain largely disconnected. According to @pressfreedom, 15 journalists were in prison in Eritrea at the end of 2017, most of whom were detained in the 2001 crackdown. Read more: bit.ly/1zNWca7
The Eritrean government & minister of information, Yemane Ghebremeskel denied citizens don't have access to alternate sources of information. In reality, the only independent media that are providing freely reported news & information are run by #Eritrea-n exile journalists.
Read this article written by @abraham_zere to understand more on the life of a state journalist in #Eritrea. What it’s really like to work at a highly censored government newspaper? journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…
On the other side, independent Eritrean news outlets have fought courageously from abroad to spread the truth. @ERISAT3 @AtvAsena or @amanuelghirmai - Radio Erena (our Eritrea), a Tigrinya & Arabic languages station broadcasting by satellite to #Eritrea from #Paris since 2009.
Eritrean government could be blamed for purposely not investing in ICT n order to limit the opportunity for social awareness & #FreedomofExpression, but at the same time, better infrastructure is essential for the country’s economy (& important sectors like mining and tourism).
Considering the #Eritrea “one of the world’s fastest-emptying nations”, what innovative methods are used by Eritrean in exile to provide citizens with access to critical information? Is social media influencing political engagement & activism?
1.Internet reinforces the active role of community living in exile to play in the country’s foreign policy, 2.Communities living in exile and their actors are using the Internet in politically innovative ways that challenge conventional relations of citizenship and sovereignty.
Check #18StolenYears campaign calling for justice for the detained journalists remembering those who were unjustly imprisoned 18 years ago & never to be seen again. Eighteen years since the crackdown on the press in #Eritrea.
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