Twitter Post Revolution, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Social Media Now.

While we hear over and over that social media played a hugely vital role in the politcal and social revoultions that took place in the middle east, exactly how big and how lasting was the impact? An article from Mashable, entitled What Happens to Social media After a Twitter Revoultion analyzed just that. 

War is still going on in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, though its no longer the biggest storyline of our nightly newscasts. Two social media analystics firms, Crimson Hexagon and Sanitas international did a three month study where they looked at the tweets coming out of these three nations. They wanted to look into what happens when the drama mellows, the flags stop waiving, and life resumes.  By crafting a study of specific words on twitter the analysts could see what the citizens were talking about now. The main discovery of the study is that after the uprisings brought down decades-old regimes, “citizens in Egypt and Libya use social media to talk about revolution and state-building in two distinct registers: instrumental and interpretative,” according to the study’s abstract. Essentially in Egypt citizens are expressing their views of the current political atmosphere and talking about the new institurions and how to build a new government. In Egypt they are looking forwards and backwards. In Libya the scene is different. The people seem to be struggleing more, after Gaddafi’s death in 2011, people were taling about military clashes and state building, and still about ”the punishment and fate of Gaddafi’s family,” and “the crimes of the Gaddafi era,”, showing they were astill angry. In Syria, where the nation is still at war, most tweets were about war clashes, violence, coping with death, and calls for international intervention. The infographic below expresses these results.

 

 

 

 

Egypt National ICT Resources

The Arab Republic of Egypt’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology  has a detailed and easy to find description of the National ICT Policy on their website, which can be found here.  The ICT for Development strategy is one aspect of the overall national strategy that can be found using the “ICT for Development” hyperlink on the main ICT Strategy page or by clicking here.  These resources are all available in English, which is extremely helpful.  I found it quite easy to find information regarding Egypt’s national ICT strategy by utilizing the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology’s website.   Additionally, the Ministry makes publications regarding national ICT plans available to the public on their website.  In 2003, they country published a report entitled “Egypt’s Vision of the Information Society.”  In 2005, the Ministry published a report outlining “the initiatives implemented to bolster Egypt’s transition into a fully-fledged information society , in a report entitled “Egypt’s Information Society.”   The next edition of the ICT strategy  was published in 2007: “Egypt’s ICT Strategy 2007- 2010.”   All of these reports are available in English.  However, the most recent ICT strategy publication – “Egypt’s ICT Strategy 2012-2017“ - is only available in Arabic.

I found the Ministry’s website to be the most useful resource regarding Egypt’s national ICT strategy.  Unlike many other students, researching my country’s ICT plan was relatively easy (especially because the information is available in English).  The United Nations also published an ICT Policy Review of Egypt’s national ICT strategy, which is another helpful resource.

Cyber-criminals Took Advantage of Civil Unrest in Egypt

” Today our guest lecturer discussed cybercrime and various implications for security in the U.S. and international implications.  I decided to investigate issues of cyber crime and related problems in Egypt, the country I am focusing on this semester.

I found this interesting article — “Cyber-criminals taking advantage of Egypt unrest”  – about cyber crime in Egypt during the democratic revolution and civil unrest in recent years.  Although cyber crime is a problem at all times in the digital age society infiltrated by technology, cyber criminals (like any criminals) look for strategic points of entry and weaknesses.

In this article, James Lyne explains,”over the last year we have seen so many occasions where Anonymous [hacking group] and alike have attacked online services for political reasons. The reason for the increase is simple, we are all putting more of our lives online, governments and general public are putting more of their critical infrastructure online so it is an ideal way to attack. It is more anonymous than storming physically, it is less of a risk and it is as, if not more disruptive than a physical protest because so many of us rely on those services.”  This very much resembles the main points made today in our lecture.

However, there is another point made in the article that we did not discuss in class…

The article points out: “When Michael Jackson passed away, the top three hits on Google for a period of time were fake anti-virus sites, above CNN.com who spend an astronomical amount of money trying to do search engine optimisation, so be very cautious of the links you click online whether you are from Egypt or not. Whilst this is a hotspot of press activity, the bad guys will be looking to use you.”  This is a great tip to add to the list of ways to avoid viruses or other forms malware (along with not clicking on links in emails and maintaining up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer).  It is important to be aware of potential targets for cyber crime.  With millions of people across the world searching for news stories and updates about the situation in Egypt, cyber criminals look at this as the perfect opportunity to reach a new victims.

Hactivism was another major issue throughout the revolution and unrest in Egypt. The article notes that there have been “many occasions where Anonymous [hacking group] and alike have attacked online services for political reasons,” and goes on to explain that “the reason for the increase is simple, we are all putting more of our lives online, governments and general public are putting more of their critical infrastructure online so it is an ideal way to attack.”

This is a great article that touches on many of the topics we discussed today in class, and it broadens the conversation to a more international focus and to include important current events that have effected part of the developing world.  It’s definitely worth reading at length.

E-Waste: Where Do Obsolete Technologies Go to Die?

There was a lot of great information shared throughout our class presentations this past week. Murali Shanmugavelan’s work, Tackling E-Waste, highlights an issue brought up in one of today’s presentations. While the work is very brief, it systematically outlines the challenges that E-Waste presents. Shanmugavelan cites E-waste as one of the fastest growing waste streams today and it is growing at three times the rate of municipal waste globally (Shanmugavelan 1). It is shocking to learn that ICT industry is expected to generate 53 million tons of e-waste by this year, with only 13% of this waste is reported to be recycled with or without adequate safety procedures. While some materials found in modern electronics may be valuable, proper extraction is both expensive and risky in terms of health. Proper recycling must be encouraged, but this is difficult to incentivize, especially in the context of the developing world. Potentially, there are three main stakeholders to consider that may bear the burden of paying for the recycling of E-waste:

1. The producers
2. The consumers
3. The government

But we also must consider the role of many countries in the developing world, which have become recipients of obsolete electronics and hazardous materials, as shown in the picture below.

According to BiztechAfrica, In 2011, 178 countries have agreed to accelerate a ban on the export and dumping of hazardous waste in developing countries. This included many countries in Africa, which have become dumping grounds for obsolete products.

I can’t help but wonder what we can do, and what is being done. I found two great examples of successful  and innovative projects  from this article, where Sarah Pouzevera asks: What are the consequences of new technologies on the environment, and how can we act responsibly, starting now?

I would like to share two examples with you all:

In Egypt’s Manshiyat Naser district, also known as “Garbage City”, girls come one day per week to learn how to turn trash into income. They work with a teacher to  break down non-working computers that have been donated or collected by the local garbage collectors and rebuild them into working computers. These computers sell for around $300 on the local market. Half of the proceeds go directly to the girls, and the other half goes to funding the warehouse facilities and trainers. The parts that cannot be repurposed into a new computer are sorted for recycling- including the valuable gold and silver of microprocessors, motherboards and circuit boards (Pouzevera). However, I was disheartened when I tried to learn more about this program, as I could not locate any more information. But the situation of trash in Cairo is a huge infrastructural barrier to the development of the nation, as there is not even a government led waste-pick-up program through the country.

According to Pouzevera, “Kenya is emerging as one of the leaders in e-waste management, having convened The National Stakeholders Workshop on Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment e-Waste Nairobi 2010.” Kenya is also one of the first African countries to implement a government-led e-waste policy and strategy. Computers for Schools Kenya(CFSK) a non-governmental organization, “dismantles computers into metals, wires, plastic, aluminum, copper, monitors and electronic boards which are then sold separately”. The monitors are also converted into TV sets after its boards are replaced with those of televisions.

I think these examples raise a separate subset of issues related to ICTs  and development that we have not yet discussed in class at length. A lot of questions are raised as we consider how the issue of trash should be addressed.

M-Health in Egypt: Utilizing Smart Phones

A recent  surge in m-Health and e-Health ICT4D initiative are popping up in Egypt and the Middle East.  Many of these projects focus on smartphones, 3G networks, wireless internet, and apps to improve health services throughout the region.

Qualcomm, a technology company, is is leading a pilot program in Egypt to see if eHealth and mHealth initiatives will be successful in the region, and there are bigger plans to overhaul the health care system in Egypt (and other North Africa and Middle East countries) to rely more heavily on ICT.  Here’s an article about one pilot project (focused on utilizing 3G mobile network to diagnose skin conditions remotely) that is a small piece of the overall vision for the region.   According to this article: “The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has facilitated the integration of ICT in health services and the provision of telemedicine to the remote and rural areas of Egypt,” said Dr Hoda Baraka, first deputy to the Minister of ICT. “The Egyptian Teledermatology initiative, using mobile health technology, is inspired by pursuing equal opportunities for health services anywhere in Egypt and expanding medical insurance to all citizens. E-health programs bring better diagnostic and health services to a wider segment of the Egyptian society.”

In researching this pilot project more, I’ve found another article that points out an overall vision of mhealth for the region. Apparently, “ Qualcomm is working with regional governments and mobile operators in the Middle East to create country-wide mobile health systems within the next three to five years, according to a report in Reuters. Qualcomm is currently looking into opening offices in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt in mid-2011.”  This is a very ambitious ICT4D initiative that could revolutionize health in the region. However, it is important to focus on possible limitations, infrastructure, environment, and usage of ICT in the region to assess the plausibility of such projects.  The same article that sites the plan for implementing a country-wide mobile health system that relies heavily on smart phones, apps, wireless internet, and 3G network access also noted a very important piece of information: Egypt only has 6-7% smartphone penetration.  This seems like a very large problem for the m-health project.  A national health plan that relies on patients having access to smartphones may lead to many unintended consequences.  Digital divide that exist among the target populations may turn into to major divides in access to health care, which could exacerbate cycles of poverty and exclude already marginalized populations.  I think this project deals with many of the topics we have discussed in class and relates to many of the readings.  I am interested to see what classmates think about the positives and negatives of these initiatives.  Will these mhealth efforts help improve medical care in rural areas or will it widen inequalities?

Social Media Use in the Developing World

The social media explosion that has sucked in the lives of a large population of the developed world, has also recently been rapidly spreading throughout the developing world. A study done by Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project from March 21-May 15, 2011 shows that use of social media is growing much more rapidly in the developing world than it is currently in the developed world. People in low income nations (in areas that have access to internet) use social media sites at rates as high or even higher than people in high income nations. For example, according to the study, Russia and Indonesia had the highest rates of social media users amongst their internet users with a rate of 86 percent. This is much different from the US in which less than 60 percent of internet users use social networking sites.

This is an extraordinary phenomenon as social media has the power to do many amazing things. Social media outlets such as Facebook or Twitter enable the rapid spread of events and ideas throughout the entire world. The world is becoming much smaller as people from every corner are able to share with each other their ideas as well as their cultures. This spread of ideas has the capacity to greatly improve the livelihoods of populations throughout the developing world. People can use social media outlets to share their own ideas and form a common ground to improve situations. More recently, during the Arab Spring, people have been turning to social media to communicate with each other and start revolutions to improve their lives. The Pew Research Center’s study even showed that in events of political unrest, social media usage greatly increases. Both Russia and Egypt, countries which both have experienced recent political movements, saw an increase of ten percent in social media usage. This portrays the fact that people in the developing world are actually using social media outlets in times of strife as a way to collaborate efforts with others.

The results of this study have shown that usage of social media is truly growing exponentially throughout the developing world. This growing usage has the ability to enable populations throughout the world to communicate with each other and share their ideas at very fast paces in order to improve their livelihoods, especially during times of conflict. This usage is only going to increase as mobile usage, especially that of smart-phones, and internet become even more accessible to people throughout the developing world within the near future.

Pew Research Center Report 

Social Media and Revolution

One of the most interesting aspects of ICT4D to me is the effect of social media on development, especially political movements and development.  Personally, I am not a big user of social media and am not very fluent in it.  For that matter, I’m not very good with technology in general.  However, I still think that examining the role of tech, including social media, today is a crucial aspect in understanding development processes and in creating effective programs for the future.

I think one of the most obvious, as well as the most intriguing, examples of social media and its role in development is the case of Egypt and its 25 January revolution.  It’s known around the world that much of the organization and collaboration that was necessary to create such a huge crowd in Tahrir Square, the center of Cairo, was achieved through Facebook and Twitter.  Especially for the youth in Cairo, it was much easier to spread messages and plan events over Facebook and other social media outlets.  As an example of just how large a role social media played in the Egyptian Revolution, it is interesting to look at the most common words and phrases that were posted worldwide on Facebook and Twitter in the first quarter of 2011: Egypt, January 25, Libya, Bahrain, and demonstration.

Even before the mass realization that social media had such a huge cultural and political influence both domestically and worldwide, there have been been many studies, forums, and conventions about social media and its effect on today’s global climate.  Cairo itself has a yearly convention called Cairo ICT Summit.  One of their main focuses for the 2012 summit, which will occur on 26-29 April of this year, is social media and how it has affected (and will continue to affect) politics and development around the world, and especially in Egypt and other Arab countries.

The Cairo Summit this year will have many groups and individuals speaking and answering questions.  Two individuals in particular, Ahmed Sabry and Ahmed Rayan, both Internet experts, have much to say about Facebook and other social media outlets and how they played such a large role in both Egypt’s and other Arab countries’ recent uprisings.

One reason why social media outlets were so effective, says Sabry, is because they are actually much more credible than traditional media outlets such as TV, the newspaper, and the radio.  I found this surprising, but Sabry backed his statement up with some compelling arguments.  He said that several studies (which, unfortunately I could not locate on my own) had said that, in the Arab countries where they were conducted,) general public confidence in media outlets was about 15-16%.  On the other hand, these studies found out that people’s confidence in the credibility of posts on Facebook were about 70%.  There are several reasons for this discrepancy in faith.  The most important, according to Sabry, is the fact that what people post on social networks is done completely of their own volition; on the other hand, people who speak on the news or in commercials are advised by their superiors on what to say and are also inclined to say certain things because that is how they make money.

Another reason why people apparently find social media more credible in spreading information about government and human rights issues is because their “friends” or the people they “follow” on Facebook or Twitter (or on other social media sites) are people they trust and respect, whereas most people have no personal relation to or inherent trust of people on TV or other media sources, or even government speakers and employees.  This is exacerbated by the fact that in many Arab countries, oppressive regimes have much control of most aspects of their citizens’ rights, including the media and what information it puts out.

In my opinion, Egypt provides for an interesting case study on social media, a concept we have not talked about in class yet but one that I’m sure we will, and how great of an impact it can have on development.  This one case that I have mentioned focuses specifically on political change and development, but by interlinking people from different areas and classes of cities, countries, and even the world, I think we could find ways in which social media will eventually have the power to make change in cultural, economic, and other areas of development in the future.

Social Media and the Arab Spring

I thought this topic was really interesting because everyone knows about the violence and military ordeals of the Arab Spring, but the social media side is not as obvious. We also have not talked a lot yet of about the role (or lack there of) of the government in development. This article describes the efforts of protesters in utilizing social media like twitter and Facebook and also using ICT in the form of mobile phones. Phones were used by mass broadcast media to talk to protesters on the ground. Mostly, media was used to disseminate  information about the protest movement and provide anti-government propaganda, but the article states that once they were in full-swing, the use of social media died down.  One thing I found interesting in the article was the governments attempt at destroying the social media efforts. They attempted to hack and delete the main player’s social media profiles and the Egyptian government even shut off the internet and mobile phone services. This proves how effective the social media movement was if the government felt the need to destroy the social media outlets.