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Bonnie Sutton

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media promises and limitations of social level playing fields New American Foundation Arab spring

started by Bonnie Sutton on 30 Jun 11
  • Bonnie Sutton
     
    http://newamerica.net/events/2011/ignite_or_quash_revolution

    The Promise and Limitations of New Technologies in Spreading Democracy
    Do the Internet and social media empower Big Brother or individuals in autocratic regimes, or do they offer a rare level playing field?

    This year's Arab Spring resurrected exuberant claims for the role of new technologies in spreading democracy. At the same time self-proclaimed "cyber-realists" were quick to point out that President Mubarak's problems seemed to grow after he unplugged the Internet. Now, summer's deadly stalemate in Syria has given pause to anyone peddling absolute theories about the interplay between new information technologies and revolution.

    If not a panacea, how can social media and the Internet be deployed to maximize civic engagement in autocratic societies? Does the U.S. policy of supporting Internet freedom amount to a policy of regime change in some countries? When Big Brother does unplug the Internet, what can, or should, the rest of us do about it?

    Please join us at a Future Tense event on July 13 to grapple with these issues.

    A reception will immediately follow the event.

    AGENDA

    2:00 pm - Reflecting on the Tunisian Hair Trigger

    Sami Ben Gharbia (from Tunisia)
    Co-founder, nawaat.org
    Advocacy Director, Global Voices

    Steve Coll
    President
    New America Foundation
    2:20 pm - Internet Freedom and Human Rights: The Obama Administration's Perspective

    Michael H. Posner
    Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
    U.S. Department of State

    Moderator
    Jacob Weisberg
    Chairman and Editor-in-Chief
    Slate Group
    2:50 pm - Friending Revolutions: Social Media and Political Change in Egypt and Beyond

    Merlyna Lim
    Professor, Consortium of Science, Policy and Outcomes and the School of Social Transformation - Justice and Social Inquiry Program
    Arizona State University
    3:10 pm - How the Arab Spring Begat a Deadly Summer

    Ahmed Al Omran
    Blogger, Saudijeans.org

    Ammar Abdulhamid
    Executive Director, Tharwa Foundation
    Blogger and Human Rights Activist

    Oula Alrifai
    Syrian Youth Activist

    Moderator
    Katherine Zoepf
    Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation
    Contributor, New York Times
    4:00 pm - Myths, Realities, and Inconvenient Truths of the Internet

    Rebecca MacKinnon
    Senior Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation
    Co-founder, Global Voices Online
    4:30 pm - The View from Havana

    Yoani Sanchez (via video)
    Blogger, desdecuba.com
    Human Rights Activist
    4:45 pm - Internet Freedom's Next Frontiers?

    Mary Jo Porter
    English Translator for Yoani Sanchez and other Cuban bloggers
    Co-founder, hemosoido.com and translatingcuba.com

    Marcus Noland
    Deputy Director, Peterson Institute for International Economics
    Author,
    Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea

    Moderator
    Andrés Martinez
    Co-Director, Future Tense Initiative
    Director, Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program, New America Foundation
    5:20 pm - Bypassing the Master Switch

    Sascha Meinrath
    Director, Open Technology Initiative
    New America Foundation

    Ian Schuler
    Senior Program Manager, Internet Freedoms Program
    U.S. Department of State

    Moderator
    Robert Wright
    Future Tense Fellow, New America Foundation
    Author, Nonzero, The Moral Animal, and The Evolution of God

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