First Arab Bloggers Meeting 2008 - Democracy

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First Arab Bloggers Meeting
Beirut 22 – 24 August 2008
Ziko House – Beirut

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Middle East (Beirut) and Arab Middle East (Ramallah) organized a meeting for Arab bloggers at Ziko House in Beirut on 22 August 2008. The meeting gathered 29 bloggers from 10 Arab countries (Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Palestine, Iraq and Syria) who spoke of their blogging experiences and the obstacles they face in areas living under authoritarian regimes that undermine liberty of expression.

During the three days, famous Arab bloggers and digital activists met for the first time in a free and supportive atmosphere, not only to exchange experiences in general but also to debate on the necessary instruments to advance their causes. By presenting country examples followed by discussion on the situation in the bloggers’ societies and their weaknesses and strengths, the participants could tackled the means and tools available for creative use of the internet in the Arab region to improve their blogging performance and gain readers’ confidence.

In the end, bloggers discussed the legal frameworks that safeguard their right and ensure their protection and safety. One outcome of the meeting was an increase of interaction between bloggers not only on their causes and campaigns but also on training material and legal framework materials. For more information please contact odeussen@boell-ameo.org

Articles about the meeting: