Shutting down online #fakenews factories

Posted on January 19, 2019 by beenasarwar

hitler-wa-e1547852735707.jpg

Got this email and image from Avaaz, subject line, “We’ve been hijacked”, that feels too important not to share.  Here’s my biggest takeaway from it:

During Brazil’s election, Avaaz ran an experiment — just six people were given basic training to investigate the propaganda networks, and they shut down online fake news factories that reached *16 million* people. Imagine what ten times as many could do!

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Filed under: fascism, Freedom of expression, Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A space of one’s own

Posted on January 17, 2019 by beenasarwar

“Your walks are such a contrast to the events in Gujranwala in response to the women’s marathon,” wrote Saneeya Hussain in response to my Personal Political column published in The News on Sunday on 3 April 2005. “I keep thinking Pakistan shd change its name to Absurdistan or some such thing”. (Remember the women’s marathon?)

Since the article is not available on the web anymore I thought I’d post it here. The photo is more recent but since I wrote this piece in 2005, what has changed and what remains the same? 

Seaview beach, early morning. Photo: Beena Sarwar, 2016

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Filed under: Freedom of expression, Gender, Human rights, Personal, Saneeya Hussain Trust | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Modern day slavery: Janitorial workers in Pakistan

Posted on January 12, 2019 by beenasarwar

Email from Naeem Sadiq in Karachi, with this note: Modern-day- slavery (You may like to write to CM Sindh on this issue)

January 11, 2019

Mr. Imran Khan, 

Prime Minister of Pakistan

Abolish the cruelest form of modern-day- slavery, child labour and exploitation being practiced at Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), Karachi.

1.     I would like to bring to your notice some specific details of the cruelty, slavery, child-labour and inhuman exploitation. Continue reading →

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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