Posted on January 19, 2019 by beenasarwar

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: Activism, democracy, disinformation, elections, fake news, Media, propaganda, social media | Leave a comment »
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: beach, karachi, saneeya hussain, women and public space | Leave a comment »
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 →
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Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: exploitation, janitors, Pakistan, rights, sanitation, workers | Leave a comment »