True about Egypt, but that was to extend the Govts iron-grasp on the populace. Is there any country in Africa with as much civil liberty as Kenya? Let us not look the gift horse in the mouth... cell: +254715964281 #*****TRON LIVES*****# On Mar 19, 2013 4:44 PM, "meshack emakunat" <memakunat@yahoo.com> wrote:
Just for thought Egypt shut down internet during the Arab uprising in 2011.
------------------------------ On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 5:21 AM PDT Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) wrote:
Brian, I agree with you that the insanity on social media has gone beyond mere expression or opinion. The gloves are so off. There are too many instances where people are commenting without regard for the rights and reputations of others. It is as if the various camps have brought out their best propaganda machinery...and it keeps getting nastier as the election/ petition proceeds. And the intolerance! Why on earth do we have to abuse someone for their opinion? Didn't our foreparents fight so hard for plurality?
On agenda four, maybe we missed the bus at the truth and reconciliation stop. But all is not lost and it is just wrong for people to keep stirring ethnic/sectarian emotions in the name of communal anger. Haven't we always been angry? Why is the anger more urgent now?
Action should be taken towards those inciting others. I agree with Macharia Gaitho, someone needs to stop this social media violence!
Emmanuel,
Thanks for setting me straight, this is clear evidence of the ignorance I alluded to as I began my previous post :)
On a more serious note and once again, thank you so much for bringing
out, Agenda Four is a very critical part of our Nationhood. As you have pointed out, the media might seem to have lost focus, forgotten or ignored it's importance.
But on issues of such grave importance as the Agenda Four - couldn't it also be argued that all stakeholders have failed in their roles?
The two principals International Civil Society Local Civil Society Various relevant organs of Government Legal Fraternity Media Houses
Best regards,
Brian
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 12:24 PM, Emmanuel Khisa <
wrote:
Hi Brian,
I did not refer to blackout on politicians.
The media has been failing in their role as interrogators of the deeper issues of Agenda four...Please note the following as regards the national accord:
The National Accord
The two parties agreed to tackle four main agenda items to end the political crisis and address its underlying causes.
Agenda Item 1: Immediate Action to Stop Violence and Restore Fundamental Rights. Agenda Item 2: Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis, and Promoting Healing and Reconciliation. Agenda Item 3: How to Overcome the Political Crisis (power sharing). Agenda Item 4: Tackling Long-term Issues.
Agenda four addresses the long standing issues of Land, Equity and other causative factors of ethnic violence ( PEV included). This does not screem any politician's name, it simply means this so called Mantra of PEACE has been used to cloud our collective psychie as a country. The problem with this is that today you think Kenya is peaceful just because we are able to drive around Nairobi and go for our nyama choma sessions in Naivasha or Kajiado...what we forget is that so far we have no report on the Tana River Violence, Baragoi Massacre, Garrisa and NE province violence, simmering conflicts in Kwale and the entire coast...We are all glued to our TVs very ready to embrace "PEACE" while conviniently avoiding the topics listed as grievances...
So Mr. Munyao, it is very critical that we begin to not use the responsibility of Cyber use as a pannacea for all the ills facing the country for ventilating we must late people ventilate..and the institutions charged with these responsibilities must use the tones and trends of discussion online to map out issues that need addressing...and The MEDIA must be key here....The Agenda Four items will not address themselve and yet it is these issues..longstanding that will slow down the currently raging tribal sentiments on the internet.
My thoughts,
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 11:55 AM, Brian Munyao Longwe < blongwe@gmail.com> wrote:
Please excuse my ignorance but in responding to Emmanuel's input I
don't
see the relationship between media's black out on politicians and the insanity on social media.
Let's put this in context - the media blackout affects a select few -
political elite who are looking for a platform to push their own
and political agendas. The blackout has to a certain extent protected Kenyans from their inflammatory statements.
On the other hand, the social media activity involves hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who are expressing their personal opinions (as negative and unsavoury as those might be). I place emphasis here on *expressing their opinion*. The fact that they are using social media as one of the channels where their opinion gets aired is simply that, a matter of fact. I am sure that they express the same opinion in their homes, over their phones, in their hair salons, bars, classrooms, gyms etc...This is because the opinion belongs to them.
Let us not be naive and try to separate the opinion from the individual behind it. That to me, is the more important issue. A tribal tirade on social media is indicative of a tribal opinion held by an individual with tribal beliefs. Solve the basic problem of promoting Kenyanness, unity and a non-tribal outlook and I believe that strides begin to be made towards solving the problem.
My two cents,
Brian
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 10:08 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.ca> wrote:
John F. Kennedy - “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”
From: Emmanuel Khisa [mailto:oloo.khisa@googlemail.com] Sent: March 19, 2013 9:50 AM To: Edith Adera Cc: oloo.khisa@gmail.com; KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Cyber Cop
+1,
Indeed cyber responsiblilty is not a standalone initiative...cyber exists as a channel for expressing the societal views and does not
exist on its on...
The day we realise that gagging the traditional media does not work in the 21st century internet age we will start making steps to tackle the difficult issues the SOUL of the country is struggling with.
We can make noise about responsible internet use but for as long as the media blacks out channels of communications, blogsphere will remain
2013/3/19 Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com>: this oloo.khisa@googlemail.com> the personal therefore the only
media of expression for the populace...
IMHO we are a country that is quick to bury its head in the sand and now we are left with a simmering problem on Agenda 4 which remain unattended to and which is awaiting an opportune time to explode..
Regard
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 9:09 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.ca> wrote:
Bwana Ndemo,
As I reflected on your unenviable job as a “cyber cop” (watching you on The Trend last Friday) and stumbled on this article by Gaitho entitled “The demented postings on social media must stop before blood flows” http://www.nation.co.ke/blogs/-/446672/1723754/-/ee6vonz/-/index.html it occurred to me that we probably need something deeper, while we must address the madness online.
You’re on record here advocating for policy/decision-making based on empirical/research evidence. I recall your spirited campaign about the Cancer Bill that MPs excitedly passed without the benefit of scientific evidence as to “the actual cause of cancers in Kenya”. You argued that you wished they did not get excited about addressing the symptoms of the problem, but the root cause.
As you crack down on cyber haters (to address the symptoms of the problem), could we also ask ourselves a couple of questions (listers, feel free to add more questions) to get to the ROOT CAUSE of this ANGER:
*why are people so angry?
*is this anger only in cyberspace?
*If not, to what extent is it a reflection of simmering (unexpressed) anger on the ground?
*what are the implications of unexpressed anger?
*why are people comfortable to express such deep anger online and not offline? What are they afraid of?
*How can long-lasting co-existence be achieved, once and for all?
* etc etc etc
Someone has work to do as we try to address the short-term symptoms – is it the academic community? or pollsters can have a post-election job to do? I don’t know, but the RROT CAUSE, we must find including the solutions.
Reflective Edith
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development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and
bandwidth,
share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and
bandwidth,
share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
--
"Service to Mankind is the greatest form of service"...
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KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.