Civil Society

November 1, 2011
November 1, 2011
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Civil Society Cookbook

Click here to read the complete post.Arseh Sevom is launching a new project: the Civil Society Cookbook. We are talking to civil society actors from around the world to learn more about what makes them successful, how they approach challenges, and the obstacles faced along the way.We would like to hear from you too. You can fill out our questionnaire or contact us and make an appointment for an interview.
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October 5, 2011
October 5, 2011
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Help Us Learn More: Tell Us What You Think

Click here to take the survey. Arseh Sevom is conducting a survey to gain an understanding of how organizations and civil society activists get started and overcome obstacles. You can help us learn more by filling out this survey. If you would rather we talk to you over the phone, please contact us using the form here.This questionnaire is the first in a series. We hope that you will continue to share your experiences and knowledge with us over time.The goal of this survey is to learn more about how to face and overcome challenges. We plan to publish a selection of the responses on our site and use the results to develop toolkits. You can choose to remain anonymous or you can choose to associate your responses with your name and organization. It's up to you.
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October 5, 2011
October 5, 2011
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Are You a Civil Society Activist?

What is Civil SocietyClick here for the complete post.Before trying to delve deep into a practical definition of a “civil society activist” let us see what is exactly meant by a “civil society”.According to Jeffrey C. Alexander – one of the thinkers who has helped us understand this rather abstract idea – civil society was conceived in the 18th century in a positive way. It was in the words of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, “a burgher, city dweller’s society.” Later, more complex ideas were annexed to the endless definitions and as per a recent version, civil society is “a basic configuration in which society stands apart from the state, develops autonomously and becomes increasingly conscious of such autonomy at both the individual and the collective levels.” All that would translate into an active society wherein citizens take matters related to their community, neighborhood, rights and etc. into their own hands – “civilly”. These activities might include forming associations, clubs, organizations, developing networks and raising awareness on their issues of concern.
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September 27, 2011
September 27, 2011
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Remembering Wangari Maathai, I Will Be a Hummingbird

“I have always believed that, no matter how dark the cloud, there is always a thin, silver lining, and that is what we must look for.” – Prof. Wangari MaathaiArseh Sevom remembers the Nobel Prize winning activist, Prof. Wangari Maathai who died recently of ovarian cancer.For many of us, she is a hero, someone who is not daunted by even the largest of problems. As one of our staff says, "It’s tough to imagine Prof. Maathai being no more. True, she never looked like she was 71 and I have seen people much younger than her be consumed by that affliction. But still, there are people that you don’t ever wish to think of as mortal. For me, Maathai was one such person."Maathai was the founder of the Green Belt Movement. She began the movement in 1977 in order to respond to environmental degradation. It all began with the planting of trees.Read more
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September 7, 2011
September 7, 2011
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Was Your Gmail Account Safe?

More than 300,000 Iranians have had their Gmail accounts compromised. From the report by the investigative firm Fox-IT, the security firm hired to investigate the stolen DigiNotar security certificates, it is clear that as early as July 28, the company was aware that falsified security certificates were in use in Iran. This is one month earlier than the first public notice, which was made by a Google Chrome user in Iran. (Read more background information.)The report, Operation Black Tulip (pdf), states:
They used both known hacker tools as well as software and scripts developed specifically for this task. Some of the software gives an amateurish impression, while some scripts, on the other hand, are very advanced. In at least one script, fingerprints from the hacker are left on purpose, which were also found in the Comodo breach investigation of March 2011.
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September 6, 2011
September 6, 2011
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Cultural Censorship in Iran

The Small Media Foundation has published the report, Cultural Censorship in Iran: Iranian Culture in a State of Emergency. This report looks at government pressure on and censorship of publishing, music, theater, and film, demonstrating an increase since the disputed 2009 presidential elections.The findings of the authors, Mostafa Khalaji, Bronwen Robertson, and Maryam Aghdami, show the efforts of the regime to make the barriers towards public culture even higher by pulling previously approved books off the shelves, controlling funding and licenses for films, denying musicians and theater groups access to their audience, and other acts of suppression.The publishing industry has been especially hard hit. The independent writer's organization, The Forum of Iranian Writers, is being supplanted by the deceptively named, Pen Association of Iran, a government-sponsored organization. The regime financially supports like-minded authors and publishers and purchases mass quantities of their books. In that way they can claim that the number of books published remains high. Bookstores are being shut down at an alarming rate.Read more...
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September 5, 2011
September 5, 2011
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Protests in Iran spurred by Disappearing Lake

Update: Radio Farda reports that the Parliament in Iran has budget up to $900 million to address the problem.Six months ago, environmental activists in Iran starting sounding the alarm about the state of Lake Orumiyeh (Urmia). Many began posting about Lake Orumiyeh on Facebook. They urged others to take notice: Lake Orumiyeh, the third largest salt water lake in the world, was drying up. This environmental catastrophe was not receiving the attention needed to force action from the government.Protests about the state of the lake have moved from Facebook to the streets, where they are occuring on a regular basis. Several dozen people have been arrested in Northwestern Iran protesting the government's inability to ensure the long-term survival of the lake, which is drying up as a result of drought and the man-made diversion of rivers that once flowed into the lake.Read more
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September 2, 2011
September 2, 2011
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Man in Middle Attacks Dangerous in Iran – Part 2

به زبان فارسیUPDATE: Google and Mozilla have revoked more than 200 security certificates as a result of a hack into the accounts of certificate authority, DigiNotar.WARNING: Tor, Yahoo, and Mozilla were among the targets.WHAT THIS MEANS: If you are in using Tor software downloaded after July 9, it might be compromised. Users of confirmed versions of Tor should not have been effected. (Read more on the Tor Blog.) If you have not checked the signature of Tor to ensure that it is authentic, now is the time to do so. Instructions are here.MORE THAN 200 SECURITY CERTIFICATES STOLENA few days ago, Arseh Sevom reported on compromised security for users in Iran. It was reported that a security certificate was stolen and was in used in Iran. This certificate was used to access secure communication between users in Iran and Google.Read more...
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