Mideast Youth: Providing platforms for public voice
Comments: 5 - Date: September 10th, 2008 - Categories: Audio Podcast, Civic Engagement, Innovation, Reporters In The Field
This week’s “Digital Natives Reporters in the Field” series turns the microphone over to Esra’a Al Shafei of Bahrain, the 21-year-old director of student-owned MideastYouth.com
The mission of MideastYouth is “to inspire and provide young people with the freedom and opportunity of expression, and facilitate a fierce but respectful dialogue among the highly diverse youth of all sects, socio-economic backgrounds, and political and religious beliefs in the Middle East.” MideastYouth.com fights for social change with podcasts, blogs, social networks, and online video.
In this podcast, Esra’a talks about the ability of the internet to empower minorities with a voice, the mission of MideastYouth.com, and the change it has sparked in the world.
Listen to the podcast
And learn more about Esra’a, winner of Berkman Award for Internet Innovation, who when not “kicking butt” directing the ever impressive MideastYouth platform, “enjoys drinking flavored milk and writing about herself in 3rd person to remind herself of her existence.”
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[…] Without further ado, here is “Mideast Youth: Providing platforms for public voice” as presented on the the Digital Natives blog. […]
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[…] director of the student-owned MideastYouth.com, recently spoke about MideastYouth as part of the Digital Natives project’s “Digital Natives Reporters in the Field” series. The mission of MideastYouth is […]
Comment by Derek - December 1, 2008 @ 10:56 pm
Mideastyouth.com stinks. Esra’a will ban you from posting comments if you disagree with her. Also, she will likely call you a bigot or a racist if you disagree with her. You can post all the anti-american comments you want, but if you say anything negative about Islam or muslims, you are racist, a bigot, or an islamophobe. Basically, Esra’s is a coward. If she is losing an argument she will ban you.
Comment by Derek - December 2, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
In short, Esra’a promises “fierce but respectful dialoge”, but fails to deliver either.
Comment by Kawthar - April 12, 2009 @ 8:57 am
Derek,
As a moderator at MideastYouth.com, I spend a lot a considerable amount of my time sifting through comments, and ensuring they all adhere to our comment policy. The decision to delete a comment or ban a user is rarely an individual one, and in almost all cases requires review by at least 2 editors.
There are no restrictions against criticism of Islam or Muslims, and many informative discussions have occurred throughout the lifetime of MideastYouth.com. The difference is that those individuals abided by our comment policy, and maintained a respectful discourse.