Cyberactivism in Egypt: A New Social Movement

The emergence of cyberactivists in Egypt gave rise to a new form of activism. Experiencing and admiring these activists made me wonder how this group which was empowered with only a simple weapon - their keyboards - could cause such a stir in the public opinion and effectively put pressure on the Egyptian government. While moving away from their computers and into the streets of Cairo, Egyptian cyberactivists began to search and monitor "every corner" of the Egyptian society, and they began to call for fundamental changes to the society. Although coming from various backgrounds, their common goal united them, and Egyptian cyberactivists began to create a new social movement, unprecedented in the history of Egypt. This movement refused to accept unjust political and social conditions in the society. Their opinions challenged many taboos of the society, and they exposed many forms of corruption inherent in the previous regime and paving the way for a revolution.

Autorentext

Assistant Secretary General of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights and the Arabic Information Coordinator for the International Freedom of Expression Exchange Network IFEX. Involved in the human rights movement in Egypt since he was undergraduate student at the American University in Cairo from where he received his BA and MA degrees.