Medical staff convicted by a military court of alleged serious crimes during the period of anti-government protests in Bahrain in early 2011 were subjected to abuse and torture in detention.

For most of us, the epicenter of video for change work that we’ve seen throughout 2011 has been in the Middle East and North African region (MENA). The Arab Spring has illuminated the reality of what “Cameras Everywhere” looks like, and what the power of instant video capturing and sharing can yield to inform and mobilize for truly incredible social change.

In today’s news, Bahrain sentences 20 medics for treating protesters; the Saudi Arabian King pardons a woman arrested for driving; a Massachusetts man is arrested for planning to attack the Pentagon and Capitol with drones; and presidential hopeful Herman Cain jumps to third place in the primary race. In entertainment news, MTV reports on the [...]

Universities in Bahrain should immediately reinstate all students, faculty, and staff who were dismissed solely for expressing opinions critical of the government and ruling family or attending overwhelmingly peaceful anti-government demonstrations in February and March of this year.

The United States should delay a proposed arms sale to Bahrain until it ends abuses against peaceful critics of the ruling family and takes meaningful steps toward accountability for serious human rights violations.

Forty-eight writers from 24 countries have received 2011 Hellman/Hammett grants for their commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of persecution.

A recent research paper by Michael Lightfoot, published recently  in SAGEopen, reviews the impact of technology-related education reforms, including improved access to computing and the Internet, on education in three middle-eastern countries: Bahrain, UAE, and Jordan. Detailed comments are welcome on our wiki research page.

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