The Role of Social Media in Political Upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa
Boston International, in collaboration with the American Islamic Congress (AIC), was pleased to present a discussion of recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, on Thursday, February 24th at 7 pm. Attendees engaged in a lively discussion with Nasser Weddady, Civil Rights Outreach Director at the AIC and expert on social media and political activism in the Middle East. Topics covered included the relationship between online organizing and real-world political unrest and change as witnessed not only in Egypt and Tunisia, but also Bahrain, Iran, and Libya, and thoughts about the leaders in cyber-activism.
About Nasser Weddady:
Nasser Weddady, the Civil Rights Outreach Director for the American Islamic Congress, is originally from Mauritania. He has been named by The New York Times and NPR as one of the top bloggers and activists to be followed on Twitter. His expertise has led to recent appearances on CNN, Aljazeera, and a range of other media. A long-time activist in the struggle to end slavery in his homeland, Nasser has organized conferences for young activists across the Middle East; published in the International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and Baltimore Sun; appeared on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes, BBC World Service, Al Jazeera, and Radio Liberty; and testified to Congress’ Human Rights Caucus. Fluent in five languages, Nasser has lectured at the US Institute of Peace, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and diverse interfaith settings.
About our Partner
The American Islamic Congress is a non-religious civil rights organization promoting tolerance and the exchange of ideas among Muslims and between other peoples. Today AIC operates offices in Washington, Boston, Cairo, and Basra. Their leaders have published editorials in top newspapers; testified to Congress; provided sensitivity training to law enforcement and members of the armed forces; run workshops on nonviolent reform for young Middle Eastern activists; and spoken at dozens of universities and civic institutions.
About our Host
Panjiva is an online resource for sourcing executives to gain valuable knowledge about suppliers around the world. By providing the most comprehensive data in an easy to use format, Panjiva informs the decisions that facilitate doing business globally. Supply chain and global production executives responsible for finding the right factories, negotiating costs and avoiding costly supply chain disruptions have been “flying blind.” Panjiva is the first and only online information source designed to provide complete transparency into overseas suppliers. Leveraging a variety of public and proprietary data sources, Panjiva is bringing new levels of visibility to the management of global supply chains.
