Arab Bloggers meet

Tomorrow the third Arab Blogger Conference starts in Tunis, in the science center that stretches along the re(volution)new named boulevard Mohamed Bouazizi. Excitement sparkles out of the tweets of the attendants, meeting each other at various airports, apologizing for travelling first class, or getting stuck in traffic and missing planes.

The website of AB11 states: 'As Heinrich Boll Stiftung and Global Voices Online - the initiators - are convinced that it is important to further support initiatives of the Arab Blogosphere and provide Arab bloggers with the space to strengthen their impact on society, amplify silenced voices and add diversity to the field of information and activism, the two organizations will organize the Third Arab Bloggers Meeting (AB11) during 3-6 October 2011 in collaboration with Nawaat de Tunisie. As with AB09, AB11’s overall objective will be to enable face-to-face exchange, and to coach bloggers on how to leave their imprint on the international blogging sphere, make their voices heard, and to organize online and offline campaigns to pressure governments to stop censorship and restricting freedom of expression as well as build the mechanisms for debating transitional democracy, transparency and governance strategies.'

This is just the thing needed to prevent countries from falling back into dictator's hands and free other, still under some grabbing and choking thumb, nations.

Last Thursday, September 29th, Arnout van der Lynden spoke at Clingendael, The Hague, on the Arab Spring. He expressed a pessimistic point of view with regard to real change as oppressors have the habit of following up on each other. Mr Van der Lynden, who is an eloquent speaker very familiar with the North African region, however did miss out on the influence of bloggers and tweeps, organizing and empowering as we speak.
Because through freedom of expression that cannot be stopped anymore, not by guns, not by whips or chains, a freedom that virusses the world, democracy 3.0 will enter the global community that joins efforts over borders, across religions, in different tones and rythmes, and will not be stopped anymore. The checks & balances are in the mass, transparency and openness are forced by this mass in chainreactions.

If you are on twitter #AB11 will keep you posted on the conference in Tunis, starting Monday 3 October until the 6th.

While writing this, the Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil detained by the military for his daring views, enters his 41th day of hungerstrike inside prison. Maikel Nabil just turned 26 and is - again - fighting in a nonviolent way for freedom of speech. The attendants of AB11 and all of their supporters will have to use their virtual pens for him, and for Egypt (!) And they do. Let's work together to become the free men and women we are by birth, no matter where on the planet that event happened.

Image: poster of the film Al Sharara on the beginning of the Arab Spring in Tunisia. The movie by Mongi Farhani was the opening of the Arab Filmfestival in Rotterdam (Nl) last September. Twice the public applauded during the show and rewarded the director with the Public Prize

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