The United States Institute of Peace hosted a conference with several discussion panels regarding the use of social media in conflict. Each of the panels had a different focus, varying from the very technical to the more politically-oriented. The purpose of the conference was to determine if a definitive effect from social media on conflict could be discerned. For notes continue reading or click here for the PDF. Opening remarks were addressed ...

According to the Interior Minister for Administrative Affairs Refat Qomsan, nearly 50,650,000 citizens will be eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections expected in November, which will continue in three stages.  Qomsan also emphasized that in preparation for the parliamentary elections, the Ministry of Interior is "developing new mechanisms to further organize the electoral process to ensure its integrity and transparency." Qomsan said that the new database that was developed for ...

President Bashar al-Assad appeared live on Syrian TV on Sunday addressing the unrest in Syria.  Assad said that in recent weeks, the "unrest had become more militant" and that he believes that the unrest can be controlled.  "As for the security situation am not worried," Assad said. Additionally, Assad said the current situation in Syria, the reform process and the "implications of the U.S. and western pressures on Syria politically ...

Al-Jazeera reports that Syrian security forces fired upon and killed at least 10-16 protesters in the regions around Deir az-Zor, Idlib and Deraa after Friday prayers. The crackdown came a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged nations around the world to increase pressure on the Syrian regime and President Bashar al-Assad. Two additional protesters were gunned down in the city of Hama, Reuters reports. Independent media coverage has been completely banned by Syrian ...

National Press Club (NPC) President Mark Hamrick expressed outrage at reports of the recent imprisonment of Iranian Blogger Kouhyar Goudarzi and his mother.  Last year, the NPC awarded Goudarzi with the 2010 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award after he "had been incarcerated for months for the 'crime' of speaking his mind."  A month later, Goudarzi had been released from prison. In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in ...

The U.K. newspaper, The Guardian, has published an interactive timeline of the Arab Spring, where they have cataloged nearly ever major incident since uprisings began in Tunisia.

According to a survey done by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society and Global Voices Online (GVO), seven percent of Middle Eastern bloggers were arrested and detained in the last year, and nearly 30% were personally threatened.  Additionally, 18 percent of the bloggers had their websites or personal accounts hacked into.  Bloggers utilized social media websites including, Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail. The blogs and bloggers who participated in the survey ...

The U.S. State Department announced today a new program "Ask Alan" that engages Iranians through a Persian language social media brand, USAdarFarsi, which is active on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.  The State Department's Persian Language Spokesman, Alan Eyre will provide answers in Farsi to questions from fans in 5-7 minute long videos.  The topic for August is visas. However, Iran continues it's harsh treatment against political prisoners as Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari ...

The Council on Foreign Relations' Steven Cook wrote an article titled, "Egypt: Her Excellency, Madame President?" which focuses on Bothaina Kamel, a female t.v. presenter and media figurehead who has recently announced that she will be running for the office of the presidency. Although it is almost certain that Kamel won't win the elections, her announcement signals a revolutionary turn in Egyptian politics. Cook wrote, "n a society where the idea ...