Social Media Usage in MENA

 

    There's no question that media is unique for different regions of the world. Living in the United States, I feel that it is often easy to forget the luxuries we have when it comes to simple things such as posting and sharing our thoughts and everyday tasks on media, as well as being able to interact and respond to politicians' comments and accounts on such platforms. Media is continuously growing and its importance in relation to politics and freedom is rather large. This week, we will be taking a look into the media usage throughout the Middle East and North Africa and how residents in these regions of the world go about using social media and how politics is factored into such. Something that was truly fascinating to me was that multiple countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, "rank above the global average," when discussing the percentage of the population using such social platforms (GO-Globe). That being said, within the same region that hosts some of the most widely used social media populations, also contains some of the lowest ranking states as well. South Sudan is known to have one of the lowest levels of social media usage sitting at, "less than 5% of the population (4.3%), some 470,000 citizens in a country of nearly 11 million people, use social media," (GO-Globe). This drastic contrast really does speak to some of the social and political concerns throughout these regions and how each state handles the issues differently.

    There is no denying that the Middle East and North Africa have had a rich history of struggles both politically and socially. In certain states, the citizens have experienced some of the strictest human rights laws and most unfair and unlawful political parties. While there has been a drastic increase within recent years in the usage of media platforms throughout MENA, a continuing struggle revolves around content regulation. Upon first looks, it appears that MENA residents have complete access to social media platforms and all the information that comes along with that. An example of this could be the fact that Turkey is the fifth largest user of Instagram globally. That being said though, the regulation of social media content continues to be an ongoing struggle as governments continuously implement policies in order to regulate and hide certain social media content. This could very easily be taken advantage of, which several states and governments have done already in order to censor material that they do not agree with or wish for their citizens not to see. This has a large impact as several politicians have censored political content in order to show only certain articles that speak highly of them while silencing those that speak the truth and show support for opposing parties. 

    Regulation on media has the opportunity to play directly into politics and how much information citizens have available to them in order to allow them to make well rounded, educated decisions regarding political choices. Regulating media also hinders upon free speech as often more times than not these regulations reside over what the people are posting as well and limits their ability to post opposing views or opinions without the fear of backlash or consequences. On top of the regulations, data privacy is also a concern especially in terms of the businesses throughout this region. It is extremely important to guarantee the safety and security of these users and unfortunately this is lacking throughout many of the states. As social media continues to expand and politics become more intertwined with it, it will be extremely important to stay on top of how these regions are handling the usage of media and whether or not it is restrictive to their citizens. These characteristics can play a large role in bettering understanding and determining the level of freedom, human rights, and democracy throughout these states.

Social Media Usage in Middle East: Trends in 2024. GO-Globe. (2024, August 19). https://www.go-globe.com/social-media-usage-in-middle-east-statistics/

Trust in the News and Media on a Decline in Latin America

 

    It is no secret that media and the news are not always the most reliable; however, in certain regions of the world, citizens are truly unable to rely on the news to report honest and factual information. This has become a growing concern in the Latin American region where citizens are growing more aware and alarmed at the news being reported and how biased and manipulated it is. Studies have shown that Latin American residents more often than not do not feel that they can trust the news outlets within their region and individual countries. Based off of a 2024 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute, people who have expressed trusting, "most news most of the time," have experienced a drastic 16% decline over the past six years within Brazil (Osborn). This is followed by a 14% decrease in Mexico and an 11% decrease in Argentina, some of the largest states in the region. This decline in trust in the media and news more recently goes to show the increase in dictatorship and a decrease in democracy within many of these states as leaders and political parties continue to grow in power and silence those who oppose their views, beliefs, and goals. 

    The news is supposed to deliver factual information and stories to be able to inform the public of important news, updates, and events that are taking place locally, nationally, and globally. It is supposed to communicate important information to citizens in order to keep them up to date on everyday events and educate people on what is occurring around them and throughout the world. If people are unable to trust their news outlets, there will be a drastic decrease in proper and factual information being spread. The spread of misinformation and bias targeted material will increase greatly, causing distrust and spreading lies. This will greatly impact the overall strength of the community and the nation as people do not know what to believe and what is real or false. This is certainly an imperative topic as it faces the political realm of these states and provides the people in power with much say and direction over the news. Throughout Latin America, "political polarization and skepticism about the credibility of news are often interconnected," (Osborn). This connection leads to political bias and the inability for opposing parties and politicians to properly run for office and take part in a free and fair election, which further dissolves the democracy within these states.

    This is an extremely important topic as media and the news hold such a grasp on society and people. The power that media can have over a population is truly something and the fact that citizens are losing trust in such outlets, truly goes to show the overall decline in democracy, freedom, and genuine, factual news. It will be interesting to see how the decline in trust for the news and media will impact elections and political unrest as I'm sure citizens will eventually grow tired of not being able to rely and count on real news to tell them what is going on in their streets, their cities, their nation as a whole, and the world around them. It will be important to keep an eye on this, as well as other regions throughout the world that face distrustful news outlets in order to stop the spread of misinformation and reinstill informative, factual, and unbiased news.

Osborn, C. (2024, June 21). Why Latin Americans are Losing Trust in the News. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/06/21/latin-america-media-disinformation-trust-reuters-study/

Uproar in Venezuela Over the Most Recent Election

 

    Last week we took a look into some of the news and events that were taking place in Africa, this week we turn our attention to South America where Venezuela is currently fighting for democracy, free and fair elections, and a brighter future. Venezuela recently held elections as of July 28th, 2024, which resulted in the election of Nicolas Maduro for another six-year term. Maduro has been in office since 2013 and has continuously appeared to win election after election despite clear evidence of voter fraud and political and social threats against opposing political candidates. Tensions among the country have risen as opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was forced to seek asylum in Spain as continuing threats and safety concerns reigned in from Maduro and his political party. Leading up to Gonzalez's final decision to depart Venezuela, the Venezuelan government had released an arrest warrant out for him on claims, "accusing him of conspiracy and of forging documents, among other serious crimes," (McNamee). These allegations came with zero factual evidence and were simply a tactic used by Maduro to appear as though he is protecting the country from threats, while he himself is the biggest threat of all.

    Gonzalez chose to seek asylum in Spain not only for the safety of himself, but also in order to remain alive and well for the people of Venezuela. There are clear and obvious threats to the overall democracy within Venezuela as it is clear that free and fair elections are not present within the state, forcing the citizens to continuously deal with Maduro and his forceful ways. Evidence has come out as fellow opposition candidates within Venezuela continue their bravery in order to speak out against the current leader. One example of this could be seen as a fellow popular candidate within the country that was unable to run against Maduro during this recent election, Maria Corina Machado, spoke out and showed clear evidence that, "Mr. Gonzalez had won by a comfortable margin," and went so far as to upload, "detailed voting tallies to the internet," (McNamee). This shows that there are other candidates out there that have experienced the same treatment and results that Gonzalez has received and that it is imperative for the sake of the state and all those who live within it, to stop Maduro and his intentions of destroying the democracy within Venezuela. These events also stretch far beyond the borders of Venezuela as both the United States and the European Union, as well as a large majority of foreign governments, "have refused to accept Mr. Maduro as the winner without Caracas releasing detailed voting data to prove the results," (McNamee). The survival of democracy and democratic elections are extremely important in the overall survival of peace and freedom throughout Venezuela, as well as the rest of the world. If states and International Organizations accept such behavior from Venezuela, it opens up a door for other leaders to get away with such behavior. 

    The election results did go to court; however, TSJ head, Caryslia Rodriguez, also a former member of Maduro's ruling party where she held elected positions, determined that Maduro had won the election freely and fairly with just a little over half of the votes. It is extremely interesting to note that despite Rodriguez announcing this, other member states continue to not believe the information and outcome. It is important to note as well that after the CNE declared the winner of the election, Mr. Maduro, without providing or publishing the detailed voting tallies, protests consumed the streets and at least, "23 protestors have been killed at anti-government demonstrations since last month's election and approximately 2,400 more have been arrested," (Sandeman). This is a clear and tell-tale sign that the government and politician in power have no respect for the citizens of the country and that their only goal is to remain in power and to silence those who speak out against them. Mr. Gonzalez will continue to fight for his nation though in order to seek truth and to remove Maduro from office in order to reinstill democracy and freedom into the government and the nation. Venezuela has a long way to go but hopefully people will continue to speak up and fight for what is right. 

   McNamee, M. S. (2024, September 8). Venezuelan’s González vows to “continue to fight” for democracy. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623yqdn7eeo

Sandeman, G. (2024, August 23). Maduro re-election: Venezuelan court upholds president’s victory. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w658z4403o

Elections Taking Place Throughout the World in 2024

    Living in America, it can often feel as though our elections are the only ones that take place and that matter the most. However, in this week's blog, we will be taking a look at the sheer number of elections taking place throughout the world during the year 2024. It is important to take into account the number of countries that hold elections and how each one matters not just to that individual country, but to how the people elected will choose to interact with the rest of the world. As well as how each country goes about the voting and election process. 2024 is an incredible year for elections worldwide, "as at least 64 countries," including the European Union, will be holding national elections (Ewe). These elections will impact and represent, "about 49%," of the world's population, which will play a substantial role in the course of the international arena for years to come (Ewe). 

    It is important to note that while all of these states are holding elections, they each are very unique to that nation and are not always considered to be free and fair. While the United States historically represents free and fair elections, with some allegations, it is quite different for other states throughout the world when it comes to elections and how the people's votes are counted. An example of this could be seen in Bangladesh as their Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, is set to win his fourth consecutive term despite the elections having upheaval as the nation's main opposition party protests in order to focus and get to the bottom of any political dissent taking place within the country and during the election process. This is unfortunately a very common occurrence throughout many elections across the world; however, it is not always common for the opposition party to feel comfortable or safe enough to protest and speak out against a party that has been in office and in power for a long period of time. Another example of a messy election could be seen in Pakistan. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also seen as the country's most popular politician, has been arrested and is in jail. This is in combination with his political party being suppressed by the current government as well as his supporters being arrested. This is a clear and obvious disruption and unfair election which unfortunately takes place far more than what is talked about. It is imperative as elections take place throughout the year 2024, that citizens and governments throughout the world pay close attention to how the elections are carried out and handled in order to become more aware and educated on the realities of not free and unfair elections in order to mitigate them.

    Another important thing to factor in is how these elections taking place throughout the world will impact how the world and these individual countries will choose to interact with and work alongside the rest of the countries and world. These upcoming elections hold a lot of weight when it comes to how certain countries will go about important and time sensitive matters that more now than ever often include other countries. As globalization continues to grow, individual countries become more intertwined with others and what one country decides to do often impacts other countries. Nations have also appeared to be on the verge of economic and political disagreements with other nations for quite some time now; however, it appears to have been amplified after the Corona Virus pandemic. That being said, certain states are quite on edge and these elections could really predict the future of their country and their relationships with others. Just one example of this, however a very important and dire example, could be seen in Taiwan. As they face their presidential election in 2024, the candidate elected plays a drastic role in Beijing's reaction and their, "approach to the self-governed island it has repeatedly threatened with invasion," (Ewe). This will play an extremely large role in not only the direct countries involved but also how other nations will react, including the United States, and whether or not governments will get involved. 

    Overall, these 64+ elections will certainly play a drastic and world-shaping role as over half of the world's populations will be impacted by the election decisions and outcomes. As well as the international sphere having to work together more now than ever in order to continue to grow economically and to mitigate any possible chance of escalation during the transitional period of so many states. It will certainly be interesting to see how each country handles the elections and how it will all factor into political and economic relationships and decisions.

Ewe, K. (2023, December 28). Elections Around the World in 2024. Time. https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/

Morocco's Embrace of Sustainable Eco-Tourism

 

    This week we will be diving into and discussing an article released by AfricaNews that covers the growing eco-tourism within Morocco and how they are choosing to embrace it in order to promote sustainability and to create an experience that realigns tourists with the land. Eco-tourism places an emphasis on different activities and excursions that promote education, reduce harmful tourist activities, support conservation efforts and encourage visitors to get in touch with the natural side of the environment and to truly learn about the culture and region that they are visiting. Morocco's tourism Minister, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, made an announcement back in June that sustainability is of the upmost importance and that the country will be focusing greatly on increasing the sustainability throughout the tourism sector. This could be seen as, "Morocco received 17.6 million tourists," throughout the first half of June, with "ecotourism accounting for 5%," of that number (AfricaNews). A large portion of such eco-tourism takes place in the Agafay region, where one of the region's first eco-tourism projects first stemmed. The hotel is called the Kasbah Agafay Hotel and Spa and places an emphasis on sustainability and an all natural experience. The hotel focuses heavily on allowing the guests and tourists to soak in the local culture and beauty of Morocco in a way that gives back to not only themselves, but to Morocco as well.

    

    The hotel was first created and built sustainably by Abdessalam Damoussi and opened to the public in the year 2000. The hotel provides experiences and excursions that highlight the natural beauty that Morocco has to offer. Tourists can take camel or horse back riding through the desert, go on various hikes, in addition to all organic and natural cooking classes that allow the visitors to pick their vegetables by hand from the garden before learning how to prepare them. These activities allow for tourists to ground themselves and enjoy the simpler things in life while also giving back to Morocco by providing tourism without the increase in excessive gas emissions, over consumption and littering that often comes when copious amounts of tourists visit a place. Eco-tourism allows for the pride and culture of a nation to stay intact, allowing the tourists to visit and truly appreciate the place that they are visiting and the people and culture that make it up. 

    Eco-tourism is an incredible movement that I hope to see spread to more nations and regions throughout the world. It is extremely important as interconnectedness continues to grow and people continue to travel to new and farther places, that we as a civilization focus on the true beauty and nature of such places and understand the importance of maintaining such beauty. Eco-tourism provides a sustainable and practical way for tourists to see the true culture of a nation while also not disrupting any of it. It allows people to simply observe and experience without harming the environment or the culture. I feel that this is an extremely important topic that more nations should be focusing on and investing in and I'm so glad that Morocco has chosen to report on the benefits that eco-tourism has and their hopes for implementing it further as time goes on.

AfricaNews. (2024, September 2). Morocco embraces eco-tourism for sustainability and increased yield. Africanews. https://www.africanews.com/2024/09/02/morocco-embraces-eco-tourism-for-sustainability-and-increased-yield/