An online revolution in the making?

Internet penetration remains low in regions such as the South Caucasus. However, as costs come down and connection speeds increase, there is no doubt that online and mobile communication will become important tools in the hands of civil society and political activists alike.

The Moldovan “Twitter Revolution,” much reported on by the international media at the beginning of April, might have been somewhat of an exaggeration, but even if the short 140 character long messages sent to cell phones weren’t the only tool used to mobilize protesters, they were at least indicative of how something so simple, but nonetheless so effective, could enable activists.

Of course, other precedents had already been set in the post-Soviet world. Following the 20-day state of emergency declared after last year’s 1 March post-election unrest in Armenia, for example, online tools and social networking sites moved in quickly to fill the gap left by a temporarily gagged if polarized media. They also satisfied the public’s demand for information during a period of significant political upheaval and chaos.

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The full article for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso in English and Italian.