I am a child of the digital age. I grew up when computers were first appearing in classrooms and have been connected to the internet since the early 90s (from a painfully slow dial-up connection in my mother's back room). Thanks to leapfrogging technology, I am now connected to the world in ways that weren't imagined by my parents, let alone my grandparents. And the world has a voice.
From blogs to message boards to the 140 characters of Twitter, people from around the world have a platform to share their thoughts, views, and lives.
And through these media last night and this morning I shared in the terror and horror of Iranian students and citizens as their world imploded.
As widely reported, the results of the general election came in and Ahmadinejad won in a landslide. Immediate calls of fraud. Protests and recounts and civil unrest. Internet and telephone services in Iran are cut off or restricted and foreign press are told to stay away. Armed soldiers storming a university campus in Tehran and roaming the streets. And the only thing that had made the press by 10am this morning was the election results.
But people find a way to make their voice heard. Dial-up pre-paid internet access and proxies hosted by those outside the country give some iranians their voice back and gives the rest of the world a window, if they could only find it.
And there is the magic of the internet. Brave souls risk themselves to share their experiences, their photographs, their videos with the world... and just hope that someone out there will see it. And one by one, people do.
Twitter - persian kiwi
Twitter - Change_for_Iran
Through their words, I am living this.
"have no news of tehran uni dorm. rumours that many killed and remainder arrested. - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 09:28 via web"
"we are accessing twitter from open proxies. they are closing them as fast as we can find them. - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 12:20 via web"
"ADVICE - carry photos of imam khomeini. they cannot shoot at us with these. - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 12:23 via web"
"militia on motorbikes today without uniform. seen several with guns. - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 12:43 via web"
"we do not know if foreign press are covering this. we cannot access satellites. - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 14:36 via web"
"Bassej are out in force in darkness. this is when they operate best. Streets are dangerous now for young people. -persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 17:29 via web"
"3 ppl from our group still not returned from march. no mobile contact. last phone contact 2 hours ago - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 18:13 via web"
"today is bad day for us - 3 of group still not contacted from Azadi demo and we have 1 injured - persiankiwi, Mon 15 Jun 23:12 via web"
I feel so part of this and so disconnected. I have information, but am powerless. I feel so much for what these Iranians are going through. The power of their words is impressive. I thank them for sharing it with me.
Speaking of powerful things, the best collection of photographs from Iran right now are here. Some of them are disturbing, but behind a cut. Picture #29 is the sign of hope for us all.
I am with the people of Iran. I am with the protestors and the non-protestors. I am with you all. May you all be safe and protected.
