Having watched the President's speech on American Diplomacy in the Middle East & North Africa I have to say that I agree with the majority of the arguments raised.
Once again, President Obama has mentioned the important role that the Internet and Social Media have played in shaping change in the Middle East and North Africa:
Cell phones and social networks allow young people to connect and organize like never before. And so a new generation has emerged. And their voices tell us that change cannot be denied.
Satellite television and the Internet provide a window into the wider world
We will support open access to the Internet, and the right of journalists to be heard -– whether it’s a big news organization or a lone blogger.
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also mentioned in her Remarks on the Release of President Obama Administration's International Strategy for Cyberspace:
we seek to maximize the internet’s tremendous capacity to accelerate human progress, while sharpening our response and our tools to deal with the threats and the problems and the disputes that are part of cyberspace.
Do read some of my previous Blog posts on the Issue of Social Media and the Middle East:
- The Internet and Social Media in #Egypt, how It really matters
- Is Libya another example of a facebook revolution?
- Shimon Peres & Benjamin Netanyahu talk about the Middle East and the role of the Internet
- Benjamin Netanyahu engages with a global audience
- Social Media & Public Diplomacy, facebook or Chatham House Rule?
Also you can watch "Open for Questions: The President’s Speech on the Middle East and North Africa" where Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes takes questions via Twitter on the President’s speech outlining a new chapter in American diplomacy towards the Middle East and North Africa.
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