“CIVICUS has directly contributed to freedom of expression and citizen participation in Yemen”- Yemen Portal
In January 2011 the Yemeni people rose up and demanded change, calling for an end to Ali Abdullah Saleh’s dictatorship and the establishment of a democratic state. The regime responded by systematically targeting activists, civil society members and journalists. Media exposure of the events in Yemen was severely curtailed by power cuts, which limited television and internet, and fuel shortages, which limited transportation. Radio emerged as the best medium in which to convey news of the Yemen situation to the community and the outside world- FM waves can be picked up on small handheld phones and radios running on batteries.
The Crisis Respons
e Fund supported the Yemen Portal in establishing an independent youth radio station at Al-Tagheer (Change) Square in Sana’a, broadcasting programmes to promote democracy, tolerance and human rights and spreading news of the situation in Yemen to both local residents and the international community. The radio succeeded in producing exclusive content and broadcasting regularly during critical times, such as the massacres perpetrated by security forces in Sana’a and Taiz.
Following months of protests Saleh’s reign has ended. The Yemen people now face a difficult transitional period, tasked with building an inclusive and democratic state that guarantees human rights. Yemen Human Rights defenders join activists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and around the world in fighting to defend citizens’ rights and freedoms. Protestors in the ongoing Syrian crisis have been subjected to a violent crackdown. The Egyptian transition is walking on to increasingly shaky ground. A recent CIVICUS report indicates that civil society operates in restrictive environments in over 90 countries around the world.
The Crisis Response Fund needs YOUR help. Threats to Civil Society, like those in Yemen, require urgent response and decisive action.Standing shoulder-to-shoulder we CAN make a difference. Become a human rights defender and make a donation today: support the CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund, support Human Rights, support civil society.
Photos by Imad Mohamed Mar'e and Amran Shahbein.
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