INTERNET FILTERING AND LIBERAL EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

D. Aram DonabedianHunter College Libraries

Do not think your rulers are not interested in what you think. That is all they are interested in about you.

—Michael Parenti

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and

Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Introduction

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Aspiring democracies Authoritarian Largely open internet Selective, situation-based filtering

What We Examined

primarily limited to nature & scope of Internet filtering of a political nature including Transparency— “a qualitative measure based on the level at

which…[a]…country openly engages in filtering.

In cases where filtering takes place without open acknowledgement, or where the practice of filtering is actively disguised to appear as network errors, the transparency score is low.” (Diebert et al.)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Democracy Defined

Not in terms of the mechanisms of representative government

Social, communal Not something done to people

Therefore agency on the part of citizens is crucial

Process & way of life pursued with expanding community of others (Morgan)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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What We Examined

Political filtering “is focused primarily on Web sites that express views in opposition to those of the current government.

Content more broadly related to human rights, freedom of expression, minority rights, and religious movements is also considered here.” (Diebert et al.)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Access Controls

1st Generation controls Building firewalls at key Internet choke

points (Diebert et al.)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and Liberal Education : A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Access Controls

2nd GENERATION CONTROLS Overt track— aims to legalize content

controls by specifying the conditions under which they can be denied.Covert track— establishes procedures and technical capabilities that allow content controls to be applied “just in time” (e.g., during elections or public demonstrations) and to be applied in ways that assure plausible deniability. (Diebert et al.)Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Access Controls

3rd GENERATION CONTROLS focus is less on denying access than

successfully competing with potential threats through effective counter-information campaigns that overwhelm, discredit, or demoralize opponents.

focus on the active use of surveillance and data mining as means to confuse and entrap opponents. (Diebert et al.)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Regime Type & Filtering Practices

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Role of Liberal Education & Open Media in Democratic

Discourse

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Liberal Education prepares citizens to take part in a common democratic discourse Frank Inquiry possible only when critical

conversation about fundamental flaws is not excluded by controlled media

Acting as responsible citizens possible only through achieving level of informed understanding

The Librarian-Instructor’s Role Librarian-Instructor helps students develop

critical thinking skills and information literacy. Through IL librarians teach students to

“question the social, political, and economic forces involved in the creation, transmission, reception, and use of information

Draw the attention to “the complicity of the individual—and the individual as a community member—In information-based power structures and struggles” (Harris)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Liberal Education & Democratic Participation

Liberal Education & Democratic Participation

The Librarian-Instructor’s Role Daily practitioner of critical pedagogy

Domain of education and research that studies the social, cultural, political, economic, and cognitive dynamics of teaching and learning (Friere Project)

Critical pedagogy opens up a space where students should be able to come to terms with their own power as critical agents; provides sphere unconditional freedom to question and assert is central to the purpose of the university, if not to democracy itself (Giroux)

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Liberal Education & Democratic Participation

Advocates of critical pedagogy widely agree on the centrality of liberal education to the health of a democratic society.

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Liberal Education & Democratic Participation

ACRL Information Literacy Competency standards for Higher Education Standard 3—The Information literate

student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base or value system Acknowledgement that librarians’ work affects

students’ value systems, not a neutral force It can and should have an impact in the wider

communityDonabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources, 12(4).

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Liberal Education & Democratic Participation

Democracy is a fragile entity and embedded in educational policy and practice are the very issues that make or break it. (Kincheloe)

This underscores the need for the South Caucasus countries, as they build up democratic institutions, to strengthen and transform the educational models that help provide the foundation for civic participation.

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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Technology’s RoleControl vs. Community

Internet as powerful tool for networking Democratic conversations Counter-narrative to controlled media Community infrastructure Fuels economic development Fosters free speech Unlocks new services & innovations Engages millions of people in civic

participation

Donabedian, D. A. and Carey, J. (2011). Open access and liberal education: A look at Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Slavic and East European Education Resources,

12(4).

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