Porto Alegre – January 27th and 28th, 2012

We, the participants of the III Free Media Forum, which took place in the context of the Thematic Social Forum in Porto Alegre between January 27th and 28th, 2012 are seeing the reaffirmation of the recognition that communication is a human and social right and a common good, whose defence should reach society as a whole and be the objective of the struggle of free media and the combined social movements.

Chico Whitaker, January 2012

The "future of the WSF"- less of its events and most of the process born from it - is a recurring theme in World Social Forums. From 2004 in all its editions there are at least a workshop to debate it. It seems to become more afflicting as time passes, organizers become tired, the number of participants in world events and meetings of its International Council decreases, the interest of large organizations and movements diminishes.

Egyptian security forces last week launched unprecedented armed raids on a series of high profile human rights and pro-democracy organisations, including the Cairo branch of IFEX member Freedom House, report the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), the Arabic Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI) and Freedom House.

(RSF/IFEX) - 30 December 2011 - As the Arab League observer mission continues in Syria, Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that Jehad Jamal, a blogger also known as "Milan" who was last arrested on 14 October, was finally released yesterday evening.