140-Character Enlightenment

Social media has become a tool for communicating on such an incredible scale that it now equates to a sense of enlightenment. Facebook and Twitter have been the primary methods of communication for revolutionary activists in the Middle East; it seems incredible that 140 characters can say so much more. A tweet is short, concise, there is no room for poetry. And yet Twitter has enabled the masses of numerous nations to unite under a common interest: Enlightenment.

Similary LinkedIn, a social networking platform for professional communication allows an initial message which is ruled by a set character allowance. It is all about knowing how to use words, using them effectively and succinctly. Say what you mean, say it in a short amount of space and you will get a response.

The recent revolutions to shake the Arab world have been a reaction to repressive regimes and to people lacking a voice. Although the successful revolutionaries have gained their voice, their right to speak and have their say, it is quite ironic that the social media tool that enabled them to have their opinions heard imposed a strict word limit of 140 characters.

Saudi women get their say

News just in: Women in Saudi Arabia will now be entitled to vote and run in municipal elections. Fantastic news! It is going to be a very gradual process of liberalisation in Saudi Arabia, and I don't expect Saudi women to succeed in their bid to drive any time soon, but this is a positive change and hopefully the beginning of many more changes that will see women in Saudi Arabia gain more freedom and independence. The new term of the Shura council (the formal advisory body to the king) saw King Abdullah announce the move to allow women the vote. Allowing women to join the Shura council could lead to reforms that will favour the female representative voice in the country. As a former resident of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this is a change that excites me, to see how much the country has grown, and the potential it has to adapt and modernise its traditional ways of thinking.

Get London Reading campaign - update

I have been following the progress of The Evening Standard Get London Reading campaign in its bid to tackle the issue over high illiteracy rates in the capital. Over the past four months £190,000 has been raised, with hundreds of volunteers stepping forward as mentors to help children improve their reading skills. The Evening Standard has documented numerous case studies of children whose lives have been transformed by the campaign, creating a positive arena for the promotion of reading, particularly at a young age. I look forward to the long-term results of the campaign :)