[Neda is killed on a Tehran St., June 14, 2009. Photographer unnamed.]
This Saturday will mark the first anniversary of the controversial Iran presidential election. To me it commemorates one moment of great injustice in a world filled with such injustices. But it is perhaps the best known of such moments since China rolled tanks over its own people at Tienanmen Square in 1989.
That is because it is social media's finest moment. It was a moment where social media, particularly Twitter and YouTube showed that it can unify people and bring truth forward even when determined powers will kill, torture and imprison to suppress such truth.
On Twitter, we changed our avatars to Iranian green and we listed our locations as Iran to make it more difficult for Iranian authorities to find and abuse those who were conveying information and video such as the murder of Neda Agha-Solton, the 27-year-old student gunned down by a government sniper on a roof.
Until June 12, 2009, Social media has not been present before when such atrocities have occurred.The government of Iran was perfectly capable of keeping paragraphs out of newspapers and footage such as the one above away from the professional newsman's lens.
Governments, like the one they have in Iran can kick out the free press; but they cannot silence people anymore. The people on the streets understood modern technology better than the bully with shields and batons and motorcycles.
The truth got out and the world saw it was ugly.
But unfortunately, the truth did not set the people of Iran free. They remain very much unfree.
So looking back one year later, what was actually gained, other than people began to understand that social media could be used effectively for subjects of greater importance than "Six Tips on Maximizing Your SEO Results?"
In fact a great deal was accomplished. First, in Iran traditional press, hamstrung by government finally understood the power of citizen-generated social media as a legitimate news source and has begun to braid what the feet on the street can add to official government-and-company story versions.
Second, oppressive governments everywhere now understand that like it or not they are being watched. This does not mean, they will suddenly stop abuse their citizens, but it does mean they will think twice before they do it because --even in Iran--world opinion matters.
Third, and here I am guessing, Iran's stature as world leader of Islamic fundamental revolution was dealt a serious blow. Young Muslims everywhere got to see how young Muslims are treated in Iran and just maybe stopped to wonder if such governments were causes worth dying for. This may not be true, but I like to think it is.
What gives me great sorrow is that the people of Iran did not win this time. They are still oppressed and abused. Their leadership is ostracizing a country and sending it backwards in quality of life for its citizens.
Because of social media so much can be said. So much awareness can be raised. So much truth can penetrate censorship barriers. But it is still a weak counterbalance against police with guns, stansions and torture chambers.
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