On the day that Maoists seem set to join the Nepalese government, Fire on the Lifeboat highlights the role the internet has in maintaining freedom of expression.

Why Nepal? Two reasons:
 

i) Nepal’s situation is one of the political issues of our time. Engage with the world and inform yourself about the climate you live in politically, socially and artistically – the world is a small place. If you are to become relevant in any way to whichever field you choose to pursue, an interaction with the issues of the day are essential.

ii) The range of information. The internet plays host to a realm of opinions, documents, fictions and facts – none or all of which could be accurate. For instance, take at look at Nepalgov and FreeNepal, two websites dealing with the same country and conflict in vastly different ways. Blogging is at the forefront of the push for freedom of information. Radio Free Nepal is a simple, free blogger.com site that can be established within five minutes. And yet, as the blog claims, Radio Free Nepal is one of the only sources of news from within Nepal that is not censored by the monarchy. This interview with one of the authors provides a fascinating insight into its operation.

However, as this fictional blog piece warns, beware of anything that claims to be the truth. There are no facts, only versions of events. However, along with a healthy dose of cynicism, the internet and its spectrum of information is one of the most vital tools in remaining balanced and informed about local and global situations.

So, some advice: Establish a blog, read everything, write something.

(And in the meantime, while you wait for the submission of your new political blog to upload to noisefestival@hotmail.com, investigate the Irrepressible campaign and pledge your support against political censorship on the internet.)

Contributed by Fire on The Lifeboat