Alive in Libya team in Benghazi, March 2011
In March 2011, Brian Conley and Louis Abelman journeyed to Benghazi to lay the foundation for Alive in Libya.
Entering Libya through the Egyptian border in the east, and arriving just three weeks after the revolution began, they set about making contact with local citizens at a media center set up by the opposition movement. They met with a fixer, Marwan, who became the first Libyan team member on the project. Soon after they were joined by Ahmed, a former music blogger turned citizen journalist, and Seraj, a translator and English teacher.
What followed was a 3-day crash course in citizen media, covering everything from journalistic ethics to editing and uploading digital video. The training was abruptly cut short by an imminent threat of attack on Benghazi by Gaddafi’s forces. Brian and Louis fled the city, along with the majority of the international press corps. The project appeared to be at an end.
Less than two days later, though, the local team in Benghazi recovered from the assault and began putting their training into action. A series of videos, including dramatic footage of air battles over Benghazi, interviews with rebels at the front in Ajdabiya, as well as the spring flower festival were uploaded to Small World News‘ producers in the United States, and kept Alive in Libya online.
In its first two weeks, the team produced over 25 video segments, with subjects ranging from footage of the executions of Gaddafi’s mercenaries to short documentaries on Red Crescent refugee camps. The content was then vetted, translated, and published on the Alive in Libya website.
Since then Alive in Libya has published over 400 videos and articles, both original content from our team in Benghazi, and curated and enhanced content from other local citizen journalists and producers inside Libya.
Alive in Libya, Blog, Small World News Blog
© 2012 Small World News | , Suite 202 Portland OR 97202 USA | |
[...] Source: https://smallworldnews.tv/2011/05/13/the-story-of-alive-in-libya/ [...]
to be largest tribe icelmad as Gaddafi afiliated by western experts, centuries ago (i.e before Libya was a state) many moved East there are literally 100s of 1000s of people with Werfalla as last name in Derna, Benghazi, Bayda..etc + also in Misrata in the West. Werfalla last name infact disproportionatly represented among dead of 1996 prison massacre around 200 of 1200 my aunt is a biochemist and her colleague was one of those killed his family only found out in 2002 used to send prison money + food their children couldn’t afford to eat during harsh days of sanctions. Many of the student imprisoned and hanged in Tripoli and Benghazi Universities were also from Werfalla tribe though Libyans did not organise politicallly on tribal basis even in 1970s they were hanged for protesting against cancelled student union elections+ abolished parliament and constitution. One of Werfalla leaders anounced on TV tribe with revolution in the first week others on Gaddafi TV swearing loyalty but are people from every tibe East and West doing that, their credibility might be hurt by their other claims. e.g Benghazi man claiming to represent his city also claims 4 earthquakes hit US and unkown number hit France to punish coalition+ promising audience Qatar will soon be wiped of the map by God’s will. TNC has many from Werfalla e.g Mahmud Jibril (Alwerfalli is his full name) + many of the oppostion spokespeople on Arabic media. Yet to prove cities vs. tribes Werfalla hometown Bin Walid (not were majority live) is stil under Gaddafi control, a lot of its men in the military like cities of Tarhuna and Tajora have taken part in attacks against nearby Misrata (have also heard of men escaping Zliten and military cities of BIn Walid+Tajura to fight with Misrata+soldiers protecting families from mercs/soldiers+from names of Misrata fighters who died many are originally Werfalla tribe’ but Misrata residents city vs tribe again if Misrata was under G contol and a military vs trading city its men could be forced to fight Libyans). This does not mean even Bin Walid city is proG, in 1993 Bin Walid was severly punished for a coup attempt by military officers who came from the city, families were then forced to celebrate their hanging. In this revolution there were demonstrations video taped though like Tripoli as heavy military and security meant not even free for a few days. Now there are sabotage attacks on e.g fuel y revolutionaries frm Bin Walid.