We all access the internet, don’t we? It is no surprise today that it has become more than just another technological fad; in fact it is the very base that supports all the others. From virtual chat rooms that cater to several unattended thoughts we have, to online organizations like WikiLeaks, the story of the World Wide Web certainly makes an interesting follow up.
In an attempt to build what he called, ‘open governance’, Julian Assange in 2006 came up with an idea that shook the world and changed online journalism like never before. The chief editor and the top dog behind the famed WikiLeaks, Julian is certainly the apropos definition of being candid and dauntless. With over scores of accreditations to his name and work, WikiLeaks has always been in media happenings for some or the other reason. In the wake of the current year, the event that brought WikiLeaks on the forefront was ‘The World Tomorrow’… an effort to make it worth living with heads high!
Although it is a rare chance that you have not heard or read about Wikileaks, a little insight about the glorious journey and the milestones it stamped on, only makes sense.
Keystones that bring WikiLeaks together
When it started in the year 2006, it was the complete effort by Julian Assange, the Australian journalist, publisher, social figure and later one of the biggest threats to the political wrong bringers. It aimed to bring out some of the most controversial news leaks that the world transpired on and heaved an uproar loud enough to shake the very base of world tyranny, (for the socio-political system was shaping in that direction). From the 2008 Kenyan extrajudicial and unexplained killings, the ‘Cry for Blood’ report, to the most recent U.S Government cables, Wikileaks is pushing the meaning of ‘free press’ and transparency forward.
Julian and Wikileaks have also won several top notch awards for their contributions towards this space, from the Economist Award for Freedom of Expression in 2008, to the popular vote for TIME Person of the year in 2010.
So what is this latest initiative, The World Tomorrow?
The World Tomorrow; a ray of hope to change it
Aired on the 17th of April, this is a series of highly sought after political interviews by Julian himself that came wired on Russia Today (RT). There are a total of 12 interviews planned for this season that would be running on a weekly basis in various languages to make it a more widely acceptable venture than only aiming the talks in English, as opposed to most media happenings today. Not just the known, as for the normal course of things in WikiLeaks, in this series too, Julian digs deep into the façade to make the most important figures from different fields, talk! Below is the gest of the entire 12 episodes with only the most significant details leaked (for I believe this job is best left for the pioneers at WikiLeaks)
- Episode one: A steamy interview (please excuse the candid use of the word) of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who is the leader of the “the most proficient guerrilla organization in the world”, the Hezbollah. The main topics that found way were the turmoil in the Middle East and his involvement in the same.
- Episode two: One of its kind in the history of interviews, the second one in line starred Slavoj Žižek, the much sought after psychoanalyst and ward of other claims, this episode made a full house with interesting topics like Palestinians, Barack Obama, Stalin and many more being on agenda.
- Episode three: The last aired interview was that of Moncef Marzouki, the President of the Republic of Tunisian Republic and is equally grasping an accord.
The rest are in the making and a look into the first three will definitely make you thirsty for more. Their official website for the talk show, http://worldtomorrow.wikileaks.org/index.html also has the 26 minutes webisodes and discussions for online edits of a longer duration are in the pipeline. A look into these is thus, a must for all you who want things right from the horse’s mouth.
“How the world sees and does to man behind all this”; a commentary on Julian’s House arrest
There are no doubts about the fact that with his tireless and courageous efforts to make the world a more transparent place to live in, Julian did invite for himself a series of blows and troubles. Since, in their leaks, nothing is defamed and facts, as they form are presented, it is quite natural that a lot of hatred against Julian has brewed up. The direct revelation of this is the 500 days house arrest that he lives under, which for that matter is without a charge. Currently stationed in an English rural setting, he is under surveillance 24X7 and wears an electronic manacle to facilitate that.
With fans and positives critics wanting a free life for the man who ensured that the dying spirit of free press was revived, there is equal opposition from the antagonists. With the fight for Freedom of Expression on-going (for more on the continuing fight for Julian’s rights, visit http://justice4assange.com/), there none but one reassuring feeling that for so long as the world produces evil, the power of righteousness is bound to produce more of Julians and WikiLeaks.
With more hopes than any stark remarks to make, I so hope that the ceaseless power of unbiased journalism be roaring high!