How the Iran Election Conflict is Changing Cyberspace and Redefining Green

I admit that I don't follow world politics or the news as closely as I should, but the recent Iran Election protests and Mousavi movement has been called to my attention through the media channels I use on the internet. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, NY Times, BBC, Google--these are the new combatants placed at the front of a possible revolution.

Americans are used to seeing images of bloodied protesters, faces of desperation and mass movements on the news--but today, these 2-D images no longer feel flat because we can hear REAL voices with them. YouTube videos, tweets, blog posts--the internet is giving Iranians a louder voice than ever, a voice that can be heard ANYWHERE in REAL-time:

• The Boston Globe has the best collection of photographs from the events in Iran this week

• The NY Times' Lede news blog has the latest news out of Iran
• Protest photos and comments on Mir Hossein Mousavi's Facebook page
• Tweet from Iranian Student @Change-for_Iran "we have to leave, it's not safe here anymore! wish us luck!" is eerie. Change_for_Iran's life has been unfolding on his/her twitter page, and with the Iranian government internet crackdown this could be the last we hear from him/her.

• Gathering global support - WhereIsMyVote.org seeks the support of abroad Iranians who demand 'a new election' that is 'held with transparency and accuracy.'
• Painting the Internet GREEN- From changing your profile picture green to the Iran soccer team sporting green bands, Mousavi supporters and those who wish for a new election have been spreading word of their cause through the color green. Some are even asking Google to change it's logo to green for one day.

You can't prove everything you see on the internet is real, but what is real is that Iranians are struggling to find peace in a very complicated situation. I posted about Iran not because I support a side, but because I support a fair election and a need to end the conflict peacefully. I also feel, in a time when Iran government is heavily censoring the media and internet, it necessary to spread the voices of Iranians who have spoken.

Lastly, I can't help but feel that times are changing dramatically. Never in my parents mind would they think that something like the internet could raise massive movements with a click of a button.