Addis Voice Delivers Vital Information about Ethiopia to Thousands around the World

The Addis Voice Conduit Hits Major Milestone, Earning More Than 10,000 Installs in over 60 countries

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Addis Voice announced today that more than 10,000 people in over 60 countries are using the Addis Voice conduit to freely get news and information about Ethiopia that was otherwise denied them by the Ethiopian government. The Addis Voice conduit is also delivering information unfettered via the Internet in Ethiopia where web censorship is obstructing the free flow of information and infringing freedom of expression.

Adam Boyden, President of Conduit® has commended Addis Voice for making best use of Conduit’s award-winning platform. “It is remarkable how Web 2.0 technologies can help communities voice their opinions and overcome oppressive governments,” said Boyden. “Much like Iranian election protesters used Twitter last summer to share information, Addis Voice is using their conduit to help Ethiopia.”

Exiled Ethiopian journalist Abebe Gellaw was jailed by the Ethiopian government for his critical writing and activism. After he escaped the country, he dedicated himself to exposing the truth about political, economic and human rights conditions in Ethiopia and created Addis Voice. The government in Ethiopia, however, controls access to all information, including the Internet, and blocked all critical websites in the country.

Gellaw needed a means for getting around those blocks and found the Conduit platform as an additional way to deliver up-to-date news and connect with his community members. He created his Conduit-powered community toolbar two years ago to make his web experience more customized to his needs. “After using my personal toolbar for a few days, I saw an opportunity to make it a media platform that can help deliver news, music, videos, radio, and of course circumvent web censorship.”

The Addis Voice multimedia conduit, which has been downloaded by over 10,000 users in over 60 countries, aggregates news about Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. It also allows users access to all the major websites that have been blocked by the government in Ethiopia. Gellaw noted that the conduit has managed to attract so many users across the world due to the fact that “our partnership with Conduit has produced a powerful tool that can truly help the free flow of information.”

Using the Conduit Platform, Addis Voice can also share breaking news and announcements to its growing community via alerts delivered instantly to the desktop. “This empowering platform is the next best thing to help organizations customize and refine their web experience, with no limitations. The possibilities are infinite,” said Gellaw.

To install the free Addis Voice toolbar and enjoy unfettered access to Ethiopian content please visit: http://www.addis.media-toolbar.com/. For more information about how Conduit can help your organization share information and unite your community, go to www.conduit.com.

Conduit
Dayna Verstegen, 1-650-340-1550 #101
dayna@conduit.com