NATIONS & NATIONALISM

On Virtual Nations
 

"..the Internet is fast becoming a major medium for the consolidation, strengthening and definition of collective identities, especially in the absence of a firm territorial and institutional base. Some of the nationalist groups that appear to be most active on the Internet are Sri Lankan Tamils, Kurds, Palestinians... The most important transnational voice for Tamil independence may be the websites TamilNet (www.tamilnet.com ) and Tamilnation (www.tamilnation.org ), which are updated frequently..."

 
"..Although it is sometimes argued that the nation state is becoming less important and we’re heading towards a global village, evidence is also pointing the other way. Nationalism is flourishing – almost every armed conflict in the modern world has nationalistic roots. One of the most visible aspects of the new nationalism is the spread of nationalistic online activities..."

"Internet made it possible for members of diasporic groups to communicate regardless of time and distance. Their homeland, their national identity, and the ethnic, social, cultural, and political meanings of this identity are the most covered topics in these online meeting places. This website is about how these groups use the Internet - how Virtual Nations are created and used..."

"The swiftly evolving information and communication technologies and networking infrastructures are playing an expanding role in supporting the self-determination of peoples and emergent nations...."