he Public Diplomacy division of the Ministry of External Affairs was awarded the prestigious Gov2.in Awards 2011 instituted by Governance Now magazine for innovative use of social media and Web 2.0 tools in government.

Inspired by last month's Egyptian uprising, young activists in Azerbaijan are calling for antigovernment demonstrations on March 11 -- and using Facebook to spread the word. Originally planned as a "virtual protest," in which supporters could express their solidarity with a simple click of the mouse, the March 11 movement has since morphed into calls for a flesh-and-blood demonstration of growing disenchantment with the country's autocratic regime. It is a move that has rattled Baku.

In recent years the lines between official government communication and social sharing have become increasingly blurred, with platforms such as Twitter and Facebook emerging as legitimate (and even preferred) ways for government agencies to interact with both their employees and private citizens.

The social network revolutions have yet to dethrone the kings. In the Arab world, monarchies may be the most stable alternative to ruthless dictators, military juntas, or simple chaos currently available.

In Tunisia, the self-immolation of street vendor Muhammad Bouazizi, protesting harassment by local authorities, led to demonstrations that toppled the regime. In Egypt, it was photos posted online of Khaled Said, who had been beaten to death by corrupt police officers. In both cases, Facebook pages drew attention to the cases, and Twitter posts helped organize protests.

Teachers and learners of English can now access a new resource to help build vocabulary and improve language skills thanks to the British Council’s latest Facebook app. Pic-Your-Wits is an interactive English vocabulary game with pixelated pictures for learners to guess the words and beat the clock. It is available on Facebook today for free.

Facebook has been hailed as a tool of revolution that has spread across the Middle East, the means by which young Tunisians, Egyptians and others spread their message and organize their rallies. But when they are not banning the world’s favorite social network, the region’s rulers are learning to use it, too.

The domino-like succession of civil unrest that has rocked repressive regimes in the Middle East has been called "the Jasmine Revolution." It might better be known as "the 140-character Rebellion," after the character limits of Twitter, which gave it voice.