Bernal, Victoria, 2005, “Eritrea On-line: Diaspora, Cyberspace, and the Public Sphere.” American Ethnologist 32(4): 660-675.

Through her investigation of Eritreans’ efforts to define their national identity and create a sense of belonging, Bernal argues that the internet is changing the ways in which national identities and alternative “global and transnational” communities are created. To support this, Bernal studied Dehai.com, the website created by Eritreans in diaspora to enable exchange new and information regarding the Ethiopian-Eritrean war (1998-2000). Dehai had the effect of creating a cyberspace community in which Eritreans could “transcend their location” (Bernal, 2005: 661). But Bernal argues that information distribution alone is not enough to create a ‘public sphere.’ She contends that violence and conflict played a vital role in the formation of the Dahai online community. She points out that war gave the Dehai participants a sense purpose and reason to create a public forum (see Bernal, 2005:662).
The success and longevity of Dehai.com Bernal says is attributable to several factors which differentiate it from other online communities. These include: (1) Dehai was created by ordinary citizens in diaspora; (2) the anonymity inherent in online communication allows Dehai participants to freely and openly express their views, an option that would not be available to them otherwise; and (3) Dahai goes beyond the typical cyberspace community in that is has organized actual physical interactions (e.g., annual retreats) and provides an avenue for political (e.g., sending letters to U.S. Senators) and fundraising efforts.
Using Dehai as an example, Bernal concludes that researching the creation of communities in a post modern, globalized world needs to include an analysis of these new, virtual communities, but it also needs to take into consideration the creation of a “public spheres” (Bernal, 2005:673). Bernal argues that public spheres analyzed simply as exchanges built for information dissemination, neglects the important contribution that “context,” “purpose(s),” “consequences,” and the participant demographic, make in forming a public sphere (see Bernal, 2005:672).