Final Thoughts on the Year in Digital Activism 2011

December 27, 2011 Leave a comment

A milestone year in digital activism is finally coming to a close.  A few weeks ago we asked you what your thoughts were on the best acts of protest this year.  Below are the winners of our contest who will be receiving a Flip UltraHD Video Camera.

“The love in my heart I felt for my brothers in Tunisia was amazing.  Watching from far away, I felt I was right there with my brothers in the streets [on YouTube].  The images were powerful because it showed the frustration of the people and their determination to see political change immediately.  I am sad everyday that Mohamed Bouazizi is no longer with us and died the way he did, but I will always be grateful for him for starting the revolution for change.  Mohamed must remind us that it only takes one person to get the ball rolling.”

- Nassir El-Bahri, Beirut, Lebanon

“I was incredibly touched by the protests this year on behalf of the socially and economically disenfranchised.  When I learned about the story of Troy Davis, I was so profoundly touched by his story, that I told my friends and family on Twitter and Facebook and my blog to sign the e-petition to keep him alive.  It was the first time in my life I felt motivated to be an online activist because I knew deep down in my heart that he wasn’t guilty of the crime.  And I think watching the Arab Spring from my TV and following it on Twitter showed me how simple it was to stand up against injustice.”

- Monique Lynn Johnson, Mobile, Alabama, USA

“I was laid off and have been unemployed for two years, and I felt really angry at my government and big corporations right now.  So there was something about the Occupy Wall Street movement that moved me.  I visited the tent city in my area a few times on my way to my temp job and talked to people there who were also like me.  I wasn’t able to camp out there, but I stayed in touch with everything going on there on Live Stream, YouTube and Facebook, and felt like I was there in spirit.  I also talked with others online about my predicament, and felt I was doing my part in the smallest way I could.”

-Drew Fatton, Vancouver, Canada

“I am excited to see what happens on the Korean peninsula now that Kim Jong-Il has passed.  A major protest this year that went under the radar was the mass anti-FTA protest in South Korea.  I am originally from Seoul, but currently go to university in Washington DC, when protests began.  I was amazed to see such little attention the American media gave to KORUS because in my opinion, it is the worst thing in US trade policy since NAFTA.  Many of my Korean friends are worried about how the policy will affect both Koreans and Americans negatively in the long run.  However, when the video footage of the thousands of people protesting the FTA in Seoul got on YouTube, I retweeted them to my American friends to let them know how US policy decisions affect others around the world.  My American friends were shocked because they didn’t even know about the FTA.  This year in social media and revolution has really opened many eyes.  I want to see the next online battle go to North Korea.”

- Esther Lee, Washington D.C & Seoul, South Korea

Filed under Accountability/Transparency, Americas, Asia, Facebook, Global, Middle East, Mobile Phones, Online Journalism, Tech Life, Twitter, Video, YouTube Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#OccupytheHood Reaches Out to Underserved Communities

October 24, 2011 Leave a comment

For the last month, the world has been engaged by the grassroots uprising of the Occupy Wall Street movement.  However, there were immediate complaints that there was a lack of activists of color in the crowds.  In the last few days alone, activists of color have started their own movement using Facebook and Twitter, and their followers have grown exponentially.

From Al-Jazeera:

…Occupy The Hood was born out of a need that we saw to try to get people of colour involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement – not just in New York, but all around the world – to get involved in the general assemblies where decisions are made.

Without everybody, it’s not a true representation of the 99 per cent. I don’t know if the doors are being closed to people of colour, but this does involve us – come out and get involved in it. It’s not a white fight, it’s a people’s fight. We can’t be counted if we’re not there – if we’re not present to be counted…

“Occupy the Hood Boston” had their first gathering on Oct. 21 – the first gathering of its kind in the country. Of course, our Talia Whyte was there to record the beginning of this movement above.

Filed under Facebook, Twitter, Video, YouTube Tagged with , , , , , , ,

What Civil Disobedience Looks Like

October 3, 2011 Leave a comment

National housing justice organization Right to the City made noise in Boston Sept 30, when 2,000 activists marched through the streets, protesting Bank of America’s alleged predatory practices towards its most vulnerable customers.  Twenty-four people were arrested during the protest for trespassing on the bank’s premises.  Our very own reporter-in-residence Talia Whyte interviewed a couple of the intrepid protesters following their arrests on the importance of civil disobedience.

Filed under Americas, Online Journalism, Video, YouTube Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

#BannedBooksWeek Takes It To The (Digital) Streets

September 27, 2011 1 Comment

Banned Books Week, an annual campaign that celebrates free speech and draws attentions to banned and challenged books worldwide, is one of our favorite times of the year.  While the physical, printed book has one foot in the grave due in part to Amazon.com, audiobooks and e-readers, the intellectual property inside many of these legendary books will continue to have a lasting impression.

This year the American Library Association reminds us that intellectual property and freedom lives on virtually and has taken their campaign to the new frontier of social media.  Supporters can participate in discussions on free expression on its Facebook page and Twitter hashtag #BannedBooksWeek, as well as find offline discussion groups at local bookstores and libraries.

People can also go to the campaign’s YouTube channel to not only view videos by people around the United States reading controversial books, but they can also either submit their own video of up to two minutes or a description of a local book challenge of up to three minutes.  Supporters can also go to Flickr to view and/or upload photos expressing their thoughts on this awareness week.

But the coolest part of the campaign is a Google Map that shows censorship attempts around the country in the last four years.  If the map is any indication, the United States still has a long way to go on protecting the First Amendment.

A Montana library director @bmmsben pointed out the famous Mark Twain quote on Twitter “Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”

Filed under Americas, Google Maps, mapping, Twitter, Video, YouTube Tagged with , , , , , ,

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