Centre for Internet and Society

Promoting Life

storytellerdubstep — 2012-03-14T08:38:51Z


Name(s): Mike Hickey
Location: Oswego, United States
Age: 21
Profession: I am a full time student who is also a part-time filmmaker.

My video proposal would be centered on my involvement in the electronic music scene. Over the last couple of years I have gained a large following across numerous platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, that puts me as one of the top promoters of this genre. I am an admin on several Facebook pages that total around 200,000 fans. I am a very influential in the music links I post and help shape this music scene to what it is. My video will revolve around this aspect of networking online.

Video Genre
Documentary

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/promoting-life

My Digital Life

markoediv — 2012-02-18T15:16:44Z

Name(s): Mark Diemer
Location: Dallas, TX United States
Age: 23
Profession: Student/ Health Care Aid

Video Genre: Film and graphics

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/my-digital-life

Maano ya na maano! (Believe it or not!)

aakriti.k — 2012-02-18T15:12:32Z

Through this video we want to explore how Internet, broadly, can be used to circumvent offline censorship. The idea is to explore how social networking sites could be sites of ‘agency’ for digital natives.

Video Genre: Video and graphics

Sandeep & Aakriti

Location

Mumbai, India

Age

Profession

MA Student of Media & Cultural Studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Objective: we feel strongly towards making a case for 'free and fearless speech' and making a case against censorious minds and the practice of censorship. Rationale: The issue of censorship is an important concern for us. In order to be a mature democracy that India aspires to be, we need reform, not only in the archaic and colonial law, but also in its reading, and the mindset which aims to nip in the bud any dissent. If we let the repressive state elements take root it will not leave room for any negotiation through ruptures, which may offer resistance.

Bio
Sandeep & Aakriti are students of MA Media & Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/maano-ya-na-maano-believe-it-or-not

Digital Media Dance

cijoaj2003 — 2012-04-04T10:51:02Z

The power of digital media will be presented to audience with the help of showing tweet-a-thon panel discussions, blood aid tweets getting spread, etc.

Video Genre: Stitched Together in Movie Maker

Cijo Abraham Mani

Location

Thiruvananthapuram, India
Age: 27
Profession: Manager (Web Portals)
Bio: I am an Online Marketing Professional with more than 4 years experience. I have strong knowledge in Search Engine Optimization and Digital Media Marketing, Social Media Consultant and Blogger.

Interview

What do you understand by the term Digital Native? Do you consider yourself one?
Digital native means a person who understands the latest digital technologies as well as digital medium and uses the same for improvement of humanity’s plight and in this respect I consider myself a digital native.

There is a perception that a digital natives typically belong to a certain socio-economic-geographical background: a geek who’s always connected to his gadgets and not concerned about social issues and causes. Do you agree?
I disagree. Anyone can be a digital native as long as they use the latest digital technologies and digital interfaces for improvement of socio-economic conditions of people.

Can digital natives from developing nations create an impact with digital activism? Are you involved in a cause that relies on online campaigns?
I have been involved in local and global campaigns for a Twestival. Last year we raised more than 1,70,000 INR through social media. Youth from developing nations are creating national-level impact by using social media tools to solve problems.

How effective are digital campaigns in raising awareness about an issue in comparison to traditional activism?
Digital campaigns are so powerful that it can even bring down governments. The dictator in Egypt was brought down through the power of digital activism. Similar campaigns took place in Tunisia, Libya, Syria, London, San Francisco, Russia and India to bring global attention to the plight of the people of these countries, corruption, scandals and other issues. The one in India (campaign) against corruption (Anna Hazare-initiated) was not successful but it made the Government realize the power of digital activism campaigns.

What would you say to critics who label digital native campaigns as slacktivism?
I disagree with them. Digital natives are creating unique ways to reach out to the common man and highlighting issues that digital activism can help solve. Likes, clicks and shares are ways of showing the protest through digital medium. This doesn’t stop us from going out in public to stand for our rights.

Are we seeing a trend where digital natives are more involved with local causes? How do strategies differ for both?
No, digital natives are always aware of global issues like global warming, financial crisis, poverty, blood donation, etc., but we need to begin from ourselves, then resolve the issues in our society and country then move on to the global scenario. We approach local causes and global ones differently. It is easy to build a local campaign as the person is aware about the response of the people. The same analysis is not possible when it comes to a global audience. It is highly important that we build a campaign that goes viral.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/digital-media-dance

Doing All This Just to Put-off the Fire in the Belly

bilsum_org — 2012-02-18T15:18:27Z

The idea behind the video is to reflect the fact of utter poverty. The video has been recorded in a village (Bhit Majao Kuanv) of Balochistan and shows how poor people deal with the onerous task of grinding grain without the right implements or machine. Several other “ordinary” tasks such as storing drinking water, travelling or giving birth to a child all take on a life or death situation in this remote village.

Name(s): Munir Ahmed Musiani
Location: Khuzdar, Balochistan, Pakistan
Age: 36
Profession: I am basically a volunteer running a CBO (BILSUM) for social upliftment and community development of the areas (Moola/Karkh) in Khuzdar District. I am at present employed by the Government of Balochistan in the Civil Service department as Assistant Commissioner.

Video Genre:Video

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/doing-all-this-just-to-put-off-the-fire-in-the-belly

Life in the City Slums

pardvaanoli — 2012-04-04T10:57:21Z

Name(s): E.James Rajasekaran
Location: Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Age: 53
Profession: Social Worker

Video Genre: Documentary

Interview

What do you understand by the term Digital Native?
The term Digital Native is meant for users of digital equipment. Nowadays, even the common man utilizes digital devices in his daily life.
In this sense, I consider myself a digital native.

There is a perception that the digital native is typically a Young, White, Male from the Global North (America), plugged in to his
gadgets and apathetic to causes. Would you agree?
I cannot agree with this perception. People who are connected to gadgets have their own concerns on issues around them and if there is a chance to participate, the youngsters will participate. That’s how we saw the youth participate in Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption in India.

Activism has changed in the last decade. Hunger strikes and sloganeering are exceptions to the rule. How effective are digital activism campaigns in raising awareness about an issue?
I don’t think activism has changed all that much as we still march on the streets holding placards and utilize hunger strikes effectively to protest. Of course, digital activism campaigns can be a supportive mechanism in our protest to mobilize mass support.

Are digital natives taking the easy way out with what critics refer to as ‘clicktivism’?
Sharing online is used as a tool for mobilizing mass support. However, it is also important to follow the matter in action on the field.

Are we seeing a trend where digital natives are more involved with local causes than with global issues?
I would say we are more interested in global issues than local situations. However, an issue always starts at the local level before it turns global. Unless the campaign has local importance it cannot achieve its goal.

Comment on the role of ICT in citizen action
Scientific progress has made it possible to use ICT tools for the development of society. It is in our hands to use these tools in a positive way to effect change.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/life-in-the-city-slums

Connecting Souls, Bridging Dreams

judeebendiola — 2012-04-04T10:08:19Z

I come from a third world country where technology seemed hard to reach in the 90s, especially by the not-so-privileged. As we progressed, technology has not only become ubiquitous (in malls, institutions and companies) but also, it has come to be used by the common man. My video will answer how technology bridges the gap between dreams and reality.

Video Genre: Documentary and live action

Marie Jude Bendiola

Location: Singapore

Age: 24

Profession: Marketing Executive

I'm an actor, writer, host, marketing executive, journalist, researcher, dancer, soon to be singer, producer,newbie in modelling, traveller, philanthropist, traveller, daughter, sister, friend,a proud Filipino, son of God, and a student of life. Be my... Friend on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/judeebendiola Follower on Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/judeebendiola Audience in Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/judeebee?feature=guide Fan in Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112398447067099126396/

Interview

What do you understand by the term Digital Native? Do you consider yourself one? Do you think you need to belong to a particular socio-economic-geographical background to be considered a Digital Native?
For me, Digital Native means being equipped most of the time with gadgets that we have nowadays. The idea pertains to the usage of these gadgets to alleviate day to day activities or for mere pleasure. I can say that I am a Digital Native because from the moment I wake up, go to work, eat or rest I usually have a gadget in my hand. Being a Digital native doesn’t entail belonging to upper class of the society. In Philippines, most citizens own a cell phone or television. Government and private institutions bring mobile libraries or computers to depressed areas so they can be empowered by technology. One of the primary requirements of being a digital native is not your political, regional, societal or even physical status but instead it requires a level of openness or acceptance to the new technology that’s in your hands. I think the issue is how you plan to utilize this gadget to help yourself in your daily life, and how responsible you are in carrying out their functions for the promotion of the common good which may not be detrimental to others. If you’re an open and responsible user of technology then I think you are worthy to be called a Digital Native.

How effective are digital activism campaigns in raising awareness about an issue?
The online platform is an instrument for freedom of expression. Just like any protests on the street, technology provides a bigger arena to anyone to fight for their rights. But I would also add that though it is good to state what you believe in and what you’re supporting online, we should also be more responsible as users of technology. As long as we still respect others and there are no derogatory statements that may harm others, social media platforms have been useful in many ways.

A recent example of online activism is the ‘Get Kony 2012’ video campaign created by US-based NGO Invisible Children. What are your thoughts on the campaign?
It’s heart-breaking but at the same time empowering. The video compares life in a developed country with that of a developing one and exposes what is happening in Uganda. It effectively motivates us to do something good, now.

Are we seeing a trend where digital natives are more involved with local causes than with global, larger issues that don’t immediately impact their lives?
I think the use of technology empowers everyone from high officials to ordinary individuals to push their cause, stand for their rights and make this world a better place. Any local cause from a community which is posted online is no longer just a local cause but can transform into an issue that has global resonance. Somewhere in the world, other places might be experiencing the very issue that a small community is trying to highlight, so social media platforms help project a local cause into a global one. It makes our world closer so that everyone can lend a helping hand no matter how many miles we are all apart.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/connecting-souls-bridging-dreams

The Philosophy of Black & White

gathejoe — 2012-02-17T05:27:47Z

Name: Joseph Gathecha
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Age: 27
Profession: Reporter

Black and White is a colour combination for the layman, but intensely they may be used in multiple ways or forms: as signs and symbols, as animations, decorations, and to convey myths, beliefs, taboos and many other concepts. Kibera’s slum, in the surburb of Nairobi, Kenya, is the perfect place to showcase this contrast of extremes and how digital technology is a thread connecting what I want to convey.

Video Genre

Film

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/the-philosophy-of-black-white

To Act or to Watch

guerassimova.lyuba — 2012-02-17T05:18:13Z

I want to explore the border between the urge to act and the collective irresponsibility created by online media. In initial stages of the spread of digital communication methods, they can empower, and if used smartly, they can create changes even in the more digitalized communities/countries. However, there is a big 'but': collective irresponsibility - the potential for change has in many societies become diffused into pointless social networking, which creates only passive supporters for a cause but does not lead to any positive action. I want to look at the choices we have to make and how we can learn from communities that are not so digitized in order to 'remember' where our power for change lies.

Video Genre: Documentary / film

Lyuba Guerassimova

Location
Bulgaria

Age
25

Profession
Student

Bio

Hi there! I am a 25 year old student from Bulgaria and my video has been inspired from all the revolutions happening around us and how their success or failure is attributed to Facebook, Twitter, etc. However, I have remained very skeptical, even more so when it comes to my country and online campaigns - the public has been relying on the Internet as a method of self expression but has forgotten how to act. As a result, from 10 000 supporters online, only 50 show up for a protest. It is inspired by the overall theme of Book 3 of the Digital AlterNatives with a Cause (published by Centre for Internet & Society and HIVOS) and the essay stories where communities are empowered by technology.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/to-act-or-to-watch

Video Proposals: Top 14

praskrishna — 2013-09-09T01:11:40Z

Here are the ideas from our 14 digital native video contest finalists. Videos will soon be online! Voting begins from 10 March.

Joseph Francis

A young man gets ready to start his day: switching on his cable box, checking his Blackberry, listening to music, and microwaving his food. As he leaves, he turns on his iPod and sends a text message via his cell phone. Waiting for the train, he responds to emails and posts to Facebook. He sends a tweet and then gets to work. All day answering emails and phone calls while staring at a computer screen. Finally he ends his work day only to stare at a digital screen for train arrivals. Inside the train, he once again begins sending messages and tweets. Once he gets to his destination, he is told by an attractive woman to “unplug” and be with her. The End. Credits roll.

Marie Jude Bendiola

I come from a third world country where technology seemed to be hard to reach back in the 90s; especially by the not-so-privileged. As we progressed, technology has not only become ubiquitous (in malls, various institutions and technological hubs) but also, it has come to be used by the common man. My video will answer how technology bridges the gap between dreams and reality. It will be a fusion of documentary and re-enactment of real life events and dramas.

Cijo Abraham Mani

I want to convey the power of digital media by showcasing the reach of social media with specific examples from a tweet-a-thon panel discussion and #bloodaid tweets.

TJ K.M.

My video explores the spiritual aspect of digital technology and how rather than getting in the way of our spiritual expression, it is actually bringing us face to face with it, if only we choose to look. The video will be a mixture of live action and stop motion animation/puppetry where digital devices take on a transcendent character similar to nature spirits in various cultures. I plan to investigate the tendency to exclude digital devices and technology from being categorized alongside nature as if it is somehow exempt from or superior to this category. Using symbolism and motifs from various cultures such as the Native American Hopi, Balinese Hinduism and Japanese Shintoism, my video will create a world where the technology we use daily is viewed not just as a means for socio-cultural exchange and communication but is available for the nurturing of our souls if we so choose.

Mike Hickey

My video proposal would be centered on my involvement in the electronic music scene. Over the last couple of years, I have gained a large following across numerous platforms, including YouTube and Facebook that puts me as one of the top promoters of this genre. I am an admin on several Facebook pages that total around 200,000 fans combined. I am a very influential in the music I post and help shape this music scene to what it is.

Thomas Burks

We have a small production company in Birmingham, Alabama. I was hired on a year ago to do film and commercials for them as they expand into advertising and video coverage of events. We only have about 3 employees including myself, working out of our homes. We recently acquired a space to open a studio and retail location downtown where we live. We use Facebook, blogs, and viral marketing all the time to get our name out there. Our account executive is constantly monitoring our Facebook for client orders and bookings. We are beginning to use twitter to provide information more fluidly to people. We believe this might be a year of growth for our small company, as we are becoming able to provide much higher quality content. We're fully digital; constantly updating our websites and blogs, and I believe we would be able to tell a great digital story. We submit numerous small films and skits; we cover awesome concerts, and rely so heavily on the digital world to show our content. That will be the gist of our video.

John Musila

Map Kibera Trust is an organization based in Kenya’s Kibera slums. Using digital gadgets and technology, they have transformed the community by placing it on the map as it was only seen as forest when viewed on a map. They also film stories around the community and share them with the world on their YouTube channel and other social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Through this they have been able to highlight and raise awareness about the challenges the community faces. Our video would show Kibera’s role in bringing about change.

Andrés Felipe Arias Palma

I think many people are digital natives unknowingly. Being a digital native is a relationship with activism and society, not as they initially thought. It was a condition of being born in specific times and external factors. In the video, I will interview people about who and what is a digital native? How to use the Internet? What are the advantages and disadvantages for society where everything is run with the power of the Internet?

Joseph Gathecha

Martin Potter

Over a period of nearly four years, moving across small towns in Australia and South East Asia, I have seen the most extraordinary innovations at a local community level. My video will focus on these local stories with global impact. I am pursuing a PhD in participatory media and this will lend a uniquely academic perspective on the concept of collaboration, community life and innovation.

E. James Rajasekaran

I live in the temple town of Madurai in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. I am a social worker and the plight of people living in slims is something that my NGO is closely associated with. My video will bring out the efforts of the people who live in the slums of Madurai.

Anand Jha

Bangalore is home to a lot of technology start-ups. A lot of geeks, who find it limiting to work for corporations, are driving a very open source-oriented, frugally-built and extremely demanding culture. While their products are standing at the bleeding edge of technology, their personal lives too are constantly driven on the edge, every launch being a make or break day for them. The project would aim at capturing their stories, their frustration and motivation, looking at the possibilities of Indian software scene moving beyond the services and back-end office culture into a more risk prone but more passionate business of technology.

MJ

As a digital native living in a developing country l have carried out a series of both online and offline projects which have always strived to benefit Zimbabweans in a number of ways since 2000. These projects have increased my interactions with computers. I got married to the computer in 2000 when I bought my first PC; in a way, my relationship with a computer is now intimate. Even though this computer I bought was an old 386 machine made obsolete by faster Pentium III models, this did not affect my love for this computer. My video will focus on a dream-waking reality moment of my digital life.

Test User

I am a test user from the future

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/video-proposals

Journey to and from Digital

joseph.francis1218 — 2012-03-14T08:38:30Z

Video Genre: Film

Joseph Francis

Location: Brooklyn, NY United States
Age: 31
Profession: Film Producer/Director

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/journey-to-and-from-digital

Essay Review: Digital AlterNatives with a Cause

praskrishna — 2012-02-10T05:53:30Z

Hivos and the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) are pleased to announce the monthly essay review event. It starts from the midnight of February 17 and ends on the midnight of February 26. Hurry! Pick any essay from the four book collective of Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? and send us your reviews.

Hivos and CIS have consolidated their three year knowledge inquiry into the field of youth, technology and change in a four book collective “Digital AlterNatives with a cause?”.

This collaboratively produced collective, edited by Nishant Shah and Fieke Jansen, asks critical and pertinent questions about theory and practice around 'digital revolutions' in a post MENA (Middle East - North Africa) world. It works with multiple vocabularies and frameworks and produces dialogues and conversations between digital natives, academic and research scholars, practitioners, development agencies and corporate structures to examine the nature and practice of digital natives in emerging contexts from the Global South.

The event invites readers from around the world to pick any one essay from the books and review it in the week of 17-26 February 2012.

Previously found reviews can be found here.

For submission guidelines, please get in touch with: Nilofar Ansher (nilofar.ansh@gmail.com)

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/events/essay-review

Big Stories, Small Towns

martingpotter — 2012-04-04T09:44:13Z

Name(s): Martin Potter
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Age: 37
Profession: Filmmaker

Video Genre: Online Documentary

Interview

Do you identify with the term Digital Native – how do you define it?

Digital Natives use technology as a natural part of their day to day life – socializing, work, communications, and community building. We don't need to be born into an era of technology - these are skills and patterns of use that can be acquired, given the right circumstances. Maybe I am a digital native, who knows.... I don't think you need to belong to a particular economic group, however you do need to belong to a social context that facilitates peer engagement and networking and support, otherwise you may not be able to find something of interest in the technology without support.

Do you agree with the perception that the digital native is typically a “White, American, Young, Geek” apathetic to social causes?

Mostly agree. But the vital, inspiring and connected others who don't fit that description are the ones who seem to define the term - the use of social media to organize in the context of the recent Arab uprisings and the innovation in broad social use of media in developing regions is far more interesting. It seems the exceptions are defining the rules.

Can digital activists from developing nations create an impact through social media and online campaigns?
I'm from Australia (a developed country) where people still live in dire poverty in several areas. I see people in developing contexts (nations) leading the way in re-framing technologies for their use. I strongly believe that all levels of society can potentially participate in a digital world and can begin to address the unlevel playing fields of their societies and our global society.

Do you think traditional forms of activism are now supplemented by digital campaigns? What is your reaction to the “Get Kony 2012” video campaign?

One does not replace the other, but it can serve to enhance and expand the reach of such campaigns (traditional). As for Kony 2012, it’s a very successful social media campaign with a problematic message; a great piece of polemic media, but to what end? Will it achieve its goal? In light of the meltdown of its maker and the questioning of the NGO Invisible Children will this encourage a cynical backlash from the people who invested in it - those that watched, shared and donated?

Are we seeing a trend where digital natives are more involved with local (neighborhood) causes than with global issues?

I think local causes may not have as much involvement. Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone points to a dilution of community at local levels. I think being connected to the world at a distance may lead to local social isolation. We have to focus on engaging with community and the people around us with the new tools, not opt out pretending we're a part of a bigger picture.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/video-contest/entries/big-stories-small-towns

Alternative Approaches to Social Change

praskrishna — 2012-01-30T06:04:23Z

Review of Maesy Angelina’s essay, "Digital Natives’ Alternative Approach to Social Change", in Digital Alternatives with a Cause Book 2: To Think, pp.64-76 by Nuraini Juliastuti.

Dominant assumptions about social movements need a redefinition. They are not compatible with youth movements, which are mainly operated within the framework of contemporary technology development.

Although being acknowledged as ‘the potential future directions of activism’, the capability of digital-based movements to bring about concrete changes has been in doubt. It has been associated with degrading terms such as ‘slacktivism’ or ‘click activist’. Some scholars consider it a quasi-movement, and argue that it needs to be accompanied with “real” activism.

Each movement calls for a different analytical lens. The source of predicaments of the digital movement opponents revolves around the persistence of focusing on concrete aspects of a movement. Unless we consider the tangible aspects, a proper understanding of a digital movement cannot be realized.

Observations about intangible aspects of a movement will keep a research from clinging to activism with a capital A, and start seeing a gradation in the social movement practices. It is constructive and opens the door to analyses of multi-dimensional movements such as the Blank Noise initiative (India). Drawing on methods of identifying new developments to the field of social movement, Maesy examines some aspects of it: the issue, strategy, site of action, and internal mode of organization.

First, a straightforward summary of Blank Noise. It is a movement to address sexual harassment against women in public spaces in India. Sexual harassment includes staring, catcalls, groping, and is usually disregarded as a one-off, casual incident. It also takes under purview ‘eve teasing’, generally considered soft sexual harassment. Established in 2003, the main workspaces of the collective are a combination of street interventions and online campaigns mediated on social media sites such as blogs, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.

Blank Noise attempts to subvert populist notions of what activism is within culture. Artistic approaches are regarded not as merely illustrational, but integrated into the methods of drawing attention to sexual harassment.

It chooses not to see things through a simple black and white perspective, but from a more complex view; loose, not rigid, is an instructive term to explain the character of the movement that is held together by two stakeholders: youth and technology.

In the antecedent period—this essay provides little space for it and hence lacks a historical explanation—social movements were carried out by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The keyword ‘society empowerment’ was in application then; embedded within is the idea of power relations. The NGO activists are powerful agencies and therefore have the authority to empower others.

In the case of Blank Noise, it consciously disrupts the mainstream notion of what a social movement entails and at the same time, displays coherencies within the accepted movement’s principles: the collective thus offers alternative approaches. An alternative movement however, is indicative of a classic pattern within the trajectory of social movements - it is a natural occurrence in response to a static state of affairs. Negotiations of the appropriate ways to confront circumstances are accelerating, putting old concepts of voluntarism, political participation, social contribution, and the meaning of being an activist into fragile categorizations. They are all subject to constant reinterpretations.

A new question then arises: as local people acknowledge Blank Noise as an outstanding example of citizen activism in India, does this youth initiative differentiate itself from other youth movements of its kind?

Online spaces formerly built to showcase the profile of movement organizers have now transformed into collaborative workspaces to archive and advocate women’s right movement. Interactivity has permeated through online spaces, replacing the static nature which was earlier associated with activism-related websites. The distance between the initiators and the participants is disappearing. The initiators and the participants are no longer two separate entities and are now joint content producers.

Some literatures characterize a social movement as a form of intellectual intervention. It is the practice of social intervention where the power is arranged in a relatively clear intellectual hierarchy. The dynamics of the action spaces has blurred such a hierarchy. Nonetheless, the question of class is still worth asking.

The issues of the ideologies of technologies being used in a movement, how they are operated, the actors behind them, what discourses are being developed, whose interests do they speak on behalf of, are important matters to be further explored to bring forth a reflection on power dynamics.

An undemanding way to value a social movement is through impact examination. A common way to assess impact is by observing the tangible aspects of the movement or campaign: the number of participants in activities conducted (do men and women participate equally in them?); the number of meetings; the organization’s coverage; public response to the campaign; statistics of crime. It asserts that a significant impact can be achieved through concrete goals and demands.

The question of impact meets its philosophical turn when dealing with a grey issue such as normalization of street sexual violence. The meaning of street sexual violence is hard to pin down. One of the possible ways to cope with it is through a micro-movement. It is a strategy, which aims to create changes at the personal level. The meaning of empowerment is shifting. In the case of Blank Noise, as the author puts it, “they empower people through their experience with the collective”.

Blank Noise differs from other types of movements in their inability to identify the opponent. Or, rather, they live a situation where it is impossible to establish who and what the opponent is. Rather than merely seeing it as a representation of the faltering state, as many scholars usually do, the author sees it as a ‘grey productive gesture’. It directs the course of the movement to a constant dialogue with the meaning of participation. Often unintentionally, it engages in the search of the meaning of what one can contribute to the others, without having the need to incorporate in, or being absorbed into, old society empowerment jargon. It attempts to remake the language of a movement.

But how should an opponent be defined? And how should change be defined? Although indirectly, the discussion on ways of organizing the movement as well as articulating the issue—the uncertainty about their values included, points to the base of the debate on the concept of activism. As each context is walking its own social-technological life path, and the division between the debatable terms ‘quasi-activism’ and ‘real activism’ requires an elaborate explanation, what changes should social movements bring (and how ‘real’ should they be), is still a difficult question to answer.

Changes function both as the foundation and goal of the digital native movement. Much as they indicate hopefulness, changes often turn out to be grim and lead to frustrating facts. As alternative ways of social movements are developing and being performed in various contexts, in particular historical junctures many things remain the same. Instead of progress, a series of setbacks become apparent.

It is as if each new movement’s strategy would bring back the possibilities of reversals and stagnancies, putting causes and choices in question. It is not about the seemingly clear separation between decisiveness and indecisiveness. This is the time when being decisive offers clichéd, predictable acts, which are often twisted into an intense, conservative attitude. This is the time when being indecisive is promisingly progressive and demonstrating the signs of thinking critically. It may seem indefinite, but it provides spaces for resiliency, an important character to develop amid the chaotic situation.

Nuraini Juliastuti is the co-founder of KUNCI Cultural Studies Center (http://kunci.or.id/) established in 1999 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She is currently a PhD student at Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands, focusing on popular music in Southeast Asia.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/media-coverage/alternative-approaches-to-social-change-1

Tweet a Review of Digital AlterNatives with a Cause Books

praskrishna — 2012-01-07T14:42:32Z

Essays from 'Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?' books are getting reviewed. We invite everyone to participate in this book review event! Deadline: January 31

Read one essay from the 'Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?' books published by the Centre for Internet & Society and HIVOS.
Download PDFs here.

Post a review on your blog

Tweet the review's link on Twitter using #TweetReview and copy @cis_india

For e.g. "Unpacking the shiny packaging of Digital Natives" Book 2 To Think #TweetReview http://cis-india.org/digital-natives/unpacking-from-shiny-packaging @cis_india
Send us a link to your view

For more details about the event and the essays you want to review, email: nilofar.ansh@gmail.com

Tweet-a-Review is a monthly event organized as part of the 'Digital Natives with a Cause?' project.

Read previous reviews here

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/events/tweet-a-review