DigiActive.org

Campaign: MySpace used in slavery apology campaign

Description: Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas proves that no one is ever too old to be a digital activist. To commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the United States, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution last month apologizing for slavery. The passage was due in part to the online activism of the 91-year-old actor.

Digital Tools Being Used: MySpace

What Is He Doing: A longtime activist for racial and social equality, Douglas said recently in an interview that as a Jewish person, he felt it was necessary to stand up to oppression and demand the United States to make an official apology to African Americans. For the last two years he has used his MySpace page to get signature for an e-petition that asks politicians to make an apology. Douglas has also been interacting with viewers of his page with videos and commentary about his cause. His online discussions have also given him exposure to young people who he feels will be the future leaders of social activism.

“I try to get the young people to write to me, in my blog, to make an apology for slavery,” Douglas said in a video. “I think it is very important for young people to get interested in things that they have not been interested in.”

Tactic: S.A. Activist Gives ‘Voice’ to HIV/AIDS Awareness

Campaign: Global Burma Day has a Facebook presence

Description: This Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the Burmese Uprising, when university students began gathering in the capital city of Rangoon to protest the military junta’s suppression of democracy in the country. The uprising ended tragically on September 18 when 3,000 civilians were killed by the junta’s armed forces. These events brought world attention to the Southeast Asian country and made Aung San Suu Kyi an international icon for peace and reconciliation. This weekend protesters will be marking the anniversary with peaceful demonstrations around the world. They are using Facebook to organize their efforts.

Tools Being Used: Facebook

What Are They Doing: The Burma Global Action Network has set up a Facebook group to educate Internet users about the events around the 8.8.88 Uprising and what they see are problems that continue to plague Burma today. Many of the grievances include the Chinese government continuing to block a United Nations arms embargo on Burma while it sells weapons to Burma’s regime and the ongoing problem of getting aid to survivors of Cyclone Nargis. Users can learn about locations of demonstrations this weekend worldwide as well as view campaign videos from organizations like the U.S. Campaign for Burma.

Topic: Civil Rights 2.0 is live and creates conflict

Description: The battle between old and new media made its way to Chicago last week at the Unity Convention, a gathering attended by over 6,000 journalists of color. The dramatic events surrounding the case of the Jena Six, the name referring to a group of six African American teenagers charged with beating a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana in 2006, culminated when an estimated 20,000 activists gathered in the small town in support of the six teens in September. By many the mass protest is now considered the largest demonstration in the post-civil rights era. The case highlighted the shift towards digital activism as a tool for African Americans in their continued struggle for civil rights in the United States.

Tools Discussed: Radio and Blogs

What Is The Debate: During a workshop examining Jena Six’s legacy radio talk show host Tom Joyner said that black radio was used by civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King to organize supporters of ending racial segregation. Joyner added that because he has an audience of eight million, he played a large role in mobilizing Jena 6 activists. However, blogger Jimi Izrael argued that the Afrosphere, a group of politically active black bloggers who feel left out of the mainstream media, was actually more influential in informing the world about the case.

Last November there was a contentious fight between black radio and the black blogosphere when radio talk show host Michael Baisden accused the internet activist group Color of Change of not appropriately distributing donated funds to help pay the legal fees for the Jena Six. However, when the organization proved its financial legitimacy, Baisden apologized. Color of Change continues to raises funds for the young men through its Jena Six Defense Fund online.

Campaign:Online activists take on Beijing Olympics

Description: The Beijing Olympics are coming up in a couple of weeks, and this has not gone unnoticed by human rights activists worldwide. They are using the international event to spotlight atrocities thousands of miles away in Darfur, which campaigners say is indirectly due in part to the Chinese government.

Tools Being Used: YouTube, e-petition

What Are They Doing: Switch Over to Darfur is an international initiative to bring attention to the many Olympic corporate sponsors who have not spoken out against China continuing to finance the Sudanese government. Some of the sponsors include Adidas, General Electric and Coca Cola. The campaign is not intended to boycott the Olympics, but rather the campaign say they “are urging the Olympic corporate sponsors to join [them] in pressuring the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and China to, in turn, press Sudan to ensure that there is immediate protection for civilians and humanitarian workers on the ground in Darfur well before the Games begin.”

Supporters are asked to sign a petition on their website, pledging support for the campaign as well as read a message by actress Mia Farrow. The campaign has created the video below that speaks for itself, which can be viewed here.

Campaign: Obama-mania goes overseas

Description: Presumptive U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama will be traveling to Europe and the Middle East later this week to meet with opinion leaders and supporters. Most importantly Obama will be rallying Democrats living overseas. Nearly six million American expatriates living in over 90 countries are eligible to vote in the November election, according to the Associated Press. Obamaholics worldwide are taking the opportunity to get out the vote for their man.

Tools Being Used: Facebook, social networks

What Are They Doing: Democrats Abroad is the official Democratic Party organization for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. They are using their Facebook page to inform supporters about the latest political news and reminders about registering to vote. American expatriates for Obama in Jordan and France have set up Meetup pages to remind supporters about upcoming Obama meetings.

“As an American it really warms my heart to see the support for Obama across the world. He is a once in a lifetime leader!” said Jason Bell on the Hong Kong for Obama Facebook page.

Tactic: Anti-G8 protests go online

Description: World leaders from industrial nations concluded talks today at the 34th G8 Summit on key topics such as global poverty, rising food and oil prices, climate change and political stability in Africa and Asia. The gathering took place on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido with overwhelming police presence to prevent anti-globalization protests that have turned violent at past summits. Nonetheless, protesters took to the blogosphere instead to express their grievances with international policies.

Tools Being Used: Blogs

What Are They Doing: In past years anti-globalization activists have complained that the mainstream media doesn’t cover their protests about why they think the Group of Eight doesn’t work in the best interest of the rest of the world. As a result, there have been many examples of important citizen journalism over the last couple of days documenting the “Alternative G8 Summits.” Photojournalist Linus Guardian Escandor has posted his photos of Filipino protesters rallying in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila on Monday. Socialist Aotearoa and Oread Daily have posted videos, photos and testimonies of varies protests taking place in Tokyo on their blogs. The Socialist Party of Australia has been keeping readers up to date with blog reports of police violence against protesters.

“There are so many police officers, asking for your license, where you are going and what you are up to,” said Filipino activist Renato M. Reyes. “The G8 are very afraid of people criticizing them. They are afraid because they feel guilty about something.”

American caravan blogs Cuba trip

Description: The United States has had a contentious relationship with Cuba for nearly half a century. With the recent change of political powers from Fidel Castro to his brother, Raul, and new leadership in the White House next year, many American activists see this as an opportunity to improve relations with the communist state. A group of pro-Cuba activists are blogging about why U.S. policies towards Cuba should change as they travel to the country.

Tools Being Used: Blogs

What Are They Doing: The 19th annual US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan, comprised of 100 Pastors For Peace volunteers, have been traveling across North America for the last month, educating the public about what they say are the detrimental effects of U.S. policies on Cuban society. Specifically the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act prohibits foreign companies that trade with the U.S. from also trading with Cuba. The law also prevents travel to Cuba by American citizens and imposes limits on how many times Cubans living in America can travel to their homeland to visit family. In 1996, the U.S. government enacted a penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a fine for violators of the embargo.

They are using their blog as a travel journal, publishing photos and stories from their trip.

“This caravan is the true face of the US people,” said Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace in a statement. “The immoral and ignorant policy of the US government toward Cuba represents the power of a mean-spirited minority. This caravan embodies the true inner feelings of the US majority. We will keep challenging this unjust blockade until our government rescinds this inhuman policy that causes our neighbors so much suffering.”

Yesterday the caravan converged in McAllen, TX, and plans to cross the Texas border into Reynosa, Mexico early on Thursday, July 3. From there they will commit the act of civil disobedience by flying into Havana, Cuba. While there, the caravan plans to give out donated aid to the needy and interact with Cuban civil society activists on a “people to people” mission.

Lisa Valanti, founder of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, has been traveling with the caravan every year since its inception without accepting a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.

“Most Americans favor ending this embargo,” she said in a interview the Boston-based Bay State Banner. “What kind of people are we if we don’t demand this?”

Zim opposition party used Google Maps

Description: The abrupt withdrawal of Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from this Friday’s runoff presidential election essentially handed President Robert Mugabe a victory and left Zimbabwe’s future up in the air. However, given the uphill battle to have a fair election, Tsvangirai’s party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) looked to cyberspace to get the word out about the possibility of a changing political landscape in Zimbabwe.

Tools Being Use: Google Maps

What Did They Do: Tsvangirai’s party used the free software Google Maps to inform MDC supporters about campaign rallies around the country up until Tsvangirai withdrawal, as well as spots where alleged detentions, arrests and beatings have taken place at the hands of ZANU-PF.

“The courageous people of Zimbabwe, of this country, and the people of the MDC have done everything humanly and democratically possible to deliver a new Zimbabwe and new government,” Morgan Tsvangirai said to CNN following his withdrawal.

Tactic: Surui takes back the land with Google Earth

Description: The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world’s last remaining rainforests and comprises the most biodiversity on Earth. However, this is being threatened by man-made deforestation. According to the Amazon Rainforest Deforestation News, during the last five months of 2007, more than 3,200 sq. kilometers (an area equivalent to the size of the state of Rhode Island) was deforested during a time when deforestation would normally drop. But, Amazon residents are demanding to take back the land through technology.

Tools Being Used: Google Earth

What Are They Doing: Google and the Amazon Conservation Team officially launched a new initiative yesterday with Indian tribes from the Surui reservation of Brazil to help reduce illegal deforestation. With the help of the Surui chief, Almir Narayamoga Surui(pictured above), tribe members will use the free software Google Earth to police their 600,000-acre reservation. The images will be used as evidence to show the Brazilian government of deforestation, or at least scare away loggers and miners.

The chief discovered the tool while playing around with it and was entranced with its power instantly. He told the International Herald Tribune last year, that he “saw thin whitish lines suggesting deforestation in the vast verdant swath that popped up when he zoomed in on his reservation.”

The loggers and miners “will certainly be scared, because we’ll be watching all the time and denouncing the invasions,” he said in the interview.

Watch the chief here explain the problem of deforestation in his homeland, and the significance of Google Earth helping to perserve his culture.