Campaign:Online activists take on Beijing Olympics

Written by Talia on July 23, 2008 – 4:00 am -

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.


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24 Hours for Darfur

Written by Tamara on July 17, 2008 – 8:17 am -

Description: The humanitarian crisis continues in Darfur after eight years and slow response from the international community. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, while the United States denies involvement with the ICC and China and Russia supplies arms to the Sudanese government. As the crisis steadily deteriorates, Res Publica has been using digital tools in a advocacy campaign on behalf of the people of Darfur.

Tools: webcams, camcorders, digital cameras, cell phones

How are these tools being used: Internet users from around the world are given the opportunity to participate by recording messages transmitted through their webcams, camcorders, digital cameras and cell phones and then submitting them to the website, 24 Hours for Darfur. Videos range from personal messages from the general public to celebrities including actors Brad Pitt and Mia Farrow and Sen. Barack Obama. The material on the website can then be used for the purpose of lobbying, whereby users can simply email the video to world leaders. The site provides easy email links to such as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The 24 Hours for Darfur campaign is also supported by a page on YouTube.


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Tactic: Facebook used in tracking war criminals

Written by Talia on April 30, 2008 – 4:31 pm -

Description: Anti-genocide group Aegis Trust created a campaign using the social networking site Facebook to find alleged war criminals in Darfur.

Tools used: Facebook, Google Maps and e-petition

What Are They Doing: Aegis is asking Internet users to provide updates on their Facebook page about the whereabouts of suspects – Sudan’s Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Harum and Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb. The International Criminal Court has indicated both men for over 40 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Aegis Trust is also using Google Maps to track the last-known movements of the suspects. Users can also go to Aegis’ “Wanted for War Crimes” webpage to sign a petition that will be automatically emailed to members of the United Nations Security Council.

“The men on the watch list are suspected of hundreds of thousands of murders,” said Dr James Smith, chief executive of the Aegis Trust in a recent statement. “Someone, somewhere, knows where they are. They shouldn’t be allowed to live out their last days in luxury. Their futures lies in a courtroom. That’s what their victims deserve.”


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Posted in E-Petitions, Social Networks, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tactics | No Comments »