Tactic: Gazans Phone-Bank for Obama Online

Written by Mary on April 23, 2008 – 2:48 pm -

Description: Palestinian youth are using the Internet to run an informal phone bank to call voters in the US before every primary in order to convince them to vote for Barack Obama. (see video)

Organizer: Ibrahim Abu Jayab and 17 of his friends (Gaza, Palestine)

Purpose of Action: To convince American voters to elect Obama as president. Ibrahim believe that an Obama presidency would have a positive effect on the Middle East peace process.

Organizing Tools: Internet telephony

Outcome: We have yet to see whether Obama will win the election.

Ease of Replication: Internet telephony services, like Skype, are great because you can make calls internationally while paying local rates for calling cell phones and land lines. If you are speaking computer-to-computer (using a head set) you can talk for free.

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Campaign: Help Fouad Mourtada

Written by Mary on March 5, 2008 – 3:32 pm -

Description of Campaign: On February 5, Moroccan Fouad Mourtada was taken into custody for posting a joke profile of Prince Rachid (the King’s brother). Two weeks later, he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined over $1000 on a false charge of document identity fraud. The goal of this campaign is to reverse this sentence, which is horribly out of proportion to the offense committed.

Digital Activism Tools: YouTube, web site, G-Chat, Skype, Facebook, digital video, digital photography

How These Tools Are Being Used: First there was the official web site, www.HelpFouad.com with an e-petition asking for Fouad’s release. Members of the campaign both inside and outside Morocco communicated using G-Chat and Skype. Then there was the Facebook group, Help Fouad Mourtada. Through the Facebook group and offline social networks, rallies were organized this past Saturday at Moroccan embassies and consulates in 8 cities around the world (Rabat, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Washington DC, Montreal, Madrid, and London). Digital video and photographs were collected from these rallies made into a video to promote the cause (see below).

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Posted in Campaigns, Digital Images, E-Petitions, Instant Messaging, Internet Telephony, Mid-East & N. Africa, Social Networks, Video | No Comments »