New Media, ICT and Development: Group 6
https://twitter.com/GoogleWalkout – Singapore Office
At 11.10 am in Tokyo, Google employees began standing up form their desks and leaving their office building in what was the start of a Global Walkout. People have walked out in Singapore, Zurich, London and Dublin. Continue reading →
In my last blog I wrote about how two young women had used the internet to campaign (successfully as it turns out) to get the New Zealand singer, Lorde, to cancel her concert in Tel Aviv because of Israel’s violence against Palestinian people and their occupation of Palestine. There are numerous examples of Social Media being used for progressive causes (#MeToo, BlackLivesMatter, Occupy, Resist to name a few), but can the social media really be used for grassroots organizing? Continue reading →
Activism may be enhanced by using social media platforms for awareness campaigns, virtual petitioning and fund-raising, but when it comes to the environment, it’s ‘boots on the ground’ that count.
It’s no big news to hear about the affordances that social media has offered the world of political and social activism. The ‘Arab Spring’ of 2011/12 and more recently, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations the hashtag #metoo campaign, are oft-cited examples of how social media is transforming the socio-political landscape on scales rarely seen before. However, can the same be said for environmental activism? Are the affordances offered by social media making strong headways in the world of environmental protection? Continue reading →
India is one of the most dangerous countries for women to live in. In recent studies it has ranked number one before countries like Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. One of the most disturbing events that contributes to the image of India was the gangrape and murderer on a bus in 2012. An event that made protesters take to the streets and women speak up. And they had the ears and eyes of the world upon them.
But the MeToo-movement did not take off in India until a year after the time of the “global” break out in 2017. Just like in the US, and large parts of the world, it was the naming of powerful men in the entertainment and news business that made the movement expand. On October 4, Mahima Kukreja, tweeted that a named popular comedian had sent her an unwanted dickpic. Other women responded by sharing stories of similar behaviour from the comedian. Earlier the ex-Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta named a film veteran who she accused of sexual misconduct and the allegations helped launch the #MeToo movement further in India.
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. He was accused for sexual harassment by Anita Hill. When Hill testified before the Senate judiciary committee there was not a single woman on the 14-member panel. The African American Anita Hill was investigated and questioned by powerful middle-aged white men which today it is quite painful, especially considering the differing power relations and the intimate questions, to watch.
Clarence Thomas sits in the Supreme Court and three of the men Hill faced on the committee remain on the panel in 2018. However, this time a female prosecutor was chosen to question the woman, Christine Blasey Ford. The assault, according to Ford, took place at a party in 1982 when they both went to High School. The nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, denies. During the hearings both Kavanaugh and Ford where emotional and considered believable by the public. Moreover, two other women had made accusations about Kavanaugh.
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their 15th Special report yesterday, giving a snapshot of what a world globally warmed by 1.5C above pre-industrial levels might look like within the context of strengthening global responses to climate change, promoting sustainable development, and eradicating poverty. It makes sobering reading: Continue reading →
The other day I heard about an event I want to share with you: the Journalism Across Border conference. It took place from 26 Sept – 28 Sept at University of Technology Ilmenau in Germany. Let’s get right to it.
Source: https://www.tu-ilmenau.de/mw/conference/call-for-papers/
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