Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Digital Activism Unit

Unit Title: Digital Activism


Introduction

Issues and problems affecting the immediate community can go underground unnoticed. The bureaucracies or governments and other interested parties tend to curtail any awareness that will change the status quo. Information technology solutions have in the rest past been used to change the leadership of oppressive governments and alter what seem to be serious issues for change in communities. Different technologies have been used popularly to communicate ideas, create awareness to issues in the society. The technologies can be used to inform, to persuade, and even to spark awareness. With the many current IT related technologies, our messages and stories can be told with more clarity, emotion, and with impact.

AOI
Community and Service: Important community issues are shared using different mediums. The many problems of different individuals can be solved by the choice and means we use to relay the information to influence decision.
ATL: Thinking, organization and information literacy

AK Focus : Governance and Civil society:

Unit Question:
How can Information technology effectively highlight the issues affecting my community?
 
Initial Reseach before investigate
Answer the following question in the handout provided
 
What is activism? And who is an activist?

Then, how would you define digital Activism?

What are the different ways that issues of the communities have been brought to light?

What are some of the challenges of using the traditional methods for Activism?

Social Media and Activism
Read the following news article titled: Russians use Facebook to protest alleged election fraud
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/russians-use-facebook-to-protest-alleged-election-fraud/5975
Why did the protesters use facebook?

What were the benefits of using facebook to protest?

Video for Activism
Read and watch any video if possible on the topic titled: 5 Great examples of Activism through web video
http://socialtimes.com/5-great-examples-of-activism-through-web-video_b15316
Why do you think the activists the above articles opted to use a video to highlight their issues?

Do you think there are limitations in using videos for their purposes?

Website for Activism
Study the following website for activism

Free Child project http://www.freechild.org/youth_activism_2.htm

Clean water http://www.emergepovertyfree.org/donate/clean-water

Cruelty against animal http://www.woaw.org.au/14andOver/cruelty-prevention/?gclid=CLT4nMi96rECFUR76wodyGYAsA
Why did the owners of the above websites opt to design websites to solve their problem instead of other solutions?

Animation and Activism
Watch the following animations designed for activism share the reason animations where used in this case
Universal declaration of human rights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTlrSYbCbHE
An Environmental Activist Aniboom Animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AagOjHpHJ0k

What are the strengths and limitation of using animations solutions for activism?

Music and Activism
Read the following slide share http://www.slideshare.net/emoir/political-activism-in-music
Listen to Political Music activist http://www.carolhansengrey.com/activism/Musical_Activism.html
Watch and listen to XYZ Music http://www.xyzshow.com/freeshow1.php

Among the song listened to,  which was your favorite any why?

Outline other IT solutions that can be developed for Activism?

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