Occupy Wall Street, London, Amsterdam..occupy…occupy.. everywhere!

The 15M demonstrations in Spain formed the kick off of the indignados  (outraged) movement  which took much of their inspiration from the Arab  Spring. Occupy Wall street followed suit and soon occupy camps popped up  at central squares all over the world.

Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?

Hivos (The Hague) and The Centre for Internet and Society (Bangalore)  consolidate their 3 year knowledge inquiry into the field of youth,  technology and change in the 4 book collective "Digital AlterNatives  with a cause?". This collaboratively produced collective, edited by  Nishant Shah and Fieke Jansen,asks critical and pertinent questions  about theory and practice around 'digital revolutions' in a post MENA  (Middle East - North Africa) world. It works with multiple vocabularies  and frameworks and produces dialogues and conversations between digital  natives, academic and research scholars, practitioners, development  agencies and corporate structures to examine the nature and practice of  digital natives in emerging contexts from the Global South. The books  are available for a free download in a .pdf format.

The Syrian Uprising and the Power of Stories

On  a daily basis scores of Syrian activists upload their YouTube footage  of protests and the regime’s atrocities, hoping that someone will watch  them, become outraged, and act in ways to support the uprising. Given  the regime’s information blackout, a lot can be learned from these video  snapshots. Yet otherwise the eerie silence from Syria has been deafening. Rarely  are Syrian activists given a voice to express their grievances, wishes,  desires, aspirations and dilemmas. It is against this background that  this newsletter has given the floor to some of such Syrian  writer-activists who, despite the high risks involved, continue to publish their commentary in the Arabic-language media. It is in the power of their stories that these Syrian and Arab authors prove themselves to be true revolutionaries. 

Pluralism, Civil Society and Subaltern Counterpublics

This new Pluralism Working Paper reflects on the concerns of pluralism in India, from the vantage point of the ‘new’ subaltern counterpublics. It presents a case for civil society organizations (CSOs) that might facilitate a reconsideration of their conceptual frames and strategies for intervention in the light of recent developments.

Unruly politics: atomised movements, activist individuals and clientilism

Do new social media create new forms of citizen action? Jenny Morgan  reports on the 'Changing Face of Citizen Action' knowledge exploration in the Hague.

Syria's crisis: A 'war of attrition' and a 'marathon', experts say

Read the interesting article of Ahram Online on the conference Emerging Spheres of Civil Engagement in Syria organised by Hivos, Arab Forum for Alternatives and University of Amsterdam on 24-25 October 2011 in Cairo.

Individualism not necessary point of departure for pluralism

`Pluralism is based on the principle of individualism, while the African concept of family is premised on the collective, on convergence rather than divergence` quotes a recent Pluralism Working Paper ´The Family: At the heart of managing cultural diversity’. How are differences managed then, in the ‘ typical’  African family? Some pointers for engagement, learned through conversations with urban and rural families.

Weak State Helps Extremism in Indonesia

What can the Indonesian state do to counter radicalization? The government does not have to  return to the past authoritarianism by banning radical organizations.  What matters more for a strong state is consistent law enforcement  against extreme activities. These include both physical activities such  as violence against minorities and non-physical activities such as  speeches or publications that fuel sectarian hatred.

“Digital Natives with a Cause?” newsletter, volume VIII

This issue touches upon new dilemma’s of the digital era. Guest editor Nilofar Ansher writes a compelling piece that questions what come’s first: the members of a group of the group itself? She makes her argument through explaining what happens when she deletes all her posts from the Facebook group wall. She asks the questions, when she erases all the traces of her posts, does this matter to the group and to the people that came after her?

The World Bank versus Chinese Development Banks?

The World Bank will most likely at the end of this year add a new instrument to its lending repertoire: Programme-for-Results (P4R). The new instrument is designed to advance development effectiveness, as it is set up to allocate money to projects that deliver results.

LGBT activists oppose cutting of aid to enforce sexual rights

The British government’s threat to withhold aid from countries with  homophobic policies has received critical responses from LGBT activists themselves. In a public statement, more than 150 African social justice activists argue that aid conditionality does not result – in and of  itself – in improved protection of the rights of LGBT people.

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