Framing the changing face of citizen action

When spring became summer, protests even landed in the UK. The British government responded predictably and was quick to frame  these protests acts of senseless violence and unnecessary destruction of  community property. Protestors were being portrayed as senseless  criminals, their acts clear examples of moral decline, ample rationale  for tighter security and heavy punishments. Yet, even the best of spin has not succeeded in smothering critical analyses suggesting that things might not be so simple.

Public event: Arab spring, summer of protest: A next generation of social activism?

There is something brewing underneath the surface. Recent months have seen a surge of drastic forms of citizen action in various parts of the world. The 'Arab spring'  was followed by a summer of protest followed touching countries like Greece, Spain, Israel and other parts of Western  Europe. Are we witnessing the awakening of a new generation of social activism, and if so, what are the new strategies, agenda's, structures and emerging connections?

Digital AlterNatives book launch

On Friday the 16th of September Hivos will launch the Digital AlterNatives with a cause? book, which looks at the dynamics of a new generation that is growing up with digital technology. In 2011 the digital native generation has been all over the front pages off the mayor newspapers in the world. CNN, BBC, de Volkskrant and the NRC gave prominent coverage on the ‘digital’ revolutions in the Middle East and North  Africa and dubbed them as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ revolutions. However, the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, Spain, Greece, Israel, India, Chile and England show that there is more to this generation then just a nice tool.  By framing it as Facebook actions we are simplifying the complex processes that are taking place and denying and underestimate the challenges and dynamics of this younger generation.

2011: The Year When Citizens Woke Up

As both a Syrian and Spanish citizen Leila Nachawati, activist and  journalist and participant of the event The Changing Face of Citizen  Action, she has found herself in the middle of citizen mobilisations in  both countries at the same time. "Growing up in the Middle Eastern  context of repression and lack of  freedom, mobilizations in the Arab  countries seemed like a miracle to  me, to my friends and my family.  After decades of dictatorship suddenly everything was shaking."

On the barricades...

In 2010, Metropolis TV, a long term Hivos partner made a round across the globe to report on citizen protests. The result: a rich collection of inspiring short documentaries ranging from the long struggle by a group of Nicaraguans claiming prize-money from Coca-cola to the earth-scooter protesting against pollution in China.

Anna Hazare's Anti-corruption struggle

Amidst the European Headlines of the Euro-crisis, Anna Hazare's fight against corruption in Indias seems a rather marginal affair for developments in Europe. Yet, argues Peter Konijn from the 'Knowing Emerging Powers Programme', domestic affairs in emerging powers like India are increasingly global in nature and so we have to get used to considering their international implications.

"MUSEVENOMICS" analyzed

Popular understanding as postulated by Ugandan President Museveni suggests that if the prices of commodity prices go up, farmers should benefit by way of higher income. Morrison Rwakakamba from Uganda, a practicing economist and an active member of the  Knowledge Programme on “Small Producers’ Agency in Globalised Markets” argues that while this might theoretically be true, the practice is a bit detached from the theory. He explains that certain structural factors inhibit the farmers from ‘harvesting’ the dividend of high commodity prices. He suggests that part of the solution could lie in the farmers’ exercising their collective agency to negotiate effectively with the middlemen and traders.

Report of the fifth provocation online

The fifth provocation in the series of provocative seminars was held on Wednesday, June 22^nd, in the European Parliament in Brussels and was hosted by Vredeseilanden, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and Richard Howitt, Member of the European Parliament. The provocation dealt with the topic of pro-poor business, development and producer empowerment.

Moving beyond the tool paradigm

All the website, campaign and tools that are developed in search of changing the world prove that this concept is a utopia. What I have realized in working in the field of digital activism is that when talking about digital technology and change, we always want to develop a new website, build a new tool or insert a fancy gadget. There are many examples that show that fancy tools do not work. Therefore I propose that we move beyond our tool obsession and focus on strategy, what is it that we want to change, why should people be interested in participating in this change and how can obtain our goal?

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