News
Revisiting the end of civil society building?
The synthesis paper of Ria Brouwers of the Institute of Social Studies: “When ‘civics’ go ‘governance’, on the role and relevance of civic organisations in the policy arena in Sub-Sahara Africa”, looks at the political role played by civic organisation and tries to understand what happens when ‘civics’ go ‘governance’. It is a sound retrospective paper that deals with issues of the rise of civil society, the external force behind it, and the role that NGOs play in society and power imbalance...
Who the Hack?
One of the most sullied words that have pervaded public discourse, with the rise of the internet, is “hacker”. The word conjures up images of a silent, menacing, technology-savvy young man, who, with his almost magical control over the digital realm, manipulates systems, changes the laws, rewrites the rules and takes complete control. A hacker is defined by his ability to play around with the basic elements of a system and perform actions, sometimes for social good, but often, for fun and to...
Activism: Unraveling the Term
After discussing Blank Noise’s politics and ways of organizing, the current post explores whether activism is still a relevant concept to capture the involvement of people within the collective. I explore the questions from the vantage point of the youth actors, through conversations about how they relate with the very term of activism.
Digital Rights Blogathon
Last week, in light of the human rights celebration in South Africa, digital natives from different parts of the world have given use their view on the digital rights that need to be ensured in 20, 30 or even 50 years time. In this Blogathon they were asked to reflect on what should be right in the digital age.
The Many Faces Within
Blank Noise, as many other digital native collectives, may seem to be complete horizontal at first glance. But, a closer look reveals the many different possibilities for involvement and a unique way the collective organize itself. One day, during an afternoon stroll to the M.C. Escher museum in The Hague, I stumbled upon a painting called ‘Fish and Scales’. On the first glance, I saw two big black-and-white fishes and some smaller ones, but on a closer look I found hundreds of fishes, headin...
Pull the Plug
Is it time to start talking about the right to disconnect? There is so much expectation and focus on being connected to the internet, that it seems like we don't have a choice. We hear a lot about how the internet should be considered as one of the basic human rights. As more of the world gets connected through the World Wide Web, and information becomes the new capital, there is a digital divide that emerges between those who can surf the web with ease, and those who struggle to boot their c...
Social Media in the Arab World
On February 3rd 2011 Jeffrey Ghannam published the report: ‘Social Media in the Arab World; Leading up to the Uprising of 2011’. Ghannam decided to accelerate the production of the report on social media and free expression as it can provide a useful backdrop to the recent popular uprising in Tunisia and Egypt. It aims to give an insight into the rise of an independent and vibrant social media, its impact on the politics of the Arab world and the challenges and limitation imposed by the autho...
When Internet is not a choice but the only option
‘The discussion on the role of Internet in democracy has not ended yet’. Morozov ended his opinion piece for the Dutch newspaper the NRC with the generic conclusion. His argument opposes those of the ‘Internet apostles’ who believe that the Internet stimulates democracy and turns everybody into hyper tolerant world citizens. However, there are only few who still preach the word of Internet and democracy.
The Digital Tipping Point
Is Web 2.0 really the only reason why youth digital activism is so successful in mobilizing public engagement? A look into the transformation of Blank Noise’s blog from a one-way communication medium into a site of public dialogue and collaboration reveals the crucial factors behind the success.
Open Call Digital Natives with a Cause? - workshop in Santiago
Open call for the third and final workshop in the Digital Natives with a Cause? research project that will take place in Santiago, Chile, from the 8 to 10 February. As the Internet and digital technologies become more widespread, the world is shrinking: we are constantly connected to our contexts, our people, our cultures and our networks. And you, yes YOU are a part of this change. In fact, as a digital native– someone to whom digital technologies are central to life – you are directly affec...