Elizabeth's DOTCOM Blog

Discovering Common Ground: Online Dialogue Among Armenian, Azerbaijani, and American Youth

2010-02-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

by Jordan Denari of What Kids Can Do

Click here to read the full article.

WAITSFIELD, VERMONT -- Armenian and Azerbaijani youth typically don’t have much in common, aside from their mutual feelings of mistrust. For years, they have seen their countries in violent conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory. But with the help of a program funded by the U.S. State Department, some of these young people have come together around a shared interest: using film and social media to create social change.

The program, Developing Online Tools for Civic Outreach and Mobilization (DOTCOM), is run by Project Harmony International. Based in Vermont, it connects high schoolers from the U.S., Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

DOTCOM’s first goal is to teach these young people to harness film and social media to address social issues and effect change. Just as important, the program hopes to begin to resolve conflicts among Armenian and Azerbaijani youth.

The first goal saw ready success. The program’s 90 youth participants learned effective methods of communication, posted short films, and blogged about social issues that are important to them. At a four-week summer 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. and Vermont, 30 of them--10 from each country--received a crash course in filmmaking. Each student received a Flip camera to use at the conference and then bring back home to continue making films. In small groups, the students created short public service announcements (PSAs) about social issues including children’s rights, media censorship, and the environment.

The challenges of conflict resolution

Whether the program achieved its goal of conflict resolution is “less definite,” according to Katie, one of the American participants.

The territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has rendered dialogue between citizens of the two countries “legally impermissible and socially objectionable,” according to DOTCOM program director Elizabeth Metraux. “It’s been an enormous challenge to get students talking and to break down those hugely embedded stereotypes of the other,” she said. At the beginning of the conference, she noted, some of the Armenian and Azerbaijani students would not even make eye contact with each other.

Tessa, another American participant, was initially surprised that dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani youth proved so difficult. The conference pushed her and a number of other American students, she said, to analyze their idealistic views of overcoming conflicts. Reality, she concluded, was “far from, ‘Oh, we can dance around and be happy together!’”

“We kind of agreed not to talk about the [territorial] conflict,” said Katie. “It was kind of put on the back burner.”

Talking and blogging about the conflict was not just difficult, but potentially dangerous. While the students were at the July DOTCOM conference, two young bloggers were detained in Azerbaijan for speaking out against the government.

“There are so many topics that we can’t officially discuss or run an assignment on, in terms of responding to certain political questions,” Elizabeth Metraux explained. “You want to encourage that kind of discourse on political issues. But you really have to measure that against the reality that the government is certainly not opposed to throwing people in jail, regardless of their age.”

Keep reading at What Kids Can Do..

Twitter Diplomacy

2010-02-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Can new media help break the Armenia-Azerbaijan information blockade?

by Onnik Krikorian
February 2010

This is the fourth in a series of reports on relations between ethnic Azeris and Armenians that belie the tension between the two countries. Previous multimedia reports focused on villages and urban districts in Georgia where Azeris and Armenians co-exist. In this analysis Onnik Krikorian explores how new media tools could foster ties between the two groups. You can learn more about this project and see more photos and video at TOL's Steady State blog.

A week before Azerbaijani youth activists and video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli were arrested in July in Baku, an Armenian hundreds of kilometers away in Yerevan posted a YouTube video on his Facebook page.

The video, by Hajizade, introduced subscribers of the young Azerbaijani activist’s online video channel to the now-vacant Armenian church in Azerbaijan’s capital. The message was simple. It was a virtual hand of friendship extended across a closed border and a 15-year-old cease-fire line.

For Armenian Facebook users, this was their first exposure to an image of the “enemy” at odds with that usually portrayed in local media. With a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict seemingly as elusive as ever, Armenians and Azerbaijanis are unable to visit each other’s country or communicate through traditional means such as telephone or mail. Media in both countries frequently self-censor or fall back on government propaganda when it comes to reporting on the other nation.

Keep reading at Transitions Online..

A Web of Peace

2009-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Journalist Onnik Krikorian recently published a terrific article about social media and conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. Part of the article, which cites the DOTCOM program, is included below. Check out the full text here.

A Web of Peace
by: Onnik Krikorian
November 27, 2009

In the 15 years since a ceasefire agreement put the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, various peace proposals have faltered. But if Armenia’s first president was even forced to resign over talk of a concessionary deal by nationalist hardliners in his government opposed to a compromise settlement, the main obstacle in recent years has been public opinion.

Bellicose rhetoric directed against Armenians in Azerbaijan has become common and recently even spilled out into something as trivial as Eurovision, while political forces in Armenia on both sides of the divide have recklessly exploited the conflict to either maintain or come to power. Meanwhile, the local media continues to perpetuate negative stereotypes of the "enemy" while propaganda and misinformation has drowned out what little genuine discussion did exist.

New generations of Armenians and Azerbaijanis are also unable to remember a time when both lived side by side together in peace, sometimes even intermarrying, with nationalistic rhetoric becoming increasingly effective in post-Soviet societies where tolerance and critical independent thinking is discouraged to justify usually undemocratic systems of governance. Some even consider alternative or moderate views on the conflict as tantamount to treason.

Keep reading..

Convention on the Rights of a Child Turns Twenty

2009-11-20T04:51:00.000-08:00

UNICEF’s State of The World’s Children report commemorates 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

NEW YORK, 19 November 2009 – A special edition issue of UNICEF's flagship The State of the World's Children report, tracking the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the challenges that remain, was released today on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Convention’s adoption by the UN General Assembly.

View report: The State of the World's Children report

“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most ratified human rights treaty in human history,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. “It has transformed the way children are viewed and treated throughout the world.”

The Convention has 193 ratifications, the process by which countries decide to be bound by the articles of an international treaty. It articulates a set of universal children’s rights, such as the right to an identity, a name and a nationality, the right to an education, and rights to the highest possible standards of health and protection from abuse and exploitation.

These rights are based on four core principles – non-discrimination; the best interest of the child as primary consideration in matters that affect them; rights to life, survival and development, and respect for the views of children.

Keep reading..

Interview with Global Voices Co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon

2009-10-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Great interview with Global Voices Online co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon, written by J.D. Lasica.

Giving international bloggers a global voice from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

International bloggers network offers alternative perspectives on events around the world

Since 2005, the international bloggers network Global Voices has been one of the shining success stories in citizen media: a community of more than 200 bloggers around the world who offer perspectives frequently not heard in the traditional media.

Founded by former CNN Beijing and Tokyo Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon and technologist and Africa expert Ethan Zuckerman while they were both fellows at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University (both are friends), the nonprofit organization with no physical offices offers reports and translations from blogs and citizen media everywhere.

I caught up with Rebecca several months ago to get an overview of the organization's efforts. Global Voices' importance and reach have grown even more pronounced during 2009 with the street demonstrations in Iran. Regular followers of Global Voices have been able to get a first-hand glimpse of events in all corners of the globe, from Africa and Southeast Asia to Oceana and South America. See their Special Coverage section and Top 10 video posts of 2009.

Rebecca, who also teaches journalism at the University of Hong Kong, describes Global Voices as a site where the editors curate the best of what bloggers are saying outside the Western blogosphere. "Where are the most interesting Middle Eastern and African bloggers and what are they talking about? What are Chinese bloggers saying?" The site's bottom-line goal is to curate the most interesting conversations that will give you a different perspective on what's happening around the world.

She also describes the goals of two Global Voices projects:

• Rising Voices: "One of the problems with blogs around the world is that bloggers tend to be the elites in many societies," she says. So, with help from the Knight Foundation, they set up Rising Voices to give small grants to citizens groups around the world in disadvantaged communities to help people create citizen media, particularly blogs and videoblogs.

• Global Voices Advocacy: One problem is that when bloggers around the world start to speak out, some repressive governments have blocked sites and domain and put people in jail for blogging. The Advocacy arm of Global Voices advocates for the rights and interests of those bloggers.

Global Voices content is now translated by grassroots supporters into more than 15 languages.

Looking down the road, Rebecca says Global Voices is continuing to look at professional-amateur journalism partnerships. "How do we help professional journalists connect better with this global convnersation that's taking place? How can they collaborate with bloggers to get stories out that aren't getting reported?"

You should add a Global Voices RSS feed to your news reader — it's a project that's giving voice to people in some of the most disadvantaged spots on the globe.

Check out more great articles like this at www.socialbrite.org.

Youth Gather to Discuss Social Media for Nonviolent Change

2009-10-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Alliance of Youth Movements Looks to Social Media for Nonviolent Change
By: Daniel Farber

The Alliance of Youth Movements, a non-profit that focuses on effecting nonviolent change through 21st century tools, is holding its second annual Summit in Mexico City this week. The Summit will explore how technology, and the emergence of social networks, can help end violence in Latin America and other regions.

Jared Cohen, who serves on the U.S. Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, said the Summit is an “illustrative example of 21st century statecraft.” Applying modern technologies as a means to catalyze social movements around the world is critical, he added.

"My recent technology delegation trips hosted by the State Department in both Iraq and just the last two days in Mexico City have shown me first hand the power that mobile is going to be in populations where virtual everyone has cell phones but relatively few have broadband access. We are already starting to see great case studies how SMS can be used to let anyone anonymously report violence, corruption and drug trafficking," said Jason Liebman, CEO of Howcast and a co-founder of the Alliance of Youth Movements.

The AYM Summit is sponsored by Causecast.org, Edelman, Facebook, Gen Next, Google, Hi5, Howcast Media, MTV, MySpace, PepsiCo, Univision Interactive Media, Inc., the U.S. Department of State, WordPress.com and YouTube.

You can tune into a webcast of the proceedings for the two-day event starting October 15.

Human Rights Education in Schools

2009-10-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

Way to go, OSCE.. this is long long overdue.

OSCE/ODIHR Launches Book on Human Rights Education for Schools

WARSAW, 2 October 2009 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and several partner organizations launched a resource book today on human rights education for primary and secondary schools and teacher training institutions featuring 101 examples of good practices.

The book, "Human Rights Education in the School Systems of Europe, Central Asia and North America: A Compendium of Good Practice", was presented in the margins of the OSCE's annual human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.

ODIHR created the book together with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe, and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

"Education on human rights is vital for a democratic society as it promotes equality, empowerment and participation as well as conflict prevention and resolution," said Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, director of ODIHR.

He added that human rights education is an important means to develop societies in which the human rights of all are respected, protected and fulfilled.

"We hope that this publication will inspire new initiatives in human rights education and encourage further implementation of those already in place," Lenarcic said.

The book includes descriptions of successful education initiatives in the fields of human rights and democratic citizenship education, as well as education for mutual respect and understanding from Europe, North America and Central Asia.

It covers key elements of successful human rights education such as normative frameworks, the learning environment, teaching and learning tools, professional development for educators and evaluation.

The publication is available on the OSCE website.

The full version, including numerous examples of teaching materials, will be available both online and on CD-Rom in December.

Web Forums Help Iraqi Refugees Adapt to America

2009-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

By Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

BAGHDAD — "Mozart" is the screen name of a 44-year-old guitar-playing Iraqi refugee who was resettled in the United States recently.

In a posting this month to a popular online forum for Iraqis emigrating to the West, Mozart rattled off his many accomplishments: an economics degree from a prestigious Iraqi university, a diploma from an arts institute, experience in tourism and restaurant management, and 25 years as a musician with an Iraqi band.

"All this to tell you: I'm now working in a warehouse, doing manual labor for $8 an hour. My brothers and sisters, work is never shameful," Mozart wrote in Arabic. "In time, you will find your opportunity in the land of opportunity."

There's a growing online audience for Mozart 's encouraging words. After years of backlog, the United States is admitting Iraqis in record numbers — 17,000 were resettled this year, up from just 202 in 2006 — but the refugees are arriving in the midst of a dire economic crisis with few job prospects and only a few months of federal assistance before they're left to fend for themselves.

Iraqis who are approved for resettlement often flee death threats and torture only to find a new set of fears in their U.S. sanctuaries: lack of employment, alienation, language barriers and concern over loved ones who are still in Iraq . The U.S. government teaches Iraqi refugees the basics of life in the United States , such as applying for a driver's license or paying utility bills.

Resettlement manuals don't explain the nuances of American society, however, and the "overly positive" literature was published before the financial crisis wiped out the entry-level jobs that refugees typically fill, said Bob Carey , the nonprofit International Rescue Committee's vice president for resettlement and migration issues.

The online forums "are a good thing because they're not filtered. It's an accurate depiction of life in the States," Carey said.

Keep reading..

Web 2.0 Helps Charities Inspire Change

2009-09-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

How charities harness social media for a social impact: Networkers shift from sharing info to linking up to effect change

By Jina Moore
The Christian Science Monitor
September 8, 2009

Scott Harrison’s new media revolution started by accident.

Mr. Harrison is the founder of Charity: Water, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing clean water to impoverished villages in Africa. In January, he got an e-mail from a British woman who wanted to test Twitter as a fundraising tool. Amanda Rose thought the microblogging site, with its 30 million users, might have some cash power, and if it did, she wanted to put the cash in Harrison’s wells.

Ms. Rose organized the first-ever “Twestival,” an event whose name blends “Twitter” and “festival.” Using this instant-messaging power, Rose organized a series of 200 off-line charity events around the globe, from concerts in New York to knitting groups in Brussels, that raised a combined $250,000 from 10,000 new donors. The Twestival became a media meme, but what Harrison did next launched Charity: Water’s reputation as a social-media colossus in its own right.

“We orchestrated a live drill for them in Ethiopia. We drilled the first Twestival well live, broadcast it via satellite to the 202 cities,” Harrison says. “We actually allowed people to tweet in questions” for the well drillers.

Harrison’s nonprofit is one of many using social media in surprising new ways. As the Internet comes of age, social media has changed the way nonprofits do business. They’ve advanced beyond getting the word out on Facebook and raising money with Twitter to find a unique overlap between the mission of nonprofits and the methods of new media.

“People talk about Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 – older and newer. The key difference is that Web 1.0 was automating transactions. You buy a book online, or you send an e-mail. Web 2.0 explicitly creates new ways to collaborate and participate,” says Sean Stannard-Stockton, a social-media blogger and founder of Tactical Philanthropy Advisers. “In nonprofits in particular, collaboration and participation is the mission of the organization…. Web 2.0 tools are custom-made for social change, as opposed to just being a new way to do old stuff.”

Keep reading..

Second Annual Democracy Video Challenge Launch

2009-09-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

On September 15th, the U.S. Department of State, with its partners from youth and democracy organizations, academia, and the film/entertainment industry, launched the Second Annual Democracy Video Challenge—a worldwide competition aimed at enhancing the global dialogue on democracy. Under Secretary Judith A. McHale announced the launch at a United Nations event on the International Day of Democracy.

The Democracy Video Challenge asks filmmakers, democracy advocates, and the general public to create short videos that complete the phrase, “Democracy is…”

The winners are selected by the online voting public. Six regional winners receive an all-expense paid trip to the United States. Contestants who wish to compete anonymously may also submit videos. One anonymous video will be selected as a winner; however, that contestant will not be eligible to claim the travel prize.

This year’s contest will build on the momentum of the first annual challenge, which saw over 900 video submissions from 95 countries and the collective participation of more than 70 embassies.

The Challenge is supported by a unique partnership that includes representatives from democracy (Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute) and youth (International Youth Foundation, TakingITGlobal) organizations, the film/entertainment industry (Motion Picture Association of America, NBC Universal, the Recording Industry Association of America and YouTube), academia (NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and USC's Annenberg School of Communication), and the U.S. Department of State.

For contest details, visit the Democracy Video Challenge web site at: http://www.videochallenge.america.gov/

An Inspiring Article about the Power of Blogging

2009-09-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Blogging Begins Turnaround for Homeless Woman

Ted Rowlands (CNN)
September 11, 2009

(CNN) -- It may have a fairy tale ending -- a story of perseverance and second chances that's playing out live on the public stage of online networking. But 24-year-old Brianna Karp's story started as a nightmare.

In a rocky economy, Karp was laid off from her Irvine, California, job as an executive assistant in July 2008.

She got by for a while on temp jobs and unemployment benefits. But when her savings dried up, she was no longer able to afford her rent.

The only answer she saw then was a trailer she'd inherited from her father -- a man she barely knew who had recently committed suicide.

"I was left with a truck and this camper, which I was going to sell but coincidentally this happened to me," she said. "I thought, 'Well, I have this.' "

Karp, who writes that she is also estranged from her mother, ended up camped in a Los Angeles-area Walmart parking lot.

"The first night, I think, in the Walmart parking lot was the scariest," she told CNN. "I was panicking, and I was just afraid."

For comfort, she had her mastiff named Fezzik. And she had her laptop computer.

As she spent five months looking for jobs and blasting out resumes, often spending hour after hour at a coffee shop to take advantage of its free Wi-Fi connection, she also started blogging. The result, the Girl's Guide to Homelessness, chronicled the ups and downs of her new life.

She reminisced about adopting her dog, named for a character from the movie "The Princess Bride," and mulled the pros and cons of having a pet while homeless. She recounted details from failed job interviews and offered tips for other homeless women.

"I was trying to stay positive and cheerful," Karp said. "I started writing the blog in a tongue-in-cheek way to kind of laugh about my circumstances, keep them chronicled. I didn't think anyone would actually read it."

But people did, including Matt Barnes, formerly homeless himself and running a Web site about his own homelessness issues in Scotland.

He asked her to write for his site and would eventually become Brianna's boyfriend.

Another big break came through a shot at the weird world of reality television.

Karp applied for a show that would offer contestants the chance at a job with Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.

She was granted an audition for the show and, by her own account, totally botched it.

"I went back and blogged about bombing the interview and made fun of myself," she said.

On a lark, she then wrote to Carroll via her column.

"Dear E. Jean: I'm currently homeless and living in a Wal-Mart parking lot," her e-mail began. "I'm educated, I have never done drugs and I'm not mentally ill. I have a strong employment history and am a career executive assistant. The instability sucks, but I'm rocking it as best as I can."

She told Carroll about her poor interview for the show and finished the note with the question, "How does one get another shot when one screws up a job interview? -- Homeless, but Not Hopeless."

Carroll said she was floored by the note.

"[The phrase] 'I'm living in a Walmart parking lot' hooked me," she said. "I thought, she's so ready to work, obviously she can write, she's got some skills."

Her response appeared in the August issue of Elle -- she offered Karp an internship and a chance to write a fashion blog for the magazine.

"I think she's a new voice," Carroll said. "She's a voice we haven't heard, and I'm excited for her future."

Not that all of her troubles were instantly over. Last month, she wrote, Walmart finally had her trailer towed, and she has now parked her mobile home at a friend's house outside Los Angeles.

She's also still seeking that elusive full-time job, while hoping her newfound high profile will help spread the word about homelessness, and how it can happen to the most unlikely people.

"If you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn't assume I live in a parking lot," she writes on the blog. "In short, I am just like you, except without the convenience of a permanent address."

Doors to Diplomacy Competition

2009-09-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

GREAT opportunity, DOTCOMers!

Doors to Diplomacy 2010 Web Project Competition for High School Students

The Department of State and the Global SchoolNet Foundation announce the 2010 "Doors to Diplomacy" award competition, recognizing the student-created Global SchoolNet Web projects that best teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy.

To qualify, middle school and high school students will work in small teams with teacher-coaches. Projects must be completed by March 15, 2010, and winners will be announced in May 2010. Every team that enters a project will receive a special "Doors to Diplomacy" certificate recognizing their achievement. Each student member of the two winning teams – one American and one international – will also receive a $2,000 scholarship, and the winning coaches’ schools will each receive a $500 cash award.

For a complete description and information about eligibility and judging criteria, visit http://globalschoolnet.org/gsndoors/

For more information, contact:

Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres
Global SchoolNet
Telephone: 760-635-0001
E-mail: diplomacy@globalschoolnet.org

Wanda Ramsey
U.S. Department of State
E-mail: ramseywc@state.gov

The Power of Social Media in the Caucasus

2009-08-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

Eurasia: Bracing for a Technological Counter-Revolution

A EurasiaNet commentary by Stephen Blank 8/28/09

The advent of social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has changed the nature of political dissent. But as this summer’s unrest in Iran and China has demonstrated, authoritarian-minded governments have done their homework, and have kept pace with the revolution in communications.

Experts on Eurasian political developments now believe that authoritarian-minded governments in the region are going on the offensive to stifle opposition and roll back civil society. The offensive involves traditional methods of repression, as underscored by the recent murders of two prominent rights workers in Russia -- Natalya Estemirova and Andrei Kulagin. The ongoing detention of three youth activists in Azerbaijan is another case in point. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

But many governments in the region are stepping up efforts to control the ability of people to use the Internet as a means both to communicate and to disseminate information. The most visible effort to repress social networking technologies and the internet is Kazakhstan’s repressive Internet law, which President Nursultan Nazarbayev, no doubt influenced by events in Xinjiang and Iran, recently signed into law. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

This new law violates Kazakhstan’s promises of media reform made to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Astana made reform pledges in order to secure the OSCE chairmanship in 2010. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Kazakhstan’s action to increase its oversight over the flow of information inside the country serves as an ominous indicator of how Astana will go about executing its responsibilities as the OSCE chair.

The Kazakhstani legislation follows Russian efforts going back to 2004-05 to control the Internet in the wake of Georgia’s and Ukraine’s revolutions. But according to US experts, the Kazakhstani law is even more draconian than Russia’s statue, and thus can easily become a template to be copied by other Central Asian governments. Beyond the newly adopted restrictions, regional governments may be employing additional electronic means to silence dissenting voices. Some opposition websites have of late come under severe hacker attacks, for example.

Not surprisingly both Russia and Kyrgyzstan are showing interest in emulating the Kazakhstani approach on Internet legislation. And in Azerbaijan, Aynur Galieva, a member of Parliament, is advocating the regulation of the Internet through a new government agency that would ostensibly be set up to protect children from damaging content. All of these signs point to a common determination not to allow citizens to use information technology freely to organize, or assert their civil or human rights, let alone air legitimate political grievances.

One of the more ominous signs of things to come manifested itself in Russia in early July, when the Ministry of Communications posted its order Number 65 on its official website. This order obliges the postal services to make available all private mail and data on senders and addressees to the Federal Security Service (FSB) on demand. It also cancels the privacy of electronic correspondence, forcing operators to grant the FSB access to their electronic databases. No such law ever was promulgated under Soviet rule, even though the KGB, the forerunner of the FSB, conducted such activities anyway.

This order clearly contravenes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1976. It would also seem to violate Article 23 of the Russian Constitution, which enshrines the privacy of telephone, postal, and other communications, and states unequivocally that only a court order can remove this right.

Order Number 65 parallels the Ministry of Internal Affair’s (MVD) ongoing efforts to monitor public attitudes in order to forestall public protests over worsening economic conditions. The MVD is also forming an elite unit, dubbed "avant-garde," which will serve as a sort-of rapid reaction force designed to keep large-scale demonstrations from turning into forces for political change.

These extraordinary measures constitute a giant step toward the re-imposition of totalitarian controls in Russia. They also suggest that the Kremlin is genuinely worried about the possibility of unrest amid Russia’s current economic crisis.

Editor's Note: Stephen Blank is a professor at the US Army War College. The views expressed this article do not in any way represent the views of the US Army, Defense Department or the US Government.

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav082809a.shtml

Youth Produced PSAs.. GET INVOLVED!

2009-08-28T04:02:00.000-07:00

American DOTCOMers.. check this out!!

America's Youth Speak Out is the only youth produced national public service campaign. More than 4000 young people across the country are producing public service messages dealing with issues that are important in their lives and communities. These 30 second messages tell it like it is, in a voice that youth will understand and trust- their own. In this campaign, youth producers speak out about smoking, mental health, domestic violence, literacy and the arts. Take a few minutes to hear what they have to say.

Listen Up!'s mission is to inject a youth voice in the mass media, one that contributes to a culture of free speech and social responsibility.

Read more!

Blogging about AIDS

2009-08-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, have I been woefully negligent of my blogging! A thousand apologies..

I came across this open letter from David Sasaki, editor at Rising Voices (of Global Voices, who we all know and love), regarding the Blogging Positively Project. I wanted to share..

Dear All,

We are pleased to announce the release of "Blogging Positively," a
collection of case studies, interviews, and best practices about
citizen media related to HIV/AIDS. You will be introduced to some of
the leaders and veterans of the HIV-positive blogging community, and
also to citizen media projects which aim to spread more awareness
about the pandemic. The guide contains tips for workshop facilitators
and teachers, and points readers to helpful resources for new bloggers
just getting started.

The Blogging Positively project began two years ago when Kenyan
blogger Serina Kalande, volunteered to lead a working group to discuss
how citizen media can best be implemented in the field of HIV/AIDS.
Many of the project proposals we've received at Rising Voices have
been related to spreading awareness about the pandemic. We wanted to
learn from those proposals - and also from existing citizen media
initiatives - to better understand how new media tools can be used
most effectively to spread awareness and encourage discussion about
HIV/AIDS-related topics. We also wanted to better understand some of
the risks and obstacles facing bloggers who are HIV-positive, or who
regularly write about HIV/AIDS-related topics.

Three online chats brought together people from all over the world,
and from a wide range of fields. In addition to the creation of this
guide, the participants of the chats collaborated on the creation of a
map-based directory of HIV-positive bloggers who bravely defy stigma
and discrimination to communicate their situation to the rest of the
world.

To celebrate the release of the Blogging Positively guide, which has
been two years in the making, today we begin a one-week campaign to
update our map of HIV positive bloggers. If you are a positive
blogger, or if you have suggestions for links to add to the directory,
please send a message to Global Voices Public Health Editor Juhie
Bhatia.

The Blogging Positively guide was authored by Janet Feldman of the
Kenya AIDS Intervention Prevention Project Group and ActAlive, which
encourages the use of the arts and media to address HIV/AIDS and other
human-development challenges. Additional contributions were made by
Solana Larsen, Sahar Romani, and Juhie Bhatia. Daudi Were coined the
term "Blogging Positively."

The importance and impact of this guide depends on our collective
ability to get it into the hands of activists, and to encourage their
contributions to the global conversation that is curated and amplified
everyday on the Global Voices website. Please consider sharing this
with your network of friends and blogging about it. If there are HIV/
AIDS organizations and support groups in your region, please send them
a copy of the guide.

Finally, if you would like to learn more about what bloggers around
the world have to say about the AIDS pandemic, don't miss our
Conversations for a Better World series which has so far featured
commentary about HIV/AIDS from bloggers based in Africa, China,
Cambodia, and the Middle East & North Africa.

Best Regards,

David

Youth Produced Socially Conscious Films

2009-08-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Despite a few unforeseen (well, okay, they were kinda foreseen) issues, one student film has gone up on YouTube. And here it is! So check out the work of three exceptional teenagers from three countries..

Citizen Warfare using Web 2.0

2009-08-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

On The Weaponization of the Collaborative Web

By Matthew Burton
June 16, 2009
Personal Democracy Forum

Around this time yesterday, I, along with countless others, tried to bring down the Web sites of Iran's information and justice ministries, and state-sponsored media outlets. The idea was to silence the pro-Ahmadenijad, anti-dissent messages coming from these outlets, and in so doing, strengthen the opposition protests in Tehran.

You didn't have to be computer smart to take part: a developer in San Francisco had set up a push-button tool that would, upon your click, immediately start bombarding 10 Web sites with requests. I clicked Start, and in the 10 little boxes below, I could see the pages load and reload. About half of them were already down.

This was exhilarating. The goal was to promote democracy, and I could actually watch as it happened. Empowering.

But there's more to it than that. I'm conflicted about the virtue of this idea. I'm still trying to sort out my thoughts about what happened, but I know that we will be talking about yesterday morning for years to come. We turned our collective power and outrage into a serious weapon that we could use at our will, without ever having to feel the consequences. We practiced distributed, citizen-based warfare. That is frightening.

Keep reading..

UNICEF Video Contest

2009-08-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

After a long absence with my DOTCOM students (what fun!), I'm now back to blogging! I'm especially eager to pass along some great opportunities for the students so you can continue raising your voice and raising awareness about many of the issues we discussed in Vermont this summer. I hope you'll take advantage of these and share other resources with the group, as well..

So here we go!

UNICEF RIGHTS OF A CHILD VIDEO CONTEST

Deadline extended to 30 August 2009.

We want to see what you think about children’s rights!

It’s the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under 18 years old often are neglected in the human rights debate. The leaders wanted to make sure that the world recognized that children have human rights too. As a result, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was developed. It is the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

Take a look at the CRC leaflet [pdf] and think about what it means to you. Then make a video showing what child rights mean to you, whether it be in the world at large, your country or your community. Maybe there is an example of how children’s rights are not being fulfilled. Or maybe you want to show a situation where children are getting the rights they deserve. Tell us what you think.

Videos will be reviewed by a global panel of media professionals and youth and displayed on the main UNICEF website. The winning video will be used in the CRC’s 20th anniversary celebration and made available for broadcast around the world for the 2010 The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting.

Read more about the competition!

Social Networking and the Iranian Elections

2009-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

New York Times: Social Networks Spread Iranian Defiance Online

By BRAD STONE and NOAM COHEN
Published: June 15, 2009

As the embattled government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to limit Internet access and communications in Iran, new kinds of social media are challenging those traditional levers of state media control and allowing Iranians to find novel ways around the restrictions.

Iranians are blogging, posting to Facebook and, most visibly, coordinating their protests on Twitter, the messaging service. Their activity has increased, not decreased, since the presidential election on Friday and ensuing attempts by the government to restrict or censor their online communications.

On Twitter, reports and links to photos from a peaceful mass march through Tehran on Monday, along with accounts of street fighting and casualties around the country, have become the most popular topic on the service worldwide, according to Twitter’s published statistics.

Keep reading..

Iran, Twitter and the CNN Fail

2009-06-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

A great article from friend of DOTCOM, Josh Levy.

Iran, Twitter and the CNN Fail
Josh Levy | June 15, 2009 | savetheinternet.com

As I write this, three of the top 10 "trending topics" on Twitter are related to the protests currently rocking Iran. In fact, the most popular trend on Twitter for the last few days has been #iranelection, which updates with hundreds of new tweets every minute. Reports are coming from protesters on the ground in Tehran, journalists working in Iran, and thousands of observers around the world. They link to photos, video and text that, in the aggregate, paint an incredible picture of civil unrest unfolding before our eyes.

This used to be why we turned on the TV. Yet while the Twittering classes were bending over backward to find more information and connect to more people in Iran -- going so far as to provide proxy servers for Iranians being blocked from the Internet -- CNN and other cable news outlets were busy running evergreen documentaries and Larry King reruns. The New York Times' Brian Stelter, a dedicated tweeter himself, even reported that folks weren't only using Twitter to report about Iran, but to complain about CNN's failure to report (using, of course, the Twitter hashtag #CNNfail)

"Untold thousands used the label 'CNNfail' on Twitter to vent their frustrations. Steve LaBate, an Atlanta resident, said on Twitter, 'Why aren’t you covering this with everything you've got?' About the same time, CNN was showing a repeat of Larry King's interview of the stars of the 'American Chopper' show. For a time, new criticisms were being added on Twitter at least once a second."

Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan, at his usual blogging post at the Atlantic, has been flooding the zone by packaging tweets, images, videos and online commentary to create a ground-level guide to the crisis. In doing so, he's gleefully (if prematurely) signaling the end of the MSM.

One of Sullivan's readers writes:

"Reading your blog over the past 30 something hours makes me realize why the MSM is really finished. I mean, this point has finally hit home. You are blogging real time events, with descriptions, evaluation, analysis, and eye witness accounts. You are gathering information from a myriad of sources and putting it out there for a cohesive message. CNN, NY Times, et al are merely running an article about 'thousands' of protesters. Its a canned message from just a few stale sources. The revolution is definitely on in Iran. And its on in American journalism too."

Twitter is probably the most self-referential medium we've ever had. Not only are people using it to break news about Iran, but they're also erupting in insta-analysis of the decline of the MSM and the role of social media. Take these tweets from author Steven Johnson:

"Iran events should be death blow to argument that new media will lead to *less* civic engagement "

and

"Iran is also a case study in how great journalism and emergent social media can be a powerful combination. (Despite the awful cable news.)"

The slow displacement of the traditional news media by social media just sped up. But CNN and its other lame-duck counterparts won't disappear tomorrow, and crowd-sourced reporting on Twitter won't replace top-down, gatekeeping news operations. Nevertheless, I think we can agree that cable news just got pwned. Score one more for the open Internet.

Yes, We Can!

2009-06-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is such a great video - regardless of your political leanings. It's creative and provocative and hopefully will inspire you as you think about creating your short videos this summer. Enjoy!

Obama's Cairo Address goes Viral

2009-06-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

techPresident | June 9, 2009

"A New Beginning": The Speech Heard (and Facebooked, and Tweeted) 'Round the World
by: Nancy Scola

As the White House is eager to inform us, the ripple effect of President Obama's 55-minute speech called "A New Beginning" delivered last Thursday, June 4th, at Egypt's Cairo University didn't stop that on that day and wasn't limited to that campus. The White House subtitled Obama's speech "President Obama Speaks to the Muslim World." What's become clear over the last few days is that a primary way the White House intends to make sure that this important speech is indeed heard throughout the Muslim World is through technology. What's more, the Obama Administration is smartly making use of an extensive distributed network already at the White House's disposal: the American embassies and diplomatic postings scattered around the planet.

The White House is noting in a press release that State Department entities scattered around the planet engaged in the President Obama's speech in ways that reverberated throughout their geographic areas of political influence. Embassies or consulates in seven countries tweeted along with the speech and engaged with commenters on Twitter about the speech's content and meaning. More than 30 embassies used Facebook to promote the speech and allow locals to participate in discussions around it. (Secretary Hillary Clinton is hoping that one effect of her recently-announced Virtual Student Foreign Service will be to bring additional U.S. embassies onto Facebook.) Some 20,000 people signed up to receive from the State Department SMS text message updates on their cell phones as the speech progressed. And the State Department posted translations of the President's address in 17 different languages: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, French, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Urdu.

Keep reading..

The Rise of e-Diplomacy

2009-06-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

The Rise of e-Diplomacy
By MICAH SIFRY and ANDREW RASIEJ

In an age when Israeli and Lebanese bloggers can IM each other while their countries are at war; when two college grads in Colombia can use Facebook to spark worldwide demonstrations, involving 14 million people, against the FARC rebel group; and when a half-million people using Kiva.org can lend more than $75 million in direct micro-loans to people in 185 countries, clearly international relations is no longer a monopoly of governments. Social media are helping redefine what diplomacy means at a rapid pace.

Keep reading...

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Youth

2009-05-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm forever looking for creative and effective uses of technology, especially those that might impact youth. This article offered a few pearls of wisdom and some Web 2.0 tools worth trying.

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners
Chris Riedel
T.H.E. Journal, February 2009

Gail Lovely is adamant about the nature and potential of Web-based learning tools. "Web 2.0 is about trust," she said at a recent talk. "It's about sharing and collaborating." And, she insisted, it's about putting the power to learn and create in the hands of the students.

Technology needs to trickle up, she said, not down. We need to give the most powerful tools to the most vulnerable populations because they are the ones who need it. "Young learners, non-readers," she continued, "need high-speed access, they need animation and graphics and sound. And that's the truth."

Keep reading...

Diplomacy goes Digital.. Thank you, Hillary!

2009-05-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

State Department continues to embrace citizen diplomacy through technology

2009-05-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton Launches "21st Century Statecraft" Initiative by State Department
by Micah L. Sifry | Personal Democracy Forum
May 13, 2009

When it comes to government agencies adapting to the Networked Age, the State Department is no slouch. It's had an Office of eDiplomacy since 2003; its staffers make heavy use of an internal unclassified online encyclopedia called Diplopedia; it's been blogging since September 2007 at Dipnote; and now State even has a Twitter feed. ExchangesConnect, a cultural exchange social networking site (built on Ning.com) that focuses on foreign exchange students, recently topped its 10,000th member.

Under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the State Department has also been in the forefront of Obama administration moves to experiment with and adopt new ways to interact with the public, including using YouTube and text-messaging as ways to pose questions directly. The overall push is showing results, reports the AP: "Daily views of the Dipnote have doubled from 10,000 a year ago to 20,000 today, with 700 subscribers to its RSS feed, twice as many as in March 2008. The number of followers of the department on Twitter has tripled since Jan. 20, when Obama took office, while the department's Facebook friends have increased by 2 1/2 times in the same period." (Lots more details on State's digital initiatives here.)

But this is just the beginning of a larger conceptual shift, says Alec Ross, who recently was named senior adviser to the Secretary of State for innovation.

Keep reading..

Social Media in the South Caucasus

2009-05-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Onnik's on a role lately with some amazing reporting from the South Caucasus. This article is such a great example of the power of social media to organize civic action. It's amazing!

Twitter, blogs, social media define youth protests in Baku, Azerbaijan
by Onnik Krikorian
May 15, 2009

Defying earlier warnings, a group of youth activists last Sunday staged an action to protest the government's failure to declare a national day of mourning after 13 people were killed in a shooting spree at a Baku university on 30 April. The tragedy shocked many both inside and outside Azerbaijan, but only a few took to the streets last week. Radio Free Europe, however, has been quick to term the young protesters "Baku's Flower Children"...

Among those detained were several bloggers, including Frontline's own Ali S. Novruzov, and social media tools such as Twitter were used to follow their arrest and later release. It is also believed that social networking sites such as Facebook were used to arrange and coordinate the protest in addition to those blogs which later carried many first-hand accounts of the incident.

Keep reading..

Looking for Ways to Make a Difference?

2009-05-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

For all you DOTCOMers eager to make a difference in your world, I thought this article had some really good insights.

Teen Angel: This teenager wants to fix the world. These are the first three steps he should take.

By Patty Stonesifer and Sandy Stonesifer
Posted Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at 6:59 AM ET

Question: I am a teenager and often feel powerless when I see problems in the world. My monetary resources are limited, and I already volunteer one day a week at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. My social circle is broad but not numerous. I am schooled at home, so I can't even talk to my classmates. Can you think of anything I can do to make a bigger difference?

Reply: Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by what's going on far away that we forget there's a lot of change to be made in our own backyard. Think about the improvements you would like to see in your own community and figure out what it would take to make them happen. Start attending public meetings, and make sure your opinion is heard. While I don't see a youth committee on the Monterey city Web site, you can certainly contact your elected officials to see what it would take to start an entity to ensure the youth voice is included in your local policy decisions.

Read the rest of Patty and Sandy's response..

Heartstrings..

2009-05-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

I know DOTCOMers are busy with their "elevator pitch" films right now, so I wanted to post a really fun video that a friend created as he gets ready for his upcoming wedding. Yeah, I know, nothing "DOTCOMish" about this, but loads of heartstrings here.. so cute!

Surfside from Ash Little on Vimeo.

Friend us!

2009-05-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that both DOTCOM and PH have Facebook pages. Take a second to join the growing communities!

South Caucasus Youth Journalists Take Change to the Streets

2009-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article about what's possible when a group of teens gets together with a mission to make some media and make a difference.

Kids Crossroads and DCTV take Europe by Cyberbus

What do 6 teenagers from 3 former Soviet Republics want to learn about Europe? My long-time friends Jon Alpert and Manana Aslamazyan are finding out, as they travel with a group of young journalists from the South Caucasus (2 each from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). The journalists are all part of the team that makes an amazing weekly pan-Caucasus youth TV program called “Kid’s Crossroads.” The trip is taking place on Downtown Community Television’s world-famous Cybercar, which was shipped from NYC to Europe for the trip. After a couple days in Paris, the group headed out into the countryside toward Lyon, where they talked to journalists at Euronews and to students from around the world at the International School of Lyon.

The cyberbus is a travelling video production studio and talk show set - the visitors from the Caucasus hold “town meetings” where they can show video stories they’ve produced at home and discuss them...

Keep reading..

Onnik Krikorian: Citizen Media and the Tbilisi Protests

2009-04-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite journalists, Onnik Krikorian, just posted a great article on citizen media and the Tbilisi protests. Read the full article on Frontline.

Citizen Media and the Tbilisi Protests
April 10, 2009

We've heard a lot about the use of social networking sites and services such as Twitter and Facebook by political activists in the past week, but opposition protests in Georgia have also shown that they are valuable tools in the hands of student and professional journalists alike.

As an editor for Global Voices Online, a site which monitors and aggregates social media and blogs, had it not been for an online project to report on the protests, as well as the presence of fellow Frontline Club bloggers, things would have been very different indeed.

Despite lagging behind Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of the quality and quantity of blogs, the work of the GIPA Journalism School in Tbilisi, as well as that by Matthew Collin and Guy Degen, set new standards for the use of citizen media in the region during times of political upheaval.

In contrast, the use of blogs, forums and online video sharing sites in Armenia during last year's presidential election might have countered government-controlled media, but was just as tainted by misinformation and propaganda. They also pretty much regurgitated or mirrored partisan press reports anyway.

However, the past two days in Tbilisi, has illustrated how the media can be strengthened by such tools in the hands of the right people. Although the international media did cover the protests, it was the GIPA Journalism School blog that was updating readers more frequently online.

Keep reading..

Media Consolidation.. So What?

2009-04-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

The message in this video is so important, exploring the increasing consolidation of media. It was produced by a couple of Seattle high school students involved in Real Grrls, a youth filmmaking organization for young women. Check out both the film website for terrific media resources, as well as the Real Grrls site. These women are doing some amazing things.

Twitter Stirs a Revolution

2009-04-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

With PH's presence throughout Eurasia and the focus on social networking in DOTCOM, this article by Evgeny Morozov in Foreign Policy caught my eye.

Moldova's Twitter Revolution

Cellphones and text messaging are widely believed to have played a crucial role in fostering the Orange Revolution in Ukraine (or at least, making the protests as widespread and successful as they were); the Berkman Center at Harvard published probably the most comprehensive study of the role that social media played in the Orange Revolution (even though I criticized some of its cyber-utopian assumptions in a recent essay for Boston Review).

Could it be that five years after the famous protests in Kiev's Maidan Square another technology - Twitter - will usher in another revolution in neighbouring Moldova? Will we remember the events that are now unfolding in Chisinau not by the color of the flags but by the social-networking technology used?

Keep reading..

Diplomacy Gets Tech Support

2009-04-06T08:47:00.001-07:00

Today's Washington Post featured the following story.

Diplomatic Efforts Get Tech Support

By Cecilia Kang
Washington Post
Monday, April 6, 2009; Page A13

Alec Ross arrives today at the State Department, armed with a new set of diplomatic tools including Facebook, text messaging and YouTube...

His new job will blend technology with diplomacy in an attempt to help solve some of the globe's most vexing problems on health care, poverty, human rights and ethnic conflicts. And it is emblematic of the expansive approach the administration has taken to the role of technology in advancing its domestic and global agendas.

Keep reading..

Nagorno Karabakh: Blogs, social networking sites cross ethnic fault lines

2009-04-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

Onnik has a great article about social networking in the South Caucasus, with mention of DOTCOM. I think you'll enjoy taking a look. I've pasted a few paragraphs below, but encourage you to read the full article.

Nagorno Karabakh: Blogs, social networking sites cross ethnic fault lines

In May, Armenia and Azerbaijan will mark the 15th anniversary of the 1994 ceasefire agreement which put the conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, a mainly ethnic Armenian-populated autonomous oblast situated within Azerbaijan, on hold. Since then, international mediators continue to talk of a lasting peace agreement being in reach, but few following the negotiations are as optimistic.

With a new generation of Armenians and Azeris growing up unable to remember the time when both lived together, it's perhaps no wonder...

As mentioned in a previous post on this blog, DOTCOM has literally harnessed the power of the Internet to circumvent ethnic fault lines. Yes, there are still obstacles which need to be overcome, but the potential for the project funded by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by Project Harmony is there. Already, participants are showing that the issues which concern them most are common to all.

Keep reading..

Education 2.0

2009-04-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Keeping It Real: Offline Communications Still Key to Connecting With 'Digital Generation'

2009-04-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've posted a few excerpts from new (surprising!) research that measures the attitudes of youth towards technology. Read the full article here..

LONDON, March 31, 2009 - PRNewswire via COMTEX - New research into the attitudes of youth towards technology has exploded some of the myths about the technology consumption and media choices of young people today. The research, A Beta Life - Youth, examined how technology affects all aspects of young people's relationships. It concludes that the offline world is still the primary influencer and driver of young people in how they conduct their lives, including interactions with friends, family, entertainment media, communication technologies, advertising and brands...

The study is designed to understand how technology has impacted on the social lives of young people globally, and explores how these lifestyle changes affect their relationship with friends, family, entertainment media, communication technologies, advertising and brands. Commissioned by OTX Europe in association with five leading brands - MTV Networks, 20th Century Fox, Fox Mobile Group, Nokia and Channel 4 (a British broadcasting network) - the research was conducted in five markets - UK, US, Germany, India and Japan - between September and December 2008 amongst 8,000 technology embracing 12 - 24 year olds.

Armenian and Azerbaijani Students Unite in Georgia

2009-03-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

This video shows a school in the Republic of Georgia where Armenian and Azerbaijani youth live and study side by side. It's inspirational!

Web 2.0 is a Mixed Bag for Foreign Diplomacy

2009-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Great article on the Internet Evolution regarding the use of Web 2.0 in U.S. foreign policy..

Web 2.0 Is a Mixed Bag for US Foreign Policy
Written by Rob Salkowitz

How do I put this diplomatically?

Diplomacy, the 19th century strategist Karl Von Clausewitz famously quipped, is war by other means. Here in the 21st century, diplomacy may be another name for social networking.

According to a report by the Associated Press, "digital diplomacy" is all the rage in Foggy Bottom, the Washington neighborhood that is home to the U.S. State Department. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is "embracing new media, using the Web to promote the agency and her role as the nation's top envoy." The article cites a few examples, including a blog (with comments enabled), a Twitter feed, an interactive travel map, and a YouTube channel.

Keep reading..

Youth Media in Haiti

2009-03-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

I've done a bit of work with students in the Deschapelles Valley of Haiti, so I wanted to post this video that I thought really demonstrated the kind of work that DOTCOMers can do with media and advocacy. It's powerful stuff.

What would you say to our leaders?

2009-03-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

Obama welcomes your ideas. Read the full article here.

Introducing Government 2.0

2009-03-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

I found this today on The New York Times, and have copied the first couple paragraphs below. I'd encourage you to check out the full article online.

Your Government Needs You: Re-design Congress Online

By Phil Glockner, ReadWriteWeb on The New York Times
Published: March 20, 2009

Yesterday on the O'Reilly Radar blog, House Representative Mike Honda (D-San Jose), called out for suggestions and guidance for ways to better utilize technology to get the public involved with U.S. government.

His post, entitled Request for ideas: Crowdsourcing the Evolution of Congressional Websites opened with this plea:

How can Congress take advantage of web 2.0 technologies to transform the relationship between citizens and government? Instead of viewing the public as a customer for services, I believe that we should empower citizens to become our partners in shaping the future of our nation.

Read the rest of the article, and add your ideas to the conversation..

Teens Share Feelings about Portrayal of Youth in Media

2009-03-10T03:15:00.001-07:00

I thought this was an interesting idea and it got me wondering how youth in other parts of the world feel about their portrayal in the media. Something for you to think about..

Young people asked for their views on media portrayal
By Ross Watson, Children & Young People Now

6 March 2009 - The government is urging young people to express feelings about the way they are portrayed by the media, in the form of a competition. Launched last Tuesday by the Hansard Society and the House of Lords, the competition is open to 11- to 16-year-olds through youth groups, schools and other official organisations.

Raw Deal or Truth Told? Young People in the Media will ask entrants to look at issues such as media portrayals of youth culture, negative press coverage and the importance of celebrity and sporting role models.

Young people should submit their views in formats such as films and newspaper articles, and must enter in groups of at least two. The competition closes on 15 May and the winners will get a chance to share their views with the House of Lords Communications Committee. There is also a prize of £25 for each member of the three winning groups.

The competition is sponsored by Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman, through her charity the Woolsack Fund, established to encourage greater understanding among young people of the role of Parliament and the House of Lords.

"It is a great opportunity for all participating pupils, and for the winners to spend a day in Parliament and see a select committee in action," she said.

Article link

Mashable Social Networking / Web 2.0 Blog

2009-03-06T04:39:00.000-08:00

I love this blog!

According to Mashable's website: Mashable is the world's largest blog focused exclusively on Web 2.0 and Social Networking news. With more than 5 million monthly pageviews, Mashable is the most prolific blog reviewing new Web sites and services, publishing breaking news on what's new on the web. Mashable will put your brand in front of the most tech-savvy early adopters, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, influencers, Web 2.0 aficionados and technology journalists. Mashable is also popular with bloggers and members of social networking sites - an increasingly influential demographic.

Check out the "Most Popular" articles located on the bottom right bar to get the brief list of what people are really plugged into. It's interesting stuff!

Youth Action on Climate Change

2009-03-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

If action on climate change is your thing, you may enjoy this organization.

Fired Up Media is a network of videographers, editors, and journalists reporting from the front lines of the youth climate movement and disseminating information through a virtual newsroom. This initiative harnesses dynamic advances in digital communications and new media, creative social entrepreneurship, and existing youth media to build a media network focusing on climate change issues. At the centre of Fired Up is the training of a global network of youth climate activists and writers in new organising and communications tools.

Free Documentary Downloads

2009-02-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you're a documentary junkie like myself, this site has many of the most popular and current films on social issues that are absolutely FREE to download and watch. Take a look and expect to lose a few hours of your life absorbed in this.

What exactly is citizen media, anyway?

2009-02-22T05:24:00.000-08:00

... and how can you participate?

We've been talking a lot about citizen media and ways to inject your voices into media conversations. For a great guide to get started, read this. It's a bit lengthy, but wonderfully informative.

Women's History Month

2009-02-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

In March, the U.S. State Department's website for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (DOTCOM's funding org) is focusing on Women's Empowerment. We have therefore been asked to provide photos, videos, blogs, speeches, interviews, articles, etc., from the last six months (since September 2008), as well as anything that will be will be taking place in March 2009, that promotes and/or recognizes the role of women in society. Sub-themes could include the following:

· Recognition of International Women's Day (March 8)
· Women's entrepreneurship
· Women's health
· Women political/community leaders
· Girls' education
· Women's rights and gender equality
· Empowerment of young girls

If you have any photos, videos, articles, etc., of events or activities that are connected with Women's Empowerment, please send them to me by February 26.

Read more info about Women's History Month!

Social Networking Makes an Impact this Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

I came across this NPR story this morning on my way into work and wanted to share it with you. In case you're not convinced that social networking can make a difference confronting intolerance and injecting a little humor into our lives, this should persuade you.

Enjoy the humor - and inspiration - this Valentine's Day!

Get Money for Your Great Idea!

2009-01-31T04:24:00.000-08:00

I love this site and I think you will, too.

Check out www.dosomething.org

Here's their website blurb:

Do Something believes you have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org we provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. Be part of a generation of doers.

Five guidelines we live by:

Believe in teenagers. Teenagers can lead today. We don't require adults.

Trust teenagers. We provide reliable, easy to access information and activation strategies, but teens decide for themselves what to do.

Celebrate teenagers. We think all measurable contributions from teens are valuable.

Respect teenagers. We understand that teenagers have diverse abilities and constraints.

Value teenagers. Our programs and products are free. We're not after teens' money; we want their passion, time and creativity."

So, DOTCOMers.. if you have a great idea for a community service project and need some money to get your idea off the ground, Do Something is a terrific resource for you.

Media Podcasts

2009-01-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who Podcast, here are a couple worthwhile shows..

First is WeMedia.. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WeMedia

We Media is a web site, a community, a conference and a global movement to make the world better through media. WeMedia is producing a regular podcast that features in-depth interviews with prominent media, technology, and social change figures, as well as distinguished experts on current affairs and news.

Second is National Public Radio's On the Media.. http://www.onthemedia.org/

On the Media explores how media is made, looks at fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. The show tries to lift the veil from the process of "making media," especially news media, because it's through that lens that we literally see the world and the world sees us.

Have a message for President Obama?

2009-01-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

I just came across this great YouTube/Pepsi contest and would encourage you to check it out..

What's your message to President Obama? Show the world by uploading your own video. All videos should begin with the words Dear Mr. President and end with your first name and where you are from.

http://www.refresheverything.com/

Resources & Organizations

2009-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

As I've worked on this program, I've discovered a lot of really interesting resources that I want to share with our DOTCOMers. I'll continue to update the list as new organizations pique my interest.. so stay connected!

Change.org
Voices of Youth
ListenUp!
Five Freedoms Network
Young People's Media Network
One World TV
Global Voices Online
Media Matters
Manana Youth Center

Check them out and join their mailing lists.. you'll be glad you did. And as you find other resources worth sharing, please pass them along, too :)