rgodden

I don't really focus on information technology, but seeing as this involves use of digital images I thought it workth posting. So, here is a short promo video by The Tactical Tech Collective on how rights activists are using the internet for activism. A 50 minute film will be released at the Front Line Club in London in December. Worth looking out for.

Although we have come a long way since online activism consisted of sending an email to the Prime Minister of some country doing bad stuff, we should not get too dazzled by the tech. As one of the activists says in the promo 'basically we are using new tools to do old fashioned activism.' I constantly come across activism sites and actions that would appear to be generating tiny responses, and using tactics that are dubious. It is not that one tool or tactic is necessarily better than the other, but that we use what is appropriate. With so much activism taking place online and so much content being produced I am often stunned by where to look next. And believe me, I have time - I am on a one year sabbatical looking at this stuff and still find it hard to keep up. God knows how others cope. Not that we have to look at everything, but some times I wonder if we need another sparkly online platform for a video petition? I have this image in my head that this so-called digital revolution is like the Big Bang. It has produced trillions of bits flying around in space that will gradually gravitate into useful groupings. And that will mean greater coordination and use of the best quality ideas, images and video. Strategy, content and coalitions will all still be key.

Recent innovations in science and technology have provided human rights advocates, journalists, and scientists with new tools to expose war crimes and other serious violations of human rights and to disseminate this information in real time throughout the world. The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley is pleased to showcase these recent developments and push new frontiers of applied research.The Soul of the New Machine conference gathered leading thinkers and practitioners to share best practices and develop new strategies for incorporating technology to address human rights abuses.

We're launching 'You Are Powerful'to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' 60th birthday. Grab the embed code & post it everywhere you can - Help make UDHR a reality.

No Way Through highlights mobility restrictions imposed by governments, especially countries in war zones, that limit access to health care, thus violating a fundamental human right.

In order to high light the incredibly important and urgent matter of climate change leading up to the Copenhagen summit in December the creatives at the Tck Tck Tck campaign decided to produce a 'Band Aid' style 'celebrity' video (though if more than 10% of those featured can be called celebrities is questionable). Is this where we are over 20 years after Live Aid? And since when do a bunch of globe trotting musicians make great environmental role models. Awful.

http://www.greenpeace.org/t...

The Greenpeace blockade began at 8 am Tuesday 15 September 2009 when 25 activists went into the Shell mine located in the tar sands development in northern Alberta, ...

As if to beautifully illustrate my point earlier in the week about Greenpeace rather over doing the 'climbing up high stuff and hanging banners from it' they kindly Tweeted a link to a video full of such shenanigans. Thankfully, much of the banner hanging takes place on nasty environment destroying things such as whaling ships and power stations. There is even some aerial art - though in rather inaccessible places (check out all the naked people on the glacier!). It is a nice promo of the stunts that Greenpeace organise, though does not really connect too well with the 'Me2' message at the end (unless they are giving free abseiling lessons to would-be activists? Come to think of it, shouldn't there be a warning - 'Don't try this at home kids', because the last bit where they hang off the arm of Jesus looks well dodgy). The whole banner thing may have become Greenpeace's signature action now, but personally I would have preferred it if they had painted Jesus green (using organic vegetable dye, obviously).

OK, not for social activism admittedly, but compelling visual happening for sure. I like the whole 'flash mob' thing and will see if I can drag up something more relevant for you later. But for a taste of creativity in a public space watch this and see if you can see where the boundary between professional dancers and by-standers blurs?

New animation for Greenpeace by Stephen Appelby on sustainable fishing is light hearted but with a serious message. Also has new YouTube link annotations in it leading you to take action. Nice. Now, just need to persuade South Park creators to collaborate with Save the Children...

I was at the Design Museum in Seoul to see the French Photography exhibition when I came across a 'dancing fountain'. It was mainly swaying to the sound of opera and classical music until suddenly John Denver's 'You Feel Up My Senses' blasted out. Check it out, and be sure to wait for the orgasmic ending!

I missed this premier in the UK in March. Looks good. I wonder if it is on in Seoul tonight? Basically, it is a ninety minute film about climate change and is showing simultaneously across the world tonight. Featuring British action Peter Postlethwaite as a man looking back from a devastated world in 2055 asking why we did not do enough to stop climate change.

In August I travelled from Pokhara in Nepal to Goa in India and back. This video records some of the five train journeys I made totally six days.

Between 10-14 August I attended the Video Volunteers camp in Goa, India. The camp included training in various media, including video, animation, blogging and on-line activism, as well as panel discussions on community media. It was attended by community video producers, journalists, film makers and activists.

Video Volunteers facilitates the establishment of Community Video Units (CVUs) in marginalised communities in India. The CVUs are staffed by people from these communities. They produce regular video

Short animation by director of 'Waltz with Bashir', Yoni Goodman, on continued Israeli control over the Gaza strip.