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Information into action: Africa and beyond

by kiwanja

Two organisations I’ve had the pleasure of working with – Tactical Tech and Fahamu – have independently announced the release of a film and a book which cover different aspects of non-profit digital activism. Both are well worth a look.

Info-activism.org – a Tactical Tech initiative – explores how rights advocates “use information and digital technology to create positive change”. Actions are broken down into 10 tactics which, through the site, provide original and artful ways for rights advocates to capture attention and communicate a cause (see video, above). The website includes a 50-minute film documenting inspiring info-activism stories from around the world and a set of cards, with tools tips and advice to help people plan their own info-activism campaigns. Further details of the launch are available on the BBC News website.

Turning to more traditional media, Fahamu/Pambazuka have published a new book – SMS Uprising: Mobile Phone Activism in Africa – which provides “a unique insight into how activists and social change advocates are addressing Africa’s many challenges from within, and how they are using mobile telephone technologies to facilitate these changes”.

The book is essentially a collection of essays by people engaged in using mobile phone technologies for social change, and it provides an analysis of the socio-economic, political and media contexts faced by activists in Africa today. The essays address a broad range of issues including inequalities in access to technology based on gender, rural and urban usage, as well as offering practical examples of how activists are using mobile technology to organise and document their experiences. Contributors include friends Sokari Ekine (Blacklooks) – also the editor – Amanda Atwood (Kubatana.net), Juliana Rotich (Ushahidi), Christian Kreutz (Crisscrossed.net) and others.

Congratulations to everyone at Tactical Tech and Fahamu on their initiatives, both of which provide valuable contributions to a growing body of literature on digital activism. Thanks also for the invitations to contribute – an honour and a pleasure!

44 comments

1 Ken Banks { 12.21.09 at 9:22 am }

Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

2 changefeed { 12.21.09 at 9:36 am }

->@kiwanja: Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6FxTBF

3 Tweets that mention Information into action: Africa and beyond | Build it Kenny, and they will come... -- Topsy.com { 12.21.09 at 9:36 am }

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ken Banks, changefeed. changefeed said: ->@kiwanja: Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6FxTBF [...]

4 PlanLive { 12.21.09 at 10:02 am }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

5 Pauline { 12.21.09 at 10:50 am }

thanks for the great resources! already checking out the book

6 @mikegechter's RSS { 12.21.09 at 11:09 am }

Information into action: Africa and beyond: Two organisations I’ve had the pleasure of working with – Tactical .. http://bit.ly/6FxTBF

7 William Ian O'Byrne { 12.21.09 at 12:36 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

8 uberVU - social comments { 12.21.09 at 12:43 pm }

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. “Information into action: Africa and beyond”. http://is.gd/5vVqI…

9 digitalforgood { 12.21.09 at 12:53 pm }

->@kiwanja: Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6FxTBF http://ow.ly/16bSzv

10 Elizabeth { 12.21.09 at 2:07 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

11 Graham @ mobileYouth { 12.22.09 at 1:30 pm }

Looking at tech for non profits in Africa, interesting read http://short.to/11d0w

12 Daniela America { 12.22.09 at 1:40 pm }

RT @grahamdbrown: Looking at tech for non profits in Africa, interesting read http://short.to/11d0w

13 Rory O'Connor { 12.22.09 at 1:48 pm }

RT @grahamdbrown: Looking at tech for non profits in Africa, interesting read http://short.to/11d0w

14 Andrew { 12.22.09 at 1:54 pm }

Wonderful film and a very interesting looking book. Ordered. Thanks! :)

15 activism { 12.22.09 at 2:04 pm }

Information into action #Africa #mobiles #infoactivism #SMS http://tinyurl.com/yzu7jzd @Mobile4Change @mobileactive @Mobile4devt

16 Sokari { 12.22.09 at 2:04 pm }

Information into action #Africa #mobiles #infoactivism #SMS http://tinyurl.com/yzu7jzd @Mobile4Change @mobileactive @Mobile4devt

17 Ignatia { 12.22.09 at 2:19 pm }

RT @blacklooks: Information into action #Africa #mobiles #infoactivism #SMS http://tinyurl.com/yzu7jzd @Mobile4Change @mobileactive @Mob …

18 Bernard Hor { 12.22.09 at 4:10 pm }

RT @grahamdbrown: Looking at tech for non profits in Africa, interesting read http://short.to/11d0w

19 Hapee { 12.22.09 at 4:14 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

20 Firoze Manji { 12.22.09 at 4:34 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

21 Herman Wasserman { 12.22.09 at 4:42 pm }

New technologies for social change in Africa RT @firozem: Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

22 WITNESS { 12.22.09 at 5:11 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

23 Sze Lee { 12.22.09 at 5:13 pm }

RT @witnessorg: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

24 Marcia Stepanek { 12.22.09 at 5:13 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

25 Karola Riegler { 12.22.09 at 5:16 pm }

[africa] Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI via @kiwanja

26 The Whitaker Group { 12.22.09 at 5:19 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

27 Susan Shiroma { 12.22.09 at 5:20 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

28 Daniel Roy { 12.22.09 at 6:58 pm }

RT @kiwanja: Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

29 FrontlineSMS o/ { 12.23.09 at 10:19 am }

FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

30 ushahidi { 12.23.09 at 10:40 am }

FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

31 Dominick Brady { 12.23.09 at 10:41 am }

RT @ushahidi: FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

32 christiano kwena { 12.23.09 at 10:43 am }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/61R2uC

33 Judith Orland { 12.23.09 at 11:19 am }

RT @ushahidi FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

34 Majala Mlagui { 12.23.09 at 11:45 am }

RT @frontlinesms: FrontlineSMS featured in 2 great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

35 Heather LaGarde { 12.23.09 at 12:47 pm }

RT @ushahidi: FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

36 G. Neugschwandtner { 12.23.09 at 12:54 pm }

Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond" http://is.gd/5vVqI (via @kiwanja)

37 Philip Auerswald { 12.23.09 at 1:49 pm }

RT @ushahidi: FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

38 bianca wilson { 12.23.09 at 3:26 pm }

FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI (via @ushahidi)

39 cartunelo { 12.23.09 at 3:55 pm }

RT @ushahidi: FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

40 Jake Darnell { 12.23.09 at 9:19 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

41 Aleksei { 12.24.09 at 11:54 pm }

Two great new resources for global digital activists. "Information into action: Africa and beyond" – http://is.gd/5vVqI – RT @kiwanja

42 Ted Perlmutter { 12.27.09 at 4:00 pm }

RT @ushahidi: FrontlineSMS featured in two great new activist resources. "Information into action: Africa and beyond". http://is.gd/5vVqI

43 nselegzi { 01.12.10 at 4:33 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://bit.ly/6EZMDz

44 Nat Katin-Borland { 01.12.10 at 9:47 pm }

Information into action: Africa and beyond http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2009/12/information-into-action-africa-and-beyond/

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