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'Open-Source Politics' Taps Facebook for Myanmar Protests
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by Ray | October 5, 2007 at 09:45 pm
526 views | 15 Recommendations | 4 comments
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Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets around the world Saturday in Facebook-fueled marches protesting Myanmar's recent crackdown on monks' pro-democracy demonstrations.
The marches, organized at a lightning pace by volunteers using Facebook, show the increasing power and reach of a social-networking site originally designed to help college students find drinking buddies. Facebook members in dozens of cities worldwide have planned demonstrations for Saturday.
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at 02:26 on October 6th, 2007
Ray, This is a very interesting story. Having had a look around Facbook a couple of days ago, I find it hard to see how this tool could be used to organize large scale protest at all.
You say: "The movement, which some term "open-source politics", highlights how Facebook has evolved to increasingly become a tool for activists."
Are you able to show any examples of this?
Pleas keep us posted on how this develops. Good stuff.
at 06:56 on October 6th, 2007
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your feedback.
One example (as pointed out in the article) is the Facebook group called “Support the Monks' Protest” which has 300,000 members worldwide. The group works in conjunction with the more experienced political advocacy groups “The Burma Campaign” UK and “Amnesty International”.
The online social networks are starting to realize their capacity as a birthplace for social change. As a member of Facebook, I’ve come across a number of groups that promote and support environmental and political causes by partnering with businesses, governments and/or citizens to find practical solutions to relevant issues. One such example is the Facebook group call the Environmental Activists Network, their website is here.
at 14:23 on October 7th, 2007
Hi Ray,
Thanks for taking the time to explain this so well - I much appreciate this. For me this is an intensely fascinating topic. Cheers, Tom.
at 08:42 on October 6th, 2007
It's an interesting article. Facebook can organize people into altering their day-to-day habits (i.e. supporting companies who manufacture in some countries rather than in others, etc.), but a direct effect would hinge on Burma's junta caring what Western netizens think, and evidently they don't care that much at all.