social media and (urban) social protest: the brazilian experience
DESCRIPTION
Political communication via the Internet and online social networking sites (SNS) has come to form an inherent part of civil society activism today. Yet the potential of online activism to bring about political change is debated. In 2011/12 the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) conducted an investigation on the analysis of the Brazilian anti-corruption campaign Ficha Limpa (clean record), which was primarily promoted through social media channels. This presentation first provides an overview of the impact of this campaign on the Brazilian political system. Picking up on the Brazilian 2013 urban riots related to a planned increase in public transportation costs and the confederations cup it then proceeds to illustrate the broader implications of online social networks for urban political participation in Brazil. Anita Breuer holds a Master in Area Studies Latin America and received her doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Cologne in 2008. Since 2011 she holds a post as a senior researcher at the German Development Institute, Bonn, Germany, where her research focuses on the role of the Internet and social media in democracy promotion. She has recently co-edited “Digital technologies for democratic governance in Latin America” (Routledge, 2014) with Yanina Welp.TRANSCRIPT
Social Media and (Urban) Social Protest
The Brazilian ExperienceThe Brazilian Experience
Anita Breuer
Email: [email protected]
Prepared for presentation at the International Conference Culture, Economy, Participation and Governance in Latin American Cities, Zentrum für
Demokratie (zda), Aarau, 21 – 22 February 2014
Implications of Social Media for Political Participation
„Cyber Optimism“……
� Social Media as powerful weapons for social movements (e.g. Shirky
2011)
� Digital activists as choreographers of social protest
� Creation of new urban subcultures
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
� Creation of new urban subcultures
� reappropriation of public space (Gerbaudo 2012)
vs. „Cyber Skepticism“
� Cyberspace is detached from physical reality
� Slacktivism is unlikely to produce policy change (e.g. Morozov 2011)
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Campanha Ficha Limpa (clean record)
� Citizen Initiative
launched in April 2008 by the Brazilian Movement for the Combat of
Corruption (MCCE)
� Core demand:
Ineligibility to run for office for people previously convicted or facing
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 3
Ineligibility to run for office for people previously convicted or facing
charges for “serious crimes” (vote buying, electoral fraud,
misappropriation of public funds etc.)
� Formal requirements:
1.3 Mio signatures
approval by majority vote of both
chambers of Congress
Ficha Limpa and Social Media
� 43.000 followers on Facebook
� 11.000 followers on Twitter
� 66.000 downloads for most watched video on YouTube
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 4
� 66.000 downloads for most watched video on YouTube
� 5.000 followers on Orkut
� 2 Mio Signatures in Online Petition by AVAAZ
� 40.000 Participants in e-mail and Telephone Protest by AVAAZ
Interaction between Social Media &Traditional Media
April – May 2010: Major media-reported campaign events and
related peaks in Facebook activity
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 5
Ficha Limpa: A virtual movement with an urban base
7.9 %
8.9 %
> 1 Mio 500.000 - 999.999 < 500.000
Share of Facebook Fans by City Population Size Facebook Fans by origin: Top 10
Inhabitants:
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 6
83.1 %
Ficha Limpa: A movement structured by social background
Network Analysis of the Facebook Group „Campanha Ficha Limpa do MCCE“ using Netvizz and Gephi
� 1 circle (node) = 1 Facebook user / Bigger circles = users with more influence in the network
� Clusters = nodes that are more densely connected together than with the rest of the network.
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 7
Ficha Limpa: a mostly „virtual“ movement
Patterns of participation in the Ficha Limpa campaign(Websurvey / 1.800 respondents)
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 8
Impact of the Ficha Limpa campaign
Macro-Level (Policy Change)
Bill approved and promulgated as law in June
2010
Meso-Level (Organizational Actors)
Increased cost-effectiveness and –efficiency of
MCCE as social movement organisation
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 9
Our budget has always been tight. We didn’t have funds to pay for expensive
media advertising campaigns […] Social
media provided an alternative that enabled us to speak directly to the people
without the necessity to pay for publicity. (Marlon Reis, MCCE Director)
Ficha Limpa: Sustainable use of social media
Lessons learned from the 2010/11 campaign
�Professionalization of communication strategy of the MCCE
�Continued use of social media platforms for campaigning / mobilization purposes
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 10
The 2013 Protests
Wave of street protests
� Triggered by a proposed increase in bus fares in
June 2013
� approx. 1.4 mio participants in 100 Brazilian
cities
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Core demands / concerns
� Increasing cost of public transportation
� Inadequate provision of social services
� Government corruption
� Exorbitant spending on preparations for the
2014 FIFAWorld Cup
� Socially conservative legislation
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The role of Twitter in orchestrating the 2013 protests
Most successful hashtags : � #ogiganteacordou (the giant woke up)
� #vemprarua (come to the streets)
�#mudaBrasil (change Brazil)
�#copapraquem (cup for whom)
Analysis of Twitter communications about the protests :
�1,579,824 tweets between 1st and 22nd June
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 12
�1,579,824 tweets between 1st and 22nd June
�peak of 96,5 tweets/hour recorded on 17th June 2013 at 8:00 pm when protesters invaded
the Brazilian Congress.
Source: The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jul/04/brazilian-protesters-twitter-microsoft
The 2013 Protests: An urban based movement
woke upInvolvement of Brazilians on Twitter mapped by Brandviewer (hashtag analyzer tool).
Red = regions with the highest number of hashtags related to the movement
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Source: www.collaborativeconsumption.com
2013 Protests: a virtual AND physical movment
City Number of street protesters
Rio de Janeiro 10.000
Salvador 3.000
São Paulo 2.000
Recife 2.000
Brasilia 1.300
Participation in urban street protests (9 July 2013)
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Brasilia 1.300
Fortaleza 600
Belo Horizonte 600
Londrina 500
Porto Alegre 450
Curitiba 200
Source: Globo.com http://g1.globo.com/brasil/protestos-2013/infografico/platb/
According to representative polls 72% of Brazilians supported the movement online and 10%
participated in street protests.
Impact of the 2013 Protests
Demand Status
Reduction of public transportation costs
(4 municipal governments)
Revocation of Bill (PEC 37) limiting the
powers of the Public Ministry to investigate
criminal activities in the government
Destination of petroleum royalties to
Macro Level (Policy Change)
a volatile and incoherent……..
�Depicted as “chaotic” and “leaderless” revolt
�Heavy media focus on violence and vandalism
…..or organized and sustainable movement?
Meso Level (Organizational Actors)
Ambivalent
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Destination of petroleum royalties to
Education (75%) and Health (25%)
National Pact to improve Education, Health,
Public Transport (Government announced)
National Plan to increase GDP spending on
Education to 7% until 2015
(Government announced)
Revocation of "Gay cure" Bill (PDL 234)
authorizing sexual orientation conversion
therapy by psychologists
…..or organized and sustainable movement?
Core Civil Society Groups involved:
�Movimento Passo Livre
�Movimento Contra Corrupção
�Civil society groups demanding improved
quality of Education and Health Care
�LGBT rights organizations
Thank you for your attention!
German Development Institute /
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
© German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) 16
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
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