Social Media in Conflict Situations -

Ushahidi, Twitter and More

IIJ Summer Academy 2010

August 18, 2010

Berlin

ms@immateriblog.de

Twitter: @spielkamp

...certainly the earliest after dinner lecture I've ever delivered - but:

...'post-culinary depression'...

New title:

Shirky vs. Morozov:The showdown

in the blue corner‣ defending champion‣ New York City, New York

‣ born in the United States of America‣ 6 books

‣ numerous articles in international papers‣ under contract by New York University

in the red corner‣ contender‣ from Washington, DC

‣ born in Belarus‣ 1 (forthcoming) book

‣ numerous articles in international papers‣ under contract by George Washington University

What are they fighting over?

Do "Social Media"further democracy - or do they help authoritarian regimes?

Do "Social Media"further democracy - or do they help authoritarian regimes?

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi‣ is a platform

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

Ushahidi

The 'Twitter Revolution'

The 'Twitter Revolution'

BBC

How Iran's political battle is fought in cyberspace

The 'Twitter Revolution'

BBC

How Iran's political battle is fought in cyberspace

Time Magazine

Iran Protests: Twitter, the Medium of the Movement

The 'Twitter Revolution'

BBC

How Iran's political battle is fought in cyberspace

Time Magazine

Iran Protests: Twitter, the Medium of the Movement

Washington Post

Iran Elections: A Twitter Revolution?

The 'Twitter Revolution'cartoon removed for copyright reasons, available here:

http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/y/m/2/stop-or-tweet.gif

Shirky"Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organization"

Shirky"Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organization"

Hypothesis:

Shirky"Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organization"

Hypothesis:The Internet and social media help synchronizing a politically engaged public -

Shirky"Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organization"

Hypothesis:The Internet and social media help synchronizing a politically engaged public -and this, in itself, is politcal and furthers democratisation.

Morozov"How Dictators Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Web" (January 2011)

Morozov"How Dictators Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Web" (January 2011)

Hypothesis:

Morozov"How Dictators Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Web" (January 2011)

Hypothesis:Authoritarian regimes can adjust their methods of governance to Internet communication -

Morozov"How Dictators Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Web" (January 2011)

Hypothesis:Authoritarian regimes can adjust their methods of governance to Internet communication -and at times work 'better' (more effectively) with it than ever before.

1st Round

The Minsk Flash Mobsimage removed for copyright reasons, available here:

http://www.spokesman.com/photos/2010/jul/16/109917/

The Minsk Flash Mobs‣ started in March 2006, a day after the violent dispersal of the opposition's peaceful rally in Minsk‣ goal: to 'peacefully express one's point of view on what's going on in the country'

‣ several flash mob activities have been carried out in Minsk

The Minsk Flash MobsShirky: 'I think that the thing that's worth fighting for here is the ability of citizens within a country to communicate with one another, and I remain convinced that that will have political ramifications. I think that to the degree that citizens can communicate with each other, that actually matters much more than access to information, or than communication with the outside world. What we should be worrying about is freedom of speech, lower case "f", lower case "s", not as a political right, but as just a daily capability.'

The Minsk Flash MobsMorozov: 'My biggest problem with these flashmobbing kids in Belarus was that they had erroneously thought that the Internet presents an entirely new way of doing politics. They thought that they would build up and operate a fully virtual movement, that they would not need to bother with the dirty and bloody business of opposing a dictator, a business that often entails harassments of all kinds, as well as bloodshed, intimidation, expulsion from universities. Let's not kid ourselves: that's what being in an opposition in authoritarian country entails. It's never a pretty picture.'

The Minsk Flash Mobs'So I do fear that some of these kids thought that the Internet offered a nice shortcut that would allow them to meaningfully challenge the dictator without having to go through any of that unpleasant stuff. They thought they could just blog the dictatorship away.'

1st Round: Morozov 10 - Shirky 8

2nd Round

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)‣ some 7.000 schools collapsed

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)‣ some 7.000 schools collapsed‣ some 10.000 children dead

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Mothers coordinate via web to protest

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)image removed for copyright reasons, available here:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/06/03/c4.jpg

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Chinese officials sacked over handling of earthquake

The Guardian, June 23, 2008

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Shirky: 'the first time the Chinese government has faced a radicalized population who had no preexisting coordination'

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Morozov: Will governments 'be able to adapt to this environment by engaging in new ways of propaganda? By selectively manipulating who gets to cover which story?'

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Example of Chinese man dying in police custody in Yunnan Province

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Example of Chinese man dying in police custody in Yunnan Province‣ public protest, organised over Internet

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Example of Chinese man dying in police custody in Yunnan Province‣ public protest, organised over Internet

‣ 15 'netizen investigators' appointed, looked at the prison, wrote an inconclusive report

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Example of Chinese man dying in police custody in Yunnan Province‣ public protest, organised over Internet

‣ 15 'netizen investigators' appointed, looked at the prison, wrote an inconclusive report‣ Story died, it later came out most of the 15 were current or former employees of state media

2008 Sichuan Earthquake (China)Sichuan earthquake activist to stay in jail for five years

The Telegraph, June 9, 2010

2nd Round: Morozov 10 - Shirky 8

3rd Round

Iran

IranShirky: there was a cause-and-effect situation

IranShirky: there was a cause-and-effect situationMorozov: there was a synchronicity of events. But:

IranShirky: there was a cause-and-effect situationMorozov: there was a synchronicity of events. But:

'How many completely uninitiated protests have actually engaged with the real world because of something they had read on Twitter or Facebook?'

Nedaimage removed for copyright reasons, available here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Neda_non_graphic.jpg

NedaShirky: Social media have a coordinating effect; things would not have happened without them

NedaMorozov: 'despite millions of angry tweets and cellphone cameras pointed at their faces, the Iranian government still cracked down on the protesters'

NedaMorozov: 'despite millions of angry tweets and cellphone cameras pointed at their faces, the Iranian government still cracked down on the protesters'

cartoon removed for copyright reasons, available here:

http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/y/m/2/stop-or-tweet.gif

What are the results?Shirky: Yes, but there are still changes:'I believe that the Green Uprising altered the balance between the theocracy and the military aspects of the Iranian government. [...] it seems to me that one of the effects, paradoxical and sad, of the Green Uprising, is that it has pushed Iran into being an essentially military power.'

What are the results?Morozov: Agreed. But these kinds of changes are much more complex and have multiple causes -

What are the results?Morozov: Agreed. But these kinds of changes are much more complex and have multiple causes - take the example of the smuggled Xerox machines in Poland: 'they may not have been all that important, for it was the fundamental economic unsustainability of communism that precipitated its collapse.'

3rd Round: Morozov 9 - Shirky 9

Final Score after Three Rounds

Final Score after Three RoundsNot a knock-out, but Morozov wins on points (29 vs. Shirky's 25)

Final Score after Three RoundsNot a knock-out, but Morozov wins on points (29 vs. Shirky's 25)What's your score?

Thank you!images under Creative Commons licenses:

slide 04: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kplawver/481666069/sizes/l/in/photostream/

slide 07: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/1397946225/sizes/l/in/photostream/

slide 09: http://www.flickr.com/photos/re-publica/4520673288/sizes/l/in/photostream/

slide 16: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dci/243722737/sizes/z/in/photostream/

slide 52: http://www.flickr.com/photos/remkotanis/3251729749/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Matthias Spielkamp

www.immateriblog.de (in German)

ms@immateriblog.de

Twitter: @spielkamp