Category Archives: Activism

Facebook Likes Don’t Save Lives

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

As readers will know, I have regularly commented on the relationship between social media and social activism. In the wake of Invisible Children’s KONY2012 and a growing body of literature on the subject, it has been impossible for anyone interested … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Film, Social Media | Tagged | 4 Comments

Responding to Allegations of Human Rights Abuses – A Lesson from Libya’s Justice Minister

Posted on February 11, 2013 by

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently published its annual World Report. In the report, the human rights organization examined the records of 90 states, including those emerging from the “Arab Spring”. Suffice to say, they didn’t hold back when it came … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Human Rights, Libya | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Something Good that Might Have Come from KONY2012

Posted on December 11, 2012 by

I recently had the opportunity to give a talk (for slides see here), hosted by Aidan Hehir, at Westminster University on a ‘pet project’ of mine – the role of social media in affecting political change and waging social activism. … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Social Media, Uganda | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Justice through Graffiti and Cartoons in Syria

Posted on July 16, 2012 by

A fascinating and common trend amongst ‘Arab Spring’ states has been the use of imagery, particularly graffiti and cartoons, to denigrate bloodthirsty leaders, to express exasperation with repressive regimes, and to evoke hope for a different and altogether more peaceful … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, Justice, Syria | Tagged | Leave a comment

Has Social Media Successfully Reinvented Social Activism?

Posted on June 2, 2012 by

This week I had the honour to participate in a debate at the historic Oxford Union on whether “social media has successfully reinvented social activism”. The relationship between social media and social activism has become a critically important subject in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, Iran | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Beyond Kony2012: A Free E-Book!

Posted on April 30, 2012 by

Dear readers, Patrick, Elke and I wanted to alert you to a fantastic free e-book, Beyond KONY2012, edited by Amanda Taub of Wronging Rights who has put together a stellar cast of contributors, including Laura Seay, Rebecca Hamilton, Alex Little, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, Books and Publications, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Uganda | Tagged | Leave a comment

Diverging Trajectories: Social Media and #InternationalLaw

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

This week, Opinio Juris has organized a symposium on social media and international law in the wake of KONY2012. There are already a number of thought-provoking posts up, including this prescient piece by Charli Carpenter (see here too). The following … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Advocacy, International Law, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment