What's Being Done On...

The Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Democracy Promotion?

The World Movement would like to thank its intern, Sara Wallace, for her contributions to this installment of What’s Being Done On…?

Introduction

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly being used in democracy work to strengthen solidarity, increase communication among organizations and activists, and share information more quickly.  In particular, the introduction of ICTs in developing countries, especially throughout Africa, has sparked growth in the use of Short Message Service (SMS) technology on mobile phones and the use of the Internet by individuals in rural communities.  Projects launched by Google and Fahamu have provided Internet and mobile phone use in remote areas of Africa, enabling towns to become more informed about events that affect them.  For example, the UmNyango Project, launched by Fahamu, distributes mobile phones throughout rural communities in Africa so men and women can report human rights violations.  Moreover, investments in ICT development in Africa are slowly leveling the global playing field and enabling people to become more active politically.

This installment of “What’s Being Done On…?” specifically addresses the use of ICTs in advancing democracy.  In particular, it highlights the growing use of You Tube as an example of online video sharing, SMS Technology, and online petitions to share information and mobilize activists.  This installment also discusses security issues related to using ICTs in democracy work and features a wide range of resources, as well as interviews with the following organizations: 

• Women’s Learning Partnership
• NGOConnect Africa

YouTube, as an example of online video sharing

YouTube has been an Internet sensation since its inception in 2005.  Its motto, “Broadcast Yourself,” reflects the way it has transformed the use of the Internet and online video sharing more generally by enhancing people’s ability to post videos of almost anything.  In the four years since its creation, it has quickly become a critical force in the sharing of information through its democracy- and peace-building channels and the use of the site by advocacy organizations, NGOs, and some governments around the globe to encourage youth involvement and participation. 

The site is a powerful tool for disseminating news and stories across the Internet and for inviting individuals to join international causes from their own computers.  As a tool for finding as well as disseminating information, it also provides individuals living under repressive governments with a better understanding of democracy and the means to mobilize and peacefully promote democratic initiatives.    

In June 2008, YouTube created its own channel, CitizenNews, where “vloggers” (video bloggers) can freely post reports on developments around the world.  Subscribers can watch first-hand reports, interact with journalists, or join online forums.  One featured participating organization, THE UPTAKE, specializes in recruiting local journalists to report on violations of human rights or to present their views on democracy and peace building.  

Similarly, independent organizations and individuals have created their own YouTube channels to promote specific causes or to report news from countries with censored news media.  Turkmen Dissident TV and Vikalpa provide two excellent examples. Turkmen Dissident TV, created by World Movement participating organization, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, posts videos and interviews with human rights advocates, opposition leaders, and political dissidents.  Vikalpa is a Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative that promotes human rights in Sri Lanka and raises awareness of the political situation in that country.  

The overwhelming success of YouTube has prompted NGOs to establish their own video forums. Witness, a human rights initiative launched by Peter Gabriel in 1992, created THE HUB, a global platform for posting media and interviews on human rights abuses worldwide.  The organization posts breaking news videos and reports, thus helping to launch new human rights campaigns against abuses.  The Web site features blogs and discussion forums in response to videos, and provides references and resources for getting directly involved in movements and projects, for signing petitions, or for donating to support a cause.  

If you would like to share your online videos with us, please contact us at World Movement.

SMS Technology

SMS technology, or the use of messaging or texting on mobile phones, has swept the planet with an estimated 3.8 billion people currently owning mobile phones.  Once dominant in wealthier, developed countries, mobile phones are rapidly becoming the leading form of media in developing countries, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.   The ability to send text or video via mobile phones has spearheaded a new wave of media freedom, accountability, and transparency.  Now more than ever before, people can almost instantly view or hear first-hand accounts of situations happening around the world.  SMS technology has also progressed to the point that users can directly access Web sites, such as YouTube.   It thus serves as a vital component of news media and information sharing.

SMS technology is utilized by people of all ages and social classes.  Because of the widespread use of this technology, NGOs and activist organizations are now using texting to monitor, defend, and protect human rights.  SMS allows these groups to obtain immediate and up-to-date information about elections or any type of breaking news.  For example, the National Election Watch, a consortium of 200 NGOs in Sierra Leone, used mobile phones during the country’s 2007 Presidential election to monitor election fraud during voting.  Through the use of SMS texting, 500 of the 6,171 polling stations were able to report vote tallies and problems immediately.  The sporadic violence in Freetown prior to the election was largely prevented from recurring through this use of SMS texting.   A peaceful transition of government resulted, and the elections were considered free and fair by the OSCE and Freedom House.

Pakistani citizens also utilized SMS technology following President Musharraf’s declaration of a state of emergency in November 2007.  The Constitution was suspended and a general election was scheduled for February 2008.  An unprecedented public movement using ICTs developed as a response to the deteriorating political situation.  Through the use of SMS technology, for instance, Pakistani civilians spread national news to international media outlets, kept each other informed about the latest developments, and even sent in reports to their local communities about protests or street closures.  This allowed them to bypass unreliable local cable news channels that were likely censored by the government. 

The potential for SMS technology in advancing democracy depends on ICT development initiatives such as FrontlineSMS.  FrontlineSMS is free technology software that enables users to send text messages to large groups of people and to receive text messages from them using their mobile phone.  It is an easy and powerful way to communicate and to send important information immediately.  Moreover, it can be used worldwide, and it requires no Internet connection. 

Programs such as FrontlineSMS help make possible protest movements, like the movement in Pakistan referenced above, as well as human rights and election monitoring.  Launched in the spring of 2005, FrontlineSMS is currently being used by projects such as Mobiles in Malawi, by NGOs such as Kubatana in Zimbabwe, and for election monitoring in Bangladesh, among others.   

If you would like to share information about your SMS projects with us, please contact us at World Movement.

Online Petitions

Initiating petitions through the Internet helps to disseminate information and encourage individual engagement.  Online petitions provide groups, organizations, and even entire populations with opportunities to publicize their causes and to challenge governments or other bodies at the national, regional, and international level.  

The most recent and impressive example is Charter 08, a manifesto created by 300 Chinese citizens in December 2008 as an appeal to promote democracy and human rights in China. The manifesto, modeled after Czechoslovakia’s “Charter 77” during the Cold War, has prompted a backlash from the Chinese government because of the wide audience it has received on the Internet.  However, censored Web sites and government harassment, detention, and arrest of signatories have only served to strengthen the movement.  By publishing Charter 08 online, over 8,000 Chinese citizens and people around the world have been able to join the original 300 signatories in this online fight for human rights.  Though the government refuses to recognize the claims made by the Charter, the resulting solidarity movement is empowering.

Similarly, in 2006, a group of women in Iran began the Campaign for Equality, a movement to petition the Iranian Parliament for equal rights for women.  Originating on the city streets with 54 founders and 25 supporters, the Campaign took its cause to the Internet, launching the One Million Signatures Campaign.  This online petition promotes local and international involvement in the struggle for Iranian rights for women and the elimination of discriminatory laws.  The online petition has raised awareness of the Campaign for Equality both inside and outside of the country, thereby increasing pressure on the Iranian Parliament to respond to the movement.   Recent success was evident in September 2008, when Iranian legislators proposed a new marriage bill that promoted polygamy and included a new tax on prenuptial agreements that aimed to reduce financial burdens on men.  Campaign supporters actively worked against the bill, and it only passed once these provisions were removed.

Online petitions like Charter 08 and the One Million Signatures Campaign enhance the power and influence of organizations, and consequently the people those organizations work to serve.  Using technology to alert people worldwide of violations of human rights and to advance the principles of democracy gives grassroots movements greater international attention and helps build movements on the ground, even in repressive countries like China or Iran.  With a large majority of Internet users being young adults, these petitions also have the potential to engage younger generations, thereby encouraging their dedication to positive change and to the prevention of human rights abuses.    
If you would like to share information about your online petitions with us, please contact us at World Movement.

Security Concerns

Contemporary advances in using ICTs for transparency and accountability are often not well received by governments.  As activists, NGOs, and civil society organizations learn how to use ICTs like SMS, video sharing, and online petitioning, governments are likewise enhancing censorship strategies. 

The Chinese government, for one, has introduced tremendous efforts to censor the right to freedom of expression and association on the Web.  The Chinese blogging sight “Bulldog” was censored in February 2009 because of “harmful information” regarding “Charter 08.” YouTube  has also been censored numerous times in the country, most recently in March 2009 for a video posting of police beating a Tibetan man.  China claims that the video is a fake and has refused to comment on blocking the YouTube site.  Governments of countries, including most recently Turkey, Thailand, and Pakistan, are also known to censor YouTube periodically to prevent the spread of videos critical of government policy or that touch on sensitive issues.   

Several states extend their suppression of free media to include restriction of access to online material.  In July 2009, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a bill into law classifying blogs, chat rooms, and discussion boards as “media,” and thus subject to censorship laws.  The law would also allow courts to block access to any Web site supposedly inciting civil unrest.  Many Web sites self-censor by disabling discussion features, as administrators are personally held responsible for inflammatory comments.  The law will further restrict media in a country that was ranked 125th out of 173 countries in terms of press freedom by Reporters Without Borders in 2008.

Online petitions also pose serious risks to some people who choose to sign them, and to the organizations or parties posting them.  Signatures on online petitions can be used by governments to track “political dissidents” and to harass, detain, and/or arrest them.  Major petition campaigns, such as the One Million Signatures Campaign and Charter 08, often confront security issues.   On April 14, 2009, One Million Signatures Campaign activist Ronak Safazadeh was sentenced to six years jail time for “spreading propaganda against the state” because of her work with the Campaign for Equality.  Similar accusations have been made against drafters of the Charter 08 petition, leading to the detention of leading human rights activist Liu Xiaobo.  On June 8, 2009, Liu’s lawyer called on authorities to either release him or formally charge him.  He was formally charged with “inciting subversion of state power” on June 23, 2009.

As civil society groups increasingly face such security risks by using ICTs, they endeavor to use alternative and newer developments in ICTs to circumvent restrictions and to protect themselves.  Internet giants like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Cisco have repeatedly been accused of collaborating with repressive regimes and actually altering their software, for instance, to accommodate Chinese government demands.  This makes it even more difficult for Internet users to work around firewalls; however, a growing number of NGOs and government organizations are aiding people in their effort to fight such firewalls. Tor, The Center for Democracy and Technology, Global Internet Freedom Consortium, Global Internet Freedom Taskforce, and Global Voices Advocacy all address the challenges of Internet firewalls and work with activists and domestic organizations to evade them.  Growing youth movements, aided by their extensive knowledge and use of ICTs, are also standing up against Internet censorship.  In the months preceding the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government blocked numerous sites, sparking a movement among nongovernmental Chinese software writers to develop new codes to get around the restrictions.     

Another example of working around government restrictions on ICT use is the 2007 election in Pakistan.  Following the election, protestors quickly learned how to blur photos on the Internet to get them through government filters and used SMS technology to send blog posts outside of the country to be posted online by a third party.  A more recent example of using alternate ICTs to work around government restrictions are the election protests in Moldova in April 2009.  After the government shut down the Internet completely, civil society used SMS technology to organize protests in the city square in Chisinau. 

The attempt by repressive governments to halt the progress of ICTs in democracy work reflects the significance and impact of SMS technology, YouTube, and online petitioning.  The continued enhancement of those resources is thus crucial to elevating domestic concerns to a global level and thereby forcing governments to face severe international criticism or to roll back their repressive measures.   

Information for this summary was drawn, in part, from the following sources:

Bodeen, Christopher. “YouTube Blocked in China; Officials Say Video Fake.” Associated Press. 24 March 2009. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090324/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet;_ylt=Ar41aKjWFq8WF9Li88MpUOJvaA8F.

Bora, Madhusmita. “Must Have for Tweens: A Cell Phone.” 26 August 2007. www.sptimes.com/2007/08/26/Business/Must_have_for_tweens_.shtml.

Vascellaro, Jessica and Geoffrey Fowler. “YouTube Says China Blocks Site.” The Wall Street Journal. 25 March 2009. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123791575627627223.html.

Verclas, Katrin. “Pakistan’s 2008 Emergency and Digital Convergence - And the Role of Mobile Phones.” 4 February 2009. http://mobileactive.org/pakistans-2008-emergency-and-digital-convergence-and-role-mobile-phones.

West, John. “The Promise of Ubiquity: Mobile as Media Platform in the Global South.” Internews Europe. 2008. www.internews.fr/spip.php?article459.

YouTube. “Company History.” http://www.youtube.com/t/about.

World Movement for Democracy - DemocracyNews

• Chinese Government Cracks down on Activists for Commemorating 60th Anniversary of UDHR, December 2008
• Global Network Initiative Develops Standard to Protect Freedom of Expression in the IT Sector, December 2008
• Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights Expands Internet TV Project, September 2008
• Appeals Issued to Drop Charges against Malaysian Cyber-Activists, June 2008
• YouTube Starts Citizen Journalism Channel, June 2008
• Reporters Without Borders Publishes Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents, October 2007
• Women's Learning Partnership Calls for Further Support in One Million Signatures Campaign, October 2007
• Women in Rural South Africa Use Mobile Technology to Promote and Protect Human Rights, October 2007

For more references regarding the role of ICTs in democracy work, please go to: www.wmd.org/resources/information-technology-guide