tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76157377027818242082024-03-13T17:02:18.585-04:00Context | Culture | CollaborationStrategy for Social ImpactUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-13362284568031369782014-09-07T18:43:00.000-04:002014-09-10T10:09:11.354-04:00An Invitation to Use the "Who Is Dayani Cristal?" Resources<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(This post was originally published at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lina-srivastava/who-is-dayani-cristal-off_b_5788724.html">Huffington Post Impact</a>.)</i></span><br />
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I have been honored to serve as the social impact director and transmedia producer for the Sundance award-winning documentary
film, <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/"><em>Who is Dayani
Cristal?</em></a>. To
support advocates' work in migrants’ rights and immigration policy, which this
film explores, the social impact campaign team developed a number of social impact tools
which are available for free for use in their own work.</div>
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<em>Who is Dayani Cristal? </em>is an
intimate examination of the journey of one migrant who perished in the Arizona
desert, far from his native Honduras, with no real identification but a name
tattooed over his heart. The documentary was produced by and features Gael
Garcia Bernal. The film weaves together real-life attempts to identify the
migrant's body with Bernal's retracing of the journey he would have most likely
taken through the "corridor del muerte" to reach the U.S. with
hopes of improving the lives of his family.</div>
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Employing a series of digital tools with interactive
features, including the ability of migrants to post their own border stories on
the project's website, <em>Who Is Dayani Cristal</em> drives
audiences moved by the story to delve deeper into and take action on the issues
that drive migrants to brave perilous conditions in order to reach the
U.S. The team has already begun having impact with the campaign and
tools. We believe you can extend the impact of our tools and that we can
further support the movement for humanitarian treatment of migrants and humane
policy by offering the tools to you for your own work.</div>
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Below are <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">several resources</a> for viewers and
facilitators to use in classroom syllabi, community screenings or small group
discussions:<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/shop" target="_blank">EBOOK</a></span></strong></h2>
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Explore the complex issues surrounding migration in greater
detail with the <i>Who is Dayani Cristal </i>interactive <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/shop" target="_blank">ebook</a> (via <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/who-is-dayani-cristal/id888047387?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/cub6sdmvuejr65w/Who%20is%20Dayani%20Crystal.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">PDF</a>).<br />
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This interactive book extends
the story to the stories of many, and to analysis of the systemic issues that
impact their journeys, providing readers a deeper investigation into
policy frameworks that affect the lives of migrants and border communities such
as those found in <i>Who Is Dayani Cristal?</i><br />
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<strong><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LEARN</span></a> </strong></h2>
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<strong>(On the <i>Who is Dayani Cristal?</i> website)</strong></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">The Right Not to Migrate</a></span></h3>
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Most migrants from Central America leave their homes because they simply have no other choice. There is little opportunity in their home countries for income or economic security, limited access to basic services or education, little hope of advancement – and as Dr. Bruce Anderson says, “we are dangling the carrot” of jobs in the US. A cross-border, cross-sector effort to work towards economic sustainability and access to services and education is essential to providing the viable choices to would-be migrants to stay home if they so choose.<br />
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<a href="http://www.whoisdayanicristal.com/learn">Resources</a>:<br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes)<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>: <i>Why
do people leave their homes and travel north to the US-Mexico border? </i>by Mario Bronfman, Ford Foundation<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">A Humane Border</a></span></h3>
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The US-Mexico border has become one of the most dangerous places on earth for people traveling on foot. At this point, it is at its most militarized in US history. The need for a secure border has become a condition of comprehensive immigration policy. The need for the US to adhere to a border policy that doesn’t result in avoidable human deaths is dire.<br />
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Resources:</a><br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes)<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>: <i>A
Humane Border</i> by Dan Martínez, George Washington University</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Repatriating the Dead</a></span></h3>
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Migrants crossing over the US-Mexico border by foot often carry no identification or carry false papers to avoid endangering themselves of their families. If a migrant dies and is found on the US side of the border, it becomes the responsibility of border counties to investigate identity.<br />
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Resources:</a><br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes)<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>:
<i>Naming the Dead</i> by Robin Reineke, the Colibri Center for Human
Rights<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Detention
and Deportation</a></span></h3>
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Under current US policy, the number of immigrant detentions and deportations has skyrocketed. Migrants who are apprehended are detained without representation or contact with their families, sometimes for weeks and months.</div>
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Resources:</a><br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes)<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>: <i>2:00
A.M. in Matamoros: Dangerous Deportations along the US-Mexico Border</i> by Maureen
Meyer, WOLA<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Labor demand in the US</a></span></h3>
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“They steal our jobs.” The story about migrants and immigrants we often tell ourselves is that immigration leads to job loss for Americans. But political and economic experts, regardless of ideological leanings, have acknowledged this is simply a myth.<br />
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Resources:</a><br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>:
<i>Coming to America: Land of Opportunity and Obstacles</i> by the National Council of
La Raza<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Safety through Mexico</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The journey from Central America through Mexico to the US border is the most dangerous foot journey in the world. Migrants can fall prey to illness, dehydration, exposure, injury, accident, coyotes, drug cartels, smugglers, traffickers, and violence.</span></h3>
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/learn" target="_blank">Resources:</a><br />
+ Video shorts
for discussion (i.e. "DVD extras or outtakes from the film, each under
three minutes<br />
+ Photos from
the project<br />
+ Links to
further article, information and reports<br />
+ <u>Essay</u>:
<i>Safety through Mexico</i> by Padre Alejandro Solalinde, Ixtepec Shelter</div>
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<strong><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/ontheborder" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">BORDER STORIES</span></a></strong></h2>
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Dilcy Yohan’s story is not the only one. Share your own
stories, thoughts, and prayers. We’ll attach them to
the US–Mexico border wall.<br />
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/takeaction" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">TAKE
ACTION</span></strong></a></h2>
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<a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/takeaction" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1394 alignleft" src="http://www.workingnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Screen-Shot-2014-09-02-at-11.32.43-PMEDT.png" height="185" title="Screen Shot 2014-09-02 at
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There are people working to support migrants at
every stage of their journey. They need your help.<br />
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And we have worked with our NGO partners to set up a number of ways for you to support their work and take action on the issues that will create positive change.<br />
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<a href="http://colibricenter.org/report-a-missing-border-crosser/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">THE MISSING MIGRANT
PROJECT</span></strong></a></h2>
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<a href="http://colibricenter.org/report-a-missing-border-crosser/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-1408 alignleft" src="http://www.workingnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Screen-Shot-2014-09-03-at-9.42.16-AMEDT-1024x450.png" height="175" title="Screen Shot 2014-09-03 at 9.42.16 AMEDT" width="400" /></a></div>
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This page will allow you to file a missing person report with
the <a href="http://colibricenter.org/" target="_blank">Colibrí Center for Human Rights</a>. All
information collected in this form is confidential and all precaution will be
taken to maintain your privacy. Colibrí will not release names, phone numbers, or
identifiable information to outside agencies without your permission. The
Colibrí Center for Human Rights is not a law enforcement entity. They collect
information only to assist families searching for a missing loved one.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/screenings" target="_blank"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/screenings" target="_blank">ACTION TOOLKIT</a></span></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/downloads/WhoIs-ToolKit-ActionToolkit.pdf" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium
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This toolkit is designed to give you the tools to join our campaign. Each of the toolkit's modules stands on its own and can be used when implementing a specific type of event for various audiences. </div>
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+ Plan a theatrical or community screening.</div>
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+ Bring the film to your local theater by planning a “theatrical-on-demand” Gathr® screening</div>
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+ Facilitate a discussion or post-screening Q+A with: General audiences, Faith-based audiences, Academic audiences, Advocacy groups, Mobilize your audiences to take action.</div>
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Download the <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/downloads/WhoIs-ToolKit-ActionToolkit.pdf" target="_blank">PDF document</a> at the bottom of the website's <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/screenings/organization" target="_blank">Screenings</a> page.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-19967115103314936072013-11-12T16:53:00.001-05:002023-07-12T10:50:01.182-04:00The Narrative Design CanvasA few years ago, I took a master class in Toronto with <a href="http://alexosterwalder.com/">Alex Osterwalder</a>, the visionary author of <i>Business Model Generation </i>and creator of the the <a href="http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas">Business Model Canvas</a>, to learn how to apply his canvas to organizational and project design. After the class, I spoke with Alex and with his permission, reimagined the canvas into one with fields particular to the use of social impact media for a campaign, project, or organizational program.<br />
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The result was the project model canvas for narrative design for social impact below. The canvas is a strategic planning tool that allows you to lay out on one page the internal considerations for the design of your narrative-based project for social impact.<br />
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True to Alex's spirit, my version of his canvas has been freely available to anyone who requested it, but under the demands of my task list, I had never gotten around to releasing it for direct download. Rectifying that oversight now, here it is below and also available at <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lksriv/narrative-design-model-canvas">SlideShare</a>.<br />
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You're free to Share and Remix the Canvas. This canvas and Alex's original are licensed as creative commons, so enjoy them for free and for whatever you like. For this canvas, just reference www.linasrivastava.com and businessmodelgeneration.com after each use. For Alex's, reference businesmodelgeneration.com only. And share your work for free for others under a similar license.<br />
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Please let me know how it works for you.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/28173876" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/lksriv/narrative-design-model-canvas" target="_blank" title="Narrative Design Canvas">Narrative Design Canvas</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lksriv" target="_blank">lksriv</a></strong> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-48154106032747571702013-10-29T12:36:00.001-04:002013-10-29T12:36:08.770-04:00On the ethics of telling others' stories, at TEDxTransmedia<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uiOKsv_1wRo?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-55985513928235731772013-09-13T10:05:00.003-04:002013-09-13T10:05:55.485-04:00Regarding Humanity Salon: "Storytelling... Who's Doing It Well?"Regarding Humanity Salon, streamed live on September 12, 2013:<br />
<br />
Lina Srivastava moderates a discussion with Ingrid Kopp, Mallika Dutt, and Michael Premo on storytelling in human rights and development work.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="290" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dyvS02EB0lo?rel=0" width="515"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-79447011081457211352013-09-10T09:00:00.000-04:002013-09-10T10:38:26.375-04:0040 Years Later: Storytelling, Memory, and JusticeThis piece was originally posted in the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lina-srivastava/40-years-later-storytelli_b_3893636.html">Huffington Post World</a>.<br />
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September 11, 2013 marks the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of
the U.S.-backed coup in Chile that transformed Latin America’s oldest democracy
into its most brutal dictatorship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Among the thousands of atrocities committed by the military forces led
by the usurper Augusto Pinochet was the abduction and murder of Charles Horman,
a young American journalist living in Chile who learned about the U.S. role in
the coup.</div>
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In 1982, the story of Charles Horman’s disappearance and the
exhaustive efforts by his wife Joyce and his father Ed to find him, was
immortalized in the Oscar-winning film, Missing. There is a moment in the film in
which the US Ambassador to Chile says to Ed Horman, “Let's level with each
other, sir. If you hadn't been personally involved in this unfortunate
incident, you'd be sitting at home complacent and more or less oblivious to all
of this.”</div>
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Knowing their stories, seeing the deep love for Charlie that
drives them and binds them together as allies in seeking justice makes us, the
film’s audience, personally involved. It is their journey that gives the film
its moral force, placing it among a collective body of art that jolts us out of
complacency in the face of atrocity.</div>
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Storytelling is crucial to the fight for justice in every
realm, in no way more so than in knocking those of us outside a conflict out of
our oblivion and lack of empathy. Dehumanization of the “other”—as is well
documented—is a factor in setting the stage for atrocities to occur. It is
harder to kill or displace others it they are seen as human.</div>
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Stories are the connective tissue that binds us all together
as humans and allows us to know the “other:” to be able to see each other as we
see ourselves. Through storytelling, we discover who we are, and declare
ourselves as beings with individual desires, thoughts, feelings, and
circumstances. It allows us to be awake to new ways of creating our lives, and
collectively our societies. Stories let us conquer our fears, reconcile our
pasts, and reframe the conversation. And they allow us to name the thing that
happened: the tragedy, the atrocity, or the hurt.</div>
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As a tool of social justice, storytelling is of course not
without its risks. There are dangers of protecting identity, mapped out and
dealt with by organizations such as WITNESS or Videre. There are the risks of
propaganda and manipulation. And in today’s world of interconnectedness and
rapid-fire spread of content, there is the danger of inaccuracy, lack of
verification, or artistic license that misleads as much as it may inspire.</div>
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But to tell or listen to a story creates a bond of
recognition between teller and listener: “I too have seen this. I too have
suffered. I know you had a name, a way of dressing, a favorite food, a naughty
secret, or a man or woman you loved and held. As do I. “ When we can empathize,
we can act more justly to shape the policies that affect individual lives.
Facts, statistics, and generalizations are not enough, and often obscure the
real human cost of our policies and decisions.</div>
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And so storytelling becomes an essential element in
mobilizing public opinion and collective action both during and after a crime
against humanity, and in the discourse on accountability in the aftermath of
atrocity. These instruments of culture are an invitation to fight repression and
preserve a link to the past and a hope for the future. One can see these tools
at use in the South African truth and reconciliation commissions. At the
monuments at Gesozi, Plaza Mayor, or Dachau, and so many like them that ask us
to say “never again.” In documentaries like The Act of Killing, The Devil Came
on Horseback, or Nanking. And in the work of organizations like the Shoah
Foundation, Three Generations, or the Aegis Trust. </div>
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These storytellers write a love letter to humanity with
every stroke of the pen, keyboard, or paintbrush. With today’s technological
interconnectedness, we are able to create an environment of support for
truthful storytelling and cultural interventions in society and memory, crucial
to an informed populace that can fight repression and activate for justice. In
the face of history repeating over and over again, in Srebrenica, Rwanda, Egypt,
and at this very moment in Syria, we must. </div>
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For inspiration, we return to the story of Joyce and Charles.
Joyce has fought since the day of the coup 40 years ago, founding the Charles
Horman Truth Foundation in honor of Charlie and all the victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the project, she tells the
story of her family, her journey, and everything she has lost and gained in the
time—a story that reflects the experience of families whose lives are altered
irrevocably due to violent events beyond their control, and one that is all too
common in the 20<sup>th</sup> and 21<sup>st</sup> centuries. </div>
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On September 9th, the CHTF will commemorate the 40th
anniversary of the coup by mounting a tribute to universal jurisdiction, to the
work of human rights defenders such as Baltasar Garzón, Juan Guzman, and Peter
Weiss, among others. It will also be a monument to the triumph of memory, and
the role of the story, in moving toward justice, reconciliation, and healing
for the past four decades, as well as a tribute to the international network of
non-governmental actors, institutional actors, activists, artists, and
survivors, who have all been bound together by a common cause, and a common
narrative thread. It is a testament to their humani<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7615737702781824208" name="_GoBack"></a>ty,
and to their love of it.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-18016522789401619362013-08-24T10:30:00.000-04:002013-08-24T10:30:00.374-04:00"Bodies on the Border"<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #43454e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
A message from the Team from "Who Is Dayani Cristal?": A NYTimes Op-Doc from Marc Silver</h2>
<img align="right" height="90" hspace="10" label="Image" src="http://i1.createsend1.com/ei/r/07/393/36E/csimport/ScreenShot2013-08-15at9.15.24AM.091607.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" width="160" /><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are very proud to share with you that Marc Silver, director of Who Is Dayani Cristal?, has a new film for New York Times Op-Docs called "Bodies on the Border," shown below. Marc made the film this summer amid discussions around comprehensive immigration reform and heightened border security along the US-Mexico border. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film tells the story of the forensics experts in Arizona who struggle to identify the bodies of migrants who perished while attempting to cross illicitly from Mexico into the United States, and the experts' view on the impact President Obama's promised border security measures might have on migrants deaths along the border. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ask you to please watch the film below. Use it for your own discussions on this topic with your networks, and if you write about it, please let us know. And finally, spread it through your networks by sending it to your emails lists, and posting on Facebook, Twitter, G+, and any other social media platforms you use. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We appreciate your participation with this. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Best wishes, </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">The Team from <a href="http://marcsilver.createsend1.com/t/r-l-bduklo-tljlyudkc-b/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Who Is Dayani Cristal?</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FYWncRZEiDw?rel=0" width="450"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-77580780254643953542013-08-20T17:49:00.003-04:002013-08-20T17:52:30.409-04:00"New Philanthropy": A Kurante Discussion<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><a href="http://%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22//www.youtube.com/embed/S29jXwKAR9I?rel=0%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/S29jXwKAR9I?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></a><br /></span><br />
<br />
New Philanthropy - A Kurante Conversation featuring Carla Funk, Heather Peeler, Jessica Neuwirth, Ravi Karkara, Wayan Vota, and myself. Moderated by Lindsay Poirier and support from Linda Raftree.<br />
<br />
The conversation was spurred by Peter Buffett's New York Times OpEd "The Charitable Industrial Complex" and the online conversation that came out of Wayan Vota's open letter response to Peter Buffett.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-6914344646062521362013-06-18T10:05:00.002-04:002013-06-18T10:05:15.005-04:00"Poverty Porn and a New Way to Regard Social Impact": A piece in GOOD Magazine<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5WD7UKW2nY4/UcBoznJ47FI/AAAAAAAAH_c/INaBuoQcHhQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-18+at+10.02.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5WD7UKW2nY4/UcBoznJ47FI/AAAAAAAAH_c/INaBuoQcHhQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-18+at+10.02.40+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I recently wrote a piece in GOOD magazine about the concept of "poverty porn," and image, representation, and design in global development, and included a mention about the launch of <a href="http://www.regardinghumanity.org/">Regarding Humanity</a>. The piece has since generated a healthy debate in the comments section. You can find the piece <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/poverty-porn-and-a-new-way-to-regard-social-impact?utm_medium=comment&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=title">here</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-34309876199074956382013-05-20T13:48:00.000-04:002013-05-20T14:25:06.441-04:00Announcing the Launch of "Regarding Humanity"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Sensational images of poverty are often used to frame issues
of humanitarian aid to advocate for a cause, design programs, or raise funds.
This practice, often called “poverty porn,” represents people living in poverty
as victims rather than as people capable and determined to define their own
future.</div>
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From multiple photos of rape victims in the Congo used to
raise funding in annual reports, to repeated images of squatting South Asian
women looking up at Western aid workers, to pictures of naked and emaciated
children lying in the rubble after Haiti’s earthquake, to initiatives that seek
donations of used underwear to send to Africa, <a href="http://regardinghumanity.org/about/" target="_blank">a group of us</a> saw that
questionable instances of framing and narrative were rampant. </div>
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We decided we needed to create more dialogue and debate
around this topic. So over the past few years, we have been working on building
a platform that actively aims to foster discussion on the way communities are
portrayed and media is produced, and how communities can be brought into the conversation
about how they are represented. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today we launch <a href="http://regardinghumanity.org/" target="_blank">Regarding Humanity</a>.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snG8mdJHBcQ/UZpfuXH4t8I/AAAAAAAAHpM/I6ygJg_oT-w/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snG8mdJHBcQ/UZpfuXH4t8I/AAAAAAAAHpM/I6ygJg_oT-w/s400/Untitled.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The project's creators are a group of practitioners whose
experience spans humanitarian aid, transmedia storytelling, process and service
design, ethnography, visual thinking, social innovation, and technology. We
came together because each of us has faced the challenge of representing
communities in our work. And we had individually seen numerous examples of
“poverty porn.” We recognized that the questions are many and complex, and that
there is a need for a larger public discussion about ethical representation to
shift the focus from aid to agency.</div>
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The project is a multimedia platform that explores the way
we see, listen and frame stories of “the poor” -- and how respectful and relevant
storytelling can create more context and nuance, and depict more complex
realities. We aim to engage practitioners, educators, journalists, and students
in the question: How do we as a community dedicated to social impact maintain
local agency, partnership, and relevant, respectful narrative as core values of
our work?</div>
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The website and blog will source content from a diverse global set of authors and will serve as an educational resource and discussion
forum around visual literacy, ethnography, and narrative integrity. </div>
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We will be expanding over time to develop a discussion and
salon series, research, commissioned and submitted commentary, and an
educational curriculum.</div>
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We invite you to explore <a href="http://regardinghumanity.org/" target="_blank">the site</a>. Let us know your thoughts
on how to generate constructive conversation and learning on eradicating
poverty porn and creating meaningful, effective content for social impact.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-36940954211978186892013-01-08T14:01:00.001-05:002013-01-08T14:01:31.508-05:00How Storytelling Can Address the Complex and Intertwining Issues of Modern Society<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_mg7mF9Hs/UOxs9NRtixI/AAAAAAAAGkk/W-fhAc-ldtk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-08+at+2.00.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_mg7mF9Hs/UOxs9NRtixI/AAAAAAAAGkk/W-fhAc-ldtk/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-08+at+2.00.42+PM.png" width="311" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I recently wrote a piece in GOOD for the "Wish for the Future Series" about narrative and social change. Please find it <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/how-storytelling-can-address-the-complex-and-intertwining-issues-of-modern-society" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-6301041830249959002012-12-31T15:21:00.005-05:002012-12-31T15:21:51.212-05:002012-2013: Thank You<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNECqnxsbcc/UOCSU1oO10I/AAAAAAAAGj4/S3jeLmvlrUc/s1600/737762_10100577457791752_1024628495_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNECqnxsbcc/UOCSU1oO10I/AAAAAAAAGj4/S3jeLmvlrUc/s400/737762_10100577457791752_1024628495_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">AP/Kevin Frayer</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This photo was taken at India Gate in New Delhi, India, during peaceful protests brought on by the December 2012 gang rape (and subsequent death) of the woman alternately called Damini, Amanat, or Nirbhaya by the media. The woman in the photo was protesting peacefully and walking through water cannons being fired by police to quell the protest. I hope this image represents an anger and movement that will carry until lasting change is made in India. It also represents a spirit I see rising up throughout the world. This has in many ways been a year filled with unimaginable tragedy and what has hit me with the most force is the violence and brutality we've seen against ordinary people who were stopped in the midst of simply living their lives. But the hope we have is that never before have we had such such ability to connect worldwide to help each other. What this image represents to me is how I feel about the world in 2012 moving into 2013, with ordinary people continuing to raise their voices against injustice around the world. Thank you to each of you for the work you do in ensuring we move forward. I hope your New Year is full of joy, kindness, beauty, wild fun, and good works. <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-84648144860229679232012-12-17T09:30:00.000-05:002012-12-17T09:30:01.224-05:00Seminario TransmediaSpanish translation of a talk at Seminario Transmedia in Bogota', Colombia:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AgGigzelA7M?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-2032471780551743792012-11-29T10:00:00.000-05:002012-11-29T10:00:07.878-05:00"Who Is Dayani Cristal" at Sundance Film Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TvsZadnUMpk/ULbpesUK8nI/AAAAAAAAF-0/EMDwS1t3lq8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-28+at+4.58.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TvsZadnUMpk/ULbpesUK8nI/AAAAAAAAF-0/EMDwS1t3lq8/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-11-28+at+4.58.45+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Marc Silver's film "Who Is Dayani Cristal?" has been selected as the opening night film in the World Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2013. A production of Pulse Films, Canana Films, and others, the film explores the mystery of an unidentified body found in the desert of Arizona, and opens up to questions of poverty, human rights, and migration. I am very proud to be collaborating with the team behind this film, as transmedia producer and social engagement strategist. I will post at this site in the coming months on our work on the social action projects. Find out more also at the film's <a href="http://whoisdayanicristal.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-37906775224383658022012-06-12T11:56:00.000-04:002012-06-12T11:56:47.716-04:00Trends and Challenges: Critical Thought TV Interviews on Transmedia Activism (Part 4)<br />
I was honored to be invited to speak with Stuart Dambrot of Critical Thought TV around the possibilities of narrative design for social impact. This is the final in a 4-part series.<br />
(The first three segments of the interview are below.)<br />
<br />
Interview 4: Transmedia Activism: Trends and Challenges<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0mpueuKcU8g" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-49485537321277376882012-06-05T12:05:00.000-04:002012-06-05T12:05:29.094-04:00Local Voice: Critical Thought TV Interviews on Transmedia Activism (Part 3)I was honored to be invited to speak with Stuart Dambrot of Critical
Thought TV around the possibilities of narrative design for social
impact.<br />
<br />
(The first two segments of the interview are below. The fourth will be available in a few weeks.)<br />
<br />
Interview 3: Transmedia Activism: Local Voice<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wiNsVoaSmIU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-10790318626465044952012-05-18T12:10:00.000-04:002012-05-18T12:18:09.568-04:00Critical Thought TV: Interviews on Transmedia ActivismI was honored to be invited to speak with Stuart Dambrot of Critical Thought TV around the possibilities of narrative design for social impact.<br />
<br />
(The first two segments of the interview are here. The third and fourth will be available in a few weeks.)<br />
<br />
Interview 1: Transmedia Activism<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yHcOcQXJgt0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Interview 2: Transmedia Activism Field Notes<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z09WdyzyBvo?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-13262388476086949762012-02-20T15:05:00.003-05:002012-02-20T15:08:40.595-05:00NAMAC: "What Makes a Successful Transmedia Story?"NAMAC is hosting a Transmedia Salon on its site, this week, and asked me to address the question of what makes a successful transmedia story, alongside writers Ingrid Kopp, Nedra Weinrich, and Robert Pratten. Take a look at my piece <a href="http://namac.org/node/26131">here</a>, and reposted below.<br /><br /><br />I just returned from the Berlin Film Festival this past week, where I attended the <span scayt_word="Berlinale" scaytid="1">Berlinale</span> Talent Campus/Power to the Pixel cross-media forums. The speakers at the forum were creators, producers and distributors investing in <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="2">transmedia</span> platforms such as <em><a href="http://www.ironsky.net/" target="_blank">Iron Sky</a></em>, <em><a href="http://beta.18daysinegypt.com/" target="_blank">18 Days in Egypt</a>, <a href="http://bear71.nfb.ca/#/bear71" target="_blank">Bear 71</a>, <a href="http://gaza-sderot.arte.tv/" target="_blank"><span scayt_word="Gaza-Sderot" scaytid="6">Gaza-Sderot</span></a>,</em> and the <em>Truth About <span scayt_word="Marika" scaytid="7">Marika</span></em>, among many others. What came clearly into focus from the juxtaposition of this range and variety of projects was that there is no one formula for creating a successful <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="4">transmedia</span> story in terms of style, architecture, or experience, but that (as obvious as this sounds) a strong and engaging story is crucial. This means that in order for you to achieve success with any <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="5">transmedia</span> platform, large or small, it is important to concentrate on a tight, engaging core story and from there, the architecture through which the elements of that story are extended.<br /> <br /> In the case of <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="10">transmedia</span> activism and <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="11">transmedia</span> for social good-- the realms in which I primarily work-- the core of the story and the point should be about the change, the goal, or the solution. But there are different ways to conceive of "story.” One is the “traditional” notion of narrative, in which there is a plot with some sort of conflict and resolution; characters, including protagonists and antagonists; and a narrative point of view. Think of Another is to tell the story of the issue and affected communities through a “campaign” structure, where the elements extended through multiple channels are actions and solutions, as opposed to or in addition to story extensions. Think of <span scayt_word="Medecins" scaytid="17">Medecins</span> Sans <span scayt_word="Frontiere’s" scaytid="18">Frontiere’s</span> <a href="http://www.starvedforattention.org/index.php" target="_blank">“Starved for Attention”</a> project, for example.<br /> <br /> Participation and collaboration are also critical success factors. In fact, these are two of the factors that make <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="14">transmedia</span> such an interesting, potentially effective and disruptive innovation to social change efforts, in creating entry points into co-creation and <span scayt_word="dialogue" scaytid="21">dialogue</span>. Social change and mobilization efforts require public and political participation. But in terms of actual social change, participation is an input, not an endpoint, and therefore community management and stewardship of the platform are important to flip participants and collaborators into sustainable action. Though not a <span scayt_word="“transmedia" scaytid="22">“transmedia</span> for good” project, take a look at the way Iron Sky was created through crowd participation in the director’s video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLRcUcg2TUI" target="_blank">“Producing with the Audience”</a> for inspiration here. <p> A simple platform is usually best, albeit not required to manage a successful <span scayt_word="transmedia-for-change" scaytid="23">transmedia-for-change</span> platform. Large-scale projects aren't always necessary and can be distracting. They are also harder to finance, manage, and actualize. The point of an effective story isn't the bells and whistles, and technology for technology’s sake. A concentration on technology is important where use of the technology is the best way to ensure participation and enhanced interaction, but the point is still the story and its continuum of narrative from core to extension to action. Also, keep it simple and contained, but connect your story to the larger movement: This is key for telling the story of a system, and investing in systemic change instead of a single story/point solution. This the principle on which the forthcoming platform <span scayt_word="Lakou" scaytid="24">Lakou</span> <span scayt_word="Mizik" scaytid="25">Mizik</span>* is being produced <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lakou-Mizik/225257680851166" target="_blank">(in development)</a>. </p> <p> Finally, relevance, resonance, and respect are indispensable in a <span scayt_word="transmedia-for-change" scaytid="26">transmedia-for-change</span> story, where focus should lie on the community of interest or the affected community before elements are tailored to participants, “players,” or audiences. There are of course instances where there isn't one community in particular, but the particular utility of <span scayt_word="transmedia" scaytid="27">transmedia</span> in social change is that it allows multiple avenues for <span scayt_word="dialogue" scaytid="28">dialogue</span> and the use of multiple stories to create empathy, humanization of the issues, and an attention to diverse perspectives. In create a community-centered story architecture, think about everyone who is in the community and ask yourself, what does each segment bring to the table, subsequently tailoring your story extensions to reach those segments. For an example of how this can be done, see 18 Days in Egypt. *</p> Disclosure: I am currently working on this project.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-70689593055565231262012-01-03T21:24:00.002-05:002012-01-05T12:51:30.718-05:00Simon Staffans' "One Year in Transmedia"Transmedia designer Simon Staffans created an ebook entitled "<a href="http://cl.ly/Cxb3" target="_blank">One Year in Transmedia</a>," a collection of his own and others' posts, and interviews with transmedia specialists, to present a comprehensive industry snapshot in 2011 and beyond. Simon asked me to give an interview on what I believe is the future of transmedia, and its applications to social change and social innovation. I was honored to have my interview close out the book. <br />
<br />
Here is an excerpt of that interview. (For the full text and for the rest of the book (a worthwhile read), please download the book <a href="http://cl.ly/Cxb3" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
<i style="color: orange;"><b>Q: A lot of transmedia evolves around fiction, around mythologies and fantasy and suchlike. Youʼre an advocate for transmedia activism; how do you feel transmedia can help when it comes to social issues?</b></i><br />
A: [First, there] is a distinct opportunity here in using narrative and a designed experience to guide activists, influencers and members of the general public into your story universe and create engagement and action toward a solution. (When I analyze a story universe for social change, I think first in terms of an ecosystem of issues, social and cultural conditions, communities and solutions-- and not only about the narrative arc of the story.) As a community of storytellers and activists, we can move beyond awareness and outreach to engagement and action. A great example this year was Medecins Sans Frontieres' "<a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/alert/article.cfm?id=5604&cat=alert-article" target="_blank">Starved for Attention</a>" campaign, which used a variety of media, film, video, objects and photos created by a number of authors and distributed via web, tablet, and real world installations to create a number of advocacy points that targeted a range of stakeholders and moved them in a nearly seamless fashion from story to their desired action...<br />
<br />
Second, transmedia strategies, in allowing diverse and multiple authorship, have the potential to create better streams of participation for "local voice"-- i.e, voices coming from an affected community, to tell its own stories and participate in solutions-building. This year, I'd point [as examples] to <a href="http://18daysinegypt.com/" target="_blank">18 Days in Egypt</a>, <a href="http://3generations.org/" target="_blank">3 Generations</a>, [and] <a href="http://linasrivastava.blogspot.com/2010/11/invisibles-pushing-needle-forward-on.html" target="_blank">The Invisibles</a>...<br />
<br />
Third, setting out a transmedia strategy may be an innovative way to create a co-creation network and to build community-centered collaboration. Creation networks are an interesting way to think about two things: (1) combining community-driven solutions (bottom-up, grassroots) with resources and capacity (top-down, institutional)... <br />
<br />
Fourth, transmedia answers the question, "How do you tell the story of a system?" There's a danger in social change when you tell a story from one perspective or from one node in the system. True social change comes when solutions are systemic, and transmedia itself is a social innovation that allows us to view our ecosystem and create stakeholder engagement around systemic change. The advantage to transmedia is that it helps us tell the story of a system by presenting multiple voices on a number of stories extending from the core over a number of distribution channels...<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="color: orange;">Q: How has the transmedia activism industry or movement evolved during the past few years?</span> </b></i><br />
A: When I first started writing about transmedia activism and examining social action projects through its lens in 2008, there was no identifiable community of colleagues investing time, resources or thought into it. Today, it's still a relatively young construct-- it's more of a strategic framework than an industry or a movement yet-- but over the past 18-24 months, a number of creators and institutions have come to recognize the potential that transmedia has when applied to social change, and so there is interest in investing in tools and technologies that advance the field. Philanthropic institutions like the Ford Foundation and the Sundance Institute have started funding transmedia projects, which is cause for celebration. On the other hand, we haven't yet built a field in which there are a set of norms or business models. We have limited capacity globally, in terms of the numbers of strategists or practitioners who have experience in the design principles of a transmedia strategy, or the subject matter expertise in social innovation or social change. We need to build a community of practice if we're going to really create effective partnerships and implement sustainable solutions.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: orange;">
<i><b>Q: What has been the most exciting or fulfilling or encouraging transmedia experiences youʼve encountered over the past year? </b></i></div>
<br />Aside from work I've been doing this year, MSF's Starved for Attention campaign and 18 Days in Egypt excite me for the reasons I stated above. Lance Weiler's "<a href="http://lanceweiler.com/2011/01/pandemic-1-0/" target="_blank">Pandemic</a>"-- which debuted earlier this year and has inspired some interesting collaborations in social change for him--and his recently launched "<a href="http://lanceweiler.com/2011/08/robot/" target="_blank">Robot Stories</a>" are really interesting. I love the work Breakthrough has been developing for their <a href="http://www.bellbajao.org/" target="_blank">Bell Bajao</a> campaign, which is rather less involved than Lance's work, but highly engaging and sometimes cheeky, always striking the right tone for the very serious subject of ending domestic violence. GMD Studios' work with the <a href="http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/national-museum-american-history-host-innovative-online-conversations-mark-10th-anniversary" target="_blank">Smithsonian</a> gives me hope that there are going to be more interesting transmedia collaborations between cultural institutions and experience designers. And the launch of the <a href="http://mobilemediatoolkit.org/" target="_blank">Mobile Media Toolkit</a> (from <a href="http://mobileactive.org/">MobileActive.org</a>, for which which I sit on the Board of Directors) was particularly exciting in providing guidance on local, independent content creation through mobile phones. Finally, I was head over heels for PunchDrunk's "Sleep No More" -- while this is not a "social change" project by any means, it is one of the best immersive, interactive experiences I've ever had in New York City. I'm hoping someone will create a Hitchcock, Fellini or Jean Cocteau transmedia experience, or bring alive more Shakespeare plays, or other classic movie, theater or literary experiences soon.<br />
<br />
<i style="color: orange;"><b>Q: Do you see anything within the field of transmedia that you are especially looking forward to in 2012? </b></i><br />
A: I was happy Brian Clark addressed the question of business models at Henry Jenkins' <a href="http://www.henryjenkins.org/2011/11/installment_1_transmedia_busin.html" target="_blank">site</a>. The founding of StoryCode from Transmedia Meetup NYC is a positive development in this direction, and I'm hoping we as a community delve more deeply into discussions and answers on the evolution of business models and systematically supporting a community of practice. <br />
<br />
I'm interested to see how we move forward on personal storytelling as an element of social change campaigns, whose potential is expanding with platforms like <a href="http://cowbird.com/" target="_blank">Cowbird</a>; and the potential for effective content curation, as Vadim Lavrusik describes in his <a href="http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/12/vadim-lavrusik-curation-and-amplification-will-become-much-more-sophisticated-in-2012/" target="_blank">piece</a> "Curation and amplification will become much more sophisticated in 2012." In my own work in field-building, I want to continue to align concepts of transmedia to social innovation and design. I would like to continue to work with nonprofits and institutions to themselves experiment with and adopt transmedia storytelling in both communications as well as program design. And I want to build on discussions that I started in collaboration with StoryCode this past fall on the potential of transmedia in emerging markets, for economic development and creative sector capacity, and community-centered solutions-building. We launched a series with <a href="http://linasrivastava.blogspot.com/2011/11/transmedia-in-emerging-markets_18.html" target="_blank">Africa</a>, and hopefully will also explore the Indian film industries and Latin America in 2012. <br />
<br />
On the content side, related to that last point, I'm looking forward to working closely with a forthcoming project called "Lakou Mizik," a transmedia platform for musicians in Haiti, and in continuing to build the platform around <a href="http://www.resistnetwork.com/films/dayani_cristal" target="_blank"><i>Who Is Dayani Cristal</i></a>? <br />
<div style="color: orange;">
<br />
<i><b>Q: If you would hazard a guess, where will transmedia be in 2015, and transmedia activism? </b></i></div>
A: I think it's the way we'll all be communicating and creating rather regularly, so will we even need the term "transmedia" anymore? At any rate, in three years, I think "narrative design" will become an essential function across a variety of sectors (for-profit and non-profit), and that transmedia storytelling will be leveraged by more of the creative arts fields, like music, dance and theater, and by more cultural institutions. There will be more global efforts and projects, and more investment in <br />
global co-productions in terms of creative content and financial investment. <br />
<br />
And I'm hoping we who work in the interstices between the creative and nonprofit sectors will have learned a lesson from the 2011 political revolutions and social movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, Greece, India, Mexico, the US and beyond. I hope we invest in the strong convergence between both (perhaps seemingly converse) individual storytelling and collaborative production, and look to <br />
technologies and institutional structures globally that support free and secure expression, a vibrant civil society, and thriving cultural economies. I hope. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-78439780594846025192011-12-20T13:30:00.000-05:002011-12-20T13:30:14.615-05:00Where Is Your Line? Interview<br />
<a href="http://whereisyourline.org/"><i>Where Is Your Line?</i></a> is a fantastic campaign from Nancy Schwartzman, empowering youth leaders to end sexual violence. The campaign's blog runs a cheeky and informative section called "Badass Activist Friday." I'm proud to be included in the Badass club.<br />
<br />
After reading this post, read about the campaign's latest success, the "<a href="http://whereisyourline.org/tag/circle-of-6/">Circle of 6</a>" app. <br />
<br />
Here's a repost of my interview with the campaign:<br />
<br />
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://whereisyourline.org/2011/12/lina-srivastava-badass-activist-friday/">Lina Srivastava: Badass Activist Friday</a></span></h1>
It’s Friday, and we all know what that means! Interviews with your
favorite badass feminists and activists. Whether social media queens and
kings, creative artists, sex educators, or just kick-ass personalities,
these people harness righteous anger, instigate movements and inspire
cultural change. We’re here to honor them and their work, but more
importantly, to highlight how we can all get up, plug in, and <strong>Just Start Doing</strong>.<br />
<br />
Today’s badass is <strong>Lina Srivastava</strong>. Lina studied law
at New York University and now has her own consulting firm for
transmedia activism. As a consultant, she has been involved in the
production of documentaries such as <em>Born into Brothels</em> and <em>The Devil Came on Horseback</em>.
Currently, she is the organizational strategist for VODO and
3Generations, and member of the Board of Directors for MobileActive and
Global Grassroots.<br />
<br />
And here is what she had to say to us!<br />
<br />
<span id="more-5270"></span><br />
<span><strong>Your background is in law. Can you tell us about how
you came from there to activism, and this specific form of it? Did you
go to law school with activism as your ultimate intent, or did this
career develop somewhere along the way?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span>I didn’t go the law school with a specific goal of activism in
mind, no. In high school, I had developed strong passions for the arts
and culture, and for human rights activism. As I moved through college
and then law school, I did have a vision to work in the public interest
field, but I wasn’t sure what form that would take. I had majored in
biology in college and had done coursework in philosophy and bioethics,
so when I went to New York University School of Law, my thought was to
eventually dedicate my work to global public health policy. But because I
had a science background, I got sidetracked into intellectual property
law.</span><br />
<br />
<span>The practice of law never sat well with me, though, from the
very beginning. I’m very glad I have a law degree– frankly, it gives me
facility with legal constructs and strategic frameworks (my science
background and legal education have given me the foundation for the
strategy consulting work I do now) and gives me a sense of confidence as
a woman running my own consultancy. But the subject matter, the
endless hours of working, and the lifestyle all put me off. The most
significant reason that I left, though, was the feeling that I wasn’t
contributing to a larger social justice movement, to something for the
benefit of disadvantaged communities. I’ve always felt obligated and
driven to apply my experience and knowledge to create a more just,
livable and fulfilling society. And I wasn’t doing that in the law firm. </span><br />
<br />
<span>So I resigned and took a year off to travel, write poetry,
dance Flamenco — to reconnect with everything dear to me personally– and
to think about what mattered most to me, and where I felt I could apply
my skills most effectively to “change the world.” It was during that
year that I connected back to the dual missions of culture and of human
rights that I had developed in high school. The question now was how to
combine those two. </span><br />
<br />
<span>The answer came three years after having quit the law. I had
gone through an “apprenticeship” of sorts with Michaela Walsh, the
Founder of Women’s World Banking and a doyenne of microfinance, and then
my first Executive Director position of a Spanish foundation
contributing to development work and access to education issues in
India. I was subsequently hired as the Executive Director of Kids with
Cameras, which was started alongside the documentary about it, “Born
into Brothels.” Suddenly, the combination of the arts, media, and
storytelling with rights, aid and development all fell into place. </span><br />
<br />
<span><span>That experience led me to understand the power of
cross-platform content creation and distribution in social change.
Cultural identity and cultural expression are too often overlooked as
essential elements of social transformation, and so I eventually started
working in transmedia storytelling, social innovation and design,
examining how those constructs could help me best apply cultural assets
to systemic change. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span><strong>Can you explain to us what transmedia activism is and
how it works? What is its specific approach and what do you hope to
achieve by using this approach? What sets it apart from other forms of
activism?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span>“Transmedia Activism” is a framework I conceived in 2008-2009
and have been refining since (with help from a number of great thinkers
in the field). It is a construct for social impact through storytelling
by a number of authors who create content for distribution across
multiple forms of media, to raise awareness and influence action around a
particular core narrative and set of solutions to a social challenge. A
transmedia universe around a social issue creates a number of entry
points for activists, influencers, policymakers and members of the
general public to participate in dialogue, create shifts in perception
or culture, and engage in direct action. The specific approach to
creating a transmedia universe has to be customized to each social
challenge — essentially, you have to start with the question, “What are
we trying to change?” and then “Where does this fit into the larger
movement or campaign?” </span><br />
<br />
<span>The advantage to transmedia activism (and more broadly,
transmedia for social good) is that it helps us tell the story of a
system. True social change comes when solutions are systemic, and
transmedia itself is a social innovation that allows us to view our
ecosystem and create stakeholder engagement around systemic change. </span><br />
<br />
<span>The other advantages to transmedia — and what I hope personally
to achieve– is that because it’s a participatory co-creation framework,
we are able to create avenues to source local voice and highlight
locally relevant and resonant culture. The more perspectives to a
story, the more human the story is, the easier solutions are to
uncover. Second, it lets us use narrative more effectively as a tool in
aid and development, human rights, and community livability.</span><br />
<br />
<span><strong>Where do movements for feminism and social justice
intersect with the different platforms for storytelling and creative
expression? How do they engage with and benefit from one another?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span>All social movements throughout history, at their base, live
and die on their stories. You need to bring a movement to its basic
components: What is the challenge? Who is being affected? How do we
create empathy? How do we posit and act on solutions? And where the
feminism and social justice movements intersect with storytelling and
creative expression is where they have been most able to bring people
into direct action. This is true regardless of the media used or the
platform over which the media travels. But we now have access to amazing
and rapidly evolving advances in technology and communications
platforms, and so we have the ability to spread messages, stories, and
calls to action with speed and reach. So the movements need to get
creative with how they talk about the “ecology” of their challenges and
solutions, because people all along the spectrum of involvement and
influence want to engage, want to contribute, and want to be part of the
conversation. That’s what gets commitment. And that’s why The Line’s
campaign, and particularly the “Circle of 6″ app, is so exciting.</span><br />
<br />
<span><strong>Have you had to deal with any stereotypes or cliches
when it comes to employing this mode of working? Transmedia story
telling was made popular by, and is still mainly used in the context of
computer games and comics. Have you had to break down any walls when it
comes to using transmedia narratives in such a radically different way?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span>There are quite a few, yes, but the one factor I’ll talk about
here is where platforms and technologies are seen as solutions
themselves to social ills, not the vehicles or catalysts of social
change. In the realm of transmedia activism, it doesnt make sense to
fall too deeply in love with the technology before the solution; in
other words, if your planned app doesn’t contribute to the solution for
the community, don’t build it. It’s more important to look to the
affected community than to the community of transmedia creators and
their needs when you’re engaging in activism. Of course, creators need
tools to do their job effectively, and new tool of media creation and
production are essential to that, so we need to invest in field-building
through those tools, as well as support and training for creators. But
solutions for the affected community– hopefully articulated by the
community itself– should take priority when thinking about the elements
of a transmedia platform.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span><strong>What project are you currently working on?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span>I’m working on a few at the moment. In the realm of transmedia
and social change specifically, I’m the strategist for two start-up
nonprofits, BYkids and 3 Generations, and am helping produce or
providing strategic guidance for three projects; the first concerns
systemic poverty and human rights along the US-Mexico border and in
Central America; the second is about child homelessness and arts
education in the US; and the third is about culture-based regeneration
in Haiti with Haitian musicians. What I look for when I say yes to
working with a project are: (a) Having at its core the use of local
voice, in direct partnership with the platform creators; (2) Using the
platform to move beyond awareness, to connect audiences and change
agents to commit to a particular worldview, advocacy or action, by using
these local stories and art; and (3) The potential to cross borders or
silos using </span><span> a number of platforms</span><span> to foster transformation. I have a really great job and I hope this field continues to thrive. </span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-13250618173637377612011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:002011-11-18T02:25:56.605-05:00Transmedia in Emerging Markets: Spotlight on Africa: Business, Film and ActivismI recently have had the privilege to work with the new organization <a href="http://storycode.org/">Storycode</a> to create a panel series called <i>Transmedia in Emerging Markets</i>, to catalyze discussions around the potential role of transmedia storytelling to build vibrant cultural sectors and leverage local voice in developing economies, as well as current trends in investments, business, civil society programs and media production that may allow for transmedia business models to flourish in emerging markets.<br />
<br />
We launched the series with a "Spotlight on Africa: Business, Film and Activism," which I curated and led at Storycode's presenting partner, the <a href="http://filmlinc.com/">Film Society of Lincoln Center</a>. Joining me for the evening were <a href="http://www.gkofiannan.com/">G. Kofi Annan</a>, Hugo Soskin of <a href="http://18daysinegypt.com/">18 Days in Egypt</a>, Franco Sacchi of the <a href="http://nollywoodworkshops.org/">Nollywood Workshops</a>, and Layna Fisher of the <a href="http://www.sierraleoneinternationalfilmfestival.com/">Sierra Leone International Film Festival</a>. An important connective thread among all the presentations is the harnessing of local voice and local storytelling, and the tremendous economic and cultural possibilities arising from this.<br />
<br />
The videos of the event are below. The program starts at 5:00 in the first video, so please click through to there. My introduction and discussion with Kofi starts at 8:00 minutes in the first video. Kofi brings us through a thorough discussion of the consumer base in Africa, and current activity in the technology, media and business sectors, as well as the role of local storytelling in presenting the diversity of images and stories in Africa.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="295" scrolling="no" src="http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/transmedianewyorkcity?layout=4&clip=pla_17c14044-d74d-48e6-967d-bc7f5d8c434a&color=0xe7e7e7&autoPlay=false&mute=false&iconColorOver=0x888888&iconColor=0x777777&allowchat=true&height=295&width=480" style="border: 0; outline: 0;" width="480"></iframe><br />
<div style="font-size: 11px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 480px;">
Watch <a href="http://www.livestream.com/?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" streaming="" title="live" video="">live streaming video</a> from <a at="" href="http://www.livestream.com/transmedianewyorkcity?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" livestream.com="" title="Watch" transmedianewyorkcity="">transmedianewyorkcity</a> at livestream.com</div>
<br />
<br />
Videos from Layna and Franco start at 9:20 in the second video. Layna speaks about filmmaking, distribution and the potential for transmedia to broaden the reach of the Sierra Leone International Film Festival, and interviews media creator Vicki Remoe about the state of digital filmmaking. Franco presents the history and richness of the Nollywood film industry, the second largest in the world. [Note: Since the audio quality of Layna's video is poor, her standalone video is embedded at the end of this post.]<br />
<br />
A brief presentation of additional projects relating to storytelling and to transmedia activism concerning Africa starts at 45:00 of the second video. My discussion with Hugo begins at 49:30, and covers <i>18 Days in Egypt</i>, the forthcoming transmedia activism project harnessing local storytelling from citizens and activists in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution, as well as technological innovations in group storytelling.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="295" scrolling="no" src="http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/transmedianewyorkcity?layout=4&clip=pla_17ef9b97-e4f7-40b4-b023-299b3b214e74&color=0xe7e7e7&autoPlay=false&mute=false&iconColorOver=0x888888&iconColor=0x777777&allowchat=true&height=295&width=480" style="border: 0; outline: 0;" width="480"></iframe><br />
<div style="font-size: 11px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 480px;">
Watch <a href="http://www.livestream.com/?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" streaming="" title="live" video="">live streaming video</a> from <a at="" href="http://www.livestream.com/transmedianewyorkcity?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=footerlinks" livestream.com="" title="Watch" transmedianewyorkcity="">transmedianewyorkcity</a> at livestream.com</div>
<br />
<br />
[Layna's video from the evening]:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="274" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xYCGwgJMehM?rel=0" width="480"></iframe> <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-9099627886538587442011-10-18T12:38:00.001-04:002011-10-31T17:47:52.270-04:00TEDxTransmedia Talk<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="243" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6GO_bXpckDM?rel=0&hd=1" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Video from my <a href="http://www.tedxtransmedia.com/">TEDxTransmedia</a> talk at the <a href="http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/?page_id=27&lang=en">MAXXI Foundation</a> in Rome, 30 September 2011.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-50420695320515426882011-04-22T12:04:00.002-04:002011-04-22T12:07:43.749-04:00The End of Atrocity: A ManifestoThis Manifesto is a fluid document, which we have begun to draft and will continue to refine throughout this project, with the participation of many. It is an organic process: all are invited to participate.<br />______________________________________________<br /><br />“Never Again.”<br /><br />These two words have become the most uttered and the least meaningful in a world that still witnesses genocide, crimes against humanity and atrocities. These two words were first said in the context of mass genocide, after the Holocaust in 1948, when the United Nations General Assembly passed the Genocide Convention. And we as a world said we would never let something like that happen again on our watch. We had a set of guidelines, a commitment, a promise.<br /><br />And yet it happened, over and over again. <br /><br />Throughout the history of our species, we have created divisions among people, based on region, religion, belief, economic advantage and political expediency. We have devised ways of creating a sense of “otherness” -- of peoples who don’t look like us or believe as we do -- that has made us capable of seeing the “other” as less than human. This has resulted in injustice, inequality, and in the worst cases, in premeditated massacre and ethnic and cultural cleansing.<br /><br />What can possibly stop this? <br /><br />The time has come to build a vision for a world without atrocity. Leaders as diverse as The Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King have shown us the need for vision to build a path to lasting peace and progress. But, to date, we don’t have a collective vision for a world free from atrocity. We’ve had conventions, treaties, sanctions, military interventions, technological interventions, social movements, cultural artifacts and discussions. But If we as a global community don’t have a vision of a better future, how will we really create one? <br /><br />This Manifesto represents the collective thoughts of visionaries around the world on a promise and a path to build a vision for a world without genocide, atrocity or crimes against humanity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FIRST</span>: There is no “other.” We are all one, irreversibly connected.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SECOND</span>: Human beings are members of a global community, and we are connected. If atrocity can happen to one group, it can happen to any other, because when it happens to one of us, it happens to humanity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THIRD</span>: We must achieve universal respect for each other. Each generation must find ways to explicitly affirm and reaffirm its commitment -- through ritual, story, technology or practice-- that each individual will accept responsibility for the well-being of each other individual in the world, regardless of who or where that individual is, and that each of the billions of the global masses is accountable to all the others for safety, security and life.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FOURTH</span>: We have always been connected, but technology and communication now connects us directly in ways that reduce the “otherness” of people. Access to the tools of technology and communication must be used to help us grow our collection of stories of being human and will put a human face on that which we used to view as “other.” <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FIFTH</span>: There are always patterns and warning signs before an atrocity. Ensuring universal access to tools of technology and communication will help us collectively disseminate and listen to cries for help. We will pay attention to these patterns and signs and keep watching for them, to stem the possibility of devolution into violence.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SIXTH</span>: We acknowledged there will always be hostilities, conflict, and perhaps even war. We must work toward building, supporting and enriching our growing culture of human rights-- through rational means of technology and networks, strong cross-border civil society interventions, institutional and governmental treaties and efforts, but also through cultural means, through humanism, emotion and sentimentalism, reflected in narrative, stories, art and media.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SEVENTH</span>: We aim to create a new “soul” for humanity, one that is infused in a new path away from what we have been to each other and toward one that gives us the means to not inflict undue harm on innocent bystanders. We should aim to foster the creative in humans, and to encourage achievements that add to universal livability, prosperity and satisfaction, and we must invest in universal accountability and mass empathy to do so.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EIGHTH</span>: Our history books and cultural narratives are a succession of leaders who led us to glory in war and subjugation-- and we’ve accepted it as the norm. We need to move away from that, to histories and narrative about the caring and nurturing of families and communities, of culture, art, commerce and design-- those things that bind a community to itself and create communities across borders. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">NINTH</span>: We must create and sustain balance among the genders, in roles of power and decision-making, and in true equality and respect. We must protect and integrate as equals those members of society we perceive as weaker, less successful, less worthy or capable, or living slower, simpler or lives connected to ideals that may differ with ours. We must invest in the economic prosperity of all, and acknowledge that any of our economic and political systems that create inequality in turn create instability and vulnerability.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">TENTH, AND LAST</span>: We aim to create and grow a global community that exists and works across national and regional borders, one that is at once bottom-up and top-down, that invests in commerce and institutions, as well as grassroots efforts and individual expression, and that embeds in subsequent generations a collective ethical code based on individual speech, shared and heard voice and reformed institutional leadership that moves toward end of atrocities.<br /><br /><br />[This Manifesto is part of the <a href="http://3generations.org">3 Generations</a> project, "<a href="http://3generations.org/vision.aspx">The End of Atrocity</a>."]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-59558055109719652022011-04-14T10:00:00.003-04:002011-04-14T16:16:27.773-04:003 Generations is building a global vision on the end of atrocitySince the Holocaust and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, civil society has promised "never again" -- and still genocide and appalling atrocities have continued into the 21st century. We don't have a collective vision for how to build a world free from atrocity. And if we don't have a vision of a better future can we really create one? We need one. The End of Atrocity is a project from <a href="http://3Generations.org">3 Generations</a> that is beginning to create a collective vision. <br /><br />To launch, 3 Generations has filmed 14 world luminaries who are on the front lines of advocacy and asked for their individual visions. Visit the <a href="http://3generations.org/vision.aspx">site</a> to see the videos and share the work of creating a global collective vision for a world without atrocity.<br />The release schedule for the videos is:<br /><br />April 14:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Peter Gabriel</span>: Co-Founder, WITNESS and The Elders<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Carolyn Forche</span>: Poet and Professor, Georgetown University<br /><br />April 15:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alex Stark</span>: Consultant and Teacher<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rachel Lloyd</span>: Founder and President, GEMS<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Scilla Elworthy</span>: Founder, Peace Direct<br /><br />April 18:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">James Smith</span>: Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Aegis Trust<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Freddy Mutanguha</span>: Director, Kigali Memorial Centre<br /><br />April 19:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Stephen Smith</span>: Executive Director, USC Shoah Foundation<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brian Steidle</span>: Frmr Captain, USMC; Consultant, Humanitarian Affairs and International Development<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jerry Fowler</span>: Open Society Policy Foundation<br /><br />April 20:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ann Curry</span>: Journalist, NBC<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kathy Freston</span>: Author + Host, Oprah Winfrey Network<br /><br />April 21:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">John Prendergast</span>: Co-Founder, Enough<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Luis Moreno Ocampo</span>: Prosecutor, International Criminal Court<br /><br />April 22:<br />Manifesto: The beginning of our vision on ending atrocity.<br /><br />How you can participate: <br /><br /> * Watch the stories at the <a href="http://3generations.org/vision.aspx">website</a>.<br /> * Help share these visions: Send them to your friends via email. Share on Facebook. Post to Twitter: "3 Generations is Building a Vision for a World Without Atrocity: http://3generations.org/vision.aspx #genprev"<br /> * Share your own vision: What does a world without atrocity look like to you? Send comments on<br /> * Facebook<br /> * Twitter<br /> * 3 Generations' <a href="http://3generations.tumblr.com">blog</a> (via “Submit”)<br /> * Your own blog (send a link to info@3generations.org)<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7NgHEL1EMMo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />[Note: Client relationship.]Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-55986584741191649702011-02-01T01:45:00.002-05:002011-02-01T10:12:10.542-05:00"No, no, not the Museum!"<span style="font-style:italic;">"I felt if the Cairo museum is robbed, Egypt will never be able to get up again." -- Zahi Hawass.</span><br /><br />Egypt is in the midst of an <a href="http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110129-the-egyptian-unrest-a-special-report">uprising</a> against 30 years of repressive rule and a flawed, corrupt governmental system, blocked avenues for political participation, and low employment and wages. This uprising closely follows the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011405084.html">Tunisian revolution</a> and is potentially one in a series of revolts and movements in the MENA region-- and perhaps in other regions, as well-- to fight for rights and the freedom to exercise self-determination and build livable societies. <br /><br />Very soon into the revolt, the Egyptian government took the drastic step of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/this-is-what-egypts-cutoff-from-the-net-looks-like_n_815335.html?ref=fb&src=sp">shutting down</a> access to information and communications systems (save landlines). As of this writing, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/31/3126016.htm?section=world">reports</a> are that all access to servers and mobile phones have been shut down, as well. Rather than inhibit protest, this has coincided with and may have <a href="http://ht.ly/3Mwfu">added impetus</a> for a swelling of protest, with people gathering <span style="font-style:italic;">en masse</span> in the hundreds and thousands. (The extent to which this is a tech or a social media revolution has been <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1722492/how-social-media-accelerated-the-uprising-in-egypt">debated</a> by commentators for days-- and will continue to be so. But similarly to what I've <a href="http://linasrivastava.blogspot.com/2010/09/welcome-to-debate-malcolm.html">written before</a>, for the moment this argument, while worth studying in the abstract, is besides the point.) This fight is playing out on the streets. The protesters are fighting no matter which technologies are available, willing to put themselves at risk to protect what is important to them. And one of the things they took to the streets to protect was their museums. <br /><br />One of the most enthralling moments happened when images started circulating through <a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/">AlJazeera</a> and social media of protesters forming a human chain around the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSljjtUtSI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/NIAbl4E6Km8/s1600/museum.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSljjtUtSI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/NIAbl4E6Km8/s400/museum.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567757069636121890" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.drhawass.com/blog/situation-egyptian-antiquities-today"> Archaeologist Zahi Hawass</a> said, "all the inspectors, young archaeologists, and administrators, are calling me from sites and museums all over Egypt to tell me that they will give their life to protect our antiquities. Many young Egyptians are in the streets trying to stop the criminals." The sight of people committing themselves to possible harm in defense of what is on the one hand a series of inanimate objects and on the other, the cultural legacy of millennia, touched the hearts and minds of people across the media universe. As Thomas Campbell, Director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/egyptian_protests/?story=/news/feature/2011/01/29/egypt_looters">stated</a> said, "If [the Egyptian Museum] is damaged through looting or fire, it would be a loss to all humankind." <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUeMYIuRLeI/AAAAAAAAC3g/GyIIeWphYPc/s1600/Karmen%2BRoss_1296534588948.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUeMYIuRLeI/AAAAAAAAC3g/GyIIeWphYPc/s400/Karmen%2BRoss_1296534588948.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568573810553204194" /></a> (Standing in solidarity at the <a href="http://reallyfreeschool.org/?p=181">Really Free School</a>, London)<br /> <br />The Museum was, however, <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110131-egypt-egyptian-museum-zahi-hawass-mubarak-science-world-cairo-tombs/">looted</a> and reports started to trickle out of institutions around the country being robbed and vandalized. Whether these sackings were an expression of rage or seizing an opportunity to grab gold and treasures, they're more likely to be the acts of thieves and looters and not acts of politico-cultural destruction akin to the bombing of the <a href="http://archaeology.about.com/od/heritagemanagement/a/buddha.htm">Buddhas of Bamiyan</a> or the siege of the <a href="http://www.slais.ubc.ca/courses/libr500/04-05-wt1/www/M_Groberman/bosnia.htm">National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina</a>. This didn't make reaction any less swift and poignant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSlellrQcI/AAAAAAAAC3I/wwMitbiu54Y/s1600/habibh.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 49px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSlellrQcI/AAAAAAAAC3I/wwMitbiu54Y/s400/habibh.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567756984241570242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSoYpniAqI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/8eNwBBU039E/s1600/endeavoringe.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 151px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUSoYpniAqI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/8eNwBBU039E/s400/endeavoringe.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567760180778762914" /></a> <iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d8nH3JuBd4s" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe><br /><br />What makes these reactions particularly noteworthy is how deeply universal and human was the choice to protect the institutions, in the midst of all the unrest and chaos. The cultivation and preservation of cultural heritage--no matter how varied that heritage may be in modes of expression across societies--is a concept most individuals and societies understand (even if it is not always afforded concrete support). Our modes of cultural expression are contoured, dynamic signifiers of our cultural identity. The means by which we--as communities, cities, regions, countries or groups of individuals--express ourselves, and the means by which we distribute, curate and preserve that expression are essential elements of how we forms our societies. <br /><br />Rebuilding, regeneration and revitalization, then, are all deeply tied to cultural identity. As the revolt wears on and the protests grow stronger in Egypt and potentially around the world, those of us who think about social innovation and transformation should think more deeply and constructively about the role that cultural expression and heritage play in creating societies that are fair, just and stable, and tailor efforts to incorporate cultural identity in concrete ways.<br /><br />I have to note here that historian and archaeologist <a href="http://www.alexanderjoffe.net">Alex Joffe</a> has written a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703833204576114580200904212.html">piece</a> castigating Zahi Hawass' quest to repatriate Egyptian antiquities as "misguided or at least poorly timed," and calling into question the intentions of a "vast, impoverished underclass" that "seems less taken with either the nationalist narrative of Egyptian greatness that stretches back to the pharaohs, or the intrinsic value of antiquities for all humanity, and more intrigued by the possibility of gold and other loot." I am regrettably not informed or qualified on the issues surrounding repatriation and preservation to weigh in on this line of the argument, even while acknowledging that these issues must be dealt with if considering cultural heritage as an element of societal rebuilding. In this post, though, I'm drawing a point about the intersection between culture and post-conflict reconstruction and--taking exception to the term "underclass"--Joffe's second point about this demographic does intersect that notion, particularly in terms of the ability of a society to support both the needs and priorities of its community, while broadening a national narrative to include all members regardless of economic status. <br /><br />Whatever stage of economic development a community is in, culture is an essential building block, just as important to progressive and actualized societies, as technology, governance, finance and the other "hard" elements. Tunisia and Egypt could represent clear points in a global revolution in politics, technology, finance, media, culture. It is too early to predict where we as a global community are headed, but what is clear is that almost nothing in our current systems and structures will remain the same. The hard work of fighting for or ensuring rights and creating livable communities doesn't go away after protests end. Out next challenge as a globe will be to focus and support efforts at community livability around the world, so that no society remains in danger of not recovering. Although the discussions around these efforts have centered around technology, information, social media and open systems that promote transparency and access, we need to look at all of those factors through the filter of culture and identity. And we need to make sure our models incorporate heritage, history, memory on the one side, and contemporary forms of cultural expression on another.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUemJIG5s0I/AAAAAAAAC3o/jzzRofSP1Pk/s1600/afp70376360211144754_big.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Af6fxoWh5js/TUemJIG5s0I/AAAAAAAAC3o/jzzRofSP1Pk/s400/afp70376360211144754_big.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568602139992372034" /></a>Laser recreations of <a href="http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/spettacoliecultura/buddalaser/1.html">The Buddhas of Bamiyan</a>, <a href="http://hiroyamagata.com">Hiro Yamagata</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615737702781824208.post-88325625282848713602010-12-31T15:56:00.012-05:002011-01-03T01:35:42.301-05:00Looking ahead to 2011: Projects, people, organizations and companies to watchLooking ahead to 2011, I've been thinking about the people, projects, organizations and companies I've worked or connected with this past year. There is amazing work going on around the world that is effective, game-changing and necessary, and I'm feeling privileged and grateful to be a part of at least some of it. There are a number interesting projects in various sectors that I will be keeping on my radar to see their continued growth and impact. Explore (by clicking on each name for its link):<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />These organizations and projects creatively and effectively use culture, narrative and media to seed movements</span>:<br /><a href="http://3generations.org">3 Generations</a><br /><a href="http://dayanicristal.com">Who is Dayani Cristal?</a><br /><a href="http://bykids.org">BYkids</a><br /><a href="http://sanjhi.org/">Sanjhi</a><br /><a href="http://whereisyourline.org/">The Line Campaign</a><br /><a href="http://artistascitizen.org/">Artist as Citizen</a><br /><a href="http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/global-arts-culture">Aspen Institute Global Initiative on Culture and Society</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The following are rich networks and initiatives that create spaces for collaboration, knowledge or online action</span>:<br /><a href="http://mobileactive.org">Mobileactive</a> <br /><a href="http://purpose.com">Purpose</a><br /><a href="http://thinkstate.com">ThinkState</a> <br /><a href="http://www.jovoto.com/">Jovoto</a><br /><a href="http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/">Business Innovation Factory</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />These will be gamechangers in transmedia, media distribution and social networking</span>:<br /><a href="http://vodo.net/">VODO</a><br /><a href="http://www.kpcb.com/initiatives/sfund/">Kleiner Perkins sFund</a> <br /><a href="http://www.mirada.com/">Mirada</a> <br /><a href="http://seizethemedia.com/">Seize the Media</a><br /><a href="http://powertothepixel.com">Power to the Pixel</a><br />CrowdCentric/<a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/">Social Media Week</a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />These organizations dedicate themselves to working with vulnerable populations dealing with intractable problems, by leveraging and enhancing local solutions</span>:<br /><a href="http://globalgrassroots.org">Global Grassroots</a><br /><a href="http://mandalahouse.org">Mandala House</a><br /><a href="http://puhfoundation.org/">Princess Umul Hatiyya Foundation</a><br /><a href="http://www.aidg.org/">Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group</a><br /><a href="http://www.easterncongo.org/">Eastern Congo Initiative</a> <br /><a href="http://villagesinaction.com/">Villages in Action</a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Interesting innovations in diplomacy, peacebuilding and development, respectively</span>:<br /><a href="http://www.independentdiplomat.org/">Independent Diplomat</a><br /><a href="http://www.peacedividendtrust.org/">Peace Dividend Trust</a><br /><a href="http://unicefinnovation.org/">UNICEF Innovation</a><br /><a href="http://legal.frontlinesms.com/">FrontlineSMS:Legal</a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />And a special nod to some exciting original work by</span>:<br /><a href="http://hybridreality.me/">Hybrid Realities Institute</a>: A new institute dedicated research around the effects of technology on the individual in the context of Society, Business and Politics.<br /><a href="http://businessmodelgeneration.com/">Business Model Generation</a>: A simple, elegant methodology for business model innovation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Finally, here are a few that I don't really know about yet, but am excited to learn more about</span>:<br /><a href="http://www.ethnosproject.org">Ethnos Project</a>: <br />Institute for Culture in the Service of Community Sustainability: (no website yet: Project of <a href="http://demos.org">Demos</a><br /><a href="http://www.akshayatrust.org/">Akshay Trust</a> <br /><a href="http://freedimensional.org/">FreeDimensional</a><br /><br /><br />The list is extensive, but it takes many more than I've cited to join in together and get the work done. As we mature and progress in all the fields and sectors under the umbrella of "social change," I hope to see more cross-sector collaborations based on knowledgeable deep-dives that are context-specific and culturally-appropriate, and leverage global innovations and local solutions. As for me, I will continue to work in strategy, planning, culture and transmedia--to advocate for projects in which culture is a foundational element of community transformation and resilience, through projects, writing and collaboration. <br /><br />(Note that I currently work or have worked with a number of these listed above. I hope that doesn't count as bias, but as more intimate knowledge. Please send me an email, however, if you want more details.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0