"This manual was written for experienced and novice advocates alike who are eager to use state of the art technology techniques to challenge old policies and create new ones that will enhance the quality of life and access to opportunity for everyone. The case studies, resources, tips, and best prac
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tices included in this report will help readers plan and implement campaigns that use various combinations of online and offline tools to effectively engage their constituencies. Of course, technology changes in a nanosecond, making some strategies and tactics nearly obsolete almost as the words describing them are written. Nevertheless, the underlying ideas and concepts described here will remain relevant and the resources listed in the report will stand as sources for finding new, perhaps not yet imagined, tools to combine online and offline advocacy strategies. The PolicyLink website (www.policylink.org) is one such resource where visitors will find updates on campaigns described in this document and brand new ones." (Preface)
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"Section 1 focuses on campaign strategies. Mats Abrahamsson, a former Greenpeace campaign coordinator and founder of the Swedish consultancy Selene, shows you: how to develop a strategic framework for campaigning that helps campaigners choose the activities that can best meet their objectives and av
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oid rushing into activities that misuse time and resources (Section 1.1); how to conduct a “power analysis” that identifies the powers at play and how they interact in order to deploy limited resources where they can have the greatest impact (Section 1.2); how a Greenpeace campaign convinced Coca-Cola to stop using ozone-destroying chemicals in all its refrigeration equipment (Section 1.3). Section Two shows an example of an IFEX member – the Media Institute of Southern Africa – that has realised the need to build on, and go beyond, the issuing of alerts by developing a strategic vision for defending freedom of expression (chapter 7). Section Three provides 10 campaign tools that IFEX members can use to compliment the issuing of alerts. These tools can be used separately or in combination with each other as part of a campaign. Each tool comprises: a toolbox of tips, ideas and questions to consider; a best practice case study of an IFEX member or other organisation that has successfully used the campaign tool; a list of resources for further information." (Page 7)
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"This book aims to record political activism on the Internet and "take stock of some of the successes and failures of cyberactivists as they try to beat the various censorship regimes in Asia." The sections of this 664-page book comprise of 'Political Frameworks & New Technology', 'Regulations and C
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ontrol', 'One Party States', 'Alternative Media', 'Civil Society', 'Diaspora Communities', and 'Political Parties'. The book's 18 chapters provide an overview of current trends in democracy related new media research to country-specific case studies. "The common thread running through the book is the organizing of civil society groups at the grassroots level, and how they are influencing certain segments of their respective countries, and even challenging state control and the monopoly of mainstream media." Asian Cyberactivism strives to examine political organising online in Asia even as the technology and the rules change. Activists provide their perspectives on how new media relates to democracy, and showcase examples that could be emulated to further the cause of democracy." (Communication Initiative)
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"This report was prepared for the Social Science Research Council's (SSRC) Information Technology and International Cooperation (ITIC) program. The ITIC program exists to explore the relationship between information technology and civil society. Its goal is to build knowledge about the use and gover
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nance of information technology by civil society actors - from NGOs to alternative media - especially at the transnational level. The program brings international groups of scholars and practitioners together to collaborate at meetings, online, and through the exchange of writings. One of two initial 'knowledge reports' released by the program, this document focu es on the issue of how civil society organizations are using information technology. In conjunction with this report, SSRC has organized a research network in order to expand on the knowledge and analysis on this topic. The network is engaged in writing papers, discussion and collaborative projects related to IT governance. A companion report published at the same time as this one focuses on the international governance of information technology and its implications for civil society networking. A similarly structured research network has been formed on this topic." (Foreword, page 3)
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"Our research confirmed that many IFI (international financial institutions)-watchers are struggling to utilise ICT efficiently. The majority of organisations we studied do not have a communications strategy that takes into account the possibilities ICT affords. If they do have a website, it is not
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updated regularly. Almost everybody we consulted complained about information-overload, while at the same time lacking information relevant to them specifically. These difficulties are, of course, also experienced by NGOs, campaigners and specialists in other issue areas. We identified a range of obstacles that make effective information sharing and co-operation more difficult. Some are easy to grasp, although not necessarily easy to tackle (i.e. language), while others are extremely complex and cause much frustration (i.e. internal politics and structures of NGOs). Many have been around for years. The introduction of ICT is accompanied by new difficulties, such as information overload and computer viruses, but can also have a multiplier effect on the "old" problems. This is not news, but it makes sense to point out again that new technology relies on "traditional" factors to succeed in establishing effective communications. It depends less on working with the latest software than on how people relate to each other. Power structures and democratic or non-democratic procedures can, directly or indirectly, promote or hinder communications." (Executive summary)
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