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Blog: Communications and Media in Humanitarian Affairs

Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation's picture
Posted July 28th, 2011 by Center for Inte...

Communications and Media in Humanitarian Affairs

Blog: Checking In ~via Peta-de-Aztlan

Peta-de-Aztlan's picture
Posted February 9th, 2010 by Peta-de-Aztlan

Communicate to Liberate

notebook: Right to Know, Right to Live: Building a campaign for the right to information and accountability

This notebook shares how Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) has been deeply involved in a collective process which has shaped and influenced the Campaign for the Right to Information in India. MKSS makes the case that without access to information and transparency there can be no genuine participation of all members of society, particularly the poor, in democracy. The right to know and actual transparency of information provides the ability to demand and access rights.

notebook: The Dilemma Demonstration: Using nonviolent civil disobedience to put the government between a rock and a hard place

In this notebook we learn about the dilemma-demonstration tactic that was used by a Canadian organization to convince the government to release information that the public had a right to see.  They put pressure on the government by creating a climactic moment that brought media attention onto the issue and embarrassed the government.

notebook: Tandem©: Cross-cultural exchange between police and migrants

The international Centre for Cultures and Languages (ICCL) in Vienna adapted the "TANDEM©" program– originally created for language learning– to human rights education with police and migrant populations in a unique and profound way called "intercultural-TANDEM©."  The result has been "Tandem© Learning", a cultural contact program that improves intercultural understanding.

Tandem©: Cross-Cultural Exchange Between Police and Migrants

notebook: Sending Out an SMS: A rapid-response mobile phone network engages a youth constituency to stop torture fast

In this notebook text-messages and short message services are used to engage young people to quickly stop torture.  Amnesty International-Netherlands recognized that text-messaging was an easy medium to use to reach out to youth.  It was successfully used to protest torture when the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested a journalist. 

notebook: Plan B: Using Secondary Protests to Undermine Repression

"Plan B" describes the tactic that Otpor!, a student movement in Serbia, used to break through the governments reign of fear and encourage activists not to be afraid.  They accomplished this by turning government arrests of demonstrators into public spectacles that illustrated the governments repressive regime and turned the arrested into public heroes.

notebook: A Mock Tribunal to Advance Change: The National Tribunal on Violence Against Women in Nigeria

In this notebook we learn about the creative and effective use of a mock tribunal to change public perceptions and beliefs regarding violations against women, and to change public policy and law. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, in collaboration with CIRDDOC (Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre), highlighted violations of women’s rights in Nigeria that were viewed by the public as normal or even justifiable abuse.

notebook: A Call to End Corruption: One Minute of Darkness for Constant Light

In this notebook a strong message was sent to theTurkish government when 30 million people turned off their lights for a full minute.  With this simple action the people of Turkey began to speak out against government corruption and break the cycle of fear and apathy. Turning off lights turned into stronger forms of protest and became the biggest public protest against corruption in Turkish history.