activism via facebook - social networks have broader applications

MHolterhaus — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:22:45 -0500

i'm constantly amazed at the power that social networking sites like facebook can wield. i believe we are on the verge of a massive shift in how most activists connect with one another, especially younger people. too often, people unfamiliar with these tools are quick to criticize them as trivial or superficial gossip sites. of course, facebook was created by american college students, but membership has expanded quickly around the globe and accross demographic groups. it's important to separate the user/content from the tool - these sites can be used by anyone for a variety of activities (for free). february proved to be a pivotal month for demonstrating the power of facebook, as millions of peace actvists organized themselves online and participated in marches against violence in colombia.

if you didn't see the headlines, the international herald tribune ran a great article about the protests:

" A young Colombian engineer used the social networking site [in February] to
organize a massive protest against the Revolutionary Armed Forces,
known as FARC. On Feb. 4, millions of Colombians marched simultaneously
in 27 cities throughout the country and 104 major cities around the
world shouting "No more kidnappings! No more lies! No more deaths! No
more FARC!"

are any NT community members using facebook or other social networks to organize protests or distribute information? now that you can connect your facebook profile to twitter, i think a twitter/facebook combination would be a powerful organizing tool...