International Joint Workshop on

Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation

2-3.11.2011

University of Helsinki

Oana Nenciulescu

MA International Communications

University of Leeds, UK

Supervisor: Professor Stephen Coleman

Facebook and Diaspora Votează

The uses and effectiveness of Facebook in

introducing Internet voting to the Romanian

diaspora

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

• Introduction – Diaspora Votează project

• Starting points

• Research methods

• Findings

• Conclusions and further thoughts

• Questions

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Diaspora Votează project

• Launched May 2010 by GRASP(Global Romanian Society of Young

Professionals) NGO- ongoing project

• Identify problems of the present voting system for the Romanian

diaspora, create awareness about alternative methods

• 15% of Romanian citizens are located abroad- only 1.39% voted in

the 2009 presidential elections

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Diaspora Votează project

• After research, public consultations and internal debates- best

option – Internet voting

comparative study of voting mechanisms

online questionnaires

online petition (signed by 478 people)

17 offline debates- cities with large Romanian communities

Facebook debate

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Diaspora Votează project

Policy paper presented November 2010- by research team+public

policy experts

Long term aim- advocate for a legislative proposal that would be

adopted in the Parliament

Advocacy phase starting soon

Online presence:

http://diasporavoteaza.org/ - official blog

http://www.facebook.com/diasporavotes -official Facebook page

http://www.mygrasp.org/ - official GRASP website

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

The project aims to ‘reconnect the Romanian diaspora to the

public agenda and to strengthen democratic participation not only

through the implementation of a mechanism that would facilitate

voting, but also by bringing together Romanian citizens who

understand they have the right and power to influence political

decisions that affect them’.

‘Diaspora Votes’ Official Facebook Page 2011

Diaspora Votează project

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Starting points

Why choose to study the importance of Facebook in the project?

• Inclusion of Romanian emigrants in the political decisions of the

home country and all other Romanian citizens

• Interactive factor- debates

• Novelty of the project

• Ongoing status- witness real time changes

• Diasporas, social media and democratic participation

• Facebook in an advocacy project

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Starting points

Platform for promotion

Platform for debate Tool for policy change

Diaspora inclusion

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

• Semi structured interviews with the organisers of the project

(communications coordinator, planning and implementation coordinator)

• Semi-structured interviews with the participants to the Facebook

debate event in October 2010

• Content analysis of the Facebook debate event

• Email exchanges with the moderator of the Facebook debate

Research Methods

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Facebook use so far:

create dialogues with Romanians worldwide

find out problems and come up with solutions

gather supporters

know about the actual needs of the population

make the debate more inclusive

Findings

Interviews with organisers

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Facebook use so far:

Facebook not used at its maximum potential until this phase of the

project

lack of experience of Romanians in using Facebook as a tool for

activism + little openness of the political system towards social media

spatial and temporal limits- online debate- affect enthusiasm and

participation

Findings

Interviews with organisers

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

6 of the 19 participants in the debate were interviewed- all located

abroad

Prior belonging to networks or communities was important

Not a uniform diaspora- very different cases

Participation related to civic sense and to the need to have their say

Host country issues can become more important than the home country

issues

Findings

Interviews with participants in the Facebook debate

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Participation decreased after the first day -67 interventions in total

• time difference

• the ‘like’ feature

Anyone could join, few spatial constraints

Social norms respected, comprehensible information

Lack of anonymity- more responsibility

Findings

Content analysis of the Facebook debate event & email

exchanges with moderator

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

No clustering of contributions

Some questions remain unanswered( time difference)

Casual, informal style sometimes( smiley faces)

References to political parties- it’s made sure the project is apolitical by

member of the board

Easy editing of mistakes

Findings

Content analysis of the Facebook debate event & email

exhanges with moderator

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Interaction-aims turned into uses- include, consult´- even though small

scale

Variety of people included, not only the members of diaspora – inclusive

and friendly space

Apolitical project- no affiliations- more inclusion

Social norms respected- inviting space

Conclusions and further thoughts

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Technological limitations- decreasing participation and consequently

inclusion?

Lack of experience as a country in connecting social media to activism

and political change- impacts on inclusion

How much inclusion if networks and communities are so important? Or is

that an advantage?

The project is on going, is there a need for more diasporic inclusion?

Conclusions and further thoughts

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Questions

International Joint Workshop on Immigrant Inclusion by e-participation,

2-3.11.2011, University of Helsinki

Thank you very much!

Paljon kiitoksia!

Vă mulţumesc foarte mult !