Networking Technologies for Collective Action: Two Opposing Models of Activism

Presentation to the Greek Politics Specialist Group ConferenceAthens, 4-5 February 2009

Anastasia KavadaPost-Doctoral Research FellowCommunication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI)University of Westminster

The Internet and Citizen Coordination

• Tendency to talk about the internet as one medium (often meaning the web)

Common Assumptions

‘The internet leads to greater decentralization and horizontality’

‘The internet is used more effectively by actors with a more decentralized and horizontal structure’

Web 2.0 or the ‘Participatory Web’ is thought to enhance this tendency towards decentralization and non-hierarchical organizing

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

However… Different internet applications afford different forms of

communication

Citizen groups have different understandings and attitudes of how the internet can be used

In addition, internet use is affected by:• Resources• Political Culture• Organizing Structure• Strategy and Mission

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Web Platform Design and Participation The way platforms are designed affects their affordances for

coordination and for fostering a feeling of community

This presentation is going to investigate:• Requirements for entering/using a platform• Roles prescribed for users of the platform • Features/Applications

– Type of communication: One-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, many-to-one

– Degree of interactivity• Content Management

– Degree of control of message/agenda• Degree of visibility and personalization• Diffusion of campaign message outside the platform

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

The European Social Forum

• A process launched by the Global Justice Movement in Europe

• Designed to build solidarity among movement participants, to help them network and exchange experiences

• Belief in participatory democracy– Emphasis on the inclusiveness of equals– Avoidance of hierarchies

• First ESF: Florence 2002 - It was held in Athens in 2006

• OpenEsf.netAn online platform aiming to provide a stable networking space between meetings

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

OpenESF.net

Entry requirements: low• Registration by providing name and email address

Roles: • Participants: present themselves and their concerns, participate

in projects, create pages• Project coordinators: same as participants but they also launch

projects• Web managers: responsible for the smooth running of the

platform

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

OpenESF.net

Services/Applications available to each project• Blog• Email list• Wiki page• Add images Allow many-to-many, lateral communication

Content Management:Content is created by all registered users- Web managers: mainly tidy up the website

Diffusion of Campaign Message:No tools that facilitate the diffusion of the campaign message to people not registered in the platform

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

OpenESF.net

Visibility:All registered users can create their own profile

Personalization/Presentation of Self• Photograph, Information, Interests, Groups they belong to,

Pages they have authored• Can use their own name or a pseudonym

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

OpenESF.net

Functions

The platform facilitates: Self-organizing

The search for partners on common projects Feelings of community and the establishment of interpersonal

trust

Development of citizen skills

Innovation/Creativity in terms of campaigning issues

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

OpenESF.net

Shortcomings…

Quite chaotic, particularly for new members: too many projects, some of them abandoned

No central message, no focal point

Inward-looking: difficult to diffuse the message outside the platform

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

• A new web movement launched in January 2007

• Aim: to bring people-powered politics to international decision-making

• Co-founded by members of MoveOn.org - Attempting to take the MoveOn model global

• Strategy: Advocacy and quick responsive action– Diffusing the message to mainstream media– Mobilizing massive numbers of people to sign petitions

• Over 3,000,000 participants

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

Entry requirements: low• Registration by providing name and email address

Roles: • Participants: sign petitions, donate money, spread message to

their friends• Volunteers: auxiliary role in:

translation, research, proofing of the website, moderation of comments or photos submitted by members, commenting on draft documents and emails, graphic design, shooting/editing videos, spreading the word through social media…

• Campaigners: decide on campaigns, communicate with participants, represent Avaaz in face-to-face meetings with leaders

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

Services/Applications• Blog• Sign up to email list• Donate money• Sign a Petition• Tell your friends• Volunteer Mainly top-down, one-to-many communication

Content ManagementContent mainly created by Avaaz (apart from comments to blogs)

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

Diffusion of Campaign Message‘Tell your friends’: message diffused in participants’ personal networks

VisibilityOnly the Avaaz campaigners are visible

PersonalizationThey are mentioned by name and send emails to Avaaz participants using their name

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

Functions

Quick Action – Mass mobilization

Central coordination

Central control of the campaign message

Facilitates online action without commitment

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz.org

Shortcomings…

Difficult to create feelings of community

Does not facilitate lateral communication among participants and interpersonal trust

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Avaaz on Facebook

Complementary Functions• More visibility for ‘fans’

• Greater interactivity - ‘Fans’ can:– Contact their friends– Post links– Post on the wall– Hold discussions

• (Limited) Potential for ‘fans’ to contact each other

• Broader diffusion of campaign messagee.g. through the ‘news feed’ function

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference

Conclusion

The design of the website…

comes inscribed with particular cultures of citizenship and organizing structures

affects community building, interpersonal trust, and coordination

the internet can facilitate both top-down control and self-organization

Anastasia Kavada

Greek Politics Specialist Group Conference