I hit up a lot in the last few days, but right now I am sitting in a panel of organizing the social web for change. The panel has Feministing's lovely tech lady, Deanna Zandt, along with Chris Rabb from Afro-netizen, Andrew Slack, Craig Newmark (craigslist) and Ruby Sinreich.
They are talking about how we use the web for social change. And asks the critical questions, "How can social networking impact politics and policies, and what new technologies will revolutionize organizing in the future?"
Earlier today I hit up "Netroots: What's Next?" about the power of the political blogosphere. It was interesting, but I am really apprehensive about the role of political blogs in the changing political landscape. The panel asked some key questions, one of which I care about dearly, "How are the Netroots connecting with the grassroots and organizing for lasting change?"
After 3 days of hanging out with media reformers and media justicers, I am still stuck on this question. How do blogs and online technologies connect with real grassroots efforts? I know you can give me a list of online efforts, campaigns, petition signings, action centers that have in fact been effective. But the communities that I work with aren't online in the same way that we are. They don't use the web in the way that many of us do, let alone go to a blog to understand how it can help in their campaigns and on their issues. As long as that disconnect exists and only certain people are producing and consuming blogs, I don't see how it is creating this democratic space that so many big political bloggers claim it to be.
Other ideas? How do we use the web to connect with people doing work on the ground? Email lists, listervs, blogs, online journals, myspace? Is Feministing doing this? Are we creating a space where organizers can come together to work on their issues in a real way, make connections and create impact?
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I think Big Things like craigslist, or advertiser supported public blogs, are not the sort of place that activism comes out of. It's too large and anonymous, and it's not really a place where anything can effectivly organized.
The interwebs can be used for grassroots work, and I've used it effectively on different kinds of campaigns. But in those case the internet component (basecamp, a listserv, whatever) is just a tool that was used by Real World organizing.
So, IMO the internet is great for sharing ideas, tactics, whatever, but it's not a place where people can really come together. Nor should it be.
This is a great question.
I don't think the internet can impact those who don't have access to it. So there are 2 ways of dealing with this:
1- provide ways of increasing internet access through financial support and through education.
2- Supplement the virtual with real world action and events. This can only happen if there is another tool which can help reach out to people. A clear objective is also absolutely important.
I think social networks can lead to grassroots action as I have personally been involved with this. I met someone on a social network and we decided to start up a local group for women's rights.
feministing is doing a great job of informing us and I think it will be even better if we can have users who eventually get to know each other (maybe after the social network section is set up). If it can facilitate organizing by brainstorming and focusing on a few attainable goals, we can achieve grassroots activism. this is not something that feministing is doing now.
I think one of the most important way that a lot of websites like feministing affect grassroots efforts is simply in existing and being a resource.
Particularly for issues like feminism, and for young people, where frequently, in places like high schools and colleges, you might not be able to find an outlet for your political/social/whatever views, having websites like this, where you can see that there do exist like-minded people out there, can really help spur on actual activism.
As a journo covering the Obama campaign in February, I saw both the blessings and the hazards of this reliance on the Internet. I found a phone bank via Facebook (check!) Then, as inspiring as was theirand creative mobilization of the plugged-in, the local Obamans blinked hard when asked about outreach to folks, such as those who live in the public housing complexes two blocks from their phone bank.
(They also disinvited me from a primary-night party, after my first article noted the young, Caucasian nature of their group. Noted mostly because it felt part of the bubble effect.)
This is a great set of questions.
I agree with Unitari, that the biggest drawback to internet/blog organizing is that to use it, a person pretty much has to have easy, everyday access to internet.
But, I think that just means that it shouldn't become the *only* form of information and outreach and conversation.
The potential of this site's social networking is exciting. I've only read the basics of your upcoming site plans, but I hope one of those concepts is a set of "events pages" for different locations, a calendar that people can post times and places for public meetings and events etc.
It seems to me that the blogs etc can facilitate people coming together in real life.
There was actually a really great panel on Saturday afternoon connecting social justice and media, entitled "When Media is the Second Issue." (http://www.freepress.net/node/40059) It gave great examples of organizations partnering with social justice groups. Mostly they emphasized that media reform is not the end goal, but a necessity to end issues of poverty and racism. One main point was for media groups to approach social justice groups and ask what they need. How can we help your community? I highly suggest reading up on the groups that presented, particularly People's Production House, Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, and Appalshop. Really great stuff.