Project Life Jacket: Refugees ARE also humans beings

Project Life Jacket is a new outreach campaign about the perception of refugees in Europe. Intending to portray the displaced as people and no longer as refugees, they are asked to share their “normal” past lives. Their past lives are drawn in their life jacket, the item that changed everything.

Project Life Jacket is an initiative launched by The Voice Of Thousands, Borderfree and Schwizerchrüz organizations and produced by the advertising agency Jung von Matt.

Refugees for People

The campaign, with a new approach of portraying refugees in the Media, challenges all the other sorts of communication and messages we have been seen in the Media during the refugee crisis. Or even before, that we also had refugees seeking for asylum in Europe coming from another countries in war.

And it is when the possibility for an alternative vision of a problem arises that I, personally, understand the power of “schemata of interpretation” that Goffman defines as a frame (what enable individuals to locate, perceive, identify and label events between their life space and their world at large). Since the fact of “identifying” is something necessary for people to understand facts, we, communicators, have to be very careful when framing to avoid making the mistake of stereotyping and therefore diverting the issue away.

The message of the campaign is framed in a very concrete and powerful way: Refugees are normal people.

The storyline is held by individuals sharing their personal lives, an approach closer to the public.

And the initiative uses frame alignment by stressing commonality; refugees have had normal lives just like European citizens have before they had to flee leaving their lives behind.

It seems clear that Jut von Matt campaigners are aware of the importance of frame alignment (when individual’s interests, values and beliefs are complementary to Social Movements Organizations’ activities goals and ideologies), seen as a necessary condition for participation (Snow, Rochford, Worden and Benford: 1986), since their ultimate goal is represented by the mobilizing message of “Help Refugees Now”.

The refugee crisis have passed through different stages and have had different reactions from people. This campaign questions all this stages by giving a totally different approach of stop seeing refugees as something alien to us and finding similarities instead, to be abe to emphasize and act.

Gi.

 

References

The Voice Of Thousands, Borderfree and Schwizerchrüz. 2016. Available: https://projectlifejacket.com/en/

Snow, David A. Rochford, E. Burke. Worden, Jr., Steven K. and Benford, Robert D. 1986. Frame alignment processes, Micromobilization and Movement Participation. Vol 51, No. 4, pp. 464-481

 

Personal stories for Social Change: #lifeinleggins and #Mamilolivre

“Radical Subjectivity”

Despite the negative effects new technologies have brought into society, there are also positive things, particularly campaigners are taking advantage of it.

Internet is a democratic tool which allows anyone with online access to communicate, express opinions, and organize and promote protests (Romanos and Sábido: 2013). Since everyone has access to it, the unidirectional communication of traditional media becomes obsolete and the need of a new (bidirectional) language pattern arises. The participation of audience in digital campaigning is called Citizen Media.

Moreover, for years now, we have been protesting for similar causes. Therefore, we need to find new ways to engage people within those issues. “We need new narratives that connect with peoples’ deepest motivations and promote more radical action. Stories engage people at every level – not just in their minds but in their emotions, values and imaginations, which are the drivers of real change” (Hodges: 2014)

Thus Internet seems like a good platform to explore these new narratives and to get people to participate actively to campaigns. In addition, feeling part of the “story” almost guarantees the involvement. As Hodges states, “we feel compelled to listen when we ourselves are included in the storyline”.  The same author presents the term “Radical subjectivity” as the new communication line based on personal stories or voices.

This approach is generally used by activists and campaigners in Social Networks and is known as Digital activism. Twitter, for instance, is being increasingly used as a platform to build campaigns for social change together with the audience (Hashtag activism).

I have chosen two campaigns (#lifeinleggins and #Mamilolivre) that reflect how participation and “subjectivity” are key points for the success of a campaign.

#Lifeinleggins

#Lifeinleggins is a Facebook and twitter campaign, launched on the 25^th of November 2016, that gives Caribbean women the space to share their stories of sexual harassment, created by two Barbadian women who wanted to demonstrate the high degree of sexual harassment in the Caribbean culture.

A survey carried in nine Caribbean countries reported that the sexual initiation of 48% of adolescent girls was “forced” or “somewhat forced.” The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Latin America and the Caribbean Region of the World Bank report noted, “While the worldwide average for rape was 15 per 100,000, The Bahamas had an average of 133, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 112, Jamaica 51, Dominica 34, Barbados 25 and Trinidad and Tobago 18.” (Stop street harassment: 2016).

This campaign is adding a face and a voice to these statistics and women of all ages, ethnicities and economic backgrounds have been sharing alarming stories about their own experiences. Here are some of them:

“#LifeInLeggings He was asked to watch the kids while Mom went to the store. I was three. He told me to come sit on his knee. I said no. You smell. He made me sit on his knee. Pulled apart my baby legs and ripped my panties off and stuck his fat calloused fingers inside of my vagina. I cried. He said he would make my mother beat me. I was afraid. I hate you” (Crystal Roslyn Mary Granado).

“#lifeinleggings Walking with my key in my hand, ready at all times to be used in self defence. Looking behind me at least 3 times before I reach my car. Checking the back seat before I open the door. Opening the door quickly, slamming myself on the seat. Shut the door and lock doors immediately. Sigh. Start ignition. Drive” (Cho Sundari decribes).

“#lifeinleggings walking home and receiving 17 catcalls (yes I counted) 11 of which were highly inappropriate. “I want one of them bubbies in my mouth, wish that skirt would blow lil higher, left that lipstick pun muh nuh” etc. One guy slowed his car and offered $400 to go for “a ride”.” (Nia Goddard).

So many women have participated to this recent campaign and so many have identified with the others’ story, creating a common support to each other and stating, steadily, a global picture of sexual harassment culture in the Caribbean. Moreover, this campaign is intended to achieve global visibility, as the founder of #lifeinleggins explains, “I did intend for it to spread through the Caribbean. Rape culture isn’t just a Barbadian issue; it’s a Caribbean issue as well as a global one, so I know that support would pour in from the other countries”.

#LifeInLeggings started as a simple idea, and a group of dedicated women worked together to make it region-wide conversation. (Stop street harassment: 2016).

Another example of Citizen activism is #Mamilolivre in Brazil.

References:

Hodges, Simon. 2014. What’s so special about storytelling for social change? (Online). Available: http://www.open Democracy.net

Wallace, Alice. 2016. The Bahamas: Interview with Founder of #LifeInLeggings (online) Available: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/2016/12/lifeinleggings/

Mendes Franco, Janine. 2016. Caribbean Women Take Their Power Back by Sharing Stories of Sexual Abuse Via the #LifeinLeggingHashtag (Online). Available:https://globalvoices.org/2016/12/02/caribbean-women-take-their-power-back-by-sharing-stories-of-sexual-abuse-via-the-lifeinleggings-hashtag/

Rodrigues, Julia. Bahia, Leticia . Mamilo livre. https://mamilolivre.com/manifesto

Sganzerla, Taisa. 2016. Brazilian Activists Outsmart Facebook’s Censorship of the Female Nipple. (Online). Available: https://globalvoices.org/2016/11/23/brazilian-activists-outsmart-facebooks-censorship-of-the-female-nipple/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refugee crisis: call for emotions

Today, we are witnessing several never-ending armed conflicts around the world that are destroying our civilization and therefore, humanitarian aid is becoming more and more urgently required.

For instance, the Refugee conflict, that has been present for a long time now, has been calling for help from people since the beginning, as some governments have turned their backs.

Governments, non-governmental organizations, activists, communication professionals and individuals, have contributed over the course of 5 years to spreading awareness and mobilizing citizens.

These tasks have been crucial to present the reality of the conflict, the truth out of many truths. Nonetheless, all those actors have used a strategy in order to get a reaction from people.

In this post I explore EMOTIONS as one of the factors that make people taking action. Moreover, I give context describing sensitization campaigns within different platforms.

Emotions and social movement

“Society is the unique whole to which everything is related”
Primitive Classification, Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss

Society, as a conceptual form, has established a structure where emotions, among other factors, are culturally constructed. In this regard, emotions are rational since they are collectively shaped and based on cognitions.

According to the sociologist James M. Jasper:

“strong emotions accompany protest but such emotions don’t render protestors irrational; emotions accompany all social action providing motivation and goals. Social movements are affected by transitory, context-specific emotions, usually reactions to information and events”
The emotions of protest: Affective and social reactive emotions in an around social movements, James J Jasper.

Jasper presents emotions as causal mechanisms shared in a group that constitute our ideas and desires. He looks at different emotions and how they contribute to social mobilization and engagement, and states that not all work the same way. Also, he explores how different emotions interact with one another.

He defines three kinds of emotions: reactive, that creates temporary responses to events such as anger, grief, indignation and shame; affective, as more permanent feelings such as hatred, love, loyalty, trust and respect; moods, somewhere in between such as compassion, cynicism and enthusiasm.

As a case study, I will look at which routes of protest have been taken within communication during the refugee crisis and which emotions have been addressed to.

Refugee crisis: Call for emotions

I have chosen recent and old campaigns that speak for themselves and I have tried to gather a variety of examples addressed to different emotions.

UNHCR, 2007,”It’s great to be a refugee”| Agency: BBDO Canada
See all campaign

UNHCR, 2009, “Stockings” | Agency: Y&R
See all campaign

UNHCR, 2009, “Cigarette” | Agency: Y&R
See all campaign

UNHCR, 2012, “Dilemma 2” | Agency: Y&R
See all campaign

UNHCR, 2016, “Electric Pole” | Agency: Y&R
See all campaign

The Hamdi Foundation, 2014,”What if Manhattan”| Agency: Miami ad school
Whatch video
See campaign

Amnesty International, 2015,”Refugees”| Agency: Cossete
See all campaign

Exhibited at Arcola theatre, London, 2016,”The misplaced child”| Anonymous
See exhibition

Caritas, 2015,”Barbed wire”| Agency: DDB
See campaign

Nike, 2015,”Miles for refugees”| Agency: Miami ad school
See campaign

Refugees International Japan, 2016,”Rosted Spoon”| Agency: Ogilvy
See all campaign

Kizilayi, 2016,”Ireland”| Agency: Lowe
See all campaign

Oxfam Intermon, Siria, 2013 | Pablo Tosco
See exhibition Sin Filtros, in Madrid, 2016

Doctors without borders, 2016,”Vlog ep. 01″
Whatch video

And to finish with, I present, in my opinion, the best initiative that has been launched in order to engage people into the refugee crisis.  This campaign, allows viewers to follow in the footsteps of migrants and refugees as they complete their journey. I recommend to experience it.

Channel 4 news, 2016,”Two Billion Miles” | BBC
See the initiative

Jasper defines emotions as a social construction and therefore they can be rational. However, emotions need a interpretation to become effective and therefore are subjected to a personal “construction”. Whatever are the emotions these campaigns arouse and whatever are the tones of communication, in my opinion and according to my interpretation, they make feel something.

“a photograph is not the reflection of reality, but the reality of that reflection” (Shaughnessy and Stadler 2005:78)

These campaigns have shown us the truth out of many truths or, in other words, the reality out of many realities. But it’s just through emotions and therefore feelings that we can approach to it because it’s something we all have and recognize, although in different forms; irony make me feel sad “It’s great to be a refugee”, the comparison of the refugees situation with ours make me feel bad “they would like to have the same problems as you have” or questions that make me feel scared to imagine I could be in their situation “stay and risk your lives in the conflict? or flee and risk kidnap, rape, torture or worse?”.

Emotions are what secure mobilization. And this mobilization starts from within.

Gi.

References:

Shaughnessy and Stadler. 2005. Media and Society: an introduction.

Jasper, James M. 2003. Rethinking social movements : structure, meaning, and emotion.

Ads of the world. Available in: http://adsoftheworld.com/

2015. Channel 4. BBC. Available in: http://twobillionmiles.com/

2016. Expo sin filtros. Available in: http://exposinfiltros.com/obras

Anonymous. 2016. The misplaced child. Exhibited in: Arcola theatre, London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The power of Macedonian Governments’ inaction and the Macedonian citizens act of power.

ccording to Numbeo (database of user contributed data), Macedonian city of Tetovo is one of the most polluted cities in the world with a pollution index of 101.55 on a scale of 0 to 500. According to Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA), the pollution level within the index values 101-200 is defined as unhealthy, where “everyone may begin to experience health effects and is recommended to stay indoors”.

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that pollution in northwest Macedonia is currently 8 times higher than permitted limits and says that “exposure to high levels of this type of air pollution drastically increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and cancer”.

Therefore, in this climate, the government’s decision to extend another deadline for the Jugohrom steel factory to install anti-pollution filters at their seven furnaces in Tetovo, the unfulfilled promise of removing the dump at the entrance of the city, among other “inactions”, are draining the patience of Macedonians.

An artistic (re)action

Eco guerrilla (movement to increase awareness on the problem of pollution in the city of Tetovo), have organized mass protests, publicity and campaigns and have gained lots of supporters along the country.

The most recent campaign is a protest concert in the dump at the entrance of Tetovo. Two classical musicians in their formal outfits with masks, played Bach’s orchestral suite “Air” to protest pollution. The organization has made a video used for digital activism, which went viral on different platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-AaXy6FtFI

A “power” look at the events

The parties involved in the issue of Tetovo are using their powers differently; while the Macedonian government is using its power by not acting, Macedonians are using their power by acting – in this instance – with an online protest. It would be interesting to know what the theorists of power would think about this particular event.

Foucault would probably say that the Macedonian government, the citizens and the civil society organizations have contributed to the operation of power (independent from individuals, classes and institutions) with their actions, and although Eco guerrilla might not have achieved their state intentions, they are already part of a successful strategy (the augment of supporters and the stronger lobby).

Lukes would clarify that power of Macedonians and their government is a capacity rather than the exercise of that capacity as Foucault advocates, which is seen in different dimensions or approaches; in the first dimension, we see how Macedonians are actively using their power as citizens while the government is exercising its legitimate power through the inaction. In the second dimension, we recognize the government exercising power over the citizens unaware of its consequences (losing population’s support and counterpropaganda). In the third dimension, the role of Eco guerrilla within society shows us how a structural determination facilitates the exercise of power and its success, in this case, shaping perceptions or cognitions of citizens.

This leads us to feminist perspectives of power, seen as a capacity to empower or transform one and others. The inactive power of the Macedonian government empowered Eco guerrilla, who also empowered society with their campaigns.

Gaventa, would prefer to examine the interrelationships of the forms of power in different political spaces by defining the spaces and the levels, because unlike Foucault and following Lukes’ idea, Gaventa defends that power is shapeable depending on the actors.

Eco guerrilla’s form of power, according to Gaventa, it’s the hidden power; where people are able to articulate their grievances and where the voices of discontent can be heard.  They are outside the public arenas of decision making (created/claimed space), giving importance to the community-based mobilization in a globalizing world where the local, national and international levels are interrelated; a “local actor using global forums as arena for action” (Gaventa, a power analysis).

Finally, I would like to add my point of view by pointing the power of the strategy of power; the art. This independence of power that Foucault talks about, starts from the human capacity to create something capable to transform.

Nevertheless, we can conclude that the parties are aware of their powers and the consequences on the social movements. Particularly Eco Guerrilla, who is using diverse practices (public mobilizations, campaigns, processes of lobbying…)for advocating change to decision-makers.

Gisela.

References:

Stojanovski Filip. 2016. Global Voices. Surrounded by Piles of Trash, these two classical musicians played Bach in Protest. Available in: https://globalvoices.org/2016/10/12/surrounded-by-piles-of-trash-these-two-classical-musicians-played-bach-in-protest/.

Lukes, Steven. 2004. Power: A radical view.

Gaventa, John. 2006. Finding the Spaces for Change: A Power Analysis

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. Feminist perspectives on power. Available in: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminist-power/