New Media

Just finished reading a great book, Murder Without Borders, by Vancouver-based author and journalist Terry Gould.

It’s a fantastic study of the heroism of journalists who will kept reporting on the corruption and injustice that surrounds them, even knowing full well that they live on borrowed time.

Why did they do it? It’s simple to forget for people in this part of the world with options about where they can go, that these people are fighting for change in the places where they live. What could be more natural?

That doesn’t take away from their bravery, but it does help clarify their motivations. A fascinating read.

An excerpt with a quote from murdered Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga:
“People often ask me why I take such risks and tell me it is a matter of time before I am bumped off. Of course I know that: it is inevitable. But if we do not speak out now, there will be no one left to speak for those who cannot, whether they be ethnic minorities, the disadvantaged or the persecuted.”

Thanks to my friend Shane Birley for lending me this excellent read. Cheers.

The summer is almost here and it’s a nice time to be living in Mount Pleasant. Looking forward to lots of walks and bike rides around the nicest neighborhood in Vancouver.

Questioning our basic assumptions about social media for social change: Are campaigns like these making a difference? There are some jaded people out there (see Joe Solomon’s post). I’m sorry to see social media evangelists like Raul falling into this camp, but I can sympathize with the problems they bring up. Heck, I’m a bit jaded myself.

Contributors to this discussion have already hit on my own thoughts.

1. Social Media (Twitter, blogs, Facebook, etc) is not a panacea. It is an enabler, but you still have to do the work of engaging influencers, the media, government, corporations, whatever, if you want to get something done. For many social media evangelists, time/budget are still hurdles to getting the work done effectively. Must re-focus.

2. Like Raul says, you get what you give. I’ve definitely been less active on the scene in helping others with their causes than I could have been, so response to my own social media efforts of late has been lackluster. This conversation is a much-needed kick in the ass.

3. Focus on the real world goals that are measurable (awareness = number of media hits, fundraising = dollar amounts) and on the effects (ie. the actual social change that comes about as a result of these efforts).

I recognize these challenges, but it’s time to get back on the horn. Phew.

One war seems to have bucked the tragic trend of armed conflicts the world over by coming to what seems to be a decisive ending. The civil war in Sri Lanka is over.

The climax of the war was reached late yesterday, when the LTTE announced the surrender on its website. “This battle has reached its bitter end,” LTTE official Selvarajah Pathmanathan said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. “It is our people who are dying now from bombs, shells, illness and hunger. We cannot permit any more harm to befall them. We remain with one last choice – to remove the last weak excuse of the enemy for killing our people. We have decided to silence our guns.” (Globe and Mail).

Some comments on this story in the Globe:

Sl Cha from Surrey, Canada writes: THERE ARE NATIONAL FLAGS FLYING IN EVERY TAMIL HOUSEHOLD IN SRI LANKA!!! THEY ARE RELIEVED! THERE IS NO ONE TO EXHORT MONEY ANYMORE!!! TAMILS IN SRI LANKA ARE HAPPY, NOT LIKE THE LTTE TAMIL CANADIANS…

John Little from Canada writes: Send food and other aid, but don’t bring them to Canada. It is time for them to learn to live in peace in Sri Lanka. Maybe those Tamils who said that Sri Lanka was “My country, my home”, can go back and help their country to begin to heal and recover from this decades-old senseless war.

Andre W from Toronto, Canada writes: Now that their terrorist group is defeated in Sri Lanka, what are the tamil thugs in Toronto planning to do?

GLOBAL GAEL from Kingston, Canada writes: Sl Cha,

I think both ordinary Tamils and Sinhalese truly hope that their leaders are genuinely committed to putting aside their hatred and settling on a lasting peace treaty.

I use Twitter. I like it because I understand its limitations.

As a means of direct communication with people you actually care about, Twitter is awful when compared with just about any other method, from the telephone to email and even LinkedIn.

But as a way of amplifying my voice online like a kind of megaphone to a giant audience, or enabling just one more way for people to reach out and touch me, it works well enough that I’ve kept at it. As a marketing tool, it beats the snot out of sandwich board signs.

I like this video, Real-Life Twitter. It’s funny because it’s real. Sort of.