More on Burma - Protests in Real Life and Online

Via Facebook updates, I learned from Tharum that Preetaim Rai, the Southeast Asia Editor for Global Voices, posts a roundup of protests and prayer vigils in neighboring countries.  He points over to a post from Mean Lux
in Cambodia and his flickr set.

Mean Lux points to an excellent post that summarizes the all the online support in addition to the Facebook activity. 

Now the online channel has breathed new life into this surging wave and brought with it Facebook events, Myspace groups, Razoo causes, BBC News feeds updated real-time, Twitter posts about Wear A Red Shirt This Friday For Burma and countless IMs’ from friends telling friends telling friends. Someone sneezed and it spread across the whole internet; you’ll find 72 results found by Google desktop, 9,494 Google news results, 2,283 blog posts in the last 12 hours according to Google blog search, 3,498 videos found in Google video (#1 is Jim Carrey), 22,978 blog posts about Burma in Technorati and 275 groups in Facebook.

The post gives us a screen capture from Google Trends, but it doesn't mention what has been happening in Second Life - for example virtual red t-shirts, and human chain protests).   There is also a roundup of links to Burma causes (not just Facebook that's just one channel) and events.

The conclusion:

This data goes to show just how much online marketing share matters and how well this medium works for global messages and movements. Burma may not be in your backyard, but if you stop and think for a second the online world is all around us; you just need to choose how and where you’ll receive it.

It also shows that the power of combining many Internet channels as well as mainstream media channels and a compelling event.

On the other hand, Justin Kownacki thinks wearing red t-shirts is social media fluff.  What he doesn't realize is that in other countries a call to action "to call you senator" isn't all that easy.  The red t-shirt show your support meme didn't originate online - it started offline in countries from that region showing support.  Take for example Sopheak's report about what is happening on the ground in Cambodia and how it is being amplified by the Internet.

My previous coverage:

Why Sopheap Wearing A Red T-Shirt
Virtual Red T-Shirts

Comments

[Justin Kownacki]

Actually, I'd say the situation on Myanmar / Burma is exactly the OPPOSITE of fluff -- which is why I don't think the red shirt meme ALONE is powerful enough without ALSO taking further action (calling your senator, etc.)...

My frustration with this kind of "ribbons for the troops" activism lies not with the people who (like you) realize it's only the tip of the actionable iceberg, but with those who believe that wearing a ribbon / Livestrong bracelet / red shirt / etc. is ENOUGH OF AN ACTION BY ITSELF to result in change.

[Beth Kanter]

Thanks for your clarification! Situations like these get me emotional and frustrated too ...

[Free Burma!]

Free Burma!
International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October

International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“.

www.free-burma.org

[rebecca carpenter]

Hi Beth,

Thanks for sharing this info about Burma in the social media world. You might also want to check out Burma content on Razoo.com, specifically, a group promoting a new documentary called "The Road": http://beta.razoo.com/groups/the_road_to_burma. Lots of good stuff going on there.

Cheers,
Rebecca
Razoo.com
Good Happens: http://blog.razoo.com