A Tool Of Revolution
The failure of a Facebook protest in Egypt common to new technologies that seem ready to change the world, but not yet.
On April 6 in El Mahalla, Egypt, thousands of people showed up for a demonstration in solidarity with striking textile workers to protest skyrocketing food prices. It gave many participants a nostalgic whiff of the bread riots of 1977, but what enabled that unexpected return to the past was a phenomenon of the future: a Facebook group for the event numbering more than 75,000 members. The precedent emboldened activists to start another Facebook group to stage a second protest to coincide with Hosni Mubarak's 80th birthday on May 4.
With tens of thousands flocking to the Facebook page, activists were anticipating another day of triumphal havoc. On May 4, however, the streets of Cairo were quiet.
What happened? Facebook was supposed to be a revolutionary tool of organizers, a powerful new way of tapping a global support network of dissidents and uniting them in opposition to harsh governments. In Egypt, however, the agitators are a disillusioned bunch. The failure of their "click-here activism," says a Cairo human-rights expert who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue, has shown "the limitations of social-networking sites as a tool for organizing real-world protests."
This kind of disappointment is common to new technologies, which often seem to change the world and at the same time leave it much like it was before. As the Egyptian activists learned, a social network, just by virtue of being online, can't always hold together a "real world" movement. Facebook creates opportunities—it gives people the chance to write their own golden ticket—but it is not to be confused with the tickets themselves. So what exactly is Facebook good for, and what are its limitations?
When what you want is exponential growth for your cause, nothing beats Facebook: the network is designed for a good idea to spread faster and farther than a single person can ever fathom. Think of a Facebook group as a growing body of water. For that water to accumulate pressure, it needs more infrastructure—the better constructed the conduit, the more directed and powerful the flow. While 19-year-old Alex Bookbinder's group supporting Burma's persecuted monks swelled to more than 300,000 members, the organizers sought additional channels for their cause. Partnering with formal advocacy groups Amnesty International and the Burma Campaign UK, they successfully coordinated marches worldwide last fall, sending thousands onto the streets in London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Taipei, Vienna and Washington, D.C. Mark Farmaner, who directs the Burma Campaign UK, affirmed that the Facebook activists transformed the global effort: "They're able to do things that we can't."
At its core, Facebook is built on information exchange, or, as founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will tell you, "relationships." When it comes to solidifying already existing relationships, it can be invaluable. This was exactly what a Canadian group of small investors needed. "Canaccord and Other ABCP Clients," popularly known as "grannies on Facebook," lost their retirement savings when their brokers blew their investments on asset-backed commercial paper. Their Facebook group helped them share grievances and make an informed argument. In April, "300 raging grannies" crashed a financial-restructuring meeting in Vancouver, reported Brian Hunter, the group's creator, where their opponents "got their heads handed to them." Canaccord and other investment brokers pledged to reimburse the grannies in full.
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Member Comments
Posted By: nyeinc @ 07/16/2008 7:55:36 PM
Comment: CHAPTER VIII TERMINATION OF SANCTIONS
20. The sanctions imposed under this Act shall apply until the Committee determines and certifies to the State Peace and Development Council and/or the Government of Union of Myanmar that all sanctions and embargoes against Union of Myanmar and its entities have been removed.
CHAPTER IX MISCELLANEOUS
21. Rule of Construction: Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit any contract or other financial transaction with any entities engaged in the humanitarian and developmental efforts in Union of Myanmar.
22. REGULATORY EXCEPTIONS
For the following purposes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs may, by regulation, authorize exceptions to the prohibition and restrictions described in subsection (a), and the Minister of Home Affairs may, by regulation, authorize exceptions to the executions of penalties under this Act -
(a) to permit the other countries and Myanmar to operate their diplomatic missions, and to permit Union of Myanmar to conduct other official Government business at home and abroad.
Posted By: nyeinc @ 07/16/2008 7:55:17 PM
Comment: FREEZING OF FUNDS AND ECONOMIC RESOURCES
18. All funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by persons listed in Chapter V shall be frozen;
(a) No payment or transfer may be made from a frozen account, including to another frozen account, without prior authorization. This includes the deduction of fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance of frozen accounts. Loans and other forms of credit should not be made available to those listed in Chapter V.
(b) Under the Act, interest or other earnings on frozen accounts or payments due under contracts, agreements or obligations that were concluded or arose prior to the date on which those accounts became subject to financial sanctions may be added to frozen accounts provided that any such interest, other earnings or payments continue to be frozen.
19. The prohibition against making funds or economic resources available does not prevent the crediting of frozen accounts by financial or credit institutions that receive funds transferred by third parties to the frozen account of the listed person provided that any additions to such accounts are also frozen. Financial institutions are required to inform the Committee of any such transactions without delay.
(d) Interest, other payments and credits
20. The Committee is able to authorize the release of certain frozen funds or economic resources or the making available of certain frozen funds or economic resources, if they have determined that the funds or economic resources concerned are:
a) necessary to cover the basic expenses of those listed in subsection (a) (1) and their dependent family members, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges;
b) intended exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services;
c) intended exclusively for payment of fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance of frozen funds or economic resources;
d) necessary for extraordinary expenses.
Chapter VII (PROVISION OF INFORMATION)
19. The responsible persons of the banks, financial institutions and relevant departments shall, notwithstanding anything contained in existing laws in respect of bank secrecy, check and report to the Committee within 120 days of the enactment of this Act and without delay in the future
(a) whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold any funds for the individuals and entities listed in Chapter [ ] and,
(b) if so they should report to the Committee details of all funds or economic resources that they have frozen in accordance with this Act.
(c) They must also provide the Committee with all relevant information necessary for ensuring compliance with this Act.
Posted By: nyeinc @ 07/16/2008 7:55:01 PM
Comment: CHAPTER VI (OFFENCES AND PENALTIES)
10. Whoever commits any of the acts prohibited in the Chapter IV of this Act shall, on determination, be punished with any or any combination of the following penalties -
VISA BAN
11. IN GENERAL any foreign PERSONS listed in Chapter [ ] shall be ineligible for a visa to travel to Union of Myanmar.
(a) WAIVER The Government of Union of Myanmar may waive the visa ban described in paragraph (1) only if the Government of Union of Myanmar determines and certifies in writing to the State Peace and Development Council that travel by the person seeking such a waiver is in the national interests of Union of Myanmar.
FINANCIAL SANCTIONS
12. FREEZING PROPERTY No property or interest in property belonging to a person described in Chapter V may be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt with if found in violation of the activities prohibited under this Act.
13. Any property located in Union of Myanmar or within the possession or control of a Myanmar person, including the overseas branch of a Myanmar person shall be frozen; or
14. the property comes into the possession or control of a Myanmar person after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be frozen.
15. No granting of any financial loan or credit to persons listed in Chapter V or enterprises that are owned or controlled by persons listed in Chapter V.
FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
16. Except with respect to transactions authorized explicitly under the existing laws and regulations of Union of Myanmar, no Myanmar person may engage in a financial transaction with a person described in subsection (a) (1).
17. IN GENERAL the prohibitions and restrictions described in subsections above shall not apply to medicine, medical equipment or supplies, food or feed, or any other form of humanitarian and developmental assistance provided to Myanmar.