Our Mission Statement
Digital activism is no longer the new communications ‘tool’ on the block. In the process of becoming established and professionalized, digital activism has entered a new, more complicated era of debate. The question is no longer whether digital activism and social media are a force for good in activism. Almost every modern movement – whether it starts online or offline – now has a digital element that exposes it to broader audiences.
Instead, the discussion has evolved to explore questions such as: how can social media tools be governed ethically? Which movements or activists are using digital tools most effectively? And how is digital activism constantly evolving?
This blog will focus on emerging and established trends within digital activism. It will explore, among others, the challenges and opportunities facing activists, how Generation Z raised with the internet are reshaping digital activism, and how platform capitalism is affecting digital activism.
This blog aims to add value to the discussion about digital activism by providing clear, concise, and insightful commentary on emerging trends for people working or volunteering in the development sector, activists, and students who are interested in Communications for Development
About the authors
Sara Carelli – Originally from Sweden but based in Rome with her three children and cat, Sara is a Head of Productions for an Italian Production Company producing TV formats/Films and Documentaries. For this blog, she will explore how democracy could be affected by the rise of deep fakes on the internet. She will then connect democracy with an analysis of the Glen Cantave movement concluding with an academic reflection on this trend.
Joshua Wengert – Joshua is a communications and marketing expert in the renewables sector. He is passionate about environmental and social movements, especially those challenging capitalist influences. For this blog, he will explore platform capitalism, the unseen powers in our digital world, and the emerging digital proletariat’s labour movements.
Denesha Brar – Based in London, U.K, Denesha is the Associate Director of Communications at a global donor collaborative. With a decade of working in communications within the philanthropy sector, Denesha has a special interest in gender equality and development. For this blog, her focus will be on how younger generations who have grown up with social media use it differently for their activism than older generations of activists, including memes and humour.
Elias Isaksson: Based in Sweden, Elias has a strong interest in exploring the trends that can be seen in how governments respond to digital activism and the strategies that are used in different countries to either embrace or crush digital activism.