Digital Dialogues

Why Should Our Communities Care about Internet Privacy? Open Source & Other Alternatives

Just last week, on April 18th, the FBI seized servers from a colocation facility shared by Riseup Networks and May First/People Link (MFPL) in NYC. The seized server was operated by the ECN, the oldest independent internet service provider in Europe, who among many other things, provided an anonymous remailer service, Mixmaster, that was the target of an FBI  investigation into the bomb threats against the University of Pittsburgh.

Last month in March, Google launched it's new new privacy policy, that would allow them to consolidate users’ data across all different platforms and services, claiming that it will improve the Internet user's experience. Last September, Facebook made a significant to its privacy policy wiping out the word "privacy" and rebranding it as a "data use" policy. These changes give Facebook more power to track billions of users on the web. In December 2011, Facebook users spent more than 9.7 billion minutes per day on Facebook on personal computers. Moreover, the mobile Facebook application is one of the most downloaded applications on all smartphones. This is a vital issue that affects all of us who use and rely on the Internet to organize, to find a job, to apply for college, and for civil engagement.

Guest Speakers:

- Jamie McClelland, Director, May First/People Link &Technology Systems Director,Progressive Technology Project

- Mallory Knodel, Policy and Outreach, May First/People Link & Communications Manager,Association of Progressive Communications   

- Ross Glover, Support Manager, May First/People Link

- Alfredo Lopez, Technology Manager, The Praxis Project & Leadership Commmittee Member, May First/People Link

- Moderated by Betty Yu, Center for Media Justice

 

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A Conversation about the Role of Arts and Culture in Movement Building

We all recognize that we are living in exciting and unpredictable political times.  The occupy/decolonize movement has mobilized and raised the consciousness of the 99% to confront the 1% of corporate wealth.  What is the role of arts, culture and media organizations?  What does it mean to help amplify the voices and uplift the struggles of the 99%?  On this digital dialogue, we heard from cultural workers and organizers who are working with front line communities to advance social, economic and racial justice.  

Special Featured Guests: 

Moderated by Betty Yu, Center for Media Justice

 

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Old Media vs. New Media: The False Divide

February marks Black History Month and the celebration of community media all over the world.  On February 10th, Paper Tiger Television celebrated 30 years, February 13th marked World Radio Day and February 15th activists celebrated Media for the 99% Day. The independent media movement is burgeoning.  With the acceleration of media consolidation and threats to community and independent media, the passage of the Local Community Radio Act in December 2010 is groundbreaking and will allow for hundreds of communities to own their own radio station. The ongoing debates around new media technologies and the Internet replacing traditional mediums like radio and Community Access television obsolete is erroneous. The truth is that there is no real divide between 'old' and 'new' media.  Regardless of the medium, local communities, organizers, mediamakers and culture workers are using the Internet, Community Access TV, radio, and print to organize and reach out to their neighbors and members to advance social justice and civil rights.  In fact, radio is still the medium of choice around the world as it's recognized as a low cost medium, specifically suited to reach remote and poor communities. 

Special guests include:

Moderated by Betty Yu, Center for Media Justice

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Beyond Access: Owning Community Broadband Networks

In the last few years local communities, governments, non-profit organizations and neighborhood residents from across the U.S. have successfully launched community broadband initiatives. 54 U.S. cities own citywide fiber networks and another 79 own citywide cable networks. These local initiatives, in rural and urban areas alike, have served as community scale infrastructures that are sustainable and allow participation and decisionmaking on the most local level. Research has shown that community scale infrastructure is more cost effective to build out and lowers the cost of sustaining connectivity at the community level. As we know broadband Internet access is vital for civil engagement and integral to our daily lives. For community media advocates it's not just about having access to broadband services, it's also about owning the infrastructure and gaining access, rights and power to media that provide marginalized community members with needed broadband access. Moreover, these broadband networks are directly accountable to the community they serve.

This digital dialogue will feature experts and community members who have been working on the community broadband issue for many years. Participants are encouraged to think about possible broadband projects in their neighborhood as well as share any experiences they have with launching a network.

Special Guests Include:

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