The Info-Activism Camp: Tools and Tactics for Digital Advocacy

Struggling to make an impact on your target audience? Are issues unresolved despite your best efforts? Are you excited about the advocacy potential of the Internet, mobile phones or information design, but uncertain about how you can take advantage of them? The Info Activism camp, to be held in Bangalore, India from February 19 to 25, offers rights advocates the chance to make a greater impact in their work.

The seven-day camp, organised by Tactical Technology Collective helps advocates to make the best use of information, communication and digital technologies to achieve their objectives. The first-ever international camp on info activism will feature 120 participants, picked through a competitive selection process, and who will not only learn but also share skills and techniques to aid in the process of advocacy. Workshops, group discussions, interactive sessions and live demos, which to a large extent will evolve from participants’ proposals, are all part of the one-week programme. Info-Activism is a compelling approach to launch campaigns and bring issues to light. The camp presents a great opportunity for rights advocates to enhance their skills. If you want to learn more about the camp,please go to http://www.informationactivism.org

Call for Applications

Struggling to make an impact on your target audience? Are issues unresolved despite your best efforts? Do the internet, mobile phones or information design present exciting possibilities in advocacy but difficult to take advantage of? The Info Activism camp, to be held in Bangalore, India from February 19 to 25, offers rights advocates the chance to make a greater impact in their work.

The seven-day camp, organised by Tactical Technology Collective helps advocates to make the best use of information, communication and digital technologies to achieve their objectives. The first-ever international camp on info activism will feature 120 participants, picked through a competitive selection process, and who will not only learn but also share skills and techniques to aid in the process of advocacy. Workshops, group discussions, interactive sessions and live demos, which to a large extent will evolve from participants’ proposals, are all part of the one-week programme. Info-Activism is a compelling approach to launch campaigns and bring issues to light. The camp presents a great opportunity for rights advocates to enhance their skills. If you want to learn more about the camp,please go to http://www.informationactivism.org

The full application is after the jump.  Scholarships are available for those who need help covering the cost of attending.

Note: To apply, please send this completed application form in the body of an email to infoactivism@tacticaltech.org

APPLICATION FORM:

THE INFO-ACTIVISM CAMP: This is the first-ever international camp on Info-Activism and is a week-long affair. The event will bring together 120 rights advocates, technologists, designers and activists working in the global South to share skills and ideas on digital advocacy.

DATES: This is a seven day long workshop, to be held in Bangalore, India from the 19th to the 25th of February 2009. If you would like to participate, you will need to attend the entire event, which means arriving in Bangalore on or before the 18th and leaving on or after the 26th of February 2009.

FEES AND SUBSIDIES: Participants will arrange for and fund their own travel to Bangalore. Once there, transport to the venue from the airport in Bangalore will be provided. We ask for a participation fee of 100 Euros to cover meals and accommodation during the meeting. In case you are unable to cover your travel or participation costs, please indicate
in the application form below.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This is an event for experienced professionals actively working with marginalised communities and the non-profit sector in the global South, with experience in advocacy and campaigning, and regional or international networks. Camp participants will be advocates, technologists, designers and strategists who have used or plan to use

technology tools and tactics in their campaigns. They need not be experts but need to have a proven aptitude for the use of technology tools and basic computing skills along with a track-record of active involvement in rights advocacy initiatives.

We are interested in a range of skills and expertise, be it in campaigning, design or technology. We are particularly interested in applications from advocates who deal with issues such as Sex Workers Rights, HIV and AIDS, LGBT rights and environmental justice. Participants whose work centres on the gathering, dissemination and design of information would benefit immensely.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. To be eligible to attend, you will need to send a completed application form by the 1st of November 2008 by noon GMT (the deadline for applications has been extended till the 8th of November).

2. All participants at the Info-Activism Camp are required to be proficient desktop users of computers.
3. All participants must be available from 18th till the 26th of
February 2009.

Applications from women are highly encouraged.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: Please answer the following questions. You need not write long responses, but please provide us with enough information to understand your skills and interests, and to have a sense of why you want to attend the Info-Activism Camp and what you can contribute to the event.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

a. First Name :

Middle Name :

Last Name :

Nick Name (if any):

Would you like to keep your real name private?

b. Gender: Male/ Female/ Transsexual/Transgender

c. Date of Birth:

d. Nationality:

e. Country where you live and work now:

f. Address for Correspondence (to send pre-event materials) :

g. Affiliation/organisation

g.1 Current affiliation/ organisation:

g.1.1 Legal status (i.e., non profit, for profit, academic etc.) :

g.1.2 Category (i.e. advocacy & campaigns, human rights, technical etc.)

g.1.3 Mission of the affiliation/ organisation:

g.1.4 Your position :

g.2. Previous affiliation/ organisation:

g.2.1 Legal status (i.e. non profit, for profit, academic etc.) :

g.2.2 Category (i.e. advocacy & campaigns, human rights, technical etc.)

g.2.3 Mission of the affiliation/ organisation:

g.2.4 Your position :

h. E-mail address:

i. Telephone and emergency contact number(s):

j. Anything else we should know about you (allergies, diet, medical condition, special needs):

k. Will you need to receive a participation fee subsidy in order to attend the camp? If so, please explain why.

l. Will you need to receive a travel subsidy in order to attend the camp? If so, please explain why and estimate how much (in Euros) your round-trip travel to Bangalore will cost.

m. Do you require a visa to travel to India? If yes, please provide us an estimate of how much your visa to India will cost and whether you will be able to cover this cost.

THE RECOMMENDED WORD LIMIT FOR EACH QUESTION IS 300 WORDS.

2. Why are you interested in attending the Info-Activism Camp? What do you hope to learn (minimum three goals) and how do you intend to use that knowledge?

3. Each participant will need to bring a project to the camp – this will help you pick up the appropriate tools and tactics that are relevant to the context you are working in. This can be a project you are currently working on/would like to work on/one where your skills are relevant. Please provide us with a short project description.

4. Camp participants are encouraged to teach as well as to learn. What areas of interest or expertise would you like to share with everyone else?

5. What does info-activism mean to you? Please express yourself creatively in whatever medium you choose – it doesn’t have to be text; for example, you could use pictures, comics, video or anything that fires your imagination. [You don't have to attempt this question but we will really appreciate the response.] (Please ensure that multimedia files are no longer than 60 seconds and suitable to host on the web)

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO 4 CATEGORIES. PLEASE CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE.

IF YOU ARE A RIGHTS ADVOCATE, CAMPAIGNER, ACTIVIST, FROM AN NGO OR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION OR REPRESENTING A MARGINALISED COMMUNITY, PLEASE PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTION NUMBERS 6 AND 7.

6. What is your experience of working with or participating in advocacy and campaigns? What kinds of projects and initiatives have you worked on
or been part of?

7. Have you ever used or have ideas on using technology or digital media as a tactic in your campaign? If so, please briefly explain.

IF YOU ARE A TECHNOLOGIST, A TECH-SUPPORT PERSON IN AN NGO, AN ACTIVE USER OF TECHNOLOGY OR DIGITAL TACTICS IN ADVOCACY, PLEASE PROVIDE
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 8 AND 9.

8. What role do you think technology/digital tactics can play in advocacy? Do you have any experience of using technology/digital tactics in an advocacy context or any technology experience that can be applied in an advocacy context?

9. What do you think the key challenges are in deploying technology/digital tactics in advocacy work?

IF YOU ARE A DESIGNER (THIS INCLUDES COMICS, CARTOONS, GRAPHICS, INFORMATION DESIGN ETC.), PLEASE PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10 AND 11.

10. What role do you think design (includes information design, cartoons, comics, graphics etc) can play in advocacy? Do you have any experience of using design as a tactic or tool in an advocacy context or any design experience that can be applied in an advocacy context?

11. What according to you are some of the key challenges in deploying design as a tactic or tool in advocacy work?

IF YOU DO NOT IDENTIFY WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE, PLEASE PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 12 AND 13.

12. How would you describe yourself?

13. How do you think your experience is relevant to advocacy?

IF YOU BELONG TO MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ANSWER ALL RELEVANT QUESTIONS.

APPLICATIONS THAT WILL OMIT ANY OF THE COMPULSORY QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

Please send the application in plain text format (not as an attachment but as an email) to infoactivism@tacticaltech.org mailto:infoactivism@tacticaltech.org>. The deadline for sending applications is the 1st of November 2008 at noon GMT (London time – http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=136 )

We will confirm the receipt of your application. Between the 5th and 10th of December 2008, we will personally inform each applicant by email if we are able to invite her/him.

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