Strategizing social media
“New Tactics in Human Rights” bring together experts over “Online Discussions” on various topics.
In this online conversation, they explored:
- How to define your social media goals and targets;
- Strategizing about how to reach your stakeholders with social media;
- Making decisions about the resources you should devote to building and maintaining a social media presence;
- How to use social media without putting your staff and your constituents at risk;
This online conversation was an opportunity to exchange experiences, lessons-learned and best practices among practitioners using social media strategically in human rights work.
Tactic examples shared in the conversation:
- Amnesty International USA used Twitter and Storify to get the attention of the US State Department to respond to the human rights violations in Bahrain.
- International Anti-Corruption Day and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) used hashtag #ExijoSaber to ensure public institutions were listening to locals from El Salvador, and their answers to the question, “what information from your government do you wish you had?”
- Amnesty International USA organized a social media campaign in response to the increase in human rights violations in Syria, they utilized Twitter and the hashtag #eyesonsyria.
- Greenpeace Mobilisation Lab used customized messaging to approach and influence the brand Volkswagen to live up to it’s progressive and environmental image by committing to ensure cars meet strong CO2 reduction targets.
- Greenpeace Hungry built momentum for companies to study their supply chains to confirm their products are GMO free through both online and offline mediums, specifically Facebook, public statements, and free consumer food guides.
- Utilizing solidarity, social media was used to collectively document abuses and honor victims and activists. Facebook was used to document and tell the story of the conflict in Syria, this included mock postage stamps, the Stamps of the Syrian Revolution.
- Kurd Men for Equality encouraged men to submit photos of themselves dressed in women’s traditional clothing and then collected and shared the photos on Facebook. This enabled individuals to support the cause without leaving their house. Messages were launched to authorities in Iran, and a campaign was built to communicate that being a woman is not a tool to humiliate or punish anyone.
- Amnesty International USA used a YouTube playlist to bring awareness to human rights violations in North Korea right when United Nations Human Rights Council member states were discussing the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry. They also utilized blog posts and The Human Rights Channel curated by WITNESS.
- Amnesty International USA created a digital campaign utilizing Facebook, Twitter and the hashtag #saveBeatriz (English) and #salve Beatriz (Spanish) to gain global attention of this case in El Salvador.
- Twitter (Twitterbomb, Twitter Chat, and Livetweeting) was used as a movement building tool by Amnesty International USA to spread information regarding the death penalty in Maryland.
- In Venezuela, Venezuela Inteligente produced and directed videos with the hope of them going viral. Videos were also posted offline for free, Vuclip was included and mass BBM messages were designed to promoted participation in the legislative elections, especially the youth in Venezuela.
- The Red Elección Cuidadana, a coalition of Venezuelan NGOs coordinated an election monitoring effect focused on receiving and documenting human rights abuses through multiple channels (phone calls to a central line, email, SMS, website and web form), Twitter and a hashtag, and a paid collaborative social suite.
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