E-Advocacy
CASE STUDY: Egypt’s "Facebook Revolution" marks a turn in activists’ e-advocacy strategies
6 April 2008 is a date marked in the books of Egypt's modern history. On this day, the country's first nationwide strike began, and international news networks were set abuzz with talk of what the "New York Times" called a "Revolution: Facebook style".
Leaders of Egypt's labour movement led by the 27,000 employees of the Mahalla Textile Factory in the Delta of Egypt, called for a strike on April 6 in response to drastic increases in commodity prices. Activists quickly amplified the campaign against rising prices and corruption by putting out the call for a general strike across all of Egypt using the Internet.
Using social networking tools, the "6 April Movement" Facebook group hosted conversations where the group’s founders and a growing number of supporters called for solidarity with workers and protested skyrocketing inflation. The group rapidly swelled to over 70,000 members, most of them newcomers to activism.
When 6 April 2008 finally dawned in the city of El Mahalla el Kubra, two hours from Cairo, thousands took to the streets and civilians clashed with security. At least two people were killed, dozens were injured, and hundreds were arrested. Among those taken into custody were several cyber-activists, including the well-known activist Israa Abdel Fattah, co-founder of the "6 April Movement" Facebook group. Fattah was held in prison for about two weeks, and after her release immediately made a statement renouncing political activism, presumably under pressure from authorities. The Facebook group she created remains online and is now engaged in activism related to the 2010-11 presidential election.
While this case demonstrates the significant barriers to free expression in Egypt, it also reflects a turning point in the way activists set out to rally the public.
"The effects of the strike were "tremendous" because vast amounts of people nationwide were mobilised and a foundation was set for cyber-activism to play a stronger role in the future," says Sherif Azer, of IFEX member Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) who has also researched this topic.
Another IFEX member, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) also noted the change in tactics activists used to organise for the strike by introducing new online tools. "It was the beginning of a new stage in mobilisation and advocacy... Before it was common to use e-mails and websites to spread the calls [for action] but, after 6 April, Facebook and other social networking websites proved to be very efficient in spreading the message, mobilising young people and organising events," says ANHRI’s Nafisa Elsabagh.
Azer says that the events of 6 April, and the crucial role played by Facebook, illustrate just how quickly Internet activism has been growing in Egypt. The legitimacy of independent and alternative information media seems also to have grown as a result of the strike. In many cases, bloggers are now considered more authentic than the normal media," says Azer. He only expects the role of e-advocacy in Egypt to increase, particularly with elections scheduled in 2010-11. In fact, EOHR runs a programme focused on training bloggers throughout Egypt, helping activists learn how to use the Internet and blogging to raise awareness and increase involvement in political activism.
EOHR has had a Facebook page for several years, and finds it to be an extremely effective networking tool. The organisation also uses Twitter to report free expression violations, maintains an e-mailing list, offers RSS feed subscriptions to their website, and EOHR Secretary General Hafez Abu Seada publishes a regular blog.
Azer finds Facebook a particularly effective and user-friendly e-advocacy tool because it provides one location to integrate other Internet-based networking tools (such as Twitter or Flickr). EOHR spends about two to three hours per day managing the page, including posting items, dialoguing with users and moderating comments. Azer advises groups to post items in English as well as the local language - Facebook is available in 70 languages - in order to reach larger international audiences.
Facebook can enable free expression organisations to build networks and find new ways to communicate information that they are already collecting and publishing, such as alerts, statements and campaigning news.
"It can also be incredibly helpful for connecting with other groups and activists in the same field, in order to share links and information, mobilise the public and raise awareness around free expression issues," says Azer.
RESOURCES
Shapiro, Samantha M. "Revolution: Facebook Style", "The New York Times" (22 January 2009) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/magazine/25bloggers-t.html
Radsch, Courtney. "Core to Commonplace: The evolution of Egypt’s blogosphere", "Arab Media & Society" http://www.arabmediasociety.com/?article=692
Knickmeyer, Ellen. "Fledgling Rebellion on Facebook Is Struck Down by Force in Egypt" "Washington Post" (18 May 2008) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/17/ST2008051702711.html
Sandels, Alexandra. ""Egypt arrests "April 6 Youth" activist - group plans for new strike.", "Menassat" (3 March 2009) http://www.menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/6096-egypt-arrests-april-6-youth-activist-group-plans-new-strike
Wolman, David. "Cairo Activists Use Facebook to Rattle Regime", "Wired" (10 October 2008)
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-11/ff_facebookegypt
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