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Call for Applications: 'Maps for Making Change' - Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India
http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change
<b>Deadline: 20 November 2009.
Maps for Making Change is a two-month project specifically designed for activists and supporters of social movements and campaigns in India. It provides participants with an exciting opportunity to explore how a range of digital mapping techniques can be used to support struggles for social justice. It also allows you to immediately develop and implement in practice a concrete mapping project relevant to your campaign or movement, with full technical support. Interested in joining us? Send in your application by 20 November 2009. </b>
<p align="justify"><em><strong>Background</strong> </em></p>
<p align="justify">Most of us think of maps as representations of territory. But have you ever wondered why <em>bastis</em>, slums, unauthorised colonies and monuments of minorities and poor people rarely are given prominence on maps – or at times are even absent altogether? All too often only seats of power, such as big hospitals, the colonies of the rich and diplomatic missions, receive detailed mention. This is because maps simultaneously also function as representations of relations of power and control: which places, communities, historical monuments, townships, colonies and roads are highlighted on a map reflects the power and control that various communities and classes possess or lack. In modern times, this is particularly obvious in planning processes, which incorporate maps as crucial tools in villages and cities alike. To challenge the practice of privileging the powerful on maps, and to create maps from the margins and of margins, therefore has emerged as an important aspect as well as a tool of our fights against injustice in society.</p>
<p align="justify"><em><strong>Maps for Making Change</strong></em></p>
<p align="justify">Today, with the emergence of new technologies such as GPS and the Internet, mapping techniques have advanced beyond the confines of professional cartographers and can be mobilised and used to fight for social justice by anyone with an interest in maps. Are you someone concerned with the state of social justice in the country today? Are you working closely, as an activist or a supporter, with a campaign or social movement? Are you interested in exploring how digital geographical mapping techniques might help facilitate or support your advocacy and awareness raising campaigns and understanding of the power relations in society? Perhaps you already have some ideas on how maps can fit into your work, but you require technical support to put these into practice? Then this is for you.</p>
<p align="justify">Maps for Making Change is a two-month project that will provide you with the opportunity to explore how mapping can be used to support your campaigns, struggles and movements to fight against injustice. It is jointly organised by the Centre for Internet and Society (Bangalore) and the Tactical Technology Collective (Bangalore and London), and brings together activists and technologists. Over the course of the project, participants will:</p>
<ul><li>
<p align="justify">explore and share ideas about the possible uses of geographical maps within the context of campaigns and movements in India;</p>
</li><li>
<p align="justify">try out a range of mapping tools and get training and support in the creation and use of maps;</p>
</li></ul>
<ul><li>
<p align="justify">develop and implement your own mapping project, involving the creation and use as well as dissemination of maps, relevant to your campaign's or movement's advocacy and goals.</p>
</li></ul>
<p align="justify"><em><strong>Format</strong></em></p>
<p align="justify">Maps for Making Change will take the form of three workshops, with time in between each for participants to work on a mapping project of their choice. The first workshop will take place in Delhi on 3 December, and will be an introductory event, where tools and tactics will be explored and discussed and participants can determine the nature of the information they need to collect to implement their own mapping project. The second workshop will take place over 3 days during the first week of January (exact dates and location to be decided), and will involve actual work on mapping projects, using data and other resources collected by participants in the intervening time. The third workshop will be a two-day event during the first week of February (exact dates and location to be decided), and will be the time for participants to provide overall feedback, as well as to do the final touches on the projects and launch them. Not only during the workshops, but throughout the two-month project period, and at every stage of the development of your project plan, technical support will be available to help participants make your ideas a reality.</p>
<p align="justify">The organisers will cover travel and accommodation expenses of those who are selected to participate in the project. There is no participation fee. By applying, applicants commit themselves, however, to devoting the necessary time to this project. Where relevant, an organisational commitment to allow you to do this would also be required.</p>
<p align="justify"><em><strong>Who should apply?</strong></em></p>
<p align="justify">This is an event for activists and supporters of movements and campaigns based in India. Preference will be given to applicants that intend to use the project directly for their work within a campaign or movement. Applications are welcomed from individuals, but also from groups of people who are working within the same campaign or movement and who would like to develop and implement a mapping project together. Those who have been centrally involved in designing and implementing communication strategies of campaigns and movements are particularly encouraged to apply, but such a role is not at all a prerequisite to be part of Maps for Making Change. Participants from appropriate backgrounds who simply want to explore the technology and its uses without immediately implementing it will be welcome in so far as space allows.</p>
<p align="justify">We would like to also encourage applications from students who are involved with campaigns or movements and who would like to learn these skills so as to use them in their advocacy efforts. Students will be provided with special assistance during the programme.</p>
<p align="justify">All participants should have some familiarity with computer use. While more advanced technology skills are useful, they are not essential: technology support will be provided as required for all participants to ensure that everyone completes their own mapping project.</p>
<p align="justify">Regretfully, we will be able to accommodate translation only from Hindi to English and vice versa, so applicants will need to be comfortable with either of these languages.</p>
<p align="justify"><em><strong>How to apply</strong></em></p>
<p align="justify">Please answer the questions below in Hindi or in English. You do not need to write long responses (up to 300 words max), but please provide us with enough information to understand your involvement in and commitment to campaigns or movements for social justice, as well as your skills and interest. We also would like to know why you want to be part of the Maps for Making Change project and what are some of the contributions (of whatever kind) you could make to it.</p>
<p align="justify">You can send your answers by email to <a href="mailto:mapsforchange@cis-india.org">maps4change@cis-india.org</a>, or by post to:</p>
<div align="justify" class="visualClear">Maps for Making Change</div>
<div align="justify" class="visualClear">c/o Centre for Internet and Society</div>
<div align="justify" class="visualClear">No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers</div>
<div align="justify" class="visualClear">14, Cunningham Road</div>
<div align="justify" class="visualClear">Bangalore 560052</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;" class="visualClear"> </div>
The last day for applications is 20 November 2009. Early applications will make us very happy though! :)<em><strong><br /><br />Application Questions:</strong></em>
<p> </p>
Please provide answers to all the following questions.
<p align="left">1) Basic personal information:</p>
<ul><li>
<p align="left">Name:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Gender:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Date of birth:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Nationality:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Affiliation/organisation:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">E-mail address (if available):</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Telephone and emergency contact number(s):</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Preferred language of communication:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Veg/non veg:</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">Anything else we should know about you (allergies, medical condition, special needs):</p>
</li></ul>
<p align="left">Are you applying individually or as part of a team? If as part of a team, please provide the names of the other team members here;</p>
<p align="left">2) Where are you from, where do you live now, and what is your current movement/organisational affiliation (movement/organisation you work with, its mission, position you have within it, is your organisation a non-profit, etc.)?</p>
<p align="justify">3) What is your wider experience of working with campaigns or movements for social justice? What kinds of initiatives have you been involved in? What kind of responsibilities have you taken up within these?</p>
<p align="justify">4) Have you been involved with any technology projects for non-profit organisations or campaigns or movements for social change? If so please briefly explain your experience (what worked, what didn't, what did you like, what not, etc?) and your role within the project. If you haven't been involved with such a project, please explain why you are interested in exploring the use of technology for social change.</p>
<p align="justify">5) Why are you interested in joining Maps for Making Change in particular? How can you and your movement/organisation benefit from your participation?</p>
<p align="justify">6) Do you already have an idea in mind that involves using maps for social change and that you would like to develop into a project that can support the work of the campaign or movement that you are involved with? If so, please explain.</p>
<p align="justify">7) To help us better understand the kind of technical support we will need to provide during Maps for Making Change, please describe your current technical expertise and ability.</p>
<p align="justify">8) All participants are encouraged to teach as well as to learn. What kind of contribution to the group's learning do you think you could make?</p>
<p align="justify"><strong>If you require more information about the project or about the application process, please email us at <a href="mailto:mapsforchange@cis-india.org">maps4change@cis-india.org</a>, or call us at 080 4092 6283.</strong></p>
<p align="justify">Looking forward to hearing from you!</p>
<p align="justify">The Maps for Making Change Team</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change'>http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaDigital ActivismPracticeWorkshopResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:04:12ZBlog EntryMaps for Making Change Kicks Off, and You Can Get Involved!
http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-kicks-off-and-you-can-get-involved
<b>A first in India, Maps for Making Change explores the use of geographical mapping techniques to support struggles for social justice in India. On 3 December, the project officially kicks off during a one-day workshop in Delhi. But even if you can not be there with us in Delhi, there are ways to get involved. </b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-kicks-off-and-you-can-get-involved'>http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-kicks-off-and-you-can-get-involved</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaDigital ActivismPracticeWorkshopResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:03:39ZBlog EntryMaps for Making Change Wiki Now Open to the Public
http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-wiki-now-open-to-the-public
<b>Since December 2009, CIS has been coordinating and nurturing the Maps for Making Change project, organised in collaboration with Tactical Tech. During the past four months, participants have been on a challenging yet fertile and inspiring journey that is now slowly coming to an end. Would you like to know more about what has happened in the time that has passed? The Maps for Making Change wiki is a good place to start.</b>
<p>Since December 2009, CIS has been coordinating and nurturing the Maps for Making Change project, organised in collaboration with Tactical Tech. Maps for Making Change provides a select group of activists and supporters of movements and campaigns for progressive social change in India with an opportunity to collectively debate ànd explore in practice the potential of digital mapping as a tool to support their work. </p>
<p>Over the months, the project's wiki has turned into a rich resource that reflects the challenging yet fertile and inspiring journey participants have made in the course of this project. The wiki contains detailed information about the project and individual participants' projects-within-the-project, as well as resource persons' profiles, workshop schedules and links to facilitator's presentations. In a separate section, there are links to a range of resources on mapping for social change more generally - including 'how to' guides, inspiring examples and mapping tools that are available for free. </p>
<p>If you would like to know more about what has happened in Maps for Making Change over the past four months, do therefore go and have a look – the link to the wiki is:</p>
<p><a title="http://maps4change.cis-india.org" class="external text" href="http://maps4change.cis-india.org/" rel="nofollow">maps4change.cis-india.org</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>And if you know of others who might be interested, do of course feel free to pass on the word!</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-wiki-now-open-to-the-public'>http://editors.cis-india.org/advocacy/other-advocacy/maps-for-making-change-wiki-now-open-to-the-public</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaPracticeResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:05:06ZBlog EntryStudying Platform Work in Mumbai & New Delhi
http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/cis-and-apu-studying-platform-work-in-mumbai-and-new-delhi
<b>A report by Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) and Azim Premji University (APU) maps platform work in India and notes from four studies of workers driving taxis and delivering food for platform companies.
</b>
<h2 style="text-align: justify; ">Introduction</h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">With the arrival and rapid spread of gig platforms in India and across the world, scholars across fields – from economics and sociology to digital and new media studies – started to investigate how app-based gig platforms are affecting large and small-scale social and economic transformations. In the ‘first wave’ of gig economy research, scholars questioned the nomenclature itself, debating whether it should be called the ‘sharing economy’, gig economy, or rental economy. The impetus for these debates was, perhaps, that we already had some existing models for the sharing economy that largely drew on the idea of ‘the commons’ – or the general understanding that highly networked environments would offer people the opportunity to share their knowledge and spare resources freely, without charge, thus bypassing established corporate oligopolies as well as national and international laws that restricted free movement and access to knowledge and resources – especially for people from the so-called ‘developing’ world. To that effect, there exists valuable research now that bridges the moment of the sharing economy with the gig economy. For instance, Lampinen and colleagues studied older platforms and communities, like Couch Surfing, which allowed people to host and live on other people’s couches (or in their spare rooms) for no cost. The same set of scholars also studied Air Bnb and offered comparative understandings of how norms and expectations around partaking in (someone’s) idle resources change when the ‘gig logic’ enters the frame and platforms become real-time marketplaces for the exchange of goods and services, as against a temporally slower and more altruistic community-based model of sharing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The ‘second wave’ of gig economy research, mostly originating in and responding to technological,social, and economic developments in North America and Western Europe, has focused on the disruptive effects of gig platforms on employment trends and the future of work. To elaborate, these scholars argue that gig platforms, by offering the promise of flexible work and quick earnings, but not the benefits of full-time, standard employment,are contributing to the ongoing casualisation and precaritisation of work at large. As marketplaces powered by algorithmic decision-making,platforms often argue that the resultant prices as well as earnings are not a product of human or organisational decisions but rather a result of algorithmic decisions and data points. Since these algorithmic systems are ‘black boxed’ or treated as highly confidential intellectual property, there is little scope to audit or ‘peek’ into their workings to understand how or why ‘real-time dynamic surge pricing’ works the way it does. A related host of issues concerns over the employment status of gig platform workers. As critics of platforms have noted, while platform companies classify workers as ‘independent contractors’ or‘vendors’, gig workers satisfy all the requirements of the employment test and thus deserve tobe recognised and compensated as full-time employees. In a landmark case brought forth by gig worker representatives in the UK, the court did recognise platform workers as employees and called for companies to reclassify them as such. Underlying debates around employment classification, compensation, and job security are united by a centralised theme that resonates with labour scholars globally – the (in)formalisation of work.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Reclassifying gig workers as full-time employees would further make them eligible for paid sick leave, maternity leave, and other health benefits, and would possibly make them eligible for minimum wage as well, thus leading to the formalisation and increased regulation of gig work.As scholars of platform work (including crowdwork) outside of industrialised countries have noted, even reclassification or simply recognising these jobs as a part of the formal sector may not necessarily translate to similar benefits or increased salaries in the longer term. Juxtaposed against a landscape of ubiquitous informality, as in the case of India, gig work does offer some features and affordances of formal work, such as financialisation, formal contracts, and the ability to at least appeal unfair practices, albeit to a limited degree. However, formalisation for its own sake in traditional legal and economistic terms may neither be possible nor entirely in response to the unique moment of precarity in the global South, where youth unemployment and skill and job misalignment, among other structural issues, inform the horizon of what kinds of futures are possible and how to attain them.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">However, investigating questions of work, futures, and digital participation are not merely about finding answers to challenges in structural economic development and long- and short-term policy-making. The present, so to speak, is far from being determined by, or lived out in, the service of state or corporate visions; it is not the result of what happens between people as they participate on digital platforms. What happens to urban spaces; notions of kinship, publicity, social relationships, and hierarchies; and quotidian understandings of money, desire, aspirations, respect, morals, and justice is equally rich and important when understanding social transformation and the contribution of digital media to social change. Further, rather than approach economic, social, and cultural encounters as separate, we find it valuable to unpack platform encounters and exchanges, as we describe them in this report, as socio-technical and digital-cultural texts that hold within them the working out of macro and micro phenomena. Why and how rural, urban, migrant, and local workers take up gig work and invest in certain kinds of smartphones, cars, scooters, friendships, relationships, and uniforms cannot be attributed only to economic rationality or macro-sociological factors. But, simultaneously, in addition to these material cues, the conversations between gig workers, the norms they hold, and the norms that are in the process of being worked out as they go through their daily motions and emotions, their changing fashioning of the self, the perplexity resulting from daily work within an environment where they get very little information beforehand – all these are important forms of evidence to understand the human-machine encounter within a global South context and the resultant transformation of the self and society. Class, gender, and caste power in urban India are constantly being asserted, challenged, and reworked, not just through visible, large-scale social movements, but also through habits of consumption, intimate conversation, and encounters with the ‘other’. In the field reports that follow, researchers have tried to mine and attend to these daily intimate platform encounters to produce traces of what is ongoing and still being worked out: the process of platformisation and its social, cultural, and digital effects.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">When we imagined this project, we were responding to some of the gaps as well as the disciplinary orthodoxy of scholarship that dictates platform studies and digital labour scholarship. We deliberately wanted to follow and replicate more generative approaches to the study of capitalisms and platform capitalism in this case. To that effect, we wanted to focus on the life worlds and laboring practices of gig workers, looking beyond the money they make through apps, how they are treated by platform companies, and how they resist their algorithmic management. As we succeeded in some measure through each field report, our aim was to recentre gig platform scholarship around who these workers are as urban dwellers, as gendered, caste, and class-ed bodies navigating Indian city spaces, and how their aspirations, constraints, and understandings of success, money, safety, and respect inform their encounters with the platform company, customers, police personnel, and the app itself.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">We, the team at the Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, as well as co-principal investigator (PI), Noopur Raval, and field researchers, Anushree Gupta, Rajendra Jadhav, Sarah Zia, and Simiran Lalvani, are grateful to the Azim Premji University Research Grants Programme for their generous sponsorship and support for the project. This project contributes to thinking about the Future(s) of Work theme that is an active area of inquiry within the university and beyond. To reiterate, digital labour and platform studies scholarship in India and the global South is still at a nascent stage. Since the time we conceptualised, conducted, and analysed this gig work research, more studies have emerged (including studies by other researchers at CIS), and our report adds to this growing field of inquiry. The insights we present far from foreclose the questions or even the lines of inquiry that we open here. The report is structured as follows: we begin by reflecting on the changes in the gig work landscape after the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in terms of how the pandemic has affected working-class communities, and, by extension, those who work in the platform economy. Subsequently, we present individual field reports by three field researchers, Sarah Zia, Simiran Lalvani, and Anushree Gupta, who reflect on their studies of gig work in Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. The report ends with a short conclusion and some methodological reflections that we gathered during the project.</p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Access the <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/studying-platform-work-in-mumbai-new-delhi.pdf" class="internal-link">full report here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/cis-and-apu-studying-platform-work-in-mumbai-and-new-delhi'>http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/cis-and-apu-studying-platform-work-in-mumbai-and-new-delhi</a>
</p>
No publisherAnushree Gupta, Rajendra Jadhav, Sarah Zia, Simiran Lalvani and Noopur RavalPlatform EconomyGig WorkResearchers at Work2022-05-05T17:13:10ZBlog EntryInternet Researchers' Conference 2022 (IRC22): #Home, May 25-27
http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/irc-22-home
<b>We are excited to announce that the fifth edition of the Internet Researchers' Conference will be held online on May 25-27, 2022.This annual conference series was initiated by the researchers@work (r@w) programme at CIS in 2016 to gather researchers and practitioners engaging with the internet in/from India to congregate, share insights and tensions, and chart the ways forward. This year, the conference brings together a set of reflections and conversations on how we imagine and experience the home —as a space of refuge and comfort, but also as one of violence, care, labour and movement-building.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Venue: Online on Zoom</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Registration: <a class="external-link" href="https://tinyurl.com/reg-irc22">https://tinyurl.com/reg-irc22</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Code of Conduct:<a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/IRC22_CoCFSP" class="external-link"> Download (PDF)</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conference Programme: <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/IRC22.Programme.Final%20" class="external-link">Download (PDF)</a></strong></p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://editors.cis-india.org/home-images/copy_of_IRCPoster2.jpg/@@images/fa92d73e-af12-492b-b55c-f06e7a661415.jpeg" alt="null" class="image-inline" title="IRC Poster 2" /></p>
<p dir="ltr">The ‘home’ has been a key line of defence in efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Public health recommendations and governmental measures have enforced numerous restrictions on daily living, including physical distancing and isolation, home confinement, and quarantining. These mandates to be at home have relied on the construction, and assumption, of home as a familiar, stable and safe space.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">However, home has always been a site of intense political contestation—be it through the temporal frames of belonging, ideas of citizenship and regionalism, role in the reproduction of capital accumulation, or as material signifiers of social status. Over the past 2 years, digital infrastructures have played an intensified role in the meaning making of the home. Coming to terms with the pandemic entailed an accelerated embedding of digital systems in many of our relationships. Be it with the state, educational institutions, workplaces, or each other. Solutions to the many challenges of infrastructure and mobility emerging over the last year have been sought in digital technologies. The digital mediation of the pandemic has ushered in visions of the ‘new normal’ as situated wholly in the digital.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">While the initial anxieties of living through the pandemic may have now eased, and we make forays into a changed world, the spectre of the ‘next normal’ awaits. As we continue to come to terms with, and find ways to reorient the disruption of life, being at home has acquired many new meanings. What has it meant to be at home, and what is home? What is and has been the role of the internet and digital media technologies in navigating the contours of a changing ‘normal’? How have/can digital technologies help overcome, or exacerbate existing social, economic and political challenges during the pandemic? What forms of digital infrastructure—tools, platforms, devices and services—help build, sustain and alter the notion of home?</p>
<p dir="ltr">For IRC22, we invited sessions across a range of formats and themes to explore and challenge conceptions of the home. Different people imagine and experience the home in various ways—as a space of refuge and comfort, but also as one of violence, care, labour and/or movement-building. We invited contributions that speak to these provocations through one or more of the above thematic areas. A set of 12 sessions were finalised for the conference (including 4 individual presentations), based on peer selection by teams and presenters who proposed sessions as well as an external review.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"></h3>
<h3><strong>Sessions</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-waitingforfood">#WaitingForFood</a> - Rhea Bose and Nisha Subramanian</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-thismightnotbeonline">#thismightnotbeonline</a> - Kaushal Sapre and Aasma Tulika</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-identitiesvulnerabilitiesopportunitiesdissentir">#IdentitesVulnerabilitiesOpportunitiesDissent</a> - Saumya Tewari, Manisha Madhava, Dhrupadi Chattopadhyay and Aparna Bose</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-homeandtheinternet">#HomeAndTheInternet</a> - Dona Biswas, Bhanu Priya Gupta and Ekta Kailash Sonwane </p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-letsmovein">#LetsMoveIn</a> - Arathy Salimkumar, Faheem Muhammed, Hazeena T and Manisha Madapathy</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-lockdownsandshutdowns">#LockdownsAndShutdowns</a> - Michael Collyer, Joss Wright, Andreas Tsamados, Marianne Díaz Hernández and Nathan Dobson</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-identifyingtheideaoflabourinteaching">#IdentifyingtheIdeaoflLaborinTeaching</a> - Sunanda Kar and Bishal Sinha</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-homebasedflexiworkincovid19">#HomeBasedFlexiworkInCovid19</a> - Sabina Dewan, Mukta Naik, Ayesha Zainudeen, Gayani Hurulle, Hue-Tam Jamme and Devesh Taneja</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-involutejaggedseamsofthedomesticandthevocational">#Involute:Jagged Seams of the Domestic and the Vocational -</a> Akriti Rastogi, Deepak Prince, Misbah Rashid and Satish Kumar</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-digitisingcrisesremakinghome">#DigitisingCrisesRemakingHome</a> - Vidya Subramanian, Kalindi Kokal and Uttara Purandare</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<h3><strong>Individual Presentations</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-goinghomeconstructionofadigitalurbanplatforminterfaceindelhincr">#GoingHome: Constructions of a Digital-Urban Platform Interface in Delhi-NCR</a> - Anurag Mazumdar</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-socialmediaactivism">#SocialMediaActivism</a> - Anushka Bhilwar</p>
<p><a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc22-proposed-session-transactandwhatfollowed">#TransActandWhatFollowed</a> - Brindaalakshmi K</p>
<h3><strong>About the IRC Series</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Researchers and practitioners across the domains of arts, humanities, and social sciences have attempted to understand life on the internet, or life after the internet, and the way digital technologies mediate various aspects of our being today. These attempts have in turn raised new questions around understanding of digital objects, online lives, and virtual networks, and have contributed to complicating disciplinary assumptions, methods, conceptualisations, and boundaries.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">The researchers@work programme at the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) initiated the Internet Researchers' Conference (IRC) series to address these concerns, and to create an annual temporary space in India, for internet researchers to gather and share experiences.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The IRC series is driven by the following interests:</p>
<ul>
<li>creating discussion spaces for researchers and practitioners studying internet in India and in other comparable regions,</li>
<li>foregrounding the multiplicity, hierarchies, tensions, and urgencies of the digital sites and users in India,</li>
<li>accounting for the various layers, conceptual and material, of experiences and usages of internet and networked digital media in India, and</li>
<li>exploring and practicing new modes of research and documentation necessitated by new (digital) objects of power/knowledge.</li></ul>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e32d113c-7fff-b48f-7af4-0a47077cf4a6"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">The<a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc16"> first edition of the Internet Researchers' Conference</a> series was held in February 2016. It was hosted by the<a href="https://www.jnu.ac.in/SSS/CPS/"> Centre for Political Studies</a> at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and was supported by the CSCS Digital Innovation Fund. The<a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc17"> second Internet Researchers' Conference</a> was organised in partnership with the<a href="http://citapp.iiitb.ac.in/"> Centre for Information Technology and Public Policy</a> (CITAPP) at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) campus on March 03-05, 2017. The<a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc18"> third Internet Researchers' Conference</a> was organised at the<a href="http://www.sambhaavnaa.org/"> Sambhaavnaa Institute</a>, Kandbari (Himachal Pradesh) during February 22-24, 2018, and the theme of the conference was *offline*. The<a class="external-link" href="https://cis-india.org/raw/irc19-list"> fourth Internet Researcher's Conference </a>was held at <a class="external-link" href="https://digital.lamakaan.com/">Lamakaan, Hyderabad</a> from January 30 - February 01, on the theme of the 'list'.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/irc-22-home'>http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/irc-22-home</a>
</p>
No publisherPuthiya Purayil SnehaResearchers at WorkInternet Researcher's ConferenceFeaturedIRC22HomepageInternet Studies2022-05-24T14:38:57ZBlog EntryInformation Design - Visualizing Action (TTC)
http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/making-change/tactical-technology-design-activism-1
<b>This is the second part of the Making Change analysis on information activism. It explores the role of the presentation and design of information to translate information into action.</b>
<pre style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CHANGE-MAKER:</strong> Maya Ganesh
<strong>
PROJECT</strong>:
Visualizing Information for Advocacy
<strong><strong>
METHOD OF CHANGE</strong>:
</strong>Redesign the production, presentation and representation of data to stimulate citizen action.<strong>
STRATEGY OF CHANGE: </strong>
- Demystify the technology, strategy and tactics behind information design
- Train people on how to use them for their projects.
- Empower people and increase political participation at the grassroots</pre>
<h2>Part 2: Information Design</h2>
<p align="justify">Tactical Technology aims to demystify strategies that stimulate citizen participation through the production, presentation and representation of data. Their 2010 program:<a href="https://tacticaltech.org/visualising-information-advocacy"> Visualizing Information for Advocacy</a> focuses on finding "the right combination of information, design, technology and networks" (2010) to communicate issues and stimulate action. As explored in the last post, campaigns must not only inform citizens, but must persuade them into acting. The way information is presented: the symbols, shapes and sequences plays a big part in creating deeper connections between the consumer and information. Using more visual advocacy examples, I will list three elements that underpin this connection: symbols, design and consumption culture.</p>
<h3>I. Symbols</h3>
<p><strong>Marks or characters representing an object, function or abstract process</strong></p>
<p>Lance Bennett’s work on civic engagement (2008), identified two features in information that motivate citizens to act:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">a) Familiar values and activities<br /> b) Action options that facilitate decision-making and the participation process</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">By personalizing data and finding symbols that embody these values and action options, the citizen is more likely to engage with the information. Throughout this post we will look at some examples, outside of Tactical Tech, that are applying these principles.</p>
<pre style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Example 1:<br />Dislike Poverty Campaign- Un Techo para mi Pais (TECHO) Latin America<br /></pre>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">First example is this is the <a href="http://vimeo.com/15656801">campaign</a> by the Chilean NGO<a href="http://www.techo.org/en/"> Un Techo para mi Pais</a>. The organization’s main objectives are to a) to eradicate poverty and b) build a strong body of volunteers that epitomize a new way of understanding citizenship in the region. They are very popular among youth, in part due to their communication strategies and their use of social media. Recently, the ‘No Me Gusta’ (Dislike) campaign was featured in Spanish graphic design activism blog:<a href="http://www.grafous.com/no-me-gusta/"> Grafous</a>, and the non-profit marketing website<a href="http://osocio.org/message/no_me_gusta_i_dislike_this/"> Osocio</a> for its creative use of 'slacktivism' to mirror the young citizen's attitude towards poverty.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="callout"><strong>Slacktivism</strong>: "actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. liking or joining a campaign group on a social networking website"</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/TECHO1.jpg/image_preview" alt="Techo 1" class="image-inline image-inline" title="Techo 1" /></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/TECHO2.jpg/image_preview" alt="Techo 2" class="image-inline image-inline" title="Techo 2" /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c3e8713-307f-8c4d-a5bf-1b5269c5701e">No Me Gusta campaign, Un Techo para mi Pais. Photo courtesy of Grafous: <a class="external-link" href="http://www.grafous.com/no-me-gusta/">http://www.grafous.com/no-me-gusta/</a>.</span></p>
<p align="justify">The images juxtapose pictures of slums and an adaptation of the Facebook Like button - a familiar symbol of affirmation and approval among youth- into a Dislike button: enabling expression of discontent. This is coupled with the phrase: “<em>if you dislike this, you can help by logging onto (...)</em>”, channeling this disapproval into a plan of action. The campaign shows a thorough understanding of its target audience: including the visual culture of social media users, their digital habits and their satisfaction driven behavior (embodied by the like button). It ridicules the user by facing him with two realities: the ineludible situation of poverty versus his redeemable slacktivist idleness. This strategy proved to be effective and attracted the attention of potential volunteers; asserting the middle class, tech-savvy identity of the TECHO volunteer throughout Latin America.</p>
<blockquote style="float: left;">
<p align="center"><strong>Nonviolent methods and <br />Civic Participation</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Capture attention.</li>
<li>Increase visibility of activism.</li>
<li>Reduce the stake of participation <br />for citizens</li>
<li>Attracts 'risk-averse' citizens and<br />creates 'safety in numbers'.</li>
<li>Success of campaign is more likely<br />(if 3.5% of population participates)</li></ul>
</blockquote>
<p align="justify">The use of familiar symbols is one of the <a href="http://www.starhawk.org/activism/trainer-resources/198ways.html">198 strategies</a> listed by Gene Sharp in Part Two of <a href="http://www.aeinstein.org/books/the-politics-of-nonviolent-action-part-2/">The Politics of Nonviolent Action</a> (explored in a<a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/digitally-enhanced-civil-resistance"> past post</a>). In the same spirit, Tactical Technology’s project <a href="https://archive.informationactivism.org/">10 tactics</a> provides “original and artful” wide communication non-violent methods to capture attention and disseminate information. This includes slogans, caricatures, symbols, posters and media presence, which besides from grabbing attention also reduces the stake of participation for citizens. According to Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, these methods increase the visibility of activist efforts, because they create a sense of ‘safety in numbers” and hence draw the “risk-averse” into the movements. Furthermore, their study shows that if a campaign manages to capture the active and sustained participation of only 3.5% of the total population, it is likely to succeed (2008).</p>
<p align="justify">While this statistic shows that enhancing the visibility of social change campaigns is an extremely resource-efficient strategy, on the other hand, it confirms information is in the hands of a privileged minority. The information-poor activist is completely reliant on the values and symbols the middle class chooses to downstream, unless information is designed by grassroots organizations who can localize it -one of the main objectives of Tactical Technology. The flow of ideas and conversations among the middle class, though not inclusive, is already stimulating the spirit of information dissemination. However, representations of data are not enough to trigger cognitive associations between the citizen and the issues. We must also consider the design and aesthetic features of these representations and how they inspire civic engagement.</p>
<h3>II. (Graphic) Design</h3>
<p><strong>Communication, stylizing and problem-solving through the use of type, space and image. </strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p id="docs-internal-guid-3c3e8713-3345-6c35-9147-f1533da6a2fe" style="text-align: justify;" class="callout" dir="ltr"><strong>MG</strong>: Presentation continues to be a problem. We have focused a lot on this, but it continues to be an issue when people have and are using information. You can’t assume people will get it and you need to think about what kind of information you have and what kind of audiences you want to see it, etc.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Liz Mcquiston, author of the 1995 and the 2004 editions of Graphic Agitation explored how art and design brings political and social issues to the fore. She argues that the increasing ubiquity of digital technology since the 90s, plus a popular ‘do-it-yourself’ culture, is creating a new environment of political protest that empowers individuals to take ownership of the creation and consumption of information. This is in line with Richard Wurman’s argument on the rise of the <strong>prosumer: </strong>digital users who are not only consuming but are also producing an unprecedented amount of information, which states that larger volumes of information, coupled with the expressive potential of art and design, makes personalized relationships with data possible, having it cater to our interests, needs and contexts (2001).</p>
<pre style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Example 2:<br />Design for Protest by Hector Serrano (University Cardenal Herrera)<br /></pre>
<div style="text-align: justify;" class="pull quote" dir="ltr">Information design is creating ready-made avenues for civic engagement by breaking data down and providing step by step guides for implementation. For instance, students from the University Cardenal Herrera in Spain collaborated together in the project: “<a href="http://designforprotest.wordpress.com/proyectos/">Design for Protest”</a>, led by <a href="http://www.hectorserrano.com/">Hector Serrano</a>, graphic designer and activist. The concept was to design “effective and functional” tools of demonstration, rooted in the rising number of protests around the world during the economic crisis. The students created communication tools: from foldable banners to protest umbrellas that allow protesters in Spain (and around the world) to convey their messages in creative, quick and affordable ways. This is the perfect conflation between consuming information proposals and producing new information from the grassroots to intervene in the public space.</div>
<p align="center" style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr"><br /><img src="http://designforprotest.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/10.jpg?w=920" alt="" height="450" width="665" align="middle" /></p>
<p align="center">Paraguas (Umbrella). Photo courtesy and How-to: <a href="http://designforprotest.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/paraguas/">Design For Protest: Paraguas<br /></a></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://designforprotest.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/4_01.jpg?w=920" alt="" height="450" width="665" align="middle" /><br /> Light Banner. Photo courtesy and How-to: <a href="http://designforprotest.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/light-banner/">Design For Protest: Light Banner</a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://designforprotest.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/paraguas/"><br /></a></p>
<div align="center"><img src="http://designforprotest.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/2_05.jpg?w=920" alt="" height="558" width="397" align="middle" /></div>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr">Pocket Protest. Photo courtesy and How-to: <a href="http://designforprotest.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/protesta-de-bolsillo/">Design for Protest: Protesta de Bolsillo</a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">The field of information design is creating ready-made avenues for civic engagement. It is breaking down data and providing step-by-step guides for implementation. Although the Design for Protest project is not creating a permanent source of information, it is providing feasible alternatives to display information both in short-lived protests as much as in long-term campaigns, facilitating action-taking and abiding to the second feature of Bennett's hypothesis: providing action options to aid decision-making. Ganesh commented how these tool kits are also a mean Tactical Tech uses to secure sustainability and continuity:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="callout"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b925b2a-3424-bea4-cc67-94b3cb5dc47a"><strong>MG:</strong> We have many available resources: from tools and guides (mobile in a box, security in a box, etc.), to the website. It is very focused on the digital tools that support what you want to do with your campaigning. You have a plethora of websites telling you what tools to use but not how to use it or how to think about how you want to use them for campaigning. As a result you have campaigns that are not well thought or that don’t use the appropriate type of technology, or driven by the technology first than what they want to do. This is one of the ways in which it continues.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<h3></h3>
<h3>III. (Culture) Design</h3>
<p><strong>Localizing information design</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The <strong>‘prosumer’ model </strong>aligns with an active model of citizenship we describe in a <a href="http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/making-change/blank-noise-active-citizen-dissonance">previous post.</a> It fits citizens who are active and willing to find resources, and create and disseminate information that resonates within their context. Yochai Benkler’s work on information production (2006) Also touches on how cultural production enhances democratic practices in network societies. He argues that creating cultural meaning of the world has two important effects:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">a) Sustains values of individual freedom of expression.<br />b) Provides opportunities of participation and cultural reassertion.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Ganesh’s account of the experience of Tactical Technology in the Middle East also highlights how cultural remix is a form political and creative empowerment:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="callout" dir="ltr"><strong>MG:</strong> It is interesting how the Arab version has evolved. We had support to extend Ten Tactics in the Arabic region, but we didn’t want to do translations and tell people what to do. We wanted to see how people are thinking about information activism in their region, what kind of products would be useful to them. We’ve already printed 2000 copies and we are left only with 140. It is really popular because people really want to do this. We’ve met with 5-7 groups in the Arab region we’ve known for a long time. We said: here’s money (originally meant for translations) take our resources, anything you’ve found that we’ve published and: customize it, remix it, break it up and put it back together again; turn it into a resource that you can feel you can use with your communities. Partnering up, you must keep in mind their mandates and their communities.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Localizing design and aesthetics is essential to keep the connections between data-citizen relevant. This is explored from the perspective of post-colonial computing by Irani et. al; a project that aims to understand how ‘good design’ must be consistent with cultural identities and the transformative nature of cultural formation between the context and the individual (2010).</p>
<pre style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr"><strong>Example 3:</strong><br />Proudly African and Transgender by Gabrielle Le Roux (In collaboration with Amnesty International and IGLHRC)</pre>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">An interesting example of this is the work done by Gabrielle Le Roux, in collaboration with African trans and intersex activists (<a href="http://www.iglhrc.org">IGLHRC</a>). A showcase of portraits and uncovered narratives of transgendered Africans in East and Southern Africa: that reasserts interesex and transgender identity in a society were these issues remain taboo and hence under the radar.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr"><img style="float: left;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/f1HV0NnuLqLOP-N36QGFbr-eXSILqtz0vFXA6OrSTqPuqiniOe89xiyxhJqnlD2wRLgcOtPQYZf3po7biJGQZ9gCAwROMbywL9xyjO6OkyzcK3jNzIqWwT8J4Q" alt="" height="427px;" width="303px;" /> <img style="float: right;" dir="ltr" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vCK1YHfG-_rOjr8VS8dRv4GVGE7AmrsalUMhIgMNP4Io6Th8IVHg4h5syGa0-NRrEMKhRjtpFPB877ssMJwtncjtM_w8YTt-gCiDpEgh64kbZlAuunQ-hvwrvw" alt="" height="431" width="303" /></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr"> </p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">These visuals were exhibited in Europe by Amnesty International, and showcased in the <a href="http://www.blacklooks.org">Black Looks </a>community (who participated in Tactical Tech’s 2009 <a href="http://camp2013.tacticaltech.org">InfoCamp</a>) as well as in the WITS Centre for Diversity Studies research on <a href="http://incudisa.wordpress.com/">Politics of Engagement:</a> an interactive collaboration on social change through art-activism and research.</p>
<pre><strong>Example 4:</strong>
Camp Acra et Adoquin Delmas 33 - Haiti</pre>
<p align="justify">An example less inclined on aesthetics but focused on visual documentation is the <a href="http://chanjemleson.wordpress.com/">Camp Acra et Adoquin Delmas 33</a> blog, from Haiti. A site in which Camp Acra members are documenting their settlement and growth after the 2010 earthquake through essential information and images, fostering community building and communal identity reassertion.</p>
<p align="center"><img id="docs-internal-guid-4b925b2a-33b7-4c5f-4371-534d21958e0f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JaZwKtfIODw6LQuJOdRlEofLtr9tEZox9mw9WMTDJJxLnlJaX6RCmxjGbNggtgF2pD0B706J1kShumAImBWJ7X0Po44ktKjs5SmMh402BmjjNB4whfLowh1ixw" alt="" height="377px;" width="486px;" /></p>
<div align="right" class="pullquote">“visual representations of information gives context to numbers, uncovers relationships and engages the viewers in ways that raw information could never do”<br /> David McCandless</div>
<p align="justify">As <a href="http://www.davidmccandless.com/">David McCandless</a>,data journalist, information designer and author of <a href="http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/the-visual-miscellaneum/">The Visual Miscellaneum</a> points out: “visual representations of information gives context to numbers, uncovers relationships and engages the viewers in ways that raw information could never do” (2009). Having these representations mingle with culturally specific undertones provides opportunities to create solidarity ties between the citizen and its culture, as well as the add of “individual glosses” through action, critical reflection and participation (Benkler, 2006). However is this need for an aesthetic approach to information and culture representation a result of our consumer behaviour? Is it problematic that activism is catering to a model of promotion and presentation of information to incite participation? The next section will look shortly at the consumption culture in information activism.</p>
<h3 align="justify">IV. Consumption (Culture)</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Is information design catering to consumption habits instead of citizen needs?</strong><br />As seen, information design is grounded on the premise that the representation of data must create deep connections with its audience in order to incite a reaction. However, is this the result of a culture of consumption? Let’s not forget the citizens targeted by visual campaigns are also consumers in constant interaction with the market. Kozinet’s study of virtual communities of consumption (1999), is in line with Wurman's description of the behavior of a prosumer:</p>
<h3 align="center" style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"><strong>Behaviour of consumer vs. information prosumer</strong></h3>
<table class="plain" align="center">
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Kozinet - Virtual communities of consumption</strong></th>
<th align="center"><strong>Wurman - The prosumer</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Discerning consumer</td>
<td>Displays curiosity in information</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Less accessible for one-to-one processes</td>
<td>Suspicion over information gate-keepers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Producers of large amounts of cultural information</td>
<td>“New-found hunger” to find information related to its interests</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Moreover, the Kozinet suggests a few strategies of how to interact with the consumer that also fit the strategies presented by Bennett at the beginning of this analysis:</p>
<h3 align="center">How to connect with the consumer vs. citizen</h3>
<table class="plain">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Kozinet - Virtual communities of consumption</th>
<th align="center">Bennett - Features of information for civic engagement</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Segmentation of consumers<br id="docs-internal-guid-4b925b2a-3456-5d05-0f33-04a2bd0b87b2" /></td>
<td>Tailor information to values and activities familiar to the citizen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>More interaction with consumer</td>
<td>Suggest action options to facilitate decision-making and participation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Create loyal networks of consumption</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>With this parallel in mind, we asked Ganesh the extent to which info-activism resembles market consumption models:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="callout" dir="ltr"><strong>MG:</strong> You need to think strategically about how it’s going to get picked up, where you want to promote your information, how you want to publish, present it; and push it. The problem with NGO, activists and independent individuals is that they are not as empowered financially [...]. If you look at the corporate section, journalism, etc; you have huge institutions and a lot of more finances behind this stuff. NGOs have one shot to make it work. That’s when people like us come in, to demystify, give people training and create platforms.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Comparing activists with ‘virtual consumption communities’ questions the extent to which corporate and social impact models are feeding of each other to present information and succeed. A deeper analysis of this relationship falls out of the scope of this post, but it is worth mentioning when exploring activism in information network societies. As Ganesh clarified, info-activism is not related to marketing, but visualizing information in attractive and interesting ways is crucial not only to persuade, but to make activism accessible and enticing. Today, ten years after it was founded, Tactical Tech maintains a critical approach to their work. It is now moving on to a next stage, beyond the mere representation of data and paying closer attention to the type of information that enhances impact and influence of their tactics.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;" class="callout" dir="ltr"><strong>MG</strong>: We have definitely moved on thinking about interesting ways of looking at this. Our questions are more critical and political right now. The nature of platforms, the nature of information sharing, what is the true face of social media? There is so much information and data right now. Once information is out there how do you actually make it evidence for evidence-based advocacy. We are trying to play with that idea a little bit. It's not only about having impact but also influence.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Conclusion:</h2>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Part 1 and 2 of this analysis have explored the process of transforming data into civic action. In part 1 we re-visited the question of information communities. We found that diversity in political opinion democratizes the debate in the public space. Information strategies must focus on making information from the grassroots visible and strengthening offline networks that facilitate information dissemination. In part 2, we explored the strategies behind the presentation and representation of this information.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">Three main findings came from this analysis:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;" dir="ltr">a) Non-violent visual advocacy is more likely to reduce the stakes of participation for the common citizen making political engagement more likely.<br /> b) The role of design for short or long-term advocacy is to simplifythe process of civic action, facilitate decision-making and makethese projects self-sustainable. <br />c) Our consumption habits in the market are shaping how we process and interact with information in the public space. The possibility of consumer behavior permeating modalities of activism reinforces the need to explore the most interesting strategies for information dissemination.</p>
<p align="justify">From the perspective of the <strong>Making Change</strong> project’ it is interesting to explore this method to social change as a breach from the ‘spectacle’ criticism outlined by Shah. He argues that in contemporary activism, only a limited production of images enter the network - images in many cases detached from the material realities and experiences that shape the change process in the first place. This tendency results in paraphernalia over the visual, disregarding the crises that led to the inception of protests. The findings from this analysis indicate that visual persuasion is essential to capture the attention of citizens, and hence, the need for a pinch of ‘spectacle’ in data presentation cannot be overlooked. The challenge info-activism now faces is making data’s dissemination self-sustainable in offline communities through the strategy and design of its campaigns.</p>
<p align="justify">Furthermore, the data, stories and narratives Tactical Tech is working to uncover can only be effectively transformed into action through a reconfiguration of the data-citizen relationship. Information strategies, besides from focusing on how to make data enticing, must also focus on the recognition of a status quo of idleness around how we consume, produce, question or interact with information. Tactical Tech has gone a far way at spearheading this line of thought and spreading graphic resistance through civil society, however this is not sufficient unless this recalibration occurs at the individual citizen level.</p>
<h2 align="justify">Sources:</h2>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Bennett, W. Lance. "Changing citizenship in the digital age." Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth 1 (2008): 1-24.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">
<div id="gs_cit2" class="gs_citr">Benkler, Yochai. <em>The wealth of networks: How social production transforms markets and freedom</em>. Yale University Press, 2006.</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">
<div id="gs_cit2" class="gs_citr">Bimber, Bruce, Andrew J. Flanagin, and Cynthia Stohl. "Reconceptualizing collective action in the contemporary media environment." Communication Theory 15, no. 4 (2005): 365-388.</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Brundidge, J.S. & Rice, R.E. (2009). Political engagement online: Do the information rich get richer and the like-minded more similar? In Chadwick, A. and Howard, N.H. (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics (pp. 144-156). New York: Routledge </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Kozinets, Robert V. "E-tribalized marketing?: The strategic implications of virtual communities of consumption." European Management Journal 17, no. 3 (1999): 252-264. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">McCandless, David. The Visual Miscellaneum: A Colorful Guide to the World's Most Consequential Trivia. Collins Design, 2009.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Shah, Nishant “Whose Change is it Anyways? Hivos Knowledge Program. April 30, 2013.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Wurman, Richard Saul, Loring Leifer, David Sume, and Karen Whitehouse. Information anxiety 2. Vol. 6000. Indianapolis, IN: Que, 2001.</li></ol>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/making-change/tactical-technology-design-activism-1'>http://editors.cis-india.org/digital-natives/making-change/tactical-technology-design-activism-1</a>
</p>
No publisherdenisseResearchers at WorkWeb PoliticsMaking ChangeDigital Natives2015-04-17T10:34:22ZBlog EntryWe, the Cyborgs: Challenges for the Future of being Human
http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/digital-humanities/blogs/we-cyborgs/challenges-for-future-of-human
<b>The Cyborg - a cybernetique organism which is a combination of the biological and the technological – has been at the centre of discourse around digital technologies. Especially with wearable computing and ubiquitous access to the digital world, there has been an increased concern that very ways in which we understand questions of life, human body and the presence and role of technologies in our worlds, are changing. In just the last few years, we have seen extraordinary measures – the successful production of synthetic bacteria, artificial intelligence that can be programmed to simulate human conditions like empathy and temperament, and massive mobilisation of people around the world, to fight against the injustices and inequities of their immediate environments. </b>
<p><strong>Rationale</strong></p>
<p>All of these, in some way or the other, hint at new models of
cyborgification which we need to unpack in order to understand a few
questions which have been at the helm of all philosophical inquiry and
practical design around Internet and Society:</p>
<ul><li>How do we understand ourselves as human? What are the technologies that define being human?</li><li>How
do conceptualise the technological beyond prosthetic imaginations? How
do we understand technology (especially the digital) as a condition?</li><li>What are the new challenges we shall face in law, ethics, life and social sciences as we increasingly live in Cyborg societies?<br /></li></ul>
<em>We , the Cyborgs</em>, is a first of its kind research inquiry that
locates these questions in a quickly digitising India to see the
challenges of being human in the time of technological futures. In her
seminal body of work on Cyborgs, Donna Haraway had posited the cyborg as
a creature of fiction and ironies; a monster, a trickster, a boundary
creature that is irreducible to the existing binaries of
human-technology, technology-nature, nature-regulation.
In imagining the cyborg as simultaneously fictitious and embodied in
practices of care and labour, Haraway was further hinting at a set of
questions that have never really entered discourse on cyborgs: Who are
we when we become cyborgs? What do we do with the cyborgs we have
produced? What are the other kinds of cyborgs? What are the new places
them? What are the other ways of understanding cyborgs? Asha Achuthan in
her monograph Re:Wiring Bodies, maps these questions along the axes of
Presence, Access, Inclusion and Resistance to understand ‘attitudes to
technology’.
Achuthan talks about a moment of elision where technology is separated
from the human body in the space of policy and critique. In those
moments of separation, there is the production of a cyborg body that is
suddenly vulnerable because it does not have the support of the
technological which was an essential part of its bodily experience. How
does this body get assimilated in our technology practices? What are the
axes of discrimination and inequity that are attributed to these bodies
in the process of cyborg making? Who are the actors that play a part in
designing these cyborg bodies and selves? In the Indian context, where
there has been a legacy of being technosocial subjects and cyborg
citizens in the nation’s own technoscience imagination of itself, we
need to locate the cyborg in new sites and contexts to see what the
regulation of technology and its integration in everyday life.
<strong><br /><br />Methodology</strong>
<p>Building upon her work, We, The Cyborgs, seeks to locate the cyborg
in India, on 3 interdisciplinary but connected sites to examine how
bodies, in their interaction with the design and practice of different
processes of regulation and control, are in the process of becoming
cyborgs. The inquiry locates the cyborg at intersections of Health Care,
Planning and Gender, to start unpacking the different futures of the
body-technology relationships that have been posited in terms like
post-human, techno-social, simulated bodies, bodies as traffic, etc. In
the process, it hopes to unravel the questions of methods, frameworks,
ethics and practices of bodies in conditions of technology.
<em>We, The Cyborgs</em>, aims to bring together a wide range of
researchers and practitioners from different disciplinary locations
including but not limited to – Art, Anthropology, Law, Planning,
Architecture and Design, Gender and Sexuality studies, Cultural Studies,
Life Sciences, Medicine, New Media Studies, etc. – to start a debate
around some of the key issues around cyborgs and cyborg-making in their
fields.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/digital-humanities/blogs/we-cyborgs/challenges-for-future-of-human'>http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/digital-humanities/blogs/we-cyborgs/challenges-for-future-of-human</a>
</p>
No publisherashaCyborgsNet CulturesResearchers at WorkResearch2015-10-24T13:42:16ZBlog EntryAn Artist's Hunt for Lost Stepwells
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/hunt-for-lost-stepwells
<b>As part of the Maps for Making Change project, Kakoli Sen has brought to light some facts which she stumbled upon while mapping the stepwells in Vadodara. She mapped these and also discovered 14 such architectural heritage structures. The news was covered in the Times of India.</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/hunt-for-lost-stepwells'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/hunt-for-lost-stepwells</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaPracticeResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:05:26ZNews ItemMapping the Things that Affect Us
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/mapping-the-things
<b>'Map for making change' is a project using geographical mapping techniques to support struggles for social justice in India</b>
<p>As we go around living our lives, living in a city that is transforming, it is interesting to know that there are people interested in mapping the changing face of, not just the city, but the changing country.</p>
<p>The invite read ‘Map for making change’, elaborating that the project explored the potential of geographical mapping techniques to support struggles for social justice in India. Stepping inside the CIS workspace in Domlur, the large screens and tiny laptops projected maps of India, with dots that intrigue and piqued the onlooker. Maps that reflected pavement dwellers in Mumbai and problems of their eviction and rehabilitation, of mining areas from Goa to Madhya Pradesh, to the ‘hunted’ Chattisgarh, to maps that pointed heritage sites in Cochin and Ahmedabad you could explore using the GPRS on your mobile or demolished building in Kolkatta.</p>
<p>The idea was mapping the changing face of the country. The 25 participants were a mix of activists, researchers, artists and techies. The brain behind the project, researcher Anja Kovacs, explains the idea behind the project: “The idea took seed two years ago in 2007, when, as a trained sociologist I realised that anthropologists around the world were studying cyber-anthropology and I didn’t even know about social media sites like Facebook or Orkut.”</p>
<p>Hit by an idea, she says, “I realised that as activists, we tend to make a mistake by ignoring the technological changes happening around us, since technology, no doubt is transforming our lives.” More importantly, she made a connect: “I realised that we as activists could use it to our favour.”</p>
<p>Her first thoughts were maps. She explains her choice: “Maps were used in colonial times and maps affect the lives of those who do not use them the most.” She pointed out how “even to this day maps are used for governance and by policy makers. In that sense they can be really important”.</p>
<p>The map is a powerful medium to convey information in an innocent manner, she says. “When the land in a map is hid behind dots, one knows there is a problem,” she says matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>Currently a fellow with Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), she co-coordinated and organised the project and says the last five months the selected participants have had several workshops, one of them she mentions was of them learning the “whole mapping exercise”.</p>
<p>A work-in-progress is what all these projects are, and Kovacs says, after an intense five months, they are also looking at answering the “what next”, for now, however, she is happy, “to have begun tracing the transformation”.</p>
<p>Read the original article in <a class="external-link" href="http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_mapping-the-things-that-affect-bangalore_1377923">DNA</a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/mapping-the-things'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/mapping-the-things</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaPracticeResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:05:45ZNews ItemTheir India has No Borders
http://editors.cis-india.org/news/their-india-has-no-borders
<b>Bangalore felt far for them, they would mark it outside the country. India, for migrant labourers, is different from the India we know</b>
<p>To 30-year-old Shankar, a
migrant worker in Bangalore who came from Jharkhand, Mumbai is near
West Bengal and Bangalore is in the North-East. If someone were to
travel to Mumbai by Shankar’s map of India, he would land up in Kolkata.</p>
<p>Shankar’s map was part of an
installation art show that concluded in the city on Wednesday, showing
the maps of India as seen by migrant workers in Bangalore. The
installation was a 14ft-by-18ft space enclosed with asbestos sheets.
Wires crisscrossed the tiny room, and from the wires hung maps of
India, drawn according to the perceptions of the migrant workers.</p>
<p>Shankar
is only one among thousands of migrant workers in Bangalore who have a
very different perception of where the cities where they work are
located. Their India is a world away from the maps of India that
educated Indians know of. It has none of the directions, orientation or location of places as we know it.</p>
<p><strong>Start Thinking</strong></p>
<p>“We want Bangaloreans to stop
and think about migrant workers, who live amongst us,” says Ekta. Along
with Yashaswini and Paromita, she spoke to 70 migrant workers on Old
Madras Road before tracking their journeys on the maps. While Ekta has
founded Maraa, a collective that looks at art and culture in the public
domain, Yashaswini and Paromita are independent film makers.</p>
<p> “Our
perception of location is meaningless to migrant workers,” says Ekta.
For them, locations, distances and directions are all very different
from the true picture. Their ideas of places are all drawn from their
lives, as they travel from city to city to earn their livelihoods, she
adds.</p>
<p>For instance, if Assam was westwards from his home, a
migrant worker would mark it in West India. And if Bangalore felt far
for him, he would mark it outside the country. Borders hardly came in
the way and distances are measured by the time spent in a journey,
including train delays and stopovers at transit points, they say.</p>
<p>When
the workers say long distances or far way, they mean places such as
Jharkhand, Bihar, Nepal, Punjab, Andhra, and North Karnataka.</p>
<strong>India in a Room</strong>
<p> </p>
<p>While
they work here, their families are in villages back home, even as far
away as Nepal. Many workers live in asbestos shanties that are as small
as 10ft by 10ft. They live huddled within the small space, creating a
mini India right here in Bangalore, says Ekta. Spluttering rai (mustard
seeds) mingle with the smell of Andhra chutneys in a room adorned with
photos of Amritsar’s Golden Temple in the same tiny space.</p>
<p>As
the group spoke to the workers, the latter also shared their stories of
the weather, people, smells, cultures, personal, nostalgic and
fantastical, of places — by their memories of what they saw, felt and
remembered. They go beyond the geo-political maps of India and present
a new, spatial experience of places.</p>
<p>The project is part of a
workshop called Maps for Making Change, which was started by Centre for
Internet and Society, to examine ways of using maps to help social
causes.</p>
<p>Read the original in <a class="external-link" href="http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=10&contentid=201004292010042904535369081298296">Bangalore Mirror</a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/news/their-india-has-no-borders'>http://editors.cis-india.org/news/their-india-has-no-borders</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaPracticeResearchers at WorkMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:08:36ZNews ItemMaps for Making Change - The First Workshop
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/maps-for-making-change-the-first-workshop
<b>In this first workshop in a series of three, participants will think through the potential of mapping in the context of a project that they have suggested in their application and the preparations they need to make to make these ideas a reality. </b>
<p>On 3 December, 'Maps for Making Change:
Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social
Justice in India' will officially kick off at the India Islamic
Cultural Centre on Delhi's Lodhi Road. In this first workshop in a
series of three, participants will think through the potential of
mapping in the context of a project that they have suggested in their
application and the preparations they need to make to make these
ideas a reality.</p>
<p>A joint initiative by the Centre for Internet and Society
in Bangalore and the Tactical Tech Collective in Bangalore and the
UK, Maps for Making Change is a two month project that seeks to
explore the potential of digital mapping for social change
specifically in the Indian context. For the first time, activists
and supporters of movements and campaigns working for progressive
social change in the country will get the opportunity to collectively
debate and explore in detail the potential of digital mapping as a
tool to support their work. </p>
<p align="left"><strong>The aims of
this first workshop are to: </strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p align="left">introduce
tools and techniques for mapping</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">assist
participants to identify the information they need to collect for
their mapping project</p>
</li></ul>
<p align="left"><strong>By the end
of the workshop, the participants will be able to:</strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p align="left">understand
the socio-political context of mapping and how maps can be used to
maximise advocacy efforts</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">identify
different types of maps (static, interactive, collaborative, etc)</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">identify
some of the tools used for creating, uploading and editing maps (not
covering the technical aspects nor the step-by-step process for
making maps, but focusing on the general web-based mapping
techniques)</p>
</li><li>
<p align="left">understand
data collection for mapping</p>
</li></ul>
<p align="left"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p align="left"><strong>The preliminary workshop schedule is as follows:</strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">Welcome
and introductions</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">Why
mapping?</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left"><strong>15 min
break</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">Mapping
and Advocacy Discussion</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">How
do you 'map'? Basic tools and techniques</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">What
can you 'map'?</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left"><strong>Lunch
break</strong><strong> </strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">Project
scoping of participants' projects</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="left">Summary</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/maps-for-making-change-the-first-workshop'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/maps-for-making-change-the-first-workshop</a>
</p>
No publisherAnja KovacsRAW EventsPracticeWorkshopResearchers at WorkEventMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:09:14ZEventPublic Event: Exploring Maps for Making Change
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/public-event-exploring-maps-for-making-change
<b>The Centre for Internet and Society, in collaboration with Tactical Tech, would like to invite you to 'A Conversation on Maps for Making Change - Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India', at the Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore.</b>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong>When
a migrant labourer draws a map of India, what does it look like? Can
maps prove a correlation between corporate investment and Operation
Green Hunt in Chhattisgarh? </strong></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY">For
the past five months, twenty five activists, researchers, artists and
techies have explored together, as part of the Maps for Making Change
project, the potential of geographical mapping techniques to support
struggles for social justice in India. As Maps for Making Change
comes to an end, they would like to share with you their journey,
their thoughts and their work, and to enter into a conversation with
a much wider group of people about the potential and challenges of
mapping for social justice now that new
technologies can in theory be mobilised to fight for social justice
by anyone with an interest in maps, but in practice remain confined
to the hands of a privileged few.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong>Join
us:</strong></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><em><strong>from
4 pm onwards</strong></em>, for an exhibition that allows you to explore
the work of Maps for Making Change participants through
installations, websites, conversations, information, video, ... and
maps.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><em><strong>from
5 pm to 5.30 pm</strong></em>, for refreshments.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><em><strong>from
5.30 pm onwards</strong></em>, for a panel discusion which our panelists
will kick off by sharing some of their own reflections and comments
on mapping for social justice, to open up the conversation to a much
broader discussion with all those present in the audience.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY">Panelists:</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY">Reuben
Jacob, Inclusive Planet</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"> Shakun
Mohini, Vimochana</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"> Shubhranshu
Choudhary, Knight International Journalism Fellow and Community
Media Activist</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"> </p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><em>For
more information, please contact Anja Kovacs, Centre for Internet and
Society: 98 11 74 72 12, <a href="mailto:anja@cis-india.orgO">anja@cis-india.org</a>.
Or check out the Maps for Making Change wiki:
maps4change.cis-india.org.</em></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong>Looking
forward to seeing you at CIS on 28 April!</strong></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/public-event-exploring-maps-for-making-change'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/public-event-exploring-maps-for-making-change</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaRAW EventsPracticeResearchers at WorkEventMaps for Making Change2015-10-24T14:19:32ZEventSecond Maps for Making Change Workshop: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/second-maps-for-making-change-workshop-using-geographical-mapping-techniques-to-support-struggles-for-social-justice-in-india
<b>The second workshop of the Maps for Making Change project will take place at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, from 1 until 3 February 2010. The workshop will allow a select group of activists and supporters of social movements and campaigns in India to start developing digital maps that they can use in their advocacy work, under the expert guidance of international digital mapping rights activists, Indian mapping experts, design professionals and techies with an interest in activism. The workshop is organised by the Centre for Internet and Society and Tactical Tech, in cooperation with MediaShala at NID. </b>
<p>
<strong>The
aims of the workshop are to: </strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<ul><li>
<p align="LEFT">explore
in depth tools and techniques for mapping</p>
</li><li>
<p align="LEFT">assist
participants in starting to develop their own maps in the context of
the projects that they have suggested</p>
</li><li>
<p align="LEFT">help
participants identify important design concerns and elements of
their project that require attention at an early stage if they are
to communicate effectively</p>
</li></ul>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>By
the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to:</strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p align="LEFT">identify
which mapping tools best suit their project</p>
</li><li>
<p align="LEFT">identify
additional data required to complete their mapping project</p>
</li><li>
<p align="LEFT">make
informed choices about issues relating to privacy, licensing, etc</p>
</li><li>independently continue to develop their own maps using the tools they have explored during the workshop<br /></li><li>
<p align="LEFT">
apply
core concerns of information design to their mapping project to
maximise its effectiveness and impact</p>
</li></ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The provisional programme of the workshop is as follows:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Monday 1
February </strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">8.00–10.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Breakfast
and registration at NID</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">10.00–10.45</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Welcome
and introductions (icebreaker) - Anja Kovacs & Kate Morioka</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">10.45–11.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Opening
plenary - Lars Bromley:</p>
<p align="LEFT">“Mapping
the truth: how geo-technologies are uncovering human rights
violations and injustice”</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">11.30
– 1.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Morning
Session - MediaShala team:</p>
<p align="LEFT">“Information
Design: the art of making campaigning messages visually
compelling”</p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">1.00
– 2.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Lunch</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">2.15
– 3.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Project
Time - All:</p>
<p align="LEFT">revising
project scope based on morning sessions (audience, purpose,
objectives)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">3.15
– 4.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Afternoon
'Lab' Sessions (choose ONE)</p>
<p align="LEFT">Elective
1. Using Google Maps for Social Activism - Henry Addo</p>
<p align="LEFT">Elective
2. Mapping with Open Layers- Alagesa Pandian</p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">4.30
– 5.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Break</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">5.00
– 6.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Elective
1. Advanced GIS- Lars Bromley</p>
<p align="LEFT"> Elective
2. GPS Basics - Hardeep Singh Rai, with Arky and Sajjad</p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">6.15-6.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Evening
Circle - Anja Kovacs</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">6.30
– 7.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Free
Time / Knowledge Sharing @ Speakers' Green</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">7.30
– 9.00</p>
<p align="LEFT">(open
invite)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Film screening: “10 Tactics: Turning Information into
Action” - Kate Morioka.</p>
<p align="LEFT">This film produced by Tactical Tech explores how rights advocates around the world have used information and digital technologies to create change. </p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.00
– 10.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Dinner </p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Tuesday 2
February</strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">7.30
– 9.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Breakfast
(Hotel)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.00-9.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Morning
Circle - Anja Kovacs</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.30
– 11.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Guest
Speakers</p>
<p align="LEFT">“The
experiences of Ushahidi” - Henry Addo</p>
<p align="LEFT">“An
Introduction to Open Street Maps for Activism” - Mikel Maron (online)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">11.30
– 1.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Participatory
mapping process and techniques - Kate Morioka</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">1.00
– 2.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Lunch</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">2.15
– 4.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Project
Time - All:</p>
<p align="LEFT">identifying methodology and technical implementation of
participants' mapping projects</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">4.00
– 5.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Break/
Knowledge Sharing @ Speakers' Green</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">5.00-6.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Elective
1. Google Earth for Advocacy - Henry Addo</p>
<p align="LEFT">Elective
2. An Introduction to Open Street Maps - Hardeep Singh Rai</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">6.15-6.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Evening
Circle - Anja Kovacs</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">6.30
– 7.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Free
time</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">7.30
– 9.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Exploring
the Ahmedabad Markets</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.00
– 10.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Dinner
at Vishala</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Wednesday 3
February</strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">7.30
– 9.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT">Breakfast
(Hotel)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.00-9.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Morning
Circle - Anja Kovacs</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">9.30
– 11.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Panel
Discussion</p>
<p align="LEFT">“To
Map or Not to Map: Issues of privacy, licensing and other
rights-related concerns”</p>
<p align="LEFT">Followed
by a group discussion</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">11.15
– 11.45</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Break</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">11.45
– 1.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Introduction
to GIS and remote sensing for human rights advocacy - Lars Bromley</p>
</td>
<td>
<br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">1.00
– 2.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Lunch</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">2.15
– 3.45</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Project
Time - All</p>
<p align="LEFT">time to work on individual projects and obtain feedback from
fellow participants and facilitators</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">3.45-4.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Break</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">4.15
– 4.45</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Closing
Plenary - Pratyush Shankar</p>
<p align="LEFT">“Reflection”</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">4.45
– 5.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Evaluation - Madhuresh Kumar</p>
<p align="LEFT">Briefing
on the next workshop - Anja Kovacs</p>
<p align="LEFT">Close - Anja Kovacs and Kate Morioka</p>
</td>
<td>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT">Assistant
Facilitators: Arky Ambati and Sajjad Anwar</p>
<p align="LEFT">Technical
Assistance: Kiran (Jace) Jonnalagadda</p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"><strong>VIDEO</strong></p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<p align="LEFT"> </p>
<iframe src="http://blip.tv/play/AYLW3hkA.html" frameborder="0" height="250" width="250"></iframe><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYLW3hkA" style="display:none"></embed>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/second-maps-for-making-change-workshop-using-geographical-mapping-techniques-to-support-struggles-for-social-justice-in-india'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/second-maps-for-making-change-workshop-using-geographical-mapping-techniques-to-support-struggles-for-social-justice-in-india</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaRAW EventsPracticeWorkshopResearchers at WorkEventMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:09:51ZEventThird Maps for Making Change Workshop: Using Geographical Mapping Techniques to Support Struggles for Social Justice in India
http://editors.cis-india.org/events/third-maps-for-making-change-workshop
<b>The third and final workshop in the Maps for Making Change project will take place at Visthar, in Bangalore, from 26 until 28 April. During this workshop, participants will fine-tune and polish their maps; explore ways to connect with broader movements and disseminate their maps among target audiences; and reflect on their own experiences so as to distill learnings that can help us decide where to go from here. While participation in the workshop is closed, the workshop will end with a public event at the CIS office on 28 April, from 4 pm onwards, open to everybody (more information to follow soon). If you, too, share our interest in mapping for social change, then do join us there.</b>
<p><strong>The
aims of the workshop are to: </strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p>give
participants an opportunity to fine-tune and polish their maps, with
the assistance of others where needed, so that they can be shared
with a wider audience;</p>
</li><li>
<p>explore
campaigning tools and strategies for disseminating the maps produced
among target audiences, including other movements and activists;</p>
</li><li>
<p>distill
the learnings participants have made from this project, both
individually and as a group, and prepare a plan to build upon these
in the future.</p>
</li></ul>
<p><strong>By
the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:</strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p>make
informed decisions about every step of the design and implementation
process of a mapping project.</p>
</li></ul>
<p><strong>Also,
participants and organisers will be able to:</strong></p>
<ul><li>
<p>identify
the political and ethical challenges of mapping, in particular as
they apply for social justice in India;</p>
</li><li>
<p>understand
better the particularities of online activism and ways in which it
can connect better with activism on the ground in the country;</p>
</li><li>
<p>apply
their knowledge of mapping to other campaigns and movements in India
and function as a point of contact for other activists for a network
of activists using maps for making change.</p>
</li></ul>
<p><strong>The preliminary schedule of the workshop is as follows:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Monday 26 April</strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>9.00-10.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Registration at
Visthar</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>10.00-11.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Welcome and
introductions (icebreaker)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>11.00-1.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>90 Seconds: Where are
we with our projects (and what do we need to achieve during this
workshop)?</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>1.00-2.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Lunch </em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>2.00-3.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Building partnerships
between techies and activists: what is required? (debate and
discussion)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>3.30-3.45</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Tea/coffee Break</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>3.45-5.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Project time as per
participants' needs (which can relate to technical issues, design,
hosting, ...)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>5.00-6.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Afternoon
'Lab' Sessions (CHOOSE ONE):</p>
<p>Elective
1. Hosting and creating websites and embedding maps</p>
<p>Elective 2. Technology
and Security Concerns for Activists</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>6.15-6.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Evening Circle</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>6.30-7.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Free Time</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>7.30-8.30</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Dinner</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>8.30-10.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Screening
of Swagat Sen's film on the second workshop and social gathering</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuesday 27 April <br /></strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>8.00-9.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Breakfast </em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.00-9.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Morning Circle</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.30-11.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Maps as agents of
change – uses and challenges (including in terms of how to
connect with movements on the ground)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>11.00-11.30</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Tea/coffee Break </em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>11.30-1.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Communication and
campaigning strategies to take mapping outcomes forward to broader
audience, both online and offline (poss. Incl. Use of creative
media)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>1.00-2.15</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Lunch</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>2.15-4.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Project time as per
participants needs</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>4.00-4.30</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Tea/coffee break</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>4.30-5.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Evaluating Maps for
Making Change</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>5.15-6.15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>What next?</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>6.15-6.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Evening Circle</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>6.30-7.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Free Time</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>7.30-8.30</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Dinner</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>8.30-...</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Social
evening</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Wednesday 28 April</strong></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><strong>Time</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>Session</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>8.00 – 9.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Breakfast</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.00 – 9.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Morning Circle</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.30-12.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Finalise preparations for
public event (project work or other, eg slides on loop etc)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>10.30-11.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Tea/coffee Break </em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>11.00-12.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Finalise preparations for
public event (cont.)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>12.30-1.30</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Lunch</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>1.30-2.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Travel to CIS</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>2.00-4.00</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Set
up the public event</p>
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>4.00-7.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Public event (with a
discussion from 5.30 onwards)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em>7.30-9.00</em></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><em>Dinner (venue to be
decided) + workshop evaluation</em></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.00-9.30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Return to Visthar</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>9.30-...</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Great-working-with-you-guys Party
at Visthar</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/events/third-maps-for-making-change-workshop'>http://editors.cis-india.org/events/third-maps-for-making-change-workshop</a>
</p>
No publisheranjaRAW EventsPracticeWorkshopResearchers at WorkEventMaps for Making Change2015-10-05T15:10:23ZEventDesigning Urban Nervous Systems
http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/designing-urban-nervous-system
<b>Dr. Anupam Saraph will be holding a talk on 'Designing urban nervous systems' at the CIS on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. The talk will revolve around looking at cities as living organisms, with nervous systems at the center of their being. </b>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Dr. Anupam Saraph</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Dr. Saraph is a future designer and an expert on complex systems. He holds a PhD in designing sustainable systems from the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands. He has worked on building digital governance solutions and sustainable and resilient organizations with government and civil society organizations.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/designing-urban-nervous-system'>http://editors.cis-india.org/raw/designing-urban-nervous-system</a>
</p>
No publisherambikaComplex systemsUrban studiesResearchers at WorkEvent2018-04-20T05:28:32ZEvent