Information Niches

   There are many areas of activism and social activities in which information is valuable. Most areas are in understanding and taking action, but emotional aspects matter as well.

  

opportunities

Many world and community problems have potential solutions. Discussing and documenting possible positive changes is important.




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resources

There are many resources for activism. Films can help motivate us. Books offer history and detailed views. Organizations can provide information and generate group spirit.

When we see the mass of junk on television it is easy to feel that there is nothing positive available. Activism resources are in fact abundant.




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goals

Knowing what changes we want in the world is important. If activists don't know what they want then the goals of the elite will drown out popular and activist thoughts. A population may be unhappy with the establishment, but without clear alternative goals they might not take action.




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status information

Many types of political information have status information. What is the current state of the Iraq Occupation? How severe is poverty in the US? How well prepared is California for a major earthquake? Status information drives actions. On projects, status information lets us recognize emerging problems and make corrections.

Status information can include trends and predictions.




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current problems

Solving current problems is the core of activism. Clearly documenting the severity of problems is critical for taking group action. People can discuss possible solutions and priorities. Growing risks are important to understand as well.

Generally there are few agreed lists of problems faced by the world. This is natural considering how diverse people are, but lists can improve discussion and focus.




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examples

Examples let us think tangibly about problems and solutions. Some examples are brief and are just given by name. Sometimes detailed case studies are made.

Michael Moore's film SiCKO included health care examples in the US, Canada, England, France, and Cuba. This helped people to see that there are alternatives to the for-profit model which dominates in the US.




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decision criteria

What makes a cause worth joining? How do we decide if a politician deserves endorsement? Is an organization really standing up to establishment abuses? What signs do we want to see in a project to know if it will succeed?

Having a framework for making decisions can help us make wise decisions. We can collect the right information and recognize value as well as red flags.

Experience and intuition will always matter in decision making, but structure can help.




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history

Knowing the history of a region or topic improves our understanding of current events. Western brutality around the world goes back hundreds of years, and contributes to anti-Western terrorism today. Knowing about past abuses is important to understand attitudes and propaganda. Even if the US government wanted to be constructive in the Middle-East, a history of anti-US feelings will provide fuel for violent opposition.




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news

Event news lets us know what is happening around the world. Investigative journalism can uncover major forms of corruption. Reporting from the corporate media is often sensationalistic and pro-establishment, but sources such as Democracy Now are quite valuable.

News stories by themselves, even when well-written, should not be a person's only source of information. Structuring and prioritizing world conditions is needed for planning.




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pressure

Bringing sunlight to abuses decreases the establishment's freedom to commit crimes. Public opinion matters when feelings are strong. Sometimes the government can be forced to stop an abuse there is a public outcry.




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entities

Identifying the key people and organizations that drive politics is important. The most corrupt can be investigated and pressured. The most valuable can be supported.




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policies

Governments, companies, and organizations often have rules that govern their actions. These may be formal and official or informal. Knowing what rules and guidelines exist helps us to understand large entities.

Some policies are for public consumption and not enforced. Often key policies are secret. Policies can still be handles to influence the government, though.




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motivation

Information helps motivate people. Moral outrage turns many people into activists. Empathy for people around the world makes us think carefully about how our nation's military is abused. Seeing successes gives us optimism.




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training

Training lets people build upon the knowledge and experience of others. It is helpful in preventing people from "re-inventing the wheel."

In activism training takes many forms. There are books, teach-ins, and apprenticeship programs. Training programs are usually not as extensive as those offered in academia and corporations, but various forms exist.




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people database

A database of organization members is valuable for fundraising and large actions. Many organizations have key contact information and organized donation records. Such databases allow focused fundraising.




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communication

There are many types of information that we communicate. Sometimes information is from an organization's core staff to all members. Sometimes writers publish content to subscribers or the whole world. Individuals exchange information through e-mail and conversation.

There are many aspects of communication. A clear style and consistent vocabulary help make easy to understand. Forms and templates can help writers identify key information. There are many technologies for exchanging and storing information.




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event calendar

A solid event calendar lists political and cultural activities. These are important for connecting us to other people. Calendars of national events can be helpful as well. (There don't seem to be any well known national event calendars.)




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technology

Technology is damaging the world as well as bringing potential solutions to health and environmental problems. Renewable energy research is progressing but gets much less attention than requests to drill for oil in environmentally vulnerable areas. Communication technology helps unite people around the world.

Technology can be used for spying as well as weapons of mass destruction. The technological attack on civil rights will only grow as technology becomes more powerful. The variety of weapons of mass destruction will probably grow as well.




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enjoyment

Some political information is just plain entertaining. The writing Molly Ivins and Greg Palast brings out the ludicrous in the establishment.

Celebrations, humor, and cultural appreciation are all part of healthy activism.




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(C) 2008 Kevin Pardo