Blogging case studies
Oro Sucio follows the topic of mine exploitation and its political and environmental impact in Argentina. The blog publishes documents that are the result of collective fieldwork. They also keep in contact with people and organisations that are involved in environmental activism in Argentina and across the world.
Sabbah's Blog is an informative blog created to highlight human rights violations against the Palestinian people as well as to highlight the reality of Palestinian lives in the Occupied Territories. It contains reports, commentary and video.
Sokwanele is a Zimbabwe-based single-issue activist blog that uses commentary, news reports, video and photography to highlight the human rights abuses and repression in Zimbabwe. It provides an example of how blogs can be used anonymously in countries and situations where revealing your identity could be harmful and a risk to your safety. Sokwanele is successful because it has been consistent and makes regular posts that are informative and based on their campaign. They have consciously built a network of supporters, both bloggers and readers.
Abahlali baseMjondolo is a grassroots social movement of shack dwellers in Durban, South Africa. Their blog has internationalised the struggle of the shack dwellers against police harassment and municipal evictions through news reports, declarations and opinion/commentary articles. The Abahlali blog is both a source of information on land rights and informal settlements in South Africa, and a means of mobilising international support and funds for organising campaigns for land rights. They have used their blog to highlight the plight of informal settlers in other countries such as Zimbabwe, Haiti and Kenya, and have also built links with social movements in these countries. Abahlali uses a mix of text, photos and video on its blog.
Black Locks is a Pan African multi-issue activist blog that covers a range of issues around human rights and social justice. It is a highly successful, award-winning blog that is based on regular (almost daily) posts that use a variety of styles (informing, opinion, reporting, action alerts and in-depth analysis) and cover a range of topics. By using a range of social networking tools and maximising the use of available technologies, Black Looks facilitates networking with other activist bloggers from across the continent and the Diaspora, and builds strong personal and organisational relationships across geographical and other dividing lines.
Jackie Tumwine is a 'dedicated tobacco control advocate' from Uganda. By reporting country by country on anti-smoking legislation, as well as on gender and child rights issues around tobacco, she works to fight the toll that tobacco takes on people’s lives and to magnify the work that disparate groups are doing to make a difference. Jackie’s blog is an excellent example of how a one-person blog focussed on a single issue can become a continental resource and part of a campaign.
