Blog 1: How is Moviment Graffitti’s online activism affecting Maltese politics in relation to the local construction bedlam.
This blog is a project for Study Unit MCS3953, University of Malta
In August 2020, The New Yorker’s contributor, Jane Hu asked a particular question: Has the internet become better at mediating changes? Hu argued that the past months of quarantine taught us people to live online. Perhaps predictable with what we actually saw on the web, leading to the protest after the 25th May: George Floyd’s murder by four police officers in Minneapolis (Hu, 2020). In fact, amongst phone footage of protests, the internet has been much more overloaded with what we also now call: activist media. Digital activism looks into different and many forms. Ranging from figurative opinions on political issues to more complex idealogies like abortion (Gomez, Kaiser, 2020). It is also argued that social activism makes the life of an activist easier, since it facilitates in three different forms (Bogen et al, 2019).
- Digital Activism allows people to express occurrence and ideas, relating them to a concentrated principle.
- Digital activism allows and prove social members, enough aid to challenge back any form of contradiction.
- Digital activism helps activist involve and include others outside their online circle to settle any latest actualities.
Without a doubt, latest technologies adjust all necessary capabilities to conserve and circulate stories and ideologies, the way in which we associate and discuss with different people with whom we can relate, matters that we can see, and be aware of any power structures which oversee the means of contact. (Tufekci, 2017)
Our world is in the middle of a digital revolution. Such new tools and the latest social media platforms have in fact rediscovered the term activism. In the past ten years, citizens around the world have become much more aware of and keen to make in use phones, tools and platforms, in the war with social change, especially in politics. Digital activism is much more associated with campaigns, namely Obama’s presidential campaign. Such campaigns and stories used social networks to summon the followers with the message (Sivitanides, 2011).
Digital activism is somewhat nonviolent and is usually just a message written on an online platform which might also combine with a street protest (Kellek, 2013). The tools that we tend to use can be used to wear away the activist’s ideas (Al Sharif, 2018). In fact, even though social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook were actually mapped out as a way to connect with others, digital activists tend to use these said platforms as a tool for release, salvation, relief and perhaps, hope. Yet, with such latest latest opportunities, came several perils. The more activists are present by posting and being socially engaged online, the more ‘vulnerable’ they are. This is because such data being posted constantly, will then be used against the same group of people. This data will not only show the true colours but it will also portray a picture-perfect of likes, behaviours and partiality. Not to mention personal beliefs, and details: some of which, family and friends might not know about (Al Sharif, 2018).
Malta, Moviment Graffitti & Digital Activism
Is our country adopting and supporting activism? In a country where very minimal or few protests have been carried out or if done, were considered as a taboo (Callus, 2019), it is clear that desperately, Malta needs more protests. Such protests will eventually help change the country from ground up (Borg, 2020).
By giving an “only-hope” stamp, Professor Azzorpardi praised civil societies and the Moviment Graffitti for organising protests. Azzopardi also stated that in past years, both representatives were a vital source and resource which are helping Malta fight the outgoing political calamity (Azzopardi, 2020).
Defined by the Cambridge University as the “manner of both direct and delectable actions’, activism for one of Malta’s leading NGOs Moviment Graffitti, has been the priority on the agenda since the birth of the same NGO. Before the digital age, the Moviment Graffitti firstly started passing the message through inept leaflets at the University of Malta.
The Moviment Graffitti had in fact conveyed from being an open-supporter of the Partit Laburista before the election of 1996 to a not so stable association with Alternattiva Demokratika. Yet now, Movement Graffitti are far from being associated with to or with any other political party. By resisting continous impulse for any alliance, the NGO is playing an important figure in Malta’s war against planning and construction (Debono, 2018).
https://www.facebook.com/867277666662087/videos/781888872271609
Coming 2020, the NGO is without a doubt making the best use of the latest media, namely with their active social media pages and their heavily updated website portal. One can’t deny that throughout the years, all NGOs but Moviment Graffitti in particular, had to include digital activism together as part of the main media to deliver the message.
I’ve decided to meet Wayne Flask, one of Moviment Graffitti’s activists and spokesperson to have a chat about the NGO’s use of social media, the effect of the pandemic on activism and their constant battle with developers and the government in relation to the local construction bedlam.
