Old challenges and new horizons for networked activism

It’s no secret that there’s a lot of foment around frustrated young people, social media, activism, and government today. It’s rare, however, to see all of those elements come together in a single moment in front of you, as I did at the Fusion Network’s RiseUp conference on November 19, 2014 in Washington, DC. I’d been walking around the cavernous environs of the second floor of the renovated Union Market building for a couple of hours, enjoying the colorful vibe of a hybrid combination of a TV show, hip coffeehouse, and new media conference that felt utterly unlike the standard DC event, finally finding my way to a seat a dozen feet away from the set where veteran broadcast journalist Jorge Ramos was interviewing the US’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power. A few minutes into their discussion of international relations and activism, I heard voices rise up from the left of the set and saw three young women holding up signs start walking into view. They made no secret of their affiliation with Code Pink, or their message, which was that Power was supporting US military action overseas that they didn’t like. As Power’s security detail moved to… Read full this story

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