The hope of Copenhagen
November 27, 2009 at 1:06 am 2 comments
Copenhagen is a beautiful city that I first had the chance to visit, and subsequently fell in love with, in Autumn 2008. The Danish spirit seems to be eminently sensible, open-minded and forward facing. My cousin married a Dane and is now happily living in Copenhagen, and I’m quite envious of their social situation as working parents of young children; the state makes their lives considerably easier than our equivalent in the UK.
And the gaze of the world’s media now focusses on Copenhagen with the UN Climate Summit less than 2 weeks away, my thoughts are drifting back towards social activism for the environment. I’ve just very recently been hearing about two very different cases, and in both thinking that digital storytelling would help spread the word. And I know that citizen journalism is not without problems, but what about the voices of the people who are affected in a very real way day to day by policy and decisions…
The first is the protests in 1993 of Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island when the British Columbia Government actioned the ‘Clayoquot Land Use Decision’ to permit mass logging of the temperate rainforest. The story I heard was from someone who was there; Aldo de Moor’s written notes and media collection offer that insight first hand. The Friends of Clayoquot Sound website shows one example of digital activism, and I guess facilitates making informed decisions on the part of the activists much easier. Sadly, the logging continues and battles are still being fought.
The other case I’ve been hearing about is a new, rural community development south of Copenhagen. The collaborative nature of the community and participatory design of a communal centre has been quite inspirational.
Digital storytelling can be such a powerful technique with the right mandate, and these types of project just inspire me to want to head off into the wider world and work. Back in the real world, I am starting to think about what I’d like to do after my PhD is over. Any work I do will undoubtedly remain in the realm of community informatics, but I wonder if environmental issues are going to play a more prominent part.
And now that Barak Obama is set to attend the UN Climate Summit, and both the USA and China are reviewing cuts in emissions, I feel perhaps the future of environmental campaigning might be slightly more positive.
UN Negotiator Dessima Williams reminds us why now is the time to act, and sums it up nicely when she says “We’re all on the road to Copenhagen” in this media clip.
Photo courtesy of Rob Warde, Flickr.com
Entry filed under: Digital Storytelling, environment, society, Technology for Social Action. Tags: activism, campaigning, citizen journalism, climate summit, copenhagen, Digital Storytelling, environment.
1.
Rob Warde | November 28, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I think that people really don’t care, especially here in the UK. It’s an ‘all about me’ society. Who cares what anyone else thinks. It s so sad. We are all in this together, it’s a team effort and that is the only way we can solve the problem. I only hope people sit up and listen.
BTW – I’m glad you like my photo
2.
xarahc | November 28, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Well, change happens bit by bit. So we can keep trying to share stories and keep the message alive. Apathy is the enemy of our western society and it’s depressingly rife.
And thank you for sharing your photos under Creative Commons. I was getting around to leaving a message on your site, but I see the links are working well!