Democratization of Technology and Social Change

7/29/2019 Democratization of Technology and Social Change

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Iman Bibars, PhD

Regional Director, Ashoka Arab World

Vice President, Ashoka: Innovators for thePublic


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Did technology advancement play a

role in the Arab awakening and the

major social changes that took

place in Egypt?

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To answer this question; we need

to address four major points:

What do we mean by technology advancement?

How did the democratization of technology lead to asweeping, significant and successful social change;

the case of the Egyptian revolution?What were the positive and negative effects of this

new technology after the revolution?

How does the power of technology leading to social

change relate to social entrepreneurship ? The caseof Ashoka Arab World and our fellows?

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What do we mean by technology

advancement in Egypts context?

Technology in its variousforms shapes behavior.In our context the

internet and socialmedia are our focusand were a major tooland force leading to thesocial uprising of theyouth and otherEgyptians.

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Democratization of this new technology: the

growth of internet access

Internetpenetration hasgrown in Egyptfrom 12.6% in

2006 to 35.7% in2011 Mobile phone

penetration rategrew from 24% in

2006 to almost102% in 2011.

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High speed internet usersreached 18 millionhouseholds with an

increase of 33% monthly


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Democratization of this new technology;

the spread of internet access Approximately two

million Egyptiansjoined Facebook

between Januaryand April 2011.

17.16% of thepopulation (63.67%of the onlinepopulation) havean active presencethere currently

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How did socialmedia and internet

lead to the sweeping

social change in

Egypt?

THE CASE OFTHE

EGPYPTIANREVOLUTION

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The spark of revolution

Cries for social reformin the Arab worldwould not have beenpossible without thetechnology that wasavailable to us.

While the old regimewas sleeping, arevolution was formingdue to the power ofsocial media and itsaccessibility.

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With the developmentof 2.0 technologies morebloggers and civicadvocates used socialnetworking websitesand face book groups toexpose government acts

of violence and thebrutalityof socialsecurity

The growing power of the social media


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Social media called onall Egyptians to joinprotestsprior to first day of

protests 85000 pledgedon FB to attendRevolution day

Social media spread

ideas of discontent --- by the first 2 days ofthe protests Egyptianscreated32,000 FB groups

and 14,000 FB pages

The growing power of thesocial media


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Creation of a revolutionary citizen media

The use of onlineforums andwebsites gaveyoung, tech-savvyprotestors a senseof selfempowerment

The use of cameraphones and video

technology gave avisual immediacyto events on theground.

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Social media was lifeline to protestors

Bloggers in Midan alTahrir followed up onand challenged what

was being written bystate media and alsoaddressed rumorsspread by the regime

They circumventedgovernment ban usingsatellite mobile, landlinephones were used for

voice tweet also


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After revolution : social networking the

new political playground

All political parties, SCAFand the govt created andparticipated in on line forums

# of FB users reached 10.6million by end of 2011. (Egyptamong top 20 countries)

Youtube users reached 8million

MB, Freedom and justice and

SCAF established armies ofmicro bloggers to influencediscussions, defameopponents and spreadrumors

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Empowering the regular citizen through social media:

creation of ordinary citizen media

Ordinary, impassionedcitizens without abackground inactivism can now

speak their minds andbe heard.Mothers with Custody

Facebook group is oneexample of this

Egypts Jon Stewart,Bassem Youssef, isanother.

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Between 2010-2011 ; 13,500 active citizen news

journalism websites were created


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What are thepositive andnegative impact of

this newtechnology in Egyptduring and afterthe revolution?

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The Aftermath


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The new IT and social media changed

paradigms of social change It circumvented class, gender and religion and unified

people across and in spite of traditional divide

It allowed everyone who had access to have a voice, interact

and participate on an equal basis and in a democratic way Gave youth a virtual identity that is an extension of their

reality based identity.

It de-territorialized ones conception of a nation;nationalism became decentralized- it reflected a

decentralized mobilization movement of a group thatshared the same goals

Unlike traditional political movements the use of internetand ICT tools helped Egyptian revolution be leaderless orleader rich..

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Social media: a new social divide With the poverty rate

standing at 25.2% in 2011and illiteracy rates ofyoung women in UpperEgypt standing at 24%, a

social and gender IT dividewas created. Politically, the MB political

campaigning that hastaken place in Egypt in the

last two years has been onthe ground not usingtechnology, creating anideological divide.

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IT and social entrepreneurship : The case of

Ashoka Arab World

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Technology for socialchange is a major toolused by SE and ourfellows to have impact

on the lives of millionsof people in a significantand innovative way.

It was used by SE for

womens empowermentand for economicempowerment


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IT, social media and womens

empowerment

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Call to repeal alllaws supporting

women


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Ashoka Fellow Amani el TunsiAmani el Tunsi (Banat

wa Bas): usingtechnology to educateand empower women, a

platform to discusssensitive and taboosubjects.

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Ashoka Fellow Amani el Tunsi

Created a virtual space for women tofreely exchange personal experiences,overcoming impediments to opencommunication.

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Five million people fromacross the Arab regionhave accessed her websiteand listened to her 25radio programs.


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IT, social media and economic

empowerment: Palestine

Mohamed al KilanysSouktel Inc. utilizesmobile phone

technology to makethe job market moreaccessible forjobseekers

He addresses one ofthe biggest causes ofregional instabilityunemployment

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Ashokas work with

ICT Identify and invest in

social entrepreneurs(Ashoka Fellows) whoare using IT, socialmedia and othertechnological

innovations to addressnew and emergingsocial and economicchallenges.

Create online networksthrough our ICTFellows to mentor andencourage young start-up socialentrepreneurs.

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The future

IT, social media and citizenmedia enabled people toexpress their ideas, share

their views and promotedemocratization and socialchange.

The change is sustainableon the economic, social and

political fronts and we nowhave an increasing numberof people with access tothese tools.

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What is needed?

To reach out to our most vulnerableand marginalized ruralcommunities and uneducatedwomen and find more user-friendly and appropriate tools inorder to address the social divide.

Social entrepreneurs andinnovators working to do thisshould be supported, as their

system-changing initiatives pavethe way for a genuinelydemocratizing and accessible use oftechnology for empowerment.

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Democratization of Technology and Social Change

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