STUDENTS DEBATE INFO-ACTIVISM AT 10 TACTICS SCREENING IN MEXICO

10 Tactics was screened in October to over 300 students and NGO personnel in four different faculties of UNAM in Mexico City.  The workshop was part of a joint effort of Mexico's National University (UNAM), REDDES and The United Nations High Commissionaire for Human Rights (UNHCHR) in Mexico's human rights and video project “Un minuto por los derechos humanos”.

Story by Juan Casanueva

10 Tactics screenings were the starting point to a debate on the use of new digital media in citizen activism at local and national levels. With the increasing violence in Mexico, blogs and Twitter feeds have overtaken public and commercial information sources in the past year especially the activity of journalists protesting about the increased violence against journalists in Mexico. The movement in known as #losqueremosvivos and it's online and offline activity is building pressure against the government on the lack of rights protection that journalists have in Mexico. Students identified the weight of social media to share cases of abuse, murder and torture against journalists while mainstream media got censored or held heavy editorial control.

After the screening at the National Plastic Arts Faculty, students debated on the role of young communicators as activists in their society. Oscar, a graphic design student at ENAP noted that “from our trenches we can contribute [to] social goals doing intelligent design that supports social causes and communicates efficiently”As young activists, some students suggested that it was up to young citizens like them to identify and demand change.

A communications student thought about recording a comic video about corruption in police institutions in order to show in a lighthearted way how young police recruits can change their policing ethics. In order to promote action among his fellow classmates, Julian, a communications college student at FES Cuautitlán, brought upon the importance of not remaining silent as a society. He said that “everyone has a story to tell and if everyone tells what we have lived and suffered, we can build pressure”.

Debate around the current use of new digital media as activist tools in Mexico was mainly argued around a recent case of animal violence video that was shown on YouTube and later drawn attention by mainstream media. Some communication students mentioned that despite the large amounts of views that this animal-brutality video had had and the case solved, little formal follow-up had been done by animal rights NGOs and activists in order to continue large-scale awareness advocacy.

Brenda, a communication student from FES Acatlán shared her insight saying that communication students “already have the knowledge and abilities on the use of computers and social media, thus, the point is to focus the efforts to do something for society”.

PHOTOS: Screenings at different faculties of UNAM