10 Tácticas in Latin America: info-activism continues as project concludes

In order to bring 10 Tactics for turning information into action to rights advocates working in Latin America, Tactical Technology Collective teamed up with REDDES, a Mexican NGO who translated all the material and administers the Spanish-language version of the website. Now, after the completion of the project, we look back at the impact the project has had on advocacy work in Latin America.

When 10 tactics was released, Juan M. Casanueva explained that they immediately saw its potential in Latin America. “We immediately wanted to participate,” said Juan. “We saw in that project what we wanted to do in five years.”

Juan and his colleagues were introduced to Tactical Tech through the Message-in-a-box and NGO-in-a-box and knew immediately that they wanted to participate with the 10 tactics series.

REDDES spearheaded the project, which included providing a Spanish edition website of the 10 Tactics, translating, printing and distribution of materials, and supporting other organisations to host screenings of the 50-minute film. The Ibero-American Network for Sustainable Development (REDDES), is an ICT for Development NGO based in Mexico and working throughout Latin America.

To ensure that advocacy doesn’t stop with the end of the project, REDDES has an active email list, with over 2,000 activists, NGO staff, human rights advocates, and active Latin American citizens included in the database, in addition to a Twitter feed with over 600 followers.

While not working specifically on advocacy, REDDES knew it would be beneficial for many of the people they work with, so they immediately set about organising screenings in Mexico. “Since we don't deal directly with advocacy, by screening 10 tactics, we found that it gave us another point of view on how technology could be used and it gave us and all the partners we have in Mexico a lot of ideas about what else could be done with technology,” Juan said.

As the project concludes, the influence hasn’t stopped and continues to have impact. By working on this project with Tactical Tech, REDDES was also able to influence an agenda shift for NGOs and advocates by identifying

 Internet-based communication and digital media training needs throughout the region.

Being inspired by the film, many NGOs added an info-activism component to their program goals. In addition to info-activism training, the program has also influenced research trends, by focusing on how information is being used to create change in Latin America, leading to a new trend in advocacy research in the Global South.

10 Tactics was released in 2009 and provides original and artful ways for rights advocates to capture attention and communicate a cause. It includes a 50-minute film documenting stories from around the world and a set of cards; with tools, tips and advice, for you to work through as you plan your own info-activism. As this phase concludes, over 40 screenings and 2,000 activists viewed the film, hailing from nearly every country in Latin America.