1) Understand the issue
For a year Dd has collaborated with civil society actors to build the concept for a community mapping program in Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is a region with a complex history of land tenure disputes between ethnic groups, timber companies and the government. There, the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve holds Mexico’s greatest concentration of biodiversity. In Montes Azules, 11 indigenous communities are under threat of imminent forced eviction by Mexican authorities. Last week, three communities were told they have only weeks left on the land.

Evictions would be devastating — especially to the women of the community. Evictions would force the 500 villagers into urban slums or onto flood plains. Though the community has committed no crime, they would likely be held in detention. When resettled, finding a livelihood would be a struggle. For indigenous women in the community, it is very likely that they would be pushed into prostitution to survive.

We believe that indigenous rights should not be in conflict with environmental rights. The communities in question are practicing sustainable land-use planning and want to protect the environment of their ancestral home. Dd is deploying a small team to work directly with the local communities to help them map their land and tell their own story. Our goal is to impart media & mapping skills so the community can better dialogue and negotiate – on more equal footing – with the Mexican authorities. In the short-term we hope to prevent evictions, but the long-term goal is for the government and communities to recognize they are all working for the same thing: to protect the Montes Azules Reserve.

2) Sign up for urgent alerts

The Mexican Government is responsive to international attention. As local communities produce maps and media telling their story, we want to be sure to connect them to an audience who cares. We will send you the most relevant work they produce as well as any petitions or calls to action they put out. We’ll need your help to read, retweet and share, so that their stories can reach key NGOs and government influencers, keeping you engaged as things evolve. We will only contact you when there is a pressing need, and you can opt out at any time.

3) Help Dd send a response team + equipment to Chiapas immediately: Donate
We have raised some urgent travel funds but still need support to get equipment and a team on the ground in time. Your donation will allow us to work directly with these communities at the most necessary point: NOW, in anticipation of the eviction. Your donation will directly contribute to our mission of empowering marginalized communities to fight for their human rights.

Stay tuned to our blog, Facebook or Twitter to keep in touch. Thank you for your support.

UPDATE:  Thanks to the Arca Foundation for helping support the travel component and WITNESS for contributing cameras to ensure that the communities will have tools to document the ongoing situation. (Check out Witness’ ongoing work on forced evictions.) We still need help to make the trip possible … please consider donating today!

Thanks to all our friends, partners, advisors & supporters who joined us last Thursday for Digital Democracy’s 3rd Birthday Party. We are so grateful we were able to celebrate with all of you.

Photos from the event are up on our Flickr … check out the excellent images by Jon Reznick, as well as the fun photos shot by party-goers in the photobooth, with automatic uploads thanks to Mifi. If you’d like a print of one of Jon’s images, please contact him directly. A professional photo makes a great gift for the holidays.

Huge thanks to Elizabeth Hodes Custom Cakes & Sugar Art, who not only contributed the best looking cake we’d ever laid eyes on, it was delicious to boot! Thanks to DJ iBeat & Will for spinning tunes and our excellent gang of volunteers who kept the party running smoothly. Thanks to Trader Joe’s for providing delicious snacks, Lucy’s Whey for the excellent cheese trays, Sustainable Party for eco-friendly supplies, and Bulldog Gin & Brooklyn Brewery for the great libations.

Finally, thanks to the great folks at Google’s Community Affairs Team for contributing a fancy new Google Chromebook to the cause. Thanks to raffle sales, tickets & donations party-goers were able to contribute more than $2,000 to Dd’s core mission to empowering marginalized communities, donations that are being doubled by generous donors.

We can’t wait to see where we are a year from now!

Tomorrow’s exhibit is the result of a year-long photo training with students from two Indianapolis high schools – Southport and North Central. Their photos document life in their new country, covering everything from school to home to play.The photographers will be on hand to discuss their images with the public. Don’t miss this special opportunity!

What: Project Einstein photo exhibition

Where: The Indianapolis City Market farmer’s market – 222 E. Market St, Indianapolis

When: Wednesday August 10th from 10:30am to 1:30pm

To learn more, read the press release and check out images from the spring photo exhibition at North Central High School, taken by my mom, Freddi Stevens-Jacobi.

Mark & I first met Abby through her work at the Global Justice Center, where she was organizing an international campaign for justice in Burma. Our collaboration began then – as Mark helped her produce a video advocating for global justice in Burma, and we connected her to contacts in New Delhi, who participated in the B8 worldwide day of action on 8-8-08.

Abby & I also bonded early on from our shared experiences in Cuba – she had studied abroad there, and I had traveled there as a youth journalist – and the lessons we had learned from the island, which defies stereotypes. We began collaborating on ideas of how to harness technology to promote dialogue & break down barriers between Americans and Cubans, and Abby worked with Dd more broadly to help us hone our vision and prioritize programming in our first year, signing on as one of the first members of our Advisory Board in early 2009.

From our early days as an organization, Abby has been someone who just gets it – who understands intuitively that the world is changing, and believes in the importance of harnessing digital technologies for social good. Her entrepreneurial spirit has also been an enormous asset, contributing to critical decisions as the organization has grown from an all-volunteer endeavor to applying for our own 501(c)3 this spring.

In 2010, Abby moved from our Advisory Board to our staff, working to develop program ideas for work in Latin America & the Caribbean and also honing her own skills and understanding of the tech space. Our work early in the year was heavily shaped by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Because we had colleagues in Port-au-Prince at the time, the Digital Democracy team became involved in the Ushahidi Haiti response. As the response transitioned from the emergency phase to rebuilding, Abby played a critical role in shaping our Haiti work by recognizing the importance of working with Haitian women. After attending the Commission on the Status of Women in early March, Abby recognized how little women were being consulted as part of the redevelopment plan. As she examined this further, combined with the alarming rates of gender-based violence occurring in the camps, she worked on adapting Dd’s existing Handheld Human Rights program to address the needs of women in Haiti.

Abby conducting training in Port-au-Prince

In multiple trips and trainings over the past year, Abby helped bring this vision to life. From our first photography training with Haitian women’s groups in April 2010 to election trainings in the fall and BarCamp Port-au-Prince in the spring, we’ve had many high points in our collaboration with Haitian women. One of the greatest came at the end of April, however, for the launch of the Jan Nou We L/The Way We See It photography collection at Splashlight Studios in Soho. Working in close collaboration with ELK Studios who curated the collection, Abby spearheaded benefit and steering committees, resulting in at least 350 visitors that evening, and more than $17,000 raised, proceeds of which are going to support our partner women’s organizations in Port-au-Prince.

Although this marks a transition, and Abby is no longer part of our day-to-day work, she remains an integral part of the Digital Democracy story, and we remain inspired by her vision & dedication to creating a positive impact in the world. Follow her on twitter or contact her via LinkedIn to follow her next endeavors.

You were born in KweKalu, a place near Mae Sot, Thailand. You live there one year when the Burmese government attacks the poor camp. Your fifty year old grandma carries you to escape, with bombs and fire all around. Thank God, your life is not taken away. When the attack is clear, many people in your village go back, and they can’t find their houses. Instead they find ashes and death.

What is it like to grow up in a civil war? To flee your homeland with your family? To live in a refugee camp? To trade all of the above for a new life in a new country – with the potential for freedom, but only if everything you know is left behind?

These are questions we sought to answer with a recent exhibition of photography by Burmese refugee students in Indianapolis, Indiana. The photographs, taken over the past year as part of Project Einstein Indianapolis, a program focused on telling the stories of refugee youth through photography and digital media.

When I was growing up in Indianapolis, I had never heard of the Southeast Asian nation of Burma/Myanmar. Although there was a small but growing population of Burmese people in nearby Fort Wayne Indiana at the time, I knew nothing about the country, where a military dictatorship has ruled since 1962. If I had, perhaps I would have learned how different my life was from the lives of Burmese people my age. Whereas I grew up in  relative peace, with access to public schools and health services, many of Burma’s 60 million people grow up without either, and in many parts of the country there continues to be active warfare by the Burmese military against ethnic minority groups. More than 3 million people have been displaced by war, political oppression and economic hardship into the neighboring countries of India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Malaysia, where they live trapped in refugee camps or illegally as migrant workers.

I didn’t learn about Burma until I went to college, studying at American University which has long supported the democracy movement in Burma. And it wasn’t till I traveled to the Thai-Burma border in 2003 and met Burmese refugees there that I learned about the growing ties between my hometown and people from Burma. By 2007, when Mark and I were learning from Burmese refugees in Thailand as part of a team from the Center for Peace Building International – research that inspired us to found Digital Democracy – there was a growing population of Burmese refugees who had been resettled in Indianapolis. Now, there are more than 5,000, representing primarily the Karen & Chin ethnic groups from Eastern & Western Burma, respectively.

Because of my own personal journey of learning about Burma, it has been humbling to work with the Project Einstein students at Southport & North Central High schools as they have told their own stories through words and text. This past month, both have had the opportunity to showcase some photography and highlight their other talents at events at both schools. At Southport High School, Chin students and other English language learners performed in a concert on April 26, and a few of their framed images were on display in the atrium of the theater. On May 3rd, Karen students at North Central high school debuted their photos to fellow North Central students and the community at large, with a reception that was previewed by the Indianapolis Star.

The reception was an evening of celebration and pride for the Project Einstein North Central students, which included students born in the US and Latin America as well 14 Karen refugees from Eastern Burma and one student from Iraq. They dressed in traditional clothing as they welcomed a crowd of more than 200 to see their images and read their journey stories, which were printed on small cards that viewers read while walking up a ramp representing the journey from the refugee camps in Thailand to their new home in Indianapolis. In the atrium, photos were on display taken by participants of Project Einstein Thailand, depicting life at the Leadership Management Training College in the Mae La Refugee Camp. On the walk up the ramp, scenes of camp life were interspersed with facts about Burma, refugees in Indianapolis, and how to support new refugees through supporting Exodus Refugee services. At the  top of the ramp the framed images were on display, and viewers could speak with the photographers and eat refreshments, including Karen food made by one of the photographer’s family.

The reception was a truly special event, made possible by the work of many volunteers who helped hang the show, set up for the evening and invite viewers to come. Project Einstein Indianapolis is supported by the Clowes Fund, and a grant from the Washington Township Foundation paid for the printing and framing of the images. Most of all, I want to thank the staff and students at both schools who have made this program possible. They embody the idea of Project Einstein – that even though Einstein was a refugee, he could still do great things.

Check out more images from the reception, and stay tuned as we organize a joint show for the students work this spring. Contact info(at)digital-democracy.org if you would like to purchase any of the students’ images.

Photographers Eh Blue and Shar Ka Pru Say greet visitors along with Washington Township Superintendent Dr. Mervilde

Family members walking up the ramp at North Central, representing the journey from "Thailand" to "Indianapolis."

The idea for Digital Democracy was inspired by the courage of Burmese monks, human rights workers and advocates fighting for positive change in their country. Yet it is clear that the idea of Digital Democracy is much greater than any one people, country or struggle.

Over the past two months we have been both humbled and inspired by the people-powered movements for change throughout the Middle East and North Africa. These demonstrate the power of collective action, and also the way that new tools are being used.

From Tunisia to Egypt, these very vivid examples of people using technology for democratic engagement demonstrate the core values of our organization. They also come at a fitting time.

For the past six months we have been asking ourselves questions about the broader goals of our organization, and how Digital Democracy can have the greatest impact. These questions were all part of a strategic planning process led by the brilliant thinkers of Helsinki Group. They have engaged our staff, advisors and leaders in our field to explore what exactly Digital Democracy is, and what our growth and future might be.

Thanks to the guidance of Helsinki, invaluable input from our advisors and other mentors, and the dedication of the Dd staff — who until this point have been volunteers — we have emerged with a honed vision of our values & future.

Our Mission:
Digital Democracy empowers marginalized groups with technology to build their futures.

Our Vision:
A world where all people can meaningfully participate in decision-making to build stronger and more prosperous societies.

We plan to do this in two ways:
1) Dig deep to build long-lasting partnerships – and the capacity of our partners – continuing our work in 3 primary theatres:

·      Countries with repressive regimes (like Burma/Myanmar)
·      Countries suffering the after-effects of natural disaster (like Haiti)
·      Post-conflict transitioning states (like Guatemala).

2) Continue to partner with local groups in new places as tech experts, researchers and trainers. The focus will be building grassroots capacity, promoting civic engagement, & further understanding local definitions of democracy.

Our Theory of Change:
We believe change does not come from technology, but from how people use it. Our programs focus on a cycle we have identified:

Digital literacy, digital organizing, and digital governance are the three components critical to creating a state of “digital democracy,” where all people have the ability to participate in a meaningful way in the decision-making that impacts their lives.

Last September we made a commitment to harnessing technology to address gender-based violence in Haiti, working with legal, medical & psycho-social providers to document, respond to and prevent sexual violence against women. Since that time we have continued our multi-media trainings, worked with women to monitor violence around the elections, and launched a blog – Fanm Pale – Women Speak.
Since January, we have focused on supporting our partners to build a digital database to track and respond to incidents of rape & sexual violence in the displaced person camps of Port-au-Prince. In January, we received support from the Channel Foundation, which promotes women’s human rights throughout the world. Channel’s support enabled us to send Emilie to Haiti where she will be living for the year, providing training and technical support to our partner organizations including women’s organizations, IJDH/BAI and the We-Lead Center.

We have also just received a grant from Development Alternatives IncAI/USAID, over the next three months we are piloting a secure, localized database and call center/hotline to respond to gender-based violence. Dd’s software developer Dennis Cahillane has been working with Mark, Emilie & our local staff to establish the database, which has been localized into kreyol.
In this work, we have learned so much from our incredible partners, who have suffered from rape and violence in the camps first-hand, and put everything they have on the line to provide services to women and girls at risk of violence.
Today I arrived in Haiti with my colleague Abby Goldberg & Digital Democracy Advisor Sean McDonald. We’ll be working with our partners, conducting a strategic planning session and holding workshops on the database and the blog. On Saturday, we’re also participating in BarCamp Port-au-Prince, a gathering of technologists, community groups and international organizations gathering to support Haitians solutions to challenges in Haiti, focusing on unique and innovative ways that technology can be leveraged.
This month of March, when women around the world are reflecting on the challenges they face & celebrating victories that have been made in the fight for our human rights, Digital Democracy is so grateful for the support that has made our work possible, and inspired by the women not only in Haiti but throughout the world who are using the tools at their disposal – whether mobile phones, blogs or marching in the streets – to fight for a better future for us all.

This year our dedicated team harnessed digital maps, mobile phones, blogs, cameras, and open-source software to train over 400 people in the use of these tools to address local challenges including:

• University students using Ushahidi to respond to earthquakes in Haiti & Chile
• Middle & High school students learning digital literacy in Indiana, Kazahkstan & New York City
• Media producers in Thailand working to inform citizens despite censorship
• Government officials in Iraq building tools for better democratic engagement
• Young people mapping local peace efforts in advance of Kenya‘s 2012 elections
• Indigenous youth in Guatemala documenting their lives in the Zona Reyna
• Librarians in Ukraine and Romania learning new tools to connect with users
• Exiled Tibetans in India working for human rights in their homeland
• Women activists fighting gender-based violence in Haiti

We accomplished all of this on volunteer salaries, strategic grants and your generous support. Next, we’re forming a Board of Directors & fortifying our core tools, methods, curriculum & partnerships.

Will you make a financial commitment to our work in the coming year? Any donations you make by midnight tomorrow will be tax-deductible for 2010. You can donate today via our fiscal sponsor IMTD online, set up a monthly payment or send a check made to IMTD to our address below. For all who have already given, thank you for getting #stuckondd!

Thank you for any support you can give as we take on our most exciting year yet.

Our partners — including refugee communities, government officials in Iraq, women living in tents in Haiti, middle school students in Indiana, Burma, and Kazakhstan—inspire us. We see the change in how they perceive their potential after trainings and while using new tech. We believe in the positive change they embody and the possibilities for people, democracy, technology, and freedom.

That’s why we started #stuckonDd, a campaign that brings all of our partners and supporters around the world together and show your support to the world. Where does your Dd sticker live? On your computer, phone, bike, bed, or …? Show us!

Don’t have a sticker? It’s as easy as a $10 donation that goes straight to the heart of the matter: supporting Dd at our core. We are volunteers. We are operating with small strategic grants. We are bootstrapping and getting our space generously donated. We need your help to take Dd and all it can be into our third year.

Please donate now, get a sticker, share with the community, and TWEET IT UP. We can’t wait to see where you’re #stuckonDd.

Get creative…
And if you’re in New York, join us for some sticky fun at our 2nd Birthday Party on December 20 at New Work City!

In reflecting over the past year, we’ve compiled some of the numbers from outputs from our programs and partnerships. As you read about them below, will you consider making a birthday gift donation to Digital Democracy in honor of our 2nd anniversary? A donation of any amount, whether $20, $200 or $2,000 will go to support our core programming for our third year. Donations can be made through our fiscal sponsor, IMTD online or via Facebook Causes.

What have we been up to the past twelve months? Quite a lot.

Research, communications & information:

• Blog posts: 62
• Dd team member talks & presentations: 34
• Mainstream press about Dd: 16 articles/videos
• Digital Democracy TV (DdTv) episodes released: 6
• Country reports on ICT & civic participation published: 4

Check out these reports from Armenia, Burma/Myanmar, Haiti & Zimbabwe.

Work with local partners in the US & globally:

• Number of people trained by Dd Staff: 465
• Countries where we worked: 21
• Ushahidi deployment trainings: 8
• Tech & security workshops with local partners: 6
• Additional workshops on media & mapping: 4
• Project Einstein deployments: 4 countries
• Projects related to election monitoring: 3

This year our local partners have done incredible work from filing petitions to the UN, addressing hundred of cases of gender-based violence in Haiti, and reporting from inside Burma during recent elections. While much of this work is undercover or confidential, here are numbers from some of their public work:

• Photos taken by Project Einstein participants: 6,289.
• Incidents of human rights violations logged on Handheld Human Rights Burma: 661
• Blog posts by women in Haiti since 11/1/10: 15

Check out the blog Fanm Pale/Women Speak, Handheld Human Rights Burma & photos from Project Einstein Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya & Indianapolis.

Thank you again for all you have done to help make this possible. Between our anniversary & Thanksgiving, we know just how much we have to be thankful for.