feminist tech exchange
Finding Our Courage to Speak and to Speak Out
In a space where women have learned to self-censor, to not speak with another woman because of the negative perception that can be extended to them, the story circle takes on an unimaginable value. I am humbled by the courage shown by these women, women who continue to struggle against the onslaught of patriarchal discrimination, and not just discrimination, but unabashed violence. Here are women who face danger as soon as they step out from their homes, they risk it, because they have to survive. Yes, it is a survival issue. It has come to this. For the rest of us, in countries, where there are still spaces to be who we are, to claim control over our own bodies and to claim our human rights, we shy away from this struggle, and we find reasons to do so.
¡Así transcurrió el segundo Intercambio Tecnológico Feminista en Colombia!
El segundo ITF Colombia se realizó en la ciudad de Bogotá del 22 al 24 de noviembre, fue convocado por Colnodo con el apoyo del Programa de Apoyo a Redes de Mujeres, PARM, de la Asociación para el Progreso de las Comunicaciones, APC; el Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones y la Red Nacional de Telecentros de Colombia.
Storytelling as a learning and connecting tool
Training in using ICTs for advocacy and activism can be difficult when experience and confidence levels vary amongst the participants. Keeping the energy levels up, making sure that everyone is up-to-speed, engaged and following takes a deep focus and an ability to “read” the participants. Technology can be frustrating when it fails us or we miss one critical step in the process. Being a trainer, one needs (among other things) to be empathic and create an environment which encourages participants to ask questions. It is a constant process of learning for both trainers and participants.
What do rain storms and e-advocacy to combat VAW have in common?
It is day 2 of the 4 day FTX workshop here in Phnom Pehn
Cambodia. 18 participants are in the second workshop to build understanding of e-advocacy strategies in the context of anti-VAW advocacy. The first workshop focused on augmenting skills on advocacy strategies and this workshop is focusing on bringing the campaign online using social networking to build multi-media campaigns.
Au Congo, on banalise au plus haut sommet les violences faites aux femmes
La marche monde des femmes avec son élan de solidarité entre les femmes du monde entier est arrive le 13 octobre 2010 dans la ville de Bukavu dans l’Est de la république démocratique du Congo. Si le premier jour a été mis sous le signe de nombreux discours officiel qui ont tous su flatter les femmes, le discours le plus inattendu a été celle de la première dame.
Awesome!
It's the last day of FTX-DS, and Lalaine is telling us how to use this site. The wonders of ICT: I don't have to wait till later to get an account, log in, and describe what's happening as it happens. God I love ICT.
Videos del ITF en México
Fascinadas, frustradas, emocionadas..... fue apenas la segunda día del ITF y en la sala todas estaban pegadas a sus compus con una intensidad que bloqueaba todo que no relacionaba a su propio equipo de trabajo y el video tomando forma en sus pantallas. Risas, gritos, música, desacuerdos y afirmaciones burbujaban de cada grupito de participantes.
To Lecture or Facilitate? Re-Thinking How We Do Training
Correct me if I'm wrong (I mean it), but I think that the default and most comfortable setting for any technology trainer is to expound on a topic through a lecture (mostly, with a presentation of slides) then field questions during and after. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. In fact, I have been lucky enough to witness tech trainers who are really good at it, who prepare really informative and interesting lectures, who allow for anyone to ask any question at any time, whose presentation slides are so brilliantly crafted that they are memorable enough for the learning to stick.
But still, some of the best learning experiences I have had have been spaces where learning is facilitated through interaction between participants, where more time is spent on facilitators asking questions, where participants are given the tools / resources to answer their own questions, where participants take the lead in knowing what they need to know.
I don't mean to make false dichotomies here. But I've also witnessed way too many tech trainers who do nothing but lecture and create one-way communication channels between them and their participants. Whenever I do, I always wonder if a learning opportunity has been missed because the trainer couldn't draft a better design for their session.
Some Answers to Social Networking Hacking
Recently (and curiously and alarmingly), I've been asked this question in training workshops quite often: What do I do when my social networking account has been hacked?
One would think that I'd be used to the question by now and would have a standard response. Perhaps 30-second response that would easily resolve the hacking question. But the question almost always leaves me stumped and hesitant to answer.
There are different layers to the question and the answers can be as multi-faceted as the question, you see. In order to provide the answer (assuming that there is one answer), I usually have to delve deeper into those layers.
On Security / Privacy and Social Networking
Two weeks ago, from 1 -3 September, the first Philippine FTX was held. The main theme of the workshop was on 'Secure Online Communications'. The workshop was attended by eighteen women's rights advocates from the Philippines.
One of the sessions we held was on Social Networking and Security. I do think that this is the new challenge in any secure online communications discussion / training / conversation. Social networking has changed the terms in which we should be raising awareness on online security and privacy. Back before social networking became the biggest thing on the internet, online security trainings meant (generally) going through the following topics:
- how the internet works: understanding the TCP/IP suite, figuring out where the vulnerabilities are when we connect to the internet
- data security: keeping data protected and backing up
- access control: knowing how to keep others from your data through firewalls and password management
- viruses / spyware / malware: understanding malicious software and protecting yourself from them
- cryptology and encryption: understanding concepts like PGP and knowing the tools needed to use it
- anonymity and circumvention: how to hide your IP address when connected to the internet
These topics are still very much useful to know and understand (and implement when applicable) but they are no longer enough.
