Email
In May, a little known hashtag was started up in Nigeria to call on world leaders to save 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram – less than two weeks later #BringBackOurGirls had spread across the world, with key influencers like Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai endorsing the campaign. Jaded activists either watched in awe or rolled their eyes as clicktivism took over once again.
According to journalist Malcolm Gladwell, we overemphasise the role social networking plays in activism as these "weak ties" rarely lead to "high-risk activism". He cited instead the 1960s US lunch counter sit-ins as a movement where strong ties were crucial to its success.
Javier Flaim, chief executive officer of Recyclebank disagrees.
"Imagine what could have happened if they had social media – nationwide sit-ins, an amplified and continued emotional connection through images, video and real-life testimonials."
Clicktivism does have distinct advantages – campaigns like #BringBackOurGirls and Kony 2012 reached far more people far quicker than traditional campaigning tools ever could. Social media has also made "spreading the word" of a cause in a far-flung country globally more affordable and accessible than ever before.
Online petition sites have also had great success raising the profile of particular campaigns, although of the thousands of campaigns currently listed on Change.org, how many have you read?
Trying to launch an online campaign, it's easy to get lost in the noise of social media, and that's where the hidden costs to clicktivism begin, as an online campaign will usually still require some cash – for snazzy videos, for a social media strategy consultant, to promote your cause to the most influential people. Australia's PetRescue even had an app built that got 3,500 dogs adopted. So, how different is clicktivism really from traditional campaigning?
Occupy activist Micah White says the trouble with this model of activism is "it accepts that the tactics of advertising and market research used to sell toilet paper can also build social movements". Do you agree - and is this necessarily a bad thing?
After the Arab Spring the power of social media for organising is undeniable, but what do activists need to do to best leverage it to create measurable impact?
Join our expert panel on Thursday 3 July from 1-3pm BST to discuss the future of campaigning.
The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via globaldevpros@theguardian.com or @GuardianGDP on Twitter to recommend someone for our expert panel. Follow the discussion using the hashtag #globaldevlive.
Panel
Brie Rogers Lowery, UK director of Change.org, London, UK. @brie_rl
Previously a consultant, Brie joined Change.org in 2011 to launch its UK operation - growing it from 200,000 to six million users in two years.
Noelle West, director of communication, Invisible Children, California, USA. @noellejwest
Noelle manages digital strategy for Invisible Children, the non-profit behind the Kony 2012 campaign against the Lord's Resistance Army.
Ify Elueze, petition initiator, #BringBackOurGirls, Bonn, Germany. @evie_prettie
Ify brought world attention to the plight of the kidnapped girls in Chibok, Nigeria through a petition on Change.org with over one million signatures.
Mia Cambronero, senior campaigner with Avaaz, Washington DC, USA. @mpc27
Mia is also a former social media coordinator for President Obama's new media operation at Organising for America and the US Democratic Party.
Saira O'Mallie, UK campaigns manager at ONE Campaign, London, UK. @sairaomallie
Saira works as part of a global movement that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, London, UK. @the_mcquade
Aidan has over 13 years' experience in humanitarian response and development in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Angola.
Larissa Ocampo, online community manager at One Girl, Melbourne, Australia. @larissaocampo
Larissa focuses on empowering women and girls through education. She has previously written about charities and clicktivism.
Blossom Nnodim, public relations manager and blogger, Abuja, Nigeria. @blcompere
Blossom has a particular interest in social media, social good and social technology.
Want to hear about more events like this? Join our LinkedIn community
;