I was going to open a new thread about the possibility of having Glocals endorsed “International Free Burma Day” on the 4th/6th of October joining hundreds of thousands of blggers, forum moderators, web owners all over the world to put on one Banner that underlines the world “Free Burma” to show our community’s support and sympathy for those students, monks, and human rights advocates in Burma who are bitterly fighting the most brutal military regime in the world with merely their bare hands.
I was also going to invite, if interested, as many Glocalers and friends as possible who are also bloggers, facebookers, Flickr users and online forum moderators etc.. to join and experience this arguably the first global scale of Cyber-Activism aiming specifically to bring democracy and human rights to Burma, my neighboring nation, to support people who have lived their life under totalitarian and institutional violence since 1962, to help free Aung San Suu Kyi(many may know that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Laureate representing the 1990’s legally elected government which her party NLD won 392 out of 489 seats but election was annulled by the military regime), and to support the Monks and students in Burma’s recent uprising. This notorious military junta is defined as “Crime against Humanity” for its systematic abuses of human rights by the UN.
Then, I saw several posts advocating Glocals should remind neutral and political free. I wonder if my move would be considered as promoting a political agenda in the community.
I confess completely that this is a political agenda and would love too see Glocals be OFFICIALLY a part of this global campaign for a FREE BURMA at this critical and historical moment.
Last uprising was cracked down in 1988, hundreds of demonstrators were massacred by security forces and total media blockade was the reasons the regime dared to massacre so many innocent people, this shall not happen again!!
I was wondering, what does remain neutral and political free really mean? Or what extra values/qualities does this advocacy bring to this community?
I do not see why Glocals shouldn’t continue to maintain its already grown momentum and a vibrant discussion atmosphere at creating opportunities for members to find voices for new experiences and social concerns in local and global level!
Like any online community, Glocals is able to create important change both in individual values and civic life.
I also like to know how to remain Glocals politically free and if this is practically possible!
As when “we” “presumably” all value freedom of expression, social justice, humanity, value civil engagement and participation; we are political and are more than proud of being political as individuals and community as a whole. Honestly, I would be ashamed to be in a community that remains neutral or shies aways in critical issues like racism, global warming and Burma’s unbearable oppression.
Politics vs. Civic Engagement in Glocals
Of course, Glocals is not a political entity!
However, since when we stop asking NGOs, communities, corporate to be politically/socially responsible and actively response to critical issues facing humanity and the Mother Earth?
Since when social/political issues are exclusively under the arena of politicians and political entities!
Glocals is a dot.com by law; is a community by members’ sense of belonging and interaction. By law, site owner can legally decide which social/political issue to endorse but he/she is risking losing members who disagree with him/her. As a community, by a democratic process, a consensus can be reached via vibrant discussions (for instance if to endorse Global Free Burma Day on 4th and 6th), or even via simple online member survey.
If via a legitimate and open process, a consensus is being agreed, why can’t Glocals endorse a political/social issue as a whole? What harms can this move be?
As an individual member of a voluntary cyber community like Glocals, the ONLY way to ensure your view to be represented is through engagement and participation. Your absence or the concern that your view is not being represented, is not the reason to prevent other members from reaching a community consensus that "some"(no all, not likely to be ALL) participatory and active members decide to endorse, for example, an anti-racism campaign or a Global FREE BURMA Day.
