Speaking at the session on ‘Campaigning Online,’ Michelle Odayan, Agenda’s Executive Director, provided non-governmental organisations with a few guidelines that will enable them to make online tools work for their organisations to further their campaigns.

How do we harness online technologies for social change?
1. Capacity and knowledge development
2. Communication and collaboration…
3. Raising awareness…use the different kinds of tools available such as E-community through the website
4. Publishing
5. Advance your work out to the outside world, means and ways in which gain support and marketing
On the whole, Odayan maintains that, “Tools in the right hands and the right skills can generate great know-how.”

Speaking to the convergence of mobile phones and information communication technology (ICT), Odayan argued that, “Rather than advocating for every community to have a computer, we should rather harness cell phone usage." In line with this argument, she referred to research that shows that a larger percent of rural people use cell phone as opposed to computers.”

As part of her presentation she referred to Pambazuka Online as an example of an online communication tool that has resulted in a “Vibrant debate on critical issues related to social justice in the region.”

South African context of campaigning online:
It is important to note that very few campaigns, online or otherwise, are sustainable in South Africa. In this regard, Odayan refers to the yearly campaign to end violence against women and children. Although African campaigns are slowly gaining momentum, South Africa within the continent has not been able to sustain such activities on a long-term basis. In her argument empaphised that South Africa needs to initiate campaigns that are sustainable and do no rely on a particular event.

Odayan called for more effective coordination and structure claiming that, “Campaigns die because there isn’t coordination.” In her closing remarks, Odayan made the point that there needs to be a global call for online campaigns. 

“If we are talking about online campaigns, the possibilities are great. But realistically we sill have a very long way to go,” states that Aadila Molale, SANGONeT Manager: NGO Directories, in her presentation during the session. 3.5 million people in South African have internet access that equals 8% of the population, which makes it very hard to online campaigns to take root in South Africa.

Although online campaigning enables people to be politically active just from your desk top at work, Molale states that “Locally we still have a ways to go.” She also notes that although South African NGOs have not yet joined the international world in using online campaigns to further their causes, they do have online tools at their disposal that enable the organisation to communicate with other online like-minded NGOs. 

In line with this argument, Molale highlighted the Human Rights Directory: a Foundation for Human Rights Project which assists and encourages networking amongst the public and NGOs.

The comments that came from the floor:

• The majority of the people in South Africa are illiterate and this will greatly impact on online campaigns. There is a challenge in rural areas of a lack of infrastructure…
• One delegate noted that the key to online campaigning is participation. Although people do not have access to the worldwide web they do have cell phones that they can use to reach people and mobile them.
• Email newsletter is quite effective in spreading information.

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