video activism and the Sister Cities for Peace Munich-New York City Project
Video activism is a growing means of quickly providing and exchanging information with other progressive activists and the wider public locally, nationally, and throughout the world.
In a media landscape dominated by multi-national corporations and national governments, in which information access is restricted to serve profit and established political interests, video activism is a means of creating and disseminating information in audio-visual form that is either complementary or contradictory to that provided by established channels.
Video activists help to link and motivate progressive groups throughout the world who experience that millions of other people think and act as they do. The reasons for these groups’ actions are most often not communicated on established media. Video activists allow the participants in non-established political life to talk for themselves.
Video activists can and have helped to create “instant” international outcries and support for opposition groups in dangerous situations by putting videos of these situations on the Internet within minutes of their happening. There is evidence that police attacks have been halted as a result of these new global publics.
The videos I am making for the Sister Cities for Peace Project document for our American partners the wide range of progressive peace activities taking place in Munich and document how the Munich-American Peace Committee’s integration into the Munich peace scene helps to cement bonds between the German and American peace movements.
The Munich videos show that on important issues like opposition to the war against Iraq, NATO, and the paragraph in the proposed EU Constitution requiring a rapid and continuing militarization, the progressive groups in Munich are united in action and have been for many years. We hope that this will encourage groups in the U.S. to continue to work together with us in the global peace movement.
www.munich-peace-videos.com |
