Facebook Rallies Millions for Peace in Colombia Comments
In the wake of Super Tuesday, I should be talking about how Facebook has mobilized young voters or perhaps how social media helped raised record numbers for Obama in January. This Monday, however, Facebook contributed to a much more pressing and global political phenomenon:
“BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Colombians wearing white T-shirts marched in their homeland and abroad Monday to demand the country’s largest rebel group stop kidnapping people and release those it holds.
The idea of the protests against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, was born less than a month ago on the social networking Web site Facebook, and nearly 100,000 people in 165 cities around the world confirmed their participation.” Click here for the full article
I became the 276,882 member of the influential Facebook Group, Un Millon De Voces Contra La FARC | A Million Voices Against FARC.
Facebook, and the social web at large, has democratized media, empowering millions to mobilize against injustice. What started as a Facebook Group evolved into a global demonstration: 500,000 to 2 million marches in Bogota, 2,000 people in marched in Venezuela’s capital wearing white T-Shirts, hundreds of demonstrators marched with anti FARC slogans in Mexico City, Panama and Argentina. “In Stockholm, protesters bowed their heads for a minute of silence, while a couple dozen people in Hungary protested for an hour outside parliament. Television images showed Colombians and Americans at rallies in Washington, New York and Miami. Others joined events in Paris and Madrid.”
“Colombia’s government says the FARC is holding more than 700 hostages, including three U.S. military contractors and former French-Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt”
Imagine the effect YOU could have. If you are passionate about a cause and you want some advice with leveraging social media to raise awareness, leave a comment and I’ll connect with you with some ideas.
