Activism, Art-ivism and Digital Media to Reduce Marginalisation: Sharing Experiences and Lessons from Brazil, Kenya, Syria, and Costa Rica

This guide is part of the AHRC e-Voices: Redressing Marginality International Network(http://evoices.cemp.ac.uk). The project ran in 2018 and 219 and brought together a global network of academics and practitioners to explore the theme of marginalisation and how digital media can be used to support marginalised groups to make their voices heard within and beyond the borders of their communities and promote social inclusion. During 2018 a range of events were held in the UK, Brazil, Kenya, Syria and Costa Rica to explore and share strategies and modalities implemented by activists and development organisations to fight marginalisation. This guide focuses on four emblematic case studies: (i) media activism in Brazil and how favela residents use digital media to foster community engagement and active citizenship; (ii) art-ivism, the use of art to serve activism causes, and how Kenyan artists use digital tools to promote a dialogue around human rights and power structures; (iii) digital media for social good and how development organisations working with displaced populations in Syria use digital technologies to foster peace and reconciliation in the country; and (iv) digital media for active citizenship and how the state of Costa Rica is working with arts and technologies to promote inclusion and well-being among the youth. This guide has four chapters, one per country, structured as follows: the context, two emblematic experiences in which media and arts are used to fight social inequalities, and a series of lessons learnt and challenges

Working With Marginalised Communities: Let’s talk about ethics

As researchers, members of NGOs, activists, and artists, we often work with marginalised communities. But how can we tell stories and work with people without putting them at risk

South-to-South dialogues between Brazilian and Kenyan artivists: decolonial and intersectional feminist perspectives

In this article, we analyze experiences in which Brazilian and Kenyan artivists (artists who are activists) used animation to challenge colonial hierarchies that devalue Global Southern knowledges, histories, and stories. We draw from ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews, and artivists’ experiences in two animation workshops: (a) Portrait of Marielle, produced with Kenyan artivists in Nairobi; (b) Homage to Wangarĩ Maathai, produced with Brazilian artivists in Salvador. We ask: how can artivist creative practices be used as tools for global movement building, contesting the colonial legacy of fragmented relationships between Global South peoples? We evoke decolonial and standpoint intersectional feminist perspectives to propose an understanding of artivism that considers the specificities of Global South contexts, connecting it to two axes: (a) establishing dialogical spaces and (b) mobilizing memories and histories. Our understanding of South-to-South artivist dialogues results from the ways in which notions of “pluriversality,” “incompleteness” and “humility,” which stem from Latin American and African scholarship are intertwined. When marginalized groups exchange “situated knowledges” and express themselves through artivism from “intersectional standpoints” or “lugares de fala,” this can have a binding nature, creating transformative connections between Global South peoples

South-to-South dialogues between Brazilian and Kenyan artivists: decolonial and intersectional feminist perspectives

In this article, we analyze experiences in which Brazilian and Kenyan artivists (artists who are activists) used animation to challenge colonial hierarchies that devalue Global Southern knowledges, histories, and stories. We draw from ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews, and artivists’ experiences in two animation workshops: (a) Portrait of Marielle, produced with Kenyan artivists in Nairobi; (b) Homage to Wangarĩ Maathai, produced with Brazilian artivists in Salvador. We ask: how can artivist creative practices be used as tools for global movement building, contesting the colonial legacy of fragmented relationships between Global South peoples? We evoke decolonial and standpoint intersectional feminist perspectives to propose an understanding of artivism that considers the specificities of Global South contexts, connecting it to two axes: (a) establishing dialogical spaces and (b) mobilizing memories and histories. Our understanding of South-to-South artivist dialogues results from the ways in which notions of “pluriversality,” “incompleteness” and “humility,” which stem from Latin American and African scholarship are intertwined. When marginalized groups exchange “situated knowledges” and express themselves through artivism from “intersectional standpoints” or “lugares de fala,” this can have a binding nature, creating transformative connections between Global South peoples

The Stepping into Visibility Model: Mapping out Visibility Journeys and their Consequences for Mediactivists from the Global South. (Modelo de Escalas da Visibilidade: Mapeando Percursos de Visibilidade e suas Consequências para Midiativistas do Sul Global)

In this article, we develop the Stepping into Visibility Model, mapping out the visibility journeys of mediactivists from Global South countries. Drawing from digital ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews, we apply the model to two case studies: a) activists in a Brazilian favela and their use of social media for protection against police violence (Maré Vive) and b) a Kenyan photographer who produces images of Nairobi at night to discuss social anxiety themes (Msingi Sasis). The study provides a theoretical discussion on mediactivism and analyses the multiple facets entailed in the concept of “visibility. We hope to offer a contribution to activists from marginalised communities by helping them become stronger when stepping into negative unintended visibilit

Pattern and degree of left ventricular remodeling following a tailored surgical approach for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Background The role of a tailored surgical approach for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on regional ventricular remodelling remains unknown. The aims of this study were to evaluate the pattern, extent and functional impact of regional ventricular remodelling after a tailored surgical approach. Methods From 2005 to 2008, 44 patients with obstructive HCM underwent tailored surgical intervention. Of those, 14 were ineligible for cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) studies. From the remainder, 14 unselected patients (42±12 years) underwent pre- and post-operative CMR studies at a median 12 months post-operatively (range 4-37 months). Regional changes in left ventricular (LV) thickness as well as global LV function following surgery were assessed using CMR Tools (London, UK). Results Pre-operative mean echocardiographic septal thickness was 21±4 mm and mean LV outflow gradient was 69±32 mmHg. Following surgery, there was a significant degree of regional regression of LV thickness in all segments of the LV, ranging from 16% in the antero-lateral midventricular segment to 41% in the anterior basal segment. Wall thickening was significantly increased in basal segments but showed no significant change in the midventricular or apical segments. Globally, mean indexed LV mass decreased significantly after surgery (120±29g/m2 versus 154±36g/m2; p<0.001). There was a trend for increased indexed LV end-diastolic volume (70±13 mL versus 65±11 mL; p=0.16) with a normalization of LV ejection fraction (68±7% versus 75±9%; p<0.01). Conclusion Following a tailored surgical relief of outflow obstruction for HCM, there is a marked regional reverse LV remodelling. These changes could have a significant impact on overall ventricular dynamics and function

Using photo-elicitation to explore social representations of community multimedia centers in Mozambique.

Ten Mozambican Community Multimedia Centers (CMCs) were investigated by analyzing Social Representations of users and staff members. Photo-elicitation, an underexplored methodological approach in the domain of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), was employed to conduct the study, and a three-step qualitative content analysis was performed on both visual and textual data. Results tend to confirm and build upon outcomes from the existing literature on Public Access Venues (PAVs). Local communities value these centers because they bring social recognition to people working or learning there. The venues are associated with a symbolism that extends from the social recognition of the individual to the development and social inclusion of the whole community, which, because of the presence of the venue, does not feel left behind. In this vein, the study also shows that the importance of CMCs is often not related to the newest technology available, but to the technology that reaches the most of the community. The study also highlights neglected dimensions of CMCs, such as the importance of the exterior appearance of the venue, and the perception of a switch in their nature from static centers funded by third parties towards more entrepreneurial-driven ones. The presented research also contributes to the ICT4D field by proposing a promising research protocol, which is able to elicit representations otherwise difficult to obtain

Exploring the meanings of community multimedia centers in Mozambique: a social representation perspective

This article presents extensive research conducted in Mozambique that aims to deeply understand how different social groups understand community multimedia centers (CMCs), which are structures combining a community radio and a telecenter. The social representations theory was adopted to interpret narratives of 231 interviewees from 10 Mozambican provinces. Interviewees included representatives of initiating agencies, local staff members, CMC users (both the radio and telecenter components), users of only the community radio, and community members not using the CMCs. Following the analysis of transcribed interviews, six main clusters were identified, each of them shedding light on a specific understanding of a CMC. These are discussed according to a set of sociodemographic variables. This study suggests that the social representations theory is a valuable framework to provide an integrated view of ICT4D interventions by giving a voice to local perspectives without overlooking the initiating agencies' expectations

Exploring the meanings of community multimedia centers in Mozambique : a social representations perspective

This article presents extensive research conducted in Mozambique that aims to deeply understand how different social groups understand community multimedia centers (CMCs), which are structures combining a community radio and a telecenter. The social representations theory was adopted to interpret narratives of 231 interviewees from 10 Mozambican provinces. Interviewees included representatives of initiating agencies, local staff members, CMC users (both the radio and telecenter components), users of only the community radio, and community members not using the CMCs. Following the analysis of transcribed interviews, six main clusters were identified, each of them shedding light on a specific understanding of a CMC. These are discussed according to a set of sociodemographic variables. This study suggests that the social representations theory is a valuable framework to provide an integrated view of ICT4D interventions by giving a voice to local perspectives without overlooking the initiating agencies’ expectations

Metastatic tumors to the stomach: clinical and endoscopic features.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical and endoscopic patterns in a large series of patients with metastatic tumors in the stomach. METHODS: A total of 64 patients with gastric metastases from solid malignant tumors were retrospectively examined between 1990 and 2005. The clinicopathological findings were reviewed along with tumor characteristics such as endoscopic pattern, location, size and origin of the primary sites. RESULTS: Common indications for endoscopy were anemia, bleeding and epigastric pain. Metastases presented as solitary (62.5%) or multiple (37.5%) tumors were mainly located in the middle or upper third of stomach. The main primary metastatic tumors were from breast and lung cancer and malignant melanoma. CONCLUSION: As the prognosis of cancer patients has been improving gradually, gastrointestinal (GI) metastases will be encountered more often. Endoscopic examinations should be conducted carefully in patients with malignancies, and endoscopic biopsies and information on the patient's clinical history are useful for correct diagnosis of gastric metastases