If you didn’t know me, you’d think that I’m a guy who goes around setting off revolutions everywhere I touch down on the globe. That’s because in the past couple of months, my work for EchoDitto sent me to places now experiencing political shifts that will definitely change those countries, and possibly change the world. To say I’m a lucky guy to have been a part of those changes is an understatement. I’m lucky to have been there and to have lived to tell the tale.
Seriously, fomenting revolution in places like Lebanon is injurious to your health.
Case in point, my last days in Beruit, where I worked in cooperation with Spirit of America to set up Pulse of Freedom— the blog of Lebanon’s pro-democracy movement. My last two days included fairly violent protests, where a couple of the people I know had their shoulders dislocated and the such, and our continued presence was...dangerous, to say the least. Now Lebanon is preparing for democratic elections, following the withdrawal of Syrian troops.
Before going to Lebanon, I had an opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom for some strategizing with the Liberal Democrats. We worked together to evaluate their web presence and plan tactics for gathering information, raising awareness of their positions, and increasing their visibility. When the dust settled after yesterday’s election in Britain, a few things were clear. Yes, Blair is hanging around, but with a seriously weakend majority. Conservatives made some gains, but the big news is that the Liberal Democrats picked up more votes than any other party. It’s safe to say there’s been a major shift in Britain.
So, am I a guy who sets off revolutions everywhere he goes? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s definitely exciting for EchoDitto—and me—to have played a part in two of the major global political shifts of the day. Internet-based grassroots organizing is the burgeoning path to reform and political participation in places like Lebanon and certainly in the United Kingdom. For example, in Lebanon, we helped give the pro-independence/pro-democracy opposition members a voice in the international stage, a voice that traditional international media largely ignored during the two months of national protests. In the meantime, we also exposed a group of young, driven, future leaders in Lebanon to the power of internet organizing.
The revolution will most certainly not be televised.
