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PortoAlegre.cc: Giving A City Back to Its Citizens
Several new projects are trying to use cyberspace as a platform to help citizens build an information network and share information about their cities. One effort that has achieved significant traction is PortoAlegre.cc, a platform for the citizens of Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil to interact, share information about their city, and mobilize for cause.… more
Social Media and Public Sphere: The #VetaDilma Movement and Brazil's Forests
Today Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vetoed several parts of a controversial forest bill that had been approved by Brazil’s Congress and promoted by powerful agricultural interests. Until today, it was unclear how President Rousseff would decide and she did not opt for a full veto, which is what environmentalists had pushed for. But in recent weeks millions of Brazilians protested the bill, both online and offline.… more
Brazil: Kids Using Digital Media to Teach Each Other, Change Culture
Last year, Rio de Janeiro saw the birth of a new type of battle in the streets of the favelas: the "Small Step Battle.” In this battle, hundreds of kids and teenagers from the poor parts of Rio are fighting with a major weapon: dance steps. Everyday, kids are posting videos of themselves performing creative and often very difficult 'funk' dance steps on YouTube. These videos are now a fever: some have millions of viewers.… more