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1. 1 media/ypp.600.jpg media/Header_Civicnetworks.jpeg 2014-05-28T14:11:36-07:00 Liana Gamber-Thompson 4d10e39d773c91f7aa7133dc1fd8bdeb8a267e42 All Individuals, Groups and Organizations Diana Lee 16 Alphabetical List of Organizations plain 2014-07-15T11:01:57-07:00 Diana Lee 0c994d7f9dc5ee78dc93d8c823c300c060b9c890

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1. 1 media/png;base64a91b562c126c8d94.png media/png (2).png 2014-04-22T09:57:47-07:00 Gabriel Peters-Lazaro 3bc3965831120bc593545fef6d0da73657e21ea0 Project Background Sangita Shresthova 10 plain 2014-06-06T12:43:26-07:00 Sangita Shresthova 497a02d289c277275bc5ece441097deedf8135e7
2. 1 media/organizations-combined-image.jpg media/Header civic networks.jpg 2014-05-23T09:29:54-07:00 Samantha Close f42637f3cf8f8e584095341d3b0809f178e3d449 Civic Organizations Diana Lee 6 gallery 2014-07-15T11:05:45-07:00 Diana Lee 0c994d7f9dc5ee78dc93d8c823c300c060b9c890
3. 1 2014-05-28T14:07:17-07:00 Liana Gamber-Thompson 4d10e39d773c91f7aa7133dc1fd8bdeb8a267e42 Connect Diana Lee 5 plain 2014-07-15T11:03:01-07:00 Diana Lee 0c994d7f9dc5ee78dc93d8c823c300c060b9c890
4. 1 2014-05-28T14:05:33-07:00 Liana Gamber-Thompson 4d10e39d773c91f7aa7133dc1fd8bdeb8a267e42 Tell Stories Diana Lee 4 plain 2014-07-14T18:36:01-07:00 Diana Lee 0c994d7f9dc5ee78dc93d8c823c300c060b9c890
5. 1 2014-06-12T09:43:48-07:00 Raffi Sarkissian ea4d223e7e677fefa407ef0510a69291f3210963 Citizenship Liana Gamber-Thompson 3 plain 2014-06-23T14:13:24-07:00 Liana Gamber-Thompson 4d10e39d773c91f7aa7133dc1fd8bdeb8a267e42
6. 1 2014-05-28T14:08:25-07:00 Liana Gamber-Thompson 4d10e39d773c91f7aa7133dc1fd8bdeb8a267e42 Mobilize Diana Lee 3 plain 2014-07-14T18:37:46-07:00 Diana Lee 0c994d7f9dc5ee78dc93d8c823c300c060b9c890
7. 1 2014-06-23T12:52:47-07:00 Samantha Close f42637f3cf8f8e584095341d3b0809f178e3d449 Multi-Issue Samantha Close 2 Collection of groups tackling multiple civic issues plain 2014-06-23T12:53:31-07:00 Samantha Close f42637f3cf8f8e584095341d3b0809f178e3d449

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• 1 media/JLeavitt-Remix-Authorship.jpg 2013-10-30T17:19:56-07:00 Remix 11 split 2013-12-09T12:03:37-08:00

  How can appropriating and remixing content from popular culture lead to new kinds of political consciousness? And, how do activists who use remix and appropriate existing media in their campaigns resolve issues around copyright?

  We are seeing examples of the merging of the identities of fans and citizens across a range of political movements -- most spectacularly in our work through the Harry Potter Alliance and the Nerdfighters, but also in the use of remix for political expression via the Occupy Wall Street movement (like the Pepper Spray Cop memes), the protests against Gov. Walker in Wisconsin,  “Binders of Women” during the 2012 Presidential Campaign, and the use of the Guy Fawkes mask, most closely associated in the United States with V for Vendetta, by a range of activist groups, including Anonymous. Remix promotes a mode of political speech that can be easy to understand, funny and powerful. It contrasts with the policy wonk language that often excludes youth from meaningful participation. Show how remix can change the meanings associated with pre-existing images. Use a series of memes as an example of remix practice. Copyright can be seen as “private censorship”  that silences a particular kind of expression. But creative activists need to understand the basic criteria of Fair Use and make informed choices as they quote and circulate pre-existing media. Learn how you can use it to defend appropriating existing media by making sure your remix work intends to be: transformative (How much of the original are you using?), critical (proving critical commentary), and non commercial (you are not making $). Real World Example: The First Day Fast music video is a parody of the popular radio hip hop song “Birthday Sex”. The Fast video is very effective in creatively maintain the melody and rhyme structure of the original song while completing changing the meaning. The playful nature of the video as well adds to the comical juxtaposition of the original song and it’s new lyrics. The song speaks to specific issues and struggles of fasting but delivers a humorous message of encouragement to those going through the process. It shifts the emphasis of pop music away from sex and romance towards addressing the everyday experience of a marginalized population. The amount of stylistic detail in both music and video reappropriate the projected values of the popular medium to the specificities of the Islamic experience. It must be noted that though most of the youtube responses were positive, there were a couple individuals who were offended by what they perceived was a conflation of sex with an Islamic holiday.

• 1 media/medialibrarythumbnailsscreenshot.jpg 2013-10-30T17:18:54-07:00 Confessional / direct address 9 plain 2014-07-17T16:59:14-07:00 With the advent of personal webcams and the development of video sharing networks, the confessional/direct address style has greatly developed. In traditional filmmaking practices, directly addressing (or even looking into) the camera was highly discouraged, as it was thought to disrupts the audience's "suspension of disbelief" or immersion into the film's storyworld. Directly addressing the camera was sanctioned only for news programs in which the reporter looked into the camera to give a sense of proximity to the audience, as if they were talking directly to the television viewer at home.
  This sense of intimacy and direct conversation continues to be the underlying effect, and often intent, of making direct address or confessional videos.  The image of someone at their computer mirrors that of the audience member, creating an illusion of direct, simultaneous conversation. Though in reality they often act as video letters that are exchanged back and forth amongst groups and individuals. 
  The Harry Potter Alliance in particular often broadcast their group video chats around discussions or have individual channels set up to address the general public as well as respond to each others' previous posts. The "How to Change World" video for example shows one member Lauren responding to Julian's video post about the importance of voting. Her video develops his discussion by adding further logical arguments about the role of communication and community building as part of the voting process. Additionally, at the end of the video she elicits viewers to submit their own videos to add their voices to the conversation.
  Similarly, Hank and John Green (the Vlog Brothers) respond to each other about important topics but often with a more educational twist, relating to science and history. John's "Revolution in Egypt: A 4-Minute Introduction" is in response to his brother Hank, but focuses on developing a factual backstory to a topical political situation more so than delivering a personal confession or opinion.
• 1 2013-08-05T11:34:46-07:00 “Decreasing World Suck” 8 How Fan Activists Tap Content Worlds Written by Neta Kligler-Vilenchik split 2014-01-08T10:45:47-08:00 The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA), a non-profit organization established in 2005, encourages civic and political engagement amongst Harry Potter fans by using metaphors from J. K. Rowling’s best-selling fantasy series. When the HPA was established, Harry Potter fandom was at its peak: two of the books had not yet come out, the movie series was just gaining steam, and the fan community was thriving. Yet even a 7-book, 8-movie series that has become a world phenomenon ends at some point. In terms of release of original content, that end came in July 2011, with the release of the last movie in the Harry Potter series. At that time, many feared that the fandom was also dissolving . At Leakycon 2011, a grassroots fan convention, young fans were talking about “the end of an era”, linking the series’ conclusion to their own ending childhood. As one HPA member puts it, with some degree of overstatement, “so obviously Harry Potter is over, sadly” (Daniela, 23). What happens to a civic organization that grounds itself in the connection to a prominent content world, when that content world increasingly loses its traction? The HPA tried to pre-empt this question by launching the “Imagine Better” Project in July 2011. The idea: applying the approach that has proven successful for the HPA—connecting fans around story worlds they love to create real world change -- to collaborations with other fandoms. The HPA can be seen as a prime example of fan activism—harnessing fan enthusiasm toward real world change. Yet at the same time one may ask, to what extent is the example of the HPA a singular one? The Harry Potter phenomenon, after all, has been a remarkable success, with a generation of children “growing up with Harry”. This fan community was recognized as a particularly active and creative one -- among the first major fandoms to emerge alongside the internet and employed its increasing affordances. Moreover, many of the themes of the books seem particularly resonant with real-world issues, complemented by J.K. Rowling’s own history working for Amnesty International. Much like Invisible Children, the HPA uses media production and circulation to direct attention onto issues their members care about and in the process, to try to reshape the cultural and political agenda. Yet this model is not the only possible approach to fan activism. Consider the example of the Nerdfighters. Nerdfighters are an informal online community that took shape around the YouTube channel of the Vlogbrothers, John and Hank Green. The two brothers upload two videos a week, about “nothing in particular”, though always with their unique look and feel, including a fast pace of speech, multiple jump cuts, and elaborate use of inside jokes and jargon. Nerdfighters are not connected around a fictional content world, but rather around their affiliation with the Vlogbrothers and a broader “nerd” identity, yet the group has developed a shared social agenda, broadly characterized as “decreasing world suck”. Beyond the Vlogbrothers’ own videos discussing current affairs (e.g. “Revolution in Egypt: a 4 minute introduction”), the young participants also are creating and posting their own videos in support of diverse charities and non-profits. The Nerdfighters have shown a capacity to mobilize rapidly around short-term, high impact civic goals: for example, the Foundation to Decrease World Suck raised $483, 296 in two days in 2012. According to John Green, the group’s civic goals are: Very very much at the center of Nerdfighteria and I don’t think that there really is a community without that commitment to decreasing world suck or, as Hank likes to say, ‘increasing world awesome’. Building on these three case studies (the HPA, Imagine Better and the Nerdfighters), this chapter explores the intersection of fan communities, content worlds, and participatory politics. The HPA demonstrates how a civic organization can translate fan enthusiasms into civic and political action. The Imagine Better Project raises questions about whether such a model can be “generalized” towards other fan communities. The Nerdfighters, finally, show that civic goals can be achieved by an interest community without one shared content world. Through these case studies, this chapter will explore two theoretical concepts: fan activism and content worlds.
  Suggested Activity
• 1 media/medialibrarythumbnailsscreenshot.jpg 2013-10-30T17:19:28-07:00 Fiction / Narrative 7 plain 2014-07-03T15:23:07-07:00 Fiction or narrative storytelling can be a creative way to deal with political and social issues by imagining hypothetical scenarios or characters that illustrate a specific point. Fiction allows a wide range of freedom for the storyteller to experiment with different characters, situations, and outcomes. Often grounded in past experiences or present circumstances, fiction can present hybrid portraits of personality types or hypothetical futures. 
  Additionally, fictional characters and stories within popular culture can often become powerful sites for community building. The Harry Potter Alliance for example is a strong example of storyworlds that become shared topics in which disparate groups can come together and start a conversation.  With many of the groups, the initial meaning of the stories are expanded or reinterpreted to provide deeper social value to inspiring, fantastical narratives. For example, ......... uses Superman as a example of the powerful potential of immigrants since he himself is an Alien immigrant from another planet.
  .... 

This page references:

• 1 2013-08-05T11:34:46-07:00 “Decreasing World Suck” 8 How Fan Activists Tap Content Worlds Written by Neta Kligler-Vilenchik split 2014-01-08T10:45:47-08:00
• 1 2013-10-15T14:59:48-07:00 Orphans vs. Empires: Andrew Slack at TEDxYouth@SanDiego 3 Andrew Slack shares how the universal story of the orphan versus the evil empire (think Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Superman, Luke Skywalker and, of course,... plain 2014-07-07T23:00:37-07:00 YouTube 2013-01-18T03:53:00.000Z video pQYvliWUfng Nonprofit TEDxYouth
• 1 2013-10-15T14:57:39-07:00 The Harry Potter Alliance, A History 3 This video was shown at our fifth anniversary celebrations in Somerville, MA on October 10th, 2010. A huge thank you to all of the wrock bands, guest speaker... plain 2014-06-25T00:39:14-07:00 YouTube 2010-11-12T15:55:25.000Z video CddHOmhFXxQ Nonprofit thehpalliance
• 1 2013-08-12T10:31:52-07:00 Accio Books: LeakyCon Edition 3 We're bringing Accio Books to LeakyCon Portland! Pack one book to donate at our Charity Row booth anytime during the conference. Books are being donated to B... plain 2014-07-07T22:44:45-07:00 YouTube 2013-06-24T04:20:11.000Z video B6uPyGV_iHA Nonprofit thehpalliance
• 1 2013-08-05T12:45:56-07:00 How To Change the World 3 If you want to change the world, you have to start by changing yourself. Make a response video telling us, in one or two sentences, why you vote! Follow the ... plain 2014-07-07T22:47:03-07:00 YouTube 2012-09-13T21:59:39.000Z video K4Z7HBxNB0A Nonprofit thehpalliance
• 1 2013-08-12T10:31:51-07:00 Books on FIRE 2 In celebration of the upcoming Banned Books Week, I go through the reasons why some of the books in my home library were banned. What's your favorite banned ... plain 2014-07-07T22:49:25-07:00 YouTube 2012-09-29T00:41:00.000Z video id3IAJwhaB8 Nonprofit thehpalliance
• 1 2013-10-15T14:59:06-07:00 Why I Can't Go to LeakyCon 2 Hi, I'm Julian, and this video is bigger than me, this is about defining what it means to be an American. 12 million Americans are made to live in the cupboa... plain 2014-07-07T22:42:57-07:00 YouTube 2012-07-31T20:23:22.000Z video 0nKuPo_V1Rc Nonprofit thehpalliance
• 1 2014-06-13T12:43:16-07:00 Harry Potter Alliance Logo 1 plain 2014-06-13T12:43:16-07:00