Megaphones or echo chambers?

Megaphones or echo chambers?

The Internet, dangerous speech and counter-messaging in Sri Lanka

Businesses, individuals, imam’s, women

Aluthgama incitement

Population growth, mosques, niqab, halal certification

The dangerous and hate speech by BBS, with complete impunity

Targets

• Women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, Christians and especially the evangelical Christian community, NGOs, rights activists, politicians from minority communities and even, tellingly, Buddhist priests who support religious harmony.

• People as targets, not just brick and mortar

The report• 10 August 2013: A Muslim prayer centre, the

Masjid Deenul Islam on Swarna Chaithya Road in Grandpass, Colombo

• 15 June 2014: The violence in Aluthgama directed against the Muslim community

• 20 Facebook pages, including first 10 comments on key posts at the time of the study

Key points• Content predominantly in Sinhala

• Requires context to understand and address

• Age group is 24 - 35, on many pages as low as 18

• Fans are similar to each other - a high degree of homophily (echo chambers), i.e. the world filtered through news-feeds of likeminded friends

Key points• Even the most offensive anti-Muslim sentiments

and statements had a growing audience and following in web based social media

• Social media content has a greater ‘virality’ and a ‘long-tail’

• Speech acts largely visual in nature, appealing to (and possibly created by) those as young as 18 (still in school)

Key points

• Anti-Muslim hate speech is generally, qualitatively more vicious than anti-LTTE sentiments even at the height of war

• High level of sophistication and planning around content production and online virality suggests individual pages could be part of larger, strategic group efforts

Key points

• SM content augmented rumours, a dominant form of discourse under authoritarian regimes.

• Facebook content is perceived as more trustworthy, independent (filtered through ‘friends’).

Observations

• The growth of hate speech in online fora does not guarantee another pogrom like July ‘83.

• Ideational justification key foundation for real world violence

Appropriation during elections• Many posts about Islam terrorism, Sharia law.

• Speech acts around conspiracies that promise to reveal secret agreements between opposition members and Muslims (politicians).

• Clear support for MR here.

• MR page as the polite, socially acceptable alter ego of the BBS.

Counter-messaging

• On Facebook: Buddhists Questioning the Bodu Bala Sena, Not In Our Name initiative, Mixed Riced initiative, Rally for Unity page

• If you can understand network dynamics, you can act in a timely manner to curtail dangerous and hate speech

Counter-messaging

Counter-messaging

#IvotedSL• The campaign calls on voters to take a public pledge that

they will exercise their right to vote on January 8th.

• An individual can signify this pledge by changing their profile/account picture and cover/banner page on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or any other social media platform.

• On election day those who take the pledge can share through social media a picture of the fifth digit (little finger) of their left hand which is marked with indelible ink using the hashtag #IVotedSL.

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

• ~1,000,000 first time voters (18 - 24)

• ~1,000,000 first time voters in 2010 (now around 28 at most)

• 1,200,000 Sri Lankans who are 18 - 34 on Facebook

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

#IvotedSL

Counter-messaging

Counter-messaging

Counter-messaging

#IcanchangeSL #YoucanchangeSL

#IcanchangeSL #YoucanchangeSL

• …as we all know, the work to shape Sri Lanka’s future doesn’t stop with electing a new president or a new government. Change will need to involve all of us as citizens in our various positions and roles in society.

#IcanchangeSL #YoucanchangeSL

• The campaign encourages us all to focus on what we can do in our individual capacities, as well as what other citizens in government, opposition politics, public services, business or our own neighbourhoods can do, to bring about change for good.

#IcanchangeSL #YoucanchangeSL• Use the hashtag (#icanChangeSL) to flag an action

that you took, a resolution you have made, or an example that you personally want to follow.

• “I just refused to pay a bribe to a public official #icanChangeSL”

• “I will speak up the next time I see a woman being harassed on the bus #icanChangeSL”

• “I am trying to learn about other religious beliefs #icanChangeSL”

#IcanchangeSL #YoucanchangeSL• Use the hashtag (#youcanChangeSL) to highlight an

example of a positive social practice, an inspiring news story, a request to a specific individual, or an aspiration for the country as a whole.

• “Don’t use ‘influence’ to get your son onto the school cricket team #youcanChangeSL”

• “Don’t just criticise public services, suggest how to improve them (with available resources) #youcanChangeSL”

• “Why don’t we establish a post A/L volunteer corps for Sri Lanka? #youcanChangeSL”

Thank youwww.groundviews.org | www.cpalanka.org