Nigerian Girls

[Guest MattP]

So, did everyone on social media asking nicely for them to "bring back our girls" work? Nothing on the news about it for ages;

 

Safe to assume all is good now?

 

#michelleobama #bringbackourgirls #wewontforget

[Captain...]

Social media has already disposed of Joseph Kony and cured Cancer, I wouldn't be surprised if they have rescued the Nigerian girls too.

 

Zuckerberg for Nobel peace prize

[Guest MattP]

Social media has already disposed of Joseph Kony and cured Cancer, I wouldn't be surprised if they have rescued the Nigerian girls too.

 

Zuckerberg for Nobel peace prize

 

I can't believe they haven't been released, we all asked them really nicely, do Boko Haram have Twitter?

 

Maybe they'll turn up on flight MH370.

[leicsmac]

Proof, if any more were needed, that hashtagivism is daft and facile.

 

It's the modern equivalent of the 'strongly-worded letter'.

 

That being said, the ones with the power to actually do anything about this seem to be sitting with their thumbs up their collective recta too so there you go.

[Captain...]

Maybe there needs to be the equivalent of the no make up selfie, how about all the girls do a selfie of them blacked up and with a headscarf, #weareallthesameontheinsideevenifsomeareprettierontheoutsideandyouknowaren'tcoveredinflies

[Bellend Sebastian]

It's the modern equivalent of the 'strongly-worded letter'.

 

 

I think a strongly worded letter - or at least, a coherent letter with reasoned arguments politely put across, and importantly, sent to someone that can actually do something about the issue is a pretty good approach.

 

Infinitely better than petitions - hey look, here's a list of people that care about this so much they took the time to write their name down, or clicked on a link.  You might as well just send your MP some pages out of the phone book and claim they're all on board

[Merging Cultures]

Proof, if any more were needed, that hashtagivism is daft and facile.

Along with wearing rubber bracelets.

The sad thing is though people really think they are making a difference. Just like people who come to Africa on short term mission trips. They look at some babies, tour the slums and go home. Pointless.

[leicsmac]

I think a strongly worded letter - or at least, a coherent letter with reasoned arguments politely put across, and importantly, sent to someone that can actually do something about the issue is a pretty good approach.

 

Infinitely better than petitions - hey look, here's a list of people that care about this so much they took the time to write their name down, or clicked on a link.  You might as well just send your MP some pages out of the phone book and claim they're all on board

 

Well, I guess Amnesty International has made a long and pretty successful business out of strongly-worded letters so you have a point. There is a difference between them and hashtags in terms of substance, but the idea is the same. But whereas letters could (sometimes) get the job done, internet petitions/Twitter campaigns do nothing with the people that matter except in really exceptional cases.

 

 

Along with wearing rubber bracelets.

The sad thing is though people really think they are making a difference. Just like people who come to Africa on short term mission trips. They look at some babies, tour the slums and go home. Pointless.

 

The only thing I can think that's good for is putting a little money into the local economy, but I doubt it's getting to the people that really need it anyway.

 

You want to make a difference, it takes a lot of time and effort, actually being in the place you want to change.

[Captain...]

I can't believe they haven't been released, we all asked them really nicely, do Boko Haram have Twitter?

 

Maybe they'll turn up on flight MH370.

 

It seems they have noticed the lack of social media attention and decided to kidnap some more people so they can start trending again:

 

 

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped at least 20 young mothers near a town in northeast of Nigeria where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted nearly two months ago.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2653934/Boko-Haram-militants-kidnap-40-young-mothers-near-village-250-schoolgirls-seized.html#ixzz34Q3HzsNc

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The latest twitter campaign is: Mothers I'd Like Freed

 

Eveyone start using #MILF and they will be free in no time.

[Merging Cultures]

Well, I guess Amnesty International has made a long and pretty successful business out of strongly-worded letters so you have a point. There is a difference between them and hashtags in terms of substance, but the idea is the same. But whereas letters could (sometimes) get the job done, internet petitions/Twitter campaigns do nothing with the people that matter except in really exceptional cases.

 

The only thing I can think that's good for is putting a little money into the local economy, but I doubt it's getting to the people that really need it anyway.

 

You want to make a difference, it takes a lot of time and effort, actually being in the place you want to change.

 

I agree, advocacy organisations, like Amnesty, have done quite well in getting a number of laws changed. #tags can create pressure on politicians, but they know that there will be a different trend next week.

 

Very little money gets in to the local economy. A few weeks ago, when I went to 'build a house' with a group of about 10 people, each of them spent $2,000+ on the flights, the house they built cost just $3,500 materials and labor. The really sad thing was that the local leader told the community how much they had spent to get there. I'd have been super pissed that I was getting a house with no insulation, no inside toilet or running water, built by amateurs. Hopefully those people will go home and raise tons of money to build more houses, hopefully built by professionals. The organisation I was volunteering with is a good one, but still the model is a bit weird.

[Captain...]

I agree, advocacy organisations, like Amnesty, have done quite well in getting a number of laws changed. #tags can create pressure on politicians, but they know that there will be a different trend next week.

 

Very little money gets in to the local economy. A few weeks ago, when I went to 'build a house' with a group of about 10 people, each of them spent $2,000+ on the flights, the house they built cost just $3,500 materials and labor. The really sad thing was that the local leader told the community how much they had spent to get there. I'd have been super pissed that I was getting a house with no insulation, no inside toilet or running water, built by amateurs. Hopefully those people will go home and raise tons of money to build more houses, hopefully built by professionals. The organisation I was volunteering with is a good one, but still the model is a bit weird.

 

$2,000 on flights, how much on accomodation and food? Surely it would make more sense to send the money for flights ($20,000 + $3,500) to an aid company in Africa to build the houses, but then you don't get the sense of self-satisfaction of building it with your own hands, despite probably having little experience in construction.

 

Typically these are done by "volunteers", but the "volunteers" pay for their own flights and accomodation, as much as I don't want to knock volunteers for trying to do something selfless, they would be providing a lot more by donating their money rather than paying for the flights to volunteer their time, manual labour is cheap in Africa, they need money not labour, but then they don't get their "experience" and they can't tell their friends how rewarding it was...

[Merging Cultures]

$2,000 on flights, how much on accomodation and food? Surely it would make more sense to send the money for flights ($20,000 + $3,500) to an aid company in Africa to build the houses, but then you don't get the sense of self-satisfaction of building it with your own hands, despite probably having little experience in construction.

 

Typically these are done by "volunteers", but the "volunteers" pay for their own flights and accomodation, as much as I don't want to knock volunteers for trying to do something selfless, they would be providing a lot more by donating their money rather than paying for the flights to volunteer their time, manual labour is cheap in Africa, they need money not labour, but then they don't get their "experience" and they can't tell their friends how rewarding it was...

 

Well, yes. That was my point. #tags, bracelets, voluntourism, etc make people feel good, but have very little impact and the resources could be used much more effectively.

[Houdini Logic]

Yep, let's ban people from sharing their opinions on social media unless they're prepared to fly to Africa and dig wells or fight militants

[Captain...]

Yep, let's ban people from sharing their opinions on social media unless they're prepared to fly to Africa and dig wells or fight militants

 

We're also banning people from flying to Africa to dig wells.

[Parafox]

I thought there was going to be a link to some dodgy interracial porn site.

[Merging Cultures]

We're also banning people from flying to Africa to dig wells.

 

Definitely.

 

Unless you have a skill that adds value (e.g. nurse, doctor, accountant, finance, IT) etc Africa doesn't need your help. They have plenty of unemployed people who can dig.

[Finnegan]

It seems they have noticed the lack of social media attention and decided to kidnap some more people so they can start trending again:

The latest twitter campaign is: Mothers I'd Like Freed

Eveyone start using #MILF and they will be free in no time.

lol!!

[Trav Le Bleu]

It's called "raising awareness", despite the fact that those with the power and ability will be only too aware, because that's their job; as will those with the desire, but lack of ability/power, because they care. Thankfully, "raising awareness" means that those who wouldn't call 999 if their neighbour's house was on fire until it reach their's, also know about important stuff which they will forget as soon as they've finished peeing on a homeless person. (An activity that can take on a whole new angle if done by a woman.)

[lgfualol]

I did a tweet saying #bringbackourgirls to my 35 followers. Hopefully this leads to info on where some islamists in Nigeria have taken them.

[Guest MattP]

Nothing to fear now, Gordon Brown says they haven't been forgotton.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/23/opinion/brown-nigeria-boko-haram-girls/index.html

[Dr The Singh]

Nothing to fear now, Gordon Brown says they haven't been forgotton.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/23/opinion/brown-nigeria-boko-haram-girls/index.h

For a minute i thought he is actually gonna try and save them!!

[Webbo]

The Nigerian army has rescued 200 girls and 93 women who had been captured by terror group Boko Haram. 

It came during a military operation to wrest back the Sambisa Forest from the Islamist militant group but they were unable to confirm if these were the girls who were kidnapped from the village of Chibok, a year ago.

The army posted on their Twitter feed: 'Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls and 93 women from Sambisa Forest. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3059667/Nigeria-army-says-rescued-200-girls-93-women-Sambisa-Forest.html#ixzz3YdkDfG3E 
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