It seems like just yesterday that people laughed at the question of whether modern media could help bring about social change. An October 2010 article in the New Yorker called “Small Change” was doubtful of the role social media could play, while an Op Ed piece in the NY Sunday Times a few months later was more positive. Then the government in Egypt banned Twitter, followed by cell phones, and then internet service in an attempt to quell citizen protests. In fact, at least in Egypt, the role of social media in social change has become crucial; it works big time.
The social inequities in Canada are not as severe as they are in Egypt but the question remains: can social media play a part in encouraging social change – in Canada?
To be sure, there must be social unrest before social media can play its part, but there’s no shortage of that in Canada – the privatization of healthcare, the attempts to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board, the rising poverty rate in children, the attack on unions, the federal government’s cuts to women’s organizations across the country, the list goes on and on. And left on the sidelines are the millions of victims who seem to have nowhere to turn.
With this in mind, Operation Maple launched with a goal to provide organizations that speak out on social issues, but are largely ignored by mainstream media, with another avenue to do so.
Visit operationmaple.com to watch videos, read articles, and consider getting involved. You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.