Agora: From Democracy to the Market by Yorgos Avgeropoulos
"Το ντοκιμαντÎρ του ΓιÏŽργου ΑυγερÏŒπουλου «Αγορά» (Agora), συνθÎτει Îνα ανακεφαλαιωτικÏŒ χρονικÏŒ της κοινωνικής τραγωδίας που μαστίζει την Ελλάδα την τελευταία πενταετία, θÎτοντας κρίσιμα ερωτήματα για μια παγκÏŒσμια συστημική κρίση σε εξÎλιξη και μία ευρωπαÏŠκή διακυβÎρνηση που διεξάγει οικονομικά πειράματα υψηλοÏ ρίσκου χωρίς να υπολογίζει το ανθρÏŽπινο κÏŒστος."
(ΓιÏŽργος ΡοÏσσος, 10 Ιανουάριος/January 2015, TVXS)
Translated using Google Translate: "The documentary of George Avgeropoulos "Buy» (Agora), composes a summary chronicle of social tragedy plaguing Greece the last five years, posing critical questions for a global systemic crisis in progress and a European economic governance carried out risky experiments without count the human cost."
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
How would it feel to be represented by someone like Tony Abbott?
"Every week Tony Abbott makes another comment that reveals very concerning social views. Commentators blow them off as 'gaffes', but this isn't about gaffes. It's about values. It's about our national character if our Prime Minister labels refugees who seek our help as 'illegal', even as they exercise their legal, human right to flee danger. It's about the message we send to young gay and lesbian Australians, if our Prime Minister talks about their equality as a 'passing fashion,' and what that does to their self–esteem. It's about our values if a Prime Minister talks to 'the housewives of Australia as they're doing their ironing,' says his colleagues are 'not just a pretty face' and have 'sex appeal' and calls on his opponent to 'make an honest woman of herself'. Prime Ministers reflect our national values, and have the power to change them radically. Does what Tony Abbott says matter? Well, in 17 days he wants to be speaking for all of us. That's why GetUp members are launching this ad. Will you be part of it?"
(GetUp!)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University
"The Berkman Center was founded to explore cyberspace, share in its study, and help pioneer its development. We represent a network of faculty, students, fellows, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and virtual architects working to identify and engage with the challenges and opportunities of cyberspace.
We investigate the real and possible boundaries in cyberspace between open and closed systems of code, of commerce, of governance, and of education, and the relationship of law to each. We do this through active rather than passive research, believing that the best way to understand cyberspace is to actually build out into it.
Our faculty, fellows, students, and affiliates engage with a wide spectrum of Net issues, including governance, privacy, intellectual property, antitrust, content control, and electronic commerce. Our diverse research interests cohere in a common understanding of the Internet as a social and political space where constraints upon inhabitants are determined not only through the traditional application of law, but, more subtly, through technical architecture ('code').
As part of our active research mission, we build, use, and freely share open software platforms for free online lectures and discussions. We also sponsor gatherings, ranging from informal lunches to international conferences, that bring together members of our diverse network of participants to swap insights – and sometimes barbs – as they stake out their respective visions for what the Net can become. We also teach, seeking out online and global opportunities, as well as supporting the traditional Harvard Law School curriculum, often in conjunction with other Harvard schools and MIT."
(Berkman Center for Internet & Society)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Motion typography: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
"the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first outlined by the United Nations General Assembly at the Palais de Chaillot of Paris in 1948. Upholding the fundamental covenants of humanity, dignity and equality – in short, standards of living far too often taken for granted despite the ongoing and appallingly widespread human rights abuses evident worldwide – it was ratified by individual nations in 1976 and has since been upheld as a Bill of international law. With yesterday, the 10th December, marking its anniversary in the celebration of Human Rights Day, the video above is a subtle yet beautifully concise presentation of the thirty Articles contained within the Declaration. Created by artist and shoe designer Seth Brau, produced by Amy Poncher and featuring music by the LA–based Rumspringa (courtesy of Cantora Records, home of MGMT), it is as much of a fantastic exercise in motion typography as it is a worthy reminder of the importance and value of human life."
(Sarah Badr, pieces–at–random.com)
[An ad campaign by the Human Rights Action Center for Burma's National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The ad draws on the sentiment expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.]
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
FOB Mixtape
In April 2008, FOB Mixtape brought their music to the Australian public in their first live show at Federation Square in Melbourne. Armed with 'music with a difference' but a modest budget, FOB Mixtape used the social networking website, MySpace to garner support and interest in their show. The band members created a promotional video and viral marketing: digital promotional strategies that are increasingly used by emerging and established artists to engage instantly with large audiences, without huge overheads. FOB Mixtape is an Australian hiphop group with a social conscience and their music aims to challenge racial stereotypes of Asian migrants in Australia. FOB Mixtape draw on their experiences as second generation migrants to write humorous lyrics such as 'I ain't the type of guy that you're used to seeing, the human being that's a few between a gook and a European'. The group takes a tongue and cheek look at the plight of being labelled an 'Asian' in Australia today, as seen in the group's name FOB Mixtape or 'Fresh Off the Boat'', which is immigrant slang used to describe newly arrived migrants. Recently featured on the SBS series mY Generation, FOB Mixtape can be seen as typical of Generation Y's expressing themselves through digitally sampled music, their ease with using online marketing – all of which was created in the basement of one of their parent's home. This experience of FOB Mixtape is an example of a new form of civic engagement that uses everyday, digital technologies to address some of the racial intolerances that exist in the culturally diverse societies of Australia today.
CONTRIBUTOR
Mia ThorntonSHARE
