Reclaiming the Republic on Platforms
Kickstarting a positive flywheel of Information and Democracy.
As the nation celebrated 75th Republic Day, my running group at PBEL City, PeeranCheruvu Runners, organized their half yearly Blood Donation Camp in association with Aarohi Blood Center. We were able to garner support from 116 blood donors (Males 94 Females 22 Repeat 53), some of them first time and at least one of them part of the Swiggy Food delivery platform who just happened to be in vicinity.
Quick stats of the blood donation camps at PBEL City since 2017 show a lot of promise in terms of consistent community engagement and donor mobilisation. During ten Camps, we have had 747 Donors including 568 (76%) Males and 179 (24%) Females.It is heartening to see that we have had 285 (38%) repeat donors.
Thanks to all the volunteers and donors.
I am also really proud of my running buddies at Peerancheruvu Runners who have always stepped up for a good cause. Many of us have been regular blood donors and keep motivating others to donate regularly and not wait for emergencies. Our good friends at Aarohi Blood Center led by Dr Aditi Kishore and Dhiraj Kaveri have been doing a yeoman service to the cause of voluntary blood donation. Please get in touch with them if you are in Hyderabad or your local blood bank. You could also sign up for the mission to support Blood Donation for Thalassemia Patients by signing up the Blood Bridge initiative by Blood Warriors. This wonderful initiative encourages you to start a bond with a Thalassemia and Leukemia Child for regular blood donation.
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DTW
During the Week, National Voter Day was celebrated on 25th January 2024 and short voter awareness film - ‘My Vote My Duty’ produced by Election Commission of India in association with renowned filmmaker Shri Raj Kumar Hirani was released.
According to a press release-“.. the main purpose of the NVD celebration is to create electoral awareness amongst citizens and encourage them to participate in the electoral process. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the National Voters' Day is also used to facilitate enrolment of voters, especially the newly eligible young voters…” The President of India presented awards to State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections during 2023. The award categories included IT initiatives, Security Management, Election Management, Accessible Election, Electoral Roll and contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach.
As the Parliamentary Election 2024 preparation get underway, it is time to RECLAIM Republic. Each facet of RECLAIM framework , from Representation Enhancement to Media Transformation, unveils the promise and perils of our digital democratic landscape.
R - Representation Enhancement: Digital platforms amplify voices, fostering diverse representation in democratic processes. Social media allows individuals to engage directly, challenging traditional hierarchies. However, this democratization is marred by issues like echo chambers and the undue influence of algorithms. Past elections have seen undue advantage to certain groups through manipulation of digital social media.
E - Election Transparency: Digital tools enhance election processes, providing real-time updates and fostering transparency. Election Commission of India uses digital technologies including popular digital platforms to enhance election and election information transparency. However, concerns arise around misinformation spread through these platforms, influencing voter opinions and potentially compromising the integrity of elections.
C - Civic Engagement Facilitation: Online platforms empower citizens to engage actively in civic affairs. Petition platforms and forums facilitate dialogue. Multiple civil society organisations are using digital tools to create civic engagement and thus giving spaces to traditionally disadvantaged groups.However, the challenge lies in discerning genuine engagement from orchestrated campaigns or empty campaigns which just cause diversions from real issues.
L - Legislative Accessibility: Digital platforms offer easy access to legislative proceedings, making information available to the public. In fact, many CSOs have created bite sized nuggets of legislative process and disseminated them through popular social media platforms. Yet, the deluge of information poses challenges in discernment, and not all citizens may have equal access to digital resources.
A - Accountability Augmentation: Digital spaces enable scrutiny of political actions. Whistleblower platforms contribute to accountability. However, the risk of online vigilantism and the veracity of information shared need careful consideration.
I - Inclusion Imperative: Platforms bridge geographical gaps, promoting inclusivity. Virtual town halls expand participation. Nevertheless, the digital divide threatens to exclude marginalized communities, limiting their democratic participation.
M - Media Transformation: Digital platforms reshape media's role, enabling citizen journalism. However, the rise of 'fake news' challenges the credibility of information disseminated, impacting public perceptions.
In conclusion, while digital platforms significantly contribute to democratic ideals, challenges require meticulous attention. The RECLAIM framework advocates for leveraging the positives while proactively addressing the negatives, ensuring a robust and inclusive digital democratic landscape.
The principle is straightforward: undesirable noise can overpower valuable signals in nearly any effective communication channel. The key is to create solutions that counteract unwanted noise and to remain watchful in preserving the essence that initially made it valuable.
OTW
Over the Weekend, we had an opportunity to interact with leading lights in art, literature and culture at Hyderabad Literary Festival 2024 at Sattva Knowledge City.
I found two interactions full of “masala“ not that others were not interesting. In fact, entire three days were full of insightful discussion and interactions. The speakers were kind and considerate to engage in long winded discussion both on and off the agenda.
Listening to Prahlad Kakar (Author of Adman Madman) and Krish Ashok (Author of Masala Lab) was entertaining as well as insightful. Both used humour and puns to get the audience engaged and were simultaneously able to get the message across.
Krish Ashok has effectively used social media including Instagram to create a series of informational reels to debunk multiple food myths. He has RECLAIM’ed the voice of food science from pseudo food and nutrition “experts’ who try to find devil in every food compound. Keep adding the ‘tadka’, Krish!
Another highlight of the HLF2024 was the performance by Bedaari-an all woman street play group of St. Francis College of Women, Hyderabad.
Their productions revolve around societal issues like Homophobia, Female infanticide, Acid attacks and their performance at HLF2024 was mesmerising and impactful.
Your voice shapes the future. Speak up, be heard, and influence change. Your perspective matters. More Power To All of You’th.
I Love You.
Shailendra