In
many countries with a history
of electoral violence, international and national
organizations, EMBs, CSOs,
youth organizations, and peace activists have been launching offline and online
campaigns to strengthen youth’s resistance to political manipulation and
violence and to promote peaceful participation in elections.
Example. The 2015 presidential election in
Nigeria was one of the most hotly
contested on social media. The government’s National Orientation Agency
initiated the #Wagepeace2015 campaign, which sought
to mitigate and counter risks
of electoral violence. The agency encouraged
stakeholders in the private and public sectors, international organizations,
community development, and civil society groups, and individual peace activists
to utilize the #Wagepeace2015 platform
to send out messages to the public
via the #Wagepeace2015 Twitter
and bulk SMS messaging as well as the broadcasting of peace messages on radio
and television.[i] These messages encouraged non-violent political behavior proactive action to counter
hate speeches. After voting stations closed, #NigeriaDecides was used by thousands of Nigerians to discuss the elections while awaiting final results. Both
presidential candidates also used their Twitter and Facebook accounts to send
messages to the population to patiently await the results and refrain from
using violence.[ii]
Although EMBs, peace activists, and
youth organizations are increasingly using online platforms to campaign to
prevent election-related violence, traditional media actors also remain
important partners of their anti-violence campaigns, in particular to reach out
to citizens who are not active online. EMBs can therefore use national and
local radio and television channels for broadcasting their peace education
messages through public service announcement, dramas, and talk program.
Example. In Burundi, where radio is the most
popular medium, Search for Common Ground created Intamenwa (Indivisibles):
Mobilizing Youth for Peaceful Elections, a radio drama series exploring
political manipulation and youth violence
through the story of a fictional football team.[iii]
Example: In Kenya, IFES designed a social
media and digital communications-driven program during the general elections of
2017 to better integrate approaches for conflict mitigation, outreach and
communications programming for peace and nonviolence. Social media was
complemented by two television ads. See Annex: “Taifa Letu – Our Nation” Social
Media Campaign for Peace and Nonviolence.
Example: The Youth Theater for Peace (YTP) program
promotes sustainable conflict prevention and a culture of peace at the
community, regional, and national levels through a participatory theatre
methodology called Drama for Conflict Transformation (DCT).
Suggestions for EMBs working to
prevent election-related violence include:
- Push strongly for legislation
outlawing party militia groups and sanctioning parties that maintain them
and/or violent youth wings. If such laws are already in place, advocate
publicly for their enforcement.
- Introduce new technology and social
media for election monitoring and crisis management. Engage young people in the
development and implementation of online platforms and text-messaging
mechanisms to monitor elections; to convey messages about election results,
possible intimidation or violence; and to inform citizens about election-related
updates.
- Establish and/or facilitate
youth-inclusive platforms for dialogue and discussions about preventative
measures.
- Incorporate violence prevention
topics in general voter/civic education programs and discussions about
preventative measures.
- Incorporate violence prevention
topics in general voter/civic education programs and develop special activities
aimed at preparing parties and candidates for potential election loss.
In summary, the use of social media
platforms can offer a range of advantages for EMBs. It allows them to do the
following, for example:
- Engage with new audiences. By using social media platforms,
EMBs can successfully connect with youth who are less likely to be reached
through traditional voter education programs.
- Directly access an existing audience
of followers, who can then share the information provided by EMBs within their own respective networks in an
ongoing and ever-expanding process.
- Increase transparency and accessibility. Social media can enhance the ability of EMBs to disseminate impartial,
accurate, and timely information and respond promptly to queries and requests
through both formal and more informal platforms. In addition, exchanges held on
an EMB’s social media platforms — either between the EMB and its followers or between
the followers themselves — are visible
to a wide audience and contribute to increased accessibility to information and
transparency around the electoral process.
- Have two-way interactions through user-generated content and
communication, thereby allowing EMBs to not only share information with, but also to gather real-time information from, the electorate.
- Optimize costs. The use of social media is
cost-effective. The money saved by using social media can be used for vital
activities on the ground instead of on advertising in traditional media.
“Social media
and communications technologies are increasingly being pioneered by young
people as an alternative means to exercise their political agency, demand
accountability, amplify their voices, foster connectivity and create new
networks. Online platforms are particularly important for those who may be
vulnerable, unable to access deliberative political processes or constrained by
restrictive institutional politics, even though such spaces may also be used for
criminal activity or to propagate hate speech. Governments and political
processes can benefit from the innovation and leadership youth demonstrate by
embracing these spaces and the transnational connectivity they offer.”
UNFPA and PBSO (Lead author Graeme Simpson), The Missing Peace: Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and
Security, 2018
Example: In New Zealand #ForFuturesSake campaign, launched in 2017, uses
social media to encourage youth voters. “Statistics
show Māori aged 18–29 have the lowest rate of enrollment than any other
age group with only 55 percent of the total estimated population in this age
range voting at the last election.” Social media influencer William Waiirua Cribb
said, at the launch of the campaign, “social media is the way to go these days.
Not many people are watching TV and it’s all Snapchat Instagram Facebook so
it's a really good platform to encourage youth to vote. This is the first year
of a four-year programme to raise awareness and participation of Māori in electoral
processes. The programme will be monitored and the results of that will
help inform future years of the programme.”[iv]
[iv] Ani-Oriwia
Adds, "#ForFuturesSake campaign uses social media to encourage youth
voters," (Maori Television, June 29, 2017), http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/forfuturessake-campaign-uses-social-media-encourage-youth-voters.
