Oh and here’s the link to the group that organized this effort: RootsCamp in SL: 

http://www.rootscampsl.org/

They are all real world progressive political organizers that connect virtually on a weekly basis.

As the creator of this video, I have to admit that it doesn’t really represent well the value of these kinds of virtual political gatherings.  One of the main advantages of these digital spaces is to gather real world activists who weren’t able to come to DC or the other major protest sites, for various reasons. I.e. people outside of the US, or with family and work commitments, etc. 

In Second Life, they can assemble and draw strength and inspiration from each other, express their views on the war, and discuss strategies for how to try and impact the political process.

For example one person was an Iraqi logging in from Jordan who discussed how the war has impacted him and his family.  Other folks logged in from Holland, Brazil, Canada, the UK, and Germany. 

These are the kinds of interactions and relationships that spaces like Second Life can foster than can support and inspire people’s real world political activism. 

Again, this is a means toward an end, which is political change.  Just as listservs, wikis, phone conferences and strategy meetings are really tools toward larger political goals, using virtual spaces to raise awareness and spread the message is another channel for getting the word out.

At the end of the day, its about mobilizing people, enacting legislation, and impacting elections.  This is just part of the larger activist toolkit.

I agree with the last post...VR is not the same as IRL, in real life who’s going to go stand outside the capitol building with a sign?

Frankly, the whole ugly business still revolves around oil, so the sooner we put paid to oil dependency, the sooner the whole apple cart gets parked. Small changes x 300 million people=big impact. Illustration: Say you were to modify your driving in such a way that you saved a small amount of fuel each day. 16 ounces of fuel, for purposes of this illustration. Ok, you, by yourself, haven’t really done much that’d amount to more than spit on hot pavement on a hot day in July. You know you did it, but the evidence will soon be gone forever. But: multiply times the 160 million or so drivers out there. Suddenly, that 16 ounces has become economically significant, nationwide. That’s 16 ounces times 160 million=20 million gallons per day x 365 days a year= 7.3 billion gallons a year /42 gallons in a barrel =174 million barrels annually saved. All from everybody doing things like slowing down 5MPH, airing up their tires, taking care of air and fuel filters, basic stuff like that. If you oppose the war in Iraq, slow your car down, and think before you turn the key. Put the hurt on the oil moguls where it hurts em the most, and they’ll have to have one of those board meetings and stuff.

I’m for ethanol, and other alternatives, too. I think the technology exists to get your car ready for tomorrow off of line current from your house, see Tesla motors, and we should be doing that en masse. The oil companies have enjoyed their oil profiteering fun, along with their ‘defense’ friends, but, all good(?) things must end, so let’s get about it.

Jan 30th???  Gee I was there...and it was Jan 27th!!!  Get your facts straight Or I’ll have the NSA and Dicky Cheney, that loveable balding piece of crap come and getcha! 

l8r

Headless

I had hoped it would be otherwise; but all this video did was reinforce my feelings of how impoverished the Second Life environment is.  There was recently a similar attempt to protest the opening of the virtual headquarters of the Front National in Second Life.  Unfortunately, the prevailing attitude seemed to have been one of game-playing rather than protesting:

http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2007/01/there-i s-somethhng-to-be-said-for-real.html

Having been at protests in the San Francisco Civic Center with helicopters (probably not just the media) overhead and “men with guns” on the roofs of government buildings surrounding the Center itself, I have to say that I feel strongly that an act of protest is an act of commitment.  In Second Life it is just a matter of designing an avatar and placing that avatar in a given place at a given time.  If we are to make our voices heard, it will have to be in the REAL world, not in these virtual realities!