SHARE Conference 2012: Uniting Digital Rights Activists, New Media Artists, and Tech Innovators
12 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Serbians filled the streets of Belgrade, blocking the entire city in protest of Slobodan Milošević’s regime. At the time such a widespread protest had seemed unimaginable. Before the uprising, the mood in the country was melancholic, cynical, and hopeless amid disillusionment with a government that became plagued with corruption, repression, and war. An unprecedented campaign of civil resistance against the Milošević regime paved the way for eventual democratic reform and the Serbian independence in 2006. One influential aspect to this movement was the young students who inspired their country to leap into political and creative action through a 100 day plan—100 days of debate, dancing, performances, and workshops.
These days, activism and political engagement continues to be prevalent around the world. People are now largely relying on the Internet for raising political awareness and organizing campaigns in their communities. Through the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement, Internet protests against SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA, as well as other popular movements, the world continues to see how the Internet unleashes the creative potential of the masses to transform political attitudes and policy debates. The SHARE Conference in Serbia builds on these leading movements, rekindling the passion of anti-Milošević protests to tackle a new repressive threat: Internet censorship, surveillance, and locks on digital culture.
The SHARE conference is in its second year. It was founded by many of the young activists who started the instrumental student campaign in 2000 to resist the Milošević regime. Now called the Exit Festival, the movement has turned into one of the biggest annual music festivals in southeastern Europe. Staying truthful to their activist roots, however, Exit Festival hosts various talks on Internet and politics, in which EFF has participated.
On April 26 - 28, EFF will again participate in the conference in Belgrade, Serbia, speaking against surveillance regimes. SHARE will gather more than two thousand thinkers, innovators, and activists for three days of enlightening lectures, engaging workshops, contemporary music, and nights full of dancing, at the Dom Omladine — Belgrade Youth Center.
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