After just a few weeks of the events in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, it seemed conclusive: This was a global revolution in which the social media, including Facebook, had a role to play. When Tunisia and Egypt’s corrupt rulers were toppled earlier this year, it was the cyber activists who had taken their countries by storm. No one can say if the other uprisings that have spread across the region will be as successful but governments everywhere should be asking themselves: Could Facebook, if used by enough people, really change the way we mobilize ourselves?
On May 7, 2011, hundreds gathered at a public square in Kathmandu demanding that the constitution be drafted by the May 28 deadline. This event was unique to Nepali activism and the political scene because Facebook played a central role in organizing the participants, particularly the youth. Like the rest of the world, Nepal has not remained immune to the impact of Facebook. The rapid use and growth of these Facebook group pages has complemented many youth organizations, and has mobilized youth to take up an active role in their nation’s civil and political processes.
Nepal is at a political standstill. The country has yet to successfully transition to democracy and the nation’s leaders have failed to listen to the voices of those equipped with the energy to offer a solution to Nepal’s problems. More and more Nepali youth are quenching their thirst for civic activism by connecting their Facebook accounts to specific groups and planned events to bring about political change. Facebook Groups such as Nepal Unites, DIE Nepal Bandh DIE and Come on Youth Standup have effectively rallied Nepali youth, promoting the idea that they are a political force to be reckoned with.
But not all of Nepal’s youth have access to Facebook, limiting its impact. Reecha Palikhe, a member of the Facebook group Come on Youth Stand Up, acknowledges as much: “Unfortunately there is little Internet access among Nepali youth. But we have overwhelming support from those living abroad.” Nepal Unites, too, is a Facebook group gaining momentum, and one that is sparking interest in Nepal’s youth movement. But even with all of the mobilization Facebook is responsible for among Nepali youth, not all the feedback has been positive.
Facebook has enabled youth to exercise the rightful power of political dialogue and plan events in a new, fun way. Nepal’s urban youth have seized this opportunity, in spite of the digital divide with rural youth.
On Mysansar, a popular Nepali blog, Deepak Aryal labeled the youngsters who participated in the May 7 rally elitist individuals who want to rub shoulders with their fellow upper class Facebook consumers. “The upper class is busy badmouthing each other and doling out advice on Facebook, but the lower class cannot access it,” he says. CK Lal shot off a similar reaction in his column with Republica, claiming that the protesting youth looked like a gang of fashionable aristocrats: “Most of them were in trendy slacks and t-shirts.”If you look past the elitist label some give Facebook, however, one can’t deny that Facebook has ignited a movement beyond petty politics.
Facebook activist pages are not targeted to the politically active but toward Nepali youth who just want their government to fulfill the promises they made to the nation, like producing a constitution. Samriddhi Rai, a member of the Nepal Unites Facebook group, highlights the idea that the Nepali youth movement is more than just politics. She says, “Since all of us were not in any way related to politics and don’t intend to open a political body, we saw Facebook as a way to penetrate the thinking, talking and expression of the youth population.” In a sense, these groups can be seen as a virtual representation of the current activism physically taking place in Nepal, and an expression of the potential that drives individuals to make change, politically driven or not.
Youthful enthusiasm must be tempered with a desire to engage beyond ephemeral protests, however. In a recent op-ed in The Kathmandu Post, Prashant Jha appealed to the Facebookers to “invest time and energy in understanding politics – why it operates the way it does, how we arrived at this juncture, the complexity of Nepali society, the battles being fought and mutinies waged all over the country at present – and to respect democratic processes.” Therein lies the challenge and opportunity of engaging in politics through Facebook groups. By partaking in political culture now, and agreeing on the larger issues rather than supporting one party over another, youth can build an understanding of the complexity of politics and continue to cultivate their engagement, becoming in the process a recognized political force.
More than anything else, Facebook is an effective social media tool that continues to connect youth, more so than any of the other media outlets out there. Anita Thapa, President of Youth Initiative, an organization that strives to strengthen youth empowerment by making them realize they have a role in Nepal’s democratic peace process, argues that mainstream media (television, newspaper and radio) fails to competently address the youth movement: “They don’t know how to write about youth issues.” Pradeep Singh, core member of Nepal Unites-UK on Facebook, agrees that the traditional media’s popularity is diminishing among urban youth in Nepal. He says, “Facebook has nearly four times as many users as any of the newspapers, magazines or television channels in Nepal.” Mainstream media has recognized Nepal’s youth activism but hasn’t covered it appropriately, covering events and protests yet falling short of focusing on the voice of the youth movement.
The spontaneous discussions posted on these Facebook group pages makes for a healthy dialogue among youth, awakening their impulse to publically participate in their nation’s democratic development. Bijaya Shiwakoti, one of the co-founders of the Facebook page DIE Nepal Bandh DIE, describes his Facebook group as a vital component of Nepali youths’ engagement, “It provides them with an easy platform that doesn’t cost that much, where they can express their opinions and demand justice from the government.”
Facebook has enabled youth to exercise the rightful power of political dialogue and plan events in a new, fun way. Nepal’s urban youth have seized this opportunity, in spite of the digital divide with rural youth. Why criticize this growing youth movement, so far overlooked by larger society, when it is clearly trying to open the nation to development and change.
The writer is a student of the Graduate Program in International Affairs in New School, US
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