Thomas Allen Harris presents DDFR to a Special Panel at the United Nations
Filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris, (“Twelve disciples of Nelson Mandela,” “E Minha Cara / That’s My Face,” and “Vintage Families of Value“) was one of the featured artists to make a presentation during a panel on New Media held at the United Nations. The special convening was called to discuss emerging technology’s impact on the work of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Sponsored by the UN Department of Public Information, NGO Relations, the workshop provided an opportunity for representatives of NGOs to learn about new ways of reaching and informing audiences through New Media. The morning session, which included Mr. Harris, featured the panelists’ work and their own use of emerging technologies to interact with people. The panel was moderated by Gail Bindley Taylor-Sainté, Information Officer with NGO Relations, and also featured presentations by Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming for the Bay Area Video Coalition; Sam Gregory, Program Director for WITNESS; Paco de Onis, Executive Producer at Skylight Pictures; Irene Nasser, Community Outreach and Content Manager at Just Vision; and Elspeth Revere, Vice President, General Program at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Emerging Technologies and Social Media provide ways for organizations to engage their constituents and facilitate grassroots organizing both in local communities and On-Line. During the morning of lively conversation, NGOs learned how they and their sister educational institutions, media arts organizations, and community groups can use the tools of the Web 2.0 and Social Media to connect with individuals, disseminate information, and organize their members.
“Digital Diaspora Family Reunion” was featured as an innovative model of a multi-platform venture that gives participants the tools and resources to share one of their most cherish personal resource – the family photo album – within an interactive online environment that maps Photography from the African Diaspora across time, place, and genre. The original design prototype for Digital Diaspora family Reunion (DDFR) was developed during the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) Producers Institute for New Media Technologies. BAVC and its director of creative programming, Wendy Levy, have continued their role as a technology partner and fiscal sponsor for DDFR and its nationwide activities.
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During the special UN Panel, Harris also shared how he developed DDFR into a national multimedia community engagement initiative that empowers individuals and families across North America to create new photos, unearth old photos, and share images documenting themselves and their neighborhoods. The panel also discussed the universal appeal of the “family photo” and how organizations around the world could incorporate many aspects of DDFR within their own community organizing programs.
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