<nettime-ann> NARAL - a Pro-Choice agenda in Video

[Paul Miller <anansi1@earthlink.net>]

.
I did the score to the series of web media ads trying to raise  
awareness of choice issues NARAL is putting up. You can see the the  
videos at

www.MyFreeWillPower.com

in peace
Paul


The Pro-Choice Future Caught on Video: What is free.will.power?
by Nancy Keenan

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-keenan/the-pro-choice-future-cau_b_147219.html

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Read More: Birth Control, DJ Spooky, Freedom, Naral Pro-Choice  
America, Obama, Roe v. Wade, Video, Voting, Young Voters, Politics News


It is no secret that the 2008 election cycle demonstrated that  
technology is giving people, especially younger voters, more power to  
make a difference in ways we couldn't have even imagined just a few  
years ago.

Specifically, the influential group of voters under age 26 is the most  
diverse and engaged generation in our country's history. They are  
developing innovative ways to help alleviate poverty or save the  
environment in their communities and around the world.

And, most notably, they played a key role in President-elect Barack  
Obama's victory.

As a political organization that works to engage activists of all ages  
in protecting women's freedom and privacy, NARAL Pro-Choice America is  
committed to tapping into the talents of these savvy younger voters to  
help build the next generation of leaders of the pro-choice cause.

That's why, in the weeks following the historic presidential election,  
we launched free.will.power -- an interactive and innovative campaign  
that, at first glance, looks a bit different from other initiatives  
you typically see from advocacy organizations - and there is a reason.

NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, working with the Chicago-based  
firm see3 communications, enlisted the creative minds of three young  
spoken-word artists - Shira Erlichman , Alvin Lau , and Deja Taylor -  
as well as a renowned musician, DJ Spooky , to produce three online  
viral videos that feature compelling words, visuals, and sound.

A web site, MyFreeWillPower.com, houses these videos as well as other  
technology-based, interactive ways for new activists to get involved  
with NARAL Pro-Choice America's work, whether it's taking action on a  
choice-related issue, forwarding videos to friends, joining our social- 
networking groups, or participating in contests.

Yes, free.will.power is our newest online venture - but we're using  
fresh tools to engage the next generation of pro-choice activists. We  
also work in partnership with our state affiliates to organize pro- 
choice groups on college campuses.

Without a doubt, video is changing how we communicate in all areas of  
our work. In the 2006 midterm congressional elections, we did a  
handful of election-related videos. In the 2008 election cycle, we  
produced (in house, thanks to our talented staff) 36 election-related  
videos.

We must keep pace with the changes in how people - particularly the  
younger generation - receive and act on information.

In January 2009, we will commemorate the 36th anniversary of the  
Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade . For my generation,  
Roe was the impetus for our involvement in the pro-choice cause. We  
know what it was like for women in the days of illegal abortion and  
vow never to return to those days again.

However, I recognize that a Supreme Court decision handed down in the  
days of typewriters and four television channels may not hold the same  
significance for a generation whose experiences with reproductive- 
health issues are different.

There's the college student who learned that the cost of her birth  
control doubled last year due to an unintended consequence in a  
federal law. There's the woman who goes to the pharmacy counter and  
learns that it's okay for the pharmacy to refuse to fill her  
prescription for contraception. There's the woman who learns that her  
state's laws will delay for 24 hours or more her access to safe, legal  
abortion care (or that nearly 90 percent of counties do not have an  
abortion provider).

While our values are consistent, these changes in technology--and in  
the circumstances that shape women's experiences-- call on us to  
change the ways in which we engage the public.

Using technology, we are connecting with Americans of all ages, not  
just younger voters, who may be largely unaware of the ongoing and  
often under-the-radar-screen attempts to limit or undermine our  
freedom and privacy.

The elections that determine who takes office, whether it's the White  
House or the state legislature, matter since those individuals help  
pass legislation and enact laws that affect our everyday lives.

Take a look at Alvin's video, "Will":

As Alvin so eloquently explains, while the iPhone has replaced the  
typewriters of the Roe decision era of 1973, the core issues are  
absolutely relevant today.

Through free.will.power , we hope even more Americans, including the  
growing number of influential youth leaders, join the pro-choice cause  
and add reproductive rights to the list of issues they talk about with  
their friends and family.

     * Voting
     * Barack Obama

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