Technology and human necessity have the power of reshaping the way we interact with each other, as well as impact how democracy manifests itself in more restricted environments.
Last week, multiple news outlets reported about FireChat, a new communication tool used by protesters in Hong Kong to organize the Occupy Central pro-democracy rallies. This represents the first time that a mesh network application has been used within the context of a political demonstration, and could potentially trigger a shift in the way political movements manifest.
FireChat doesn’t require Internet access and uses a mobile device’s Bluetooth signal to form a wireless network where participants can send and receive messages. Even though FireChat took the world by storm in Hong Kong, the truth is that mesh networks have been around for more than a decade. We are now just grasping its potential for global development and strengthening civil society.
About the author
Olimar Maisonet-Guzman@oli_mar
Olimar Maisonet-Guzman works as policy coordinator for IREX's Center for Collaborative Technologies where she explores the use of emerging technologies such as drones, data, and new media in international development and citizen engagement. Previously, she worked at the U.S. State Department and as a policy coordinator for the United Nations Rio+20 and the post-2015 negotiations.