Paul
Goble
Staunton, June 3 – Closed forums on
Facebook helped the Abkhazian opposition organize and ultimately bring down
former republic president Aleksandr Ankvab, according to Islam Tekushev, editor
of the Prague-based “Caucasus Times” and a widely cited authority on the politics
of the North Caucasus.
Many commentators have pointed to
the role of social media in general in recent political turmoil in the Middle
East and elsewhere, but Tekushev’s observation about the role of closed forums “in
the exchange of information and the coordination of the actions” of the
opposition points to a still-neglected aspect of this trend (caucasustimes.com/article.asp?id=21291).
“From
the very beginning,” he writes, “the conflict between the ruling elites and
society [in Abkhazia] existed in the
virtual world, particularly on Facebook pages” where “the opposition and the
people discussed urgent problems and the actions of the leadership of the
republic.”
As
a result, Tekushev says, “the social networks became a platform for the
discussion of a broad range of problems, including passportization, the lack of
transparency in the process of distribution of money flows from Russia, and
much else.” In this sense, then, the Abkhaz events fit within the parameters of
the color revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia and the Arab Spring.
But
he also points to two specific aspects of Abkhazian society which made closed
Facebook pages more important and shaped the outcome of the rising: the
relatively small political base of Ankvab, and the tradition in Abkhaz society
of “resolving domestic conflicts” by peaceful means, including intense
discussions.
Consequently,
it would likely be a mistake to extrapolate what happened in Abkhazia to many
other societies. But because of what happened there, it would be an even
greater mistake not to pay attention to social media in general, Facebook pages
in particular, and closed – that is, approved membership – Facebook pages in
particular.
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