The Freedom Flotilla to West Papua was an unprecedented act of creative resistance to the Indonesian occupation. They started their online campaign as a facebook event, but seriously needed a website to get their inspired message out to the world.
We stepped in to coordinate their media, social media and online presence, which successfully turned an unheard and ignored issue into a media sensation. We used an inventive medley of direct action along with youtube videos, a feature film, podcasts, community radio, crowdfunding, GPS tracking, satellite phones, music, art, origami and good old blogging to demand the world pay attention, and beyond expectations, they did.
It wasn’t always the most glamorous role to be online and available for interview at ungodly hours while the crew where sailing through the Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait, but enabling a small group of indigenous activists in a remote location to broadcast their message across all available channels was pretty exciting.
We chose to build this website on wordpress.com to make it as easy as possible to use, as well as making it near impenetrable to attackers, ensuring the world was watching in the crucial moments when the ships sailed across the sea border into Indonesia.
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