When more than 300 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by the purportedly Islamist militant terrorist group Boko Haram in April, a global Internet firestorm ignited.
Nigerian tweeters began their online protest with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, which was soon picked up by American celebrities and political figures like FLOTUS Michelle Obama, Ellen DeGeneres and Kim Kardashian.
Via: celebmagnet.com
This past week the hashtag hit over two million mentions — at about the same time Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video threatening to sell the girls and wage war against Christians, Western leaders and Islamic infidels.
All eyes are on the situation in Nigeria right now, but the question remains: can 140-character tweets really help save those missing girls?
As with most things, the answer is complicated.
Helpful: The hashtag brought global attention to longstanding violence in Nigeria.
Boko Haram, or, officially, the Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad, has helmed a violent insurgency in northern Nigeria for the past 5 years. Founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf initially as a non-violent group aimed at stopping the Westernization of Nigeria, Boko Haram took a sharp turn in 2009 when it clashed with local police and Yusuf was killed while in custody. Since then the group has killed more than 4,000 and displaced another 500,000. This isn’t the first time Boko Haram has kidnapped or murdered schoolgirls, but due to the sheer number of girls taken and the viral spread of #BringBackOurGirls, it is the first time the world has taken real notice.
Unhelpful: The hashtag has led to a false sense of activism and oversimplified the issue.
It’s a hashtag so simple even the most basic among us can manage a re-tweet. Like most coffee shop compassion, tweeting a picture of a Starbucks napkin with #BringBackOurGirls scrawled out on it isn’t saving anyone from danger. Oh, but it does makes that trenta double shot Java Chip Frappuccino taste so much sweeter.
The situation in Nigeria is messy to untangle. Boko Haram formed in part as a protest against a corrupt and ineffective government, and now much of that sentiment has been been reflected by locals in its very inability to combat the violent group. President Goodluck Jonathan’s collaboration with the victims’ families and Nigerian protestors has been complicated and marked by unlawful arrests. Boko Haram’s actions are unspeakably horrible, but the Nigerian government also has its fair share of blame to shoulder.
It’s easy to write a status that makes it seem like you are engaged in an intricate foreign conflict, but it’s a lot harder to actually dig up facts and actually do something about it. If anyone remembers the #Kony2012 movement, it was in some ways similar to #BringBackOurGirls. Spoiler alert: #Kony2012 didn’t work.
Helpful: It sparked actual political action.
To be fair, there is little we can do to directly aid those girls in Nigeria. International governments, however, have already begun to send personnel and intelligence officers to aid the Nigerian government’s search. The U.S., UK, France and China have all thrown their hats in the ring. Those nations have made it clear, however, that they will offer only information and coordination assistance, not military intervention. Nigeria never would have seen this much-needed support without the aid of over two million disgruntled voices.
Unhelpful: It might be giving Boko Haram exactly what it wants.
They have the world’s attention, and they’ve taken advantage of the platform—releasing videos that continue to make threats against the girls and the West. Exposure is what allows terrorist groups to disseminate their cause, recruit more extremists and make demands of the world. They kidnapped 300 girls to grab our attention, and now that they have it, we are just feeding into their scheme until real action is taken.
Via: urbanchristiannews.com
The battle to free those Nigerian schoolgirls is just beginning. Just over 50 have already reportedly escaped on their own, but around 276 still remain captive and in constant danger. Hashtag Diplomacy seems to be the future of civil engagement, and while it’s certainly bringing more voices to the rally, it may not be enough. The fact that you are reading this article points to the efficacy of social media in spreading messages of international crisis, but it can’t just end there.
Human Rights Watch has encouraged those outraged over the situation in Nigeria to support groups that promote girls’ education and civilian protection, such as the Malala Fund and GirlUp (heck, even that Oprah chai tea latte from Starbucks helps change the conversation on girls’ education in Africa).
Get informed on similar attacks around the world with the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, and stay up-to-date on the Nigerian schoolgirls’ situation with how you can get involved in local rallies on the Bring Back Our Girls Facebook page.
A hashtag started the storm, but it will take more than tweets to bring those girls home. We are all empowered beyond a character limit, so while you share #BringBackOurGirls, don’t forget to share a helping hand as well.
Featured photo courtesy of: celebmagnet.com
