Active Citizen Project
Encyclopedia
The Active Citizen Project (ACP), is a New York City
-based non-profit organization
founded in 2003 by filmmaker Linda Goode Bryant
in response to the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Throughout the United States
, ACP engages high school students in internet activism
using art
and new media
.
and new media
as tools for social change
. According to its website, the goal of its projects is “for people to act on their own behalf for political and social change
that ensures their human rights
and mutual well-being.” ACP activities take place in working class
communities and on the internet. The organization was inspired by the Farmers’ Alliance movement of the late 1800s.
The organization is most well-known for its Open Caucus (OC) program. OC is an activity that engages high school
students in creating social change
in their communities using art
and new media
and engages them in internet activism
, connecting them with a global network of actions taking place worldwide. In 2007, ACP worked in Colorado Springs to produce a community art exhibit. Since its inception in 2004, over 5600 students in 28 cities have participated in OC. In December 2007, ACP brought 19 OC students and 9 teachers from 9 different cities to Des Moines, Iowa
to create a documentary film
on the Heartland Presidential Forum.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 2003 by filmmaker Linda Goode Bryant
Linda Goode Bryant
Linda Goode Bryant is an American documentary filmmaker.Goode Bryant received her B.A. at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and a Masters Degree in Business from Columbia University in New York City. She co-produced and directed Flag Wars , a cinéma vérité Emmy Award-nominated documentary...
in response to the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, ACP engages high school students in internet activism
Internet activism
Internet activism is the use of electronic communication technologies such as e-mail, the World Wide Web, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster communications by citizen movements and the delivery of local information to a large audience...
using art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
.
Background
The organization serves as a catalyst and laboratory for people-generated activism that uses artArt
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
as tools for social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
. According to its website, the goal of its projects is “for people to act on their own behalf for political and social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
that ensures their human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and mutual well-being.” ACP activities take place in working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
communities and on the internet. The organization was inspired by the Farmers’ Alliance movement of the late 1800s.
The organization is most well-known for its Open Caucus (OC) program. OC is an activity that engages high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students in creating social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
in their communities using art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
and engages them in internet activism
Internet activism
Internet activism is the use of electronic communication technologies such as e-mail, the World Wide Web, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster communications by citizen movements and the delivery of local information to a large audience...
, connecting them with a global network of actions taking place worldwide. In 2007, ACP worked in Colorado Springs to produce a community art exhibit. Since its inception in 2004, over 5600 students in 28 cities have participated in OC. In December 2007, ACP brought 19 OC students and 9 teachers from 9 different cities to Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
to create a documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on the Heartland Presidential Forum.
External links
- ACP website
- ACP on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- ACP on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....