Another Way to Share Information

We discussed in our break out sections how NGO’s can influence a state by other actors when the state blocks their attempted involvement. Figure 1 in our reading showed this process as the NGO sharing information to another NGO when they are blocked by State A. That state then takes that information and influences State B or an intergovernmental organization will take that information and influence State B. We discussed ways in which information can be shared – this can be using the media, relying on influential members in the government, etc. One example that I read about in Foreign Policy Magazine today that I thought was particularly applicable to our discussion was a Syrian defector showing pictures and videos from the civil war in Syria and testifying in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee (http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/07/31/syrian_torture_photos_prompt_calls_for_action_from_lawmakers). 

There is a lot of turmoil happening in the news and Syria has not been in the headlines since the escalation of violence in Gaza and the plane crash have taken over. This Syrian man has been able to share new information and bring back attention to an important event that has otherwise been blocked by the Syrian state to make a change. This article did not say that this man was brought in to testify by a NGO, but I imagine that he did have some help and contacts from a human rights organization to step up and share information in an influential way. A different approach from a different actor helped to gain access to a state that was otherwise blocking information from other sources. I think this is a really interesting example that is directly relevant to what we discussed this week. I think there are many other examples of cases in which we see this happen, but I thought it was interesting to view from a current day news cycle. This demonstrates another way in which information can be shared with a state that does not get all of the information it should in a traditional way.