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Month: November 2018

How the Power of the Humble #Hashtag Changed World Politics

Bridge Agents

World Wide (Conversation) – From fashion trends to global events, the hashtag (#) has become the conspicuous symbol of the Twittersphere. What only a decade ago denoted a numerical symbol of no special significance or attribution is now a call to arms for causes that are many and varied. The “#” is a social organiser, which emerged spontaneously and dynamically from the content generated and updated by social media users. The initial intent behind the “#”, when Twitter launched in 2006, lay in its simple use as a means of…

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Film Premiere in Riverwest, Milwaukee Remembers DAPL Protests

Bridge Agents

Milwaukee, WI (PT) – The one-night showing of Standing Rock: Take Me From The River attracted dozens to Riverwest’s Linneman’s Inn last month. Directed by Denny Rauen, the award winning documentary showcased footage shot during the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from 2016-2017. Speakers included Native elders now pushing against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline in northern Wisconsin. They’re message was simple: Wni Miconi, Lakota for “water is life.” Audience members were greeted with an acoustic guitar performance by Michael Bootzkin. The film introduces him with the slide…

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The Unimaginable Costs of Sexual Assault

Bridge Agents

United States (Conversation) – What is the cost of sexual assault? The answer depends on whom you ask. Social and behavioral scientists like me measure the consequences of sexual assault in terms of mental health, physical health and educational outcomes. We know that post-traumatic stress symptoms may last for years and even decades. Health is compromised indirectly, in ways unknown and unknowable to victims. Economists measure the cost of health and mental health care and days of productivity lost. Other costs, however, are intangible, harder to quantify. We might call…

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