The Challenges of Human Rights Advocacy on Social Media in the Context of Legal Clinics

Authors

  • Taysa Schiocchet Federal University of Paraná https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6703-9036
  • Maria Luiza G. Muller Federal University of Paraná
  • Natalia Martinuzzi Castilho Federal University of Paraná

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19164/ijcle.v31i2.1606

Abstract

The consolidation of social media as a medium of information and social mobilisation reinforces the importance of using this resource to base advocacy strategies undertaken by legal clinics, especially those regarding human rights education aimed at elucidating concrete issues that are dear to democracy. This research intends to identify, describe, and discuss the main challenges related to communication on human rights by legal clinics, based on the experience developed at the Paraná’s Federal University Human Rights Clinic (CDH/UFPR). If, in theory, Instagram had proved to be the most pertinent tool for disseminating research — even considering the digital exclusion of a significant quantity of Brazilians — the experience revealed the first major challenge to be the incongruity between the parameters governing the algorithmics functioning in the app and the academic and scientific nature of the clinic’s content. By subverting and re-signifying a space governed by market interests — that impose themselves every day as a communication hub — we sought to promote the dissemination of evidence-based scientific knowledge to our channel's community of followers.  In which we  paid special attention to the adaptation of legal and technical language to a more accessible approach while still preserving the quality of the information being disseminated; the efforts to ensure knowledge transit and theoretical alignment in a team made up of researchers from different areas; the need to involve third parties in collaborating on the joint production of publications; and, finally, obstacles related to the scarcity of financial resources and project management.

Keywords: digital advocacy; legal clinics; human rights; social media.

Author Biographies

Taysa Schiocchet, Federal University of Paraná

Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law and the Graduate Program in Law at the Federal University of Paraná.

Maria Luiza G. Muller, Federal University of Paraná

Law student at the Federal University of Paraná.

Natalia Martinuzzi Castilho, Federal University of Paraná

Postdoctoral student at UFPR Human Rights Clinic.

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Published

2024-11-13

Issue

Section

Practice Reports