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What Is Your Activist TV Show Pitch Using ICT4D to Save the World?

By Wayan Vota on September 16, 2021

activist cbs twitter

The Activist is a competition series starting October 22nd on the CBS network that features six inspiring activists teamed with three high-profile public figures working together to bring meaningful change to one of three vitally important world causes: health, education, and environment.

Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Julianne Hough will host the competition series organized by Global Citizen where the activists will go head-to-head in challenges to promote their causes, with their success measured via online engagement, social metrics, and hosts’ input.

Winning activists will attend the G20 Summit where they’ll meet with world leaders in the hope of securing funding. The team that receives the biggest commitment is crowned the winner at the finale, which will feature performances by some of the world’s most passionate artists.

Alternate ‘The Activist’ Entries

As you might expect, a show that trivializes the hard work of real activists and reduces activism to simplistic Facebook likes created a quick push back from many in the humanitarian aid and international development community.

In addition to pointing out that the money spent on the expensive talent and running the show could invested better by giving it directly to activist causes, our esteemed peers had alternate show ideas and a few choice tweets suggesting alternate The Activist entries for the game show:

  • Christoph: In order to prevent global warming, you must first seek counsel from wise R&B singer Usher on how to create a killer TikTok that will garner enough online engagement to knock out your chief rival, that b___ who wants to eradicate malaria.
  • Lina Srivastava: Proud to announce I’ll be competing on The Activist, where I’ll be pitching a VR solution for hunger in refugee camps because “empathy machines” are better than food.
  • Giulio Coppi: Pleased to announce I’ll also be joining “The Activist”, chuffed to be finally able to prove that I’m the best White Savior to thousands instead of just the lone reader of my blog (hi mum). Looking forward to competing to the last blood to prove my worth in the eyes of the Donor.
  • Linda Raftree: Pleased to announce that I’ll be competing on Season 2 of “The Activist,” which will take place entirely in the metaverse. My mentor Mark Zuckerberg and I believe our BOGO Facebook Ray-Bans scheme will enable the surveillance we need to solve poverty & conflict everywhere.
  • Dragana Kaurin: So thrilled to finally be able to share I will also be competing on Season 2 of “The Activist”, looking for new vulnerable communities to test out technological solutions on without their consent or input, & raising money for #Blockchain4Good, always near & dear to my heart.
  • Meg Sattler: I will be also competing on season 2 of The Activist! Because people still don’t seem to get that the whole ‘accountability’ problem can be SO solved by a Digital Platform designed by Young People Wearing Turtlenecks in San Francisco
  • Mona Nicoara: I’ll be competing in Season 27, pitching harvesting all these great rabbit hole tweets (you know you want to) to sell them as NFTs to raise funds for a socially conscious social media platform entirely devoted to clicktivism.

What is Your Alternate Activist Pitch?

We’d love to hear your alternate Activist pitches – please add your ideas in the comments!

Like our April Fools tradition, we know you have great ideas that mix fantasy and just enough ICT4D reality to be a good laugh for everyone – and inspiration for your next donor proposal! Best if your crazy idea involves totally inappropriate digital development solutions applied to tragic humanitarian contexts without consideration for impact or misuse, like this.

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Written by
Wayan Vota co-founded ICTworks. He also co-founded Technology Salon, MERL Tech, ICTforAg, ICT4Djobs, ICT4Drinks, JadedAid, Kurante, OLPC News and a few other things. Opinions expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of his employer, any of its entities, or any ICTWorks sponsor.
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3 Comments to “What Is Your Activist TV Show Pitch Using ICT4D to Save the World?”

  1. Nikhil D. Patil says:

    can’t believe i got the opportunity to participate in season 2 of “the activist” & raise awareness (and only awareness) of health (not, like a specific disease, but just health), something i’m incredibly passionate about. using innovative AI algorithms, i plan to harness the power of big data from remote sensors in activity trackers & the microchip in the COVID-19 vaccine to promote my cause on social media and get the most engagement, demonstrating that i am the most dedicated “(armchair) activist” for raising awareness for & educating poor people around the world about the importance of health.

    • Wayan Vota says:

      Finally, a good use for that microchip in the COVID-19 vaccine! I keep waiting to get Bill Gates’ voice in my head, or at least faster typing in Microsoft Office. It’s not done a thing for me so far.

  2. Wayan Vota says:

    Oui! Here is an ICT4D proposal generator that rivals these ideas.

    WE ARE COMBINING BITCOIN WITH GAMIFICATION TO REVOLUTIONIZE PUBLIC HEALTH.

    WE ARE COMBINING HACKATHONS WITH BIOMETRICS TO BRING WESTERN INNOVATION TO AGRICULTURE.

    WE ARE COMBINING CRYPTOCURRENCY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO REVOLUTIONIZE HUMAN RIGHTS.