Writers at various blogs and newspaper columns have responded to the protests demanding a constitution by the May 28 deadline organized largely on Facebook. In fact, I was inspired to write this article after reading the great summary at Global Voices from Bhumika Ghimire--"Nepal: Social Media as a Civic Activism Tool". Her article is only the tip of the Iceberg regarding coverage of this set of protests: much reporting, and even more commentary both attacking and defending the "Facebook protestors" exist all over Nepali media.

While I very much like the increasing recognition of social media-based civic efforts, the landscape hasn't been well covered. So I write this article to highlight two recent efforts which I think are equally worth mention but that have escaped the limelight due to a variety of reasons. (There are others as well--I will hopefully get to those in time).

Two youth organizations--AYON (Association of Youth Organizations of Nepal) and YUWA--called for youth throughout Kathmandu to gather together and clean the Tribhuvan International Airport first on April 30th and then on May 17th (after the first event was mostly rained out). The venue was selected because of "Visit Nepal Year 2011," an effort by the Tourism Ministry of Nepal, and a feeling that many venues in Kathmandu like the International airport are not very clean.

Yogesh Gyawali, a member of AYON, told me that part of the point was to highlight the relative uncleanliness of the airport despite enormous spending for the visit nepal year so far. Others at the event felt that the event was important for raising awareness about the need to clean one's city (Japanese volunteer Namita), as a symbolic gesture towards the need to clean (Koshish from Classic College), and because it built a community of like-minded individuals who were inspired to do something with their own hands (Himalaya).

I heard about the event through Facebook, and attended with great pleasure. For young people frustrated by the lack of progress in governmental processes, there is normally not much to do besides complain and protest. Even when they do, prominent cultural commentators like CK Lal write in derisive tones about the inherent class divisions that events organized on Facebook preclude, and the drinks in Jhamsikhel and Thamel that conclude them. The event cleaning the airport was an attempt to construct a process where some immediate *productive* action took place (a protest, and complaints online or offline, are ways to prompt action rather than to act, in contrast).

I was impressed that 500 youth came on April 30, when the rain stopped activities early. And that 1000 youth showed up on May 17th, for the historically low-class/low-caste act of cleaning rubbish in Nepal.

Another Facebook-related piece of activism that impressed me tremendously were 5,000 signatures in support of the Nepali Supreme Court. The signatures were solicited to "follow the bright spot" of Nepal's Supreme Court's tough stand against corruption cases recently. Facebook was used to collect signatures in support of a letter organizers Ujwal Thapa and company had written to the Supreme Court commending their work. The organizers eventually delivered the letter to the Supreme Court, and got a statement from the Supreme Court Chief Justice that is now on YouTube ().

What impressed me most was the way this event approached social activism. Most activism that talk to higher powers so with an opposing stance: whether by writing a petition to change course of action, staging a protest, or complaining in the public sphere. This piece of activism went the other way: by supporting and appreciating something that the "activists" were in favor of. Co-organizer Ujwal Thapa calls it "follow the bright spots," a suggestion I highly support myself.

What I also liked about this movement was that it was slacktivism at its best. The effort required by everyone participating in this intervention was very small--they each just needed to like the page in order to offer up their name as a petition-signer. And on the other hand, that was all that was required for the Chief Justice and Supreme Court officials to realize that their recent actions are appreciated. Actually, the Facebook group also shared articles about the Supreme Court's work and had discussions related to corruption in Nepal surrounding the petition. But, the core activity was as simple as it needed to be--solicitations of names that supported a Supreme Court fighting corruption in Nepal.

Again, in a climate where the public sphere's main duty has been to talk truth in opposition to power, this campaign brought about a refreshing change by appreciating the effort of some civil servants who are doing well. In "Understanding Corruption," Lawrence Rosen writes that building professional pride may be one of the key components of reforming corruption at large. This effort is a small set in an ecosystem that fosters professional pride for activities that are morally right. 

For those not in the know, I am now in Nepal, and will try to blog from here about some of the Innovative things happening here, with the perspective of someone who has returned for four months after ten years of living abroad.

First, the pleasant surprise delivered by the likely most read newspaper in Nepal.

2. In the weekly Friday edition, the "week's tweets."

3. In the weekly Friday edition again, HelloShukrabar's (translation: HelloFriday) Facebook page.

Also, at the end of almost any opinion article, there is an invitation to send in comments via SMS.