Here is an example of the ways in which the lines between traditional journalism, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and digital activism are being blurred and converging.

Gabura, an island off the coast of Bangladesh, was ravaged by cyclone Aila this May. Rising sea waters are to blame. This December the UN Climate Talks in Copenhagen are seen as decisive in establishing a response to the problems of climate change. However, there is real worry that voices of the poorest nations will not be heard in the negotiations over climate treaties where the rich, developed nations dominate.

In an effort to democratise the debate, Oxfam has produced a video that describes the life of rural Bangladeshi farmers and the ways that the storm affected their livelihoods. It goes beyond the kinds of charity marketing previously associated with organisations such as Oxfam: it’s journalistic. It’s embedded in the Guardian website – using that newspaper’s reputation to enhance its own – and it links to it’s own site where you can send a message to the UN negotiators asking them to watch the video and track messages sent by others – it’s about activism.

Related articles

• Seas ‘threaten 20m in Bangladesh’ (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Barcelona climate talks beset by rich-poor stalemate (guardian.co.uk)