05
INSIGHTS SCOOP ++ Issue 05 | JUN 08
CAUSES AND CONSCIENCES IN ASIA How the concern for social and environmental issues is reflected in young people’s lives in Asia-Pacific
‘
Asia Scout Network’s Quarterly
Insights Scoop
Every 3 months, MindShare Asia-Pacific invites designated ‘scouts’ living in each major city in Asia to provide updates on urban youth culture and their own opinions on two preset topics, dropping their articles on our blog. At the end of each quarter, stories from our scouts are picked and pulled together by the MindShare AsiaPacific Insights unit into a pan-regional, topical report, called the Asia Scout Network Insights Scoop. We’re hoping this will help provide a close-up view of what the urban and opinionated 18-32 yearolds Asians are up to, through real, local examples. The bird’s-eye-view regional perspective is meant to serve as a springboard to inspire new communication ideas, sometimes by adapting concepts originating outside the borders of your respective countries to fit the local climate. This fifth issue, titled ‘Causes and Consciences in Asia’, reveals the ways in which young, urban Asians express their concern towards social and environmental causes. The business directions are not explicit, but we hope that taking this with openness and flexibility can help tease out the ideas that lie in the shadows and uncover the opportunities for innovation ahead. For the full version of the scouts’ articles, check out www.asiascoutnetwork.com This PDF copy contains links to the relevant articles, connoted by underlined and bold phrases like this Good and bad comments, or just tips on trends, we’d love to hear from you...XXX
The City Scouts:
MINDSHARE ASIA - PACIFIC:
Ayumi Ai (Tokyo) Bayliss Wu (Taipei) Ginette Chittick (Singapore) Kitty Jiang (Shanghai) Michelle Mossfield (Sydney) Dang Sering (Manila)
Achara Masoodi (Ju)
The Scout - Asia Pacific James Chadwick
Head of Strategy
Liyana Raja Aznil (Kuala Lumpur) Stirling Silliphant (Jakarta) Van Gnuyen (Ho Chi Minh City) Tintin Cooper (Bangkok) Click here for profiles and pictures. Thanks to the following sites:
Gizmodova.com, ChinaDaily, PeopleAndPlanet.net, New York Observer, Wang Jian Shuo’s blog, JamesSilencer13, PersonalThailand.com, InformationWeek.com, Cebu Smile, Theme Magazine, Monocle, PingMag, Times Online
01
‘
ISSUE 05:
CAUSES AND CONSCIENCES IN ASIA Throughout February – April 2008, the city scouts were asked to
Look At: how the urban 18-32 yr-olds in their city are involved in social and environmental issues/campaigns
For Example... How do the young, sophisticated, leading edge people in your city feel about particular causes? Do you notice an overall level of concern (either existing or emerging) over a particular cause? What types of activities, organizations, brands, or individuals are involved? Any interesting project ideas / volunteer programs / protest rally / online activity / festivals / events / donations / brands / products dedicated to any particular causes? What concepts do you see emerging and how? Example: global warming, sustainability, anti-consumerism, patriotism, fair trade, education, animal rights, world peace, anythingelse?
02
‘
The Headlines
03
01. ‘REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE’ RESONATES 02. SOCIAL CONSCIENCE ONLINE, ON A BADGE 03. HIP VOLUNTEERISM 04. MY COUNTRY, MY CAUSE 05. SOCIAL-STATEMENT SHOPPING
‘
1. ‘REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE’ RESONATES While there is plenty of cynicism and indifference surrounding the now fashionable and media-led movement to combat global warming, initiatives based on the 3R’s principles of ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ seem to be well-received by discerning young Asians, most likely due to the simple, practical, and local implications for immediate lifestyle change. The concept manifests itself in different ways in each city with initiatives ranging from those at the grassroots to corporate to state level, with the most noteworthy executed in a creative, fun-for-all, multi-purpose manner.
[ REDUCE ] The effort to reduce plastic waste – the most obvious initiative under “REDUCE” - has brought forth the concept of ‘eco-bags’ to young, hip, and trendy Asians. Minimizing plastic bags by going without them, supporting biodegradable ones, or bringing your own eco-bag, is becoming the ‘in’ method of shopping.
TOKYO | Ayumi
Stop Global Warming” - Tokyo’s Eco Bag Movement Tokyo leads the way in terms of stylish eco-bags, which even includes personalized designs Image via Gizmodiva.com KUALA LUMPUR | Liyana
KLites Convert! From Woven Polymer to Woven Fibers! “One of the small but meaningful acts that are going around town nowadays is the switching use from plastic shopping bags to reusable cloth shopping bags.” CHINA | ChinaDaily.com
“Retailers Go Green, Bag Makers Go Red”
04
The State Council, China’s cabinet, banned the production of thin plastic bags and will forbid China’s supermarkets to offer them free beginning June 1. Retailers ranging from fashionable labels Muji and Levi’s to local department stores in Beijing have already gotten in on the “green” shopping bag campaign.
‘
JAKARTA | Stirling:
Jakarta NGO Lets Consumers Say ‘No’ To Oil-Based Plastic “a lot of big companies see the BioBag as a cheap way to brand themselves ecofriendly: Body Shop, Nike (that’s Nike international, not Nike Indonesia), Four Seasons, and Alun Alun Indonesia are already clients.”
SYDNEY | Michelle
Alfafa House: Minimally Packaged, Minimally Processed “Alfalfa House is a not-for-profit cooperative that aims to provide, where possible, minimally packaged and minimally processed, affordable, wholesome, organic food to its members.”
SCOUT BYTES:
Biking – The Future Eco- Fashion Statement?
Although efforts to reduce gas emissions through urban biking may seem distant in some of Asia’s polluted cities and their messy roads, it is worth noting the growing popularity of urban biking in key cities around the world, including their respective governments’ initiatives to promote a pro-bike city. In Asia, low-rider bikes are emerging as a form of youth subculture in itself, spotted in Taipei and Jakarta. Manila also has a “Firefly Brigade”, a popular community that promotes the use of the bicycle as an alternative means of transportation that is cheap, efficient, envi-
05
ronmentally sensible and good for one’s health. Feeble attempts to create bike lanes have also been noted in Bangkok.
‘
Last year in New York City, fashion-leading celebrity figures Naomi Watts, Chloë Sevigny, and Giselle Bundchen have been spotted leading the ‘trend’ for hot women riding bikes: “Eco-conscious and ethereal, they wear flowing frocks and gigantic sunglasses but never helmets. Their hair flutters in the breeze as they leave a trail of swooning male pedestrians in their
perfumed wake.” (Source: The New York Observer: “The Spokes-Model” - Sept. 4, 2007) Luxury brands like Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes now claim bikes as part of their fashion line, while well-known urban artists Stash and Futura have collaborated with bike manufacturer Colnago to produce limited edition bikes last year. Even Monocles, the high-profiled magazine on global culture created by Wallpaper founder Tyler Brule, dedicated their May 2007 issue to Bicycles, and offers Monocle limited editions ‘Natur’ bikes. Given that bikes can cater to young Asians emerging interest in adventure and fun physical exercise, it is worth watching if and how this movement will spread to Asia.
[ REUSE ] Young Asians are giving second lives to their possessions by organizing events to exchange or auction them to their peers, held with lots of fun and flair. They are looking for ways to avoid the unnecessary disposal of items, coming up with stylish incentives to reuse belongings in an attempt to slow down the depletion of natural resources.
HO CHI MINH CITY | Van
Let’s Not ‘Mottainai’! Members of the 3R Volunteering Club, about 200 mostly university students, hosted the Mottainai Fair in Hanoi, offering people. Two months before the Fair, volunteers went door-to-door to advocate the concept of Mottainai. Anyone who donated items received a card labeled A, B or C, according to the value of their donated item, which they then use to exchange for other items at the fair.
06
‘
TOKYO | Ayumi
My Hashi: Bring Your Own Chopsticks Initiated in 2006, the My Hashi campaign to combat disposable chopsticks (and save trees) is now a full-fledged movement in Japan, spawning new product lines for personal chopsticks and offering a new channel for self-expression and personalization. The movement is spreading to China at the grassroots level, where a niche group of Chinese DIY designers and young environmentalists have made an open online offer to handstitch a free chopstick / soup spoon holder for anyone who pledges to only carry reusable chopsticks (Source: PSFK)
SINGAPORE | Ginette
Flea Fly Flo Fun: Swop Your Clothes Inspired by New York’s Swap-a-Rama-Rama event, SWOP! brings to Singapore the concept of recycling and swopping clothes to keep down textile waste (yet be seen with new clothes all the time!). The rules for joining are: “bring at least 5 items and pay $5 to join (proceeds go to charity)”
[ RECYCLE ] The idea of using discarded items as raw material to produce unique, marketable products is likely to appeal to leading edge, young Asians who value resourcefulness, creativity, and innovation. It’s therefore not surprising that the concept of recycling has become a source of inspiration for artists and designers. SINGAPORE | Ginette
Maki SquarePatch Sew Loves Your Junk!
07
“Maki Squarepatch uses what is called pre-loved fabrics to make new things such as dresses, bags and toys… exhibited at the esteemed 20/20 exhibtion 2007, Maki Squarepatch has the local press raving about their hand-made crafts.”
‘
SINGAPORE | Ginette
GreenPeas Eco Bazaar “Targeted at the hip and socially conscious, the bazaar will feature eco friendly reconstructed vintage clothes, sandals (made and designed in Singapore!), Yoga mats, organic soft toys, shawls, etc…”
TAIPEI | Bayliss
Recycled Furniture Market “Taipei City Department of Environmental Protection established a recycling furniture factory. Abandoned furniture will be sent here get fixed and refinished. Then be sold in recycled furniture auction. In the past abandoned furniture only be disassembled and then burned, but now they have a second life…”
BANGKOK
Art from Rubbish (Environmental WHAT?) Exhibited at the London’s Tate Gallery: “World-renowned artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble create a sculpture out of dead seagulls and rubbish and sell it to Charles Saatchi for Millions”
Exhibited at Bangkok’s Fat Festival for indie music / arts in Thailand: a house made from discarded objects by Thai artist / comedian Note Udom.
Image via JamesSilencer
08
‘
2. SOCIAL CONSCIENCE ONLINE ON A BADGE Online activism, mostly in terms of advocacy and awareness, claims a spot in their digital lives through the ‘web accessories’ that decorate their online profiles, such as MSN nicknames and widgets. These offer fun, easy, and contagious ways to show(- off) social conscience, join an inspiring movement, and create a unifying noise, mirroring the principles behind the trendy Nike LiveStrong yellow wristband in the offline world years back. SHANGHAI | Kitty
MSN Nicknames CHINA for Beijing 2008 Olympics Chinese MSN names suddenly start with ‘(heart) China’, apparently in support of their country hosting the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympics, since the protests in France during the torch relay. Along similar lines in 2004, China’s youth started their MSN names with a rose (f) symbol to show sympathy for children killed in the terrorist attack in Russia. (Source: Wang Jian Shuo, “Flowers Bloom on MSN Messenger”) BANGKOK
Thais Their MSN Names to Support the King When the Thai King was admitted to the hospital for illness in October last year, Thais expressed their support for him by starting their MSN nicknames starting with a heart symbol. WORLD
MSN’s i’m initiative
09
MSN Messenger’s I’m initiative donates a portion of their ad revenues to charitable organizations and aid agencies for every conversation where the MSN name contains the code “i’m” together with the specified name of the supported agency (example: I’m ABC *unicef) Although the donation model works only in the US, the code’s usage has spread to pockets of MSN users in Asia.
‘
MANILA | Dang
The Pinoy Badge Filipinos bloggers solidify their presence on the blogosphere by flaunting the Pinoy badge, a widget of a graphically-designed Phillipines flag, on their blogs.
JAKARTA
solidaritasKEBERSAMAAN’s Wristband Widget solidaritasKEBERSAMAAN is setting off a movement to support children’s education through red wristbands in the form of widgets (real ones can also be purchased online), which has been spotted on blogs such as totercrew.blogspot.com, a member of the Indonesian street art community Tembokbomber.
BANGKOK | Tintin
Facebook ‘Causes’ Kicking Off
10
“The “Causes” application actually started on Facebook, but has now spread like a virus to MySpace (which is more like an afterthought these days) and is fast gaining popularity among young people, who are, or at least want to appear to have some sort of desire to save the earth….The Thai Facebook group to save TCDC (Thailand’s Creative and Desigsave Design Center) has already accomplished their mission, preventing the government from closing (or moving) the library, exhibition gallery, and first and only design center in Thailand.”
‘
US | SocialVibe.com
Connecting Brands and Causes “SocialVibe allows members to use their online presence and connections to raise awareness and funds for causes they believe in. Members choose brands to endorse on their profiles, blogs, and personal Web sites. In exchange for endorsements, the companies that sponsor SocialVibe offer chances to win prizes and donations to members’ causes… SocialVibe went public in beta in February 2007. It claims 300% growth each month and thousands of new members each day. The site says it has already donated more than $30,000 to 14 charities.” (Source: InformationWeek.com, May 2008)
11
‘
3. HIP VOLUNTEERISM Designers, musicians, filmmakers, writers, artists, web developers, entrepreneurs, and the likes of such independent-minded, creative-types are honing their expert skills to lead and support locally-run social volunteering or environmental initiatives. These projects enable the act of giving by blending passion with purpose. They challenge young professionals to chip in on expertise instead of common labor, and present thoughtful ways of giving and advocacy through personal interaction rather than cash donations or radical activism.
MANILA | Dang
RockEd: Rocking Society Through Alternative Education “RockEd is a volunteer group that continues to inspire young Filipinos into civic action through poetry, films and documentaries, sports, photography, fashion, and of course, music. It has introduced social causes and advocacies through its concerts, reaching out to the youth through rock culture. Beginning with its founders CP David, Ani Almario, and Gang Badoy, it has grown exponentially to 50,000 members in the country… providing young professionals to volunteer their time to youth activities, school visits, and outreach projects without asking them to do anything outside of their passion or profession.”
“The youth today is searching for a reality it can trust. They are hungry for answers. And they have to be interesting.” Gang Badoy, RockEd Co-Founder Cebu Smile Magazine, December 2007
12
‘
SHANGHAI | Kitty
Travel Meets Charity with “1 KG More” The volunteer community “1 kg more” blends charity with travel into the rural parts of China by promoting the idea of packing an extra ‘1 kg’ worth of books or school supplies to donate to schools located along their travel paths: “Last year, 131 travels were organized to help kids in remote areas via ‘1kg more’. Today, 1kg.org manages a database of around 367 elementary schools which includes information on: 1) how many students are in the school; 2) what is the kids’ primary need; 3) the school name and contact person; 4) detailed directions, including method of transportation, Image via cnreviews.com of how an independent traveler can reach the school.” Theme Magazine, a webzine on contemporary Asian culture, also recently recently reported ecotourism and the idea of blending community development with travel by featuring GAP Adventures, the world’s largest travel adventure company that offers an off-the-beaten-path adventure for the traveler while giving formerlyremote locals access to tourist revenue. (Source: Theme Magazine, May 2008) KUALA LUMPUR | Liyana
KL Youths Roots for Grandma Maimun” “three volunteers (aged between 24 to 32) turned the oldest candidate’s campaign [89 year old grandma in Malaysia’s general election] into one that touches the hearts of “Netizens”. Taking a young and hip approach, Tok Maimun now has her own Facebook profile, a Gmail account, a blog and best of all, videos on YouTube!”
SYDNEY | Michelle
Australian Youth Climate Coalition The Australian Youth Climate Coalition was established in 2006 by various youth group leaders around the country with the aim of mobilising Australian youth in the fight to save the environment. “The AYCC is largely run by volunteers – whether that be running our projects, writing a press release, designing the graphics for our website, fundraising, organising events, delivering workshops to school students, marketing, or meeting with Ministers.”
13
‘
JAKARTA | Stirling
Music and Social Issues “Indonesian musicians are a fair deal more politically oriented than their regional peers…the underground and indie rock scenes tell a different story. They’re comprised of bands who not only broach political subjects in their lyrics – and share their viewpoint in ‘zines and though the web – but also raise money for people who need it by playing benefit concerts.”
TOKYO | Ayumi
100 Umbrellas Installation at Shibuya Crossing “One of biggest blog media, Ameba, and up-and-coming artists, MireyHIROKI collaborated to launch “100UMBRELLAS” campaign in last December 2007 to raise awareness regarding the number of throw-away disposal umbrellas which are causing serious garbage issues today. On that day, literally 100 people with the same designed umbrellas marched on Shibuya crossing which made it into such a great open-air installation. People could participate in taking the action by purchasing the “100UMBRELLA” project umbrella or using one of 300 donated rental-umbrellas from Shibuya Ward center.”
Win Mektripop, 27 , is also co-creator of the ‘Do-Good’ Map’ a visual, colorful booklet that features numerous non-profit foundations volunteering opportunities across Bangkok, available for download here.
14
“University students are moving away from simply participating in volunteering programs centrally run by university clubs and large institutions to actually creating, leading, and organizing projects among themselves. Even vets and medical students are starting their own projects.” Win Mektripop Project Coordination Partner of VolunteerSpirit.org Bangkok, May 2008
‘
4. MY COUNTRY, MY CAUSE
Globally-connected youth are becoming more conscious of their national identity, and concerned over how its image is portrayed to international eyes. This could be a result of the widespread access to and influence of international media, weaving a sense of global ‘netizenship’ into their identities. The effects can be observed among Asian youth through a sense of rising frustration regarding foreign criticism, or pride and protectionism in symbols that connect them to their national or cultural identity.
MANILA | Dang
SHANGHAI | Kitty
Badges for Filipino Bloggers
Boycotting France is Bubbling with Noise
“According to Mark Parrenas, creator of the Proudly a Pinoy Blog badge:“ I put this badge in my blog because for one, I take pride in being a Filipino. True, our country is in turmoil, constantly disturbed by events which put us in a bad light. But I’d like to believe that there’s something this country has that it can be proud of and should further manifest: its potential to excel. I see so many blogs written by Filipinos in the blogosphere and their content are moving, influencing, and putting our country up on the stage to display the good that we’re really capable of doing.”
15
“Blogs, internet forums and text messages circulating in China have urged consumers to boycott French goods in response to the protests that accompanied the torch relay in Paris.” See also Heart China on MSN, pg 9. Exposing Western Lies www.anti-cnn.com “was established to expose the lies and distortions in the western media. The site is maintained by volunteers, who are not associated with any government officials. We are not against the western media, but against the lies and fabricated stories in the media. We are not against the western people, but against the prejudice from the western society.” Includes links to articles defending China, and images and videos showing how foreign media ‘manipulate’ facts.
‘
SYDNEY | Michelle
Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras “I, for one, am proud to live in a city where my friends and I are able to express who we are with relative freedom and security. I am more than aware that this is not the case in most other places in the world, but hope that one day the rest of the world will take a leaf out of the Sydney book. Celebrate diversity - it’s the only thing that makes us different!!”
HCMC | Van
Vote for Halong Bay “Sick of being telling the World Wonder of Nature are Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Aurorae, Parícutin volcano and Victoria Falls? …But for me, as a Vietnamese, Ha Long Bay, 170 kilometres east of Hanoi, in north Vietnam MUST BE one in those New 7 Wonders of Nature. I vote for Vietnam’s beautiful landscape.”
JAKARTA | Stirling
Megaria 21 Under Threat “The struggle to save Cikini’s Megaria Theatre from a lunatic developer dead-set on tearing it down continues…Its defenders contend that’s it’s a national heritage site and that tearing it down to make way for whatever unnecessary project the developer has planned (a parking lot? another mall?!?!) is an attack on the Jakarta’s heart and soul.”
16
‘
KUALA LUMPUR | Stephanie
UB50 - Malaysians Unite “With so many good causes and charities to support, it is perhaps easier to stay away from flaunting any of the wristbands lest you seem to favour one cause over another. But in Malaysia, a group of activists and forward thinking people has banded (pun intended) together to put the armband to a unique use. The band is meant to represent the blood that flows through each Malaysian’s veins – the one thing that everyone has in common, regardless of race, religion or breed. The creators behind the band are hoping for the citizens of Malaysia to unite and to get involved in shaping the future of the nation… I hope it will serve to unite us all in common cause, regardless of skin colour or belief.”
BANGKOK
Advocacy for The Kingdom of Thailand “Thailand will always be the Kingdom of Thailand and not the republic” is among one of several advocacy groups on Facebook expressing their support for the monarchy system, comprising of mostly upper-middle-class, foreigneducated Thais.
17
‘
Mumbai | Mihir
The Taj Mahal Anthem “Indian musical genius A.R.Rahman has created a song commemorating all that the Taj stands for. He has written about a love that is unifying and universal….The song is being released in Hindi, Tamil, Malyalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali….As an Indian my hope is that no matter what language you speak, no matter where it is you live…the message of love that this song delivers reaches straight to your heart.”
TOKYO
Media Predictions of a Kimono Revival
Monocle Magazine, May 08 : “A decade ago it was rare to see a pair of Tokyo teenage boys out shopping in kimonos. But attitudes to national identity are starting to change. Genbei Yamaguchi’s new collection for United Arrows is targeting this shift in mood.” PingMag, July 07: “Six or seven years ago it wasn’t so popular to wear kimono and yukata at all. However, now you can find everything from hip to boring yukata designs, be it expensive or cheap.”
18
Times Online, May 07 : “Private equity firm bucks fashion trend to bet on the revival of the Japanese kimono”
‘
5. SOCIAL-STATEMENT SHOPPING
In Asia, ethical consumerism is emerging in the form of products or services that clearly position themselves as supporters of the underprivileged / causes, as opposed to the more fundamental movement advocating fair trade and organic production that has swept through the West. Young Asians’ excitement towards special items with an obvious ‘do-good’ stamp over those everyday products that merely claim ‘no-harm’ (i.e. ‘sweatshop-free’, ‘dolphin-safe’), means that ethical shopping is still limited to specific showpieces or special occasions and not yet part of daily purchasing decisions, while also highlighting the appeal of having inspiring stories behind brands and products.
TAIPEI | Bayliss
Empowering the Disabled with Jobs Taiwan’s Syin-Lu Social Welfare Foundation educates and offers job opportunity for mentally and physically disabled people. Their E-Job Workshop is where “members not only learn professional skills but also find a more meaningful life. Purchasing and using their product is a really good way of encouraging these angels and help make the work at E-job workshop sustainable.” Syin-Lu also operates gas stations serviced by people with disabilities.
Image: Vic Zhou of Taiwan’s F4 band in TVC promoting Syin-Lu Foundation
19
‘
MANILA | Dang
Rags2Riches: Fashion with a Social Conscience “Rags2Riches is a social enterprise that empowers the women of Payatas, a dumpsite and one of the most depressed areas in the country. Rags2Riches helps the women gain more value for their work by earning fair profits and ensuring them of a more sustainable livelihood… They have also collaborated with Rajo Laurel, a fashion designer, to exclusively design and market the products to the high-end market.”
Image via RIIR website TOKYO | Ayumi
Pink Ribbon x Glamorous “One of trendy female fashion magazine; Glamorous collaborated with a famous female film director/photographer; Mika Ninagawa and made a photo book of 10 actresses and models in semi-nudity in order to increase awareness of the Pink Ribbon act (breast cancer), issued as a magazine insert. The magazine price was 100 yen plus than usual, but the 100 yen was donated to Japan Society of Breast Health.”
Singapore | Ginette
Causes for the Singapore Millenials “Seems like noble causes now have to be dressed up more and more to appeal to the Millennials. For the Gen Y generation which expects things to be convenient and fast for them, volunteering from the comfort of their own home or donating some money to a cause by buying some luxury items or by attending a concert is more up their alley.”
20
‘
next issue
Digital Applications
Š MindShare Asia-Pacific. 2008. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the publisher. For private circulation only. For more information: Achara Masoodi, achara.masoodi@mindshareworld.com