Share conference is an event focused on digital and political activism which took place in Belgrade from 26-28 April 2012. The event consisted of three full days featuring speakers from all over the world and evening events with DJs to entertain participants until the early hours.
Share presented a packed schedule with parallel talks and overlapping Q&A sessions which made it impossible for a participant to follow everything. The rich mix of people and side events created the feeling of ‘positive restlessness’ typical of a (music) festival. Yes, music was the key component of the entire Share experience. “Share by night” was brilliantly designed to include numerous DJs and rich nightlife in three different venues around Belgrade.
It would be impossible to mention all the speakers who presented at Share so I will mention three main ideas which dominated the discussion.
First was the need to decentralise the web. Even though the Internet is more widespread than ever, it is also getting more and more centralised with private data ending up in the hands of a few companies with questionable attitudes to personal privacy and ownership.
The second idea was more of an appeal to the wider public to be more active online and offline in fighting against dangers imposed by the public authorities in the form of SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, IPRED. Speakers agreed that these legal texts threaten the existence of the web itself and that people should be educated and informed in order to take action and defend the Net.
And finally, the third idea was all about copying. “Copying is holy” said one of the postulates of the Church of Kopimism. We attended the first Kopimistic wedding ever in which the couple had to promise they would always “share their love, their knowledge and their feelings as long as the information exists.”
Among the participants there were also three TEDx Brussels volunteers, one of whom was actively involved in the organization of the event.
I personally loved the ‘feedback session’ where attendees could give their opinions about the conference and its future development. Tickets for Share couldn’t be bought and the only way to get one of 2000 entry wristbands was through different creative competitions.
More photos from the conference.
Igor Čeliković
