From Online Mobilization to Offline Action: Yirenping and Public Interest Litigation

Abstract

This article studies the online and offline legal and political mobilization by the Beijing Yirenping Centre ( 北京益仁平中心), a local human rights non-governmental organization and its Internet portal, Gandan Xiangzhao (肝膽相照). This case study explores the strength of Gandan Xiangzhao and Yirenping and the mutually reinforcing process in which online mobilization and offline actions interact to empower one particular group of vulnerable people in the Chinese society.

Keywords: Internet, China, social justice, cyberactivism, human rights, NGO, public interest litigation, discrimination, civil society, social movement, online mobilization, lawyers, media, civil disobedience, Hepatitis B, social networking, policy change, civic participation, rights awareness

JEL Classification: J7, J70, J71, J78, K00, K10, K19, K4, K40, K41, K42, K49, L3, L31, L30, O33, O38, P2, P20