A social network for activists

by Julie Guidicelli and Sarah Morélot

Lilith is a social network that helps activists manage and fund their movements. It gives them tools to streamline decision-making, discuss topics in dedicated channels, and raise funds from supporters.

We were interested in how smaller-scale, customized social networks could contribute to social movements, in particular feminist activism. Marseille is the birthplace of The Gluers (_Les Colleuses, or Les Colleureuse_s in gender-inclusive spelling), a feminist movement that uses street collage to denounce violence against women, with the aim of changing mindsets and government policies. The activists post factual messages on city walls, such as the number of femicides in France since the beginning of the year, using white sheets of A4 paper that are each marked with one capital letter in black paint. After the first collages went up in 2019, activists throughout France and around the world quickly took up their techniques.

When we met with these activists, we learned that, although their movement has gained visibility and recognition, it has struggled to fund itself. Meanwhile, its horizontal structure means that decision-making and actions can be challenging and time-consuming to organize.

Lilith responds to these needs with a social network that aims to be decentralized, transparent, and secure. It’s organized around specific features for three types of users: admins who are organizing their movements, activists who participate in the movement’s actions, and members of the public who want to support the movement. Organizers can use the survey feature for transparent decision-making: they can ask the community to vote on topics like how to allocate funds (including to participants, to recognize time spent or reimburse the cost of materials) or on questions about how the movement should evolve. Participants can join discussions in channels that are organized by topic and make sure their voices are heard. Anyone from the general public can join as a supporter and purchase NFTs using cryptocurrency, thereby supporting the movement.

Lilith is still being co-constructed every day alongside its community. If you’d like to let us know what you think, get involved, or become a beta tester, please get in touch!

Julie and Sarah

To test the prototype, please fill in this short FORM. You will receive an access link shortly.