This paper will explore how the use of new technologies can lead to increased participation in democracy at all levels of society. It will do so through the case study of the Afghan version of Pop Idol, “Afghan Star”. It will focus on the voting processes associated with the show (text messaging), and the various blogs and wikis created by Afghanis, discussing the show. Overall, it will address the potential and existing possibilities for individual citizens and civil society in terms of using the new technologies for communication, horizontal networking, protest, mobilization and interaction.

The question that will guide this research is: do ICTs improve democratic processes? The null hypothesis accompanying this research question is that ICTs do improve democratic processes, or at least pave the way for democratic improvement in developing countries. I expect to find that using text messaging to vote, or creating a blog and engaging in conversations about a show, are ways to foster democracy in a country that has suffered from war and an authoritarian regime.

Analyzing this topic is really interesting as it can show what a crucial role ICTs play in development. Moreover, by focusing on a Muslim country like Afghanistan, which has experienced the Taliban regime, war and invasion, this paper can help show how ICTs, coupled with globalization –in this case a popular TV show franchise, can fulfil a task that is way more significant than the basic functions they were originally designed for.

To support my thesis, I will survey young Afghanis (from a facebook group about the show) about their use of cell phones, blogs and wikis and the Internet to vote and discuss the show. I shall also compare my results to results obtained from previous studies conducted in the United States and in the Western world.

PRESENTATION