TimmyHSocial Networking and Social Action - Change.org
June 4th 2008 02:09
One of the most interesting new features of the Y Generation is its use of social networking technologies to achieve its collective social goals.
There is a natural connection between people who are passionately committed to internet culture and those who live and breathe a particular issue. The combination of the two might well be a vehicle for social change. The potential fro this kind of action has already been seen, most prominently in the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.
One of the defining aspects of the Milennial Generation is its collective approach to social issues and the rate at which its members volunteer. Obama's online networking has been helped along by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. As a Milennial himself Hughes understand the over-enthusiastic yet flippant nature of Generation Y.
But how can this intent and energy be harnessed and capitalized upon beyond electoral politics? A new organisation, Change.org, is betting that the effectiveness of social networking at bringing people together will make it easy for people who want to make lasting social change to find opportunities.
So, for example, if you want to do something to effect social change or the current situation on any given social issue, you'd go and use Change.org's search engine to find the non-profits and peers who are interested in the same thing.
While not targeting a specific demographic, the site does hope to gain access to the civic-minded generation. But Change.org is just one out of several emerging kinds of social entrepreneur type of projects, such as the New Progressive Coalition that's trying to build an infrastructure beyond election politics. The common goal inow for social activists is to capitalise on the energy and buzz behind the social networking phenomenon.
The idea behind the site is to translate people's interest and social conscience to action, especially when it comes to niche issues that receive little media attention. Like many online groups the project aims to enable people with similar interests in specific areas of social change to congregate in one place.
Goodluck!
There is a natural connection between people who are passionately committed to internet culture and those who live and breathe a particular issue. The combination of the two might well be a vehicle for social change. The potential fro this kind of action has already been seen, most prominently in the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.
One of the defining aspects of the Milennial Generation is its collective approach to social issues and the rate at which its members volunteer. Obama's online networking has been helped along by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. As a Milennial himself Hughes understand the over-enthusiastic yet flippant nature of Generation Y.
But how can this intent and energy be harnessed and capitalized upon beyond electoral politics? A new organisation, Change.org, is betting that the effectiveness of social networking at bringing people together will make it easy for people who want to make lasting social change to find opportunities.
So, for example, if you want to do something to effect social change or the current situation on any given social issue, you'd go and use Change.org's search engine to find the non-profits and peers who are interested in the same thing.
While not targeting a specific demographic, the site does hope to gain access to the civic-minded generation. But Change.org is just one out of several emerging kinds of social entrepreneur type of projects, such as the New Progressive Coalition that's trying to build an infrastructure beyond election politics. The common goal inow for social activists is to capitalise on the energy and buzz behind the social networking phenomenon.
The idea behind the site is to translate people's interest and social conscience to action, especially when it comes to niche issues that receive little media attention. Like many online groups the project aims to enable people with similar interests in specific areas of social change to congregate in one place.
Goodluck!
| 70 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
