Posts Tagged 'community'

Invitation to a Creative Cultural Partnership

Published February 17, 2009 art & design , creative therapy , non profit , purpose , web 2.0 Leave a Comment
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I like to dream. And I like to be terribly practical.
I like to indulge in creative pursuits. And I like to make a real difference where it matters.
I believe that imagination can assist in social transformation.
I am inspired when creative individuals are equipped and empowered to participate in life changing projects.


more films available for viewing on the VCA website

I know some of you have a real passion for narrative therapy, creative programs for shaping youth and the use of social media for non profit programs amongst other innovative endeavours. Are you looking for potential partnership opportunities to discuss your area of interest? Are you curious about the role of the arts in “cultural democracy; community leadership and cultural citizenship; youth arts, creativity and urban culture; and the role of the artist in social innovation strategies?” Are you interested in the evaluation of the arts in community cultural development? With your dreams and skills in mind, would you also like to be involved in programs, conferences and alliances with the VCA Centre for Cultural Partnership (CCP)? Please let me know.

I’m both flattered and excited to attend the first VCA CCP Advisory Committee meeting this week and would love to share your interest. This is a such a great opportunity for discussion and collaboration.

Do you have a passion for community cultural development? Who has inspired you? Which great examples have you had the privelege to participate in or view?

Wire your cause

Published January 22, 2009 non profit , smarter planet Leave a Comment
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The ability to activate support by those in need or those wanting to help out those in need has never been more available than it is today. The connected cause movement is richly empowered by the Internet – from microlending to individuals through sites such as Kiva or Jasmin’s own page at ChipIn to grand scale movements such as Product(RED), ONE and Earth Hour.

The most popular application on Facebook, the online community of over 100M people, is Causes – an application to connect people to movements for change of all sorts and allow them to declare their affiliation. Indeed, I have several causes I identify with on my profile (the Causes app is proudly front and center on my profile), have declared them and donated to.

There are several parts to the online activism movement (if such a diverse collection of activity could be called a movement), and while not every online cause is the same, broadly, they fall into three categories:

  • advocacy – the raising of awareness for a cause
  • activation – the prompting of and creation of activity around a cause in those interested, and
  • action – the ongoing and followup activity in relation to a cause

In many cases, causes have elements of all three. One need only look at the incredibly successful movement to elect the new US President, Barack Obama, to see just how powerful each of these components can be. Well executed, an online campaign can move those interested in it through each of the three phases of involvement.

For those needing or wanting support for their cause, whether it’s a micro loan to start a small business or something much bigger, the hyperconnected world offers amazing opportunities to seek out interested like minds, to gather momentum around a cause and to ultimately act on its purpose. Finding a community of people who share your concerns, collaborating with them and engaging in a meaningful conversation around your cause is incredibly easy.

Let’s take a quick look at one option – microphilanthropy.

At its simplest, the emergence of microphilanthropy – philanthropic activity on a scale of small amounts – has made engaging with online causes almost trivial. Those of us who are in a position to engage with a cause we believe in can now do so in a way that was previously only truly available to the very wealthy. Sheer weight of numbers – potentially hundreds or thousands giving a little – means that the gathering community can provide just as valuable input as a Buffet or a Gates, with each giving just tens or perhps a few hundred dollars.

For those of us, largely in the West, who would like to engage more deeply in a socially responsible way either personally or on behalf of our businesses, the opportunities are equally significant and many. A simple Google search offers up several possbilities and a wealth of supporting information. Kiva is a perfect example, and one to which I’ve contributed. There are many more options.

Just recently, US-based author and activist, Tom Watson published CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World . It’s a well-considered look at online cause activism, examining joiner culture, the step beyond to action and a fairly significant number of online movements and how they came into being and gained traction. It’s well worth your time to read it if online activism is of any interest to you.

NOTE: This guest post is by Stephen Collins. Stephen runs acidlabs, an independent communications consultancy that focuses on collaboration, knowledge workers and social media.

Living with Integrity

Published October 8, 2008 web 2.0 2 Comments
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If you are on MySpace or Facebook there is a good chance you have friends from work, close friends and even family connecting with you online. Amongst your friend’s status updates, photos of nephews and colleague’s birthday snaps, you might also see a work interest link or Youtube video.

This new interplay of information and communication demands a new focus on personal integrity. We read about it in workplace guidelines, but do we ever stop to think about the critical role of personal and professional integrity in an increasingly flattened and open world?

Before you plan to interact and connect with the ’smartcrowd’, step back and assess your own personal and professional level of integrity (for instance, honesty, respect, values…)

Integrity seems to go hand in hand with a good virtual communication plan, but too often the focus is just on the technology. (Previously posted on IBM’s Innovation Jam 2008.)

Some more food for thought in this video by Gary Vaynerchuk

Here’s a response from the delightful Sacha Chua

Living with integrity makes things easier. You don’t have to worry about who sees what, what you said to whom, or who tagged you in which photos. Your reputation is also more resilient: even if someone attacks you without basis, your previous record shows your consistent trustworthiness. I think that as we share more and more of our lives, people who live with integrity will find it easier to gain trust and reputation, and people will be more discriminating about who they work with.

What does that mean for business and social networking? It could give an advantage to people who share information. If you had to choose between someone … you didn’t know anything about and someone you knew something about–mostly good things, maybe a few personal foibles–who would you feel more comfortable working with?”

An Industry Analyst also asked

I wonder if we are in fact going back to the way things were when we lived in hunter-gatherer tribes, and everyone knew, really knew, everyone else. There was no choice about integrity – it defined your role in the tribe, and could mean life or death, literally.

Then, our community was defined by geography. Today, our communities may not have physical limitations, but in all other respects, we will become as open to scrutiny as we used to be. The hard part is that we have a two-thousand year civilisation, which has in some way, contributed to an aberration … to this transparent integrity. How do we avoid ditching the baby with the bathwater?

What do you think? Is the characteristic of personal integrity becoming more critical for individuals to nurture, as social media permeates our working and personal lives?

Taking innovation to the streets

Published August 27, 2008 inspiration , non profit , web 2.0 4 Comments
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Last year when I returned to work after parental leave, I had a real desire to get involved with innovative projects making a difference. My very first post on this blog mentioned the Global Kids Digital Media initiative who engage urban youth “in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences” (like Secondlife)”to educate youth about critical international and public policy issues and “…” opportunities for civic and global engagement.”

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a women’s breakfast where Anita Pahor, Marketing and Donor Services Director at Opportunity International and Women’s Opportunity National Director, spoke about her passion to help those living in poverty. I think her stories and enthusiasm made an impact on every person in the room. It’s difficult to leave a breakfast like that without giving some thought to your own capacity to make a difference. Sometimes it’s a matter of just stepping out and using what skills you have – one step at a time.

Anita’s speech reminded me of some innovative social projects I discovered in the last year. Blogging introduced me to the Age of Conversation project which I have previously mentioned. Proceeds for every book you purchase goes to Variety, the children’s charity.

At work I discovered projects like the World Community Grid where your PC idle time is used to assist projects that benefit humanity. I also found a group of people around the world working on the World Development Initiative and local team members from IBM, World Vision and RMIT Masters students working on mobile solutions.

I discovered quite a few social media for non-profit bloggers including Beth Kanter. There is lots to look at over at the Carnival of Non-Profit Consultants. Chris Brogan also put together a post this week on solving some real world problems with some good links and comments including feedback that some social networks tend to focus on their own growth – and that when social media takes innovation to the streets, we should consider long term, sustainable impact.

So where does that leave you and me? I know I can do more. It doesn’t have to take hours of my week or huge financial commitments, but it starts by making time, investigation, connecting with people and causes that I want to support, sharing ideas and thinking of ways to bring social media community and marketing gold to see social good. As I said…one step at a time :)

What has inspired you lately? Do you have a desire to make a difference?

Twitter Passport

Published January 16, 2008 Uncategorized 5 Comments
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Laura Fitton’s post on Twitter Village & Shel Israel’s twitterings and tongue in cheek post seeking votes for a Twitter Mayor made me (again) consider the unusual social dynamics of Twitter. In fact, it made me think perhaps we are all cultural exhange students in Twitterville.

Why?
Well, many of us arrive in this village as foreigners, we are all adapting to a networked culture, we are establishing our identities from scratch and as Laura describes, “tribe-finding”. Twitter can be a passport to explore different cultures, sub-cultures, thoughts and ideas.
Jazzydee Twitter Passport stamp

Question is, do you choose to take a Contiki tour of Twitterville (thereby acquiring a heckuvalotta passport stamps) or do your stamps represent more substance, connections, memories, and valuable insights into other cultures? Maybe it depends how often you choose to dip into the conversations, your willingness to learn and embrace new ideas and your confidence to contribute to a dynamic community.

Other posts about Twitter:

Cybersquad Worldview
Sorting Profiles
Twitter Essence (my definition of Twitter)
Twitter Flitter (a web2.ode)

Virtual Culture

Published October 25, 2007 virtual worlds Leave a Comment
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Is culture the very thing that creates community and life in a virtual world?

A recent series on the ABC “Not Quite Art”hosted by Marcus Westbury grabbed my attention recently. I caught the episode in Glasgow where artists were doing great stuff in old factories, fostered by communities of artists. I liked how Marcus seemed to capture the essence of a vibrant creative community injecting life, art and culture into a hollow industrial shell. I couldn’t help but think of the parallels with virtual worlds, Secondlife in particular. From the ABC site:

Marcus puts forward the question of whether you can buy culture by building an iconic building or even franchising a McLouvre or McGuggenheim? Or is culture a messy, dirty thing that comes from the bottom up, refuses to behave, is borderline illegal and breaks a lot of occupational health and safety rules?

Sometimes when you wander around Secondlife you sense this “culture” – a community living outside the rules. Obviously this is where traditional marketers got it wrong. Imagine McSponsor walking into a real life burgeoning underground arts & culture scene and dropping in a building, flashy logos, and changing the rules. Uh-huh.

So how do you retain that vibrant culture in a growing community? I personally think culture grows when you heat it up, mix it up, foster it, infuse it. Just don’t try to change the essence of it.

What do you think?

Digital Leviathan

Published October 8, 2007 web 2.0 2 Comments
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Are you afraid of the Digital Leviathan?

I bought a copy of Spielberg’s first feature Duel recently and was reading on Wikipedia that both this movie and Jaws were “about these leviathans targeting every man“. If you have seen either movie, you will remember the protagonist’s angst of being consumed by something greater. I started wondering (as Wonderwebby is wont to do) if the fear of “the Digital Leviathan” holds people back from contributing to Web2.0.

As Euan Semple recently pointed out, nobody wants to be found out. I’ve been thinking this for a little while, how confidence has so much to do with the ability to dive into the information vortex.

I do wonder if creative brainstorming techniques should be better adopted to foster collaboration and communities of learning using social media. The good ole “how do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time” certainly rings true. The Digital Leviathan can be so big and foreboding, it’s no wonder people are happy to stick with email.

When I first saw Andy Piper’s multiple digital identities I felt a little overwhelmed with the apparent amount of information and “digital me” management required for generating a digital community. Step by step (bite by bite) I have carved my own path into 2.0 and now realise the task was nowhere near as monolithic as I anticipated.

I think it works quite seamlessly for me now and I find I get back what I put in. What do I get back? The more I embed of my own identity, likes and interests the more people I discover. Yes, the people. I have been discovering more exceptionally talented people who share a similar vision or interest. Then I discover more about them, who they are, what they like. We start to develop a community. I’m learning. I’m improving my knowledge. I’m developing new skills and drawing upon my existing skill-set. I’m sharing my knowledge with others. We are looking at innovative solutions and pioneering new ideas as we apply the knowledge. Personally, I think it is a very exciting and revolutionary time. Simple practices revealing extraordinary potential through extraordinary people. Focussing on the output more than the input. For me, the ultimate output helps other people.

SO I’m hoping to apply some “one bite at a time” brainstorming techniques to gather a bit of digital community momentum amongst some peers. My mother (who drew my profile pic) always says, if you have artist’s block, start scribbling with pencil on paper. The same goes for creative writing techniques, just begin to write random words.

If starting up your own blog looks too daunting, begin by commenting on others. Start to tag others. Learn to have confidence in your own voice. Use your own words. Write your own thoughts. Contribute something new. Begin with small ideas first, if you like. Then ramp it up to something bigger. Ask a friend for help if you don’t understand how something works. It’s particularly good to have one or two mentors to encourage you and give you feedback through this process. Share your unique self.

People don’t bite nearly as much as you might think! The hype and the jargon can make things seem complex when the concept of collaboration really is simple. And the Digital Leviathon is what you make of it.

Privacy Thresholds

Published October 4, 2007 Uncategorized 5 Comments
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Is web2.0 breaking the barrier of our own privacy thresholds? Are we giving away more than ever in the act of “sharing”?

Bill Thompson sums it up

I’m as bad as anyone here, handing over my shopping patterns to supermarket loyalty schemes; sending unencrypted emails and visiting websites without seeking to disguise my identity; using Google for my searches and wandering the streets, often walking randomly around in a way that is guaranteed to make me look shifty.

Thomas Baekdal also had a good post on privacy policy and personal information. I liked this breakdown of personal information:

Personal information specific to you as a person – like your name, address, phone number, age, your education, the name of your children, your gender, who you are married to (or if you are single), social security number, tax number etc.
Information about your actions – what websites you have visited, what you have searched for, what products you like, what you bought at Amazon, how many times you went to the bathroom last week etc.
Information that you supply to a website – like the things you post about yourself on your blog, what you post on Twitter and the comments you made on varies websites.
Technical information that links you with any of the above – like your IP address, Mac address, unique cookie identifiers and encryption keys.

I recall working with a Fraud and Debt Collection Subject Matter Expert who showed me a checklist of tips for crime prevention. This included divulging information about personal habits, times you leave the house, days you work, information about your family, your name, shopping habits etc. It made me realise that sometimes seemingly trivial information can be quite revealing.

Some people go as far as sharing their home address on Facebook. I have heard of secondlife stalkers turning up at real life homes. Sometimes I wonder where to draw the line. I want to share, communicate, express, engage, and I like freedom of speech and the forming of virtual communities. Nowadays my CV is viewable to all on LinkedIn and I have photos of my monkeys on Facebook (for my “friends”- although I am looking forward to the implementation of filtering on Facebook which I understand is coming soon.) Some Flickr their personal pics for comment, I tweet some habits on twitter but all the while I am conscious of what I am telling and (hopefully) when it becomes too much. Maybe I already tell too much? Others may think I don’t tell enough.

Sometimes I feel a bit awkward when my identity appears on “recent vistors” blog widgets and I noticed Linked In has a recent visitors function too. Facebook tracks my actions in newsfeeds. Sometimes the actions can even be distorted eg when I have accidentally followed a link, changed my mind, or the Wondermonkeys have attacked my keyboard. Mr Wonderwebby was even talking to me the other day about Google having so much of our information (data) on gmail, googletalk, google apps, google reader etc

So what is my privacy threshold? Have I become desensitized to the traditional rules of keeping things personal through my 2.0 interactions? Or am I contributing to an evolving community (and sub-communities) and moving into a new social structure establishing new dynamics of trust and protection as a result? Does it really matter? At this point in time, I’m going to share what I personally feel comfortable with – and nothing that I would not want repeated.

One…

two…

three…

jumping into the information vortex!

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About Wonderwebby - by Jasmin Tragas - creative and digital media allsorts - mother - imagining new ways to make a difference
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