Change Status: Facebooking and Twittering for a better world
by Beth Kanter

Alexandra Samuel of Social Signal has an excellent post about of how to use your Twitter and Facebook status messages to change the world, one tweet at a time.   In the nonprofit sector, many people work long, hard hours on behalf of larger movement.   Alexandra asks, "What can we do in between those milestones to track our progress, boost our morale, build community, and celebrate our successes?"  

Alexandra thinks Facebook or Twitter may have the answer:

Many of us are posting daily, hourly or minute-by-minute snapshots of our activities via Facebook status updates or Twitter. These status updates could be a great way for us to share the small steps we're all taking to strengthen our communities, reduce our personal environmental footprints, increase issue awareness, support people in need, empower and mobilize marginalized communities, support social justice -- all the many many things people in non-profits, activist groups, government agencies, social enterprises and multinational corporations are doing to move us towards a world that is socially, environmentally and personally sustainable.

Alexandra closes her post with some great questions:  What did you do today that moved your work, your organization or your personal practice forward?  She suggests that we post these micro victories to our Facebook or Twitter status.

This sounds like a more rewarding way to use your social presence updates.   Rather than complaining or telling the world you're eating hot oatmeal, sharing a sense of accomplishment towards a reach goal is inspiring.  Maybe we should consider adding it to BlogHers Act?

I did a quick browse through the Twitter and Facebook updates of my friends and found some amazing women who are accomplishing their goals, celebrating them, and feeling connected to larger movements:

SamLand is Shirley Mayfield's blog.  She is going to Ghana in November.  She is using her blog to raise money to support the first  Community Access television station in Ghana, Coastal Television in Cape Coast Ghana.  The blog will also be used to chronicle her trip.

Adina's Deck is from Debbie Heimowitz it is a 30-minute interactive television pilot series geared towards girls 9-14.  The series focuses around four tech savvy characters who have either been cyber bullies or victims.   What a great way to educate kids about this issue.  I'd love to read tweets or blog posts from Debbie about the outcomes of the project.

girls with macs
is where you can follow Michaela's exploration of web2.0 tools for nonprofits.   She shares are learnings and her passion about her work.

Laura's Notebook is written by Laura Whitehead who is a web designer in the UK.  I read her blog and follow on her Twitter.  Based on what she writes about on her blog and the status updates, she accomplishes more in a day, than most people do in a week.  Thanks for the inspiration!

Solidariti is written by nonprofit activist Priscilla Brice-Weller who is based in Australia.   She's also thinking about how to Change the World.

In Kenzo is a network weaver.  You can find her Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, Second Life and many other online communities.  And, she accomplishes so much offline too!

Beth Kanter, BlogHer CE for NGOS and Social Change, writes Beth's Blog.

Comments

 

Or you can JUST CAUSE IT

At the risk of being way to self-promoting - we are launching JustCauseIt.com next week, though it's up and running now. It works just like any other online social networking site, but the emphasis is on meaningful conversations and getting things done. So, you set up a profile, but when you post blog posts, create causes or create events, you invite others to join you. You will be able to locate other members, organizations and corporations that have the same "causes" as you, so that you can all work together.

Although we are launching with greatly simplified functionality, the tools are there to plan causes and events IN THE REAL WORLD and create social change.

We are also launching both a print and online magazine in order to keep the passions burning and inspire others to action.

It's a bit nerve-wracking to announce it, but we are about to anyway. It's empty-ish now, but PLEASE help us turn it into what it can be - social networking that saves the world.

I will now contact all the bloggers you listed and ask them to cross port their blogs onto JUST CAUSE so that we can be THE place where people come for information, inspiration, collaboration and change..... saving the world is a big goal, but if we all come together in one place and actually CAUSE IT, it will happen.

Alright - 'nuf said. But maybe you'll log on, write a blog post, invite your friends and be able to say "i was there before they even launched....."

Thanks for your help. And the coincidence of such a timely post.
______
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

 

Thank you so much!

Alyssa:

Thanks so much for posting about JustCauseIT! I'll definitely mention it in my post tonight.

I also blog at:

Beth's Blog
Cambodia4kidsorg
Global Voices
Netsquared

 

NO, THANK YOU!

Day after tomorrow we are sending out emails to thousands of people to start promoting JUST CAUSE IT. Our simple goal is to be the Facebook for grown-ups, where social change can happen. It's nascent and I'm terrified, as it's been my deepest held dream for a long time now. But we're doing it.....

We'll be in rapid development as the community tells us what they want. Fundraising abilities (coming soon)? What.... and we're launching a national magazine to go with it, first quarter of 08. I truly believe that people are not only ready for good news, but ready to be part of the good news....

Questions? let me know - alyssa@justcausemag.com.

We can do this together...... (Somehow, i know that Blogher folks will "get it.")
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com