Good Works - Servant of Chaos

Seek Out Some Volunteering – Volunteering Unplugged

Have you ever volunteered? What did you make of it? Did it work for you? Did it work for the organisation?

A while back, as part of the Volunteering Unplugged initiative from Seek, I was asked to volunteer my time, energy and ideas to a local non-profit. It just so happened that Annie Le Cavalier from Vibewire Youth Inc had been to our regular coffee morning here in Sydney, so I checked whether there might be a good fit with my skills and what they needed to do.

What started out as a few hours discussing strategic challenges evolved into a whole lot more. As I got to know Annie and what she and the Vibewire team were trying to do, I realised that there was a great deal of opportunity. Over the years, Vibewire have built an impressive community of passionate and articulate young members and are effectively the unmediated voice of Australian Youth. They provide a platform and the mentoring and experience that helps young people transition into, and become successful in, the workforce.

Since my first volunteer meeting with Vibewire, I have met accountants, social entrepreneurs, students, writers, programmers, marketers and a wide variety of passionate and deeply engaged young people whom I would never have otherwise come into contact with. And it has certainly changed my perception of Gen Y. You can read my brief story here.

And I think that is what volunteering is all about. Sure, it is nice to “give back”, but volunteering is a two-way street. You get a lot “out of” volunteering too. It gives you the chance to hear the stories of others and to participate in their lives in a meaningful way – and because of this, because it becomes personal, volunteering can change the way you look at the world. And it is not all baking scones and visiting people. There are a vast number of non-profits who need business help, marketing support and technology assistance – and a few hours from you could really help them get back to the task of helping others. So have a think about volunteering some of your time.

But don’t take my word for it. Read the stories of other bloggers who took the Volunteering Unplugged:

Life in Mono , Firebug Theme , Miss McMuffin , Autumn Leaves , Blogpost.com , Sheila’s Wonderings , The life of an Audit Diva , Adspace-Pioneers , Corporate Engagement , Wonderwebby , Consumer Psychologist , Imaginif

Thanks to Julian Cole for getting me involved!

A Tribute to A Woman’s Investment

Good Works

When we look at the vast sea of problems in our world, it can be overwhelming to choose where to focus our efforts. There are calls on our home phones asking for donations, there are emails requesting assistance and there are campaigns, natural disasters and requests closer to home. Many people, confused and perhaps, overwhelmed with choice, do little – or only contribute to good causes when the call is resoundingly strong (as happened recently with the bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria).

But recently, sites like Kiva have emerged with innovative micro-financing models designed to bring entrepreneurs in developing countries together with “micro-investors” – like you and me. And from as little as $25, you can begin to build a portfolio of investments in small businesses that have significant local impacts in communities far from where you live.

Some time ago, I invested a small amount of money with Mrs Lê Thị Sách who needed to raise $825 to purchase pigs and stores for her shop in Vietnam. A number of other people loaned her small amounts of money until the total was reached:

On this second year with TYM, she is applying for a loan of 825 USD to buy breeding pigs and grocery stock to sell. Her 2 children are grown up. She hopes that with this loan, she will be able to increase her revenue so she would be able to help her grand children and repair her house.

This loan is now almost 70% repaid – and the balance is now available in my Kiva account – ready for me to withdraw or reinvest.

And while Kiva is a great way to feel like you can make a difference in a tangible way, other people, like Jasmin Tragas go direct. Some time ago, Jasmin started raising funds for an Opportunity International project in The Philippines. This was an effort she took upon herself and continues to follow through in various ways. She has created eBooks, invited people to purchase beautiful photographs and also begun using ChipIn to raise funds for the project on her blog.

The entrepreneurial poor in the Philippines are an incredible bunch of individuals who are rising up out of poverty and circumstances to develop their small businesses. The small banks and organisations like Opportunity International Australia who provide them with the loans, training and programs are equally doing a wonderful thing by creating opportunities to end the poverty cycle and impact whole communities.

At the moment, and only for a few more days, Australian bloggers can help Jasmin raise $1000 for A Woman’s Investment by writing a tribute blog post like this. Each post written will generate a $100 donation from Incentive House – up to a maximum of $1000. Please help by writing, twittering and even donating via ChippedIn (see Jasmin’s site for inspiration). It’s a great investment that will be repaid many times over.

Palbasha Siddique and the MinneBangla Foundation

Good Works, Videos

Palbasha Siddique is the girl with the beautiful voice from the soundtrack to the hugely successful Where the Hell is Matt 2008 – the video of Matt Harding dancing around the world (which I wrote about here).

The amazing thing about this music is that whenever I hear it I am filled with deep emotion – sometimes making me feel joyous, sometimes tearful. And while I do not understand the lyrics, it seems that there is a great deal of communication happening at a deeper level – sub-language. Part of this is to do with Palbasha’s spine-tingling performance; part is the way the music by Garry Schyman surges like a tide; but I always thought there must be something more. The lyrics for the song Praan are taken from the poem Stream of Life by Rabindranath Tagore (Asia’s first Nobel Laureate) – and as it turns out, the poem is about personal submission to the power of peace:

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.

For her 18th birthday, Palbasha has decided to create a non-profit foundation – MinneBangla Foundation which is dedicated to raising funds for Bengali orphans. It sounds like it is very early stages, but you can contact Palbasha via email to join the foundation. In this video she speaks about her plans for the foundation and then sings Praan – and even though the sound is a little patchy, it still manages to send shivers up my spine.

Fresh Air Fund Counsellors

Good Works

When I first heard of the Fresh Air Fund I was amazed. I loved the idea. I just wished that there was something similar here in Australia. In case you don't know, The Fresh Air Fund has been giving inner-city children from New York the joy of a summer vacation with volunteer host families and at Fund camps, creating unforgettable memories and fresh possibilities. Some of the stories that come out of these experiences are amazing … and obviously life changing for all involved.

Now, as we are well into 2009, the Fresh Air Fund are looking for camp counsellors for their Summer 2009 season (that's mid-year in the northern hemisphere). What's in store?

The experience you're about to apply for will be like no other, and it's going to take patience, flexibility, creativity, and a whole lot of self-motivation. But the rewards will be great… overcoming challenges, meeting new friends, playing games in the sun, jumping into the cool lake, painting face masks, hitting a home run, telling stories around a camp fire…

So, if you are aged 18 or over (as at June 20), have completed at least one year of college by the summer, and want to have a real impact on the life of a child, then think about applying. But don't take my word for it … listen to what former counsellors say about their experience …

Tan At Your Desk with ComputerTan

Good Works

If you are like me, you spend a lot of time at your desk staring at a computer screen. I can go hours on end without looking out a window – being absorbed in either work, online conversation or phone calls. When I finally get out from behind the desk and get to meet people, I am often shocked by how pasty I sometimes look when compared to my more bronzed compatriots.

Now it seems there may well be a solution.

The very clever folks over at ComputerTan.com have developed a unique website that lets you tan without leaving your desk. And as with most Web 2.0 sites, you can get started for FREE – with an introductory five minute trial.

And while I don’t think it will make me look “youthful”, I am hoping for “healthy” and “attractive”. Will share before and after photos over the next week.

Isadore Biffin Talks Child Soldiers

Good Works

When I first started to talking with Isadore Biffin about her plans for a concert, I wondered if she knew what lay ahead. In the palm of her hand were a couple of sheets of paper with headings like "marketing plan" and "audience" – but there were plenty of blank spaces. But as we talked more, I could see she was serious … that there was a commitment in her voice – and that she needed help to find the way ahead.

And as you can now see and hear (thanks to the folks at Moshcam), that passion is evident in everything that she says, and in all of the actions and efforts, that were required to bring an event like this to life. For not only did Isadore get 200+ people into The Factory Theatre on a Sunday evening, she had the support of a number of bands who played for free and was able to raise thousands of dollars for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Not bad for a Year 12 student. Not bad for anyone.

But if you were not able to be there at the concert, you can still participate. Thanks to Moshcam, you can view the concert footage online (seems that it still needs to be sorted by event) … with performances by Jack Carty and the Party, The Shipwrecked, Falling in Autumn, Adam Cousens, Tim Ireland and Levi McGrath. Enjoy.

UPDATE: Moshcam have featured Isadore's Article Thirty-Nine concert on their blog.

Leave Your Shoes at the Door

Authenticity, Blogging, Good Works, Rant, Social Media

Over the last few days I have been interested to see the many and varied reactions to David Armano’s efforts at fundraising for his friend, Daniela. You can read the original post here (and Scott Drummond’s excellent coverage here).

While there are a number of supporters, there have also been a number of detractors. David, himself, has come out and admitted that this has turned out in a way that he had not predicted:

On that note, there are all kinds of attention being drawn to this including criticism. To say I knew what I was getting into would be inaccurate. My initial concerns were for the safety of my own family, not what the pundits have to say about this … I am not a fundraiser. I'm a dad, husband and full time employee—and an imperfect one at all three. Belinda and I decided not to sit this one out. It's really that simple.

Some of the questions that have been raised go directly to the heart of social media … what does it mean to be “connected”, where does responsibility overlap “connection” and what happens to our TRUST when money is involved?

Scott Henderson, for example, writes a provocative post claiming I Gave $10 to David Armano to Help Daniela and Now I Regret It and Mark Mayhew seems to have spent some time visiting various blogs questioning the trust that been placed in the David-Daniela story. I am sure there are plenty of other articles available – both positive and negative.

David Armano simply activated his network to change a situation – he asked people to donate a small amount of money. In doing so, he put the trust of that network to the test. He put his credibility on the line. He opened his personal actions to the scrutiny of the world (or at least the several thousand connections he has created over the last few years). In doing so, he has raised over three times the amount that he had aimed for (which was $5000).

We have seen the power of social networks before. A similar approach raised over $16,000 for Variety via The Age of Conversation (and Age of Conversation 2 continues the tradition) … and I have been involved in a number of more personal projects that benefited particular individuals. And let’s face it, the job of a marketer is to encourage people to participate (in a relationship of some kind). However, this is not simply a matter of raising awareness, or even raising funds – once it takes hold, these SOCIAL projects become MOVEMENTS and grow quickly beyond our grasp.

As Spike Jones from Brains on Fire explains, a movement can begin with a single conversation:

If that conversation is filled with honesty, transparency, true interest and a LOT of listening, then the first seed is planted. The movement has begun in one mind and one heart. And that’s usually the beginning of something powerful, meaningful and full of potential that gets realized more every day.

And this is what David Armano has begun. It is what a great number of people have participated in. For many, it is their first time. Perhaps they found their participation thrilling, exciting. Perhaps, like Scott, they felt worried afterwards. But this is exactly what social media is about. It is going beyond the merely social. It is moving quickly from words to action. It is about risking your trust. It is not always strategic. It is not even always tactical. But it is ALWAYS personal (for someone) – which, again, is why businesses find it challenging to get started.

Take a look at this great post by Mack Collier and his discussion with Olivier Blanchard – “The point [of social media] is really to help people connect better”. It is through social media that we begin to not just “connect” but find the place where we BELONG.

So if you get involved in a social movement like this … remember, leave your shoes at the door. It’s not “safe” in the way that you would normally consider “safety”. It’s not controlled by an administrator. It’s not overseen by a government department. You might think, after the fact, that your participation could have been different, more tempered, focused.

But your participation marks your initiation into the tribe. You can never unlearn this experience.

The rules are different. And now, so are you.

UPDATE: Alan Wolk has a great post on this topic, and Scott Henderson follows-up yesterday's discussion after chatting with David Armano.

Use Social Media to Help Daniela

Good Works

If you are involved in social media, then you are likely to have heard of this story. If you are not involved, then it may help you understand the way that social media can work as a force for change.

When I began blogging I was lucky enough to come across David Armano. He brought a great perspective to this emerging space and helped shape the way that many marketers explain and work with social media. If you don't know his name, you will know his diagrams and images. Over the last three or so years, he has shared his insight and his humour with his readers, and has built a loyal following on his blog and through Twitter. He has amassed what could rightly be called, significant "social capital" — the goodwill that accrues through your social network based on your interactions with members of your community.

Today, he cashed some of this in to help a struggling family.

Daniela and her family have come to stay at David's place. After years of abuse, Daniela is divorcing her husband. Unfortunately, her mortgage has gone unpaid and she has lost her house – and with little family support, there was no one else to turn to.

To find a way to raise some money and help Daniela find an apartment and get back on her feet, David turned to his social network. He wrote a post on his blog asking for help, for small donations (via ChippedIn and PayPal). He asked people to spread the word. He hoped to raise $5000. In less than TWO hours, $4000 had been raised. And as I write, the total sits at just over $10,000.

Scott Drummond has an excellent explanation of how the money was raised, how Twitter and other social media tools were used to spread the word and harness the collective good will of a network.

Many people continue to ask me where the business value lies with social networks. But what they are really asking is "what's in this for me?" – or "what will it cost me?". But social networks do not operate in this way … one has to give before you can receive. You have to invest wisely and with sincerity. If you are stepping into social media, start by asking yourself – what value can I give away. How can I make someone's life or work or leisure time better? You need to build by giving away.

This is the way to build social capital. Interestingly though, after doing so – after building your own social capital, creating your own sense of community and so on, I bet you will no longer wonder "what's in it for me?" – you will already know.

Oh, and if you want to start. Retell this story. Donate. Help find a donor. Thanks for reading.

UPDATE: Leigh Householder follows up, asking whether social media does, in fact, bring us closer together.

The Filter-Tipped Internet

Good Works, Influence, Rant, Story of the Week

Almost a generation ago we, the public, started to twig that there could be a downside to smoking. A whole swag of research followed – about the relative merits of additives, flavours (remember menthol?) and so on. In the end, it was settled – the best approach would be to add a tip to cigarettes so that the very worst elements of cigarette smoke would be filtered out for us.

Guess what happened. Well, you know the answer – cigarette smoke still kills us every year by the thousand.

You see, we never went to the “root cause” of the problem. We fluffed around the edges. We talked up the health impacts and bombarded consumers with “the facts” – and while there has been some successes, millions of young people around the world continue to take up smoking every year. Facts don’t change our behaviour – feelings do.

We are now facing similar confusion around Stephen Conroy’s internet filter. There are plenty of facts floating around:

That the filter will slow down our broadband by around 80%
That it will impact regional community far more than the city
That it can be easily by-passed via peer-to-peer file sharing
That it will massively increase the size of the internet site blacklist which is ALREADY in place

As Holly Doel-Mackaway, adviser with Save the Children Fund states in the Sydney Morning Herald, the filter scheme is “‘fundamentally flawed’ because it failed to tackle the problem at the source and would inadvertently block legitimate resources”.

But there is a root cause issue here – the facts point out the issues but don’t address our emotional response. It is NOT a filter we need. It’s EDUCATION. It’s empowerment. Why should we allow the federal government to WASTE $40 million of our hard-earned taxes when it could be so easily diverted into education – training for kids AND their parents. And it is important that we let the government know our thoughts.

With this internet filter, we are just papering over the problem. There will always be material available in our communities that we would rather not see. There are problems that we would rather not be exposed to. But our challenge, and our duty, is to stand-up to such issues – not avoid them. What price can we put on the empowering of our communities and our kids? As David Campbell might say, it’s “priceless”.

(BTW you can listen in to David’s podcast feed here).

Changing the World, Bit by Bit

Good Works, Music, Pop Culture, Smart Bloggers

Some months ago, when I began talking to Isadore Biffin about her plans, I was shocked. Here was an eighteen year old girl working on a major project for her final year of high school, and she had a mind to change the world.

Isadore’s idea was to raise funds for charity. Great, I thought. But it wasn’t just ANY charity. You see, a couple of years ago, Isadore had done her Year 10 work experience (senior school) in Ethiopia – working as an aid worker; and while there she learned of the plight of a large number of children who were being recruited into the military in nearby Congo. She was determined to do something about this. The plan was to raise funds to help rehabilitate these kids – to give them a chance to heal from the horrors of what they had seen and done.

During 2008, Isadore began with some fundraising – she gave speeches at local community organisations and schools, she made cakes and so on. But she had a bigger idea bubbling away – what about a concert – like Live8 but smaller? That meant a whole lot more planning and effort … it meant funding, organising bands and speakers, finding a venue (and convincing them to support it); and it meant getting people along to a concert.

Over the last few months, I have been mentoring Isadore … helping her with a marketing plan and advice on how to execute it. We have discussed logos and designs, posters, advertising, social media, competitions, mobilising communities and so on. In all this, Isadore has shown tremendous resolve to move outside of her comfort zone – speaking with journalists, sorting out the various issues that arose, committing to contracts and gaining the support of businesses. She has shown true leadership.

On Sunday night, the Article Thirty-Nine concert was held at The Factory Theatre in Enmore. Over 250 people attended and over $6000 was raised for the Jesuit Refugee Service (the agency running the rehabilitation program). There are some great photos of the event on Isadore’s blog – and Moshcam will soon have streaming video available on the web (Moshcam generously supported the concert by filming it for free).

It just goes to show what CAN be achieved by a strong purpose and a supportive and interested community. And if you would like to contribute to the Article Thirty-Nine cause, leave me a comment.