I've been following the discussion here for a few months now and just
realized that i'm knee-deep in a global campaign with the UN World
Food Programme that i think would interest most of you here. It's
called Fight Hunger: Walk the World -- http://www.FightHunger.org.
(quick intro -- i do internet strategy and online community-building
with a group called EchoDitto, based in Washington DC; we founded the
company in the wake of Howard Dean's U.S. presidential campaign,
where we met working on the internet team)
We're using technology and the FightHunger.org website as a community
hub linking over 240 events and an expected 200,000 walkers in 78
countries. (check out the map on FightHunger.org)
The walks take place in 11 days, on June 12th—across 24 time zones—
but the website allows anyone who visits to feed a child for a day by
triggering a sponsored donation to the WFP's school feeding programme.
We've also started a blog chronicling the effort (www.fighthunger.org/
blog), and i'm wondering if anyone else here knows of any other UN
agencies to start a blog. I'd like to claim that this is the first,
but i cant be sure yet!
On June 12, we're going to incorporate a Flickr feed into the site so
that anyone can submit photos of their walks using their cell phones.
We had hoped to setup local SMS numbers in a number of countries, but
we ran out of time so this year we're going to need to rely on cell
phones that can send photos to email addresses. Am very open to other
ideas, however, that would make submission easier from developing
countries.
ONE last note -- I'm consistently amazed at the diversity and reach
of this DDN community, so I'd really appreciate it if we all take a
moment to pass the link (www.FightHunger.org) on to our personal and
professional networks. Just think of how many more children we could
feed if each of us got 5 or more others to visit the website!
Thanks for indulging me here and sorry for the long posting --
Michael
PS -- I'm pasting, below, the email that i sent to my personal
network the other week, so feel free to borrow elements of it (or all
of it) if you like.
---
Michael Silberman // VP, Online Organizing // EchoDitto, Inc.
[TEL] +1 202.449.5644 x111
[AIM] SilbermanMichael
[WEB] http://www.EchoDitto.com
FightHunger.org: 24 hours. 24 time zones. 300 million hungry children.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Michael Silberman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: just launched -- FightHunger.org
Friends,
I want to let you know about an exciting new global campaign that I
(along with others at EchoDitto) have been deeply engaged in over
the past few months. We're working with the United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP) to raise awareness about child hunger.
The magnitude of this issue is difficult for most of us to even
comprehend. For me, hunger was always one of those issues that I
knew existed, but it always seemed far beyond my control.
The truth, as I've learned from my colleagues at WFP, is that we
already have enough food in the world to feed everyone. It's
frustrating that this issue is at the bottom of so many
governments' agendas -- despite the fact that more people die from
hunger-related diseases than from HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and
Tuberculosis combined.
This project, though, is part of a UN effort to reimagine the way
that the world sees hunger. Given the U.S.' involvement in so many
conflicts across the earth right now, I think it's especially
important that Americans show our support for international efforts
like these.
Here's the link:
http://www.FightHunger.org
When you get to the opening page, you can click to feed a child,
and our sponsors will donate 19 cents to WFP's global school
feeding program. There is zero cost to you, and your click ensures
that one child gets fed for one day. And more importantly, it shows
the UN and the world that
there are thousands of people out there who care. This has a
tremendous impact on WFP's ability to secure the international
funding they need to fight hunger.
Then, on June 12 (only 19 days), we'll be hitting the streets with
an international day of action called "Fight Hunger: Walk the
World." We're using the internet to reach and link tens of
thousands of people around the world—from online activists to
individuals walking in more than 200 public events in over 70
countries across all 24 time zones.
http://www.FightHunger.org
Once you click to feed a child, you'll see a live map showing more
than 220 Walks being organized for June 12 in over 72 countries
worldwide. Check out all of the different walks, join a walk, or
start one near you. We have members of parliament walking. We have
Foreign Ministers. We have movie and sports stars. But most
importantly, we have citizens from every walk of life waking up to
the fact that collectively, we can eradicate child hunger from the
face of the earth.
http://www.FightHunger.org
Finally, I'm asking you to send this link to everyone in your
address book. Invite them to visit http://www.FightHunger.org, and
then ask them to send it to everyone in their address book. Please
encourage them to become involved in an effort which seeks to end a
human tragedy of almost incomprehensible proportion. A tragedy
made all the more pointless simply because it need not be.
Thanks for helping to get the word out about this new effort --
Michael
---
Michael Silberman // VP, Online Organizing // EchoDitto, Inc.
[TEL] +1 202.449.5644 x111
[AIM] SilbermanMichael
[WEB] http://www.EchoDitto.com
FightHunger.org: 24 hours. 24 time zones. 300 million hungry children.
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