The Blogger Neighborhood: Meet the DigiActive Team

Get out of your comfort zone. This includes myself, often I am use to comfortably perusing my usual blogs in my RSS reader, however, when I first found DigiActive over the summer, I immediately knew I needed to get out more. DigiActive brings together a team of international bloggers from SIX continents and offers great content from diverse perspectives. The change movement knows no boundaries.

I must also give Amine, from DigiActive the award for patience. Amine and I conversed at the end of August, and I am just now getting up their interview. Thank you Amine and the DigiActive team for your world-class patience. Without further adieu, enjoy!

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Blog Name: DigiActive.org

Blog Topics: Being the Intersection of Technology and Grassroots Activism

Blog Explained: The group blog at DigiActive.org is part of DigiActive’s overall mission to help grassroots activists around the world use technology to increase their impact. DigiActive also publishes guides, such as “A DigiActive Introduction to Facebook Activism” and maintains a digital activism map. DigiActive is also in the process of launching a research program (R@D), which will provide actionable analysis for the benefit of digital activists around the world.

About the Author(s): The site features an international group of bloggers from six continents from countries including Iran, Morocco, China, Cameroon, the US and Germany. We come from a wide range of backgrounds and professions. Some of us work for NGOs while others are students or journalists. All our bloggers are volunteers and write for the site because of a passion for digital activism.

Why do you blog? A few answers from some of the DigiActive team members include:

“I love to write about things I love” –Kate Brodock

“I write for DigiActive because it gives me an excuse to keep up to date on the cutting edge of digital activism. Activists “hacking” online applications, creating new uses for platforms like Facebook or Google Earth and turning them into tools for change, that’s what gets me up in the morning.” – Mary Jocye

“I’m blogging for DigiActive because I have a crush on digital activism. Blogging let’s me share the product of this splendid connection with a global community, which is another thing I will never really understand, but always be amazed of.” – Simon Columbus

“It is a fantastic opportunity to investigate and learn about this increasingly important movement. I work in a part of the world where these tools are underutilized but needed with urgency, and I use my work to educate and involve the people around me.” – Tamara Palamakumbara

What first prompted you to blog? DigiActive was started by Mary and Amine, who met on Facebook and built DigiActive together before ever meeting in person. Our ambition was “to create a center for the global digital activism movement.” With an ever-increasing number of partners, we are still working to achieve that goal.

Why digital activism? What is it, and how do you know when it’s successful?

Digital Activism is defined as digital actions taken by grassroots organizations or individuals to achieve a social or political change. It means taking the power of the new global reach of user-generated content and turning it towards the purposes of social justice.

It’s hard to know when digital activism has succeeded. Clear-cut cases of digital success, like the Help Fouad campaign in Morocco are rare. Even when a goal is achieved, it is often the result of multiple campaigns, not only digital ones, and often it takes years to achieve these goals. I don’t think there’s a clear formula for success. Digital activism is not about quantity of people you can reach, but it’s about the quality by which you reach them.

What’s the impact digital activism has, or could have, on our community?

One of the greatest strengths of digital activism is that it allows people to collaborate closely regardless of physical location. As mentioned previously, Mary and Amine developed the idea for DigiActive and built the site without ever meeting. In fact, they still live on different continents. Talia edits for the DigiActive blog from Boston, even though our correspondents are dispersed across the globe. I think the two biggest technical advantages that digital activism has are 1) the speed at which technology is being introduced, improved upon, and made widely available and 2) the number of tools that are available, which enables users to use the one that best suits their situation. It’s not a one-sie-fit-all. It’s a custom-tailored approach. The biggest qualitative advantage of digital activism is, as mentioned, the ability to connect to so many people and get yourself in front of large number of eyes and ears!

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?

“Hope Street” – Simon

“The Beginning” – Kate

“TechCanHelpUChangeTheWorld Blvd.” – Mary

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?

Some of the answers from the DigiActive team include: An international group of passionate grassroots activists, committed to the goal of realizing the human dignity of all the world’s citizens. Dalaid Lama and Dave Barry. Maybe Jon Stewart too.

What was the last URL you added to your RSS feed?

• An incredibly active Kenyan blog called Sukuma Kenya.
• The last English-language blog I added to my feed reader was Life under electronic conditions by German sociologist Benedict Köhler
• Six Pixel’s of Separation, A Thousand Cuts and Treehugger

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

Successful digital activism campaign are always fun to write about. Whether it be about young Egyptian activists using Facebook to organize a country-wide strike, about Jamaican gay rights activists who use blogs and the internet to fight to get into a UN AIDS meeting or about activists in Morocco who used the web to coordinate a successful international campaign to free the “Facebook Prisonner”. However it is also important to consider the limitations of digital activism and provide useful information and guides on how to best harness its potential.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?

• Don’t be afraid to express yourself – everyones experience and opinions count.
• That it takes a global village to write a blog.
• It’s a great way to meet and to get to know incredible people from around the world.

Liked what you read? Feel free to share with others:

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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

• Osocio @ Osocio, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Kanter @ Beth’s Blog, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Dunn @ Small Dots, nominated by Beth Kanter
• Len Edgerly @ LenEdgerly.com, nominated by Beth Dunn
• Stacey Monk @ Epic Change, nominated by the Twitter-verse
• Jason Dick @ A Small Change, nominated by Stacey Monk
• Roger Carr @ Everyday Giving, nominated by Jason Dick
• Andre Blackman @ Pulse & Signal, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Laura Stockman @ 25 Days to Make a Difference, nominated by Roger Carr
• Karama Neal @ So What Can I Do?, nominated by the Carnival of Change
• Julie Zauzmer @ 52 Ways to Change the World, nominated by Karama Neal
• Vanessa Mason @ Subject to Change, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Stephanie Gulley @ HeyStephanie.com, nominated by Vanessa Mason
• Aaron Ferster @ EPA’s Greenversations, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Julia Barry @ New Moon Media, nominated by the YPulse Conference
• Rosetta Thurman @ Perspectives from the Pipeline, nominated by Avi Kaplan
• The DigiActive International Blogging Team, nominated by SocialButterfly

This continuous series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

Did You Know? 2 Must-See Videos to FLY Together

My dad sent me this great video today. It makes you think. It motivates you, like @garyvee, to get off your butt and get moving. You may think that doing nothing only affects you. Tuning out is a choice. So, that can be your opinion. But, standing, means not helping others to fly.

No matter your political leanings, you must admit this quote is poetic. On NPR, a man talked about getting ready to vote for a president for the first time was being asked who he was voting for and why. He recalled this text message he received from a friend:

“Rosa sat, so Martin could walk. Martin walked, so Obama could run. And, Obama is running so our children can fly.”

What if that could be you? What if your actions could empower others to succeed. Think about the power that ripple effect could have. Whether it’s for Obama or McCain, Vote. Act. Do. No matter what, after the election, we will all need to keep moving, if not faster. Let’s get busy, and let’s FLY together. Just ask these guys:

*Don’t quote me on the stats, as I’m still trying to find this video’s source. But, it is powerful.

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Blog Action Day: What is Public Health? What is Poverty?

In honor of today’s Blog Action Day on poverty, here is a background on poverty and how social marketing can be applied, as I saw broken down by Philip Kotler himself at the World Social Marketing Conference.

Additionally, join over 40 of DC’s influential changemakers at Buffalo Billiards at DC’s 1st Changeblogger meetup. We will recognize and commemorate Blog Action Day, connect with Alex Steed’s social change tour, mingle and share re: living and working for positive change.

What is poverty?

In researching the answer to this question, I couldn’t escape the purpose behind a campaign by the Association of Public Health Schools and the Pfizer Foundation recently created called “What is public health?” This campaign works to better brand ‘public health’ to the public, while also raising awareness, education and encouraging participation in the public health conversation. Participants are asked to put red “This is public health stickers” on items that they feel represent public health. My challenge: What would this look like if the question: “What is poverty?” was asked?

Early Solutions to Poverty

Kotler listed 4 early solutions to poverty: alms programs, workhouses for the poor, deficit financing and economic development. With these solutions, four major strategies reveal themselves to reduce poverty:

• Economic Growth Strategy
• Redistribution Strategy
• Massive Foreign Aid
• Population Control

As Kotler continued to outline, he stated the “Two Main Thrusts” used to alleviate poverty are population control (from contraceptive campaigns, to abortions, education of women, industrialization to passing laws restricting the number of children) and improving the support of povert-escaping behavior. This umbrellas micro finance and empowerment, education and health programs.

The Goal

As part of the Millennium Goals, the World Bank and the United Nations have 8 goals and 17 targets to alleviate poverty (Kotler). One goal is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by:

• Cutting in half the proportion of people whose income is less than a $1 a day.
• Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Why Care?

Everyone hears we need to solve poverty, but my eyes were widened as to WHY we need to solve hunger. And, this goes beyond the humanity of reasons, but puts some more solid evidence to the issue. Kotler spoke of these 6 reasons:

1. Sympathy and compassion about wasted lives.
2. Poverty drives some poor people into crime and terrorism.
3. Poor are more prone to health problems and spreading of disease.
4. Poor are more likely to follow demogogues.
5. Poor nations can collapse into “failed states” that cannot pay their foreign debt.
6. The poor are an untapped trillion dollar market opportunity.

Why Social Marketing?

Kotler, along with social marketing expert Nancy Lee, both are literally writing the book answering this part of the poverty question. I personally can’t wait for the book to come out because I truly believe that social marketing provides the right tools for us to solve global issues such as poverty. In the presentation, Kotler identified a 6-part framework as to how social marketing can be applied to the poverty issue. However, in the book, a larger and more developed framework is offered, as well as further context of the issue.

So, back to the challenge. How would you answer this question: What is poverty?

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The Purpose Driven Campaign: Social Marketing as the Possible Link Between Journalism and Advertising

After reflecting from the World Social Marketing Conference (which I promise updates eventually) and reading Craig Lefebvre’s recent post “Social Marketing: Hard Power and Soft Power in Social Change,” I want to finally share some tidbits from my thesis paper that I presented as a poster session at the conference. As, I think it rounds out and puts a lot of themes together as I studied: the elusive concept of influence.

Abstract: This research project looks at the concept of influence within social marketing as compared to journalism and advertising. This includes examining these professions’ definitions, ethics, standards, and agenda-setting capabilities. Through in-depth interviews, a further understanding of how these three practices relate within the gray matter of the media landscape is pioneered, as well as better defining the role and influence of social marketing.

Excerpt:

The Question of Influence

While the Information Age leaps into the Connected Age, the power of a free press is offered daily to start-up bloggers. Newspapers are downsizing. Amateurism is becoming the new professionalism. Online media producers replace today’s broadcast directors; all making the gray shades of influence between the information and its consumers a thunderstorm waiting to happen. Social marketing is in the business of change, whether it is behavioral change or attitude change, social marketing can also be described as the field for social change. But, how? In today’s world, who holds more influence to create these changes, a journalist, advertiser or a social marketer? How can one tell the difference? Is there a difference? And, do the professions work together? Could they? Should they? This research hopes to add to the discussion on the evolving definition and role of social marketing, using agenda-setting relationships to examine its influence and attempt to determine its position between advertising and journalism in the media landscape.

Literature Review

It is 1961. A time when questions were raised and hope diminishing as borders became gray and a rise of an international community emerged. Two Portuguese students were imprisoned for declaring a public toast towards their dream, rooted in an idea – freedom. Having their freedom stolen from them for displaying a human right of expression, a newspaper article was written, and with it, a movement spurred. This movement would form Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org). Social change is possible, and it begins with an idea. Social marketing is an increasing movement currently being expanded because of its foundation in ideas about positive change for the welfare of the public.

Though specific definitions differ, social marketing achieves social change objectives by applying the marketing mix of product, place, promotion and price. Currently, social marketing is used mostly in public health communications and is expanding in the realms of environmentalism, civil rights, urban renewal, public service and raising awareness of international issues.

Conclusion: The conclusion of course I can’t share here, but it involves what I found consistent between journalism and advertising, but interestingly, the field of public policy was drawn into the mix through the research as well.

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Will I see you here…? or Here?

Hello Readers,

I don’t like to do this, but here is an update on me, in the hopes of being able to connect with some of you –> offline. This fall will be a busy time for SocialButterfly! If you will be at any of these events, be sure to let me know, so that we can connect!

Events

Sept. 6: American Independent Writers Workshop, George Mason University

• Presenting in a panel about using social media and social networks for writing, freelancing, and enhancing one’s professional presence on the web.

Sept. 18: TwinTech2, Washington D.C.

• Join the brightest minds in the tech-venture space who will be on hand to mix and mingle with one another during a happy hour style meet-up. I shall be there as well to share in the social.

Sept. 29-30: World Social Marketing Conference, Brighton, England

• Presenting my master’s thesis in a poster session. The thesis is titled: The Purpose Driven Campaign…more details on that are sure to follow.

Oct. 13: BlogHer Reach Out Tour, Washington D.C.

• Presenting in a panel about Online Community and the philosophical reasons supporting why social media can help make a difference for good causes, non-profits, social change, or even political activism. (bringing in my perspective of navigating the social media landscape for government agencies)

Oct 15: 1st Changemakers/Changebloggers Event, Washington D.C.

• D.C. is known for its robust social media/tech community, that’s no doubt. However, many of D.C.’s finest are in the intersection of social media and social good. We call these unique individuals, changemakers. And for those that blog, changebloggers. Join us as we gather to connect and strengthen our community and show that social media can do, and is achieving, good. Also, journalist Alex Steed will be joining us as part of his 30+ day tour across the country documenting and interviewing millennial changebloggers.
  

Check It Out

• If you are on Facebook’s BlogNetworks application, please stop by SocialButterfly’s page and introduce yourself. I also created a SocialButterfly Facebook group as well.
• I am addicted to my RSS feeder lately. I’d love to connect with you, and follow you there too, so feel free to leave your URL in the comments, especially, you fellow changebloggers!
• Speaking of Changebloggers, I created the Changeblogger wiki, and if you participated in the Changeblogger meme, be sure to post your permalink to the wiki, so we can all check it out!
• Check out the Twitter feed @changeblogs to follow top changebloggers.
• The Social Marketing Events page on SocialButterfly has been updated with some new events that you’ll want to check out including CDC’s Web Dialogue, HealthCampeDC and more!

Thus, lots going on! Let me know if you want to get involved, or if we can meetup and say hello at any of these events! Blogging has been slow because my fiance and I just drove from KC to DC, and are in the midst of setting up shop as I like to say. So, thank you for your patience! =)

The Blogger Neighborhood is Back with Some Perspective (from the Pipeline)

After some delay, the blogger neighborhood is back. To kick it off, let’s welcome Rosetta Thurman, author of Perspectives from the Pipepile.

I first began following Rosetta about a year ago. One scan through her blog’s homepage, and you will say, “She. is. impressive.” That’s what I did. And so did Avi Kaplan, a Harvard student who emailed me to nominate Rosetta for the Blogger Neighborhood. If you have someone you want to nominate, contact me at socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

Enjoy reading below and discover why Rosetta is definitely on her way.

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Blog Name: Perspectives From the Pipeline, observations on the nonprofit sector from the next generation

Blog Topics: nonprofits and leadership

About the Author: Rosetta Thurman is an emerging nonprofit leader of color sharing career advice, management resources and fresh ideas to inspire others to lead. Rosetta is a writer/consultant/fundraiser and has been quoted in articles about the nonprofit sector in the Washington Post, Nonprofit Quarterly, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Rosetta is also an Adjunct Professor teaching nonprofit management and leadership at Trinity University in DC.

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?  Renaissance Boulevard.  I think we are in a time of great opportunity for young people to renew our responsibility to our communities.  It’s a very rich time in our history where we have the chance to lend all of our talent & skills to a movement, any movement that will create change.

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor? Nikki Giovanni, my favorite poet.  I think I would be inspired every day just by living next door to a literary genius.

What first prompted you to blog?  I felt that my generation’s voice was being ignored in the nonprofit sector, as if our opinions didn’t matter in discussions about the future of this sector that we will inherit. At first, I started Perspectives From the Pipeline as a learning experience for me as a young nonprofit professional to formulate my thoughts about the nonprofit sector.

As a member of the “next generation” of nonprofit leaders, I saw many challenges for our sector as well as many new ideas for solving them. Unfortunately, when people my age speak up, few people listen.  I write about nonprofit leadership and organizational issues to help others think more critically about their careers & day to day work. My goal is to bridge the gap between challenges and solutions within the nonprofit sector, especially as they relate to the younger workforce and nonprofit leaders of color.

If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why? OnMyWay.  Because my favorite quote from poet Carl Sandburg illustrates how I live my life. “I’m an idealist.  I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” 

What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?  A three-layer red velvet cake.

If you were planning the next block party, what entertainment would you plan?  A big concert with Jill Scott and Kanye West.  A Soul Train line.  All-you-can-eat crabs. And a Taboo marathon. 

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

Of mine: because we don’t talk enough about the values that brought us to nonprofit work, Real Talk: Why I Work in the Nonprofit Sector. And from Seth Godin, Because we all need inspiration to make the leap to greatness.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging? I found that blogging gave me a way to speak to the issues I care about and influence others in the process.  On the internet, you can have such a huge reach, and impact on people who may not have given you a second thought otherwise.  I learned that people want to hear the truth, and they will support social media and online community if it’s real and authentic.

Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

• Osocio @ Osocio, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Kanter @ Beth’s Blog, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Dunn @ Small Dots, nominated by Beth Kanter
• Len Edgerly @ LenEdgerly.com, nominated by Beth Dunn
• Stacey Monk @ Epic Change, nominated by the Twitter-verse
• Jason Dick @ A Small Change, nominated by Stacey Monk
• Roger Carr @ Everyday Giving, nominated by Jason Dick
• Andre Blackman @ Pulse & Signal, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Laura Stockman @ 25 Days to Make a Difference, nominated by Roger Carr
• Karama Neal @ So What Can I Do?, nominated by the Carnival of Change
• Julie Zauzmer @ 52 Ways to Change the World, nominated by Karama Neal
• Vanessa Mason @ Subject to Change, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Stephanie Gulley @ HeyStephanie.com, nominated by Vanessa Mason
• Aaron Ferster @ EPA’s Greenversations, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Julia Barry @ New Moon Media, nominated by the YPulse Conference
• Rosetta Thurman @ Perspectives from the Pipeline, nominated by Avi Kaplan 

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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

The Changeblogger Meme Continues

After allowing some time for reflection, I want to respond to the Changeblogger Meme that the wonderful Qui Diaz began over at the Buzz Bin.

Qui, while highlighting the changeblogger movement, also created mapped out a great way to further spread the word, while also allowing us to learn more about each other and what motivates us in our work. She asks us three important questions. Thus, these questions not only continue the changeblogger mantra, but lets us know more about our community.

What is one change – big or small, local or global – you want to see in your lifetime?

I love to champion for people to own their education. It’s my number one advice to any student or colleague. Education, being defined as increasing one’s willingness to learn – about life, people, a neighbor, a stranger’s circumstance, a country’s predicament, and about oneself. From this, I feel so much else flows. =)

Who is already working this issue that you think others should support?

Many people. This being both an Olympic year and an election year, I am seeing it more sources for inspiration than ever. Journalists are working towards this goal. Teachers, communicators, athletes, social tech friends, lawyers, youth, social workers, non-profits, repairmen, grandmothers, and more. I’m just blessed to be working among these people…and learning from them along the way! =)

How are you going to use your Web/tech/marcom skills to further this cause? (Or, what are you already doing that work?

Through this blog, I hope I am inspiring others to continue learning and growing. I hope that in you, there is a root that’s taken hold that is growing infectiously within you and being spread among others, that when you believe in something, when you work hard, and settle for nothing less than your utmost best, anything truly is possible. It’s just easier when we have a community to support us, and healthy influencers amongst us. Thus, thank you.

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Before you think I am being a cop-out from the meme. This is honestly how I feel. And, I feel the beginning for positive change around oneself, begins within oneself.

Beyond this, I do have a personal interest in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis. Much of my volunteer efforts have gone towards this issue, as well as other health-related issues. I’m also a strong believer in mentors and role-modeling programs, individual empowerment as a route against alcohol and drug abuse. As a female and past gymnast, I am well aware issues like anorexia due to many beloved friends battles. The issue that has been increasinly on my mind most recently is access to healthy drinking water.

However, this is why I love social marketing! It goes beyond awareness, beyond fundraising, and looks to develop long-term programs and initiatives to address these challenges. I can’t wait for the future of this field. But that’s a whole ‘nother rant. For now, join the journey. It’s going to be rad. Check it, =)

Tagging: Kivi Leroux Miller, Mike Kujawski, Tera Wozniak, Thursday Bram, Leyla Farah, Jeff Brooks, Katya, Rosetta, Rebecca Leaman

photo cred: flickr, carfs

The Changeblogger Story

This is one, in a group of posts by fellow changebloggers, uniting to show that social media can do, and is achieving social good.

Origins of the Changeblogger

In late May, Britt Bravo at Have Fun * Do Good recruited her readers to create a list of Changebloggers – members of the blogging community who:

“…use their blog, podcast or vlog to raise awareness, build community, and/or facilitate readers, listeners, and viewers taking action to make the world better.”

On her blog, Britt developed a working list of 40+ Changebloggers, events and other online lists.

Changebloggers Respond

Since then, a Changeblogger facebook group was created. Then, I developed the Changeblogger Wiki that is being used to gather blogs and their author’s names, Twitter contact names, locations, a shared list of Changeblogger meetups and events while also being a live idea-swapping forum.

How Two Conversations Connected

Then, on a Friday afternoon I had two phone conversations with two truly remarkable people. The first was with Joe Soloman. Joe is at SocialActions, and he helped them develop the Ad-words widget that was launched last week. Joe also created the Twitter box @nptechblogs, which brings together blog posts and news updates from a variety nptech blogs. He also created and maintains the socialmedia4change wiki.

Bascally, Joe is busy. However, he is not just busy – he is effective. Joe, using his creativity and no-limits thinking, contacted me and together we are working on developing a Twitter box for changebloggers.

The next conversation was with Alex Steed. Talking with Steed on a Friday afternoon, both of us exhausted from a long week and feeling a bit overwhelmed could not have been better timing. Alex’s project is exactly what the changeblogger movement needs. And, he needs us.

Alex is planning on traveling to 30+ cities to meet with socially-forward millennials to learn what they are doing, how they are doing int, and more importantly, why they are doing it.

This is our call: If you are a changeblogger or a changemaker, know one, or even if you have an extra couch, contact Alex to connect with him on his tour while he couchsurfs and covers the waves of change.

Rallying the Troops

The changeblogger troops have already put out the roll call, and we’re inviting any and all to join the movement. Here’s a list of how:

1. Take part in the Changeblogging Meme, that was started by Qui Diaz. Anyone can be a changeblogger, or changemaker, it’s a matter of connecting one’s talents with a desire to do good.
2. Chip In, following the example set by Beth Kanter, to help fund Alex’s trip around the country, as he will spread the changeblogger message both online – and off! (Or, put the widget in your blog. Here’s the code:
   

   <embed src=”http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/a237a485db98c2b4” flashVars=”” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowScriptAccess=”always” wmode=”transparent” width=”250″ height=”250″></embed>

3. If you are in the area, show your support at the 1st Changebloggers/Changemakers Meetup on Oct. 15th as we welcome Alex Steed into the capital of change – Washington DC.
4. Join the Changeblogger Facebook Group
5. Add your blog or Twitter Name to the Changeblogger Wiki
6. Connect on the Changeblogger NING group started by Britt Bravo
7. Tweet it up using the Changeblogger hashtag: #changeblogger and/or follow the Twitter account @changeblogs to receive updates from top changebloggers!

Change is Coming to Town, and It Could be Yours

Join the Pledge for a Humanitarian Lion at Cannes

Awhile back, I wrote about a video that surfaced on YouTbue that was sending a message to Cannes to create a Humanitarian Lion at Cannes. The video has always been featured on my Events page. Now, I am excited to report that the video has turned into an official campaign.

Join us in sending a message to advertisers and clients everywhere: we want to elevate the good and generate a shift in the way we do business and increase our reputation as an industry. I just signed the pledge today, at did the folks over at Osocio.

The Cannes are a worldwide event, so this movement can be a worldwide effort.

How Your Childhood Olympic Dream Can Still Come True

Defining Greatness

When I was a kid, playdoh was great. Dancing around in a tutu making cookies was greater. And Lilia Podkopayeva was greatness. Podkopayeva, overlooked by many due to the gold medal win by the Magnificent Seven by the USA, was from Ukraine. And she won the individual Olympic all-around gold in women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was my superstar.

As a child, I loved the Olympics, and still do. A hardcore competitive gymnast growing up, I attended the ’96 games (as an observer) where I saw Podkopayeva achieve what I thought was the unreachable and untouchable – greatness. In this case, that meant the gold. Seeing both Podkopayeva and the USA women’s team both capture gold medals, I hoped to follow in their footsteps.

Re-Defining Greatness

Like any girl after ’96, my dream for Olympic greatness quadrupled, and my love for the sport escalated. I cut out every single news clipping from women’s gymnastics coverage in Atlanta and plastered my room in posters, photos and news clippings. You could say it was a Mag Seven Heaven.

Overlooked by the Mag Seven by many, Podkopayeva was a combination of grace, style, elegance and talent. My favorite coach even nicknamed me “Mini-Lilia” because he thought we looked alike, and had similar talent: grace and style.

However, fast forward 12 years, and I will never receive an Olympic gold medal, but I still reach for my Olympic dream in the horizon – greatness. And so can you.

Infecting Greatness

Every four years, athletes converge together to compete for world titles, Olympic golds, world records and – greatness. But, each of us maintains the home court advantage. We can achieve greatness in our own communities, everyday. Though I’m no longer conditioning, flipping and twisting on the apparatus’, I like to think that I’m still developing my craft – all the while growing in grace and evolving my style.

For what is greatness? As a kid, a gold-medal gymnast defined greatness. For me today, people who live with conviction define greatness. People doing the work that no one else want do = greatness. The single mother working two jobs to give her child a better life, is greatness I only hope I can mimic. As we grow, how we define greatness evolves. Today, my ‘greatness’ role-model is my mom. It’s also my dad. Nedra Weinreich. Andre Blackman. Kivi Leroux Miller. Beth Kanter. Marc @ Osocio. Mike Newton-Ward. Stephen Dann. The Unsung Hero.

See, these are ordinary people, and they are infecting greatness everyday. I only hope that one day I can join their team, and we together, as a team, can achieve greatness. For greatness, just depends on how you define it.

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“There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one’s maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity.”

– Buck Rodgers, American Baseball Player 1938