DONATIONS UPDATE: Thanks for your Generosity! You Donated $350 to the Ice Bucket. After deductions for expenses of $150 we have $200 left to donate to selected charities.
We have already donated $100 on your behalf to the Oxfam Trailwalker team involving our MC Massive – Alan Jones. Feel free to add to this worthy cause.
We’ll be asking you where the other $100 should go later this week. Stay tuned – and again thanks for your support!
New Digital Citizens Event: Panellists and Subject Announced
The next Digital Citizens event is Social Media for Social Good – the subject was selected by audience vote.
Can social media really make a difference, or by becoming a ‘fan’ on Facebook or following a charity on Twitter, are we simply assuaging our guilt without actually creating change?
We saw Obama’s election demonstrate that social change can be enacted using online tools, but in the year since his inauguration, are activist campaigns seeing less and less response? The Copenhagen summit is one example, where despite massive online campaigning and activity, no tangible offline result was achieved – are audiences already fatigued, and do leaders, policy makers and those in power really pay attention to social media?
The evening will begin with a short presentation from Kim McKay of Klick Communications, who’ll be sharing the five things she learned from SXSW, followed by an open discussion of “what’s hot on the social web” before presentations from our panellists.
Speakers include Karalee Evans, Mark Chenery, Nic McKay and David Hood, and will be moderated by Alan Jones. The panel will each present a brief overview of case studies using new technologies and the social web to effect social change, and will then take questions and open the debate to the audience.
Working as a communications and public relations professional for nearly ten years, Karalee Evans has developed successful communications models for the corporate and government sectors and most recently a not-for-profit organisation. During three years working for social good at in a national youth mental health NFP, Karalee developed and delivered a successful social media and marketing campaign (recently awarded Silver and Bronze at the 32nd International Caples Awards) focussed on advocating youth mental health issues.
Mark Chenery is communications manager of anti-poverty agency ActionAid Australia and former digital marketing journalist at AdNews magazine. He’ll be speaking about Project TOTO, ActionAid Australia’s attempt to give poverty a voice through social media tools such as Twitter and blogs, giving Australians an insight into the realities of poverty and to give poor and marginalised people the opportunity to tell their stories on the world stage.
Nic Mackay is currently the Managing Director of The Human Race, a social entrepreneur and a thought leader regarding the future of “corporate social responsibility”. He co-founded The Oaktree Foundation, Australia’s largest and most successful youth-run aid and development organisation, founded an Australian/South African non-profit organisation called Key Change Music, which is creating positive social change through music. Nic recently received the Rotary Club of Melbourne and Sir Albert Coates 2010 Young Achiever Awards.
Without realising it David Hood‘s career in social good started at the ripe old age of 8 – standing outside the local supermarket in Richmond
NSW collecting signatures to ‘Save the Baby Seals’. Since then David has volunteered as a fundraiser, event organiser and volunteer coordinator with a number of non-profit organizations including the Red Cross, World Vision, Twenty10 and Australia Tibet Council.
In 2007 he made the jump from being a financial supporter and cyberactivist to working full-time with one of the world’s largest
environmental campaigning organisations, Greenpeace (Working primarily on the Greenpeace climate campaign, for the last three years David has been
exploring ways to engage new supporters, encourage them to take action and work together to effect real change in the external world. David is
currently the Project Leader for Greenpeace Australia Pacific on their Nestlé Campaign.
We’re also pleased to present the ‘other’ Alan Jones (doingwords.com). He describes himself as, “Just like you, only less so.” This Alan Jones is a bit of a writer and technologist, with a passion for technology, science and medicine. Originally a journalist and then a product manager, Alan now works with early-stage companies and new product development teams. He’s been a founder and co-founder of web and mobile startups, and has had proper jobs in larger companies like Yahoo!, News Digital Media and Microsoft.
Digital Citizens is at the Burdekin on Tuesday, 13th of April. RSVP to eventbrite
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