Come March 11, Idealist.org [1], promoter of a world in which every person who wants to help someone can, is launching a new network. The purpose is to help people everywhere connect and take action, online and in person.
Is it like a Facebook or Linkedin for nonprofits? Not really. Idealist.org [2] says it's thinking bigger than that. This is what they want you to imagine:
How would the world change if…
• Whenever you read a news story that moves you, instead of just clicking on Like or Share, you could hit an Act button and actually do something about it.
• Several people who wanted to start the first women's shelter in their town (or fight corruption or clean up a local river) but weren't connected in any way, could easily find each other, and then connect with someone who has already done this and is willing to help.
• Any organization that wanted to promote an innovative solution-from a better malaria net to a new teaching curriculum-had at their disposal a global distribution channel already set up, ready to test and scale new ideas.
And to make all this happen, imagine that in every village, town, and workplace there is a team of people focused like a laser beam on connecting people and resources, finding and sharing good ideas, and helping people move from intention to action.
That's the world Idealist.org is inviting us to help build. Not lacking for enthusiasm, the online visionary says, "It's a world that's within reach, and together we can do this."
Curious? We are! For more details about how to get involved, RSVP to an online presentation by clicking on this link: http://www.idealist.org/March11 [3].
We adding a short FAQ about March 11 below. Send your questions to Ami.Dar@idealist.org [4] who is more than happy to answer them.
So far, more than 15,000 people in 145 countries have RSVP'd at www.idealist.org/March11 [5].
Interesting to imagine what we can build together. Let's try and see what happens.
FAQs
Q: On March 11, can I participate from anywhere? A: Yes. All you need is a good internet connection on your computer or phone (good enough to watch a TED talk or a YouTube video, for example).
Q: Are you really doing this twice? A: Yes, we want to accommodate people in every time zone, so we'll do this twice. You can join us live on March 11 either at Noon EST (9:00 AM Pacific) or at 11:00 PM EST (8:00 PM Pacific).
Q: How long will the presentation be? A: Including some time for questions, it would be great if you could put us on your calendar for an hour.
Q: What happens after March 11? A: We'll present this whole idea in more detail and suggest a variety of ways for people and organizations to get involved.
Q: What kind of commitment will be required? A: This will be completely up to you. We'll have a menu of options to fit every time frame, starting from a minute or two, and up from there.