The first reports seem silenced, no one really wanted to say or knew how bad things were going to be. It appears now that information is flowing and the devastation could be catastrophic. Is this another instance of the most impoverished people being overlooked and not provided with adequate shelter or care? The picture of the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince below exposes disparity in the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere:
The preliminary reports to be seen were sent out through Twitter. Many of the first photos were sent through Twitter as well. In the past, it may have taken over night for any response or information to come out from Haiti but thanks to social media we saw real-time updates of what was happening and how we could help. Following the Tsunami of 2004, it took days and even close to a week for some reports or information to come out in full. Now with social media, people can act quickly and communicate instantly.
This was one of the first images sent out through Twitter
It’s now more apparent the need to support organizations who have time invested in developing their presence on social media. Especially when they leverage the benefits of philanthropy and communication with the people they partner with on the ground. As of this morning, Concern has launched an urgent emergency appeal to respond to the tremendous damage caused by yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale.
“Food, water, shelter and medicine are the immediate priorites for those who have survived this catastrophe. It has been difficult in the darkness of last night and before dawn today to establish the full extent of this appalling tragedy. Phone lines are down, but to the best of our knowledge, most of our staff have been reported safe.”
—Concern Worldwide Regional Director Brid Kennedy
Twestival is an annual event where people in hundreds of cities around the world come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness. Twestival (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good. All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.
This year’s Twestival will take place on March 25th and is benefiting Concern Worldwide, a great organization with years of proven effective work on the ground but needs a boost when it comes to social media. I am honored to serve as the regional coordinator for the Twestival mountain region, which includes: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. I chose to take this role because I believe in the Twestival movement and it’s effectiveness to bring about real social change. It’s also a great opportunity for me to gain some great experience in the world of community organizing and network with wonderfully devoted people.
