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Thursday, October 05, 2006

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Celebrity Trollop

The wrist band might be made of pixels, but the people behind the keyboards are real enough.

Besides, it isn't like people in the U.S. would normally be able to stand with Germans or Dutch folks to express a political message.

Second Life in a real sense transcends physical location and that is a very cool thing.

Nedra Weinreich

I wrote about this issue yesterday on my blog, discussing whether symbolic gestures like this can make a difference. I think the shortcoming of this campaign is that it raises awareness, but does not provide any follow-through. From what I could tell, there is not any call to action that people can then take to try to bring about the millennium goals, such as an e-mail campaign to government officials or writing a letter to the editor at the local newspaper. Awareness is great, but if it does not eventually lead to action, it's worthless.

rikomatic

The "Stand Up" campaign is in a weird place, since it on the one hand is somewhat non-controversial ("poverty is bad.") and on the other quite controversial ("governments aren't doing anything to end grinding poverty, horrible slums, AIDS, or environmental degradation.")

Because its affiliated with the UN, it can't outright tell people to raise hell with their own governments. But really, that's the only thing that's going to make the campaign worth a damn.

Lobbying groups like Citizens for Global Solutions and the One campaign actually do try and change US policies on poverty and AIDS and Darfur and on other important global issues. So Stand up... and then get moving.

avterror

but i can. raise hell with your government. show them who's boss.

they cannot absorb you if you show yourself appropriately and in large enough numbers.

obnoxious is much better than violent.

bryan campen

As a writer and documentarian covering my own father's voluntary homelessness, I have to say people thinking on the issue in absolutely any context have my support. How virtual campaigns will lead to more action is yet to be seen, if only because the technology isn't quite what we know it will be in a few years (far more fast and seamless, and hence a better platform for action).

http://flickr.com/photos/campen/sets/473858/

Mordecai Scaggs

I am not sufficiently urbane to express an opinion before the event, save to agree that SL is a place where such social isssues should be encouraged, and that I as a citizen of the UK can do a lot more than just stand up when it comes to harrassing my government into action. I shall be posting a piece in my blog on the day itself - assuming the Grid is up then!

Polly Jones

I echo Nedra's thoughts. But, I would question not only follow through but the actual level of awareness created by this campaign. To me, such a campaign clouds people's awareness if anything. While it may be cool that SL allows us to transcend space, the fact is that very few people have the time and money to participate in other worlds. The person on the streets in your city and the person across the world cannot escape the bonds of their hunger and basic human needs. Moreover, the poverty in the so-called developing world is very much connected to the rampant consumerism in the developed world. Buying a bracelet - in any world - won't solve poverty!

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