Websites can help people make world a better place
Apr 2 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
CAN a website change the world? Three digital entrepreneurs who visited the region for a major technology conference this week seem to think so. Andrew Mernin finds out more.
IN the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings four years ago, the defiance of a nation which refused to give in to terrorism was captured by an internet campaign with a very clear message – we are not afraid.
The website wearenotafraid.com was set up as a global community to speak out against acts of terror which hit London’s transport network killing 52 commuters as well as similar suicide attacks in Madrid, New York, Baghdad, Basra, Tikrit, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Afghanistan and Bali.
The site encouraged hundreds of people to upload images to depict why they were not afraid to ride public transport, walk down a crowded street or to condemn terrorism.
Its creator, Alfie Dennen, came to the North East this week to explain to the region’s digital community how they can harness the internet to make a real difference in the world.
“If you can get people going online [to do] something simple then there’s no reason we can’t all change the world,” he said at the re:boot re:place conference at The Sage Gateshead.
The online innovator was one of a number of people who joined a panel debate which aimed to show internet entrepreneurs how they can use the virtual world to make things better in the real world.
“If you come up with something catchy and have a quirky message then you can generate coverage which generates audience.”
As well as the anti-terrorism message he portrayed in the post-7/7 campaign, he has also used the internet to raise awareness of the plight of sufferers of tuberculosis in Africa and has even started a movement which aims to restart all public clocks in Britain that have stopped, with the help of the internet and an eager audience.
Dennen, who helped create Moblog which encourages people to upload pictures and videos from their camera phones, believes anyone can get involved in ethical internet campaigns.
“We can effect change at the local level by organising people online and I’m really excited about what’s happening right now.
“Mobile phones are changing things and you can now impregnate media with location.
“If you know where something was captured, then you know there’s a lot you can do with that and if you have a very simple message then you can effect change.”
