Blogging Tips

The blogosphere is an amazing collection of people around the world – a collection that is still largely untapped in it’s power.  However, various efforts are underway to find ways to harness this power.   An upcoming example is OneWebDay a global event that has been celebrated every September 22 since 2006.  The idea behind OneWebDay is to provide an opportunity for communities to celebrate the power of the Web for positive change.

OneWebDay was founded by Susan Crawford, currently an adviser to US President Obama on science, technology, and innovation policy. This year’s theme is “One Web. For All.” It’s about digital inclusion, digital literacy, and working to close the many digital divides we face in our global society. OneWebDay organizers hope to call attention to efforts that work to ensure that anyone who wants it has access to the Internet.

The OneWebDay network of participating organizations and volunteers believe that the fight for digital inclusion is now a critical part of the struggle for social and economic justice. Access to a fast, affordable, and open Internet is essential for every child in school, every entrepreneur with a new idea, and anyone who wants full access to government and the democratic process.

Part of the OneWebDay project is to encourage folks to organize digital literacy trainings and other efforts that help connect marginalized communities to online resources and build a corps of technology volunteers. In the Washington DC area there are organizations like Mi Tierra which promotes the participation of Latino immigrants and their families in the formal financial system. Mi Tierra knows that basic computer skills and Internet access are essential to this work. Another organization, Byte Back, provides training for under- and unemployed workers so they have the marketable skills necessary to obtain employment in today’s job market.

If you would like to get involved, there is still plenty of time.  Given that you are reading BloggingTips I would suggest a blog post talking about OneWebDay.  You can also cross post about your experience with the digital divide on the OneWebDay Stories blog.  However, you can certainly do much more if you are so motivated!

So whether you are a true believer or just a blogger in search of another day’s topic, I hope you’ll consider promoting OneWebDay this month and in particular this upcoming September 22.