Skip to main content

See the Change You Wish to Make in the World


** Editor’s Post **

Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Many organizations, social entrepreneurs and citizens of the world share his philosophy. World Flix, a non-profit organization, displays a powerful variation of the quote on their homepage. They encourage individuals to “SEE the change you wish to MAKE in the world.” It’s a strong and encouraging message that seems to resonate with online donators.

If you haven’t heard of World Flix yet, it’s because their website just launched this August. I stumbled upon their site last week when doing some research for the Literacy ‘n’ Poverty Project (LnP). What struck me most about this young organization is the similar passion and drive for social change that it shares with LnP. World Flix is determined to change the world by advocating through new and traditional media. More specifically, they are bringing attention to important social issues through video clips on the Internet. Essentially, they are merging the concept of YouTube and charity, challenging the traditional model of philanthropy.

World Flix’s website highlights user-submitted video clips to bring awareness to global issues surrounding food, water, shelter, sanitation and health care. These videos empower individuals to donate to a cause of their choosing. It’s an incredibly fascinating take on raising donations and awareness for causes. The concept of e-philanthropy, I believe, is the future of charitable giving.

The great thing about e-philanthropy is that you don't have to be Bill Gates or Oprah to be a social entrepreneur or philanthropist. The founder, Laika Grant Mann, intended it to be that way. According to their website, “the mission of World Flix is to make it simple for people from any background to donate to social programs.” A nice bonus is that you will know exactly where your donation is going. For example, I just donated to the “Tibet Vision Project” and all proceeds will go towards purchasing a slit-lamp microscope for their new eye care centers in Tibet. Individuals can donate as much or as little as they want and know where they are making a difference.

I encourage you to take some time exploring World Flix and e-philanthropy. Watch some videos, too. And most importantly, spread the word.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to stay tuned. I’m excited to SEE the change that I helped MAKE happen.

World Flix: http://www.worldflix.org


This is the first of many editor's posts written by Olivia Chao, a Volunteer Online Editor with the Literacy ‘n’ Poverty Project. Olivia lives in New York City and also volunteers her time at the Covenant House where she assists troubled youth and their families. For the past three years she has been working in online marketing in the book publishing industry. Please leave your comments or email info@makesocialchangeality.com with your questions.

Comments

Eddie said…
Make a difference - let's spread the message far and wide.

A recent movie ''The YES Movie''about today young entrepreneurs changing the world, very inspiring movie.

www.TheYESmovie.com(by Louis Lautman)

Popular posts from this blog

What is the Literacy Rate of the US?

The World Factbook , prepared by the CIA , states that the US literacy rate is around 99%. This means that around 3 million people in America are unable to functionally read and write . That is equivalent to the entire population of Mongolia! As if those numbers weren’t enough to make you sit up and think, there is some dispute about the 99% - the actual figure could be lower, depending on the various definitions of literacy used. Jonathan Kozol, in his book ‘Illiterate America’ states that the government based the 99% literacy rate on interviews and written responses to Census Bureau mailings from a small portion of the population. Of that portion, if the responders or interviewees had completed fifth grade they were considered literate. About 5% had not completed fifth grade , but 80% of those were subsequently considered literate, and so the Bureau reached a conclusion of a 99% literacy rate. In 1993 a new study was released . Over 5 years, and $14 million spent ( the largest lite...

We Stopped Blogging and Got Serious About Our Future

It's been over four months since we last posted to this blog! While it breaks our heart to have been out of touch for so long, we had good reason. You see, our blog is run by volunteers of the Literacy 'n' Poverty Project. LnP is a social initiative I started that addresses multiple aspects of literacy - health, reading, writing and financial - to empower the poor and low-income adults to lift themselves up out of poverty . But, if you've been keeping up with our blog which we know you all have :), you can see that adult education has not been the focus. And rightfully so. How We Got Started Make Social Change A Reality was created as a venue to discuss various issues concerning the broader concept of social change from the environment to women's issues to healthcare to youth development . As a startup with goals of becoming an international social enterprise, we felt that y'all deserved a place of your own to learn, engage and share information and resources...

The Meaning of Social Change

All around us, there are changes happening; the calendar changed from 2008 to 2009, a new president was elected, and for many us, we have decided to do things differently and make changes in our diet, our lifestyles, or in our overall well being. Social change is something that I plan to be involved with this year in many different ways: volunteering , reading, attending events and sharing ideas. Social change means different things to different people. To me, social change means being involved in making things better for your community. Doing something instead of just saying something. Raising money instead of just donating to a cause. Working with others to make sure that the change we desire is attainable. I have been involved with a variety of organizations that make social change a focus of their organization. This is important to me because I am a firm believer that through social change and helping each other and supporting one another, we as a people can right all...