Social Technology Projects Praised by Prime Minister

I spent the morning surrounded by amazing UK based innovators at the 2008 Catalyst Awards. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, congratulated people who are using social technology projects for the benefit of their communities.

Speaking at the event in central London, Gordon Brown said:

“Our thriving third sector continues to find innovative ways to tackle issues. We are creating a new generation of activists, campaigners and social entrepreneurs who are showing us just how the newest of technologies can help solve some of the oldest of challenges, building a more just society and better, stronger communities.”

The winners of the first UK Catalyst Awards are:

The Community Award – Savvychavvy – a social networking site for young gypsy travellers, giving them a voice and the opportunity to change the way their community is perceived

The David and Goliath Award – Liftshare – an online car-sharing system, enabling more efficient use of car journeys and cutting CO2 emissions and congestion

The Chalk & Cheese Award – FreqOUT! – a programme that combines wireless technology and emergent arts/education projects, and works to engage socially excluded young people

The Enterprise Award – Slivers of time – a web-based employment solution, allowing people to find bits of work which they can do in between unpredictable commitments in their life, such as childcare, starting a business or studying

The Revolutionary Award – Wheelies – the world’s first virtual disability nightclub. Based in SecondLife, it is connecting disabled users and providing a platform for them to discuss common issues

The Self-Help Award – School of everything – this innovative site matches up would-be learners and would-be teachers; unleashing unused skills in local neighbourhoods and allowing people, from young whizz kids to retired people, to pass on what they know to others

The Individual Hero Award – Helen Anderson of South Witham broadband – after a series of large internet suppliers refused to provide broadband in South Witham, Lincolnshire, Helen started a not-for-profit company to provide local individuals and businesses with broadband internet and WiFi. The volunteer-led project has been so successful that Helen has even shared her expertise with the Australian Government

The People’s Choice Award went to The Freeconomy Community, a skill, tool, space and land sharing website to build closer, stronger communities through the power of sharing

What’s Next?
The next phase of Catalyst, which uses the inspiration of today’s finalists to call for new ideas, will take place during Enterprise Week this November. JustMeans is planing to be involved in Enterprise Week by supporting unique social change organizations.

For media enquiries about the winners, contact: Amy MacLaren or Henry de Rougemont at amy/henry@colmangetty.co.uk on 020 7631 2666 or email

MediaCampLondon 2008

If you missed MediaCampLondon 2008 then you missed out.

I think it is fair to say that 50% of conferences are a waste of time (come on…just admit it).
*The presentations are usually boring.
*It is hard to meet the right people in a crowd.
*And you have the same conversations – over and over and over again.

Not at MediaCampLondon 2008 – I found every person I met to be interested in pushing the future of social media forward. Good discussions, interesting people, lots of ‘new technology take aways’, and great networking in a small setting.

Two super-stars of the day:
1) James Whatley – promoting SpinVox
He did a demo showing how you to call a phone number, leave a message, and have the message automatically converted into text and uploaded directly into your blog.

2) Nicholas Butler – Social Networker and Opinioneer
This guy was cracking me up with his funny one-liners and impressing me with his solid approach to helping companies with their ‘social media audit’. Nicholas wanted to interview me and learn about the JustMeans expansion to London. After agreeing to the interview, he whipped out a camera and the discussion went right to his blog via a wireless connection – pretty cool. Check it out:
Interview – JustMeans Expands to London

Ignore the Blockers – 3 Examples

Example 1: Me
Kevin Long – Deaf Education in Developing Countries

Problem:
Fifteen years ago, I went to Kenya to volunteer teach at a school for deaf children. At my deaf school, there were 250 deaf kids and 11 hearing teachers. The hearing teachers were trained to teach, but had no idea how to sign or communicate with the deaf kids. With limited tools, the hearing teachers would write on a chalk board and point… Can you imagine how difficult it would have been to learn from this method of teaching when you were a kid?

Action:
I founded Global Deaf Connection in order to support deaf people in developing countries in their pursuit to become teachers. I fundraised money for tutors, Kenyan sign language interpreters, and college scholarships – so deaf Kenyans could have access to higher education and become teachers at the deaf schools in Kenya.

Blockers:
The Kenyan government and some academics in the deaf community were upset. “We have to build more consensus”, “you have not completed all the paper-work”, “you are hearing and don’t understand”, etc, etc.

My reaction to these blockers:
Improve what I could and ignore everything else. I just kept thinking, “these deaf kids need deaf teachers now.”

Results:
There are now over 40 deaf Kenyan teachers mentoring, inspiring, and teaching thousands of deaf children in the deaf schools across Kenya. This is an historical number of deaf teachers for a country like Kenya – a real model for effective deaf education across the world.

Example 2:
Martin Smith – Helping People Create Change Through Their Workplace

Problem:
Millions of people everyday go to a job they hate at a company that is not creating positive change in the world.

Action:
Martin Smith travelled the US and raised $400,000 to build and launch JustMeans – an international social media platform that rallies both companies and individuals around social responsibility. This included flying all over the world (i.e. to London to recruit me, to India to recruit the tech team, etc). His dream was an on-line platform that helped companies move regular customers/stakeholders into becoming real advocates for better business.

Blockers:
“But it is impossible to break into the social media space.”
“But you have to make your site perfect before it can go live.”
“It’s impossible to create an international platform right from the start.”
Etc, etc,etc.

Martin’s reaction to the blockers:
bullshit

Results:
In only two years, Justmeans has developed best in class technology that is helping a wide range of both for-profits and non-profits use our online tools to attract and ignite advocates for better business.

Example 3
Solar Bug Electric Car Building Super Star

Do you think he has a chance or are you a “blocker”?