Huffington Post Article of interest!
The Huffington post article linked to this blog makes some very concrete points, (3) three to be exact, and they are:
The first is the seismic shift from presentation to participation. People are tired of being talked to; they want to be talked with. Ours is a global conversation, with millions of new people pulling up a seat at the table -- indeed, nearly 3 billion people will join the Internet’s community by 2020, according to Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler.
The second is the paradoxical shift from using technology to connect to also using technology to disconnect.
So, if the first trend is a Garden of Eden blooming with engagement and self-expression, the second trend is the snake in the garden. For all the powerful tools at our disposal to bear witness and bring about change, there is also the temptation to fetishize the social and viral for their own sake. On a daily basis, I'm invited to media conferences filled with panels devoted to how we can use social tools to amplify our messages. But very few of those panels seem to care what is the message. As Thoreau said in 1854, "We are in great haste, to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate."We must have a variety of messages to communicate, and we must be ready to respond to questions which will press our ability to change or adapt our world view(s) . Thoreau's messages tells us that "If you Build it" they may not necessarily come, specifically if you have no content to send or discuss. It's not enough to encourage people to buy technology sich as tablets and smart phones, we must provide suggestions for practical application/use of these tools which bring about positive change.
The third is the game-changing shift from using social media as a way to make our lives more fun to using social media to make the world better.
The third trend is the shift from searching for information to searching for meaning. People are using technology to connect with others not just around similar passions and interests, but around the causes that most resonate with them. And the shift isn't confined to individuals. More and more, brands are identifying with a cause, and making that identification a central part of their ethos.We must present our cause(s) as a cause that they can engage with. At the Trust, we need to open the dialog around this issue, specifically as it relates the tools we use, and our mission!. Dr. Mendez once said, the qucikest way for young black men to stay out of jail is to stop committing crimes! How simple is that? Yet there is an arguement regarding cause and effect; wheteher environment exists which promotes opportunities for living wages, entrepenurship in legal ways.
I believe we need to truly open the dialog by including our audience in the dialog. From Sunday morning sermons, to press conferences to name a few. Our communities have been saturated in the use of Master Process Thinkers called to the Think Tank sessions, waxing on with theory and their imperical mindsets, but it is the people how simply need to be heard. Satellite radio and call in talk shows prove that people want to be heard. And if given the venue, will not only express their opinions, but be open to participate in bringing about the solution.
The people who need to be held accountable are also the ones who can affect change, which can begin at home. We can bring about change, but it starts with us, in our homes, inside our selves, and beyond.
Keep The Trust
Fred Irving Williams
Deputy Director
