My Voice, Your Voice, Our Voices

Each person on this earth has a voice. Some of these voices are heard constantly, due to their position in a world that values “power”, placing them in the spotlight. Others, like myself, are heard often by those that surround us due to jobs that we hold in a society that gives opportunities to those that have the hard earned money to access education. Nonetheless, in a world where poverty is commonplace and half of the world's population's talent (women) has been largely untapped, most voices go unheard. Web 2.0 is a fantastic platform for these unheard voices to receive a streak of light.

One of the issues that has been brought most to my attention in the past months is how grassroots movements are the solution to all of our plights. Laws don't change people's attitudes: people change people's attitudes. The passion of a neighbor, friend, or family's voice impacts us much more than the spokesperson, politician, or commercial on the television. The opportunity Web 2.0 gives to grassroots efforts and voices to be heard is one of a kind.

Web 2.0 brings the women's empowerment movement grassroots efforts to a visible terrain, but it also allows us women to connect at a much more intimate and powerful level. It allows me to be inspired by women across the world and interact with them in a way otherwise impossible. It allows me to learn and grow as a woman much more thanks to the stories and ideas of my international sisters. It motivates and pushes me to take action and share how I'm taking responsibility for my life and that of my fellow citizens. Web 2.0 is not only a solution in regards to distance, but also -and most importantly- to the lack of support one may find at times in the intimacy of one's own home.

My own empowerment is an ongoing process, and I am just beginning to realize the power of my words. Facebook is NOT a medium for letting everyone know what my relationship status is. It's a powerful tool to share my most intimate beliefs. YouTube is NOT about spending hours watching “popular videos”. It's about searching ideas that aid in my growth and/or sharing those that may aid others. Twitter is NOT about contaminating others with temporary nuisances or hourly babble, but a platform for letting others know WHO I AM. This is how I am choosing to define these tools, because it's the best way possible I can imagine defining them. And although I consider that I am well into stepping into my own empowerment process, I am just beginning to realize how the tools of New Media are an opportunity to take my empowerment to the next level and, most importantly, to aid other woman in allowing their voices to be heard.

Thank you, World Pulse and all my sisters, for motivating me in beginning a whole new way of viewing my empowerment and the impact I may have on others.