Possibilities

“Possibilities“ is what excites me about new media and the use to Social media. Nowadays we hear about “Media War” – it’s not about guns and artillery it’s how each side is using the media to their advantage. A knife can be used for doing “Negative or Positive” actions and media is the same the only difference is media can hurt many at-a-go or save many at-a-go.

I strongly believe that change starts with one person and Web 2.0 gives an opportunity for many change makers to grow and be heard. Reading Halima from Sudan’s piece on FGM was very sad but the same time I felt more empowered and motivated. We all have a vision, ideas, stories but they mostly end there. It’s through reading stories like this that make you put your wonderful ideas into “productive Action”. The Web 2.0 brings about a platform where once the individual hopes, challenges, troubles, successes and stories of women can be brought forth to bring collective - sharing, networking, learning, working together & a sense of knowing that you are not alone.

My vision is to use Social Media for change. For many I know that a 30 second well produced video can change minds, attitudes and behaviors compared to a one hour lecture. I always think about a saying I heard once” You look around you have so many problem you can talk about how everything sucks or you can choose to make an effort to make a different.” and Web 2.0 make this possible for me. I have written articles on issues and something I am excited about is I want to learn video making. Many of the traditional awareness raising tool like newspaper articles, long lectures are not of interest to people especially youth. This keeps me motivated knowing that my passion, interest, skills can be used to bring about change in my country and also all around the world.

Another major good Web 2.0 bring to Global women empowerment movement is fairness and opportunity. I wandered when I hear about the awards, medals being presented to people for their outstanding work in an area – who speaks for the women in the village who might have done even better work than the one being awarded?. The difference is the person being awarded (who has done a good job as well) had an opportunity to speak out and be heard and the other didn’t. That’s where I see Web 2.0 can change things. Women from all over the world can be heard. It’s a woman who can tell a story of another woman.

We all are leaders some way or another and its our responsibility to work on the betterment of oneself and others as well.