NPSL: Nonprofits in Second Life

I'm excited to announce that Global Kids is starting up again its youth machinima initiative called the "Virtual Video Project."  If you know of a teenager in the New York area who is interested in global issues,  politics, digital media and having fun, then send them our way! Applications are due by October 17.

Students get training in how to use Second Life as a filmmaking platform, decide among themselves a particular social issue they would like to make a machinima about, and then do all of the work to create the film. Our past machinima have won a number of awards and been featured at various film festivals and conferences around the world.

The program runs from October 30 until late June, so it's a big commitment. The sessions are facilitated by my fabulous colleagues Tabitha and Shawna.

For more information or to receive the application contact shawna@globalkids.org or call 212-226-0130 ext. 143.

Here's another great machinima news report from my buddy Draxtor Dupres.  This time he covers the USC Network Culture Project's Public Good Challenge in Second Life.  It's a nice frame for looking at the potential of virtual worlds for more than just commerce and entertainment.

I was honored to serve as one of the selection panel members for the Public Good Challenge.  You can even see a bit of my avatar sitting besides my hero Howard Rheingold.

Good stuff, Drax!

Beginning this Fall, Global Kids is excited to announce opportunities for a group of young people to receive $1000 USD in seed funding and social entrepreneurial training through the "Dream It. Do It." Initiative in Second Life.

The D.I.D.I. Initiative is an exciting partnership between Global Kids and Ashoka's Youth Venture. Through January of 2009, the D.I.D.I. Initiative is supporting up to 40 teams of young people with up to $1000 USD and tools and training to launch ventures that benefit their communities, either within or outside the virtual world of Second Life.

For those that weren't able to be there, here's a quick rundown of what I spoke about at the Non-profit Commons mini-track at the Second Life Community Convention this past weekend in Tampa, Florida. While this year's non-profit track had less folks participating than last year, we had some great exchanges with non-profit innovators like Master Quatro, Sheva Nerad, folks from the American Library Association, USC's Network Culture Project, Native Lands, and several other groups in attendance physically or via SL.

Thanks to Coughran Mayo for inviting me to speak and doing an admirable job moderating the entire mini-track.  And shout-outs to Rhiannon Chatnoir, In Kenzo and Amulius Lioncourt for bootlegging an audio stream in the Plush Nonprofit Commons in record time.  And I can't forget my colleague Meghan Deana (Coreina Grace in SL) for stepping in at the 11th hour to help me present and facilitate the session.

[Note this is cross-posted from my blog rikomatic.com]

My talk notes follow...

On August 13, at 5PM PST, come to the International Justice Center to catch real world / virtual DJ Doubledown Tandino spinning an eclectic mix of global grooves for your dancing pleasure. During the dance, we'll also be asking for donations to aid victims of human rights abuses in Darfur, the Congo, Uganda, and Central African Republic. Afterwards, Mr. John Washburn, convenor of the American NGO Coalition on the International Criminal Court, will talk about why the next US President should support the International Criminal Court. Come dance, support human rights, and learn about the ICC.
Donations received will be forward to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the ICC Victims Trust Fund.

Click here to RSVP.

On Monday, July 21, at 12PM SLT, the GK International Justice Center will be streaming a conversation on the situation in Darfur with Dr. Francis Deng, the UN Secretary Generals’ Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. Dr. Deng is a Sudanese national and has served as a human rights officer at the United Nations since the 1960s as well as his own country as Minister of Foreign Affairs and ambassador to several countries.

After Dr. Deng's short speech, Global Kids will facilitate a Q&A with a group of Global Kids teens present with the advisor, teens on the teen grid, and adults in the Justice Center.

Please go here to RSVP.

We just announced in-world the five finalists in the USC Network Culture Project's "Second Life and Public Good Community Challenge". They are:

• Ability Commons: Proposers Gentle Heron and Carolina Yeats
• Mauerkrankheit:  Proposers Ping Rau and Nonny Writer
• Native Lands Cultural Project: Proposer Boondoggle Gruppman
• Texas Obesity Research Center:  Proposer Sirena Felisimo
• Interactive Accessible Home:  Proposer Kathee Gibbs

Congrats to all the finalists, and all those that participated!

Gene Koo of the Berkman Center at Harvard wanted me to pass around these job notices for an innovative project called "Hub2":

"Hub2 seeks to enable local neighborhoods to participate more meaningfully in the design and development of their own public spaces. Residents engage in a process that employs 3D tools and  problem-solving techniques to articulate a common vision reflecting the participants’  values. Over the next 3 months, Hub2 will work with Allston residents and stakeholders, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and Harvard’s Allston Development Group to design Library Park. Hub2 seeks enthusiastic and community-minded staff to pioneer this cutting-edge program. "

Hub2 is looking for a "Youth Coordinator" and "Project Coordinator." Check the two job descriptions for more info or visit http://hub2.org/.

Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit in virtual world education, is set to launch the International Justice Center within Second Life on March 20 at 3PM EST. The inaugural event will feature a presentation and discussion by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the launch, the ICC Prosecutor will appear in avatar form to give a brief statement, answer questions from the audience, and introduce the Center. This will be broadcast live by SLCN.TV.

Later that same day, the International Justice Center will host a simulcast of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan as he receives the first MacArthur Award for International Justice and gives a keynote address on international justice. Global Kids will stream a number of other live videos into the Center (click here to teleport).

[UPDATE 3/24/08: For those that we not able to make the event, SLCN.tv has kindly made available their coverage of the event at http://www.slcn.tv/international-justice-center-launch . ]

The complete press release follows...

Global Kids is excited and honored to announce that on Thursday, March 20, at 3pm EST, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will give a short welcome address to officially inaugurate the Global Kids’ International Justice Center on our new sim The Justice Commons. We hope you all can make it!