The Queen Rania Center Entrepreneurship (QRCE) is a not-for-profit and non-governmental organization.it was established in October of 2004 and located at the EL Hassan Science City, Jubaiha-Jordan. It's mission is to support economics growth by providing an array of services in entrepreneurship development and technology commercialization through the several programs conducted by QRCE.
Read more on the QRCE websiteWORDS: Mohd M. Khawaja
As an addictive social media activist, I always face people questioning the ability to achieve a “real” social change using social media.
People –at the offline world- used to believe that video & photo sharing, tweeting and networking are designed only for fun and entertainment, while there is a lot we can do when we become part of any of this growing digital social networks.
Social media is the new media!
As social media is becoming the new way to communicate thoughts, news, believes and ideas, it can be the greatest source ever for influence and empowerment. Not only for it’s remarkable growth and outreach, but also because it is driven by the crowds rather than individuals (as in the case of traditional media).
Few examples …
Among with other participant of LeWeb this year, I was so inspired by H.M. Queen Rania’s Speech about how the real-time web can make real life change.
“The majority did not believe digital advocacy could translate into analogue action. They couldn’t see retweeting or joining Facebook groups as leading to volunteering or rallying.” H.M. Queen Rania describing the feedback of her Twitter followers about the impact of social media in real life.
As a solid example about the role of social media in creating change, H.M. talked about how Jordanians used watwet to aid victims of the war on Gaza and how that led to success campaigning to support innocent Palestinians there by donating food and clothes. I personally can’t imagine how that would work out without watwet, facebook, twitter and other social media platforms!
Right after that story from Jordan, H.M. Queen Rania moved to speak how social media can support the 1Goal campaign that aims to promote education as the primary way to change the world, and make it a better place for living, mentioning that there are more than 75 million children out of school.
Introducing 1Goal initiative, H.M. said:
“In partnership with FIFA… with world-class football stars like Michael Owen and Thierry Henry… with global leaders like Prime Minister Zapatero and Prime Minister Brown… we’re going to make the real time web bring real world change for 75 million children. From April 19th 2010 until the final whistle of the World Cup on July 11th, we want you to dedicate 1 DAY for 1 GOAL.”
Social web is not only for celebrities!
Even though I started by speaking about a Global figure like H.M. Queen Rania, I believe that social media is for everyone who can read and write! So, it is important to shed some light on few other Jordanian/regional initiatives that are effectively utilizing the social web to achieve social impact.
I start by Nakhweh.com, one of the creative projects launched by Ideation Box. It aims to empower volunteers and NGOs by providing matchmaking services to foster and develop the voluntary work in the community. We –at the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE) – have used it effectively to recruit volunteers for Global Entrepreneurship Week ’09 and we look forward to considering it as a primary platform to attract more volunteers in 2010. Nakhweh is currently adding value to other leading NGOs in Jordan and it is moving regional as well.
Speaking about Social Networking drives my memory back to the last Twestival event organized last September at our campus. During the discussion, few minutes were given to Hana Ramli to speak about how facebook has helped her to recruit over 3000 volunteers in her impressive initiative “Ketabak Ketabi” and it is now becoming a regional initiative for Palestinians in refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Ketabak Ketabi aims to foster the establishment of new libraries for less privileges children utilizing donated books from the online and offline communities.
So… What is next?
In order to channel social media to promote good causes, we should make it accessible to everyone. As a starting point, I do invite organizations to develop social media policies for their employees -as we did for QRCE- to increase their involvement and support to national and global initiatives. Organizations should really dedicate some time of their team to engage in social networks and be effective part of it. I think this should be as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of any company whatever its size or mandate.
I end up this post with great quote for H.M. Queen Rania from her speech at LeWeb:
“My challenge to you is to help deepen the links between the web and the world… to find new ways people can make their own leap from virtual activism to real action. You are the ones who can help link online activism to reality, to finally make life-streaming life-changing.”
Please, let us know what do you think? how social media can make the world a better place for living! examples are apprecaited.
Disclaimer: The new website of the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship is developed by Ideation Box.
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