The future of change-making is here

The future of change-making is here
A new way to look at change-making
Open your eyes: A new way to look at change-making

Changemakers sometimes get impatient about the change we hope to make, thinking and believing that we’re using all the tools at our disposal. However, we must remember that  the tools themselves are evolving and to improve our methods of outreach and training, we must learn to adapt them to our needs.

I was reminded of this when I attended the recent Best Practices session on social technology at MaRS. Although I work in this space every day, Matt Thompson opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about how to gauge the impact of my work.

Below is the full presentation delivered by Kirsten Beardsley (CanadHelps.org), Peter Deitz (socialfinance.ca and socialactions.com) and Matt Thompson (Mozilla Drumbeat). All three presenters will be involved in Net Change Week as well.

Are you needing a new way to look at making change? Whether you’ve attended Net Change Week events before or are coming for the first time, you can be sure to find something to inspire your thinking and propel your change-making work.

Net Change provides you with multiple entry points to meet you where you are:

  1. My Charity Connects joins Net Change for the third year with 101 training for charities and non-profits – AND it’s already sold out!
  2. Mobile for Social Change is entering its second year, adding a second day of training to provide a more thorough track of learning. Understanding how mobile technology fits into your communications strategy is vital. Register for this training today.
  3. GovCamp joins Net Change for the first time in 2011 and we’re very excited to add it to the calendar. This day-long workshop will be the largest gathering of Canada’s “Government 2.0” community coming from all three orders of government.

If you want to engage in more in-depth discussions, come along to our panel and keynote discussions. On the Edge of Academe will examine the changing face of universities and the way people learn with, and perhaps in spite of, the new communications tools. SMS4SOS will discuss advances in the development of mobile technology and how it has enabled mass communication and mobilization, the transmission of aid dollars and critical life-saving information in times of greatest adversity. Just like in previous years, we keep adding new events to the calendar, so make sure you bookmark the site for updates.

Last point, and by no means the least, this year we embrace art in a way we’ve never done before. The great folks at McLuhan 100 have enabled us access to the exhibition, Through the Vanishing Point. To reflect on the enduring influence of Marshall McLuhan and the relevance of his theories, Canadian artists Lewis Kaye and David Rokeby were commissioned to create site-specific works at the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology. For the installation they drew from Marshall McLuhan’s book, Through the Vanishing Point: Space in Poetry and Painting (co-authored by Harley Parker in 1968) which explores the way electronic media fragments the homogenous experience of space. Through the Vanishing Point will be on display in the atrium at MaRS until June 14th. Alongside this work will be a second exhibit by an emerging Toronto artist, Jeff Tallon.

We have so much to tell you, there’s simply not enough space in one blog post. Have a look at the schedule and sign up quickly. There’s simply no better way to catch up on the evolving world of social technology and no better space to meet people like you, actively engaged in using technology for social change.

And here’s that inspiration I promised: