Last year I wrote a post highlighting some of the excellent work Australian not-for-profits have achieved within social media. And while most of those are still fine case studies, I must say I've become somewhat jaded at how social media has been used for social causes since then. At some point, it seems that simply getting people to spread a message via social channels became more important than actual tangible outcomes. Which misses the point completely! And it's for that exact reason that I'm highlighting the work of Flood Aid today. Because it is truly is a brilliant example of how social media can be used in a way that makes a difference to people affected by misfortune (in particular those impacted by the floods in Australia).

When social media doesn't make a difference

Before I outline the extent of Flood Aid's awesomeness, I'll elaborate a little further on my beef. You see, in my opinion the use of social media to support social causes has become increasingly tokenistic. A couple of recent examples related to Breast Cancer awareness are cases in point:

1. An unofficial campaign encouraged users to report the colour of their bra via Facebook
   
2. An 'I like it' campaign asked females to state where they liked to keep their purse – Eg. 'I like it on the kitchen bench'

Both campaigns were wildly successful from a participation perspective. For a day that is. And then they disappeared, never to be thought of again. What's more, I question the core reason for people's widespread participation. Was it really to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer? Or was it for a quick laugh based on the sexual innuendo each meme inferred. My suspicion is the later. Yet even if participant intentions were good, the gesture itself is highly tokenistic in nature. It does little for the cause. And this is my point. It's a point which was also raised by Jonathon Crossfield in his excellent analysis of the RUOK campaign (highly recommended read!).

Status updates and Tweets don't solve problems! But Flood Aid does!

Flood Aid's purpose is simple. It aims to connect people affected by the floods with others in their local area that are willing to lend a hand. Simple, yet highly effective because it solves a key problem faced by those affected by disaster. While donations rack up by the millions across the country, it takes time for that money to filter out to affected individuals and their communities. In the meantime, victims are left to fend for themselves in terms of finding shelter, repairing property and cleaning up. It is often the inability to deliver an immediate response where governments and aid organisations are criticised (Hurricane Katrina anyone…?)

Enter Flood Aid! Users are able to both request help and offer help. It connects those in need with people willing to help. Requests for assistance typically cover issues relating to:

• Re-carpeting of housing affected by floods
• Replacing damaged furniture
• Replenishing supplies lost in the flood
• Transportation and logistics

Conversely, a range of generous souls are offering a broad range of services via the site including:

• Offers to donate furniture and other goods
• Offers of accommodation to those that have lost their home
• Offers to provide professional services such as carpentry, renovation, hard labour & data recovery for damaged PCs
• Offers to babysit children while victims resolve living arrangements and other issues

What makes this project even more remarkable is the speed with which it has been been launched. A call for arms via social media was met with over 500 responses from digital specialists. That group was filtered down to a team of core contributors, and within a matter a days the site was live.

At a time when social media tends to be dominated by narcissists, self-promoters & marketing stunts, it's comforting to know it can still be used to change people's lives when it matters the most. Congratulations to everyone involved in getting this project up and running!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post entitled 10 social media projects worth talking about, highlighting the great work a number of charities were doing online. Today I have another project to add to the list. It’s a project I’ve had a personal involvement with – Manweek. Manweek was a concept created by The Inspire Foundation to raise awareness of depression and suicide amongst young males (young men are three times more likely to commit suicide than their female counterparts). The week-long campaign aimed at getting males talking openly about the emotions and challenges associated with life’s journey’s. The ultimate goal was encourage young males to discuss their problems, rather than bottling them inside. Today, the original Manweek concept has culminated into the launch of a book, entitled ‘The Perfect Gift for a Man‘, with all proceeds going to The Inspire Foundation.

The book is written by men, for men and tells 30 (often difficult) stories of respect, fragility, love, life and loss. They are stories we believe should be told and shared with men throughout the world in the spirit of acknowledging emotional frailties. The specific contents of the book can be viewed here.

My personal contribution to the book was a tale of love, ethnic tension & loss. I called it ‘Romeo & Juliet, circa 2009‘ and it recalls my experience of losing a soul mate due to parental influence and an irrepressible cultural divide. The issue of “breaking up” was one I believed had a strong relevance to young males, and it’s my hope that the eventual happy ending can give hope to those faced with similar heart ache.

While I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid any level of personal depression, I’ve seen first hand the brutal effects it can have in tearing apart the lives of close mates. Which is why I’m supporting the cause. And you can too by buying a copy of the book. The ebook  costs only $14.95 and contains some of the most personal and intimate short stories you’ll ever read. I guarantee it. Alternatively, the soft cover book can be purchased for $44.95. Here’s just a small sample of what you can expect from the book (as written by Scott Drummond):

“If I’ve learned anything through all this it is that there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for how to be a man in this crazy and unpredictable emotional tornado we call life. The only thing we can really be assured of is that life will continue to change for us all, regardless of how much we wish it wouldn’t. All I know is that how you grow and evolve as a man to meet the challenges that life will inevitably throw at you is what really counts. I’ve learned that no matter how alone or broken you feel there are men and women who care enough to be there for you, to help you feel less broken and alone.”

A special thanks need to go to Gavin Heaton and Mark Pollard for embracing the Manweek concept and orchestrating the publication of the book. It’s also worth recognising Blurb, who offer a simple publication platform that provided the engine room for the book to be published.

Do the males in your life a favour, and buy a copy of the book today.