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Face the Change
Challenges:
The goal of Face the Change is to mobilize support to tackle climate change by highlighting its social impacts. By putting a human face on global warming, we aim to elevate the current debate on science and energy policy to one that includes key human rights issues of natural disasters and forced migration. The web-based platform will primarily use video and other multimedia to document the current and future impacts and facilitate a global dialogue with the intention of shaping policy. To reach communities without widespread access to the Internet, we will run a pilot project using cell phone Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) to raise awareness, rally and gather feedback from impoverished communities whose homes and livelihoods will be directly threatened by rising seas, drought and other climate change related effects. Cell phones are the windows to the world for many in developing countries, but their potential as a medium that informs under-represented people and allows them to participate in debates is far from realized.
Focus Bangladesh a pilot study
For our pilot study, we intend to focus on Bangladesh, a country expected to be hard-hit by climate change but where public awareness is very low. We will work with local partners - non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community groups and communication companies - to carry out a market study with surveys and focus groups to determine perception and informational gaps. This study will guide the conceptualization and production of the voice, text and video messages to ensure that they are culturally relevant for targeted audiences and compatible with the mobile devices. The key to making such a campaign a success is to produce provocative, informative and motivating messages and to include outlets for interaction: the website, reply text automation for additional information, and requests for feedback. To disseminate to the appropriate market, we will engage NGO and community groups to deliver the messages to people on their contact lists as a first wave of recipients. If packaged correctly, the message will encourage the recipients to forward them onto their friends and relatives, who will then forward them to others in their contact lists, thus creating a ‘viral' multiplier effect.
Power of the platform
For market delivery we will engage phone companies to track receipt and forwarding on their networks. The text feedback will be transferred to the Face the Change-Bangladesh website, which will be designed to offer a national discussion platform. It is our hope that greater awareness and discussion about the issue will empower the people of Bangladesh to pressure their leaders to include them in the decision-making process and enable them to be a part of a search for solutions. Bangladeshis have developed many ways to address climate variations over the centuries and these adaptations may be useful in coping with future changes. If successful, this campaign will go a long way to giving a voice to those sections of society that are too often ignored and the ability to have a say in their own future.
Video - asking question differently
Ignore my previous comment about video on the phone - since after more careful reading I see it's video on the web. How will this reach the intended audience?
Question about delivering video?
How will video be used in the SMS and MMS environment? I would love to hear more from the project team!
( PS I teach web video marketing at U.C. Berkeley Extension.)
Mobile Internet as an additional channel
Hi,
Great project - Bangladesh is an interesting country with regard to mobile phones and Internet. Although I am the first to admit that SMS is far more universal than mobile internet , the advantages of the mobile internet and it's exploding usage in countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia cannot be ignored when we start to look at citizen journalism and community empowerment. Here's a few articles which are interesting reading.
http://telenor.com/en/corporate-responsibility/initiatives-worldwide/grameenphone-provides-easier-internet-access
http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=118684
http://uncultured.com/2007/09/07/bangladesh-cellphone-service-better-than-canada/#more-15
Interestly more people use Mobile Internet from Grameenphone-(of the 6+ operators) than use the traditional internet in bangladesh. And their rates aren't bad - $10 for 3gb a month yet people still complain they are expensive compared to others. Operators appear very competative.
While SMS is definately the starting point for this project - most phones with video capability have mobile internet capability - From the above analysis I would hope that my project (community mobile channels) may be of some small help to projects like this by providing a simple way of receiving some mobile content and producing mobile internet optimised content.
Regards,
Rob Allen
Great way to use personal
Great way to use personal technology to combat climate change. The project seems quite accessible and could have a wide-reaching impact. Good luck!
Finally, someone working on climate change in its HUMAN effect
This is cutting-edge work, up to now only talked about in academic circles and oddity news pieces... now action is being taken, and with cellphone use! I look forward to hearing how this project develops.
Multiplier effects goes beyond forwarded SMS
This is a thoughtful and timely project idea. Cellphones are a known medium for reaching impoverished parts of India -- micro-businesses were built on this idea of access to cellphones. I love that your project addresses education about climate change through mobile technology. I hope you are awarded the project.
Wonderful!
What a great idea! After so much talk about the terrible things that will happen to Bangladesh, it's really exciting to think about the people who live there getting involved.
Fantastic Idea
There hasn't been a time more relevant and with the most potential for true change to come from this. I wish you the best of luck exploring one of the forgotten issues of climate change.
I am a student from India
I am a student from India and this kind of messaging would be very helpful to rural communities and is a great step towards solving the climate change problem in low-income communities.
Interesting blend of policy and cell phones
This project is innovative and interesting. Its a great way to encourage civic participation and learning with current technology that most have. Good idea.
Great project
Bangladesh is a great choice for a pilot project. The adaptation challenges that country is facing are staggering!
a new approach
I really appreciate this project's innovative approach to spreading the message about climate change by putting a face on the problem! Tens of millions of people could be affected by the amount of pollution already emitted and many more could face effects if mitigation efforts do not begin worldwide. This project can really help raise awareness about adaptation and the serious dangers of inaction in developing and developed countries.
Great Idea
I believe that this innovative idea will raise public awareness more than expected. Moreover, I hope this project will contribute to spreading more 'meaningful' message about climate change than any other conventional programs do.
Very timely project!
Mobile Phones are becoming increasingly versatile, and yet their use for non-voice impact campaigns are still in their relative infancy. there are so many great projects out there waiting to leverage cellphones' ease of use, 2 or many way communications capabilities, ubiquity and low cost of use (particularly important for low-wage users), but seems to me climate change is something that needs a bit more of a push than a nudge - and this project provides a nice impetus for it!
Leveraging the power of technology
It is heartening to see the use of technology for its real purpose - to improve the lives of people around the world. And what better than mobile technology with its wide coverage! This project will also build the momentum for bottom-up decision making and enable the affected to provide direct inputs to the policy makers.
Fantastic Project!
Your choice to pick Bangladesh for pilot project is great!! Climate change is the pressing problem which we all have to participate and resolve. This project is not only a good way to solve the global issue but it will be a great initiative to incorporate people at community level to scale up the momentum.