First, the video.

The video below was posted to YouTube on December 12, 2006 by Invisible Children.

We have been called idealists, but our ideals are becoming realities. The images you are about to see do not lie.

On April 29th, 2006, in more than 130 cities, roughly 80,000 people joined thousands of Northern Ugandan night commuters and slept outside. Young, old, all races, all religions — demanded that the world take notice to a war that remained unseen for over 20 years.

Who are these people organizing this movement? Young people, mostly. From their site, they are “Motivated by the unseen war in Northern Uganda, Invisible Children was created by three young filmmakers with a singular mission: To use the power of stories to change lives around the world.”

This is their video. Pretty good effort, IMO.

Heather Mansfield shared this video. She’s a new member of PROpenMic. Her background is broad, but one particular area involves the use of social networks by nonprofits.

Heather’s PROpenMic profile reveals a best practice way to join a social network, too. Why?

Here’s what Heather did. She signed up, provided the network organizer (me) with unsolicited feedback on the site, started two discussions in the forums, shared a video, shared her blog / Twitter account, and shared an event. Now, why do I think this is a best practice example?

Heather is, of course, promoting her new agency, their services and events, and there is nothing wrong with that. So many of the practitioners that join PROpenMic have a multitude of reasons for participating. But, some go about it all wrong. They sign up and throw a job or event posting into the various groups and don’t come back. Heather, on the other hand, is seeking to engage people in discussions. Time will tell if she actually becomes involved with the students, but her initial entry seems like a good one to me.

I wish more people would enter PROpenMic this way. Yes, we have many good participants, but most are silent. We’ll see what Fall semester brings us. Classes start for us in 14 days.

Allison was recently interviewed by Fred Hunter, Fox6 News in Birmingham, for their Absolutely Alabama series.

Allison shares how camp helped her over the years, trying anything new that she had her heart set upon doing. Since being a camper, Allison has gone on to earn a masters degree in counseling and served for almost 13 years in practice, before returning to Camp ASCCA.

I have to admit, I got a little tear thinking about Allison as a camper and now – the ASCCA PR director. It is a sweet story. She is the spokesperson for camp, and does a terrific job.

Watch the video now. (Click image below for a popup.) I have to say, Fred and the videographer/editor do terrific work. A great video. Thank you Fox6!

Now do you understand why I can’t help but talk about Camp ASCCA?

Yes, I am an unashamed advocate for Camp ASCCA. I was a counselor there well before any of my students were born. The camp changed my life. It changes the lives of campers, and the students that work there, each and every day of each and every year.

I still remember my first campers. Robin & Vincent were about twelve years old. Their disabilities? Profound mental retardation, epilepsy with grand mal (Tonic-clonic) seizures and rigid (Dystonic) cerebral palsy. Some might suggest that such campers couldn’t really benefit from a camp experience. Hey, I was one of them, upon meeting Robin & Vincent that first day. But, that quickly changed.

We did just about every activity camp offered. I noticed positive physical (and perhaps even emotional) responses from both campers at every activity. We had the benefit of meeting the nurses from the hospital (yes, hospital) where Robin and Vincent lived. I asked them later if they saw any benefit in their visit. I hoped they could share any observations that would help me realize that all we did was beneficial to both of my severely disabled campers.

Their response? Yes, there was in fact a dramatic change in the camper’s behavior after returning from camp. Whether it was a more excited state, or a worn out (I want to sleep!) state, the campers were gaining a ‘quality of life’ experience that certainly made their life better.

To be sure, we serve a wide variety of people with disabilities. Not all campers are as severely disabled as Robin and Vincent. All of them, regardless of their disability, are likely receiving a therapeutic recreation experience that is rarely (if at all) available in their local communities. So, that alone is reason enough for me to support Camp ASCCA.

So, if you are willing, please take this ChipIn widget and share it in your blog. Link to this post. Help me find people willing to support what I consider to be a most worthy cause. Let’s also test the ability to actually use one of these widgets to raise funds. I know it works for others. Will it work for me in my attempt to help Camp ASCCA?

Watch this latest video from ASCCA. Each year, we have counselors come visit and work from overseas. Some return many years. The counselors are the foundation of Camp ASCCA’s success. You can see more videos at the Camp ASCCA Journal (blog) and also at camp’s social network, ASCCA Friends.

I believe you tend to remember the ones that you know – upon first meeting them – will likely change the world. These are the students that were so funny, so lively, so … overwhelmingly enthusiastic about life … well, you couldn’t get them out of your memories – even if you tried. Not that I would try, of course.

Shea Snider is one student that fits that description, for me.

Shea, and her many friends, made class a joy and … um, an experience.

Shea proved true on her promise of success. I knew she would. Shea’s the press secretary for U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL, 3rd District).

I’m willing to bet you that Shea is one of the most popular people on Capitol Hill. Seriously. This woman lights up a room when she enters.

Well, now Shea is participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Her story is compelling. Shea returned home on her first day of senior year in high school to a frightening reality. That first day is supposed to be the beginning of one of the most fun and memorable years of your life. It turned out to be even more memorable for Shea, for another reason altogether.

Shea writes, “I came home to a daddy with red puffy eyes and my strong mother sitting together. She had been to the doctor that day and it was confirmed that she had breast cancer. This same deadly disease kept me from ever being able to meet my maternal grandmother, Bobbie Royal Champion. My mother, Cindy Snider, had a single mastectomy, chemotherapy treatments and kept a good attitude on life and a smile on her face. It has been almost ten years since she was diagnosed and she has had wonderful reports from her oncologist since.” (Source)

That’s a wonderful story – particularly the ending. So, I’ve been moved to support Shea in her walk. Maybe you will, too. Visit Shea’s Avon Walk page and read more about her prep for the walk.

I just wanted to share this little story about Shea. She’s one of our more memorable graduates. We love her and wish her well in the Avon Walk. Take care, Shea.

While we’re considering nonprofit related blogs, I wanted to to share this recent find – an excellent example. Several students have mentioned working in the nonprofit sector, this semester. One just posted about it. So, let’s explore how nonprofits have been using social media in their daily PR and marketing activities.

From Oakland, California, we discover a great site. This one will be particularly interesting for those students thinking about a future in nonprofit work.

Meet Britt Bravo of Have Fun • Do Good, “A blog for people who want to make the world a better place AND have fun!” Now there is a cool name – Britt Bravo.

Britt Bravo is a writer specializing in stories about individuals and organizations who are creating social change. She writes for blogs, produces podcasts and teaches women to blog and podcast. Britt writes for Have Fun * Do Good, BlogHer, WorldChanging San Francisco, and NetSquared. She also produces the Big Vision Podcast and the NetSquared Podcast. Using her 15 years of experience working with nonprofits, socially responsible businesses, and artists, Britt provides consulting for nonprofits and individuals to help them realize their Big Vision. To learn more about Britt go to her web site, Big Vision Career and Project Consulting, at www.brittbravo.com.

Her latest post is Have Fun • Do Good: 10 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Blogs and Bloggers to Support Their Cause. A good post and one we should all check out for ideas.

Britt recently posted a list of favorite nonprofit blogs here: Have Fun * Do Good. She is implementing some interesting promotional ideas to get feedback on her blog. In the call for those links, she gave away a cool Have Fun, Do Good tote bag. We should consider doing that at Camp ASCCA, with our shirts and other various goodies.

And, as a writer for NetSquared – another great nonprofit site – the readers sent her the following links. Check them out, too.

• AARP Issues Blog
• Amnesty International Death Penalty Blog
• Ann Arbor District Library System
• ASPCA
• Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
• Center for Global Development
• Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
• Environmental Defense
• First Book Blog
• Foothills United Way Blog
• Generation Why/Oxfam Blog
• Greenpeace
• HumaniNet
• iAbolish-American Anti-Slavery Group
• Interplast
• Jane Goodall Institute’s Gombe Chimpanzee Blog
• Jubilee USA
• NetSquared
• NTEN
• Mile High United Way Blog
• ONE Campaign Blog
• People’s Grocery
• Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary
• Rainforest Action NetworkStreetside Stories
• SOS Community Services
• Sustainable Table
• TransFair USA
• Urban Sprouts
• Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
• United Way of Central Florida
• Walker Art Center
• Witness for Peace Mexico Blog
• Witness for Peace Nicaragua Blog
• WITNESS Video Hub Blog

Now, I would have, of course, added to that list with Camp ASCCA’s Journal.

I’m glad I found Britt’s blog. It is a good resource.

The blog by the parents has received 1,477 comments and the MSN message boards have 1,955 messages by 860 authors.

Will this eclipse the Terri Schiavo story, at least with regard to online social media discussion? Perhaps that’s not a fair comparison as the Schiavo story was a political story, after all. And, the Republicans no longer control Congress.

Ashley’s story has particularly galvanized the disability community. The reason for all of this may simply be because more media outlets have adopted social media tools on their Web sites. We’ll see.

For the past week, I’ve seen references to this story on TV and in the newspapers.

The parents have been overwhelmed by media attention. They started a blog to answer questions. So far, the one post has received 1477 comments. They are essentially handling crisis management through their blog. The post contains this statement to the media in that MSN blog. It actually comes off looking sort of like a social media news release.

(Note to members of the media and our web visitors: We are getting more emails and requests than we can possibly handle– more than 1500 in the 48 hrs since the LA Times story broke out. We want to attend to our lives and our kids as we should. This web site received more than a million hits and about 1000 comments were added in those 48 hrs! We truly appreciate the overwhelming support and the thoughtful comments we’ve been getting. Rest assured that we will read every one of your comments and they might be used in the future to help other families through a similar decision process.)

The long post in the blog features a key talking points list from the parent’s side of the controversy.

1. Ashley is doing well, healthy, happy, and lovingly cared for.
2. The “Ashley Treatment” is intended to improve our daughter’s quality of life and not to convenience her caregivers.
3. Providing our daughter with this treatment was an easy decision since the benefits by far outweigh the risk and short term discomfort associated with the surgery.
4. We wrote the article and published this web site to inform and help other families of “Pillow Angels” who might benefit from our experience.
5. With the overwhelming thoughtful support that we are receiving (90%+ of the comments and emails) we feel better than ever about what we did for Ashley, and we certainly do not feel defensive about it.
6. Please make sure to read the five emphasized paragraphs in the first two sections below, since they convey the essence of Ashley’s story.

Fox News had a pro/con debate on The Big Story. It is a called “Frozen in Time.” (Don’t know how long that link will stay active.) I know. It is Fox. But, the debate does show both sides of the issue.
Click the image below for a larger version. The parents have actually created a media release statement for the photos in their blog, too.

More about the blog: The parents have actually posted a quite lengthy explanation of their side of the story in their blog. It is located at MSN Spaces in the blog The “Ashley Treatment”, Towards a Better Quality of Life for “Pillow Angels”.

There is much more out there in the way of coverage. See Parents defend treatment to keep girl child-sized from CTV.ca (Canada). Also, here is the link to 276 different stories in Google News.

Let’s face it. This is a difficult story to address. I am willing to guess that – at Camp ASCCA, for instance – we would have staff, counselors, parents and campers with wildly differing views on the actions taken by the parents and doctors. Also, as medical science goes forward, these controversial treatments are likely to become more common.

The story is very emotionally charged. Here is an example of a small town newspaper site – in Beaufort, S.C., nowhere near Seattle – and the story spurred on 739 reads by visitors and 35 wildly differing comments (as of this writing).

I am not a medical ethicist, to be sure. I can see both sides and understand where their feelings and opinions are coming from on this story.

Several things interest me about the story. First, how the parents and news outlets are handling the story via social media tools. That Beaufort newspaper is hosted on the Drupal platform, for example. The story I linked to actually comes from a user’s blog – jedahetoca’s blog – not the newspaper’s staff. Many news sites have video from their newscasts addressing the story. Online news sites are filled with stories, if only the AP syndicated story. Opinions are all over the place.

Second, I do have experience working with people that have these sorts of disabilities. I know that they can have a comfortable life – even exciting life – without any of the treatments Ashley has received. I also try to put myself in the shoes of the parents (caregivers).

I don’t mean to waffle or ride the fence on this issue, I just don’t know how to feel. On the one hand, I remember a camper of mine at ASCCA, long ago. He had a feeding tube and was quite the active camper during the summer back in the 1980′s. However, he was ambulatory and high functioning. I also remember my first two campers who were encephalopathic. They were both in wheelchairs, profoundly retarded and also had epilepsy with gran mal seizures. However, they did not have feeding tubes. I took them horseback riding, swimming and canoeing, for example.

Then, I remember a camper who lived well into his fifties. His parents took care of him, with little help from anyone else, and he lived life in bed and on a stretcher. We took him tree climbing, horseback riding and canoeing, among many other activities. I kid you not.

So, how do you feel? Please click the “Comments” link below. Whether you’re interested in the social media / citizen journalism aspects of the story or the overall ethics of the treatment, I’d like to hear from you.

Macabre, I know. But, let’s face it … Saddam Hussein is about to be executed and the issue for journalists – editors/producers and publishers/broadcasters – is very real. Also, we just don’t see headlines like that these days.

Yet, Poynter Online has the story covered… quite well, actually. Read How to Handle the Hanging: Covering the Saddam Hussein Execution.

My guess is that the denouement aspect won’t play out. It will likely heighten tensions and violence. But, how should it be covered?

Just a few of the issues to consider:

• The hanging is supposedly being videotaped. If the videotape is leaked, would you air it?
• Absent the video, would you air/publish a still photo of the hanging?
• Does a resolution to the Saddam saga require publication of a photo/video of him providing proof of his death?
• Are there Muslim religious considerations? Will broadcast or publication cause uprisings elsewhere in the world?
• The hanging may occur within hours or days. No one knows when. From the government’s point of view, should it be planned as an end to this year and the beginning of a new era, or should it just happen within the required 30 day period.

There is so much more. This has the potential of being one of the most important stories of 2007. It could drive political and social action. It could just be another day. Who knows what will happen in the world after it occurs. But, it is essentially the final act of what this war was (supposed to be) all about … the removal of Saddam Hussein. Update: CNN is reporting that the execution will occur this evening at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. After briefly looking at the three cable networks, CNN and Fox are doing wall to wall analysis/news and MSNBC is letting Keith Olbermann’s show proceed as usual. It appears to be a “Best of…” year-end show. Oh, brother.

So, go read what the many people at Poynter Online have to say. The people they’ve pulled together for the article are: Pat Walters, Naughton Fellow and many other contributors: Bill Mitchell, Howard Finberg, Bob Steele, Roy Peter Clark, Jill Geisler, Keith Woods, Aly Colón, Scott Libin, Leann Frola.

If it were up to me, I’d publish/air one still photo. I would use many reaction photos from those in attendance, if available. Then, I’d have many, many interviews with Iraqi citizens and U.S. citizens. I would avoid the easy option of using political analysts and go solely with statements from top U.S., Iraqi and world political leaders and the citizen interviews. Particularly important among the citizen interviews will be parents of slain soldiers and survivors of 9/11. What do they think about this? Is this the resolution they hoped for post 9/11?

Allison is a former camper and staff member at Camp ASCCA. We’ve written about her before and she’s contributed to the ASCCA blog, as well. Check out:

• Anniversary Memories :: Allison’s Counselor / Camper Relationships
• Life Lessons :: Allison Wetherbee – Alum, Camper, Staff Member :: Podcast
• and this post to the ASCCA Alumni forum.

So, Camp ASCCA’s a huge part of my childhood. In a lot of ways, I feel like camp is where I “grew up.” I learned more about myself, others and life in general there as opposed to anywhere else! Camp and the people I met there shaped who and what I would become. I seriously can’t imagine what my life would be like now if it weren’t for the experiences I had there. So, for me, the coolest thing about this message board is that I get the opportunity to express an enormous THANK YOU to all of you who took care of me and loved me during my years at camp!

So, please check out Allison‘s blog. You’ll learn a lot from this lady, I promise.

Being born with no arms or legs, I had always questioned my purpose. At five years old I began asking God, “Why?” This blog is the story of my life as revealed through my relationship with God. It is my prayerful hope that you discover purpose in your own life by drawing closer to the One who created us all the way He intended – beautifully.

I am writing about both the Trauma Treatment for Children blog by Patricia Wilcox and the Nonprofit Consultant blog of Ken Goldstein.

I did these posts for Camp ASCCA, but thought it might be good to share the sites over here. These are two good examples of how blogs can work in the nonprofit sector. Also, visit the Nonprofit Blog Exchange for many other nonprofit uses of social media.

For our second blog in this round of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange, we visit Patricia Wilcox’s Trauma Treatment for Children blog.

This blog is an emotional reading experience. Patricia discusses all manner of issues addressed at a facility dealing with traumatized children. Recently, Patricia wrote, “More and more I see a lot of our kids’ behaviors as desperate attempts to avoid being vulnerable.”

Throughout the blog, Patricia:

Explores the theory and practice of trauma informed and relationship based treatment for children and adolescents, using the Restorative Approach.

Patricia’s posts range from children acting out on a wide array of issues from boyfriend problems to foster parent dislikes.

Honestly, this one of the most fascinatingly open blogs I’ve ever read. Seriously, Patricia is unbelievable open about the issues they face daily in their facility. Further, she goes beyond sharing the incidents and delves into the causes of the children’s behaviours. There is teaching and learning going on in this blog.

Patricia’s blog is actually one of the best blog’s I’ve ever read. If this site cannot serve to inform and educate her key audiences and stakeholders, then no blog can. Yes, it can be difficult to read since you’re in effect living through the pain of these children. But, for a facility that is trying to tell their story, the blog works.

Nonprofit blogs from around the world are joining together for a networking project sponsored by the Nonprofit Blog Exchange.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Ken Goldstein.

Ken has been “working in nonprofits and local government agencies since 1989. His many years of senior management experience includes executive director and regional director positions, as well as consulting an serving on nonprofit boards. Mr. Goldstein has a Master of Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento and a BA in Politics from UC Santa Cruz.”

Ken kindly wrote about ASCCA’s use of video to enhance your nonprofit’s Web site back in October.

Since then, Ken has kept a flow of interesting posts coming. One post discusses the difficulties nonprofits – aside from hospitals and colleges – are experiencing in fund raising. According to Ken, a recent study shows that “the growth of the nonprofit sector has outpaced the growth of the economy over the past decade.” The problem is, hospitals and colleges are accounting for 70.3 percent of the nonprofit sector’s revenue. Yet, they account for only about 13 percent of public reporting charities. This leaves all the other sectors – like disability service programs like ASCCA – battling for that remaining 30 percent. And, remember, we’re talking about 30 percent nationwide. Check out the post and give us your thoughts.

Ken also has his business Web site – Ken Goldstein, MPPA – Goldstein Consulting – where he explains the services he offers in the areas of “Facilitation, Training, Grant Writing, and Management & Program Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations.”

I am coming from the perspective of 25+ years dealing with people that have disabilities. Glenda’s writing is representative of how many of them, from my experiences, look at the issues of disability.

Glenda’s book will not be another poor pitiful crippled child pulls herself up by the bootstraps and achieves yawner. Yes, she has achieved a lot, and she does share the stories. However, that’s not the focus I’m taking from her book. Glenda will share the reality of living in a world that doesn’t have a very healthy respect for people with disabilities. She will help us understand the barriers we create and also provide insights for how we can break down those barriers. Glenda’s story, I believe, will frame this all in rational and understandable terms for all those unfamiliar with a life impacted by a disability to better understand.

I’m not discounting that there is some great information out there about people with disabilities. TLC has been airing some great programs, for instance. Woman with Half a Body aired this weekend. Paralyzed and Pregnant is airing this week, too. But, there are other stories of strong women dealing with disabilities, too. Glenda is one. I believe she deserves to be read.

Here are the details on Glenda’s book:

I’ll Do It Myself: A Collection of Memories from a Woman Living
with Cerebral Palsy
by Glenda Watson Hyatt

Glenda has cerebral palsy. A lack of oxygen at birth meant she would not be able to walk, her hands would not function well and her speech would be almost impossible to understand. Her parents were advised to institutionalize her. She wouldn’t amount to anything, the experts said.

Yet, this gutsy redhead proved them wrong. Glenda was integrated into a regular classroom long before mainstream was a buzzword. She went on to earn the Canada Cord, the highest award in Girl Guides, and the Outstanding Junior Student Award. The girl who could not walk won a gold medal in horseback riding!

How did she do it? Read Glenda’s inspiring autobiography I’ll Do It Myself: A Collection of Memories from a Woman Living with Cerebral Palsy, due out later this year. Glenda intimately shares her life story to show others cerebral palsy is not a death sentence, but rather a life sentence.

Visit www.BooksbyGlenda.com for more information and to sign up to receive book excerpts monthly and pre-launch specials. (Glenda has a blog, too.)
Suite 316, 13910 – 101st Avenue
Surrey, BC V3T 1L6
Canada