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The virtual world of Second Life is a platform that is a 24/7 always-on online community where the world’s content is entirely user-generated. It’s a 3-D immersive space that is used by a global audience to build experiences, offer trainings, connect with friends and collaborate with colleagues. It’s an exciting medium that is becoming more ubiquitous and TechSoup’s Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is the community to teach Nonprofits and NGOs how to collaborate and get acquainted with working to raise funds, augment your communications and procure volunteers in this cutting-edge environment.

First for the fun: a new machinima and live mixed video by Drax that features the TechSoup Community team behind the scenes working on the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwAZ1-BstjE

And for the how and why of what we're doing in this community:
The people of TechSoup have been deeply saddened by the recent devastation in Haiti. We have been so inspired and impressed with the many ways folks are using mobile and other technologies to help with disaster relief. Together we have blogged about some of these relief efforts from the great folks at Ushahidi and the Extraordinaries as well as those of our donor partners.

Many of you have probably already heard about TechSoup’s Digital Storytelling Event and tomorrow night they’re rolling down the red carpet for the finale!

Learn more and check out the great digital stories!

Earth Day, Wed. April 22nd, is the official launch of the EcoCommons in Second Life. In additional to educational sessions and presentations, this interactive, mixed reality event will feature a keynote speech from the office of Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, broadcast from Second Life. The launch event is part of the TechSoup Global GreenTech Initiative's month-long campaign: Telegreening Your Work, to educate social benefit organizations on how to save money and the environment by using technologies, such as Second Life, to work remotely and collaborate online.

Originally posted by gooddogzbeth on Nonprofit Commons.

Britt Bravo is on a much-deserved vacation, so I'm stepping in for her to keep news and information about the social change web coming your way!

July 18 - 20th saw the convergence of many thousands of women (and men) in San Francisco for the annual BlogHer conference. BlogHer, as you probably know, provides "opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment."

Avatars representing survivors, caregivers, their families and the millions of passionate supporters engaged in fighting cancer worldwide will take center stage virtually, July 19-20, when the American Cancer Society conducts its fourth annual Relay For Life® event in the Second Life virtual world. The 2008 Relay in Second Life will celebrate the “heroes” who epitomize the Society’s global mission and who represent this summer’s virtual world event theme.

My avatar, Biji Mornington, has been attending Nonprofits in SecondLife (NPSL) meetings at the Nonprofit Commons (NPC; http://nonprofitcommons.org/) on Friday mornings. So when Megan Keane (Penguin Asana in SL) asked me to live-blog this mixed-reality event, I said yes. A lot of the buzz at NPSL meetings of late has been about the launch of NPC's second island, Aloft, and plans for this morning's mixed reality launch event. Our panelists are physically here at the Netsquared Conference and virtually inworld at Aloft. Here in San Jose, CA we can see avatars gathering at Aloft, and at Aloft the avatars also see our panelists by video. Evonne Heyning (In Zenzo) introduced our panel:

Just a quick reminder that TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 28, I will be speaking at a mixed-reality panel discussion from the NetSquared conference (http://netsquared.org/) in San Jose California. I'll be giving a presentation (along with several other fine presenters) on how my group Global Kids (http://globalkids.org/) has benefited from virtual worlds and offer some suggestions for how others might as well. Starting at 10AM PST, you can watch the event and participate live from the brand-spanking new "Aloft Nonprofit Commons" sim (click here to teleport: http://slurl.com/secondlife/aloft%20nonprofit%20commons/100/68/25).

Read more: http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2008/05/reminder-im-spe.html