SUMMER RAYNE OAKES

After much deliberation and through encouragement from my intern, Adam, I now have a Twitter account. Go ahead, look me up…I’m sroakes and I have twenty or so tweets by now and about that many followers. I got it just in time for the Twestival, which was an online festival of sorts that was organized on Twitter and brought to life in 202 cities around the world to raise money for Charity: Water. Pure genius. I have to think this was mainly conspired/inspired after that Mexico trip, but I didn’t get the full report from Scott, Caroline and the other cats behind the scenes. Regardless, it was a pretty kick-ass time – and as I find with most of these events, I meet and reconnect with a ton of other great people who eventually make it to my Facebook page. 

This is of course a great example of how young people are bridging the internet-activism divide. Remember when Thomas Friedman lamented the fact that we were all too online for our own good? It was ages ago now, but I’ll refresh your memory: 

“But Generation Q may be too quiet, too online, for its own good, and for the country’s own good…Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy didn’t change the world by asking people to join their Facebook crusades or to download their platforms. Activism can only be uploaded, the old-fashioned way — by young voters speaking truth to power, face to face, in big numbers, on campuses or the Washington Mall. Virtual politics is just that — virtual.” - Thomas Friedman, NY Times, Generation Q, Oct. 10, 2007

To exist or not to exist online? That shouldn’t even be a question. Sure MLK, Jr. wasn’t “confirming” or “ignoring” crusading junkies back in the day, but if he were here today, he would be. That’s exactly what his predecessors are doing: From friends on Facebook to the halls of Myspace, those of us that grew up with the internet have learned to connect in a very powerful way. We’re using the tools that we have been given – or in some cases, invented, to connect, inspire, come together and do some social good. Agreed that online petitions and “little green patches” only go so far. That was Web-Activism 2.0. Web-Activism 3.0 has evolved. We are now using the internet to connect + communicate to the far corners of the globe in order to bring people together and get shit done at a rapid rate. Whether that means raising money for clean water projects or lobbying in the halls of Congress for green jobs and climate change legislation, young people are creating opportunities both online and on-the-ground to maximize results. 

In twelve days, 8,000 teens, tweens and twenty-somethings will participate in Powershift 09 to lobby for climate change and green jobs legislation. Much of us who are involved connected online in some way, shape or form. You can join the Facebook group here and register online – and I’ll see you there. 

Yes, we are the digital generation. Lest you forget that the internet is as young as we are, maturing in much the same way. We’ve come a long way in the 20 or so years that we’ve been around, and we are still cracking a way at it. But we are not all too online for our own good. You know why? ‘Cuz it’s just too much damn fun when we can all come together for a greater cause. Online 4 the G8R Good. Much Love, sroakes. 

You must look at more bathtub photos here on FLICKR.

There will be a ton of more images up…just keep on checking back – or check more out on Flickr here and here. Thank you to all the photographers who volunteered their time to capture the night’s festivities!