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Extinguishing the Flames of Lack with Water

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Clean drinking water...not self-evident for ev...
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Having grown up and lived on the West Coast for most of my life, I was never far from the Pacific Ocean.  Stress, overwhelm, fear, and heartache were always soothed by time spent with the ocean air blowing across my face and the calming sound of the lapping waves. Unlike so many others across the globe water was available to nourish my body and my mind.  Without clean water, there is risk of disease and even death. Nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean water. I was shocked to learn:

  • African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink.
  • Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.
  • Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa.

“Filthy water cannot be washed.”–African Proverb

While clean water is a scarcity for some, over-industrialized countries suffer from over consumption:

  • Did you know that it takes 24 liters of water to produce one single hamburger?
  • It takes half a liter of water to charge an iPhone which means 40 million liters of water to charge the iPhones of the more than 80 million active iPhone users.
  • It has been said that women have to try on 20 pairs of jeans before finding the right fit. Those jeans however are more than a serious investment of your time, each pair takes 6,813 liters of water to produce.

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to witness the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners. The rescue effort has been a model of crisis management. The government took swift action and called on international expertise. People came together without a political or personal agenda but united with one single purpose – to free the trapped miners. Today we have the opportunity to play a part in our own miracle. Today we can speak with a single voice and help bring clean water to those in need.

What you can do:

The official charity of Age of Conversation 3 is charity:water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.. Charity Water is also one of the participating partners for Blog Action Day. Today, we’d like to make a major splash on the Amazon charts and raise money for charity:water.

  1. Buy the Book and send others to buy the book. If you work in an agency, get your agency to purchase multiple copies and give them out as year end gifts. This is the #1 call to action, because this is where we want to see the most impact. NOTE: Please buy 1 copy at a time because Amazon counts bulk orders once, and please use these affiliate links, which will help us in tracking sales. Remember, all the proceeds from the book sales and referrals will go to charity water:

Together, we CAN make a difference.

This post is a contribution to Blog Action Day 2010. Were you aware of the lack of clean water for so many people? What does water mean to you?

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Age of Conversation 3 – Available Now

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Age of Conversation 3, published by new digital publishing company Channel V Books is now available through all major online retailers, as a Kindle e-book and will soon be available as an ePub for other digital readers. The book features 171 authors (including yours truly) discussing social media practice with bite sized lessons that instruct in the new art of conversation. All proceeds from the book will be donated to an international children’s charity.

Age of Conversation itself demonstrates the value of social media and the power inherent in collective conversations. Age of Conversation emerged from an online conversation between two marketing pros in two countries. American Drew McLellan and Australian Gavin Heaton took their conversation and turned it into a collaborative writing effort by more than 100 bloggers from nine countries.

The third volume comes at a time when social media is no longer the shiny new outlier but an essential component of integrated marketing. The book covers more than social media although the topic is omnipresent among the ten sections that include: Getting to Work, Friends and Trusted Strangers, At the Coalface and In the Boardroom.

Please join the conversation by picking up a copy today. With 171 authors from 15 countries it promises to be a fascinating read. Age of Conversation 3: It’s Time to Get Busy!

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Conversation and Social Media

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This is indeed the age of conversation – conversations that move across platforms and geographies. Some occur in small snippets at a time while others are in depth discussions that linger for a period of time.  Whether the conversations are digital or offline, the conventions have not changed. There are rules of engagement, social and cultural mores, appropriate language and dress and always the keen reminder that conversations are a dialogue not a monologue.

All too often the focus is on the tools as people ask how to grow a Facebook page or amass followers on Twitter, but it’s still about people. Whether your conversations are social, casual or professional n reality the foundation has not shifted.  No one fails at Twitter because they were unable to figure out how to tweet. Social media efforts go off the rails because of a failure to communicate.

Pretty pictures, splashy campaigns and automated systems are wonderful tools but don’t forget the real reason you’re there is to engage others in the conversation.

What tips do you have for engaging others in conversation? Does your online approach differ from your offline approach?

Age of Conversation 3 is coming soon.

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