Social Media and Community Development

By Marlon Parker

Reconstructing Communities through Innovation

“4 Billion Mobile phones worldwide and the largest distribution channel

platform"  World Bank,2008

"Mobile is going to be the next big Internet

phenomenon. It holds the key to greater

access for everyone – with all the benefits that

entails."  Eric Schmidt,

CEO of Google

Community

Challenge

“A Community in Tension is where the wellbeing of Citizens are being threatened”

Context

Mobile Phones:83% of

Population

20,000,000IM Subscribers

10% Access to PC Internet

Champions

“My cell-phone  is my tool for change

and my ticket to the rest of the

world” Rae Goedeman,

Unemployed Single Mother Cape Flats

“Using my mobile I can change the world one instant message at a

time and leave positive footprints in my

community” Brent Williams,

Ex-drug dealer and ex-gang member, Cape Flats

Collaborate

Impacted… 2007

Athlone Living Lab (ALL)… 2008

“A reconstructing interaction space for collaborative design, creation,

dissemination and application of knowledge for empowerment, upliftment and

development of people and

communities in or headed for tension through the use of

innovation”Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs)… 2009

Government Academia

Industry

Community

Innovation Partnerships

Mom 3.0

SM Teens

Senior Mobile Sessions

The Reconstructed

Community Empowerment

Social Media # of Blog Posts: 2,800

# of Social Network on FaceBook: +10,000

# of Followers on Twitter : +10,000

# of Twitter updates: +50,000

Social Media for Non-profits

Social Media Surgeries

SA Blog Awards & ZA World Wide Web Award

Advice and Support

# of Subscribers: +80,000

# of Messages/Interactions: +2,500,000

# of LIVE Conversations : 83,685

Average # of conversations in 2 hours: 245

Maximum # of conversations in 2 hours: 473

Sample Chat #14:17 PM @mxit: i need support me: how can i help4:19 PM @mxit: im using tik and desperately need help coz I have a 9

month old baby.4:20 PM me: well we are here to help4:21 PM @mxit: r u there me: yes  how long hav u been using?4:22 PM @mxit: 6 years nd im only 18 nw me: well are you willing to come and see someone in person?4:23 PM  @mxit: yes i am. where me: we are based in Bridgetown  66 Tarentaal Rd4:26 PM u free during the day?@mxit:yes i did nd thanx i'll come in next week.

3:41 PM @mxit: i've got this friend of mine i don't know whats wrong with her she tried commiting suicide a couple of times and she smokes weed how can i help her?3:46 3:42 PM me: hw old is she? how old is your friend3:45 PM @mxit: She's 14PM  me: do her parents knw dat she tryd 2 commit suicide?3:47 PM I c.Do you know why your friend wants to commit suicide?  that is young so does her parents know she is smoking3:50 PM @mxit: Ja her parents know they caught her smoking it so she tried 2 commit suicide and i want to help her but i don't know how3:52 PM me: Does she mix with friends who smoke?3:53 PM @mxit:Ja we are 6 in the group 4 of them are smokers its just me and my sister who dont smoke3:54 PM me: Wil she spk 2 sum1 in person if she cn get help?3:53 PM @mxit:Ja she wants hlp and I dnt know what 2 do3:55 PM me: which area do u live?3:56 PM   @mxit: In pta3:56 PM me: we will gt sum1 in pta 2 help. Can u wait online 4 da numbers? 3:58 PM @mxit: k

Sample Chat #2

Build Capacity

Champions in Training

www.thereconstructed.com www.mom2zero.com

Sustainability

• Community Innovation Academy and Business Incubator • Business Models for Social Impact• Community Start-ups

ChallengeContext

CapacityCollaborate

ChampionsSustainability

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek.”

Thank Youwww.rlabs.org

www.marlonparker.co.za

marlon@rlabs.org

Marlon Parker

@marlonparker

marlonct

+2721 469 1138 +2721 637 4037 +2776 403 4920