O uso de SMS para comunicação interpessoal tem sido destacado no uso quotidiano dos telefones celulares. O mesmo tem acontecido para envio em massa de mensagens em situações de crise (Tsumanis, Katrina…) ou como forma de mobilização política, conhecida como “smart mobs” (Filipinas, Madri…). Agora um concurso visa estimular o uso de plataformas SMS para ONGs de países em desenvolvimento. Uma iniciativa dessa no Brasil seria muito interessante visto que temos mais usuários de telefone celular do que de internet. Vejam o post do Smart Mobs, kiwanja.net Sets Up Competition to Offer Prizes and SMS Platform to Grassroots NGOs:
“This Monday sees the launch of Ken Banks‘ latest ‘project’ – a competition which encourages grassroots NGOs in developing countries to submit ideas on ways they could use text messaging in their work.
The best four entries will win laptop computers, Nokia phones, GSM modems and $1,000 in cash, courtesy of a range of sponsors which include Hewlett Packard, Nokia and Wieden+Kennedy.
The competition wants to encourage NGOs to think more about how mobile technology could be applied in their work. If you need inspiration, there are plenty of examples in the kiwanja Mobile Database
NGOs from developing countries are invited to submit a short proposal outlining how text messaging could make their job easier. The ideas don’t need to be rocket science, or even earth-shatteringly original. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest, easiest and most obvious. We should know – most of ours have been!
What we are looking for is impact – a clear indication that winning an amazing prize, and gaining access to mobile technology, would revolutionise your work and turn mission impossible into mission accomplished.”