Dear Friend,

Back in High School we had a class that tried to teach us about calligraphy and one of the exercises was to write on an oslo paper in cursive the following quotation:

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again…

It was supposed to have been said by Mahatma Gandhi. In our present time and by reading a number of articles and posts in the different media – print, electronic and digital – it would be easy to be pessimistic and jaded. Often times one hears a collective sigh when things happen. A tearing of hair and a wailing that is the herald of mass or group depression.

And it is during times like this that I remember a line from a book written by Will and Ariel Durant. Within the pages of that book you will find something written that history is like a river between two banks. On one side there is the sensational and more than the ordinary events happening. This is what might be called the exciting bank. On the other hand and other side of the river lies the mundane bank. This were your ordinary things happen. Those things that often do not count to a number of people as worth mentioning. And they do happen and exist. The ordinary life of the Peter, Paul and Marias of the world that is not often reported in the news and not often talked about.

In fact all of us live on both banks of history. And we can find noteworthy things on both banks. But I digress too much. I apologize. Going back to Mr Gandhi and his quotation.

A few days ago was World Blogging Day. And as I looked upon it I remembered this passage: this quote from Gandhi. You see I enjoyed and liked being part of a number of blogging-related project these past months . And with your permission let me share it with you – without agenda – just sharing..

TECH TANOD

http://techtanod.com/

Tech Tanod Day 1

This project was born out of the Bangon Pinoy initiative of Globe Telecom, Rock Ed and the Philippine Blog Awards. Money was raised through a twitter campaign and the fund was used to build a digital community for disaster preparedness and management; And for information sharing and advocacy.

Tech Tanod got its name from the desire to use technology to improve and safeguard the baranggay – hence Tanod.

Twenty individuals, Seventeen years old and above were recruited and selected from communities and neighborhoods in Cainta and Marikina. The students were then schooled in the ways of writing articles and news; information creation and the use of technology.

The teachers and mentors of Tech Tanod came from different backgrounds – there were news reporters, TV reporters and bloggers. All came to share what they could share.And … also to learn.

Tutors, Mentors and volunteers:

Karla Redor
Sha Ang
Nina Fuentes
Marck Rimorin
Winston Almendras
Coy Caballes
Gail Dela Cruz
Mark Villanueva
Markku Seguerra
Hana Bello
Rochelle Dumlao
Arpee Lazaro
Aileen Apolo-De Jesus
jay De Jesus
TJ Manotoc
Arlene Burgos

TEN TACTICS

http://www.informationactivism.org/

Part of the education or curriculum of the Tech Tanod scholars was to teach them Information Advocacy and this was made possible with help of Ten Tactics. A video that shared how Technology can be and was effectively used for campaigns and advocacies all over the world.

10 tactics for turning information into action (Trailer) from Tactical Technology Collective on Vimeo.

HANDS ON MANILA GALING MO KID (GMK) PROGRAM
www.handsonmanila.org.ph

This is a program that tutors and mentors thirty high achiever students – ten each from Grades IV to VI – from partner public schools. We, Arpee , Jane and myself, gave a talk to the scholars of Pembo Elementary School.

It was one of those humid Saturdays that will be remembered for after 2010 would have passed and gone. Starbucks hosted a talk between bloggers and the scholars of hands on Manila. The talk and discussion lasted nearly the whole morning and what came out a few weeks later was the group blog – Magaling Tayong Kids v

BLOG NA PINOY

http://www.blognapinoy.com/

Behind the Scenes – Sha and Bambi

Is a portrait blog directory of Filipino Bloggers. A project of photographer Mike Yu, Bambi Dela Cruz, Arpee Lazaro and other bloggers. It aims to build a directory of Pinoy Bloggers. Actually, a portrait directory of Pinoy Bloggers. And like a brick house it is being built brick per brick.

GOOGLE PRECINCT MAPPING PARTY

http://www.findyourprecinct.ph/

The election is just around the corner and last Saturday a number of bloggers from Tech Tanod, yabang mo kids, and from all over, met at Krispy kreme. To help in the tagging of precincts for the Google Precinct Mapping Project.. This was o course just one of many mapping parties held across the archipelago.

Interview: Ailen Apolo-De Jesus, Google Country Rep

Pictures from the Precinct Mapping Party

How to find your precinct and how to help – check this

The effort is still on-going and it would be great to be able to help in this project. In fact there is going to be another round of mapping party this coming Saturday.

SUNDAY SILENCE FOR CLEAN, SAFE & HONEST ELECTIONS

Sunday, May 9, 2010
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: Baywalk stretch across Malate Church, along Roxas Blvd., Manila

This Sunday the 9th of May 2010 at 5:00 in the afternoon, Rock Ed is inviting everyone to join the Sunday Silence for a peaceful and honest elections for 2010. All participants should wear white shirts or polos or dresses – no political colors.

And aside from that there will be book sharing that will be happening If you want books or want to pass on your books Manila Bay in front of the Malate Church is the place to be in this coming Sunday.

Well I guess that is the gist of it for now.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you these projects – alongside with the Philippine Blog Awards, IBLOG, The Blog & Soul Movement and a number of upcoming events like the Cebu Bloggers Camp 2010 and some in the early stages of development. It took some work and a lot of help from different individuals and groups to make it happen but it was worth it. And this post is part Thank You and part sharing of the experience – it was and is one of the more enjoyable aspects of blogging that I have come across. It was and continues to be a like able experience. Thanks.

It is about you.  It is about Me. It is about everyone and everything.  Tech Tanod is you and me.

The project started when it was decided not to use the budget for after party of the PBA. And instead use it for relief and.or rehabilitation efforts after Ondoy and Peping. And what came next next was the BangonPinoy initiative which tried to raise P400,000 and perhaps more. And when the end day did come in the community was able to raise 409,0000 pesos. And because of this we have TechTanod: Digital Barangay – a collaboration between Globe, The Philippine Blog Awards, RockEd, the Philippine Blogging Community, other groups and you.

So what is TechTanod? It is rehabilitation, It is preparedness. It is about participation. It is about learning. It is about teaching. It is about us the community – the Digital Barangay. We will have our first meeting this Saturday so please join us by being there or if not by being on-line.