The workshop is now nearly full. [Here are the final details of the workshop | http://www.upliftacademy.org/wiki/index.php?title=Nyc2006] In 1988, the Harvard Alcohol Project's [Designated Driver Campaign | http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/alcohol.html] collaborated with mass media to launch a highly successful campaign that transformed American culture with just a tiny budget, a testament to the power of the media for positive change. Today's media landscape has changed dramatically, with the addition of the internet, blogs, wikis, mobile phones, podcasting, and video sharing services that have broad global reach. This workshop will explore ways of using these innovative media for uplift activities that can be spread "virally" - ideas and activities that communicated from person to person or village to village as "bits" that can be communicated electronically, rather than "atoms" that have to be transported mechanically. The workshop will explore some of the potential of new media for "narrowcasting" patterns of uplift. We will be using Savings-Led Microfinance, or NanaFinance, as an prototype pattern, as discussed by [Marcia Odell|http://youtube.com/watch?v=dqyCEAuQnr0] of PACT and [Jeffrey Ashe|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mxsrpqeVU] of Oxfam America. As this form of microfinance requires no external capital (women save their own money), the activity has the potential for rapid spread through electronic communication. [http://givingspace.org/images/2998GW_small.jpg]Gavin White will discuss his work with [Video Volunteers | http://videovolunteers.org/], a global social media network founded on the belief that media can provide marginalized people with a platform for voice and accelerate social change. In collaboration with Drishti Media Collective in Ahmedabad, India, Video Volunteers is working to create a global network of 100s of rural or peri-urban Video Producers who produce and share media across the barriers of illiteracy, poverty and media neglect. In September, 2006, Video Volunteers was honored as a laureate of one the [San Jose Tech Museum Awards|http://www.techawards.org/] for technology serving humanity. [http://static.flickr.com/25/68117229_30291e5312_t.jpg]Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor Africa who started [Grassroots Soccer| http://grassrootsoccer.org/] with his show winnings, will talk about his ideas and experiences in mainstream media for social change. [http://www.leadwithexperience.org/network/files/pictures/tobey_dichter.jpg] [Tobey Gordon Dichter|http://www.generationsonline.org/] 2006 [Purpose Prize Fellow|http://www.leadwithexperience.org/network/purpose_prize_fellows], will discuss her efforts in getting the older generation on line. (One surprising aspect of YouTube video sharing service: the most-subscribed member of YouTube is 79-year old [Geriatric1927 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geriatric1927] who tells stories of his experiences of long ago). We will explore new media and intergenerational dialog as a pattern of uplift. [http://static.flickr.com/30/66532811_bdd74d530e_t.jpg][Jeff Ashe | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mxsrpqeVU] of Oxfam America, will talk about ways of using grassroots video for propagating Savings-led microfinance (NanoFinance) activities among the poor. The Uplift Academy has been awarded a [grant from omidyar.net | http://www.omidyar.net/group/cfp/news/12/] to explore new media approaches to this area. Tom Munnecke will present a summary of past [Better World Media Workshops | http://www.omidyar.net/group/media/ws/index/] in New York and Washington, as well as introduce the current prototype of [Better World Media|http://upliftacademy.org/podcast]. The workshop will be held from 9AM to 5PM on Weds, Oct. 4th on W. 23rd St. If you are interested in an invitation, please email Tom Munnecke at munnecke@gmail.com with your interests and background in this area. In lieu of a registration fee, we will be asking for donations to [Grassroots Soccer | http://grassrootsoccer.org/] whose founder Ethan Zohn, is supplying the room for the meeting.