I've spent the last few days investigating in greater depth the power and potential of Facebook as an online tool for social change. I've often dismissed Facebook as nothing more than an "interruptive technology" which fractures my attention span. As if email, RSS and listservs aren't interruptive enough in my daily routines, here comes Facebook with 30 million members, complete with friend requests, notifications of all sorts, and causes seeking my attention.
My opinion about Facebook's potential has been shaped by the work of Ivan Boothe at Genocide Intervention Network who writes about his experience with Facebook in a recent article for Idealware. Likewise, I've watched organizations such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and author Paul Rieckhoff use Facebook to stir and broaden support for important social issues.
Facebook can be conquered as an interruptive technology and harnessed for social good. An individual can join an existing Facebook "Cause," an organization can create a new "Cause," you can visit networks inside Facebook such as Change.org, or conduct online fundraising campaign using the ChipIn Facebook Application. All of this potential is built on top of the basic framework of an individual's network of Facebook friends.
For an organization with a social mission to make the most of Facebook they'll need to create a "Cause" page and then empower their volunteers to spread the word on their behalf through their network of friends. And the organization will have to get creative to find ways to empower that network to meet its programmatic and fundraising goals.
Here are a few articles I've found useful:
Social Networking: A Beginner's Guide To Facebook by Robin Good
A New Way of Organizing Online: An interview with Rosalyn Lemieux of the New Organizing Institute By Britt Bravo
Using Social Networking to Stop Genocide by Ivan Boothe
A beginner's guide to Facebook for non-profits By Soha El-Borno
Using Facebook in Your Nonprofit by Michele Martin
