There is a youth group in Japan called U-Lead(http://www.ulead.jp/). What they are making happen is truly inspiring, and I would like to share their story with you today.
U-Lead is a group of university students in Japan, the only one of its kind officially recognized by Room to Read, an international NGO. If you are not familiar with the purpose and activities of Room to Read, I encourage you to check out their website (http://www.roomtoread.org/).
To put it simply, Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of children in developing nations by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. They build schools and libraries, distribute books, and award scholarships to girls who would not afford education otherwise. U-Lead was founded by a group of university students who were inspired by the philosophies of Room to Read and wanted to take part in making a difference themselves.
U-Lead is hosting a Twitter-based event on May 21, 2010. It's called "One Dream." The basic idea of the event is simple; by tweeting your dream on May 21, you will be donating 25 yen (about 25 cents) to a cause furthering educational opportunities in India. The live event in the Omotesando Hills is limited to university students. However, through Twitter, anyone can participate in this event from anywhere in the world. Yes, YOU could participate if you so desire.
Recently some criticisms have been voiced with regards to Twitter-based charity event where twitter-based donations were backed by corporate sponsors. Critics assert that the ease of this type of donations numbs our sense of responsibility for and commitment to the cause (after all, the money is not coming out of the tweeter's own pocket). An official blog post by a U-Lead member raised the same concern, the act of authenticity that I found so touching.
I share the same concern too, but I also imagine thousands of people tweeting their dreams and releasing them to the universe, and thereby supporting the dreams of children in India. I find the imagery irresistibly beautiful and exhilarating. I daresay if you and I want to take on more responsibility and take this cause further, we are free to do so. It's just a matter of coming up with ideas and making them a reality.
I am going to tweet my dream on May 21, 2010. The "HOW" of the event will be revealed to us, as the event nears, and I intend to keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about this awesome group, here is the official (Japanese) website of U-Lead (http://www.ulead.jp/).
They also have a Twitter account in Japanese (http://twitter.com/U_Lead) and in English (http://twitter.com/ulead0521). You are invited to follow either one of these as well.
Let's dream our collective dream of unlimited opportunities for children all over the world! Let's dream big!!
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