Using Social Media for Community Building

A PublicForum Webinar

Friday, 22 October 2010, 14:00 Eastern (New York) / 18:00 GMT (90 minutes)
Free for Circle Club members.

Today social media is a great tool for engaging people around a specific decision to be made or problem to be solved, such as a new neighborhood plan. It's also being used by many practitioners to build and sustain a sense of community that transcends individual problems or decisions, often in support of sustainability.

Join us for this special webinar to learn how one nonprofit, Daily Acts in Petaluma, California, is effectively using social media in conjunction with community activities as a tool for supporting its vision of sustainability at the local level.

Through creating media, initiating and sharing sustainability models, cultivating community networks and providing hands-on education, Daily Acts focuses on how to empower citizens, strengthen leaders and grow community self-reliance.

You'll learn how Daily Acts is harnessing "traditional" engagement techniques and social media for long-term, ongoing community-building and community action—and how these tools/techniques differ from those used for specific projects.

Beth Offenbacker of PublicDecisions will moderate the discussion. Following the presentation, there'll be time for Q&A.

About Our Presenters

Trathen Heckman is the founding director of Daily Acts, publisher of Ripples Journal and a backyard farmer. Former director of Green Sangha, he serves on the board of Transition US. Trathen inspires, educates and collaborates with communities, business and municipal leaders to harness the power of nature and inspired action to restore the health of our lives and communities. He lives in the Petaluma River Watershed where he grows food, medicine and wonder while working to address apathy and community needs.

Willi Paul, community relations consultant for Daily Acts, has been a Green Business Certified Sustainability Consultant and strategic client relations designer for environmental and greentech start-ups and sustainability non-profits for over 25 years. Willi recently served as Director of Sustainable Business Development—USA & China for CoolTribe.com and CEO at PlanetShifter.com Magazine & Networks, which has generated 230+ thought leader interviews and 1600+ posts to-date since launching its site on EarthDay 2009. He has developed marketing and online community building strategies for over 50 internet start-ups and leads several LinkedIn groups.

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