In the May issue of CIO Canada we announced that we were putting IT World Canada’s resources behind the charitable organization War Child Canada’s exciting new initiative, No War Zone, and invited you to lend your support. The project inspired us because it leverages technology to help youth rebuild their lives in regions recovering from war or other catastrophes. (The full story is on our web site at: http://www.itworldcanada.com/index.cfm/ci_id/9771.htm)
No War Zone seeks to provide war-affected youth with ready access to computers and the Internet, allowing them to connect with peers across the globe to share resources, school lessons, discussions and collaborate on projects or campaigns. No War Zone also works with young Canadians, encouraging them to collaborate on projects and campaigns – and in doing so, to develop tolerance, compassion, understanding and empowerment.
I promised to provide occasional progress updates on the project and this is the first.
Our initial efforts were simply to inform; to bring the project to the attention of our readers and vendor clients, share the objectives and invite participation. To that end, a number of informational ads have run in IT World Canada’s publications, including CIO Canada.
More recently, IT World Canada representatives have been visiting vendor organizations who’ve expressed interest in the project.
What I’m really excited to report is a significant milestone: the first vendor commitment to participate.
Sharp Electronics of Canada met with War Child Canada and what clearly emerged from the meeting is that Sharp and War Child Canada have a lot of common ground – and the potential for an ongoing relationship. Sharp was also able to solve an immediate problem for the organization by donating a state-of-the-art LCD projector.
Thanks to this relationship, War Child Canada founders, Dr. Samantha Nutt and Dr. Eric Hoskins, no longer have to use 35 mm slides to present their work. Gary Jarosz, vice president of operations for Sharp, handed over the projector on Aug. 14, minutes before the power blackout.
Where Do You Fit In?
We are hopeful that this initial corporate connection, combined with sustained advertising support from IT World Canada, will lead to additional interest from our reader and vendor communities.
No War Zone represents an extraordinary opportunity to use your products, resources and know-how to bring the world’s youth together in support of human rights, development, culture and learning. If you have questions, would like more information, or have ideas to contribute, please e-mail mponto@itworldcanada.com. To learn more about War Child Canada, please visit www.warchild.ca or call 1-866-WAR-CHILD.
