Starting off 2013 with More of the Best from 2012
Happy new year everyone! We’re continuing our Best of 2012 Series with the top articles on Social Good from last year. From new startups and successful programs, to Gabe Zichermann’s challenges for game designers, 2012 had some very interesting moments for social good gamification:
Zynga to Collaborate with Half the Sky Team for Social Good Game
Half the Sky, the bestselling 2009 book by Kristof and WuDunn, sparked a global movement to address “the central moral challenge of our time” – ending the oppression of women and girls worldwide. The Half the Sky movement is producing a number of big projects to raise awareness for their cause, including educational materials, a four-hour miniseries on PBS, and now a Facebook social action game set to be released November 13 at some point in 2013.
How the Stockholm School of Economics Raised Alumni Participation Rate 300%
We joined forces with the Stockholm School of Economics’ alumni association to re-imagine the donation process and build a donation platform like no university has seen before – enriched with game elements, integrated with social media, all with an aim to boost competition and build the community stronger.
Challenging Games for Change’s Designers and Gabe’s Gamification History
I see some issues that require immediate attention. Principally a rapidly emerging gap between the promise and the track record of socially-oriented gamified interventions. Why, with all the good intentions, is success so fleeting? And what can the high-minded practitioners in the industry do about making it better? Lastly, I wondered — how do the Gamification and Games for Change movements work together to help improve outcomes?
Hugh Evans on Global Citizen and Gamification for Social Good
We’ve covered gamification for social good to raise awareness for other issues but the Global Citizen Festival has brought engagement to new levels. Gamification Co got the chance to speak with Hugh Evans, co-founder of the Global Poverty Project and the creator of the gamification system for Global Festival, about his experience and thoughts on gamification for social good.
Tackling Poverty in India with Mobile “mPowering” Technology
Based in San Francisco, mPowering is using the low cost of GSM connectivity, falling rates of mobile subscriptions and of phones in India to create solutions to help reduce the poverty in India. The San Francisco non-profit organization has partnered with Citta, a charity working in one of the poorest states in India—Orissa.
