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[Dreambuilder]

Hello all,

I have created a venue where OLPC developers or educators can meet in a virtual environment, regardless of their physical location on the planet - the OLPC Centre on the Openlife Grid. The Openlife Grid is a virtual world (Opensim architecture) that allows people to meet and interact in a virtual environment. In that environment your presence is represented by a character on screen (avatar).

I am opening up the OLPC Openlife center as a place for any OLPC and XO developers and educators to meet. Although the location is virtual the immersive experience of 'being present' is there.

The purpose of the OLPC Openlife centre is threefold :-

(1) To create awareness of OLPC and the XO in an audience unfamiliar with the program
(2) To act as a showcase for OLPC and XO activities, supplementing other internet based sources
(3) To be a place where people can meet and interact with others in almost realistic ways without geographical constraints.

There is an Openlife Group which you can join called 'OLPC Openlife'. There is further information about the Openlife Grid and the OLPC Openlife centre at this URL :-

http://www.olgexchange.com/group/olpcopenlife

You will need to join OLX, a support site for the Openlife Grid as a member, but it is free to do so.

If you are not familiar with virtual worlds here is a short video that shows the OLPC Openlife centre and some of the concepts of being present in a virtual world :-

http://olxchange.ning.com/video/olpc-openlife

In Openlife my avatar's name is Digital Dreambuilder. In real life I am a freelance education and training consultant using ICT to support initiatives in line with Millennium Development Goals for education and education for sustainable development.

Hoping to see you inworld, or at the OLPC Openlife group and seeing how we can use the technology of virtual worlds to facilitate development and promote the ideals of the movement.

David Paul
(aka Digital Dreambuilder inworld)

[Wayan Vota]

This is so going to be a post on OLPC News and I'll even add the video

[Dreambuilder]

For those of you who are not sure on how to get in to Openlife to visit the OLPC Centre in this virtual world I have prepared a visual guide to the first steps. The visuals are on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/digital_dreambuilder/sets/72157614412118532/ and a higher resolution guide is at the OLPC Centre http://olxchange.ning.com/group/olpcopenlife.

The first steps of getting inworld with an avatar may feel strange if you are unfamiliar with virtual worlds. Once inworld and you have found your feet then it will feel more comfortable to see how the centre inworld can make a difference by meeting others inworld in virtual meetings (voice chat will be possible soon in addition to text chat) and exchanging ideas, presenting and exhibiting audio visual material to others inworld.

[Dreambuilder]

EARTH HOUR

On Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm, local time, millions of people on our planet will be switching off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Earth Hour is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing daily.

EARTH HOUR FOR OLPC OPENLIFE

Perhaps in some villages throughout the world lights can be turned on at the same time as cities turn their lights off, heralding a new era for those who need the capability of living and working in an environment that fosters sustainable development and ecourages educational opportunities.

The Openlife Grid will be making its own contribution to Earth Hour as described in this blog http://www.olgexchange.com/profiles/blogs/what-will-you-do-when-the

But there are other things that the OLPC community can do to cast a vote that can make a difference. We can show to all that OLPC and the XO can be a tool applied in a positive way in a  world whose future is endangered, and particularly to those living in conditions where the XO is deployed.

What I would suggest is that on Saturday, March 28, at 8:30 pm YOUR LOCAL TIME, you do the following, whether you are turning the lights off, or turning them on for the first time. :

Take a photograph that illustrates in some way your community's use of the XO or OLPC involvement and post it in reply to the blog entry, with a short desciption, at the following URL

http://www.olgexchange.com/profiles/blogs/what-will-you-do-when-the

After Saturday 28th I will take the collection of photos, format as necessary and submit to WWF Earth Hour as the collective action that the OLPC Openlife community have taken to contribute to an vote for Earth Hour.

Further information about Earth Hour can be found here http://www.earthhour.org