Bondi blogger off to Bangladesh
Joel Katz is no ordinary Australian. The 38-year-old Bondi resident is packing his bags for Bangladesh to give impoverished communities a different kind of voice.
Armed with a laptop and video camera, Katz will spend two weeks empowering Bangladeshi communities with the skills to use digital media to connect with the world.
The journey is part of ActionAid’s Project, TOTO (The Overseas Training Operation) program, which combines social media savvy with activism to help end poverty.
“I absolutely relish the idea of travelling to these remote places, immersing myself in the local culture and writing about it,” says Katz. “It’s exciting to think that I’ll be helping, in a small way, to empower some of the poorest communities.”
A seasoned volunteer worker, Katz has spent a decade working in international development but this is something a little out of the ordinary. For him, Twitter and blogs go places where people cannot and open up a channel of communication that gets right to the heart of poverty.
“Knowledge is being shared and that reflects the beauty of the Internet,” he says. “It’s all about work-shopping ideas on a global level and in real time. That’s why I’m so passionate about the power of social media to bring about change.”
Katz hopes his work will inspire tech-savvy young Australians to think differently about cyberspace and use their digital skills to get involved with the big issues.
“Using social media to educate young Aussies about global issues broadens their horizons and gives them perspective,” he explains.
“What better way to tell someone about your life and your environment?”
From city slums to rural villages, Katz will be part of a global effort to help bring poverty out of the shadows by giving a voice to the voiceless – but he knows that he too will change.
“I know I’ll meet some incredibly inspiring people during my stay in Bangladesh and they’ll give me a totally different take on life. It’s an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a person.”
To follow Joel Katz’s experience, log on to http://blogs.actionaid.org.au/toto/category/toto-bangladesh/ for regular updates.
– By Sheenal Singh
