14 DAY TRIAL // “We are entering the age of connectedness,” A Human Right organization says of its latest campaign, Buy This Satellite. If you ever wondered about the little you can do thanks to your access to the Internet, now is the time to act.
Just hours ago, we were covering a story on Marc Anthony opening up about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez and saying that “celebrity watching and speculation is almost like a sport.”
He’s talking about the many rumors making the rounds in the blogosphere about the real reason why he and JLo are no longer together – and he’s absolutely right.
However, what’s “a sport” for many (yours truly included) is a missed opportunity for others. Over 5 billion people don’t have access to the Internet, and are thus denied an advantage we’re used to taking for granted – and which we enjoy in sometimes such a frivolous fashion as indulging in celebrity gossiping.
This brings us to the latest campaign from A Human Right organization (AHumanRight.org), called Buy This Satellite. This is our very own way of using your love of software and celebrity gossip and news to make a change.
Buy This Satellite is the brainchild of a large team of people who, having heard that Terrestar filed for bankruptcy early this year, came up with a brilliant and simple idea: buy their satellite, move it to a different location and provide Internet access to those who don’t have it.
Because we’ve grown so accustomed to having an Internet connection, be it on our desktop, laptop or smartphone, it’s probably hard to imagine our life without it. The video embedded below, at the end of this article, probably comes in handy if you fit the above profile.
“The Internet has transformed what it means to be human – we are now more connected to one another than ever before. Yet, over 5 billion people do not have access to this incredible invention, do not have a voice in the global dialog, or the opportunity to share ideas and learn from the Internet’s ever-expanding knowledge pool,” A Human Right says of its latest campaign.
These 5 billion people are not only not part of the global dialog, they also lack the important and fast tools we have access to, to educate themselves, to explore their potential to the maximum.
“We believe that access to information and the Internet is a necessity for every global citizen and We plan to address the information inequality by making internet access so ubiquitous you can take it for granted: Free, global, seamless connectivity,” the organization says of the campaign.
All that the team behind Buy This Satellite asks from those with Internet access is a donation. The initial goal is set at $150,000, the amount needed to make a formal offer to Terrestar for the satellite.
We have already done our part, in the hope that it will inspire you to reach out for your virtual wallet, to help others help themselves – and enjoy what the organization deems to be a basic human right.
To paraphrase, together, we can.
Plans for the next stages of the project are already in place, with A Human Right saying it intends to use the satellite and the connection it will provide to encourage industry and, this way, help people beyond the initial goal.
Plus, depending on the size of your donation, you also get adorable pins and / or funny t-shirts. Really, there’s nothing to lose if you join in.
“Given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states,” the UN Human Rights Council says.
Remember that when you watch the video below. And show you care: donate here.
