Opening presentation

by Paul Allard & Hugues Cochard

Co-founders Alternative Channel

Benvinguts!Bienvenidos!Bienvenue!Welcome!

Josuè SallentDirector General

de SociedadDe la Generalitat de Catalunya

What is Alternative Channel?

By Hugues Cochard, co-founder

• A Web Channel on sustainable development and humanitarian causes;

What is Sustainable Development?

• The socio-ecological process of fulfilling human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely.

• “sustainable development” was first used in 1980 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

The pillars of Sustainable Development

Social Economic

Environment

What is Alternative Channel?

• Content is created by citizens, NGOs, corporations & independent media, independent producers.

• How does it work…

1. Quality content posting

- Editorial Committee Certification ISAS BC 9001

2. Distribution through sustainable development communities

Our Mission

• To be a platform for constructive exchanges & debates aiming at improving the world through sustainable development;

• To break through the deadlock of the oversaturated information age and offer – to ALL - an online source committed to context, understanding, and plurality.

Sustainable Development a critical issue?

• The drought in Barcelona…• Environmental Spokesperson Al Gore received

the 2007 Peace Nobel prize• Economic divide

– 94% of World income goes to 40% of the population– 6% left… goes to the 60% remaining

• Etc…

Today's Forum: • Social Networking & responsible media

The Internet trends…Morgan Stanley recent study : social networking growing !!

Social Networks

Responsible Media

Organized & structured

Causes & Common goals

Challenge

to

access m

edia

Constructive DialoguePlurality of voices

Participation of Civil Society, Citizens

& CorporationsAccessibility

Speed Control free

WEB 2.0

Worldwide

The Hummingbirdan old aboriginal legend

One day, says the legend, there was an enormous fire in the forest. All the animals, terrified, where watching the disaster powerless. The only active one was the hummingbird, flying to the nearest pond, bringing with its beak a few drops of water onto the fire. After a while, the tiger, annoyed by those useless efforts, says: “Hummingbird! Aren’t you crazy? Do you really think those few drops will make a difference?” “Probably not, says the hummingbird. But I am doing my part.”

Thoughts of…

Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank: • We need a voice to make a balance and a change to our

“consumer oriented world…”• The groups (NGOs, NPOs, etc.) that provide the voices

lack the giant platform and the powerful media megaphone the mainstream businesses enjoy…

• Speed of changes with technology: In the past it took entire generations for social and political changes to impact people’s thinking. Now new idea can spread across the globe not in years but in months, even days, even seconds!

Pierre Rabhi, the famous French Ecologist,

“Such is our responsibility towards our planet. As we are not absolutely powerless if we all decide otherwise.”

Thoughts of…

Pierre Omidyar, founder of e-Bay &

Omidyar Network a philanthropic investment firm

“… I belief that every person has the potential to make a difference.”“…we use a wide range of tools in our work, embracing market-based systems and open, web-enabled platforms as key means for making the world a better place.”

Thoughts of…

It is NOW possible…Social

Networks

Responsible Media

Participation of Civil Society, Citizens

& CorporationsAccessibility

WEB

• The power of change is in our hands– We can convince, mobilize, explain, motivate,

learn, report, encourage, dialogue, share, support...

What is Alternative Channel