*Charity gimmick. But it's a pretty good one.
http://www.amplifyfestival.com.au/news/Detail/the-worlds-first-smartphone-famine-29032011
Amplify and One Laptop Per Child
The 24 Hour Smartphone Famine
What is it? This year Amplify Festival & AMP have chosen to throw our weight
behind a single project - One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). To raise the funds, they
came up with the idea of a Digital Smartphone Famine for 24 hours.
Why One Laptop Per Child? The theme of Amplify in 2011 is "Everything Connects"
which makes OLPC the perfect philanthropy partner. OLPC's vision is to bridge the
digital divide by providing every child in remote Australia with a specially designed
XO laptop. More information on One Laptop Per Child is available at
www.laptop.org.au.
How does the famine work? The 24 Hour Smartphone Famine all about
experiencing the reality of the digital disconnectedness faced by over 400,000 kids in
remote Australia for 24 hours. We‟ve asked AMP staff to give up their mobile phones
for 24 hours on 17 May. They will ask their friends, family and colleagues to sponsor
them for doing that. We think about $1 an hour is the right amount to give. On the
day of the famine there will be a public „lockdown‟ where participants will be invited to
lock their phone away in a large chest on public display in the lobby of AMP‟s Circular
Quay offices. Staff will then survive 24 hours without their phone!
Can I host an event like this too? Absolutely! We‟ve included our sponsorship
registration form, and a link to the OLPC donation page where you can submit your
donation. If you are donating for AMP, please make sure you put “AMP” in the
“Organisation” field.
About the AMPLIFY Festival
AMP’s bi-annual AMPLIFY Festival attracts top thinkers and innovators from all over
the world to Australia for a week of talks, ideas and inspiration on the cutting edge of
business innovation and thought leadership. The Festival encourages participation
and facilitates the cross-pollination of ideas with workshops, Q&A sessions, deep-
dives, open mic events, creativity classes and a one-day EXPO.
In 2011 the theme is Everything Connects, an exploration of the interdependence of
economic, technological, social and environmental systems. AMPLIFY will examine
the latest trends in emerging technologies and what they hold for the future of
financial services, customers and businesses.
AMPLIFY will be held at AMP’s Sydney Circular Quay headquarters from 6-10 June
2011. A limited number of tickets are available to the public through Ticketek.
For more information, go to www.amplifyfestival.com.au.
