Feeling Powerful: Carrotmobbing and Buycott

After reading Psalm 8 and a post on a blog about everyone being a gift from God, I was feeling particularly important within this earthly realm. I always believed hat each one is God's Gift to the World like the Jeff Majors and Kelly Price song, but I always thought of it in terms of appreciating each other's gifts. I never thought of it in terms of taking political action. No one is more important than anyone else. If you combine your talents with like minded people, you just may have something.

So...

What would life be like ideally if you ran the world. What would be different? Do you ever talk about it with your friends? What would life be like if you and your friends were the collective bosses of the world? Would you think I was crazy if I told you that you are?

There is an organization called CarrotMob. This organization encourages small groups (or large ones for that matter) to unite to do the opposite of boycott. They say, "In a boycott, everyone loses. In a Carrotmob, everyone wins." They encourage people to organize to mob (support) a business that makes changes to support the Carrotmob's cause.

These causes can start as small as just you and your friends. Get together and organize a campaign. There are three basic steps:
1.) Organizers make an agreement with a business.
2.) Carrotmobbers spend money at the business.
3.) The business makes an improvement. https://carrotmob.org/about
They even have a place for you to post your campaign. https://carrotmob.org/ideas

Here is a video they have on their website. It's not very long so check it out.



Here is a real campaign in Thailand. http://youtu.be/fEwWdOHw_HE.
Check out some other campaigns here. https://carrotmob.org/campaigns

They also have a lesson plan for any teachers who want to organize with students. https://carrotmob.org/educators. the mission of which is to "foster community between students and businesses while providing a positive vehicle for change. " They encourage you to only begin with their plans. They encourage teachers to put their own voices in the project by submitting additional lesson plans.

In short, we know that if you want change, you have to find a way to affect the bottom line. Using unity and money, regular people can change the world.

So, if you have an idea, how do you start a Carrotmob? Here is the video they provide on their website.



They list several steps to get started.
1.) First, they suggest making basic decisions about your campaign. This includes finding like minded people, choosing a topic, and choosing a change for the business to make. https://carrotmob.org/resources#decisions
2.) Next comes choosing a business, deciding what you want to ask them to change, and asking them. https://carrotmob.org/resources#agree
3.) Determine date, location and logistics https://carrotmob.org/resources#location
4.) Promote your campaign. https://carrotmob.org/resources#promote
5.) Have your event
6.) Finally, follow up after the event. How many people attended and how much money was spent? Did you make a video? Post it! https://carrotmob.org/resources#followup
7.) Write up a description https://carrotmob.org/resources#description

You have the power to affect change! What would you like to see changed? How would you go about it?