Here’s a special thank you from Baan Dada orphanage in Sangklaburi, Thailand.

To fundraise in Bangkok we threw a big party with over three hundred attendees. This was the work of over thirty volunteers. Thanks to Mark and Emily from Digital Democracy who made the following video so you could see what the party was like:

The result of our twitter-festival?

A $600 donation to Baan Dada and $600 to Baan Unrak orphanages.

$380 for carbon offsetting.

That’s a total $1572 for good.

THANK YOU!

There are more cool photos from the party and the orphanages available in the ISOS facebook group.

Twaah— Tweee– I know it’s a mouthful, right? But since I first heard about Twestival, I have loved the concept. For those unfamiliar, here’s a look at the background and structure of what makes this twitter-festival exceptional.

The History of Twestival

The idea is simple:

Tweet. Meet. Give.

Twestival gives people an event where they can not only meet other twitter users, but also be a part of a global awareness and fundraising campaign. The first one took place on February 12th, 2009 in over 200 cities. The global campaign raised $250,000 for charity: water. But, that’s not the astounding number– try 55 newly drilled wells and 17,000 people reached with fresh water!

Modeling and Replicating Change

Twestival is providing a framework for you to be one of the many pieces in a global movement for change. In this movement fewer people are asking why they should participate and are instead concerned about HOW they can contribute. Leaders have to be responsible for stepping up and answering the call of the multitude who want to play a role in change making, but may not be sure how.

Twestival is back with an event to raise funds for a local cause in each city. This September 10th-13th, Twestival gives would-be change makers an outlet by providing the knowledge and guidance whereby they can create change in their own communities. For Twestival Local, organizers have been equipped with a more powerful toolkit for organizing their events and challenged to set and meet fundraising goals. Furthermore, teams in the various cities must work together with interested people in their location, using twitter as a crowd sourcing tool to select a cause, solicit help, and begin fundraising. All of this is done with a big community of individuals ready to support people as they face challenges. The result is the equivalent of a global crash course in DIY Philanthropy!

Igniting A Unique Age

The reality of the global village is that many of us are finding ourselves unwilling to settle for being over entertained and under challenged. We need to be empowered to see ourselves as change makers. We’re hungry for change and feeding off messages of hope through collective action.

“We now have the capacity to organize and take collective action together to deal with a problem or an injustice… this makes this a unique age in human history…“ ~British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Events like twestival are igniting this unique age to action by helping us realize our ability to play small parts in bringing big solutions.

We’re powerful. Believe it. See it.

I will be a part of the team organizing Twestival Local in Bangkok. Equipping people with the means to create change here is exactly what In Search of Sanuk has been striving to do. I’m thrilled to see this happening on the global stage and eager to celebrate the change we’ve been initiating with our Bangkok Tweetups in unison with calls for change around the world.

~Dwight

Get behind some fatties, these tweeple love food: @sleepyandhungry @steakRIOT @MisterNoodle @migrationology @simonleung

I’m fresh on the tracks of (the last five twppl I followed): @raquellins @successfool @patricksallee @jrpolgar @lynchk8

Most helpful tweep: @hp88

Hot topics: #WorldMalariaDay #Swineflu #therescue #srilanka

Gotta see (a link I caught this week that should be passed on): Here’s an advance invitation to World Refugee Day (#WRD09) in your area from Angelina Jolie–

Let’s have a real follow Friday! Follow @insearchofsanuk and a host of Bangkok peeps to Buongiorno Coffee & Wine Bar on Friday May 15th! It’s a small, but cozy place. So be prepared to kick back and inaugurate the weekend with your favorite people you never met!

What: Bangkok Charity Tweet-Up

When: 7pm Friday, May 15th, 2009

Where: Buongiorno Coffee & Wine Bar

The place is located on Ratchawithi Soi 2, a 15 minute walk from the BTS. Exit 3 or 4 on the BTS and take the skywalk towards the monument. When it forks go right, and go down the steps in front of the Fashion Mall (across from Center One). Follow the street to soi 2 and walk down the soi and underneath the expressway, continuing until you see the restaurant on the left side.View Map

A portion of what we eat and drink will be donated to the BKK Urban Garden Project!

(Tip: If you’re scratching your head because you don’t know what twitter is click here.)

One big reason twitter is powerful is that it has the power to super charge viral information. Meaning a small piece of information could easily leap from your network to the world. Unavoidably, this also means we must deal with the quick spread of misinformation, spam, and more malicious content such as viruses.

We all know the Spiderman quote, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Well, here are three easy guidelines to keep us tweeting responsibly:

• Tweet Each Other Kindly

Chris Guillebeau or @chrisguillebeau (his twitter id), who was recently in Bangkok, would say this means better listening or in twitter terms: “RT, respond, make others look good, ask how you can help, don’t patronize, no auto-DM.“

• Tweet Authentically

Be honest. Give credit when due, RT (Re-tweet or resending tweets) often, and read/view your content before you resend.

• TweetUp!

This is a must do. Think about it, we all normally treat and trust people we know better than strangers (If there’s any question here, just consider the way we drive. Would you really have cut your friend off like that?). You’ll build stronger bonds and find yourself tweeting more. You’ll gain more engaging followers and be retweeted more often. There are limitless benefits.

So Tweet Responsibly. Follow some people doing just that.  Here’s a picture and the roll sheet of Tweeple who showed up at last week’s BKK Charity Tweetup:

@Codymckibb (Thrilling Heroics)
Location Independent WordPress/Mac/music geek. I help rockstar✩ entrepreneurs build authority online with blogs & social media! @codymckibb to conversate me.

@Migrationology (Migrationology.com)
I like to travel and eat, alot…why vacation when you can migration…

@Tofflerann (Dynamic Tourism, China, Business)
Expat Entrepreneur, Blogger, Photographer, Eternal Traveler & Learner

@Apepler (The Mantra of Ali)
Backpacking Fitness Enthusiast and Aspiring Blogger

@Jjmaurage (So Long & Thanks for All the Fish)
Freelance media whore wanders around Asia pretending to write a novel but really just getting drunk and singing too much

@Travelhappy (Backpacking And Travelling In Thailand and South East Asia: A Personal Guide)
British scuba journalist based in Thailand

@Jutecht (The Thinking Stick)
Education, Technology, Consultant, Presenter

@Thinkingchick
K-12 International Counselor

@Tbarrett (Everything Tom)
Hotelier and nomad. Muay Thai practitioner. Beach bum.

@Ryan_Lei
Freelance Chinese translator/interpreter, enthusiastic about humanitarian work.

What: Bangkok Charity Tweet-Up

When: 7pm Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Where: Buongiorno Coffee & Wine Bar

The place is located on Ratchawithi Soi 2, a 15 minute walk from the BTS. Exit 3 or 4 on the BTS and take the skywalk towards the monument. When it forks go right, and go down the steps in front of the Fashion Mall (across from Center One). Follow the street to soi 2 and walk down the soi until you see the restaurant on the left side.View Map

A portion of what we eat and drink that night will be donated to our BKK Urban Garden Project!