We talk about the need to be the “voice of the poor”. Have you ever used the phone? Now you can use it to “report in” as the “voice of the poor” on the Internet. Just call a toll-free number, speak and then hang up. Voila! You have created and posted a podcast.
“But wait, there is more…” You can literally give someone in poverty their own “voice”. Just dial the number, give them the phone and they can share their experience directly.
iPadio is as simple as making a local phone call to just about any country in the world, many toll free. Your phone call is automatically recorded and posted to the web with its own web address. Anyone with the proper url can then click on the message and hear it. It even comes with an amazingly accurate text transcription of the recorded message.
It doesn’t get any easier! Once set up… just call the number, speak and then hang up. The rest is automatic. Don’t believe it? Listen to what Aidan Rooney did from Cochibamba in the mountains of Bolivia.
It does not take much imagination to see how Vincentian Family members could “phone in” live reports that would tell the story of those trapped in poverty and whom we serve. Think a cell phone in Haiti…
PS It was one of the means of communication that did not go down in Egypt and was used by reporters. Also, it existed before the iPad!
Reflection:
- Have you ever experienced the power of someone telling their own story?
- How often are those living in poverty heard without someone mediating their words?
- Does this story trigger any ideas about how you could used iPadio in your ministry?
Tags: Advocacy, Aidan Rooney, Anti-poverty strategies, Bolivia, Haiti, Voice of the Poor
