Let's make sure Team Pajamahdeen breaks $5,000!
The Spirit of America's Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge closes at midnite Pacific time. So only a few more hours for the Pajamahdeen Team to secure some bragging rights and, more importantly, raise funds for the Viral Freedom project.
So far, the Blogger Challenge has raised over $70,000, most of it for Spirit of America's unrestricted fund. But Pajamahdeen Team is focusing on the special program to promote blogging by Iraqis through the development of an Arabic language blogging tool and by providing free hosting services. Here's some more info on the project from Spirit of America.
What does your donation buy?The blogging tool project was launched in mid-Novemeber, is in beta this month, and a major early objective is to have it widely available -- together with easy access to hosting services -- to make it easier for more Iraqis to join the blogging community that will be active during the next 45 days leading up to the scheduled elections.
- $1,200 pays for hosting of 100 blogs for one year
- $600 pays for hosting of 50 blogs for one year
- Any amount helps pay the $32,000 development cost
SoA is a 501c3 nonprofit and donations are tax deductible. 100% of all donations to this project will be used for direct project expenses (i.e., development and hosting of the Arabic blogging tool, hiring of consultants to manage the development and deployment of the tool, etc.). The blogging tool is being developed by iUpload. The budget for development of the tool is $32,000. SoA doesn't deduct fees or expenses for fundraising or organization overhead. Those expenses are funded separately. SoA hope to raise additional funds to extend the project to Farsi and to expand its coverage into neighboring countries such as Syria and Saudi Arabia.
Here are some pertinent comments taken from iUpload's press release of Dec 9 (ignore the "PR"speak):
"Freedom of expression and democracy are the foundation of free and peaceful societies. The Arabic blogging tool will make it possible for more people in the Middle East to freely share their ideas than ever before,” said Jim Hake, founder and chief executive officer of Spirit of America.
“There has been a lot of discussion about the “war of ideas” in the Middle East and Muslim world but painfully little done to win it,” Hake continued. “Working with iUpload has enabled us to provide the tools needed by the champions of freedom and democracy in Iraq and the Middle East and help them spread the ideas that will transform the region.”
Every blog developed with the Arabic blogging tool will highlight the groups, individuals and news that advance freedom and democracy in Iraq. Each blog will therefore spread information encouraging freedom in the region and will make it easier for the supporters of democracy to exchange information and work together.
“We're excited to be working with Spirit of America to extend a voice through blogs to the Arabic speaking world,” said Robin Hopper, CEO of iUpload. “Not only will this solution allow people in that region to share content through blogs, but this important project will also result in new ideas and build communities through knowledge sharing.”
Friends of Democracy educates Iraqi citizens about democracy and the upcoming elections in Iraq. The organization will manage the Arabic blogging tool and provide technical assistance to other pro-democracy groups in Iraq. After the completion of the Arabic blogging tool, Spirit of America will make available versions in Kurdish and Farsi to support other pro-democracy individuals and groups in the Middle East.
Spirit of America's mission is to extend the goodwill of the American people and assist those advancing freedom and peace abroad. The organization has been especially active in Iraq, working in close cooperation with American civilian and military personnel to assist the Iraqi people. Spirit of America has focused on providing the tools needed by Iraqis to improve their lives – ranging from sewing machines for Iraqi women's sewing centers to hand tools for Iraqi tradesmen to broadcast equipment for Iraqi-owned and –operated TV stations.
The first afoe European weblog awards