Haiti Disaster Relief, Help with Webinar Software
A recent news report quotes French President Nicolas Sarkozy as calling for an international donor’s conference to help Haiti. This comes as relief pours into the country from various sources. Even average citizens are getting in on the act by coordinating their own relief efforts.
International Responses
With an occurrence of this magnitude coordinating the efforts of so many countries, agencies and charities can be daunting. Also people who want to donate money need to be aware of potential scams. This is an unfortunate reality of tragedy and hampers the response of those who want to help. For individuals who want timely information on the situation in Haiti, as well as learn how they can help, online conferencing could prove quite useful.
Sarkozy’s suggestion is certainly a reasonable one not to mention timely. Conferencing software would offer the perfect conduit by which these discussions could reach a broader audience. With the world still in the grips of an economic recession some countries may consider attending a virtual conference easier than sending a delegation. This would allow them to help and offer advice without the cost of airline tickets and hotels. More importantly, leaders may have matters of their own at home to attend to. Teleconferencing may be an easier fit for their busy schedules.
It is quite likely that many international aid agencies will begin to use conferencing software to raise awareness on critical issues. Haiti is of course one of a long list of international concerns that require attention. Others include the war in Darfur, the plight of those still affected by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the AIDS epidemic in various parts of the world.
Smaller charity groups and individuals can also take advantage of web conferencing features to get their messages out. People respond to strong messages, especially those with compelling visual components.
Hosting a webinar is easier than many might think, even for those who are not technically savvy. There are a number of hosted options available as well as on-premise appliances, which offer a lot more features. The choice will depend on the size of the organization and its ultimate goal for data conferencing of any kind. Its success however will depend on reaching a broad audience in the simplest and quickest way possible. Net meetings are without a doubt one of the most cost effect ways of doing this.