Raila Odinga Invites You To "BLOG FOR REAL CHANGE"

Special Invitation to all Kenyans by the Raila Odinga Online Presidential Campaign

Blog Day "Blog For Real Change"

Venue: http://raila2007.wordpress.com

Time: 14th Dec 2007 15h00 to 18h00 (ie 3p.m to 6p.m) Kenya Time

Blogs, short for Weblogs, are a frequently updated Internet journal that has become a growing Internet subculture. This once techie phenomenon has now become an invaluable tool in Kenya's presidential election, adding another innovative Internet component to campaign communications.

Blogs are an interactive dialog. Internet users can read a blog and then submit their own comments. Blogs entries are dated, with the newest ones posted on top of the page. Most blogs are postings of thoughts, opinions, and links to related news articles, other blogs, and websites.

While blogs have received much attention, they were actually one of the earliest publishing practices on the Internet. Blogs were relatively unknown until recently with increased publicity and the availability of easy-to-use, free blog publishing tools. Blogs enable Internet users to publish and connect to a worldwide audience. Today, there are an estimated two million "bloggers" globally, and that figure is growing steadily.

In Kenya, blogging is popular with young people and working population in urban centers who link up with colleagues and relatives over the internet. It has been proved that this group would then pass the information to their friends and family members on the ground and those living abroad hence a new way of disseminating vital information. Some of this information may never be published in the mainstream media. Kenya's leading newspapers (nation and standard) have included blogs on their websites as a means of interacting with their online readers.

One of the most popular presidential campaign blogs is Raila's Weblog http://raila2007.wordpress.com. Launched two months ago, the blog has attracted a record of over 50,000 comments and contributions by Kenyan bloggers so far. The blog is updated daily with topics on current political affairs and moderated continuously as users post their comments. The blog also has a dedicated page for users to post what's happening on the ground.

The blog is planning to have a 3 hour blogging session dubbed "Blog For Real Change" scheduled to take place on Friday 14th December 2007 from 3p.m Kenya Time.

The bloggers will login at the same time and start discussions on three major topics to be listed a day earlier. Users are currently posting their preferred topics on the blog, from which five most interesting ones will be chosen for discussion.

ODM worldwide online supporters are requested to login to the blog page at exactly 3pm Kenyan time on14 th Dec and join in bringing real change for all Kenyans

Topics to be discussed are:

• VOTER TURNOUT MOBILIZATION
• HOW TO AVERT POLL RIGGING
• SUPPORTERS DIALOGUE
  

All are welcome!