We’ve already seen that Twitter is turning into a source of breaking news. But it’s also clearly turning into a way of organising social movements extremely quickly. “Tweetup” (as in a meetup facilitated by Twitter) has passed into common parlance amongst regular users but now the concept has spawned a global event for charity which will involve nearly 50 U.S. cities among over 100 worldwide, including Beijing, Tel Aviv and Beirut. Twestival, on Thursday 12 February, will happen over a 24 hour period in a kind of tweetathon – except it is Twitter-organised meetups that people will be hitting, not phone lines. And the whole thing came together over Twitter inside 24 hours.
Lead organiser Amanda Rose told me that because of Twitter’s viral nature it took only 24 hrs to get the the main 40 cities organised, and the rest followed shortly after. There are now over 100 Twestival cities, including London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sydney, Melbourne, and Lima. The London event sold out tickets in 24 hours. The events will be raising money to support Charity:Water, a not-for-profit organisation bringing safe drinking water to people in developing countries.
Twestival started out as a one-off event in London last September. It’s come a long way.
It may not be Live Eight but Twestival is just the latest “tweetup with a cause”. One December has already lead to an initiative to clothe homeless people through Winter in Vancouver, and there are certain to be many more, less publicised, events in the future.
great. I hope Santiago join this. Should be interesting to see if twitters here meet up for something more meaning than just party together.
This is awesome.
My wife and I are planning to do this in every American city (spring) and Canadian city (fall) to fight breast cancer starting February 1st.
Folks can follow me @BJmendelson for details.
I am happy to see others using Twitter to promote worthy causes.
This is amazing. I just got off a plane where I had spent the trip speccing out a fundraiser that also has clean water as its benefactor. And then I read this… I thought… “who was sitting on the plane reading over my shoulder?”
Great to see this happening. Excited to show folks what we’ll be doing next month as well
We have a great group of people organizing an event in Jerusalem including a “micro-expo” of Israeli companies in Cleantech helping with water and “Tweetorials” for newcomers and businesses, live tweeting, music and fun.
For more information contact me at @CharlieKalech
#twestivalJM
It has been truly inspirational to witness Twitter communities all around the world coming on board to support the Twestival. When the 100+ events take place on 12 February, it will demonstrate what a powerful tool sites like Twitter are becoming in the fight for social change.
I’m organising the Twestival in Bristol, UK and me and my colleagues are delighted to be part of internet history! We have been inundated with offers of support and have secured a fantastic local bowling alley as a venue.
Follow @bristwestival for more information.
Great initiative. Kudos to Amanda and all other organizers. I’ve got a ticket for the London Twestival and I’m looking forward to it.
Looking forward to the Jerusalem Twestival.
I will be hosting a table there to introduce people to Green Any Site, and plan on featuring water related charities as the next cause we’re supporting at GAS.
Nice..will also doing this atTwitzu.com,
Twestival is a part of the Twitter Applications Database @ Twitdom
Folks, we’re going to host a twestival in Hamburg, Germany as well http://twestival-germany.mixxt.de/
We are attending http://www.brumtwestival.co.uk/ which is at Poppy Reds in Birmingham, should be a great night.
Great shout-out for Twestival.
@SarahPrevette and I (@erin_bury) are two of the organizers of Twestival in Toronto (#twestivalto) – visit Toronto.Twestival.com. Also attended #hothoto in December for the Toronto tech community – was amazing to see how Twitter mobilizes people for a good cause.
Wow, that Twitter is truly something isnt it!~
RT
http://www.total-privacy.us.tc
Great news. Can’t wait to check out Twestival in London!
For anyone that’s going, please add me -> http://twitter.com/o6uoq/
Wow.. It is good for big company to involved on charity..
Wow, that Twitter is truly something isnt it!~
I’m going to the EdTwestival and looking forward to meeting some of my Twitter pals there. I’m proud to be part of Internet history.
I love Twitter and I’ve connected with so many great people from all over the World.
Annette
(@annttkerr)
I can’t wait for the Edinburgh Twestival (@EdTwestival), so glad I got my ticket early as I heard it sold out in 3hrs!
I too am super excited about the @EdTwestival – it’s going to be fab to meet all my local(ish) twitterbugs…
@emilylagrange
And Charity: Water is such a good cause – Check this short vid – http://snipurl.com/twestivalwater
We’ll be there at the Bristol Event – http://bristol.twestival.com/
The SWM team have got together with subaquaholics to give away four Scuba diving lessons as a raffle prize on the night… There’s lots of other prizes too…
I reckon the Bristol one will be BIG.
Happy Twestival everyone…
@swim007
Another meetup?
Isn’t anyone listening to the latest dire warnings?
‘Experts Warn of Social Media Catastrophe‘.
D
Wow, that Twitter is truly something isnt it!~.
I’m looking forward to the Sunny Brighton version (once all this squidgy snow has thawed). There are still a few tickets up for grabs and we’ve made a write-up of the event here:
* dharmafly.com/blog/twestival
- @premasagar
Wow, very cool, I am going to bring this up on http://www.affluence.org and see if some of the philanthropists there would be interested as well!
@kyleschen
Wow, that Twitter is truly something isnt it!~
please add me -> http://twitter.com/dekhome/