Voices of Our Future FAQ

Dear Voices of Our Future Applicants,

Greetings! We at World Pulse can hardly contain our excitement as March 15th draws near. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions about this program. We hope this FAQ answers most, if not all of them. Please do not hesitate to post any question you don't find answered here.

In gratitude for joining the maiden voyage of Voices of Our Future!
The World Pulse Team

I've joined this group, but I am still confused. Should I be filling out an application form?
Surprisingly enough, no! Voices of Our Future is fully embodying the spirit of web 2.0 from start to finish, which means your application \"form\" will ultimately be editorial assignments posted to your journal and activity across the site.

What is the purpose of this group?
Knowing that many of our members are working out of costly Internet cafes or under conditions where Internet access is inconsistent, we created this group to provide 1) a simple way for you to let us know that you want to participate in the application process without making you download, print out, fill out and mail in or submit a form, and 2) a central space for questions and updates about the application process.

Should I start sending stories of my choice or will I be told what to write about?
Formal assignments will be given as part of the application process that will begin on March 15. In the meantime, please feel free to write in your journal and post comments on PulseWire, meet some of our 1600 members from over 100 countries, and share your visions and solutions for women's empowerment. Our dream is that the applicants connect and start to get to know each other.

I've posted many of my stories to this group journal. Will they be counted in my application?
While we are overjoyed with the level of activity we have seen in this group, these stories will not be counted in application process.

Where should I post my stories?
So our entire community can connect with you, we recommend that you post stories to your own journals, in other group journals or through some of the other features on PulseWire.

I still don't understand. What should I be doing until March 15th?
That's a great question! For Voices of Our Future, you do not need to be doing anything specifically. However, we encourage you to dive in and meet other women from around the world. You can do that, for example, by creating or writing in your online journal, commenting on other journal entries, inviting other members to join your \"friends\" or by joining and engaging in groups.

A month-long application process makes me wary. Can you tell me more?
Absolutely! From March 15th to April 15th, applicants will embark on the first leg of a journey on the frontiers of new media. Our application process is unique in that World Pulse and our program partners are integrating training elements and online support into the application process. By participating, you will:
- Learn the political landscape of women and media
- Learn the importance of citizen journalism for women's empowerment
- Learn the opportunities provided by new media
- Understand the World Pulse editorial cycle
- Understand the purpose of all features of PulseWire
- Be able to answer: what is a blog?
- Know what makes a good blog

How much time should I plan on devoting to this process?
Each applicant can expect to spend approx. 2-3 hours per week during the month-long process.

Are men eligible to participate in the Voices of Our Future Application Process?
Voices of Our Future is a program for women only. We hope, however, that men will support this program by both encouraging their female friends, family and colleagues to apply, and supporting their voices through encouragement and comments.

Can I participate in another language?
As this is our pilot year and we are a small team, we are not able to translate our materials into other languages. However, we still encourage non-English speaking women to apply. The Google Translate feature in the upper right hand corner of our site makes cross-language communication an exciting, and very real, option. Additionally, interested women are encouraged to invite friends, family or colleagues to help translate their posts. Being on the frontiers of new media means being innovative and creative in finding solutions to barriers and challenges. The sky truly is the limit.

Can you assist me with cyber cafe charges/access to the Internet so that I can participate in VOF?
We are thrilled to have you apply for World Pulse's Voices of Our Future program! Although we cannot provide financial assistance to help with costly Internet Cafe charges, we may be able to pair women with our partners in a limited number of circumstances. If you are facing circumstances that present true barriers to access, we encourage you to ask for support in finding access on our Resource ExChange bulletin board. You may also email the following information to voicesofourfuture@worldpulse.org:

Name and username
City/Town, State and Country
Email address
Current access to Internet
Description of barrier
List of known international development agencies (NGOs and CBOs) in your area

What dates I should be aware of?
March 14: Last day to join Voices of Our Future group. Group will be closed.
March 15: Application process begins
March 21: 1st Application Assignment Due
March 28: 2nd Application Assignment Due
April 3rd: 3rd Application Assignment Due
April 15th: Final Application Assignment Due
April 15: Application process ends
May 1: Correspondents announced!
June 1: Voices of Our Future program begins
September 30: Voices of Our Future program ends