Web 2.0 - Arcade of Possibilities

One of Shakespeare’s most commonly used expressions is ‘All the world is a stage. All the world is a market’. Indeed, this is true considering that all over the world, people irrespective of race, religion, skin or gender live in a marketplace or open space full of diverse challenges and gaps that need to be met. Everyday, we all compete in this race for survival and put up various ‘acts’ on the stage of life to ensure that all our needs are met either at home, work or warfront. Survival and salvation are always on our minds and achieving change is the major goal.

And then the whistle goes and everyone goes to the market to get what best suits or meets his or her needs. Now in the market, we meet with different dealers or shopkeepers to obtain our goods. However, some of these products come in various shades, models and sizes, while others actually are out of stock and need to be imported before the perceived need can be met. Also, others are obsolete and new improved ones are being introduced to replace them. Indeed, there is always a choice to make – either good or bad, and sometimes some forms of bargaining to get value for money. In the long run, the ultimate aim is achieved and the whole process is adjudged worthwhile. So it is with the advent of Web 2.0 – the development marketplace.

What excites me most about this market (Web 2.0) are its various pathways and dimensions, vast opportunities, diversity, scope and leverage that citizens all over the world get for its usage over the years. The list is endless. Since I signed up on Facebook, Twitter and Skype in the course of my work as a development worker, I have seen the overwhelming volume of written and spoken words released each day, as well as the underlying influence of how the new media is transforming the way we communicate and how this is related to different aspects of social cohesion, knowledge and information sharing. While reading stories from other cultures regarding violence against women, I have seen just as in the market, how men and women approach, trade and tackle women issues differently. It took courage, set goals, hard work and belief in womanhood. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

In addition, Web.2.0 provides an opportunity to identify with and feel the pains, suffering, individual hopes, challenges and successes of brave and courageous women, all over the world in order to move the women agenda forward. Through Web 2.0, opportunities for networking for progress, individual/ collective learning and exchanges, freedom of expressions and association, cooperation and productive partnerships are also explored and established. It is such a great motivation.

For me, Web 2.0 is simply an arcade of possibilities, a platform for nurturing and sustaining sisterhood relationships and partnerships, towards advancing women empowerment. With the endless opportunities that abound with Web 2.0, I believe with a high aptitude, a great attitude and a point of view that’s different, women will be certainly be enabled to take over the world.