Billabong: Online Global Children’s Community

GLOBIO’s initial long-term goal was to create a global children’s online community, a place where kids discover the world and each other, through open, free and civil dialogue, shared activities and exploring one another's lives, culture and interests – that is the place we call the Billabong. Read more

Unfortunately, despite the global power of the internet, no such place exists for kids, at least not quite yet. With the rapid changes in the internet and social media resources we are re-evaluating the approach needed to harness the funding, people and resources to expand further on our modest first steps at Billabong, such as Our Voice, as named by fifth-graders, and was visited in its Beta version (2008-9) by tens of thousands of kids from over 100 countries around the world. Frankly, we were a bit taken back by the overwhelming response kids gave us and are regrouping, rethinking and redesigning how we can better fulfill kid’s needs for a place to share their voices.

Some of the input from kids was amazing and thoughtful, but perhaps none was more touching than this from 15 year old student Aqsa Z. in Pakistan:

"What is the meaning of terrorism in your opinion and what do you think about my country? Do you think that its only Pakistan or Pakistani people who are terrorists? Don't you think that its somebody else who doesn't wants us to unite in this time? So that we can not stand up against them together and finally would you be my friend and tell people that PAKISTANIS ARE NOT TERRORISTS. I am a student just…[sic]"

Billabong can be a unique opportunity for kids to communicate given a chance – if you would like to support that opportunity please Donate Now to its development.