What are some critiques of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
I think the ice bucket challenge campaign is a stroke of brilliance. I'm glad to see money donated to ALS research, because I think this is a very worthy cause. And I think the people participating have good intentions.I also think that campaigns like this feed into an incredibly worrying, incredibly damaging race-to-the bottom trend that is sacrificing the long-term sustainability of the nonprofit sector in order to manipulate short-term cultural memes.We are training our donors badly:Saying that "awareness building" one-shot clicktivism is just as good as / just as impactful as giving money or timeSaying that you can build awareness for a cause by merely shouting out a brand name -- understanding any basic information about the cause is not necessary or desirableSaying that only popular causes -- especially, causes with celebrity buy in -- are worth donating toSetting the expectation that any cause worth donating to will have flashy brands and/or gimmicks as part of its public imageSetting the expectation that any act of charity should be linked to "likes" and kudos from an admiring public/feed of friendsWe are training our funders and evaluators badly, demonstrating that:"Success" is measured in clicks and likes and celebrity head-counts, rather than actual impacts and outcomes"Sexy" nonprofits serving demographics with broad public appeal are the only ones that can compete on a national scaleWe are doing our beneficiaries a disservice:We're saying that the stories and needs of those who benefit from a nonprofit should be hidden and shoved out of the way in favor of the needs and amusement of attention-seeking Internet denizens who care more about being part of a meme than they do about the cause.I don't begrudge the ALS Foundation for taking advantage of this opportunity, and I recognize that the campaign has certainly helped raise funds for research. But flashy viral "awareness building" movements like this directly undermine efforts to build more accountability and outcomes evaluation into nonprofit work. And they set a line for separating "worthy" vs "unworthy" causes that has more to do with marketing budgets and social media innovation than it does with local, community impact.
What is the logic behind the famous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
It’s an activity to promote awareness about a disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to encourage donations for research of a permanent cure. It went viral on social media in July 2014. This rare disease occurs during old age and holds no relation to cold weather as people might think it to be. So, basically there's no logic behind this challenge except collecting charity and having fun.So, next time you nominate someone or someone nominates you, be sure to atleast share this information with your buddy, or make a little donation to support something good! :)
What is so great about the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" campaign?
The Ice Bucket Challenge is probably one of the very few social media campaigns, focusing towards a disease, that has gone viral. There are several reasons why I feel, this undoubtedly, would end up as one of the best campaigns this year.1. Spreading knowledge about ALSCall me ignorant, but I had no idea what ALS was until a month ago when I saw Andy Murray's Ice Bucket Video. I, then, Googled to figure out that ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is a disease that affects the nerve cells of the brain and spiral cord. I am pretty sure, still many people would still be unaware about what ALS actually stands for, but this campaign definitely would have increased the awareness.2. Spreading knowledge at a rapid paceAny campaign targeting towards spreading awareness about a topic takes its own course of time. But what ALS has been able to achieve, is a momentum like no other campaign, and thus spreading awareness about ALS to a large number of people in a short span of time. The campaign started gaining media attention only on 30th June 2014. It has not even been 8 weeks since the time and the campaign is trending virally across geographies.3. Celebrity ParticipationThis is one viral campaign which even celebrities are involved in and that too from different walks of life.The challenge has been taken up by Actors, Directors, Musicians, Fashion Personalities, TV Personalities, Political Figures, Sports Person, Tech Entrepreneurs and even some animals :)Here is a video of Roger Federer (Yes, I am a Federer Fan :) )4. Let's talk some numbers !! Shall we? - Staggering amount of money raised compared to last year when there wasn't any campaign. As of August 21, the ALS Association has received $41.8 million in donations compared to $2.1 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to August 21). - New number of donation usersThese donations have come from existing donors and 739,275 new donors to The Association.5. What is 'Not-so-Great' about the campaignThe main idea behind the challenge is that, either you accept it within 24 hours, or donate 100$ or both. This fact about 'donation' is hardly mentioned in any of the celebrity videos performing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. ConclusionThis somehow takes the shine away a bit, but still when you look at the numbers, they are simply staggering and you cannot refute the claim that this campaign is hugely successful.
Why has Obama decided not to do the ALS ice bucket challenge?
“Here’s a general rule,” the president joked. “You don’t put stuff on your head if you’re president. That’s politics 101. You never look good wearing something on your head.”Probably feels the same way about PR stunts and endorsing specific charities.Obama's "Politics 101": "You Don’t Put Stuff On Your Head If You’re President"
Is there a correlation between US politicians participating in the ALS Ice Bucket challenge and the diversion of media attention away from the conflicts in Iraq/Syria and Gaza?
In a sense I think it may be prioritizing or the freedom of choice in between two humanitarian case. However, just because the question clearly mentions the US, I assert the United States has always been the most generous to handle multiple task of aids at the same time. Yet, yes there is and always been competition between organizations to divert US attention to themselves in order to take the bigger share of the stake. International aid organizations have now turned to a prosperous business and affect natural flow of US supports.
Who started the ALS challenge and how did this start going viral?
"On July 15, golfer Chris Kennedy did the ice-bucket challenge and challenged his cousin Jeanette Senerchia of Pelham, N.Y., whose husband, Anthony, has had ALS for 11 years. A day later she did the challenge while her 6-year-old daughter filmed her in front of their house.Ms. Senerchia's network on Facebook connected with Pat Quinn, a 31-year-old in Yonkers, N.Y., who was diagnosed with ALS in March 2013. "A friend of mine was a friend of theirs and when they commented on it I saw it," said Mr. Quinn.Mr. Quinn called upon his friends and family. Soon, his whole network was posting challenges, including family in Florida, friends in Ireland and Greece, and a bar full of locals, which was broadcast on local television.Mr. Quinn's Facebook network overlapped with Pete Frates, a 29-year-old former Boston College baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease two years earlier. Mr. Frates, once a top athlete, lost his ability to talk several months ago, can't move his arms or legs and relies on a feeding tube.In Boston the challenge went viral as professional baseball players who knew Pete from college lined up to do the challenge, followed by politicians, celebrities and business leaders."http://online.wsj.com/articles/h...