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Photo Credit: nrivera
On April 5, local storytellers from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds will share how they’ve used social media to create meaningful communities online with interested members of the public at the Vancouver Public Library. #NetCulture: Stories of Culture and Diversity in Social Media is a free event co-sponsored by the VPL, Net Tuesday Vancouver and Cooperative Culture—an initiative spearheaded by my friends, Ajay Puri and Sean Stiller.
The event is designed to showcase how individuals (and organizations) are using tools like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to strengthen and celebrate their diverse identities, roots and connections. In Kety Esquivel’s words, “multicultural social media looks at difference and acknowledges we are not all the same.”
As the VP of Digital Strategy at Ogilvy Public Relations and a long-time advocate for the Latino community, Kety will join the event as the keynote speaker via Skype. She will take questions so I’ll be re-reading her article, 3 Reasons You Should Care About Multicultural Social Media & 3 Tips for Multicultural Social Media Success in preparation.
The main act is six rapid-fire talks loosely based on the “PechaKucha” style of presentation. Each of the speakers will have seven minutes to share their personal stories. Stories will range from Ashok Puri’s tips on joining the global couch-surfing community through Facebook and YouTube to how Jay Catalan and RJ Aquino are using social media to create a bridge for young Filipinos in Vancouver to connect with their culture, heritage and history.
- Kety & Ashok
Kety Esquivel 
Ashok Puri - Jay & RJ
Jay Catalan 
RJ Aquino - Ray & Zi-Ann
Ray Hsu 
Zi-Ann Lum - Paola & Norma
Paola Viviana Murillo 
Norma Ibarra - Veronica & Jordana
Veronica Heringer 
Jordana Mah
Once all the presenters have spoken, they will form a panel and field questions from the audience. For me, this is another excellent example of peer-to-peer sharing in the local community that complements events hosted by industry experts.
What will you ask #NetCulture speakers? Step up to the mic on Tuesday, April 5 at the VPL or post/tweet your question to @CoopCulture. On the day of the event, you’ll also be able to follow along via live blog.
#NetCulture: Stories of Culture and Diversity in Social Media
Date
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Time
7-9PM
Location
Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
The event is free, but advance registration is required.
