Your Ultramodern Philanthropy
Philanthropy is perhaps as old as mankind. Even in the most ancient recorded past, we come across many examples of philanthropic activities. Human beings donate money, various items, and even our body organs! We love doing charity—maybe because of religious beliefs, for peace of mind, as a gesture of kindness, societal obligation, to get rid of non-useful things, or sometimes just for the sake of—but almost each one of us is involved in philanthropy in some form or the other.
Everything around us is undergoing change, so how can philanthropy be an exception? In modern times of transhumanism, humanoid robots, 3D printing, and virtual reality, philanthropy is undergoing a transformation as well. There is a change not only in the things we can donate, but also in the way we donate. Many Innovative channels for donating things are emerging.
What philanthropic activity do you expect to perform using your smartphone? Donating money to someone by transferring it into their account? Offering help by way of calling relatives or authorities in times of distress? Well, you are on the right track there, but these are no longer the only philanthropic activities available to you via your mobile phone.
More power to research:-
Samsung has created a new mobile app called Power Sleep that lets you donate unused computing power to scientific research. By using this utility, your mobile’s CPU cycles would be pooled to create a “supercloud computer” that is accessible to researchers all over the world.
Samsung’s Power Sleep app
Donate your voice:-
If you think you can donate only your blood, sperm, or body organs, then think again. Researchers are developing an app called VocaliD that allows people to donate their voice to be customized into synthetic speech for those who are unable to speak. The app is being developed under a program that aims to give a voice to those with severe speech impediments caused by a stroke, Parkinson’s, or Cerebral Palsy, for example.
VocaliD – An app to donate your voice
Donate with your heart:-
Many new innovative ways are becoming available for us to engage in philanthropic activities. Ad agency Y & R has created an innovative donation booth called “The Blind Booth” for an organization called Jose Antonio Pardo Foundation, which works for blind children. The booth is pitch black inside and it lets donors experience what it is to be blind. The booth also deters donors from seeing how much they are actually donating, and urges them to donate with their heart and not with their eyes.
The Blind Booth
Philanthropy is at the heart of all the good that is happening in our world. Each one of us engages in some way in philanthropic activities. How do you think this engagement will be in the future? How will it shape our world tomorrow? Only time will tell!