Jananas

Akoha defines themselves as “a launchpad for traveling acts of kindness.” To me they are more that. They are also about re-establishing friendships outside of the Internet, i.e. not just stalking statuses on FaceBook or Twitter, but rather taking someone for a coffee or a drink in the real world. They are, to a lesser extent extent, about spending time with friends without having to spend a huge amount of money. They are about enhancing reality using an online experience, not defining your reality as your online experience. To further this I’d like to suggest the following missions, which I believe continue along those lines:

• Sing someone happy birthday (instead of just buying the birthday guy/gal a drink)
• Play a boardgame with friends
• Take someone to a museum or art gallery (in this case, also helps support local institutions)

I saw an ad this week for a special on CTV, called “To hell with it: the decline of civility” in modern society, airing tonight at 7pm. This struck a chord with me, given how close it is being released relative to the launch date for Akoha. Mostly because I believe that “playing it forward” is beginning to bring that level of thoughtfulness and civility back into our direct world and daily existance. One of the mission cards is to say thank you, which is a wonderful sentiment and something that is often forgotten (and something that is sadly lacking in our current political environment).

It may be idealistic, but I do believe that we, as individuals, have the power to change the world around us. By stepping back, taking a moment, smiling at the world, and taking the time to thank people for their help we can reverse the slow slide into rudeness.

More from jananas

• The Hybrid Generation
• Thoughts on Rotman’s Integrative Thinking Program
• Akoha Beta!