Hopenhagen. Join the Movement!

Hopenhagen is a movement, a movement and a chance at a new beginning... a grassroots movement.

This December, world leaders will gather at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to determine the fate of our planet. The hope is to turn Copenhagen into Hopenhagen... and "Hopenhagen" is a movement to create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. Hopenhagen is change — and it can be powered by all of us.

The hope that in Copenhagen – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – leaders of the world can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time.

"Hopenhagen" is about change – It has a simple mandate, connect every person, every city, and every nation to Copenhagen. Not that simple, but as we learn everyday that the globe is getting smaller and smaller. in addition, to give everyone hope, and a platform from which to act, and to create a grassroots movement that’s powerful enough to influence change.

Using several "socila media" platforms, "Hopenhagen" has developed one of the best in terms of engagement, they created a Passport connected exclusively with a Facebook apps and Facebook group with 8,550+ members at the time of writing this. The Passport allows for individuals to collect a series of "stamps" for various deeds completed such as committing to sending out an email to encourage others to join, sign petitions etc. Members earn points and can see their rank ridse with others around the world.

Why am I joining "Hopenhagen"? We are in much worse shape now than anyone could have anticipated, but we've also never been closer to rallying the world leaders to solving the problem of global warming once and for all.

Maybe, just maybe we can make a difference.

Hey it's worth a shot!

I wanted to also bring to your attention if you were not follow another grassroots effort to announce the "Copenhagen" conference, earlier this spring several of my the students entered the YouTube Young Lions competition to gain a seat on the beach at Cannes during the Cannes Advertising Festival.

The competition was based around the development of a :60 second message that will tell people why December's UN climate change summit in Copenhagen is one of the most important meetings in human history, and that the clock is ticking on our chances to save the world from the effects of climate change. Basically,this and future generations need all governments to sign an ambitious agreement to secure our future.  What's at stake if the summit fails to reach an agreement? Poor countries will be hit even harder by the effects of climate change, mass migrations will become commonplace and food and water will become more scarce.

According to the YouTube Young Lions site, it was a difficult choice for the judges and a close-run finish. the sheer quality of the entries received, both in terms of creativity and execution, as well as the work and time that went into getting votes and views was nothing short of outstanding. The competition received 692 entries and over 100,000 votes in two weeks.

Adeline Chew (27) from Malaysia and Guy Dayan (27) from Israel have won the viral ad competition to promote Oxfam's climate change campaign and will now become 'Team YouTube', the 39th team competing in the 2009 Young Lions Film Competition.

Rory Sutherland, Vice-chairman, Ogilvy Group UK and one of the contest judges, said: "It is chastening to all of us to see that good ideas and excellent executions can be created in 48 hours."

Creatives were given 48 hours to submit their one-minute ad and then had a further two weeks to make their YouTube ad go viral by any means necessary.

Above was my personal favorite. The clock is ticking, time is running out and we need to find it in our hearts to cahnge.

Below are the two winning entries that found the winners competiting during the Young Lions at the Cannes Festival in June.

Guy Dayan - Mizbala, Israel

Adeline Chew - JWT, Malaysia