In the World This Week: Crowdfunding Refugee Aid & Weight-Powered Lamps

September 14, 2015 · In The News

In the World This Week: Crowdfunding Refugee Aid & Weight-Powered Lamps

The refugee crisis is in newspaper headlines all over the world – people are fleeing their war-torn homes, and governments have been slow to react. Tired of feeling powerless as the death toll rises and migrants are corralled in soccer stadiums, the crowd is acting. There are over 1,500 campaigns on Indiegogo to help refugees in a variety of ways. From a search-and-rescue boat called the “People’s Armada” to prevent even more people from drowning on the mediterranean, to a program that sponsors families during the immigration and settling down process in Canada. Rather than living in the realm of social media, these campaigns mean that, in CEO Slava Rubin’s words, “We’re seeing a lot more coordination between online and offline.” The power of good thoughts is turning into action.

Tech News

You should see the mess of cables around my dad’s desk. It’s truly appalling, and as someone who often trips over my own feet, dangerous. Wireless charging table FurniQ is cleaning things up and saving me from embarrassment, and looking good while doing it.

“Let there be light…again” said the makers of GravityLight when they launched their second campaign. GravityLight2 still uses the force from pulling up a heavy object for power, but improved the design of GravityLight(1), making a pulley system that reduces the weight by 3/4 so that even the tiniest person can use it. It also comes with a string of mini lights that can illuminate a whole room. For people who have long relied solely on dangerous and expensive kerosene lamps, GravityLight2 is light changing. As usual, pun intended.

Personal Fundraising News

Anyone who has ever dealt with the healthcare system and isn’t a billionaire knows how deeply flawed it is, and how difficult it is to get treatment even for the most basic ailments. For people with serious illnesses, the frustration is the cherry on top of endless suffering, confusion, and sadness. Thanks to Indiegogo Life, the parents of three-year-old Carson and two-year-old Chase Miller, who both have cerebral palsy have been able to at least alleviate some of the financial burden caused by serious illness. Medical fundraising means the difference between life and death for patients all over the world.

Your fellow humans are pretty cool, aren’t they? There is a lot you can do with your ideas too, and you can start a campaign today to do it.

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