The
CARE Three Peaks Challenge, in association with Computer
Weekly, is looking for IT teams who are keen to do something
different.
Development
charity CARE International is giving IT staff the opportunity
to take on one of the UK's toughest physical challenges - climbing
the UK's three highest mountains in 24 hours.
Computer Weekly has teamed up with the charity to find those
willing to take on the task, and raise money for a good cause in
the process.
Teams who are already signed up to the trek say training and
fundraising for the event is fun and great for team building.
CARE International has good reason for increasing links with the
IT community, as the charity extends its use of technology in its
development and aid work.
War and blogging
Blogging is playing an increasingly important part in
communication from warzones. The medium allows civilians and aid
workers to tell the world what is going on in areas that
journalists often cannot get to.
Jawad Harb works for CARE and lives in Rafah, Gaza in an
apartment block with his wife and three children. He blogged
throughout the recent conflict, and used his generator to power his
internet connection when the electricity cut off. He says
airstrikes were usually the spark that jumpstarted him to write the
first words of a post, saying, "I wanted to use my voice to
represent the voiceless people during the war. I wrote my first
blog after a conversation I had with my 15-year-old daughter. I was
trying to calm her down, and told her the situation was temporary.
She replied, 'Dad, it's temporary forever.' After this, my blogging
developed."
Harb used blogging to help him communicate the message that the
war needed to end as "civilians, particularly innocent children,
were being killed".
He says blogging from civilians plugs the gaps in communication
that politicians often leave. "People here, in general, believe
that politicians are not able to conduct the proper message to the
world, and that blogs will do better in this regard than political
debates."
The aid worker predicts that the increasing ubiquity of blogging
means the medium will become more important in conflict. "I believe
blogging will continue to be an important part of conflict it
represents people's desires and ability to communicate. And the
best part about blogging is that people always find someone who
sums it up - whatever it is - better than they ever could."
Blogging's interactive style also helped Harb, who was one of
just a handful of bloggers in Gaza who managed to tell the outside
world what the conflict was like for them.
"The best part about blog writing is getting a reaction," he
says. "I had aspirations when I started that the communication it
enabled would flow both ways. I look for reaction and comments on
my posts, and when I get them I feel I am doing something
worthwhile."
Harb's blog attracted plenty of media attention and he was
interviewed by The Guardian, The Washington Post, CNN and Time
magazine.
He said the whole exercise helped him to get an idea of what
people outside of Gaza felt, and gain emotional support.
Getting involved
The team at IT
company Ixion Holdings has already signed up to support CARE's
development work, and team leader Chris Adams said those involved
are gaining a real sense of achievement in completing such a
difficult challenge.
The team has weekly meetings to make sure everyone is training,
and they already have £2000 towards their £6,000 fundraising
target.
To raise the money, the team is asking the company's suppliers
to visit its Just Giving page. It is also offering sponsorship
opportunities, organising a raffle and a company bowling night to
bring in funds.
He said, "It is a great opportunity to complete a well rounded
team-building event, along with raising funds for charity."
The challenge
The 2009 CARE 3 Peaks Challenge will see teams taking on the
three highest peaks in Scotland (Ben Nevis, 1,334m), England
(Scafell Pike, 978m) and Wales (Snowdon, 1,085m) in the target time
of 24 hours.
At the end of the weekend there will be a well-deserved
celebratory dinner and awards, followed by a party for those who
still have the energy. The event combines team-building among
colleagues and networking across the industry with the overall aim
of raising money for an important cause.
How to enter
The CARE 3 Peaks Challenge, scheduled for the weekend of 13-14
June 2009, is open exclusively to corporate teams of professionals
from the IT sector. If you and your colleagues have what it takes,
visit the CARE Challenge
website to register your team. Alternatively, call the CARE
Challenge team on 020 7934 9470.