If you’re on Twitter, you’ve probably heard of Tweetsgiving (which starts today!) and the Twitter Kids of Tanzania. In last night’s The Social Nerdia Show! I had an awesome conversation with Stacey Monk, founder of Epic Change, the non-profit organization behind Tweetsgiving that “invests in people with incredible stories“. It was easy to see that Stacey’s heart is as big as her dreams to make a difference the world.  Her story is quite powerful and so is the story of those that her organization is helping and working with.

Listen to the entire conversation with Stacey on the Flash player below. You can also subscribe to us on iTunes, stream from mobiles on Stitcher, and listen to upcoming shows LIVE on blogtalkradio.

“We believe there are incredible people across the globe that are creating change in their own community; we try to amplify their visibility and impact,” explained Stacey about what drives Epic Change. Tweetsgiving was a project that Epic Change “imagined six days before American Thanksgiving in 2008 with six volunteers, and launched only 48 hours before Thanksgiving.”

The Tweetsgiving idea was simple: ask people to share about what they were thankful for and ask them to donate to the project if they felt moved to do so. The result was over $10,000 in donations that were invested to build a classroom at a school founded by Tanzanian Epic Change fellow “Mama Lucy” Kamptoni, a woman who used her own money to open up a school that today serves more than 300 kids.

The Twitter handles of those who made donations were painted in the room so it is no coincidence that Twitter and the “@” symbol have become quite popular in the school in Tanzania. These days, Mama Lucy and the kids have become passionate users of the microblogging platform and you can follow them yourself here. ”They do not yet have a library, but they access to a world of information!,” Stacey said with much excitement about the kids’ access to the internet, which has been made possible thanks to a recently donated Technology Lab.

The goal for Tweetsgiving 2009 is much larger than that of 2008 and Stacey told me that it includes building a library, a cafeteria, and a dorm for the kids in Tanzania. This year’s celebration is about honoring Mama Lucy and all the change makers around the globe who “seldom get thanked or seen or heard.” People and volunteers from every continent across the U.S. will get together this week to give thanks and give back.

The power of social media is evident when you realize that it has allowed two very different worlds to meet, communicate, collaborate, and celebrate together. This is only a small examle of what happens when people rally behind a good cause.

Stacey’s passion for what she’s doing is contagious and her appreciation for the rewards of her work are very clear to her. She explained that “we have just as much to learn from them as we have to offer them; I really do think they have powerful lessons to teach us about hope and even about things like efficiency.”

Stacey, who has worked in management and IT consulting in the past, decided to focus her time and efforts to something worthwhile only a couple of years ago. It was a trip to Africa in 2007 that motivated her to focus her attention on creating sustainable change. Her dream for Epic Change is “to be able to continue to do this work and discover amazing change makers like Mama Lucy to invest in them so they can realize their vision of transforming their communities.”

The whole idea of community is changing and more than ever before we have the technology to speak to one another not as demographics and psychographics, but as people. As Stacey emphasized, “it’s a very different conversation when we stop talking about peoples’ poverty and we start talking to them as human beings.”

“What if we know Gideon (one of the kids in Tanzania) because he’s Tweeting and Tumbling, just like we know Johnny who lives across the street?,” Stacey wondered out loud. The world is flattening and feeling smaller. The internet has truly made it possible for people to have opportunities they would not have otherwise. I would not be surprised if some of the Twitter Kids of Tanzania get involved with content production, media, design web development,  or who knows, maybe even social media consulting. The opportunities are endless and anyone is able to help create positive change where change is much needed and much appreciated.

This thanksgiving, I’m thankful for changemakers and Stacey Monk is certainly one of them. Make sure to check out www.tweetgiving.org an follow the #tweetsgiving meme on Twitter.

After befriending children with no shoes in Argentina, Blake Mycoskie decided he wanted to help. He started TOMS Shoes in 2006 with a simple idea: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.” The shoes were designed after the Argentine “alpargata” and 10,000 pairs were sold in the first year. The company has given away over 150,000 pairs of shoes to kids all over the world.

At the young age of 33, Blake has not only created an admirable brand, but he has also built a platform that allows anyone to provide a basic need to those that are often forgotten and ignored.

1. I love your quote: “I don’t want to be remembered for what I did, but what I gave away.” Have you always had this philosophy or did it develop over time?

As you grow and have different experiences, you learn what you want out of your life and what direction you will pursue. The things I have learned and people I have met over time have shaped my philosophy and have guided me to where I am now.

2. Designing a new type of shoe, starting a non-profit and building a brand that incorporates both seems like a lot to take on, did you ever consider partnering with a brand that already existed?

TOMS was such a unique model from the start, and we broke the mold in some respects of how most businesses operate, so we wanted to show others that this idea of incorporating giving could work on its own. It’s great now to be at a point where we can do some amazing collaborations with other brands like Ralph Lauren, Element Skateboards and even Dave Matthews Band.

3. What goes into the planning and execution of a shoe drop?

Our team in Argentina partners with hard-working non-profits to ensure the shoes get to the right communities around the world. We also have a team at our HQ in Santa Monica that organizes the Shoe Drop Tour experience for volunteers.

4. You’ve mentioned how a simple pair of shoes really empowers others to “go places” and obtain education, work, etc. Are there any plans for TOMS to expand into global initiatives around clean water, AIDS prevention, malnutrition, etc.?

We recognize there are other needs in the world, and look forward to the day when we can address them. Giving shoes helps empower individuals to rise up and begin addressing these issues within their own communities as well.

5. Having done relief work both near and far, how have the US shoe drops changed your perspective in regards to poverty here at home?

I’ve realized that the need in the United States is very different than our international efforts. For the US Shoe Drops, just being a friend for a day or engaging in a real conversation with those children has a huge impact. We bring white canvas TOMS to the children in the US to participate in a Style Your Sole, where the kids can express themselves and decorate their own pair of TOMS. One of the Spring Vagabonds came with us to New Orleans this past March. After helping a child color his shoes he told her, “You are the nicest person I’ve ever met.” What could be better than that?

6. While others are making wins in the area of technology you seem to have taken a “back to the basics” approach when it comes to businesses built around laundry service, billboards, and shoes. Why do you think it’s worked out so well?

TOMS has been successful because the concept is simple and people can relate to it. There are no complicated formulas; with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.

7. You’ve mentioned that a lot of your ideas and inspiration come from Richard Branson. Why him?

Richard Branson started off as a young entrepreneur and has successfully launched numerous companies under the Virgin brand. He has created a solid, consistent brand that everyone recognizes. I want to take TOMS to that level!

Kara Andrade from HablaHonduras and I have a panel up for consideration for the 2010 SXSW Interactive Festival and we’d appreciate it so much if you guys voted for us and commented here on SXSW’s PanelPicker.

Labor Day is the last day to vote!

You can also help us spread the word by sharing this link http://bit.ly/votesxsw with everyone you know.

The title of the panel is “Here Come All the Latino Bloggers” and we intend to boldy go where few Latinos have been expected to go before. You might have noticed the lack of latino representation at everybody’s favorite interactive event in Austin, TX, but I am proud to announce that the Latino blogger, columnist, and citizen journalist has finally arrived.

Our panel will be about what is happening online and offline in Latin America, including Streisand effects, citizen journalism, jounalism 2.0, social injustice, and the digital divide.

The panel will also let you find out out more about the bloggers that are leaving a mark in the US and worldwide in the name of Latin America when it comes to politics, social justice, marketing, music, and technology.

By the way, here are some of the questions we hope to answer with out panel:

1. What is the role of citizen media in the future media landscape in Latin America?
2. What are the main differences and challenges met compared to the US arena?
3. What is the role of the language for the media? Dual language or not?
4. How are these projects being funded and how are they sustaining themselves in developing markets?
5. What are the main challenges as far as technology?
6. What role does cellphone play in the landscape?
7. What privacy concerns do the introduction of citizen media in Latin America raise?
8. What are some case studies and best practices
9. Why don’t more people notice Latino bloggers and Latin American online media spaces?
10. What is the role of citizen media for emerging Spanish-speaking countries where democracy is shaky at best?

For the 3rd episode of The Social Nerdia Show! I interviewed Cameron Strang, founder and CEO of RELEVANT Magazine, a magazine that has become a leading voice among 18-34 year old, faith motivated individuals.

I have been a big fan of Relevant for many years so it was more than awesome to chat with Cameron to learn more about him and the company. You can stream the conversation on the BTR player below or download the podcast on iTunes, and read some of my thoughts below.

When asked about why he started the magazine, Cameron said that he wanted “to make a difference” and that at the time ”there was no magazine that blended life issues, faith, and culture.” The foundation of it all was Relevant Media Group, which still provides media and web consulting services, followed by the release of relevantmagazine.com, and finally the first issue of RELEVANT Magazine in 2003. Cameron and Relevant have been able to create creative, fun and thought-provoking media that has spread through word of mouth, a strong online community, and grassroot efforts.

A decade or so after Cameron’s dream began to become a reality,  he is still leading the company, which now has 40 bi-monthly issues and an audience that continues to grow, especially online. “We’re passionate about what we’re doing, all of our team works really hard,” he told me.

These days, after a much deserved sabbatical, Cameron is driving a lot of the social justice efforts that Relevant is involved with and focusing a lot more on the content for the magazine, web site and Relevant.TV. The high quality of such content is what makes Relevant possible (the magazine has to be good with that name, right?), and the very reason why you should check their stuff out.

We talked about a lot of other fun stuff, including the rapidly changing media lanscape, the dynamics of the Relevant Podcast, the problems with driving while on Twitter, the book “Flickering Pixels“, the tragic reality of monkey news, Cameron’s love for the Orlando Magic and the many iPhones he has lost, as well as the work that Relevant is doing in collaboration with A&E’s “The Cleaner”, and the long-term world changing efforts of RejectApathy (a partnership with the One Campaign).