Spreading the word in a virtual world

There are KFTC chapters across the state, and groups host house parties in other states and even other countries…but look out KFTC, the newest activist group might be bringing a petition for membership to the general meeting from…another world. There is now a KFTC group in Second Life, an online virtual world, and our first project was to provide a KFTC presence on the panel at the opening ceremonies of a virtual mining community game which was developed in conjunction with the movie Deep Down.

The panel, from left to right:

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  Rik Panganiban [Rik Riel], Assistant Director, Global Kids



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  Sally Rubin [Tracks Elcano], filmmaker and game producer, Deep Down



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  Beth Rosdatter [Frederica Lexenstar], educator and activist, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth



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  Jen Gilomen [Girl Tenk] ], filmmaker and game producer 



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  Wendy Levy [Shayna Capalini], Director of Creative Programs, Bay Area Video Coalition



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  Bernhard Drax [Draxtor Depres], Second Life journalist, moderator

Yes, I’m serious. Here’s a link. To call this virtual space a game does not do it justice. It IS a great game, with fun activities that will keep a whole class occupied while they learn about the realities of MTR mining and life in the coalfields. First they have to clear and blow up a mountain, use a dragline to fill trucks, load the coal in a train and do it quickly. They follow the coal to a power plant and watch as electricity made from it energizes a town. Players race to conserve energy, and then the most challenging part: build and assemble alternative, sustainable, sources of energy. I have to report that the group of educators I was playing with did not do very well on this task. Hopefully our students will do better.

But this model is so much more than just a game. It will introduce the world to the horrors of MTR mining, yes, but also to the beauty of our mountains. The model town manages to feel like a homey community, even when no people are in the buildings. And there is a wonderful gathering space, with square dancing and multimedia equipment for presentations.

Virtual worlds have amazing potential for outreach. For one thing there is the potential to make 3-d models such as this, and for another, you can have (almost) face-to-face discussions with people from around the world, at any time of the day when you log on. Look at the group eating cheeseburgers in the last picture: there are people present from three states, Australia, Canada and Germany. I recently traded arrest stories online with an activist fighting pit mining (similar to MTR) in New Zealand.

C’mon, make an avatar, log on, join KFTC-SL and collect your free virtual activism tool kit! It’ll be fun…

More photos

Watching the dragline from the safe area.

Fredi touring the town and working on energy conservation.

The team assembling solar and wind power systems.

A group of KFTC-SL members and allies take a break for chicken and cheeseburgers after a hard day of sustainable building.