Episode 37 of The Drax Files opens the door on The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life. The episode opens with Drax asking Rhiannon Chatnoir (AKA Joyce Bettencourt) to quickly explain what the Nonprofit Commons is. The answer is that the Nonprofit commons consists over 60 global nonprofit organisations using the virtual world to fight for social good. This sounds very noble.

We get to learn a little about the sort of organisations that are part of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life with people talking about organisations such as :

Transgender American Veterans Association, which plays a role in ensuring transgender veterans receive care for any medical conditions that may arise and that they are treated with respect and dignity.

The Girls Project, which helps girls around the world get educated inside and outside the classroom.

Protect Yourself, which educates people regarding HIV/STIs and related conditions via emerging technologies, music, are, media and more.

Preferred Family Health Care, which deals with substance abuse in terms of treatment and prevention.

These are serious physical world issues which organisations are able to use the virtual world as part of their drive to make the world a better place.

The Nonprofit Commons itself is sponsored and hosted by Caravan Studios, who are a division of tech soup. Susan Tenby, who is founder of the Nonprofit Commons and Director of Social Community & Strategic Partnerships at Caravan Studios points out :

We have an ongoing community and that is key: technology in and of itself is not the answer and the reason why Second Life is so successful is because it brings people together. It just works.

This is an important point, the power in virtual worlds is with the community, without a community, no matter how good the technology is, it’s not likely to survive. The Nonprofit Commons and Second Life itself are still around because it’s where the people are and with people comes the community.

This is another excellent episode from Draxtor Despres and again we see people inside and outside the virtual world, providing the human touch. This episode also of course covers people working for social good, and that’s something that should be commended.

The video comes in at around three and a half minutes, but manages to pack a lot in and is well worth watching.