MobileActive.org

SMS or text messaging is a feature available on all mobile phones which allows a small amount of text to be sent between one user and another. Text messaging has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among youth, and it is being adopted by non-profit organizations as a communications channel.

This “quick start” guide is intended to demystify SMS and help get you set up to using text messaging in your work in the shortest possible time. The guide is not intended to serve as a comprehensive look at the use of SMS, but rather provides a short overview of SMS considerations and an introduction into how it works. 

This practical guidebook is a must-have for every nonprofit and political organization interested in reaching youth. The book clearly and concisely details the ways in which new media has been used successfully –and unsuccessfully– to recruit, organize, and engage young people. Importantly, it ties online efforts to offline action. Chapter 4 focuses on mobile phones, using sms text messaging, what it is, how it works, and how to get started.

This report was written by the organization Fahamu in preparation for a workshop to form regional network of activists who use mobile technology in Africa in May 2007. The report looks into the use of mobile technology in Africa by human rights and social justice organizations. The report seeks to establish who is using or developing mobile phone technology in relation to human rights and social justice in Africa. It also provides a background synopsis of mobile phone technology and activism in Africa, an assessment of those who have used mobile phone technology for social activism and/or service delivery and an impression of groups who may be interested in or planning to use mobile phone technology in the future.