These days, technology has the capacity to change everything -- and mtvU is hoping the end of human slavery is within that reach.
MTV's 24-hour college network announced yesterday the launch of a new challenge as part of its mtvU Against Our Will Campaign. $10,000 will be awarded to a student who creates an innovative digital tool to raise awareness of modern-day slavery, according to a release from MTV.
"The 'Against Our Will Challenge' is the latest project in a string of successful student-led initiatives at MTV and mtvU," the release stated, "which have collectively reached more than 3 million users, resulted in more than 15 million game plays and led to nearly half a million actions taken."
One of those projects was the "Slavery Footprint Campus Challenge," which named Georgia Southern University as the national winner. The initiative urged students to use the Free World app from Slavery Footprint, an organization that surveys individuals about their lifestyle, then predicts how many slaves that lifestyle employs. The University won by taking more actions to address and demand slave-free products in their local businesses than the other schools that competed.
The anti-slavery campaign was initially announced by MTV in September at a Clinton Global Initiatives meeting that addressed worldwide trafficking.
"College students often wake up the world to atrocities," Stephen Friedman, President of MTV, said during the panel discussion. "What we will do in the campaign is follow these inspirational young people who are leading the charge. mtvU is giving them a microphone."
To learn more about mtvU's current contest, click here.
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