Joomla is one of the most popular CMS choices available today. What if it also became the CMS that is trying to make the world a better place? We have the community, the skills, and the resources. We have a generous tradition of giving back.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending JoomlaDay Denmark. I was invited there to talk about the Joomla Community Magazine. When all speakers were invited to submit a second topic for a workshop or short session, Paul Orwig and I put our heads together around an idea Paul had been talking about for a couple of months. He had been encouraging OSM to brainstorm about ways to think bigger, to think beyond our daily involvement, our current scope, and come up with a really big idea of how to add a new dimension to our project.

Individuals and user groups around the world are already reaching out in their communities. Many Joomla site builders create or maintain websites for local charities or non-profits. We shared our idea with Sander Potjer of the Community Leadership Team (CLT), who responded positively and said his user group was already thinking about organizing an effort along these lines.

As one of the world's leading FOSS CMS projects, Joomla has a huge worldwide community that is centered around helping and sharing with others. Joomla attracts broad and steady media attention, and we have a popular website that gets millions of page views every month. We have over 150 user groups around the world that are meeting regularly, and JoomlaDay events and conferences happen throughout the year. Why not use all of these resources to help promote and organize programs centered around using Joomla to support charities and worthy causes?

Encouraged to think bigger, we decided that Denmark was a good place to try out our idea and start collecting reactions and feedback. We submitted the topic of "Using Joomla To Make The World A Better Place". The organizers liked it and added it to the program during a full group time slot. Paul and I gave our presentation which we will be showing again at the Joomla World Conference.

The attendees responded with enthusiasm. Several people spoke of websites they are involved with for a groups that could use more help. A PR specialist offered to share some support materials, and spoke of a website for women helping other women in difficulty. There was an offer of free web hosting.

Denmark is ready! And I think that's a good sign that the rest of the world is ready too.

If you're coming to the JWC, come hear our talk on Sunday. Stay tuned for more info as this idea grows and takes shape. There is a lot to organize and we need your input to make it successful. We are starting a volunteer database of people, skills and ideas. If you have thoughts to share, please drop us a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Together let's make the world a better place with Joomla!