Last year, hundreds of people in 202 international cities came together to organize Twestival, a community-fundraising event that gathers offline the most active people online (mainly on twitter).

The aim of the global event was to support and raise funds for @charitywater, an NGO that helps the almost 1 billion (or 1 in 6 people) in the world who don’t have access to clean and safe drinking water. Over 1,000 volunteers and 10,000 donors fundraised $250k+, which resulted in more than 55 wells in Uganda, Ethiopia and India having a direct impact for over 17,000 people.

By hosting local events to have fun and create awareness, Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good. All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go directly to projects.

This year, on Thursday 25 March 2010, the worldwide online community will come together again, but this time to support education.

At least 72 million people around the world are not enrolled in school, with girls accounting to 55% of the worldwide out-of-school population.

With such unjust figures increasing, Twestival global team and local organizers have selected @Concern Worldwide to be the recipient of the funds that will be raised this year because of their comprehensive and well-respected approach to education. This is an issue that involves many different elements- hunger, water, teacher training, building of schools, etc. We hope to use the power of our global event fundraising and social media influence as a vehicle to give people insight into this cause on a deeper level.

A non-governmental, international humanitarian organization founded in 1968, Concern is dedicated to the reduction of suffering and works towards the ultimate elimination of poverty. Their mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives - improvements they can sustain without ongoing support.

In the Levant region, Beirut and Amman will be taking part in this global initiative, leveraging on the fact that they are both one of the most active Arab countries on Twitter and have done a great job in pulling a successful local Twestival in September 2009.

The Lebanese and Jordanian joint Twestival will take place at the ArabNet conference, the premiere international conference about the web industry that will is being staged on that same day in Beirut. Since most of the active tweeps in both countries will be attending the conference, it was decided to create a joint Twestival on the first day of the conference, which happens to be on March 25, the day when the Global Twestival coincides.

Because education is the most powerful weapon that can actually empower individuals and provide them with the right tools in their quest change the world, their world at least, we are not only excited about this initiative, but also very keen on making it a phenomenal success.

On March 25, the online community of the world will gather offline to support this very important cause. Join us and let’s together create a difference and help make this world a better place. The more we are, the louder we can echo our Lebanese and Jordanian voices around the world, and the greater impact we can achieve.

Twestival Beirut-Amman is supported by ArabNet 2010 Conference and the Volunteer Matching website Nakhweh.com