Connecting Haiti’s Missing in Virtual Worlds

By Ronnie Rhode

For most of us seeing images and watching videos of the tragic events following the earthquake in Haiti, the closest we come to helping Haiti find their missing is a donation. We hear about the thousands of missing people in Haiti, and pray the searchers find answers for families who need to grieve, but don’t know if they are grieving for a death or for a loved one who needs to be found.

Those in virtual worlds, however, are not limited by geography. In Second Life, an area called The Garden for the Missing http://slurl.com/secondlife/Remora/203/149/21 set up a special area where anyone concerned about a missing friend or relative may post their missing person poster, URL of a website, and even audio clips. Visitors to this virtual space may post their prayers and condolences.

“For three years, The Garden for the Missing has been dedicated to raising awareness of the tragedy of missing persons,” says Denise Harrison, founder of the project that features 200 interactive posters of missing persons in the U.S.  “It made sense to provide a space where people can get word out about their missing loved ones. It is also open for anyone to come post a message to show that the world cares about the tragedy in Haiti, and about the massive amount of missing people yet to be found. Second Life is the ideal location to provide this service because of its huge international membership. People from around the world may come to leave messages of hope to those who need them.”

Harrison says there is also a sign with a link that goes to the International Red Cross webpage where people may make donations from within the virtual world. Second Life® is a 3D virtual world created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of residents from around the globe.