Blogging is an immediate way to speak out about an issue that you care about and join a dialogue with others who share your interests and causes. Take the conflict in Congo, for instance. If you have a personal blog, you could publish a post that tells readers why you're concerned about the use of rape as a weapon of war in Congo. or about why your readers should learn about the trade in conflict minerals that is one of the main drivers of the conflict. If you come across an interesting article that relates to an issue you're passionate about, you could post an excerpt on your blog and tell your readers why the story is important.

Commenting on other people's blogs is another great way to raise awareness. By posting a comment, you can draw connections between topics that the blogger may not be familiar with, suggest readers take a look at additional resources on a topic, and add your own insights to the conversation. For instance, if you find yourself reading a blog post about the cool perks of a new kind of cell phone, you could (politely) mention in a comment that there are links between the mineral trade in Congo that makes these fancy gadgets possible and the sexual violence taking place in Congo today. Of course, when commenting on blogs, it's always good form to keep your thoughts respectful and relevant, even if you disagree with what a blogger has written. Be sure to check back to see what others have said and stay involved in the conversation.

TIPS FOR BLOGGING

* Links are great - include links that may help the reader learn more about what you are writing about
* Your opinion is key in a blog post - be expressive!
* Less is more - Don't write too much to the point where you may lose your reader
* Edit! Make sure you proofread and edit before you post

Similar conversations are also going on via Twitter. Anyone can follow the exchanges, but to contribute, you have to create a username. Within your community of followers and people you're following, you can advocate for issues you're passionate about. In just 140 characters or less, you can voice your opinion on issues or post links to useful articles and blog posts that you've read. You can also join in conversations with others who share your interests by using a system of hashtags that aggregates all the Tweets on a given topic. For instance, everyone who's Tweeting about Congo and conflict minerals can use the hashtag #conmins to group all the conversation on the topic.

Take a look at these helpful sites for more info:

* http://www.blogger.com and http://www.wordpress.org will let you create your own blog.
* http://tinyurl.com/ will allow you to take a long link and shorten it to a tiny link that will save you characters when twittering.
* Check out the Enough Project's own blog where you will find current posts about Congo and other crises, as well as a list of other blogs that we recommend. 

See you in the blogosphere!