Speak Kindly: Language learning for a cause.

This app is a language learning app, but with a twist: every time a user completes a lesson, it donates money to relief efforts in the country of the language the user is learning. For example, if the user is learning Japanese, completing a lesson may donate $1 towards relief efforts for the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan. The user will also be rewarded with achievements and badges in the app for things like completing a certain number of lessons, having a certain average score, and reaching a certain number of days practiced in a row. In addition, the user can choose which relief effort they would like to donate to. The app will also connect users with users who are learning the same language as them, but they will also be connected with users whose native language is the language that they are learning and are learning their native language. For instance, a user whose native language is French and learning Japanese will be connected with a user whose native language is Japanese and learning French.

The criteria I chose for this app is group dynamics. Learning a language allows a person to not only expand their understanding of human language, but also connect with people of different cultures. The addition of donating to a good cause and connecting with people who are learning the same language and native speakers of that language adds to the experience of interacting with different cultures. This is important to me and the community I am surrounded by, because I grew up in rural Maine with little to no interaction with people from other cultures than my own. Therefore, I have spent my teenage and adult life diving into other cultures and traditions. I have dipped my toes into learning different languages before settling with Japanese (I really like a challenge). It is also important for people as a whole to be exposed to diverse cultures, ideas, and traditions.

Those that will support this app include anyone who is interested in the cooperation between all peoples of the world. This includes those who work in human rights and world peace. Allowing people to come together to learn about each other will foster understanding and acceptance, which then leads to peace between countries. Perhaps this app will help in the fight to stop people from hating each other and instead working together to solve bigger problems in the world.

One cost that will impact this app will be the number of people who learn the languages of countries with a long history of colonization (French, European Spanish, etc.). Of course, there are noble causes within those countries, such as CARE, an organization dedicated to ending poverty in France. However, users should have the option to instead donate to organizations focused on countries that have been affected by colonization. For instance, someone learning French can instead choose to donate to organizations focused on helping indigenous Canadian communities, such as TrueNorthAid. For users learning Russian, they can choose to donate towards relief efforts in Ukraine or towards helping refugees fleeing Russia. The donation system will have to follow a certain set of moral principles. Another issue would be weeding out nonprofit organizations that are corrupt. Organizations such as Autism Speaks and Susan G. Komen for a Cure would not be organizations that would be available to donate to, as they have had a history of corrupt practices. Weeding out these organizations will be a difficult task, as it will require extensive research into their practices.