The “Metaverse in Solidarity” with Ukraine speaks Spanish by CARLOS MATÍAS
Javier Mariscal.
When Mark Zuckerberg launched Meta, perhaps he could have imagined its usefulness to solidarity. But he would hardly have thought that, months later, his Metaverse would be the decisive parallel reality to help the people of Ukraine. As it was, first, with the ‘punk-rock’ group “Pussy Riot”, of the Russian feminists Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsévich and Maria Aliójina, it again will be, from the end of April to the end of May, with an unprecedented initiative in the history of nine NGOs, a universal designer and two technology start-ups. This “Solidarity Metaverse” also speaks Spanish and is open to Latin America and the Hispanic community in the United States.
For the first time in history, the nine solidarity organizations Amnesty International, Ayuda en Acción, CEAR, Entreculturas, World Vision, Médicos del Mundo, Aldeas Infantiles, Oxfam Intermón and Educo have joined together in a coordinated action of solidarity with Ukraine. A “pilot experience” in Spain, which may continue in other countries around the world. These nine NGOs, which could be joined by others at the last minute, will raise funds to help the Ukrainian population from April 25 to May 25. They will do so on a “win-win” basis.
Donors of all economic levels and from all countries (especially, but not only, Spanish-speaking ones), will be able to acquire with their donation a piece of the unique edition of artistic works NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens, of blockchain technology), created expressly for Ukraine, in a limited edition of four designs and one thousand tokens, by the Spanish designer Javier Mariscal.
Mariscal is famous worldwide. Creator of the mascots for the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992 (Cobi) and the World Expo in Hannover, Germany, in 2000 (Twipsy), as well as the graphic concepts for the 32nd America’s Cup (Valencia, 2005) and numerous creations for international events in Japan, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany or France, among many other countries besides Spain.
Javier Mariscal is co-author of numerous architectural projects, such as the 150 Wellington Hotel in Toronto (Canada). In the photo illustrating this article on page 10, the designer appears working on a design that recalls the most famous kiss in the world: the passionate kiss given in Times Square (Manhattan, New York) by an American sailor and a nurse, carried away by the joy of the victory of the United States over Japan in 1945. Kiss immortalized by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt.
The two start-ups behind this unprecedented solidarity action are Colección NFT, specialized in NFT collections and the creator of the tokens, with blockchain technology, of this initiative, and Goldenrealm, a digital marketing agency specialized in NGOs, with presence in the three largest countries in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe and the rest of the world. All the money raised with this NFT Collection will have 100% transparent traceability and will be delivered in its entirety to help Ukraine. The initiative is worldwide but is expected to have a special impact in the United States (English-speaking population and Spanish-speaking community), Latin America and Europe.
