Japanese Association Launches Website for Publishing User-Written Articles on World Issues

Copyright Ridilover

Ridilover, a Japanese general incorporated association, launched on October 1, 2012, a new platform site called TRAPRO that publishes articles focused on world issues written by concerned individuals.

By giving voice to the questions many people have about why certain problems exist, the association hopes the site will raise public awareness of social problems and attract attention and feedback from those who are directly involved in such issues. The site will also be used to gather and systematically present information on social phenomena that has hitherto been strewn around the world, such as background, history, and various related data, and build a user-generated "encyclopedia of issues."

Considering how difficult it is for even socially conscious individuals to take action, the association has included various support and reward systems with the site. To encourage not just individuals but groups of people to collect and share information and thus drive individuals to action, the site allows articles written by one person to be edited by others and also members to form groups so they can share advice on how to write them. As they write articles and comments, members also earn points, which show how much they contribute to social awareness.