Recently, I’d been finding myself engaged in debates about the usefullness of Twitter. I guess having the audacity to register the domain name TwitterProfessor.com makes one a target of sorts.

I soon realized that there is no way to win this debate. For the naysayers, there are simply too many reasons why Twitter is a waste of time, a platform from which otherwise powerless individuals engage in meaningless shouting matches, and a place for people to list the components of this morning’s breakfast.

Diana Scimone playing with kids on a trip to Asia.

This week’s article is the result of an interview I did with a former Briarcliff Manor resident who now runs an organization dedicated to eradicating the global trafficking of children. As a child, Diana Scimone spent many hours in the back of her grandparents’ tailor shop on Bedford Road in Pleasantville. She remembers sewing doll clothes out of scraps of fabric and eating amazing food from Salto’s Delicatessen. Today, Scimone travels the globe as the Director of Born2Fly International, and she is using Twitter as a way to broadcast her message.

Born2Fly Founder and Director Diana Scimone

And what a powerful, yet heart-wrenching message it is. “Each year more than a million children are trafficked for sex or labor – including 100,000 in the United States,” says Scimone. “Some are just four years old. Human trafficking is the second-highest grossing illegal enterprise on earth, after drugs. You can sell a drug only once, but you can sell a child over and over again.”

Scimone’s mission has taken her to more than 40 countries, including Sudan, Zimbabwe, China, Singapore, Korea, and Thailand. “During my travels, I’ve seen the devastation that many of the world’s children face. I founded Born2Fly International to respond to those needs. Today our sole focus is working to stop child trafficking.”

With such an important mission, Scimone is willing to consider utilizing any form of communication that can effectively get her message out. So how does Scimone use Twitter in her efforts? Her use of Twitter is a three-pronged attack:

1) Twitter has allowed Born2Fly to connect with other non-profit organizations around the world that are also working to end child trafficking. These organizations (of which there are more than four dozen on Twitter) support each other by retweeting each other’s posts.

2) Twitter has given Born2Fly a platform from which to share information about human trafficking. As of today, Scimone’s Twitter account, @DianaScimone has 1,390 followers. “I did not know 99% of them before I joined Twitter in June of 2008,” Scimone said. “That’s a huge new audience.”

3) Through Twitter, Born2Fly has gained much-needed attention in the form of interviews and articles which have appeared in blogs, newsletters and newspapers. This attention has helped increase awareness, and will be crucial in an event Scimone has planned for September 9 of this year.

Scimone has established another Twitter account, @09_09_09, to assist in her efforts to raise money for a book she and illustrator Leah Wiedemer are creating to help children make wise choices — decisions that will help keep them away from the horrors of child trafficking. The 09_09_09 fundraising goal is to get 9,000 people to each donate $9 on September 9 of this year.

This project was just featured prominently this week in an article on Mashable.com, entitled A Guide to Crowdfunding Success, by  Brandon Mendelson. The Mashable Twitter account has nearly 1.2 million followers, and Mashable.com is one of the most respected social media authorities on the web.

Scimone is hoping that the attention she is attracting will result in the realization of her organization’s financial goals. Her ultimate goal, she says, is to do so well with her mission that her job is no longer needed. She says that Twitter couldn’t have arrived at a better time for Born2Fly.

“What I love about Twitter (is) the community,” said Scimone. “Twitter connects me with people I don’t know, but should.” She cautions that users have to invest a certain amount of time, and particularly, effort, to maximize the Twitter experience. “It’s sad to see the number of people who join Twitter, but never do anything with it after the first five tweets. You have to work it. You have to see it as a tool.”

Any Twitter user just starting out would be wise to heed Scimone’s advice. “You have to commit to being on it, tweeting regularly (more than ‘I just ate a tuna sandwich’), find and follow new tweeps, and connect with them. “You can’t just broadcast, you have to connect. Twitter is a conversation. It’s a give and take. It’s helping others – not just talking about yourself.

More About Born2Fly – During the interview with Scimone, she provided information about the her mission, and the scourge she’s working to eliminate. Rather than attempt to rewrite what she has already written, I encourage you to read her blog and watch this Born2Fly Video . If you are moved by this cause, consider learning more and seeing how you can help.

You can also learn more about Leah Wiedemer, the talented illustrator of the Born2Fly books, on her sites Back Porch Studio and Roaming Artist’s Blog. 

 Twitter Professor is not affiliated with Twitter.com. Chris S. Cornell is not actually a professor (he runs Cornell Gallery Custom Frame Shop in Pleasantville in his spare time and you can also follow him @CornellGallery), but he is interested in helping build local Twitter communities, such as @Pleasantville. If you have questions or need help with Twitter, give Chris a call at (914) 741-1203. Feel free to add constructive comments, questions or criticisms in the comments section of this blog.