WFWPI Educational Course with Ms. Elina Razena: NFTs and Generative Art for Social Good

Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka

“How can the NFT be related to the NGO?” was the first question from Ms. Elina Razena at the first of the six online educational courses that began on June 12, 2022. These courses were designed for complete beginners who want to learn the concept and purpose of NFTs, learn from examples of using NFTs for social good and gain practical hands-on experience in creating various digital artworks with the help of code.

Ms. Razena is a social entrepreneur and modern education enthusiast. She is the founder and CEO of Learn IT, the first nationwide programming school in Latvia, that encourages students and teachers to become creators of their digital world and use technology as a tool of modern creativity. Since its founding, more than 1500 children and 500 computer science teachers have attended Learn IT’s courses, created digital solutions for their daily issues and participated in various events such as hackathons and other competitions.

Besides that, Ms. Razena advocates the importance of creativity, coding and digital literacy for the wider public by volunteering as a European Union Code Week Ambassador of Latvia, sharing her experience as a TEDxRiga 2018 speaker and speaking at various events. Ms. Razena has been acknowledged as one of the most influential, creative and outstanding women in Latvia in the field of technology in Pastaiga Magazine's top “Woman of The Year 2021,” as well as one of the brightest and most promising game-changers under the age of 30, in the field of education and science by Forbes Latvia 30 Under 30. Her ideas and social impact have been recognized by Reach for Change, the Embassy of Sweden, One Young World and other organizations.

NFTs are digital tokens based on a blockchain platform that is revolutionizing the art market. They enable various digital assets like digital art, videos, music, 3D models or other virtual collectibles that cannot be replaced or copied. This course was designed by the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI) and Ms. Razena for complete beginners who want to learn the concept and purpose of NFTs.

Ms. Razena explained, “Anybody can create, buy and sell an NFT, but before starting, it is important to understand the technologies behind it, its features and constraints. Otherwise, it can become a very expensive lesson.” Starting with the first class, the basics of NFTs, underlying principles, digital art marketplaces, minting, buying and selling NFTs, as well as what role generative art plays in creating NFTs were covered. 

In the final session, Ms. Razena concluded the entire course by explaining how NFT can also be used by NGOs. One of the exciting developments in the NFT world has been the rise of various purposeful social impact projects. These projects have helped to bring awareness and funding to many important social causes and have been a great example of the power of crypto and blockchain in contributing to social good. For example, to raise awareness and funds for the conservation of ten endangered species, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) created Non-Fungible Animals, or NFAs, in a very limited number of crypto artworks. The proceeds of these artworks will be used for the protection of endangered animals. During the sessions, participants brainstormed how they could use freshly gained knowledge to raise awareness about social causes that WFWP cares about. 

Over the weeks, the class not only learned terminology but actually coded and created their own digital avatars and characters. For many of the participants, it was a completely new and uncharted world, but at the same time, they were excited to open the door to new knowledge.

WFWP IHQ plans to continue to host virtual educational courses to provide new skills and knowledge to empower women and youth in 2023.

**Women’s Federation for World Peace International, as an international NGO, provides accessible education to people in need. WFWPI believes education is a very important factor in engaging and benefiting people everywhere. In 2022, WFWPI offered five versatile programs across a wide range of fields, including finance, digital art, NFT production, SNS marketing and healing therapy.