# Dignified Begging Platforms 'Street Debater' is a Simple Tool to Help Homeless People By Joey Haar | Published 2018-02-22 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/street-debater References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2018/02/22/tomo-kihara-street-debating-design-indaba-homeless-people-earn-money-without-begging/) For many homeless people, begging is one of the few ways that they can consistently get even a small pittance, so design student Tomo Kihara has created a new panhandling platform called 'Street Debater' that helps homeless people to earn money without having to sacrifice any dignity. The product consists of a simple balancing scale with chalkboard surfaces on it. Homeless people can pose a [contentious question](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/society-speaks), like "More immigrants?", and have each side of the scale represent a side of the debate, encouraging passersby to join the ongoing debate by placing money on the scale to cast a vote. Not only does Street Debater serve as a sort of straw poll for the leanings of the immediate community, but it also empowers homeless people to show that they themselves have opinions about the political climate. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.6/10 - Popularity: 11% | Activity: 58% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Activism](https://www.trendhunter.com/activism) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Homeless Empowerment:** Opportunities for designing tools that empower and give dignity to homeless people beyond just begging. - **Community Engagement:** Opportunities for creating interactive platforms that engage communities in important conversations or debates. - **New Forms of Crowdfunding:** Opportunities for developing new forms of crowdfunding that are based on public opinion and debate. ### Who This Affects Most - **Social Innovation:** Opportunities for social entrepreneurs and innovators to design solutions that tackle complex social problems like homelessness. - **Public Space Design:** Opportunities for designers to rethink the design of public spaces, making them more inclusive and interactive. - **Digital Crowdfunding Platforms:** Opportunities for the developers of digital crowdfunding platforms to innovate new ways of giving based on public opinion. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Homeless Support Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-makeshift-traveler-backpack.md) - [Humanized Waiting Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/de-wachtkamer.md) - [Homelessness Metaverse Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metaverse-campaign.md) - [Competitive Conversation Card Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/debatable-party-game.md) - [Modular Umbrella-Made Trading Stalls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/umbrella-crate-stall.md) - [Self-Defence Tubular Inflatable Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/street-seat.md) - [Eco-Friendly Desk Stands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hombi.md) - [Two-Person Seesaw Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-problem-halved.md) - [Gamified Trash Pickers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rubbish-beam.md)