Educate for Development

Pangea Day: unite the world with Your Story

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:11:00 +0000

If you had the world's attention for just a few minutes, what story would you tell? On May 10, the opportunity is yours.

At a TED Conference in 2006, visionary documentary film producer, Jehane Noujaim, shared a wish: to change the world, bring people together, and foster a global acceptance of diversity through the power of film. From this wish, the idea for Pangea Day began to take form.

This February, all of us worldwide have an opportunity to participate. How? By creating our own film that will make people laugh, take a moment to reflect, and think. The film can be fiction, non-fiction, real-life, or animation. Above all, the founders of Pangea Day request that your film tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.

Pangea Day organizers will be offering a $3000 licensing fee to every featured Pangea Day filmmaker. Visit www.pangeaday.org and submit your film today. The deadline for submitting your film is February 15th.

The world will be watching…

In Chess and in Life, Make Every Move Count

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:32:00 +0000

I learned about an amazing, inspiring champion chess player, Orrin C. Hudson, who uses the game of chess to teach youth about life. I love the metaphor: making the right moves in chess is like making the right moves in life. His story, and the organization he has founded called "Be Someone" is one to be shared.

Orrin mentions that his organization "Be Someone" is less about chess and more about developing character, the key traits that are essential for success in life -- love, respect, honesty, responsibility, patience.

Orrin observes that, just like in chess, in life it's important to think strategically when making decisions, and "make every move count". Sometimes in chess you will lose. When this happens, you can still learn something from it if you keep an open mind. Hmm. An important lesson that can also be applied in Life.

What a cool and fun way to teach and learn these important values. Be inspired, and check out Be Someone.org, for more information about this wonderful organization and its founder, Orrin C. Hudson, a remarkable role model, teacher, and chess player who is using his love of chess to make a difference in the lives of youth.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:33:00 +0000

Through a maze of links this morning, I somehow landed on the front door of The American Dream Project. Wow, pure inspiration!

It's been a bit crazy over the past week, and since I leave for Costa Rica tomorrow (yay! :-)), I'll have to come back to this cool project next week when I return.

Until then, I can say for sure that it's really cool to read someone else's words and discover that another's ideas and thoughts can resonate so closely with what's been bouncing around in my own mind for the past many months. Seeing these thoughts in writing is inspiring, and helps to clarify my own ideas in some ways. Nice. :-)

So, I'll dissect this more and come back to it again next week - stay tuned. Until then, read more at The American Dream Project. :-)

The essential ideal of America is to bring the greatest opportunity for happiness and the least suffering to the most people. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are more than words. This is the most noble human purpose any nation has yet seen conceived.

The American Dream Project is driven to change the way we work, live and lead. The inspiration for the American Dream Project started when I was thrust before audiences of 30 to 40 year-old leaders attending programs sponsored by the Graduates Club. Both my clients and the Graduate Club audience helped me see a new future.

Leaders of the future have a distinctly different agenda. I am amazed at their dreams. For many, ... what matters is meaning, great original ideas, innovation, family and honest-to-goodness improvement of the condition of everyone's lives, worldwide.

Today the American Dream Project is making films, publishing books, hosting video blogs and national webcasts, creating e-learning courses for high school and college students. We hold town halls and live local events to celebrate extraordinary Americans who use citizen enterprise, their own businesses, and their personal lives to do extraordinary good.

Will Marre
Leadership Consultant and Founder, The American Dream Project

DoGooder TV

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:28:00 +0000

These are exciting times. Technology, as we know, is changing the way we work, learn, and gain information. Today's tools enable us to create our own internet TV station, blog, radio station via podcast, etc, - and share our thoughts and message with people throughout the world.

I recently learned about this cool new internet TV portal called "DoGooder TV". What a great idea: it's an online community for people dedicated to nonprofit and socially oriented causes, projects, and organizations. Essentially, it serves as a kind of parking lot for causes and projects that strive to make our world a better place. Check it out, enjoy the inspiration :-)

DoGooderTV enables nonprofit organizations to present new videos and existing media assets to new audiences. Once site visitors see the compelling stories of nonprofits, DoGooderTV gives them a direct way to donate to the organization, join, volunteer or simply find out more information.
DoGooderTV is building on the success of sites such as MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and many others that allow users to create community and share content.

DoGooderTV is using nonprofit media as the hook to link individuals to causes, organizations and other individuals who share a passion for an issue.
The goal of DoGooderTV is to grow a new generation of interested, engaged and active philanthropists and volunteers using web tools that have already demonstrated tremendous power.
In addition to direct donations, site visitors can also create community around issues that are important to them, develop a giving circle, and easily connect their friends with the organizations they care about.
DoGooderTV is a project of See3 Communications, the leading provider of media services to nonprofit organizations.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in K-12 Education on "iinnovate"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:11:00 +0000

Hi lovely visitors! To follow up on yesterday's post on how you can enjoy (free) UC Berkeley online classes, here is another fantastic site - "iinnovate" where you can learn all about what is on the mind of top business leaders, technologists, social and business entrepreneurs.

iinnovate is a blog produced by students of Stanford University's Business and Design schools. The students interview respected academic and business leaders and post the podcast and videocasts of the interviews on their blog site, "Iinovate.blogspot.com".

You can sign up via Itunes to listen on-the-go or sign up for the iinnovate RSS feed so that you are alerted when new interviews are posted.

The videocast above is from iinovate's May 2007 panel discussion of leaders in the field of education. The first two minutes of this particular episode are the best. The short clip features students who participated in "BUILD"'s business plan competition for high school students. The students comment on their experience in creating a business plan for greeting cards. Enjoy :)

UCBerkeley on YouTube -- for free

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:32:00 +0000

Technology today is absolutely amazing. Every day I learn of something new in the world of tech that makes me feel like every day is my birthday, the first day of school, and New Year all rolled into one. Okay, I'm getting a little carried away. Let's just say this is all very exciting, ha!

I heard quite some time ago about universities offering free classes via the internet. A recent article in the Washington Post, "Internet Access is Only Prerequisite for More and More College Courses", reminded me of this amazing gift, which prompted me to revisit and check it all out.

In her article, journalist Susan Kinzie talks about how UC Berkeley and MIT and other top academic institutions are videotaping courses and university events and posting them for the world to enjoy - for free - on YouTube. Cool!

Given my interest in technology, I skipped the plethora of physics and chemistry videos on the site and did a search for technology-related topics instead. A really cool lecture on the UC Berkeley site popped up. It featured Google's co-founder Sergey Brin. Fantastic!

So, for a few minutes of viewing delight I was able to enjoy the same presentation via video as if I was part of UC Berkeley's class called "Search Engines: Technology, Society, and Business". Brilliant!

Universities are well-known for being on the cutting edge of ideas and innovations. As such, the availability of this information to those of us in the world at large is extraordinary. It's a great way to participate in lifelong learning. Also, given the expense these days of university education, this access to such high-caliber information is one way to learn from the world's best - at the cost of an internet connection.

To check out these fantastic classes, please visit UC Berkeley or MIT.

New Year's Resolution: Save Your ... Trash??

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:56:00 +0000

I read a fascinating article in the SF Chronicle this morning about a guy in Berkeley, California who saved all of the trash he accumulated throughout 2007.

What?! Yes, that's correct: Ari Derfel retained 96 cubic feet of trash he had generated this year. SF Chronicle reporter Kelly Zito reports:

The project called "Save Your Trash" started out as an experiment - to see just how much waste one person generates in a year. But as the months rolled by and Derfel's refuse overflowed from his kitchen pantry and into bins in the living room, the project grew from novelty into an environmental statement, a source of much discussion and debate, and a three-dimensional diary of Derfel's consumption habits (not to mention a source of many, many jokes).

This extraordinary experiment, known as "Project Trash Retention" (ha!) really makes one think about where exactly our trash goes. Derfel observes:

When we throw something 'away', what does 'away' mean? There's no such thing as 'away'.

SF Chronicle reporter Kelly Zito discovered in her research on this topic that "Americans generate about 250 million tons of solid waste a year (including recyclables and yard waste), according to the Environmental Protection Agency."

One example that drives home the idea of making more conscious purchasing decisions includes Derfel's reference to his consumption of Soy Dream ice cream pints - which happen to be one of my favorite indulgences.

During the course of his trash saving project, Derfel admits that each purchase of a packaged product forced him to think about whether consumption of the given product was worth having to make space for the container after the contents had been consumed.

These thoughts resulted in Derfel's decision to skip the soy ice cream (among other things), and instead buy locally grown and unpackaged products. As a substitute for reducing stress, Derfel opted for a hard work-out in lieu of soy ice cream consumption.

Nice!

We hear a million times about the pressing need to "save the planet", "recycle", and "reduce our carbon footprint". To me, Derfel's activism through his trash retention project drives home the message like nothing else.

Derfel's inspiration has already made me start to rethink my purchase decisions as well. Amazing how one article about one person can change the way you do things. I had a good test yesterday when I made a grocery store run. I passed by the soy ice cream aisle - thought about Derfel's trash retention project, imagined myself retaining my trash for a year as well, and walked by the aisle without adding a pint of the soy ice cream to my cart. Touche!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
US Anthropologist, Author

Learn more about this extraordinary project and about Ari Derfel by visiting his blog, "Save Your Trash".

The Davos Question

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:45:00 +0000

Hi Friends, Happy Holidays! Check out this cool YouTube opportunity to take part in the World Economic Forum conversations ...

Every year, many of the world's top leaders attend the World Economic Forum to discuss how to make the world a better place. The Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland.

This year, consider joining in the Davos conversations. All you have to do submit a video by January 21, 2007 to YouTube that answers The Davos Question:

"What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?"

Then, starting January 1st, watch and rank others' ideas.

The highest-rated videos will be screened in Davos, January 23-27th. World leaders will watch your videos and make responses of their own.

Your idea could be the start of something big.

To learn more about the World Economic Forum, click here.

ShareIdeas.org

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:59:00 +0000

I recently read a great blog post by Christine at MobileActive.org that calls to attention a report released by telecom industry analyst Informa Telecoms & Media (ITM). In this report, ITM reveals that worldwide mobile phone penetration has hit 50 percent - or around 3.3 billion subscriptions. Given that the first cellular network was launched just 26 years ago, this is a huge deal. The report highlights the following interesting statistics regarding current mobile usage in developed and developing countries:

Although global mobile penetration - the number of mobile subscriptions worldwide - has reached 50 percent, this does not mean that half of the 6.6 billion or so people in the world now have a mobile phone.

A large number of more mature markets worldwide already have in excess of 100 per cent mobile penetration, as users increasingly sign up for more than one subscription, while emerging markets increasingly provide the bulk of new additions.

As of the end of September, 59 countries had mobile penetration of over 100 percent, while almost half that figure, 27, had penetration under 10 per cent.

Although mobile usage in developing countries has a long way to go before it catches up with usage in developed countries, it is clear that mobile communication is the future for modern society. Mobile technology offers an unprecedented opportunity for developing countries to acquire knowledge that will help accelerate development.

How can social entrepreneurs, educators, and others who are interested in social change collaborate and share ideas regarding the nuts and bolts of using mobile communications for social and environmental projects?

Well, there's a fantastic online community and wiki called ShareIdeas.org that aims to do exactly this: share experiences in using mobile communication for social benefit. This site offers a host of helpful resources and information. It's amazing!

The idea for ShareIdeas.org came from Ndidi Nwuneli, founder and CEO of LEAP Africa, a Nigerian NGO dedicated to nurturing a new generation of African leaders.
"Groups like ours would really benefit from a resource that shows us how to use mobile technology to carry out our work more effectively," said Ndidi at a Nokia stakeholder event of NGO and corporate leaders.
ShareIdeas.org was created in response to Ndidi’s request, (with support by Nokia and Vodaphone).

One of my favorite features of the ShareIdeas.org site is the "how to" section. Here, you can find information and practical examples from NGOs worldwide about ways to use mobile technology in your daily work. There are a bunch of case studies with great ideas, best practices, and lessons learned. There is also an educational section. Fantastic!

Although many in the world are not yet connected to the mobile network, the pace for connectivity is accelerating. Hopefully the connections and knowledge we share with one another today - through communities such as ShareIdeas.org - will help all of us, including our neighbors in developing countries, to ramp up more quickly.

For inspiring ideas on how you can start using mobile communications to bolster your own projects and endeavors, check out our what our friends have to say at ShareIdeas.org

FlipVideo Spotlight Program for Non-profits

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:56:00 +0000

Imagine the impact that video would make if every nonprofit organization had a camcorder to tell the world about problems that need to be solved, opportunities that need to be seized, abuses that need to be corrected, and people who need to be extolled.

Pure Digital Technologies

It's December 2007! And I'm excited to share news about a very cool company called Pure Digital Technologies that plans to use video to help non-profits make the world a better place. So, if you are a 501 (c)(3) organization registered in the United States, listen up!

Initially announced at the annual Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007, Pure Digital officially launched their Flip Video Spotlight Program this month. Through this program, the company aims to deliver one million Flip Video camcorders to qualified nonprofit organizations over the next 5 years. Imagine the ways you could broadcast your message to the world...

Flip Video is an easy-to-use, lightweight, compact device that produces high-quality video at the touch of a button. The Flip Video Spotlight Program provides non-profits with a Spotlight Kit that contains two 60 minute Flip Video Ultra camcorders with built-in video editing and publishing software, instructions for easily uploading video to a website or to popular video sharing sites (e.g. YouTube), tutorials, and other training materials. This product can be used by staff and constituents not trained in videography. Awesome!

What's the catch? Is this Spotlight Program a free deal? Well okay, not exactly. The Program provides Flip Video camcorders to qualifying non-profits for the at-cost price of $150 per unit. So, Pure Digital is not making a profit on the sales.

Great news though! There are are some ways to receive a Spotlight Kit with the help of a donor or sponsor. Qualifying non-profits can register requests for Flip Video Spotlight Kits with giving networks like NetworkforGood.org, JustGive.org, and TechSoup Stock.

To learn more about the Flip Video Spotlight Program for non-profits, please visit the Program's site.

Zero-sum Games and Non-profits: Why this makes no sense

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:56:00 +0000

"In game theory, zero-sum describes a situation in which a participant's gain or loss is exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the other participant(s). It is so named because when the total gains of the participants are added up, and the total losses are subtracted, they will sum to zero. A good example of a zer0-sum game is Chess: it is impossible for both players to win."

Wikipedia

Tonight I attended the monthly meeting for Net Tuesday, a meet-up group hosted by TechSoup on the first Tuesday of each month. Net Tuesday events bring together social changemakers and web innovators to mix, swap stories and ideas, build new relationships, and reinforce the online NetSquared community. The group is mainly targeted at those of us interested in the conversion between non-profit projects and technology.

When I arrived tonight, the conversation was focused on planning strategies for the upcoming NetSquared Conference which is scheduled to take place, May 27th - 28th, 2008, in San Francisco, California. Participants in the conversation were discussing things like "how can TechSoup raise awareness of its services among Bay area non-profits", "how to disseminate best practices", and "how to solicit volunteer business and engineering consultants to help with the Conference".

These seem like thoughtful, relatively harmless questions. Indeed, some interesting comments emerged. What surprised me tonight, however, was the strong opinion voiced by a few attendees that in their experience the non-profit industry is one of rather fierce competition. I was then rather disheartened to learn of the strategies that these non-profits undertake to deal with this "competition".

One woman in the group, for example, mentioned that through her international non-profit work, she has come to believe that "we live in a world of scarcity, in which non-profits compete for donor dollars and foundation support." She continued by saying that non-profits do not collaborate or even speak to one another - even when they are at the same event. She explained that there is no incentive to share best practices, because to do so may result in receiving less of the "pie" of monetary support from donors.

Wow. Now, I'll admit that I come from the for-profit world. So, I'll take this gal's perspective at face value. But indeed, her comments are rather unsettling, and definitely a sad commentary on the state of mind of some non-profits. I mean, think about it:

An individual who is drawn to the non-profit sector, must at the core, have a rather strong philanthropic drive. Otherwise, why would they ever want to work for or start a non-profit? Afterall, we know that non-profits are not well-known for their competitive monetary compensation.

There has to be another incentive. For many, I would guess that this incentive is the "mission" of the organization - and the opportunity to contribute to something more "meaningful" than monetary objectives alone.

So, if individuals choose to work on non-profit projects for the purpose of achieving a noble goal - let's say "to end hunger", for example - then doesn't it make sense for them to make friends with other people who share the same passion and to find a way to join efforts or to in some other way support them in working toward the same goals? To not collaborate suggests that one group alone can create great social change without the help of anyone else.

I often find that best practices are a lot easier to find when looking at the for-profit world. I understand that there are differences between for-profits and non-profits. Still, in many cases, best practices in business are very applicable to non-profits as well.

Some great examples in the business world demonstrate how synergies between people can produce some amazing products and services. Think - Google, Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo, Microsoft, Ebay, YouTube. All of these successful companies emerged from what started as a founding team of two people, not one.

And these companies have grown, and grown BIG - through mergers and acquisitions of promising, yet smaller, organizations. Google's acquisition of YouTube, Microsoft's acquisition of Visio, and Ebay's acquisition of PayPal, are a few cases in point.

I imagine that many small non-profits do not see any benefit to merging with a larger, more well-endowed organization that shares the same objective. Heck, we see from tonight's meeting that some non-profits do not even want to help one another.

At times like this it is all the more important to remember the original purpose that led to the non-profit's creation in the first place. Hopefully the purpose was the "mission" of the organization, and not the founding member's desire to be able to tell their friends that they are "founder of XYZ.org".

From my perspective, what it comes down to is this: if you want to achieve something for the greater good of humanity, then you have to actively engage humanity to realize your goal. That means, you have to talk with people, reach out, and think about win-win ways in which you can collaborate to make both your and the other organization stronger. You have to be a leader by doing things differently, which includes taking bold action and perhaps - dare I suggest - teaming up with your "competition". We are talking non-profits afterall. Shouldn't the mission, the "cause", be the driver?

Zero-sum games may work if you are playing Chess - and you are the winner. But it certainly is not a successful strategy to pursue if you want to create social change. Through our connections and conversations with others, we learn, and grow. With the right teams of people, non-profits may even surprise themselves and find that by working together they are having a lot more fun to boot.

Building a World of Good

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:44:00 +0000

"If you could change a life while you shop ... would you add it to your shopping list?"

When I first heard about World of Good this past summer, the idea struck me as nothing short of brilliant. With the holiday season upon us, it seems like a perfect new venture to keep in mind as we engage in the festivities of giving, receiving, reflecting, and planning for the new year.

Okay, so what is World of Good? And why is it a big deal?

For 5,580 artisans and their families from 34 countries around the globe, World of Good, Inc. provides a bridge to the U.S. retail market, thereby providing an opportunity for these artisans to share their best work, while at the same time gaining access to fair wages, safe working conditions and long-term economic sustainability.

Since 2004, women in the United States have purchased more than one million Fair Trade products from World of Good. That translates into one million choices of empowerment instead of exploitation. World of Good, Inc. is creating, well ... a - world - of good.

E-commerce is one of the main channels used by World of Good to distribute the artisan products it sources from developing countries around the world. While e-commerce has been around for over a decade, with companies like Amazon and Netflix now enjoying household name status in many U.S. homes, World of Good's spin on e-commerce is a fresh, perhaps cutting edge, model that provides a glimpse of the direction that many companies are bound to follow as the trend in sustainability and equitable, fair trade commerce goes mainstream.

The great news is that World of Good's socially responsible business practices turn out to be good for the bottom line as well. With a presence in over 1,000 retail locations, as well as an online presence, World of Good reported sales growth of 300% in 2006.

The impact is significant in artisan communities: sixty to seventy percent of the artisans providing fair trade handcrafted products are women, and often these women are mothers and the sole wage earners in the home. According to World of Good ...

"Through Fair Trade craft production, women improve the lives of their families, as well as their own lives, and report that their work has given them self esteem and the opportunity to participate in decision making in their communities.

Studies show that when the earning power of women increases to more than $2 per day, there are many quantifiable social impacts such as decreased infant mortality, longer life expectancy, and lower health care costs."

As if all this was not "good" enough, World of Good, Inc. further helps to improve the lives of its artisans by re-investing 10% of profits in the artisan communities through its non-profit partner, the World of Good: Development Organization, a 501(c)(3) focused on strengthening international fair trade industry standards and implementing commmunity development projects.

So, with each purchase of one of World of Good's beautiful handicraft items, consumers can contribute to the economic and social improvement of artisan communities around the world.

Fair Trade products are a bridge to economic freedom. In the things we buy, Fair Trade is the ability to shape the lives of people in a respectful, humanitarian manner. It is a way of doing business in which everyone in the supply chain can benefit.

Priya Haji, Co-Founder and CEO, World of Good, Inc.

Third International Conference on Colombia in Bogota

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 06:50:00 +0000

The third gathering of the International Conference on Colombia is taking place today in Bogota. This conference, established in 2003 at the suggestion of the United Kingdom, aims to create a space for open dialogue between the Colombian government and civil society. This year's conference brings together fifty seven international delegates from 34 countries to discuss humanitarian issues, including poverty, illegal drugs, and the international humanitarian crisis taking place in Colombia.

In anticipation of this conference, earlier in the week I received a report from Refugees International that outlines three key measures recommended to improve conditions of Colombia's internally displaced people. Refugees International will present these recommendations to delegates during the conference.

According to the United Nations, displacement in Colombia remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere. For over four decades, millions of Colombians have been forcibly displaced because of violence and conflict. While all of Colombian society is affected, displacement is mainly hitting campesino, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities living in rural areas. Cities are often the final destination of the displaced, who search for safety through anonymity. Upon arrival the displaced face the grim prospect of being unemployed and becoming dependents on outside assistance. Their future is often one of destitution.

In its December 2007 report, "Striving for Better Days: Improving the Lives of Internally Displaced People in Colombia", Refugees International urges the Government of Colombia to take three concrete steps to address the humanitarian crisis of internal displacement in the country. One of these three steps is a call for the Government of Colombia, "to create durable and sustainable livelihoods for displaced communites". This recommendation especially resonates with me since it ties in with my research of how international organizations can most effectively serve and assist Colombia's internal refugees.

Another interesting point that caught my attention in the report is a comment by Refugees International that, "some of the current handout and welfare-based programs carried out by the [Colombian] government are not financially sustainable, and risk quashing the self-initiative of the displaced."

I know from my research on social enterprises, that financial sustainability and self-empowerment are critical for a project's success. Delancey Street Foundation in San Francisco, one of the most successful residential drug rehabilitation programs in the United States, provides a strong example: its success is a result of financial sustainability derived from its seven for-profit businesses, as well as a "staff" made up entirely by the residents it exists to help.

In its report, Refugees International suggests that

"The government of Colombia should redesign programs to invest in income generating activities and vocational training courses to provide skills required by the urban labor market. And, [international] donors must evaluate current interventions in skill training and income generation to offer sustainable livelihoods for displaced households."

When you teach someone to fish, rather than giving a hand-out, you empower them and give them back their dignity. With the millions of displaced people in Colombia, the only sustainable way to improve conditions and to alleviate dependence on outside assistance in the long run is to teach the displaced how to fish.

A vocational training/business model like Delancey Street, combined with access to technology, would greatly benefit internally displaced people in Colombia and provide them with the tools and knowledge needed to play a more active role in an urban, globalized economy.

Aside from this, it seems evident that the only other way to assist displaced people in Colombia is to focus also on the root cause of why they are being displaced in the first place. But I'll save - that - topic for another post.

Today's international conference in Bogota is a positive step, since it keeps Colombia's often overlooked humanitarian crisis of internal refugees on the world's stage.

MicroPlace: is this Ebay's version of Kiva?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:28:00 +0000

There always seems to be a buzz about some cool new venture taking off in San Francisco, and tonight the excitement took place at The City Club downtown, with a party that centered on the official launch of MicroPlace, a new Ebay subsidiary that provides a way for everyday people to make investments in the world's working poor.

Like many people, when I first heard of MicroPlace a couple of months ago, I thought it sounded just like Kiva, a non-profit also in San Francisco that supports microfinance institutions in developing countries through its peer-to-peer online lending model. I was curious to find out what was different about MicroPlace, and in my search for an answer I came upon two great blog posts, one by Robert Katz and one by Josh Susser.

Susser, who worked on MicroPlace's engineering team, calls to attention the following important points about MicroPlace:

MicroPlace is a SEC-registered online brokerage, and pays a return on your investment. It's a small return, a few percent, but it'll beat the rate in a typical savings account.
When you fund your investment through PayPal, PayPal waives the transaction fee, so 100% of your money goes into the loan.
When you invest, you do not fund a person directly. Instead, you choose a country, and a specific fund in that country. The fund you choose will make loans to individuals. The MicroPlace model is similar to investing in a mutual fund of microloans. You purchase investments from microfinance security issuers.
Any profits made by MicroPlace will be donated to non-profits, including the eBay Foundation.

Great. So then what exactly is the Kiva model?

Kiva is a non-profit, and as such does not provide lenders with an interest return on the loan they make.
Similar to MicroPlace, Kiva.org also receives free payment processing from PayPal, which helps Kiva to keep operational expenses low.
In the Kiva model, you lend to a specific entrepreneur in a developing country and can receive email journal updates from this entrepreneur. As a result, Kiva provides a platform in which interpersonal connections between lenders and borrowers can take place. The Kiva model is a more intimate way to lend.

In his article, "Kiva vs. MicroPlace: What's the Difference?", Robert Katz suggests that in some ways the two organizations compete, since on one hand they "compete for lenders". On the surface, this does appear to be the case, and I am sure there will be some crossover of lenders who support MicroPlace over Kiva, or vice versa. However, it seems that the two organizations will also attract different groups of lenders as well. For example, people who prioritize the interpersonal connection they can make with entrepreneur borrowers will be drawn to Kiva. In contrast, people who want to help alleviate poverty by empowering entrepreneurs while at the same time earning interest (however small) will gravitate to MicroPlace.

The question of competition between these two organizations, Kiva and MicroPlace, seems to me to be a non-issue. Sure, there may be competition. One organization may attract more lenders than another. However, for entrepreneur borrowers and the microfinance community at large, the launch of MicroPlace is a win. Afterall, it is the alleviation of poverty that is the important goal.

The launch of MicroPlace is a great thing for the microfinance world. With its strong corporate backing from Ebay, MicroPlace will provide that much more exposure and awareness of microfinance to an even broader audience. It was so great to join in tonight's launch celebration of MicroPlace. It's an exciting, promising new project that is sure to benefit hard-working poor people around the world.

Streetside Stories in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:40:00 +0000

Tonight I went to a "Tell It Like It Is" introductory presentation given by the wonderful staff at Streetside Stories in San Francisco, California.

Wow, this team has it together! Their presentation was engaging, very well-organized, and informative. I had the sense that the six storytelling programs they run must be equally excellent.

So, what did I learn? Some interesting statistics, for starters. For example, in the city of Oakland, California, just across the bay from the city of San Francisco - a span of just a few miles, Streetside reports that the high school graduation rate is about 50%. I was shocked. The most affluent country in the world, in one of the most advanced and affluent regions in this affluent country, and the graduation rate is only 50%? Wow.

"What is the major reason why students drop out of school?", the director of Streetside asked those of us in attendance. I tossed out the guess that maybe it is because kids come from broken families. Others in tonight's audience suggested that maybe kids drop out as a result of drugs or violence in their community. Well, according to Streetside, studies show that the main reason kids stop going to school is because they are not engaged, they do not connect at school.

When I think about the times as a child that I did not want to go to school, I can understand how not feeling connected could lead to a child opting out of school. In my case, on the few occasions that I did not want to go to school, my parents made me go, so I went.

How ironic though, to think that while some kids here in the United States are given the gift of education and choose not to accept it, other kids in developing countries dream of the opportunity to attend school and go through much hardship to make education a reality. Why is this?

Another interesting thing I learned tonight is that although many studies reveal the importance of an arts education, one of the unintended consequences of the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB)" law has been a slow stripping of art, or anything else that "smacks of extracurricular", from the school day. This is ironic, since statistics on arts education demonstrate that the arts can help to solve many aspects of the underachievement that NCLB seeks to address.

For example, young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:

4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
4 times more likely to perform community service compared to their peers

In addition, from a vocational preparation standpoint, studies show that an arts education:

builds a school climate of high expectation, discipline, and academic rigor that attracts businesses relocating to the community.
strengthens problem-solving and critical thinking skills
helps students develop a sense of craftsmanship, quality task performance, and goal-setting—skills needed to succeed in business.
can help troubled youth, providing an alternative to destructive behavior
provides another opportunity for parental, community, and business involvement with schools.
helps all students develop more appreciation and understanding of the world around them.
helps students develop a positive work ethic and pride in a job well done.
(Business Circle for Arts Education in Oklahoma, "Arts at the Core of Learning 1999 Initiative")

Thankfully, local arts organizations such as Streetside Stories are providing arts education to youth in our community schools. Through the power of storytelling, Streetside Stories provides an outlet for young people's voices to be heard. Their programs foster educational equity, provide an avenue for self-expression, and build community, literacy, and art skills. And it is these critical thinking, literacy, writing, and technology skills that can be leveraged as marketable job skills when students in the program graduate and search for employment or launch their own endeavors in the business world.

What a great program!

M.E.E.T. - Middle East Education through Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:43:00 +0000

One of the most inspiring examples in the Middle East that demonstrates how technology is making a difference in the education and lives of young people is M.E.E.T. (Middle East Education through Technology).

This project, developed by alumni of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aims to create bridges between Israeli and Palestinian youth, and break the long-held misconceptions that they have of each other. MEET project founders deliberately chose technology, an apolitical field of study, to bring youth together to meet one another, discover their cultures, their similarities, their differences — their humanity.

MEET team founders report that only a few miles separate most Israelis and Palestinians, yet their views of each other are largely based on propaganda, politics, and tragedy — rarely through personal interaction. Through its innovative educational environment, MEET facilitates the common ground for Israeli and Palestinian high school students, providing opportunities for them to learn to look at one another not only as fellow individuals, but even as potential partners.

The team of MIT alums who founded MEET recognized that in business around the world professionals work together every day to advance goals within culturally and politically diverse environments. In the business world, identity revolves around professional interests rather than political ideologies. MEET aims to create a similar environment for Middle Eastern youth, where stereotypes gradually begin to take a back seat to cooperation and relationship building.

To attract youth to its program, MEET provides training in tangible skills that will assist youth in their future: computer science, leadership and entrepreneurship. In addition to these tech skills, one of the most powerful outcomes of the MEET program is that youth are also equipped with the tools to make a difference in their communities and beyond, together.

Technology is slowly breaking down walls between people and cultures, politics, and religions. MEET provides a powerful example. By creating a positive environment in which youth can learn about something they enjoy and collaborate on projects together, relationships and trust are fostered. Youth in the MEET program report that they have come to realize that the things we have in common are much greater than the things that separate us. Despite differences in religion and politics, youth learn that we share in our humanity, our capacity for joy and suffering, and in our desire to create a vibrant future for ourselves, our families, and our communities. And this, is why I believe the MEET model is brilliant.

The success of MEET inspires me to think about how this model can be replicated elsewhere in the world. What would it take? Which partners in the community could contribute? And how could this model be modified to best fit local circumstances and resources?

Give One, Get One Laptop. And Get a Tax Deduction. And Get Free T-Mobile Hotspot Access. Wow!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:43:00 +0000

The idea of a gift that keeps on giving comes to mind when I think about the "Give One Get One" program from One Laptop Per Child which begins today, November 12th.

This program provides an opportunity for people in the United States and Canada to buy one "XO laptop" for the child in their life, and also donate a laptop to a child in a developing nation, all for $400.

The mission of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish their goal, they need people who believe in what they are doing and who want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege. The "Give One Get One" program is one way to help OLPC reach their goal of sending more laptops to children in developing countries. This program, which runs for two weeks, starts on November 12th and ends on November 26th, 2007.

The icing on the cake is that as you help children in developing countries stay connected, educated, and enlightened - T-Mobile wants to support you by keeping you connected to those who matter most to you.

That's right - OLPC has partnered with T-Mobile on this fantastic program as well. So, you get a laptop, give a laptop to a child in a developing country, receive a tax-deduction for your "donation" ... and you also get one year of complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot access.

T-Mobile HotSpot broadband Internet service is available at more than 8,500 locations throughout the United States. Your complimentary year of service is valued at more than $350, and you can use any Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as your laptop computer or a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phone, to stay connected the way you prefer.

Fantastic!

Invisible Refugees: Colombia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:13:00 +0000

"Internally displaced people in Colombia are subjects of one of, if not the worst humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere,” and yet they remain “invisible, not only internationally, but even in Bogotá.”
- Kamel Morjane, Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2004

I just learned this past weekend about an amazing organization in Colombia that is working to empower the country's internally displaced people. Fusion Colombia, founded in 2004 by Matthew Alexander, works to alleviate poverty, protect human rights, and promote self-sufficiency among internal refugee communities. Fusion's projects center around education and outreach, job training, and small business development programs.

In the past year, Fusion Colombia reports that it "has implemented projects with partners such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Tejaditos Foundation, and SENA (the Colombian government’s job-training agency). Fusion Colombia currently sits on the United Nations’ Humanitarian Committee of Southern Bogotá and Soacha, where it coordinates humanitarian and development activities with other organizations, local governmental agencies and the United Nations."

As noted by Kamel Morjane, Assistant UNHCR in 2004, Colombia's humanitarian crisis has gone largely unnoticed on the world's stage. As a result of the country's on-going 40 year civil war, there are now more than three million internally displaced people. Even in the capital city of Bogota, these refugee communities "remain [largely] invisible". Fusion strives to bring attention to the plight of these people and their communities.

According to Fusion, the majority of Colombia’s internally displaced persons are poor farmers who have been forced from their homes by right wing paramilitaries or leftist guerrilla groups that battle over Colombia’s resource-rich land. Displaced Colombians typically seek refuge from armed actors in the slums of urban centers, Bogotá being the most popular.

Tragically, most displaced persons living in the cities of Colombia face dire socioeconomic conditions and discrimination in employment, housing, and social services. Although 80% of displaced persons are from rural areas, once they arrive in Bogotá they intend to reside there on a permanent basis. The majority of these displaced people arrive with generally non-transferable job skills, so there is an overwhelming need for the integration services that Fusion provides.

Some alarming statistics in Colombia include:

92 percent of internally displaced persons in Colombia do not make enough money to meet their basic needs and 80 percent live in situations of extreme poverty. (World Food Program, 2003)
For the last six years, internal displacement in Colombia has been voted one of the top ten most underreported humanitarian crises in the world by medical relief organization, Doctors without Borders.
In the first eight months of 2005, more than 143 youth under the age of twenty were killed by guerrillas or paramilitaries in Ciudad Bolivar, a neighborhood in Bogotá where many internally displaced persons reside.

Colombia is a beautiful, diverse country. It's tragic that there is so little media attention given to the plight of its internal refugees. I hope that soon this trend will change, and dream of the day when each of these refugees will be able to take a more active part on their own to generate awareness about their situation. Maybe through videoblogs, community portals, or their own media stations? With today's new web technologies, these are no longer such outlandish thoughts. And one day, I am certain they will have access to these tools, thereby making these dreams possible.

The good news is that organizations like Fusion Colombia exist now to serve these refugee communities and to bring more awareness about their plight. The educational and training support that Fusion provides to internally displaced communities is critical to the community's ability to help themselves out of poverty and to rebuild their lives.

To learn more about how to help Colombia's internally displaced refugees, please visit Fusion.

FORGE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 06:13:00 +0000

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” - Thomas Edison

One of the most inspiring individuals I have come across in my research of socially driven people and organizations is 24 year old, Kjerstin Erickson, Stanford University student and founder of FORGE, an organization in Zambia that helps 60,000 refugees build better lives.

Kjerstin was 20 years old when she launched FORGE, without a business plan, connections, a revenue plan, or a penny. She mentioned that the only thing she knew for sure was how she wanted the world to look. She had an idea of how to get there, and says that this idea has been ever evolving and improving.

Her story is astounding, and so incredibly inspiring.

Namibia: Entrepreneurship, Education & Emerging Economies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:27:00 +0000

"The secret of building successful nations is not natural resources, but highly developed human resources, which change dead assets into productive resources and enrich the nation with the necessary productivity and efficiency. These are the wealth creators."

- a leading entrepreneur in Namibia

I read a very interesting article today, "Namibia: Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies" about the correlation between entrepreneurship and economic well-being worldwide. The take-home points I gained from this article are: 1.) countries need to encourage and develop people to become entrepreneurs; and 2.) countries must create an environment where it is easy to start a business.

The World Bank released its "Doing Business 2007" report which shows the ease of starting a business in 178 different countries around the world. Predictably, it is easier to set up shop in higher income countries than in lower income ones. Africa is a particularly difficult place to start a business. The World Bank report details the various measures used to determine "ease of business". Licensing and regulations make up a large part of this measure.

Changing the regulations so that it is easier for people to start a business makes sense, for political and economical reasons. With a stronger economy, a more stable political environment usually emerges.

Beyond changing licensing regulations, it seems that one of the most effective ways to achieve positive change is through education, by developing people's minds and people's skills. In this way, people will be equipped with the tools, knowledge, and ingenuity to help solve their own problems.

I think this is why I am so interested in technology. I realize technology is not a be-all-end-all for every problem on earth, but it offers unprecedented access to information, knowledge, and networks of people. And with these resources, it is exciting to imagine how technology can help to accelerate human development.

But is focus on technology and entrepreneurship enough? What about focus on developing social entrepreneurs, in particular? Developing people who not only care about their personal well-being but also about the value their work can bring to their communities?

This, I believe, is one of the real keys to building a successful, and sustainable, nation: to leverage all the resources that technology offers, while at the same time developing social entrepreneurs who work to bring value to their communities in a way that is financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable.

"Ashesi"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:49:00 +0000

If there is anything you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I heard about Ashesi Univeristy in Ghana several years ago in Seattle when I met one of the university's co-founders, Nina Marini, at a World Affairs Council event. At that time, I was amazed to learn that a few individuals could start a university. The building of an institution like this seemed to me to be something that only big institutional investors and well-established organizations could pull off. So it really left an impression on me to learn that a small team of committed individuals could create such positive social change.

"Ashesi", now celebrating its fifth year anniversary, has provided young Africans with rich academic, social, and cultural experiences. This year Ashesi welcomed the Class of 2011, which is comprised of 42% women and 58% men. Five percent of this class come from other countries in Africa, including: Guinea, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Gambia, and the Ivory Coast. One of its key measures of success includes an impressive report that 97% of Ashesi's Class of 2006 were employed within three months of graduation.

Ashesi's founder, Patrick Awuaha, first read Goethe words (above) at a time when he was still questioning whether to pursue such an ambitious project. Encouraged by Goethe's words, he began by conducting a feasibility study of his idea with help from his team of fellow MBA candidates from University of California Berkeley. Clarifying the risks and issues at hand helped Awuah shed his reservations. One day he realized that he had lost his hesitation and had become very committed to this project.

"Ashesi", which means "beginning" in Akan, a native Ghanaian language, provides a new beginning for every student who comes to Ashesi. Its mission is to build an institution that reinvents itself to fit the changing needs of society, and which grows by replicating itself throughout Ghana and Africa.

One of the keys for Ashesi's success has been its collaborative partnerships. The business plan for Ashesi was devised through a partnership with the Clausen Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Its curriculum was designed in collaboration with faculty at Swarthmore College, University of California at Berkeley, and University of Washington. An international study abroad program was created in collaboration with New York University. An African dance and music course was created in collaboration with the Noyam Institute in Accra. The Fulbright program has created the opportunity for visiting faculty from the United States to strengthen and plan the expansion of academic life at Ashesi.

Through these partnerships, as well as through those with the local business community, Ashesi provides youth with a quality education and serves as a bridge between academic life and vocational placement.

“The students of Ashesi have an incredible edge over their friends in other universities.” Rolland Djan Jr., the HR Manager of Ecobank.

Patrick Awuah and his team confirm that if there is anything you can do, or dream, begin it. Ashesi University is a result of the commitment and dedication of a small group of individuals, exemplifying exactly what U.S. anthropologist Margaret Mead was talking about when she stated,

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

Please visit Ashesi University for more information.

The Digital Provide: Mobile Phones and Economic Well-being

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:31:00 +0000

When I think about how access to technology can help to improve people's lives, computers and the internet are the first kinds of technology that come to mind. But this week I came across several intriguing projects that demonstrate that mobile phones may play a more important role than computers in improving economic well-being in developing countries.

"Digital Provide", a case study published in a recent edition of The Quarterly Journal of Economics, reveals the economic benefits achieved when fisherman in India use mobile phones to keep abreast of daily market demand for fish in their communities. The study confirms that improvements in information impact market performance and welfare.

In this case, the use of mobile phones pretty much eliminated price differences among fish offered by different fishermen, reduced waste, and increased fishermen’s profits and consumer welfare. The key is that with information, the fisherman were in touch with buyers, and therefore no longer had a situation of excess supply they had to toss back into the water. The fishermen were able to sell their entire catch. Consumers also had access to supply, and did not have to go home empty-handed. For more information on how access to necessary information translates into efficient markets, please visit The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Another application of mobile technology that helps people in developing countries to improve their economic well-being is evidenced by a fantastic social venture in Africa called "Mobile4Good". In this example, mobile phones are used in Kenya to send employment, health, and community content via SMS (short message service). Through this service, disadvantaged people can learn about job opportunities. The mobile service empowers people and helps to bridge the "digital divide" through "digital provide".

Since mobile phones are less expensive and more accessible to people in developing countries than computers, information technology through mobile devices is expected to become the model for development in places like Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other developing regions.

For more info, please visit Mobile4Good.

Global Action for Children: Angelina Jolie April 27th, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 06:01:00 +0000

"We shape our future by the way we raise our children. And orphan children ... are the world's children. Their education and their well-being are an investment in our future."

Angelina Jolie, 27 April 2007

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - 17 October

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:46:00 +0000

"We will have time to reach the Millennium Development Goals – worldwide and in most, or even all, individual countries – but only if we break with business as usual.

We cannot win overnight. Success will require sustained action across the entire decade between now and the deadline. It takes time to train the teachers, nurses and engineers; to build the roads, schools and hospitals; to grow the small and large businesses able to create the jobs and income needed. So we must start now. And we must more than double global development assistance over the next few years. Nothing less will help to achieve the Goals."

Kofi. A. Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Today - October 17th - is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, as declared by the UN General Assembly.

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17th, 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.

A tipping point in this movement seems to have occurred in September 2000, when during the Millennium Summitt world leaders from 191 nations agreed to an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty, promoting education, and improving lives. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) resulted from this meeting, with each goal having its own time-bound and quantified targets to measure social, economic, and environmental progress. The deadline to achieve these goals is 2015.

Among the MDGs are two goals in particular which are at the heart of what this blog is about: education, opportunities for youth, and technology.

MDG goal number two addresses universal primary education. The measurable target is: to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

MDG goal number eight is focused on developing a global partnership for development. One of the targets for this goal is the creation of employment opportunities for youth. Another target is access to new technologies, especially information and communication technologies (ICT).

So ... here we are in 2007, the half-way point to the 2015 deadline. What have we accomplished so far?

According to the United Nations Development Program, global progress has been made but the gains are uneven and too slow in many parts of the world. In addition, there are huge disparities across and within countries. UN Statistics reports that,

100,000,000 children are out of school each year

2 out of 3 children who are out of school are Girls

1 out of 4 children in developing countries does not complete five years of basic education

there are about 1,000,000,000 (yes, one billion) illiterate adults; this is 1/6 of the world's population

Last year I saw an excellent documentary at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco that exposed just how much of a challenge it still is for many children around the world to complete primary education, as a result of living in poverty.

The film "Back to School", produced by PBS Wide Angle in New York City, profiled seven children in seven countries - Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, and Romania - as they started their first year of school in 2003. Then, in 2006, the film crew returned to visit these children to see how they were doing.

The situations faced by these children are representative of the societies in which they live. By profiling these children, therefore, Wide Angle puts a human face on this issue and shows how much progress had been made so far and how much further we need to go to reach Millennium Development Goal number two.

In the film, we see that about half of the kids profiled are already struggling three years later to continue their education. Economic challenges are the primary obstacle to the children's ability to continue their studies.

According to UN Statistics, in all developing regions, the evidence is the same: children from the richest 20% of households are three times more likely to be in school than children from the poorest 20% of households. Similarly, children with educated mothers are more than twice as likely to be in school as children of mothers with no formal education. The lowest levels of attendance are found among indigenous peoples and other minority groups. Reaching these groups is the greatest challenge to achieving universal primary education.

Education is food for the mind; it is a basic human right. I believe MDG number two is a goal we can achieve but only, as Kofi Annan asserts, only if we break with business as usual, embrace a sustained effort, and take action right now.

With over 100 million children worldwide out of school, time on the clock is ticking to reach these kids and meet the MDGs by the 2015 deadline.

For ideas on how to contribute to help achieve this goal, please visit ONE.

One Laptop Per Child

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 05:22:00 +0000

After years of development and discussion, the One Laptop Per Child educational project spearheaded by MIT Media Labs founder, Nicholas Negroponte, is taking off. :)

When I first saw this photo of a classroom of Nigerian kids, each with their own laptop, it completely made me smile. It's an image of hope, and demonstrates that some dreams can come true. It's a recent photo of the One Laptop Per Nigerian Child project. How remarkable to imagine that kids in Nigeria are among the first worldwide to benefit from this global project which puts laptops in the hands of low-income kids - giving them the opportunity to tap into their own potential, learn to learn, and gain access to a world of knowledge.

I love this project.

As noted in the OLPC mission statement, "most of the nearly two–billion children in the developing world are inadequately educated, or receive no education at all. One in three does not complete the fifth grade."

By equipping kids with tools like OLPC, they gain access to knowledge and an opportunity for education, which in turn can help them help themselves and their families out of the cycle of poverty.

For two weeks in mid-November, people in the United States can buy one in a "Give One Get One" purchase strategy. For $400, you can buy one for yourself and give one to a child in a developing country.

These laptops are durable, waterproof, and dust-resistant. They are not easily damaged and have a screen that can be viewed in sunlight. They possess a camera so that kids can take photos and post them online. The model is called the "XO".

I saw a first-hand demonstration of this laptop last week at a networking event hosted by Craigslist Foundation in San Francisco. The "XO" is a simple machine. It's offered in the color green now but I understand it will be available in the colors of each country's national flag or soccer team.

Oh, this is one of the best parts! The "XO" is designed so that it can be maintained by the kids themselves. There is no hard drive - just an AMD processor. Is power a problem? Not for the "XO" since it can be powered by a special hand crank or with an inexpensive solar-powered screen. It runs on Linux open source software. Genius. :)

Finally, the "XO" has a lot of basic functions that are important for connecting kids with their peers in the classroom and with people worldwide. Since it was designed for kids in developing countries, it may not have all the bells and whistles - but - it has its fair share, including: access to the internet, video, music, and online books. Also, you can even view the screen in the sunlight, thanks to a special dual monitor for indoor and outdoor use. And it comes loaded with e-books to serve as a mini-library as well. It's amazing.

I enjoyed playing with the "XO", checking out its features, and imagining the many ways that kids worldwide can apply the knowledge and skills they gain to help themselves.

For a video demonstration of OLPC, check out this One Laptop Per Child demonstration. :)