Echoing Green Blog

Ensaaf In The News

shalena — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:32:25 -0800

Last Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of India's anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed and many families were torn apart during four days following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to an Ensaaf press release, "survivors are still waiting for justice."

Founded in 2006 by Fellows Sukhman Dhami and Jaskaran Kaur, Ensaaf continuously works to end impunity and achieve justice for mass state crimes in Punjab--a predominately Sikh state. In the October 28th Time Magazine article entitled "India's 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: Waiting for Justice," Jaskaran explains the injustices faced by survivors of the massacre.

Jaskaran also wrote an op-ed, which appeared in Mercury News. As Ensaaf continues to raise awareness about the struggles of Sikh survivors in India, they are also encouraging local support.

Find out how you can support Ensaaf further awareness.

Guest Post: Disasters in the Philippines, Natural and Manmade

Anthony — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:11:21 -0800

The following post was written by 2007 Echoing Green Fellows Kevin Lee and Gemma Bulos in response to the recent typhoons in the Philippines.

September 26th 2009, Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) made landfall in Luzon dumping over 12” of rain in 6 hrs on Manila and other parts of the National Capital Region. This caused massive urban flooding, 280+ deaths, destroyed homes and shelters of millions of people. Five days later, typhoon Pepeng (Parma) made landfall in northern Luzon, devastating agriculture in the Cagayan Valley. It then hung around the north west coast making landfall two more times and dumping up to 6’of water in some areas, causing massive and deadly landslides resulting in another 380+ people losing their lives. Dams in Luzon released water causing flash floods and many major cities are still flooded as government and relief agencies struggle to cope with the massive destruction. Currently there are approximately 500,000 people living in Evacuation Centers in Luzon and millions more piecing together their lives and living in areas that are still flooded. This is actually an annual occurrence affecting many areas of the Philippines. Typhoons in 2006 hit Manila and Bicol causing massive damage and loss of life.

It was absolutely inspiring to see the heroic efforts of those who helped in the immediate response to these disasters. Witnessing the resiliency and resourcefulness of people helping others, the outpouring of donations of money, food and clothing are a reflection of the generous human spirit. However, in the midst of all the generosity and relief efforts, astounding inefficiencies and lack of coordination can actually have a large negative impact on the rebuilding process. After the Bicol typhoons there was a call by many relief and government agencies to coordinate relief efforts and work together to prepare communities for these situations. Though there have been general meetings to mobilize local water and sanitation organizations and international relief agencies to develop protocols, emergency preparation efforts have been discussed, ideas proposed, but sadly, have not been coordinated nor implemented.

In general, there are four phases in addressing emergencies: preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation. Each phase must be equally coordinated and strengthened in order to minimize risk and loss of life. In the Philippines, we are hard-pressed for strong and efficient protocols to roll out any of these phases for a few reasons.

First, the Philippines is the most disaster-prone region in all of Southeast Asia. Each year, typhoons and monsoons cause landslides, flooding and other devastating effects on communities all over the country. Also, with ongoing conflict in Mindanao, manmade disasters have caused major destruction in areas creating large populations of internally displaced people (IDPs). With the frequency of very different kinds of disasters, it has been difficult for communities as well as aid NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to try and implement effective and appropriate plans for preparedness and response.

Second, the inefficiencies of the stakeholders have been a deterrent in implementing emergency preparedness and disaster response protocols. Dealing with a number of large International NGOs (INGOs) and under-resourced government agencies with different strategies, techniques and target areas has made it difficult to organize any kind of coordinated efforts such as communications, info gathering and sharing, technology implementation and supply availabilities and distribution. To make matters worse, without these protocols in place, local government units have to wait for the Federal government to declare their areas disaster regions in need of federal support. Proper reporting from the field with the necessary information to make the declaration is crucial for timely and appropriate actions to be implemented.

Third, badly designed and implemented technologies such as toilets or wells have created adverse short term and long term effects on relief and rehabilitation. Technology implementation is often contracted out to foreign contractors with little experience in the country and focused only on immediate implementation with short term relief.

Further, we’ve found in working with these larger agencies who specialize in humanitarian relief that they have little or no basic documentation or manuals on how to build these facilities. There is very little quality control or follow-up and the failure rate is high. Although ASDSW is not a relief agency, we are in the process of developing materials along with these agencies so that response can be quicker and much more effective.

Lastly, because of the frequency of these disasters in the same general areas, local people have built a sense of resilience as it is not uncommon for many communities to live through the same tragedy more often than in other areas. Trying to mobilize communities and implement preparedness protocols in communities who have endured such disasters as frequent as many have, there is a sense of futility that overrides need for organizing.

With these recent typhoons, our projects in Luzon have been affected. One of our partner communities in Rizal Province located on an island in the middle of a river have been flooded out. Because of the sheer magnitude of the task ahead, ASDSW has two engineers working with to Oxfam to develop and implement better water and sanitation technologies and techniques. For example, one of our engineers has designed an innovative toilet on stilts or “loo with a view”, and is determined to develop a floating toilet (probably with a poop deck). We are also working towards better design for wells and rehabilitating existing wells as another way to ensure long term use in a case where the evacuation center must be used again in future disasters.

Regardless of the fact that some of the most devastating typhoons in our nation’s history have affected communities all over the Philippines in the last three years, this outcry has reached international audiences because it hit Manila, our country’s capitol. Pictures of flood devastated areas in the city prompted phone calls from celebrities pleading for help, which provided momentum for the mobilization of resources from within and outside the country. If Typhoon Ondoy had not hit Manila perhaps these efforts would have been severely under-resourced and the outcry over this tragedy may have been minimal as we’ve seen happen so often in the past.

As tragic as these natural disasters are, most people reading this, as well as most Filipinos that do not reside in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) do not realize that one of the worst ongoing disasters in the country, if not the world is occurring 1,600 km south of Manila. There has been ongoing conflict in this region for decades between the government and the groups Muslim Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Muslim National Liberation Front (MNLF). Peace treaties have been brokered and broken for years but in August 2008, peace talks between the government and MILF broke down. As a result, the numbers of people displaced has varied from 280,000 up to 1,000,000. Currently, this number is now estimated at 330,000 to 400,000 displaced people and is expected to remain until after the election in May 2010. Ongoing efforts by relief agencies have been hindered by the failure to cooperate from both sides as well as a lack of resources available or offered in the area. The withholding of food aid is occurring along with many human rights abuses violated on both the government and the MILF. This situation is worsening rapidly as dwindling resources already stretched thin in the region are now being diverted to Luzon for the typhoon relief.

Throughout 2008 and 2009 ASDSW worked hand in hand with seven Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Peoples Organizations (PO) and Local Government Units (LGU) to build the Water and Sanitation capacity of thirty-one municipalities throughout ARMM. Reports from our staff noted nearby shelling while meeting with POs and LGUs; traveling to worksites through multiple check points; the killing of one of our CSO partners; trainings conducted while armed police and military looked on. Despite the ongoing conflict, ASDSW staff and our partners demonstrated tremendous dedication and kept faithful the belief we were doing the right thing.

As a testament to their hard work and relentless commitment, the culmination of over fifty small projects in these areas have implemented water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects which have impacted over 5,000 families. To further ensure sustainability, we have established mechanisms in all thirty-one municipalities to help them design, plan and implement WASH projects. Nearly half are now functional and proactively implementing their plans.

ASDSW is now working with OXFAM and two other local CSOs to implement a better WASH strategy for Evacuation Centers and Home Based IDPs. This also includes the development of handbooks and designs to overcome the issues that are facing already installed interventions, e.g. sanitation, water treatment, wells. Because of the deep need in ARMM, ASDSW has opened a satellite office in Cotabato City, Mindanao.

As climate change impacts become more frequent and devastating, the development of disaster management protocols is crucial in mitigating risk. Investment to engage and educate the communities in appropriate preparedness, response and relief programs can make the rehabilitation and rebuilding of their own communities less devastating. ASDSW works with communities to build their resilience and better equip them for the impending disasters, which if the last three years proves, can be an annual expectation.

Kevin Lee and Gemma Bulos, ASDSW

Thirty Days to Apply: Our Tweet Challenge Is On!

Anthony — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:53:07 -0800

Even though it's only Monday, today is an exciting milestone for two reasons:

a) We just zoomed past 100,000 followers on Twitter. Wow!

b) There are only thirty days left to apply for the 2010 Echoing Green Fellowship!

Last week, we were approached by a terrific supporter and member of Echoing Green's Social Investment Council, Kathryn Corro, with a terrific challenge idea. For every Tweet about the Echoing Green Fellowship deadline that includes the tag #EG2010, Kathryn will donate $1 to our operating fund (up to $1000)! We’re looking high and low for this year’s BEST ideas for social change, and we need your help to spread the word about the Echoing Green Fellowship!

You can use the following suggested tweets or come up with your own! As long as you include the tag (#EG2010), it will count toward our challenge goal.

Suggested tweet 1: Less than a month to apply 4 the 2010 @echoinggreen fellowship! Win $ & support for bold social change ideas. http://bit.ly/EG2010 #EG2010

Suggested tweet 2: This tweet = $1 donation to @echoinggreen. Its seed funding fellowship deadline is 12/2 – pass it on - http://bit.ly/EG2010 #EG2010

Read the following heart-felt letter from Kathryn Corro about why she supports Echoing Green:

I first learned of Echoing Green when I was searching for one nonprofit organization with which I wanted to work. After attending various events, I started to better understand the depth of the organization and the reason that Echoing Green Fellows have been behind some of the most successful firms promoting social change, including Teach For America and City Year. The Echoing Green platform does not simply identify fellows and provide an endorsement. The 12 to 15 entrepreneurs that are selected every year (out of approximately 1,500 applicants) receive seed funding, and become part of the Echoing Green global community of entrepreneurs effecting social change. Over the two years of the fellowship, the entrepreneurs are supported through intensive training programs, promoted through networking events, and encouraged through an extensive community of supporters of social entrepreneurship.

The success of Echoing Green can be measured. Echoing Green has invested approximately $30 million in seed grants to over 450 social entrepreneurs. The fellows have been located in more than 40 countries, creating an expansive global footprint. Finally, approximately two-thirds of the Echoing Green fellows have built businesses that are ultimately sustainable.

I have been impressed.

Background:

Kathryn Corro is a Principal at Rockpoint Group, L.L.C, a global real estate investment management firm that has sponsored five investment vehicles which represent a total capitalization of approximately $17 billion. She has worked in the real estate private equity business for more than 10 years. Kathryn currently resides in San Francisco.

Echoing Green Partners with Jobs for Change on new Be Bold Podcast

Anthony — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:46:08 -0700

We’re excited today to take the wraps off an exciting partnership to grow and expand our career-focused Be Bold Podcast. Last October, when we launched the Be Bold Podcast, we never imagined that it would touch so many people interested in developing careers with meaningful impact. The first sixteen episodes have been downloaded thousands of times in over thirty countries, and we have been thrilled with the steady stream of terrific listener questions.

To accelerate the growth and impact on the sector, we’ve partnered with the fine people at Jobs for Change. Over the next several months, the talented Jobs for Change career advisors will take turns answering listener questions with our wonderful host, Britt Bravo.

In the first edition of this partnership, Britt interviews Erin O'Connor Jones, the Director of Candidate Services and Managing Associate at Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group.

In this episode, they discuss the following questions:

Are there really jobs for sector switchers, especially in this economy?
What are some of the best resources, conferences, and networks for professional development related to fundraising?

Don't forget that you can subscribe to the podcast to get all of our latest updates. To submit a question for consideration in a future episode, head to http://jobs.change.org/questions.

Stay up to date by following us on Twitter:

Echoing Green (@echoinggreen)
Jobs for Change (@jobsforchange)
Britt Bravo (@bbravo)
Erin O’Connor Jones (@erinnpag)

Anne Tamar-Mattis Featured in The Economist

shalena — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:51:38 -0700

After winning a gold medal, 18 year-old South African runner Caster Semenya received a great deal of media attention. Not because of Caster's victory, but because Caster's sex was called into question. This event spawned a number of discussions around intersexuality, including The Economist article "Intersexuality: A question of sex."

2008 Fellow Anne Tamar-Mattis and founder of Advocates for Informed Choice, was featured in the article, and she gives her expert advice on the topic of intersexuality in American society.

Check out the full article in The Economist.

Is Philanthropy Ready for the New Consumer?

Anthony — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:17:06 -0700

Our friends at BBMG (a branding and integrated marketing firm) released a hot new whitepaper this month outlining a framework and approach to philanthropy's "new consumer." As they put it:

The recession has affected our nation’s institutions across every sector. Consumer trust is lower than ever, and the demand for innovation has never been higher. As organizations look for new ways to do more with less, the opportunity has never been better for nonprofits to reimagine themselves. And it starts by listening to the new consumer. They are, after all, your next donor.

Download their excellent 4-page whitepaper (registration required) or register for their free webinar tomorrow, October 28th at 2pm EST.

Cheryl Dorsey named to America’s Best Leaders list

lara — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:31 -0700

We’ve been bursting at the seams all week, but the news is finally out! Echoing Green President Cheryl Dorsey was just named to U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of "America’s Best Leaders". We’re thrilled to present the following letter from Co-Founder and Chair of the Echoing Green Board, Dave Hodgson.

Friends,

This is a momentous day for both Echoing Green and the social entrepreneurship field.

It is a great honor to announce that Cheryl Dorsey, Echoing Green's President, has been named one of "America's Best Leaders" for 2009 by U.S. News Media Group and the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Cheryl and this year's 21 other honorees from the worlds of business, government, academia, the arts, nonprofits and defense will be featured in the upcoming issue of

U.S. News & World Report magazine. The honorees were selected by a committee of academic, government, business, community and nonprofit leaders convened by the CPL.

Before she was appointed our president, Cheryl was an Echoing Green Fellow, and so it is all the more gratifying to see Cheryl's work on behalf of social entrepreneurship recognized alongside the accomplishments of the late Senator Ted Kennedy and his longtime friend and colleague Senator Orrin Hatch, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Cisco Systems' President and CEO John Chambers, The Rockefeller Foundation's President Judith Rodin, and other distinguished leaders.

According to the CPL, "A leader motivates people to work collaboratively to accomplish great things," and the criteria it used to identify this year's outstanding leaders were effectiveness in setting direction, cultivating a culture of growth, and, the heaviest-weighted component, achieving results. By these or any other measures, Cheryl is a tremendous leader. Echoing Green has achieved a global impact, having awarded more than $28 million in start-up capital to nearly 500 social entrepreneurs worldwide since 1987, and seeking fresh new ways to inspire careers in social change. Cheryl also is generous with her energy and her talent, currently serving as vice-chair of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships; on the boards of City Year (national), DonorsChoose.org, and Freelancers Insurance Company, Inc.; and on the advisory boards of the Action Tank for Social Entrepreneurs, America Forward, and the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation.

As Cheryl has often reminded us, “a leader is only recognized if people are moved to action.” This award is therefore a celebration of so many of you who have actively engaged with Echoing Green in promoting social entrepreneurship. To an extent that we could only dream about in Echoing Green’s 1980's nascency, people around the world with innovative ideas for meaningful, large scale social change are taking the risk. Never before has there been so much interest in the field and such rapid growth in resources to help social entrepreneurs develop the skills and access the support they need to "Be Bold." This explosion of innovation in the social sector is creating game-changing momentum; let’s make Cheryl's recognition as one of "America's Best Leaders" a further catalyst to inspire, encourage, support and galvanize the potential that each of us possesses to effect positive social change.

Cheryl, we are incredibly proud of you today. And for all who have joined Cheryl in supporting innovation, who have proven what the social change community can accomplish, my congratulations and sincere thanks.

Dave Hodgson
Chairman, Echoing Green
Managing Director, General Atlantic LLC

Gemma Bulos awarded Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award

shalena — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:08:55 -0700

We are so excited to learn this week that 2007 Fellow Gemma Bulos (Co-founder and Executive Director of A Single Drop for Safe Water) received the 2009 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Phillippines Award.

This is the third year of collaboration in the Phillippines between Schwab Foundation and Ernst & Young to recognize the amazing work of social entrepreneurs.

According to the S chwab Foundation press release, Gemma received her award in the presence of over 500 business, political, and media leaders. BusinessWorld Online also recognized Gemma's receipt of this prestigious honor.

Congratulations, Gemma!

The Chordoma Foundation announces major discovery

Anthony — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:22:09 -0700

2008 Echoing Green Fellow Josh Sommer stopped by our offices recently with some amazing news: researchers at Duke University and the National Cancer Institute have successfully linked a gene to familial chordoma in a paper published in Nature Genetics.

Chordoma is slow growing bone cancer that develops in the skull-base and spine. The Chordoma Foundation was founded by Josh Sommer to improve the lives of chordoma patients by rapidly developing effective treatments and ultimately a cure for this devastating disease.

The recent paper and discovery represent a major advance in understanding chordoma, but of course, there is much more to do. To find out more about the disease and what you can do to help, check out the Chordoma Foundation website.

Vikram Akula Op-Ed Published in The Wall Street Journal

shalena — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:12:42 -0700

How can China solve the growing income gap in their economy? According to 1998 fellow Vikram Akula and colleague Tahrun Khanna, bringing microfinance to China is the answer.

Vikram co-wrote "Microfinancing China," which was featured in the October 7th edition of the Wall Street Journal. Although China has the third-largest economy, the country also has the second-largest number of citizens living in poverty. Vikram and Tahrun explains "millions of poor people in China could benefit from the opportunities provided by a small but powerful loan."

Check out the full article in The Wall Street Journal.