Image via: Coulomb Technologies Sonoma County, CA is preparing to install 200 new ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations throughout the county. The infrastructure is being installed in preparation of electric vehicles being sold like hot cakes starting over the next few years, but the plan hinges on a little thing calle...
-
TreeHugger
-
Sonoma County Welcomes Electric Vehicles With Plans For 200 Charging Stations
3 Jul 2009 | 3:49 pm -
Louise Galvin Launches U.K.'s First Carbon-Neutral Beauty Company
3 Jul 2009 | 3:33 pmPhoto credit: Louise Galvin Louise Galvin, hair colorist to the stars and the woman behind the eponymous haircare line, can add another pip to her collar: Louise Galvin is U.K.'s first beauty company to become carbon-neutral. Pumped full of naturally derived ingredients like essential oils, natural extracts, and vegetable-based moisturizing and conditioning agents—no sulfates, parabens, silicone, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, or polymers, thanks—Galvin's cruelty-free follicle-primping products maintain cl... -
More Low-carbon Grilling Tips: Minty Marinade
3 Jul 2009 | 3:07 pmBefore: how not to grill--high flame, smoke and charring. Photo via flickr by (appropriately) Combust When barbecuing your free-range meats and line-caught fish this July 4th, be sure to whip up some marinade first. Yesterday, I offered ten ways to avoid carcinogenic HCAs and PAHs when grilling (or any high-heat cooking, for that matter). Thanks to a comment from a reader, I dug digger into tip # 4, the marinating suggestion that lessens HCAs, and discovered some compelling results and recommended recipes for significa... -
Chinese Government Raises Fuel Prices by 10% (That's Good!)
3 Jul 2009 | 1:35 pmThose prices are in Yuans per liter, I think. Fuel Subsidies Punish Virtue The Chinese government has recently decided to raise fuel prices by about 10%, the third increase in the past few months, following a 6-7% increase on June 1st, and a 3-5% increase in March. The stated goal is to bring the price of fuel in China closer to what the market price is. From a green point of view, this is good because subsidized fossil fuels only encourages waste, over-consumption, and the buying of vehicles that aren't fuel efficient. It also artificially reduces the competitiveness of technologies that… -
Has the 'Organic' Label Become the Biggest Greenwashing Campaign in the US?
3 Jul 2009 | 1:27 pmPhotos via Critical Bench, and the Guardian We're well aware that more and more products are apt to be labeled with false green claims to try to grab the attention of increasingly green consumers--and 98% percent of them were guilty of exactly that last year. Now consider the federal, USDA regulated
-
Global Voices Online
-
Facebook conquers Southeast Asia
3 Jul 2009 | 3:26 pmBernard Leong observes that Facebook is almost the dominant social networking platform in Southeast Asia. It has overtaken Friendster in Malaysia and is getting more members in other countries in the region. -
Malaysia: University admissions process
3 Jul 2009 | 3:24 pmRajan Rishyakaran has written an article critiquing the Malaysian university admissions process. -
Cambodia: Khmer Gold
3 Jul 2009 | 3:22 pmMongkol visited the National Museum and was able to view the recently donated rare Angkorian gold and jewelry which have never been seen before in Cambodia. -
Palestine: Dehumanized In Gaza
3 Jul 2009 | 2:44 pmGazan blogger Lina says: “This is something I’ve been feeling so significantly the past week. It’s the feeling of being dehumanized or the feeling that life is not meant for us, the Palestinians.” She then lists all the things that have made her feel this way. -
Bahrain: Congratulations, India
3 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmGay Bahraini blogger Shams Al-Ma7aba congratulates India on decriminalising homosexuality [Ar].
-
SSIR Articles
-
Making the B List
23 Jun 2009 | 3:30 amReem Rahim and her brother Ahmed don’t always agree. But the two cofounders of Oakland, Calif.-based Numi Tea were both skeptical when the nonprofit B Lab approached them about certifying their business as a B Corporation. B—“beneficial”—Corporations use “the power of business to solve social and environmental problems,” according to B Lab’s Web site. Yet Numi Tea had already received organic and Fair Trade certifications, so the Rahims did not understand why they also needed to earn their B Corp bona fides. They questioned whether B Corporation certification was just another… -
White House Digs Innovation
21 May 2009 | 7:01 pmWhen first lady Michelle Obama helped turn a patch of the South Lawn into a kitchen garden for the White House, sustainable foodies savored the moment—and the overnight attention it brought to their “eat local” movement. Social innovators, meanwhile, spent early spring waiting for the Klieg lights to turn in their direction. “Any day now” was the rolling estimate of when the new President would formally announce creation of the first-ever White House Office of Social Innovation. (At press time it was learned that the office would be headed by Sonal Shah, who previously worked at the… -
The Profit in Nonprofit
21 May 2009 | 7:01 amIn 2004, Jessica Jackley set out for rural Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to perform an impact evaluation for the Village Enterprise Fund (VEF), a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit that makes modest grants and loans to small businesses in East Africa. A few months later, her husband, Matt Flannery, then a computer programmer at Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo Inc., came to visit her. As the couple traveled around the country interviewing small-business owners, they talked nonstop about the best ways to help Africa’s struggling entrepreneurs. One year earlier, Jackley had heard Muhammad Yunus, the… -
Research: The Volunteer Boom
21 May 2009 | 7:01 amCommentators such as former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw and Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, contend that Americans who came of age during World War II are the “greatest generation,” shouldering more than their fair share of civic duty and patriotic discipline. Meanwhile, observers criticize the baby boomers—Americans born in the years following WWII—as selfish whiners and disenchanted laggards. But when it comes to volunteering, “this basically isn’t true,” finds DePaul University sociologist Christopher J. Einolf in a recent research article. “Not only are baby… -
Research: The Violent Death of Benevolence
21 May 2009 | 7:01 amPlayers of the video game MadWorld can use their Nintendo Wiis to impale enemies on spikes, gouge out their eyes with street signs, and chop them in half with chain saws. The Mortal Kombat series offers its users similar thrills: ripping foes’ heads from their bodies, tearing their hearts out of their chests, and burning the flesh off their skeletons. Although their producers argue that these games have no ill effects, a new research article shows that violent media blunt people’s altruistic tendencies. In one experiment, for example, participants who played a violent video game took…
-
ASHOKA
-
Yale Awards Highest Honor to Bill Drayton
22 Jun 2009 | 6:09 amAshoka Founder and CEO Bill Drayton has awarded honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Yale University's 308th Commencementread more -
Ashoka Brings Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa and India
7 Jan 2009 | 1:03 pmAshoka today announced a $15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support sustainable rural developmentread more -
100th Ashoka Fellow Elected in the United States
8 Dec 2008 | 11:04 amAshoka U.S. Adds 21 New Fellows to Lifetime, Global Fellowship of Top Social Entrepreneursread more -
Groundbreaking “Dialog in the Dark” Exhibition Makes US Debut
28 Aug 2008 | 12:51 pmAshoka Fellow Andeas Heinecke challenges visitors to experience the world as the visually-impairedread more -
Ashoka Expands the Reach of Social Entrepreneurship around the World with Support from Microsoft Software Grant
22 Aug 2008 | 11:37 amAshoka forms unique partnership to catalyze social change worldwideread more
-
How to Change the World
-
How to Achieve Revenue
1 Jul 2009 | 10:59 amThe harsh reality of the startup scene today is that revenue is the best, and maybe only, form of funding. While many conferences focus on gaining the attention of investors, we’ve put one together that focuses on generating revenue. It’s called Revenue Bootcamp. It’s on Friday, July 10th, at the Microsoft Mountain View, California campus. Click here to learn more about it and to register. The topics include increasing traffic, selling advertising, and utilizing other revenue streams. There is also a keynote and booksigning with Chris Anderson, the author of Free: The Future… -
Reality Check Now Available in French
28 Jun 2009 | 7:39 pmVient de paraître en français: La réalité de l'entrepreneuriat Le guide irrévérencieux pour dépasser, devancer, distancer vos concurrents de Guy Kawasaki Publié en français par les Editions Diateino, avec l'aimable autorisation de Portfolio, Penguin Group. 26 euros. Ce livre, traduit par Marylène Delbourg Delphis, fait suite à L’art de se lancer, le bestseller de Guy Kawasaki traduit en 10 langues, paru en 2006 aux Editions Diateino. La réalité de l’entrepreneuriat, comme L’art de se lancer, est un livre de chevet pour tout entrepreneur, où qu’il vive. Ce livre vous… -
Sites Used at San Diego Venture Group Speech
25 Jun 2009 | 11:19 pmThese are the sites and applications that I used in today’s San Diego Venture Group speech about using social media as a marketing tool. Making Connections LinkedIn LinkedIn: Find References LinkedIn: Companies LinkedIn: Answers: Home LinkedIn: Jobs Home Jigsaw Spokeo Social Networking Facebook | Alltop Twitter / Home Twitter Corporate Examples JetBlue Dell Outlet Virgin America Amazondeals CirqueLasVegas Comcastcares Kogibbq Twitter Search Examples Monitor: guykawasaki OR alltop Monitor: comcast OR Directv Monitor: Starbucks VIA Search.twitter.com/ Camaro Camaro within 100 miles… -
How Mayo Clinic Uses Social Media
23 Jun 2009 | 4:57 pmOver at the American Express Open Forum I posted an interview with Lee Aase. He manages syndication and social media for Mayo Clinic. In this interview he explains the history of Mayo Clinic’s use of social media and how effective this effort has been. If you’re considering social media for your organization, it’s a worthwhile read. Click here to read it. -
How to Use Alltop to Add Content to Your Website, Blog, and Feed Reader
21 Jun 2009 | 10:43 amWe’ve enabled people to access and repurpose the website and blog feeds that we’ve curated at Alltop: Widget. Create a widget of any Alltop site by going here. Then you can deploy these widgets in your blogs. These widgets display the five most popular stories from the respective topic. This is a great way to add fresh content to your website or blog with very little work. To see a list of “all the topics” that may be relevant, go here. RSS feed. Grab the RSS feed of any Alltop topic by clicking on the RSS symbol in your browser’s navigation area. Then you can…
-
Worldchanging: Bright Green
-
Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
3 Jul 2009 | 3:16 pmHusk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco Systems. As the winning entrant, Husk Power walks away with $250,000 in seed funding, which they will use to build and operate more power plants in rural areas of Bihar, India's poorest state. Congratulations to Chip Ransler, Manoj Sinha and the rest of the Husk Power Systems team on this big win. They have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and FOX Business. … -
Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist Show
3 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmUnique visionary activist and astrologer Caroline Casey recently interviewed Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist radio show, a live weekly radio program broadcast by KPFA in Berkeley, California. Also featured is Carolyn Raffensperger of the Science and Environmental Health Network. The show originally aired July 2, and will be available in the audio archive until Thursday, July 16. Visit the site to download or play. Help us change the world - DONATE NOW! (Posted by WorldChanging Team in About Worldchanging at 1:37 PM) -
Carbon Tax Shift Gaining Favor Across Canada?
3 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pmPosted by Anna Fahey As British Columbia acknowledges the one year anniversary of the landmark carbon tax shift policy, the revenue-neutral tax recently bumped prices at the pump from 2.4 cents to 3.6 cents a litre. But the price change at the pump hasn't drastically altered public opinion one way or another. In fact, as reported in Sightline Daily today, carbon tax shifting appears to be gaining favor across Canada. A quick refresher on carbon tax shifts: The plan literally shifts taxes, it doesn't add taxes. All revenue generated by the carbon tax in BC are returned to individuals and… -
Pioneer City 2030: What the Energy System of the Future Looks Like
3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amThe energy system of the future is being founded now. New energy systems and technologies are growing on an accelerating curve: • Buildings that are green, super-efficient and fully managed by digital technologies have become economically competitive. • Hybrid vehicles partly propelled by electricity have emerged in the market, with plug-in vehicles coming over the next several years. • Smart electric grids that employ digital technology to manage power supply and demand are spreading through long distance transmission and local power distribution. • Renewable energy in the form of… -
Insider Voices: Human Dimensions of Low Carbon Technology
3 Jul 2009 | 8:16 amThis is a really smart project discussing how cutting-edge climate-friendly business ventures have begun and succeeded or failed. Though it's not casual reading, it'll be fascinating to those wrestling with these questions, because it focuses on the element most often left out of innovative plans: people. "When people talk about reducing carbon emissions," the report's authors say, "they usually talk about technologies or economics. But the five year Lowcarbonworks research project reveals that’s not enough. Unless we understand the wider systemic context of low carbon initiatives and the…
-
Triple Pundit
-
Pedaling Sustainability in Africa: Bamboosero and Zambikes
3 Jul 2009 | 4:25 pmIt's sometimes painful to watch the big automakers scrambling to right their collective ship, coming out with prototype vehicles like GM and Segway's lovechild, the P.U.M.A. (granted, my colleague Steve Puma—no relation—noted that it is a step in the right direction). But on the flip side, it's a joy to hear about cool startups like Zambikes and Bamboosero. Vaughn Spethmann founded Zambikes in an effort to develop both employment opportunities and appropriate transportation for Zambians. Not only did he and his Zambian bike-builders create standard steeds, they also created innovative… -
SOCAP09: Director Sonal Shah from Obama’s Office of Social Innovation to Deliver Key Note
3 Jul 2009 | 4:14 pmEarly Registration (and 40% Discount) Ends July 8th This year’s SOCAP09 conference will offer three days (September 1-3) of rich content, over 100 speakers, and a special “unconference” day. In its second year, the Social Capital Markets conference brings together the broad ecosystem of capital (funds, foundations and individual investors) with for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs using business to make a positive difference. And if you register before July 8th, you’ll receive a 40% discount from the full conference price. Use the code WEB40 to receive your special discount. ... --… -
LED Lighting, Smart Grid Tech Take Root in California
3 Jul 2009 | 6:30 amWith some $4.5 billion in Federal grants spurring project development and investment, LED streetlights and smart grid technology are being combined and systems rolled out in a growing number of California cities. Creator of the LonWorks open platform standard for smart grid and building/facilities energy management systems and products, San Jose-based Echelon Corp. is at the forefront of this wave of infrastructural change. The emerging market leader is involved in smart grid LED street lighting projects in Palo Alto, San Francisco, San Jose, as well as others in the US and abroad. ... --… -
PureSense: Irrigation Technology to Live Through Drought
3 Jul 2009 | 3:32 amI grew up in Southern California during the beginning of the worst multi-year drought in California’s history. We sang “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down” at summer camp. My mother timed my showers and started screaming at the four-minute mark. We cringed at the sight of our azure swimming pool. We thought it couldn’t get any worse.... -- CLICK HERE to Continue Reading and Comment -
World Centric Compostable-Ware for a Greener 4th of July
3 Jul 2009 | 3:30 amThe 4th of July celebrations are almost upon us. The 4th of July weekend is a good time to re-think what products we use. Before you break out the disposable plates and plastic flatware, consider a few facts about our country’s solid waste. The U.S. produces 70 percent of the world’s solid waste, and 80 percent of U.S. products are used once and then thrown away. Paper is 37 percent of all the waste in the U.S., and paper waste in landfills emits methane. Landfills are the largest source of methane emissions (32 percent), which has a warming effect 23 times greater than carbon dioxide.
-
Global X
-
Susan Collin Marks & John Marks - Search For Common Ground - Part 1 of 2
18 Jun 2009 | 11:30 amGlobal X interviews John Marks, President of Search for Common Good, and Susan Collin Marks, Senior Vice President. John Marks founded Search for Common Good in 1982 to “transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving.” As can be seen on this X-Interview, John and Susan are not only partners in social change but also in their personal lives. They are co-preneurs who "share love, vision and passion." John Marks mentions a typical error made by social entrepreneurs as they launch their social… -
Susan Collin Marks & John Marks - Search For Common Ground Part 2 of 2
18 Jun 2009 | 11:30 amIn this second X-Interview (the first one is here), John Marks, President of Search for Common Good, and Susan Collin Marks, Senior Vice President, share stories.Susan talks about Burundi, where Search for Common Ground launched radio programs to help Tutsis and Hutus celebrate their heroes, those who risked their own lives for helping friends and neighbors from the other ethnic group.These radio programs led into the Heroes Summit, where stories were shared publicly: "Previously seen as traitors, they are now recognized as heroes."John talks about an initiative launched around the… -
Mathis Wackernagel & Susan Burns - Global Footprint Network
10 Jun 2009 | 3:20 pmMathis Wackernagel and Susan Burns launched the Global Footprint Network in 2003 because "human beings are using more resources than the Earth can provide, and we are in global ecological overshoot." This husband-wife team developed the Ecological Footprint, a resource accounting tool that measures how much nature can produce in our country and how much we use of it. "Our work is so much data driven, and yet it's so much about life," says Susan Burns. "And it's not about future generations anymore. It's about my life, our son's life," echoes Mathis Wackernagel. -
Martin von Hildebrand - Fundación Gaia Amazonas
4 Jun 2009 | 3:10 pmMartin von Hildebrand, the director of Fundación Gaia Amazonas, describes himself as a dreamer.His father was in the anti-Nazi resistance movement in Germany, and his mother fought against the British for the independence of Ireland. That's how he realized that dreams could become realities. The first time he went to the Amazon, he dreamt that "Indians could have their own land and their autonomy --and that's what we have achieved!"Listen to Martin von Hildebrand as he shares with Global X his moment of epiphany. He went to the Amazon forest for the first time in 1970, spending… -
Bill Strickland - Manchester Bidwell
1 Jun 2009 | 12:55 pmBill Strickland, a three-time Harvard Business School case study and a MacArthur Genius Award winner, founded the Manchester Bidwell Corporation 40 years ago and changed the lives of thousands of disadvantaged urban teens and welfare mothers with his world-class arts centers and career training centers. He told his story in “Make The Impossible Possible,” and shares with Global X the case of Sharif Bey, an African-American who started in the program at age 13 and now has a Ph.D. in Education.His advice: "Don't do it by yourself! This profession can very isolating, it can be…
-
Marc Gunther
-
Vanguard’s shame
3 Jul 2009 | 3:32 pmHarvard, Yale and Stanford did it. So did the pension funds of 27 states, including California and New York. And investment firm TIAA-CREF. So why won’t Vanguard, the big mutual fund company, agree to use its influence to get big companies to stop supporting the genocide in Darfur? At Vanguard’s... > -
Qteros: Turning mud to big money
1 Jul 2009 | 5:29 pmCan we find a clean, planet-friendly fuel to power our cars? Electric cars will take a decade, at least, to have a majorimpact on climate change, while corn ethanol has a slew of well-documented problems. Investors and the government are increasingly focused on so-called next-generation biofuels,... > -
The Rodney Dangerfield of fuels
29 Jun 2009 | 7:39 pmIn the energy and climate change debate, environmentalists are for the most part united in their feelings about coal (very bad), gasoline (avoid “gas guzzlers”), nuclear energy (scary), hydropower (small is better than big), wind (good unless you worry about birds), solar thermal... > -
We can solve the climate crisis
28 Jun 2009 | 6:51 pmI learned two things last week about Sunil Paul, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist with a passion for clean tech. One is that he thinks big. The other is that he is very well-connected in Washington. Paul came to D.C. to release a report called the Gigaton Throwdown that, in his words, “redefines... > -
Transparency, without taxpayer dollars
26 Jun 2009 | 3:34 pmThere are two places on the Internet where you can find out how the $787-billion stimulus package is being spent. One is run by the government. The other by a west coast tech company. Care to guess which does a better job? Yes, it’s recovery.org, which despite its dot-org suffix, is run by a... >
-
Audeamus: How dare we
-
The Philoneist Tells You Who's Behind that Domain, and More...
29 Jun 2009 | 5:40 pm© chrisdlugosz A new domain you've discovered is offering a variety of Web hosting services that look useful for your business, but you're wondering who's behind the site and where its own... -
Polaris Project: How to attack human slavery challenge?
27 Jun 2009 | 1:48 pmTwo gradute students in Brown university participated in the annual entrepreneurship competition, they knew they would have a tough time: Their idea was establishing a social enterprise which was more... -
Elevator pitch for the social enterprise
25 Jun 2009 | 12:14 pmHave you ever heard the term "Elevator Pitch"? Well the term is certainly a commodity in entrepreneurship world and refers to the following situation: Imagine you are in the elevator with a big time i... -
Social Entrepreneurhip at Stanford
21 Jun 2009 | 4:58 amAs you might know, California has probably the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. now as the result of the economic downturn. The companies in Silicon Valley as an example are scaling back and layi... -
Social Entrepreneurship using Facebook
21 Jun 2009 | 4:44 amI don't know how many of you have a personal profile in Facebook (I guess most of you at the website has grown to more than 200 million users) but what I have found out recently is that Facebook i...
-
Global Envision
-
One Billion Are Hungry
30 Jun 2009 | 4:04 pmA Mercy Corps beneficiaries show off their garden in Niger. Photo: Jeremy Barnicle/Mercy CorpsLast week the UN announced that the number of people suffering from hunger now totals one billion worldwide. Not too surprisingly, a BBC article points out that the vast majority of the world's hungry live in developing countries. Only 15 million are in the developed world. In contrast, 265 million live in sub-Saharan Africa and more than two times as many — 642 million to be exact — live in the Asia-Pacific region. Since the economic crisis hit, there are about 100 million more people… -
China Going Green?
29 Jun 2009 | 4:22 pmChina's Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro-electric power station. Photo: PVCG (flickr)Can China go green without disrupting their economic growth? Fossil fuels provide most of the energy powering the world’s post populated country, but last month China committed to producing more energy from cleaner sources. Liu Zhenya — the president of China's largest electric provider — said that China aims to produce 35 percent of its energy from "low-emissions" sources by 2020 at a press conference in Beijing, tells Bloomberg.com. China is currently the world's leader in renewable… -
Rio de Janeiro Deforestation Plan
25 Jun 2009 | 12:08 pmOne of the many slums in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: World Resources Institute (flickr)In Brazil, forests are rapidly being destroyed, slums are expanding, and crime has reached an all-time high. The solution? Government officials in Rio de Janeiro insist that building a nine mile, cinder-block wall around their slums will help to prevent the Atlantic rain forest from further deforestation, and restrict the expansion of these shanty towns. Human rights groups and many residents of the slums — known as favelas — disagree, reports the Wall Street Journal. They claim the purpose… -
Still Swimming, but Millions Fewer Due to Virus
24 Jun 2009 | 3:18 pmChile's salmon industry is worth $2 billion and the fish are one of the country's top four exports. Chile is the biggest supplier of salmon to the U.S. and second to the world. But in the past year, a flue-like virus called Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) has spread through the country's salmon fisheries, sometimes infecting entire salmon stocks. Hoping to curb the devastating effects of ISA, the Chilean government has stepped up controls and passed stricter regulations for antibiotic use and addressing overcrowding. But, compliance is costly and the industry complained of having trouble… -
Still getting Nickel and Dimed
23 Jun 2009 | 12:51 pmBarbara Ehrenreich, author of the New York Times best-seller Nickel and Dimed, recently visited a few of the families she profiled in her book to check in on how the recession was affecting their lives. "In good times and grim ones, the misery at the bottom just keeps piling up, like a bad debt that will eventually come due." The economic crisis hasn't changed the situation for many of the poor families Ehrenreich profiled because things were already pretty bad before the economy started tanking. They still face the same daily struggles of low wages, little job security, and limited safety…
-
Hip Investor
-
[In The News] INSEAD interviews HIP on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
29 Jun 2009 | 10:40 amHow does LifeCycle Analysis (LCA) benefit corporations and investors? Read Rahilla Zafar’s feature in INSEAD Knowledge, the magazine of the leading European business school. HIP’s CEO R. Paul Herman explains how LCA thinking and analysis could have helped General Motors and AIG avoid some of the gripping issues both face today. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL FEATURE -
[In The News] Solar Stumbles, But HIP CEO Sees Sunny Future
30 Apr 2009 | 12:41 pmDanny Bradbury of BusinessGreen.com summarizes the slowdown among smaller solar ventures - and quotes HIP CEO R. Paul Herman on the solar stimulus and a sunnier future outlook. READ THE FULL STORY -
[HIP POV] How HIP Is Your Revenue Mix? Who Is a HIP Conglomerate?
30 Apr 2009 | 12:11 pmHow HIP Is Your Revenue Mix? Will You Be a HIP Conglomerate? Wall Street analysts and institutional investors examine sales growth, international sales, product mix and business unit ups and downs.All of these are financial in nature, and critically important to an enterprise’s economic prosperity. But those metrics can also be lagging or incomplete.Customers buy products for a reason.HIP Investor’s research and analysis shows that the most successful companies typically hone in on solving a human problem – health and wellness, financial security, eco-efficient equipment, equal access… -
[In The News] HIP CEO Quoted in FORBES; Empowering Employees for CSR at Large Corporations
5 Mar 2009 | 10:07 pmForbes staff writer Lisa LaMotta features the latest scoring of “corporate social responsibility” at large corporations - including environmental sustainaiblity and social impact - and how leading firms outperform on shareholder value. In this Forbes feature, HIP CEO R. Paul Herman encourages companies to engage employees at the “grassroots” for their ideas about how best to realize Human Impact + Profit (HIP). (HIP research finds that leading companies like Herman Miller, Salesforce.com and eBay have employee “green teams” that generate, implement and… -
July 28: ecoTuesday (DC, SF, SV, DEN, LA, MI and MN)
27 Feb 2009 | 2:10 pmNETWORK WITH ECO-LEADERS AT ECO-TUESDAY On Tuesday, July 28, sustainability leaders and new community members network to make positive change together through business. Check out your city for EcoTuesday and join in – or start your own city chapter, just like Denver, Michigan and Southern California have. More info and RSVP for Tues., May 26 in: = Michigan = Los Angeles (Santa Monica) = Minneapolis = Denver = San Francisco = Silicon Valley = Washington D.C. http://www.ecotuesday.com/
-
Beneblog: Technology Meets Society
-
Craigslist Foundation Bootcamp 2009
21 Jun 2009 | 6:46 pmEnjoyed my day in Berkeley yesterday at the Craigslist Foundation Bootcamp 2009. They had more than 1000 folks show up to talk about service, nonprofits and social action. I thought Arianna Huffington did a good job as the opening keynoter hitting on the service theme. Announcing All For Good was a big piece of the event, of course. Randi Zuckerberg of Facebook had the tough gig of presenting a lunch keynote outside under a tent in lower Sproul Plaza (mucho noise and people talking). She was much more on Facebook marketing message, but of course that's her role at FB. Lots of enthusiastic FB… -
AARP covers Bookshare!
19 Jun 2009 | 1:43 pmWe had a nice piece on Bookshare in the latest AARP Bulletin, entitled: Making Books Accessible for Those With Disabilities.We've been getting lots of questions about the article, including volunteer offers (yay!) and interest in getting Bookshare for older parents. We have shared with people that it's ok for children of disabled parents to download books for their parents, just as it's ok for parents to download books for children with disabilities. Our team has been explaining how to assist a disabled senior who doesn't have a PC, by empowering a PC-using child to download the book and load… -
Fascinating Meeting at the Copyright Office
14 Jun 2009 | 8:58 pmLast Friday I spent almost two and a half hours in a wide-ranging conversation with Maria Pallante and Michele Woods of the Copyright Office (Michele's name updated, plus a summer law clerk attended). I came away with a much better understanding of the issues they are exploring and certainly did my part to articulate why I support the positions we have.[Long post alert!]I would characterize the atmosphere as one of informed and intelligent skepticism on the part of the Copyright Office, with many questions exploring different positions. We discussed Chafee, especially in the context of the… -
The Craig Newmark Beneblog Interview
13 Jun 2009 | 9:55 amJust had a good conversation this morning with Craig Newmark of Craigslist and the Craigslist Foundation. There are two hot issue right now on Craig's social action radar, the new launch of the All For Good website and next weekend's Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp in Berkeley.On Craig and CraigslistQ: Do you consider yourself a social entrepreneur?A: No, I don't think of myself that way. I may be one, but it seems to have too many syllables. I think of myself as a nerd. Q: Tell me about the balance between the two bottom lines of Craigslist as a social enterprise.A: We are wholly driven by… -
Breaking News on the Global Treaty from Kareem Dale
10 Jun 2009 | 2:56 pmBetsy Beaumon and I had the pleasure to meet today with Kareem Dale, the special assistant to the president for disability policy. We had a wide-ranging conversation about Bookshare and the current hot disability issues. Really exciting. The one incredibly newsworthy item was Kareem emailed me (during the meeting) a statement he drafted on the topic of the Global Treaty that was discussed in late May at the SCCR event at the World Intellectual Property Organization. I found it very exciting as President Obama's position on this developing issue! The following is the email I received from…
-
Change.org: Social Entrepreneurship
-
The Daily Entrepreneur: SRI and Syllabi
2 Jul 2009 | 11:10 pmVenture Investing, The Socially Responsible Way: The Wall Street Journal publishes an interview with City Light Capital's Josh Cohen about his approach to social investing. Illinois State to be first to offer service learning major: Illinois State becomes the first public university to offer a degree program in service learning, with an option concentration in social entrepreneurship. Social Entrepreneurship Syllabus: Nathan at Compassion and Politics puts together a syllabus for teaching social entrepreneurship. -
Preteens Build Top Selling iPhone App
2 Jul 2009 | 9:34 amA great little article published by Inc. Magazine yesterday tells the story of Finn and Owen Voorhees, 9 and 11 year old brothers who recently designed an iPhone application that became one of the top selling apps. The application was pretty simple. Called MathTime, it's a math drill program that allows people to practice their math skills in a rapid paced, fun environment. Owen taught himself how to do the coding and had his younger brother Finn design the logos in Photoshop. Of the experience, Owen said: "I thought it would be cool...It's really cool to make something work, to make a little… -
Stories Truer Than The Truth: The Brand of Social Entrepreneurship
1 Jul 2009 | 4:27 pmWhat is truer than the truth? The story. So began Isabel Allende at her TED Talk in 2007. Paraphrasing the Jewish proverb, she was saying that the stories we tell about ourselves and our lives often reveal as much about us as any facts ever could. This has always been clearest to me in music. The early American folk ballads that were adapted from the Old World and which would become the root of country and popular music almost invariably had dueling escapism and morality. They told stories of abberational (and unacceptable) behavior that, in their telling, made people feel liberated, if only… -
The Danger of Too Much Information
30 Jun 2009 | 10:12 amfrog design's Nick de la Mare wrote a really great piece the other day about the danger of over information. In short, he suggests that as the streams of information around us become overwhelming, we begin to find ways to filter, sort, and avoid things we dont feel add real value. The danger becomes that we, to use his words, "chose too narrowly." He starts with a great historical discovery, a quote from a newspaper in 1893 about what the world would look like 100 years later: In 1893 the Newark Ohio Daily Advocate ran a series of articles predicting what the world would look like in a… -
Watch President Obama Meet With Nonprofit Leaders Today
30 Jun 2009 | 9:41 amEchoing Green and Civic Ventures Purpose Prize winners will be among those in attendance at an event hosted by President Obama at the White House today to discuss the administration's approach to supporting social entrepreneurs and other innovative nonprofit leaders. Information about the event is pretty limited, but according to the America Forward blog, "This afternoon at 2:00 PM ET, President Obama will highlight innovative programs that are making a difference in communities across the country. He will also discuss the importance of searching outside Washington to find and expand…
-
Environmental Leader
-
More Green Products and Services Available for Office Landscaping
3 Jul 2009 | 8:22 amBusinesses wanting to adopt “greener” landscaping in their office complexes increasingly will find more products and companies offering such solutions. Landscape maintenance companies are implementing eco-friendly practices. As an example, Team Innovative Inc. uses an inverter inside its equipment trailer to charge reusable batteries while getting power from a battery charged by the truck, reports Kitsap [...] -
SAB Miller Targets 25% Reduction in Water Used in Brewing
3 Jul 2009 | 8:14 amBy 2015, SAB Miller, which markets more than 200 brands of beer and is the world’s largest bottler of Coca-Cola products, hopes to reduce by 25 percent the amount of water used to brew each hectoliter of beer. Currently, the $25 billion company uses 4.6 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of beer produced. The goal is [...] -
Cisco Wants to Transform Energy Demand and Use with Smart Buildings
3 Jul 2009 | 7:37 amBuilding on its smart-grid initiative announced in May, Cisco Systems has unveiled its Smart Connected Buildings solution, at Cisco Live in San Francisco, as a key component for delivering its vision for Smart+Connected Communities. The networking equipment giant also rolled out the first Smart Connected Building solution, the Network Building Mediator, which will interconnect and enable [...] -
Fuel Cell Systems to Power 30% of Coca-Cola NY Facility
3 Jul 2009 | 7:33 amUTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. company, announced it will supply two of its new PureCell Model 400 fuel cell systems to Coca-Cola Enterprises’ production facility in Elmsford, N.Y. The two fuel cell systems will generate energy and heat for 30 percent of the facility’s operations, according to UTC Power, based in South Windsor, Conn. The [...] -
Energy Star Homes Save $250M on Utility Bills in 2008
3 Jul 2009 | 7:01 amNearly 17 percent of all single-family homes built nationally in 2008 earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Energy’s Energy Star label, up from 12 percent in 2007, indicating that both home builders and home buyers continue to invest in energy-efficient homes. Energy-efficient features including properly installed insulation, high-performance windows and high-efficiency heating and cooling can reduce home [...]
-
Have Fun Do Good
-
Did I Like The Philanthropist? Not So Much.
26 Jun 2009 | 2:08 pmI wanted to like NBC's new show, The Philanthropist, but I didn't.What I did like is that The Philanthropist's website has a resource page with links to organizations like the Nigerian Red Cross, CARE, and the International Crisis Group. That's about all I liked.The show's premise is that a wealthy businessman, Teddy Rist, has a transformational experience during a business trip to Nigeria and helps save a young boy during a flood. (We later learn that his own young son is dead). Although his company has a foundation, giving money doesn't feel like enough now for Teddy, and he returns to… -
How You Can Participate in United We Serve This Summer
25 Jun 2009 | 11:21 amAs I mentioned in my Monday post, First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve, June 22nd was the first day of United We Serve, the Obama Administration's nationwide summer of service initiative that will run until September 11th, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance.While I was at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service this week, I went to a session about United We Serve with Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, and Carlos Monje, Senior Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Counsel.Wicks and Monje outlined the 3… -
Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges
24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amI've been hearing a lot about the Social Innovation Fund lately, an element of the Serve America Act. A May 6th White House blog post by Jesse Lee, What is the Social Innovation Fund? says that the Fund will, "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country."To learn more about the Fund, I attended a panel called Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.The discussion focused less on what the Fund will do, and more on best… -
First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve
22 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm"It's been said that our true calling in life is where our heart's greatest gladness meets the world's deepest need."--First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.It was pretty darn exciting to be a member of the press for the opening plenary of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service where First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address today.Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the September 11th Presidential Forum on Serviceduring the Service Nation conference in New York City. During the conference, Senator… -
Empowering Refugees: Interview with Kjerstin Erickson of FORGE
19 Jun 2009 | 6:45 amKjerstin Erickson is one of those "shiny" people who lights up a room. After meeting her at the Global Engagement Summer last spring, I knew I wanted to grab her for an interview before she became too famous.Erickson founded FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) in 2003 when she was a 20 year-old junior studying public policy at Stanford University. FORGE serves 60,000 refugees in three different refugee camps in Southern Africa, and is an official operating partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).Now 26, Erickson is still FORGE's Executive…
-
Ecopreneurist
-
10 Great, Cheap, Green Office Supplies
2 Jul 2009 | 1:37 pmIn the past I’ve written about how you can save money by reducing the amount of paper you use and the 7 basics of green procurement (which includes defining office supplies standards). Now, let’s talk about basic office supplies that are great, green and cheap. It’s easier to buy green office products than ever before. The three largest office supply retailers, Staples, Office Depot and Office Max each carry thousands of reasonably priced products with recycled content and other environmental attributes. Some even innovate. Take Office Max, they were one of the first national… -
How to Have a Truly Sustainable Cup of Coffee
2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amYou drink coffee. Tea. When it’s at home, it’s organic, and when you’re out, you do your best. In so many ways, you live a green lifestyle. And yet, there’s one sticky point: the cup. You know about bringing your own mug, but it’s just so…clumsy. And it’s not the right size for the machines your barista uses, so they have to use a different cup when making it, defeating the purpose of you bringing a mug. Yes, their cups are made from recycled paper, but they’re coated to make them waterproof, heat resistant, etc. Which means they aren’t… -
UtraClub Organic Apparel Overview Online
1 Jul 2009 | 3:08 pmThis is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry. UltraClub is the in house brand of promotional apparel supplier Brodek and Rhodes. Under the UltraClub brand name Brodek and Rhodes has recently launched a line of organic cotton apparel of a slightly higher quality than other organics currently on the market. The quality of these garments is one thing, but more important seems to be the way this line is… -
Keiretsu Forum: 4th Summer Solstice Meeting
30 Jun 2009 | 8:35 amWomen entrepreneurs, don’t miss the Keiretsu Forum’s 4th Annual Summer Solstice panel discussion tonight about “How Women Investors and Entrepreneurs Will Revive the California Economy.” The event will bring together the Bay Area’s most talented minds to: Foster a collaborative atmosphere between women and the angel community Confront the critical issues facing women entrepreneurs and investors today Drive the recovery of the California economy Build businesses and invest in thought out… -
Eco Efficiency
26 Jun 2009 | 4:37 pmThis is another in our series of environmentally focused cartoons we are featuring from Seppo Leinonen a cartoonist from Finland. I met Seppo through Twitter @sepponet and loved his business oriented green cartoons - I think you will too!
-
NextBillion.net
-
Director, Markets and Enterprise Program
3 Jul 2009 | 7:36 amOrganization: World Resources InstituteLocation: Washington, DC, USThe World Resources Institute (WRI) is seeking a Director to lead its Markets & Enterprise Program. WRI's work in this area has focused on the role of the private sector in tackling some of the world's most pressing environmental and social problems. The Institute has been a pioneer in this field, building a portfolio of ground-breaking initiatives that aim to influence capital markets, investment flows, and enterprise development to achieve greater sustainability. The program is well positioned to grow and increase… -
Have you Been to Changemakers Lately? It's About Time
2 Jul 2009 | 9:55 amAuthored by: Francisco NogueraChangemakers is one of the web's most dynamic and interesting destinations for those of us interested in ideas and their power to advance tangible change in the lives of the "next billion". Its recent re-design and the upcoming finals for one of their competitions (one very much in the vein of development through enterprise) are reasons compelling enough for me to ask you: have you been to Changemakers lately? If the answer is no, well it's about time. Their new site is refreshing in so many ways. Visually it a made a great leap forward, showing beautiful… -
Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
1 Jul 2009 | 1:02 pmAuthored by: Rob KatzHusk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco Systems. As the winning entrant, Husk Power walks away with $250,000 in seed funding, which they will use to build and operate more power plants in rural areas of Bihar, India's poorest state.Congratulations to Chip Ransler, Manoj Sinha and the rest of the Husk Power Systems team on this big win. They have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and… -
Social Capital Markets 09: Go to "Woodstock" with a 40% Discount
1 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amAuthored by: Rob KatzBy the time we got to Woodstock / We were half a million strong - Joni Mitchell, "Woodstock"Well, there won't be half a million of us, but as Bill Baue noted in a recent CSR Wire article, the Social Capital Markets conference (2009 vintage) is quickly shaping up to be an important event for our generation of changemakers, investors, intrapreneurs, policymakers and innovators. (His exact quote was "...[SoCap09] is quickly becoming the Woodstock for social entrepreneurs.") NextBillion.net covered the event extensively last year, and we are pleased to be going… -
Microfinance: An Open-Book Blog
30 Jun 2009 | 8:45 amAuthored by: Tayo AkinyemiOccasionally one encounters a novel application of a familiar technology. In this case, it's blogging. David Roodman, fellow at the Center for Global Development and architect of the Commitment to Development Index, is writing an open-book blog about microfinance. He drafts a chapter, then posts it for comment and critique. Mr. Roodman shared the introduction to his book on February 17th and has since authored nine additional sections. Although the work looks substantially complete, there is still a tremendous opportunity to contribute…
-
The Edge
-
Ask Tutu
2 Jul 2009 | 9:08 amNelson Mandela launched the Elders in 2007. The members of The Elders are Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu (Chair) and Muhammad Yunus. Aung San Suu Kyi is an honorary Elder.They now have a new Web site: The Elders, where you will find comprehensive coverage of their work as well as opportunities to be more involved and informed. For example, The Elders are launching a new initiative demanding the realisation of equal rights for women and girls, with special emphasis on religious and… -
Twitter for Social Entrepreneurship: The Top 100 Tweeps to Follow
23 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pmWith Matt Flannery, founder of Kiva, transitioning from blogging to twittering, we thought this would be a good time to help Matt and others joining Twitter to hit the ground running with a list of the best social entrepreneur twitter folks to follow. These are folks we have run into in our specifically social entrepreneurship circle. I'm sure there are many more people we have not yet met, and would like to meet, so I encourage you to comment here with your recommended additions. That said, we have selected a few, well 100 to be exact, to get you started on "Twitter for… -
3 Mobile Trends Empowering Social Entrepreneurs
8 Jun 2009 | 2:43 pmAt last year’s NetSquared N2Y3 Mash-up Challenge, the trends centered around the transparency of data, especially in regard to government and corporate information; and opportunities to display data through mapping applications. The big winners were Ushahidi and Social Actions. Both continue to make great strides and advances, check them out.This year’s Net Squared N2Y4 Challenge focused on mobile technology and, building on last year’s accomplishments, this year’s finalists found ways to go beyond transparency of data to actually facilitating action based… -
Social Change in the Media
26 May 2009 | 3:10 pmTwo interviews will help you better understand the impact of social entrepreneurship in a global context. First, Jeff Skoll tells Owen Bennett-Jones of the BBC World Service how he thinks about social change. Then watch Larry Brilliant, recently named President of the Skoll Urgent Threats Fund, as he explains to David Brancaccio on PBS how technology is making it easier for scientists to detect global outbreaks and why early pandemic detection is critically important. And of course, our own Global X keeps interviewing leading social entrepreneurs. Watch John Wood, Gillian Caldwell,… -
Start small and stick with it
13 May 2009 | 11:05 amAlan M. Webber, cofounder of FastCompany Magazine, recently published his Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business without Losing Your Self You may want to check Rule #38: If you want to think big, start small His point: successful social entrepreneurs like Muhammad Yunus (Grameen Bank), Matt and Jessica Flannery (Kiva) or Sasha Chanoff (Mapendo International) didn't accept the "Get big or get out" rule of traditional VCs. Instead, they just knew that they were determined to make a difference, and all they had to do to have an impact was to "start small and stick with…
-
Greenbang
-
Heat shuts down French nuke plants: Who keeps lights on?
3 Jul 2009 | 9:47 amThe current heat wave is putting a strain on UK energy supplies, in part because France has had to reduce its nuclear power output, requiring it to import more of its electricity from Britain. As reported in the visit site to read more] -
£1 billion stimulus plan needed to make IT green
3 Jul 2009 | 8:48 amEnvironmental group Global Action Plan has called on the Government to create a £1 billion IT stimulus package to create smarter, more environmentally efficient, higher quality … [visit site to read more] -
Cool and efficient LED lights: Their time is now
3 Jul 2009 | 8:08 amEditor’s Note: This article by IEEE Member Frank Shinneman is the first in a series of six special features the IEEE is preparing for Greenbang. Perhaps the most fundamental technology developed by … [visit site to read more] -
Scotland’s sheep are shrinking: Blame climate change
3 Jul 2009 | 6:45 amAdd to the ever-growing list of emerging signs of climate change … shrinking sheep. Yes, Scotland’s wild sheep are apparently becoming … [visit site to read more] -
Jurdy: Is it hot in here?
3 Jul 2009 | 6:26 amJurdy discovers there are some things you can’t ignore … visit site to read more]
-
Global Giving Projects
-
Safe, Clean, Affordable Water for a Nairobi Slum
2 Jul 2009 | 1:27 pm$33 — will establish one legal connection to the water utility’s network$1786 — will establish one water point to serve 4800 people.$2000 — will provide high quality pipes to convey water from main lines to one kiosk.SummaryUp to 96,000 residents of the informal settlement of Mathare will gain access to a safe, clean, affordable water supply.Project Needs and BeneficiariesMathare residents generally pay illegal vendors high prices for water of poor quality. KWENCH will replace the cartel of illegal vendors with legally registered… -
Urgent Action for Sudan Cholera Outbreak
2 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am$30 — clean water for 100 people for a month$60 — clean water for 200 people for a month$90 — clean water for 300 people for a monthSummaryUrgent help is needed for the people of Juba, South Sudan, to prevent a repeat of the 2007 outbreak of cholera. $30 is enough to ensure that 100 people have clean water for a month.Project Needs and BeneficiariesIn the first half of 2007 over 3000 people in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, fell ill with cholera and 74 people died of the lethal waterborne disease after drinking water from the Nile, the source… -
Community Leadership Training for Inner City Youth
1 Jul 2009 | 11:19 am$50 — Buys supplies for a youth participant$100 — Pays for a community workshop led by youth$200 — Provides a stipend for a youth participantSummaryCommunity leadership training for youth in under served Los Angeles neighborhoods.Project Needs and BeneficiariesOur project serves at risk youth between 15 and 25 in underserved Los Angeles communities through art and cultural literacy programs. Young people in these communities are particularly vulnerable to the struggles of urban life: poverty, poor education and gang violence.ActivitiesLA… -
Help Home Industry in Make Shoes and Slippers
1 Jul 2009 | 9:39 am$100 — Training in bookeeping$100 — Training in marketing$250 — to buy equipments makes shoesSummaryBefore global crisis, home industry makes shoes this have 113 employees, after global crisis knock over the world this home industry Menaced disband and at this time only have 5 employees.Project Needs and BeneficiariesCapital employed that required is to increase product by buy materials to make shoes and slippers, add equipments like sewing machine, rent of production place and add employees amount. More 100 people will get new job in this… -
Sponsor HIV/AIDS Orphans Education
29 Jun 2009 | 10:11 am$10 — Covers a one week meals for a child$15 — Covers uniform of a Child$20 — Covers the a one month's antiretroviral drugs for one childSummaryHIV/AIDS has left hundreds and thousands of kids between the ages of 0-20 without parents in Cameroon and these children does not have access to antiretroviral drugs, education & accommodation.Project Needs and BeneficiariesThere is over 300 orphans and underprivileged children living in three orphanage centers in Kumbo and Bamenda under the supervision of LWDG-Cameroon without any means of…
-
Cleantech Blog
-
The Colorado Cleantech Opportunity
2 Jul 2009 | 3:48 pmBy Joel Serface – July 2, 2009In June, I took a great camping trip to a truly unique feature that many outside the state of Colorado know little about. It was the Great Sand Dunes National Park – the tallest sand dunes in North America with the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I arrived at the perfect time of the year when the temperature was warm enough to simulate a beach environment (small waves included), but before the snowmelt ceased over the course of the summer. It was a fantastic experience, but few other than Coloradans knew about this well-kept secret nestled in the… -
Clean Energy and Climate Protection Bill Accelerates Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy
30 Jun 2009 | 7:56 amFor the first time, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation regulating greenhouse gases. Due to intense lobbying by industries that would incur added cost, such as coal powered utilities, HR 2454 barely was approved by a vote of 219 to 212. New battles are ahead in the Senate for the Waxman-Markey Bill. HR 2454 encourages more electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and advanced batteries to be developed and commercialized in the United States. Should HR 2454 become law, cities will more rapidly roll-out convenient electric charging stations. If you want to buy a car with better… -
Talking Trash
29 Jun 2009 | 3:48 amby Richard T. StuebiEver wonder whether recycling really works? Or, how it's done? Last week, I found out -- by touring a material recovery facility (MRF) operated by Waste Management (NYSE: WMI).The process in an MRF is pretty straightforward. The recyclable materials accumulated from various end-user disposal points -- for households, this would be curbside bins -- are trucked into the facility and then dumped. The materials travel along a maze of conveyor belts, along the way being sorted by various means -- mechanical shaking, blowers, magnets, and even some manual labor -- into an… -
Biomethane for Energy and Fuel
25 Jun 2009 | 9:32 amOK. I admit it. I am writing this article from a Summit about cow poop. No, this isn’t a joke to get 8-year olds rolling on the floor with laughter. This is serious. I am reporting from the inaugural National Biomethane Summit, in Sacramento, California, where over 300 attendees including elected officials, government agencies, farmers, ranchers, landfill owners, facility owners and operators, technology leaders, researchers, regional planners, and carbon trading experts. Biomethane is renewable natural gas because it is from biological sources. In some areas, biomethane is called renewable… -
Announcing Our Cleantech Blog Space Biodiesel Project
23 Jun 2009 | 2:59 pmAfter the recent announcements about space solar projects, Cleantech Blog is announcing our Space Biodiesel project. "We are excited about space solar, it's like a moon shot - huge and available. Suprisingly enough, the near earth orbit biodiesel development rights have not yet been locked up." - SBP cofounder Alexandra Tesla, great granddaughter of the famed inventor of the same name.So we are launching Space Biodiesel Project, Inc. The program will use solar thermal collectors in orbit and the massive heat sink of space to drive our heat engine providing electricity and processing…
-
Echoing Green Blog
-
Join The March 18 Movement with Mideast Youth
2 Jul 2009 | 12:28 pm2009 Echoing Green Fellow Esra’a Al Shafei recently launched a video in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Bloggers to raise awareness on The March 18 Movement. Also referred to as “OR318,” The March 18 Movement was born from the death of Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, an Iranian journalist and blogger who was accused of spreading “propaganda” against the Islamic Republic of Iran and insulting religious leaders. By creating this video and informing others of the risks that bloggers often face for expressing their ideas, Esra’a and her team hope to extend protections generally… -
NPR highlights microvolunteering with The Extraordinaries
1 Jul 2009 | 1:25 pmWe were excited today to see the homepage of NPR.org feature an article about 2009 Echoing Green Fellow Jacob Colker and his organization The Extraordinaries. Jacob and his partner Ben Rigby are harnessing technology in smart phones to inspire others to engage in social change. By combining charity with brevity, The Extraordinaries provides tech-savvy individuals a new avenue of exploring volunteering (which they call microvolunteering). The application is currently in its testing phase, but will soon allow people to pull out their smart phones during their spare time to translate a… -
President Obama meets with Echoing Green Fellows
30 Jun 2009 | 7:39 amWe are very excited to announce that President Obama will be meeting with social innovators today in the East Room of the White House. Through the Social Innovation Fund and the White House Office of Social Innovation, the President will be announcing plans for how government can partner with social sector innovators to solve problems. Echoing Green President Cheryl Dorsey will be attending the event along with nine (!!) other Echoing Green Fellows including: Andrew Butcher and Chris Koch (GTECH Strategies), Felix Brandon Lloyd (CentsCity), Kara Bobroff (Native American Community… -
Daniel Tellalian featured in Entrepreneur Magazine
29 Jun 2009 | 8:35 am1998 Echoing Green Fellow Daniel Tellalian and his partner, Elwood Hopkins, were featured in The June 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, in which they explore their inspiration for launching their organization called Emerging Markets Inc. Passionate about changing the economic landscape of Los Angeles’s low-income neighborhoods, Daniel and Elwood recognized that they would need to become more business-savvy to reach their goals. In order to turn their heart-felt mission into a “limited profit business,” Daniel and Elwood conducted field research in these low-income communities to… -
Cheryl Dorsey appointed to White House Fellows commission
25 Jun 2009 | 2:09 pmWe are thrilled to congratulate Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, for her recent appointment to the position of vice-chair on the Commission of White House Fellowships. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program has offered exceptional young individuals who demonstrate leadership and an unwavering commitment to serve their country the opportunity to work at one of the highest levels of the federal government. As a public policy innovator, Cheryl served as a White House Fellow from 1997-1998, aiding the U.S. Secretary of Labor as a Special Assistant, advising the Clinton…
-
GreenBiz.com
-
How Green Companies Can Clean Up Their Hiring Processes
2 Jul 2009 | 4:34 pmAs companies emerge from recession-induced hibernation, shake off hiring freezes, and start to cautiously advertise job openings again, they're finding an entirely different landscape than when they did their last round of recruiting. With all the hope tacked on to green companies and jobs, the stakes are high for companies that blunder. Here are tips to avoid missteps. -
The Next Generation of Fireworks May All Be Green
2 Jul 2009 | 3:36 pmDespite being a centerpiece of celebrations the world over, fireworks displays often release toxic chemicals into the environment; researchers are developing a new generation of fireworks that shine as bright but leave less of an impact. -
New Research Uses Organic Computing to Make Traffic Greener
2 Jul 2009 | 1:13 pmPutting advanced computing together with highly advanced -- and more widespread -- traffic sensors, researchers at Leibniz University in Hanover, Germany, have proposed an "organic" method of traffic control that responds to actual conditions. But is there an easier way? -
Coca Cola to Put Fuel Cells to Work at N.Y. Bottling Plant
2 Jul 2009 | 12:06 pmCoca Cola signed a 10-year contract with UTC Power that will bring two fuel cells to a southern New York bottling plant, where they will produce enough heat and energy to satisfy nearly a third of the facility's needs. The state of New York also provided $2 million for the project. -
World's Largest Cement Firms Slow CO2 Emissions Despite Production Growth
2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pmEfforts by the world's leading cement companies knocked down carbon dioxide emissions from the industry’s manufacturing process by 35 percent even while production climbed by 53 percent, according to a new report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative.
-
Afrigadget
-
Solar cooker in use Maasai Mara
25 Jun 2009 | 2:05 amI didn’t believe it possible but I found this lady actually using a solar cooker in the Masai Mara! Mama solar cooker Made only of cardboard and tin foil this cooker fold up into a neat little package. It apparently cooks potatoes and cabbage in just 1 hour! She told me that she got it as part of a study - one solar cooker was given to every manyatta. She couldn’t rememer which organization was handing them out but she has adapted hers by putting her pot into a plastic bag which she says retains the heat better. She says she’ll continue using the solar cooker after the study… -
Football: Handmade in South Africa
15 Jun 2009 | 6:34 amBy grassroots reporter Thandile Ntlebi - One of the COSAT (Center of Science and Technology) learners, 17 years old, living in Township Khayelitsha, South Africa. Visit more of Thandile’s stories on Students for Humanity Young boys are starting to realize their dreams and do what ever they can to make sure that those dreams come true even if they must get themselves dirty. It’s Saturday around 11am, the community is very peaceful and the quietness makes parents wonder what their kids are up to. Within hours you hear whistles and names being called. Your boy is watching TV until… -
Distilling water from volcanic steam vents
1 Jun 2009 | 2:09 amA unique water harvesting method has been devised in the drought ridden crater of Mt. Suswa, which is dotted with continuously puffing scorching steam vents. Tapping steam for condensation Taking advantage of the steam vents that dot this landscape, local Masai have ingeniously tapped the vents for steam that is condensed on long plastic pipes that drip continuously into drums. The local Masai claim that these vents can fill half a drum (approx 30 lt) per hour (though it seemed very unlikely to us). The water is sweet and apparently it feeds a community of several hundred people and their… -
Kinyanjui Jiko - a fuel efficiency stove in Kenya
22 May 2009 | 8:52 amIn a previous post we told you about the Kenya Ceramic Jiko, a fuel efficient stove, it’s such a common stove, we all have one at home. But did you know that it was invented by Maxwell Kinyanjui? I recently I “discovered” another amazing jua kali fuel efficient stove - I was at a private party enjoying a fantastic barbeque meal with 100 other guests. I stole around to the kitchen where there was no oven, but out back a tiny aluminium stove that was producing enormous amounts of food with an impossibly small amount of charcoal. I’ve since come across it again at a private… -
What Do You See?
11 May 2009 | 12:16 pmI have a talk that I give when people ask me to speak on AfriGadget at conferences that is called, “What do you see?”. It’s a visual and interactive quiz where I take the audience through different images of AfriGadget and ask them what they’re looking at. It’s a lot of fun, and it proves to everyone why it’s so hard for people in the West to come up with contextually relevant life hacks in Africa. Below are some images from an old family friend who has spent his life working in rural Southern Sudan and Kenya. Under each image you’ll see why…
-
Timbuktu Chronicles
-
Backyard Metal Casting
3 Jul 2009 | 5:46 amMake points us to a treasure trove on casting.An answer to a question on melting metal is answered thus:Melting metal is simple and if you are good at building things then you'll definitly have no trouble building a furnace. Most people say to start with a charcoal burning furnace...because it is dead simple to use. But people who end up really enjoying metalcasting tend to advance toward a more -
AutoFabbing
2 Jul 2009 | 7:09 amRobyn Dixon reporting in the LA Times highlights dexterous Automobile fabbers: Somewhere, a relentless tinny hammering rises. Shrieks of grinding metal shatter the air. A curlicue of acrid smoke spirals lazily as a worker melts a plastic Japanese bumper using a heated chisel, smoothing the surface as carefully as a mother frosting a birthday cake. More here.via Agege Labsphoto courtesy of Robyn -
Fablab Kenya
1 Jul 2009 | 5:04 amThe seeding process continues, FabLab Kenya launches: ...it will empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are practical and economical...[continue reading]via Nubian Cheetah -
Quick Hits
30 Jun 2009 | 6:35 amFaces of small businesses in Malawi-IFCRwanda and the 'digital divide'-TechcrunchRuchugi Salt Works-Bid NetworkEthnic specialty vegetables...look for the African Eggplant!Cultivating Native Woods...Lessons for Africa? -
The Business of Health
29 Jun 2009 | 6:08 amNelly Nyagah reporting in Trade Invest:Healthcare represents a significant investment opportunity, yet current consumer demand continues to be unmet in most sub-Saharan countries. For instance, an estimated 18,000 wealthy Nigerians travel abroad every year to seek medical care, while in Kenya at least 5% of the total stated demand for healthcare is not satisfied due to limited access to services
-
Startup Africa
-
Events in Johannesburg - July 2009
2 Jul 2009 | 2:06 amNetweb July The netweb event in july will feature speaker Howard Mann, on Brick Yard your business based on a book by the same name. In his book he notes that uniqueness accounts for only, if not less than, 15% of what makes your company. All businesses are kept alive and thrive if the 85% is in place and done effectively. That 85% is: • Returning calls on time. • Paying suppliers and employees when you should. • Offering your product and service as best you can. • Over delivering on expectations. Fortunately, that is not all his talk is about. It is a call to action that leaves you… -
Open Call for Knowledge Exchange Visit to Finland
1 Jul 2009 | 1:37 amThe Governments of Finland and South Africa have been working together in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation, as part of that mandate SAFIPA is planning a knowledge exchange visit for South African entrepreneurs and other relevant people. Having attended several talks and met the previous finish minister that was based here, i can say the trip should be very useful. Finland has a unique history, in 1990-1992, the country was in a deep recession which they were struggling to get out off. The economy was largely farming but less then a decade later the economy had been transformed… -
Bootstrapping, Working with investors & Building a team
25 Jun 2009 | 12:58 amThese are session notes from Gareth’s session at Geek Retreat. Image credit to The Scott, view the full image gallery Embrace your fears. They are only fears. It’s the only way to start and make progress. Jump off the cliff. There’s never a “right” time to get started, so just do it and work things out as you go. Don’t let other people impose their fears into your thinking, it will only muddle you further. Cashflow is King, always, without exception. You should always always always have an eye on your cashflow, which literally means how much cash you have in the… -
Follow whats goingon at Geek Retreat
18 Jun 2009 | 2:42 amThis weekend will be the first South African Geek Retreat, and you can follow the events from any of the links below. Search Twitter for Hashtag #GeekRetreat Or View it on Scribble Live Or On Twubs -
Fundman - Find funding in South Africa
9 Jun 2009 | 2:42 amI am currently attending the SAFIPA conference, and i have found it incredibly useful. The sessions yesterday on ICT in education was interesting. The number of projects that are on going here in South Africa has me very excited, and my prediction is in 10-15 years time South Africa will be transformed into a knowledge economy. A project that i found out about here is Fundman, which is supported by SEDA (Small Enterprise development agency). What is Fundman? There are tons of Grants, Venture Capital funds & Institutions that assist innovators with funding and assistance. One of the main…
-
Generating blueEnergy
-
Mobile in Kenya
29 Jun 2009 | 10:25 pmIt was my first time in Kenya and my first time in Africa. I must thank Ashoka and the Lemelson Foundation for inviting me and giving me this amazing opportunity.The conference was held at a retreat center outside Nairobi and in attendance were Ashoka-Lemelson Fellows from Uganda, Kenya, India and US/Nicaragua (me). The objective was to discuss the eco-system of mobile communication technology as it relates to development and to look for potential partnerships between the fellows.Key topics of discussion included: service provision through SMS such as sharing commodity pricing… -
A Tribute
25 Jun 2009 | 8:56 pmOur painter, Julio Godoy, was killed in a car crash in the capital city of Managua last week. Julio’s landscape paintings of real and imagined future blueEnergy wind turbine installations captured the beauty of the Caribbean Coast and the harmony of renewable energy as sustainable community development. Julio was a spokesperson for blueEnergy. He liked to talk about the importance of blueEnergy’s work in helping the people of the Coast while remaining in balance with nature. Bluefields has lost one of its sons; Julio was young and talented and will be sorely missed. … -
How To Change the World
3 Jun 2009 | 6:48 pmI first met David Bornstein in December 2008 in Los Angeles, when I was there to be inducted as an Ashoka Fellow. I had known about Ashoka ever since the early days of blueEnergy and had been watching it and studying it throughout the years. Somehow I had never made the time to read David’s book, which is partly a chronicle of Ashoka’s amazing legacy and the story of several of its most storied Fellows. This book is the perfect example of “important” information that one has to carve out time for from the seemingly endless “urgent” information that demands our… -
Low-News Diet
29 May 2009 | 10:20 pmThrough these readings I started to reflect on the value of the different types of information we are exposed to in our lives and how we have to be weary of the affects of information saturation, where background noise starts to drown out important information.I had for a long time felt that I ought to be reading more, studying the collective experience and wisdom of the global community. But there was no time. Or at least it seemed that way. I walk to work each day, 40 minutes each way. I quickly realized that audio books were a way for me to increase my… -
Haunted No More
17 May 2009 | 9:37 pmSaturday, April 25th – Audit Report“En nuestra opinión, los estados financieros adjuntos presentan razonablemente respecto a todo lo importante, la posición financiera de blueEnergy Nicaragua, al 31 de Diciembre del 2007 y 2008, los resultados de sus operaciones por el período terminado en esa fecha, de acuerdo con Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera.” And with this one very long sentence, which loosly translated says, “In our opinion, the financial statements presented for 2007 and 2008 are materially correct and meet international standards”, it was…
-
Let There D.light!
-
D.light video from Sankalp
9 Jun 2009 | 12:05 amThe energy at the event was palpable, as Rob Katz from Acumen Fund describes in his blog about the event. As D.light was one of the award finalists, the Sankalp team created a short video on D.light - check it out below. -
Shell Foundation partners with D.light to accelerate market penetration to the poor
4 Jun 2009 | 7:00 pmIt’s all about Finance. We know that the poorest customers often need consumer financing to purchase our lights – and that they often do not have the cash flow to pay for the full amount up-front. When these customers have access to a microloan for the light, they can repay it incrementally with money they would have otherwise spent on kerosene. We are working with financing institutions that can offer loans to their clients for our lights; Shell Foundation will help us with risk capital to jumpstart these relationships. And it’s all about… -
Expanding globally - D.light in Senegal!
30 May 2009 | 9:00 pmWe have sales offices in India and East Africa, but do sell to other countries worldwide, primarily Asia and Africa via large distributors and partners. And now going full circle back to my roots, through Peace Corps volunteers in West Africa! Well, we haven’t exactly gotten that channel sorted yet, but we do have my cousin, a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal. Here is an excerpt from a letter from my cousin Dana:“Nothing solar is available in the markets around me. People tell me you can get solar lights in Dakar but they are expensive and not that great. The… -
Hot emerging company?
6 May 2009 | 5:00 amTiE - a global entrepreneurs' network - has sifted through over 1,500 nominees to select 150 finalists for the TiEcon 2009's 50 "Hottest Emerging Companies" award. D.light is honored to be among the finalists, and if you have have a chance before voting closes on May 7th, go to http://www.tie50.net/polling/ to cast your vote! -
Samosa 150
4 May 2009 | 6:50 pmOur staff has certain favorite neighbors – our chaiwalla, who makes delicious ginger, cardamom and masala spiced chai for us several times a day; the “shack” around the corner that makes the best lunches around; and, of course, our samosa lady. Ms. Gupta is out there first thing in the morning making puri (common breakfast food) and stays into the evening satisfying customers with her vegetarian samosas. Five weeks ago our product development team gave Ms. Gupta a Nova S150 – our flagship solar-powered lamp – and watched. She immediately…
-
Untangled
-
On the road again
30 Jun 2009 | 9:18 amWe're bringing this week's Social Edge updates to you from the road again. Just remember, when travelling, the best wifi is found at the cheapest motels not the fanciest hotels. At least that's been my experience on three continents. There's nothing I hate more than when the concierge at an overpriced hotel says that eys, there's wifi and it costs $10 a day for the password. Sure, it is annoying that they're nickel and diming you for something that should be more integral at this point to my travel experience than the ability to watch some b-grade movie blockbuster halfway through on HBO. -
Early Adopter or Late to the Party?
23 Jun 2009 | 3:05 pmConventional wisdom has it that being either an early adopter or late to the party when it comes to technology is less than desireable. I get a lot of questions about when it is too late or too early to jump in on the next big thing. So here are my thoughts on tomorrow's toys vs. yesterday's news.If you hop on board too early, you end up being a bug tester and a guinea pig rather than getting to take full advantage of the technology. Plus, some technologies only become truly useful once their audience has reached critical mass.On the other hand, if you are late to the party you may not have a… -
iPhone Isn't Really News
9 Jun 2009 | 2:36 pmSo, Apple unveiled a new iPhone upgrade, the 3Gs, and it is nice. Yes, mine's on order, and I can't wait to finally see if 3G is worth the wait. Apple says the s in 3Gs is for speed, and that's really what this upgrade is about. Oh, sure, the video recording is nice, as is the compass. Voice control? Cool for a few minutes I suppose. It's about size and speed. The coolness and the functionality will come from the apps, of which there are plenty.Which is what the less touted more important announcement was all about. Snow Leopard, the latest in a long line of cat-themed OS releases, is due in… -
Google I|O
2 Jun 2009 | 9:22 amSo, Google threw a party last week, and gave away party favors. Legos one day, and a Google Android phone the other. The Legos are being used, of course, and will continue to be in use for years to come. The phone? Hmm. It is an interesting question. As excited as I was to get my mitts on a new piece of technology, I am not sure how much use it will get. Don't get me wrong, it is a nifty little device. If it had come out three years ago I would have lined up to get one. It isn't three years ago, however, and I've had an iPhone for two years now. They simply aren't comparable devices. Android… -
Everything Old Is New Again
26 May 2009 | 1:00 pmAh, late May, early June. A time when a young geek's head is turned inside out by all of the freaky geeky news that abounds this time of year.Getting a jump on the rest of the pack, Amazon announced their new Kindle DX shortly after having launched the second edition of its electronic bookreader. It hasn't hit the FedEx docks yet, so it still qualifies as a new announcement.Over at All Things D this week, we'll be hearing from all the usual suspects: Microsoft & Yahoo, Twitter & Facebook. They've decided that Web 2.0 is passe and so they've moved on to Web 3.0. Did Web 2.0 ever get…
-
PSD: The World Bank Group
-
Dollars and sense
1 Jul 2009 | 11:20 amEditor's Note: Anushka Thewarapperuma is a consultant with Advisory Services - Access to Finance at the IFC. Think you’ve got better money management skills than the world’s poorest? You might be surprised to find out that you’d be up against stiff competition. Jonathan Morduch and Daryl Collins report on their journey to various corners of the world (Bangladesh, India and South Africa to be exact) to observe how people living on less than $2 a day managed their financial lives in the recently published book Portfolios of the Poor. Their findings were summed up nicely in a recent… -
The mysterious acronym PFI
1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 amI am often confused when using acronyms. In the vast terminology of public private partnerships (PPP), it’s not hard to do. For example in a lot of countries the acronym PFI, which stands for Private Finance Initiative, is used as a synonym for PPP (Public Private Partnership). While the term PFI originated in the UK, in that country it is not synonymous with PPP. PFI has a more specific meaning, relating to a special government investment policy that clearly indicates what is and what is not PFI. While Wikipedia defines PFI as a “method to provide financial support to… -
Labor laws and Mexican spam
1 Jul 2009 | 8:06 amHow hard is it to fire someone in Mexico? It is apparently sufficiently hard that they offer courses on how to do it. I spent seven years in Mexico, and I still receive some Mexican spam. Here is my translation of an email I received which was advertising a one day course on how to fire employees: Firing a person is a delicate process filled with legal “mines.” It doesn’t matter how prepared you feel or how correct your decision is. Not doing it the right way puts you at risk for a lawsuit. No manager should begin this process without attending this seminar!! I don’t doubt that it is… -
Involving the public in public private partnerships
30 Jun 2009 | 12:19 pmCall them taxpayers, citizens, or just simply the public—they are the reason why public private partnerships (PPPs) are created. They are the users and the ultimate financiers, whether by paying taxes or tolls, and they want to have a bigger role in decisions about what infrastructure shall be built and how. It’s no surprise that public opinion is the ultimate judge of the success of PPP projects. And this ultimate judge is not always just; it does not always have the right information at the right time. It’s up to fallible public sector officials to ensure that proper information and… -
Big guy, little guy: Who suffers more from crime?
30 Jun 2009 | 12:08 pmAt first you might guess that it’s the big firms that make an easy target. But we need to do more than guess—the policy implications are quite different if the answer is “big” or “small.” If large firms are more efficient and do more R&D and export to other countries, then crime can be more harmful to the economy when directed against such firms. However, compared with large firms, wages and profits may be lower in the smaller firms. Crime directed against small firms can therefore be regressive (causing more harm to the relatively worse-off). It turns out…
-
Creating a World without Poverty
-
July is Kid’s Month at Grameen Foundation!
2 Jul 2009 | 10:33 amNext month’s Grameen Foundation e-newsletter will feature kids and young adults from all over the world talking about poverty. We will share video blogs from a group of high school and college students who recently visited Morocco to witness microfinance first-hand. We will include games, client stories and other interactive content for kids. And, we want to hear from YOUR kids, too! Ask your kid! How will YOU end poverty? Answers will appear in the July Grameen Foundation e-newsletter. Please include your child’s first name, age, and hometown with response. -
Get Involved with GF!
15 Jun 2009 | 7:55 amA number of you have responded to our blog posts and emails, looking for ways to get involved with Grameen Foundation and fight poverty. We are so glad you asked! Here are some ways YOU can fight poverty: Donate: Help launch very poor women as entrepreneurs through tiny loans that help them escape poverty. Donate now. More ways your money can make a difference: - Honor someone special - Shop our gift catalog! - Fund a poor child’s education Volunteer: Make a difference in the lives of poor women through the new Bankers without Borders® program to support the microfinance industry, in… -
GF President Alex Counts Journey to Haiti: Day 4
27 May 2009 | 3:04 pmAlex and Yeardley Smith at Fonkoze education meeting with Myriam Narcisse, Fonkoze education director On our final day in Haiti, we visited a literacy class, conducted by microfinance clients for microfinance clients. Fonkoze’s path-breaking adult education program, modeled on the work of Brazil’s educator and visionary Paulo Freire, involves training clients to deliver four-month modules – on topics as diverse as basic literacy, children’s rights, maternal and child health, and environmental stewardship – to their peers. This approach represents social self-empowerment that,… -
Yeardley Smith in Haiti: Post Script
27 May 2009 | 11:41 amWednesday May 27th, 2009 Los Angeles, CA. P.S. I’m back in Los Angeles. Back in my lovely home with its big backyard, and my two well- nourished cats, poring over the myriad choices that are available to me each day: What would I like to eat? Where would I like to go? Which dress shall I wear? Should I take the car, or walk? My dream job on “The Simpsons” notwithstanding, the fact that I have so many choices at my fingertips at any given time is what makes me wealthy. To me, choice is the brass ring in my life. Since I returned, friends and colleagues have been quick to tell me how… -
Yeardley Smith: Journey to Haiti -Day 4
25 May 2009 | 11:39 amDAY 4 Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 Mirebalais, Central Plateau, Haiti Dear Zibby, There was no hot water at the hotel this morning. Of course I was all soapy by the time I realized the freezing cold water really, truly wasn’t going to get any warmer! Ooof! Same as yesterday, I met Alex, Kate and Myriam on the upstairs porch of our hotel for breakfast: tea, (coffee for Kate), and slices of pale toast with butter. Myriam had bought some mangoes and pineapple, so the kitchen sliced those up for our breakfast, too. The fruit was out of this world! Alex kindly provided the tea. He travels with his…
-
Social ROI
-
The Mind Trust Education Entrepreneur Fellowship
30 Jun 2009 | 3:35 pmThe Mind Trust’s Education Entrepreneur Fellowship is a nationally unique incubator for transformative education ventures. The Fellowship offers promising education entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop and launch their break-the-mold education ventures and the support necessary for success. Fellows receive two years of salary, benefits, a stipend for travel and professional development, and more. With this support, fellows will be able to realize their visions and achieve extraordinary results for some of the nation’s most underserved students. Fellowship ventures… -
Google SMS Allows People To Access Information With Their Mobile Phones
29 Jun 2009 | 9:06 pmGoogle does a great job of describing Google SMS– it’s basically technology that meets the needs and infrastructure of Africa: Most mobile devices in Africa only have voice and SMS capabilities, and so we are focusing our technological efforts in that continent on SMS. Today, we are announcing Google SMS, a suite of mobile applications which will allow people to access information, via SMS, on a diverse number of topics including health and agriculture tips, news, local weather, sports, and more. The suite also includes Google Trader, a SMS-based “marketplace” application… -
Jobs for Change: Recruiting a new generation of leaders into the nonprofit, government, and social enterprise sectors
19 Jun 2009 | 10:45 amJobs for Change is being launched at a time of both crisis and opportunity. The crisis we face is rooted not only in our faltering economy but also in our national failure to confront major challenges, from education to energy to health care. At the same time, President Obama has inspired renewed interest in public service, providing a historic opportunity to mobilize people to address problems that have been ignored for too long. The mission of Jobs for Change is to help take full advantage of this opportunity by recruiting a new generation of leaders into the nonprofit, government, and… -
Facebook’s Hunger Program: ShareYourLunch.net asks you to “Share Your Lunch With 20 Children For Just $10
16 Jun 2009 | 8:24 amThis comes from TechCrunch as well: Yesterday, we wrote about Microsoft’s pledge to feed the hungry if you download their web browser. That campaign is misleading, and it really shows when you compare it to another campaign of a similar nature. Today, while at Facebook’s new headquarters in Palo Alto, we noticed that it too is involved in a campaign to end hunger. But rather than pledging to feed hungry people only if you download something from Facebook, the company is doing it on the down-low, asking its employees to help out, in its own cafeteria. continue reading. Link to Share Your… -
Mozilla Encourages Users To Participate in Service Week
15 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmNot sure what’s up with Silicon Valley churning out the love these days but here’s Mozilla’s efforts: This September, Mozilla is challenging users to earn their Internet merit badges by donating their time and talents to public benefit institutions, non-profits, and those in need. According to an email we received from Mozilla, “Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. This new initiative is looking for people with a talent for writing, designing, programming,…
-
The School for Social Entrepreneurs
-
The transparency of social entrepreneurship
30 Jun 2009 | 11:20 amA little while back, I blogged about why the (increasingly tedious) political expenses scandal in the UK was relevant to the realm of social entrepreneurship [see What the expenses scandal means for social entrepreneurs]. My point, largely, was about the... -
Thursday round-up: inclusivity, iPhone, impact investing
25 Jun 2009 | 4:01 amOK, round-up of recent news + links of interest time.... - Couple of great posts on PopTech about the inclusivity (or lack of) and MBA-focused shape of social entrepreneurship, particularly in the US. See Who's in the Social Entrepreneurship Club,... -
Leaders of all ages
19 Jun 2009 | 8:47 amThe blog has been a little quiet of late as I've been travelling around, establishing some sort of weekly record of combined air and rail miles over the last week or so (Belfast, Beijing, Penzance and Nottingham). Highlights have included... -
International social entrepreneurship
2 Jun 2009 | 7:19 amOur focus of late at SSE has been pretty relentlessly on our existing and planned activities in the UK; following the government investment in the national network back in February, our Network team have been working hard with our regional... -
Thursday round-up: CEOs, Clore, Kevin and Kiva
28 May 2009 | 10:17 amIt's been a little while since the last round-up, so here goes: - First up the big, breaking news is that Jonathan Bland is stepping down as CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition, moving to Finland with his (Finnish) wife....
-
Duncan Green: From Poverty to Power
-
Did you notice last week’s UN Conference on the crisis? Thought not…..
3 Jul 2009 | 2:25 amIn the end the UN Conference that considered Joe Stiglitz’s Commission’s report on the crisis was even more underwhelming than I predicted (given the chaotic preparations, which included a last minute postponement). Only 14 heads of state attended, 10 of them from Latin America; most of Stiglitz’ recommendations bit the dust (e.g. his proposal for a new Global Economic Council); press coverage was minimal and the resulting communiqué was littered with ‘best endeavours language’ that commits countries to precisely nothing – lots of ‘we encourage’s and ‘shoulds’, but… -
Plant clinics - or why sometimes development looks easy and obvious
2 Jul 2009 | 2:37 amBumped into an ‘agricultural anthropologist’, Jeff Bentley, who works in Cochabamba, Bolivia and was intrigued by his work promoting ‘plant clinics’, where farmers bring in examples of sick plants and get a diagnosis and prescription in a system modelled on human healthcare (they even have a two tier structure of General Practitioners as first point of contact and more expert consultants for the tricky diagnoses). Plant clinics helps farmers avoid the futile costs of self medication, dosing fields with the wrong pesticides, and makes sure they use the right ones instead, or none at… -
Climate change latest: the impact in China and leadership from Scotland, plus a new journal on CC and development
30 Jun 2009 | 6:19 amThe amount of new climate change research, reports etc emerging in the run-up to Copenhagen summit already feels slight overwhelming, and the meeting is still five months away. Here are some recent bits and pieces: China and Climate Change An important new report from Oxfam Hong Kong and Greenpeace China unpacks the data on the impact of climate change on poor people in poverty. ‘The research finds that China’s poverty-stricken areas are also those areas that are most vulnerable to climate change-caused disasters. The proportion of the absolute poverty population that is affected by… -
Lessons from depressions; the end of the American dream; happy days at the IMF; Treason, corn and the US climate bill and an 11 year old Liberian wins the development debate: links I liked
30 Jun 2009 | 2:05 amChristina Romer, the chairwoman of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, takes time out (how? when?) to reflect on the lessons of 1937’s false dawn for today’s green shoots spotters Joe Stiglitz argues in Vanity Fair (where else?) that the crisis is driving developing countries away from the American dream Still, at least the crisis is improving the IMF’s finances – it is projecting a $126m profit this year, compared to its initial projections of a $292m loss. Why the turnaround? A hefty boost in loans to crisis-wracked countries means accompanying improved interest payments. Paul… -
Paul Collier on post conflict reconstruction, independent service authorities, how to manage natural resources and the hidden logic of the G20 London Summit
29 Jun 2009 | 2:30 amPaul came to give a talk to Oxfam’s big cheeses last week based on his new book War Guns and Votes (see my review here) and they invited me along. Here are some highlights: Post Conflict Reconstruction: The conventional sequence is ‘build the politics first, then the economics will follow’. Collier thinks the order should be reversed. Conflict is a zero sum game, he says – someone else’s gain is your loss. It takes a decade of steady growth to shift politics to the positive sum game of mature democracies, and to weed out the bad guys who were attracted to politics under the old…
-
Social Entrepreneurship @ Work
-
Twitter for Social Entrepreneurship: The Top 100 Tweeps to Follow
30 Jun 2009 | 10:58 amPosted originally on: http://www.socialedge.org/With Matt Flannery, founder of Kiva, transitioning from blogging to twittering, we thought this would be a good time to help Matt and others joining Twitter to hit the ground running with a list of the best social entrepreneur twitter folks to follow. These are folks we have run into in our specifically social entrepreneurship circle. I'm sure there are many more people we have not yet met, and would like to meet, so I encourage you to comment here with your recommended additions. That said, we have selected a few, well 100 to be exact, to get… -
the top Twittering Social Entrepreneurs
19 Jan 2009 | 12:00 pmName - Erik HersmanTwitter - @whiteafricanWhy You Should Follow - Founder of Ushahidi, blogger at AfriGadget and WhiteAfrican, all around smart guy and great tracker of the African technology and innovationName - Guy KawasakiTwitter - @guykawasakiWhy You Should Follow - Founder of Alltop, social media evangelist and best selling author on entrepreneurship, tweets regularly with practical advice for traditional and social entrepreneursName - Vanessa MasonTwitter - @vanessamasonWhy You Should Follow - Blogger and tracker about all things global health, international development, and creative… -
Recap of Guest Speakers at Social Finance Forum 2008 in Toronto
20 Nov 2008 | 2:00 amDEREK BALLANTYNECEO of Toronto Community Housing Derek Ballantyne has worked in the housing sector for about ten years. He has a background in the public and private sectors. Derek has worked with a variety of partners and with housing organizations to renew investment in housing and to garner support for households living in social housing. He is a Director of Family Services Toronto as well as the Social Housing Services Corporation and SHSC Financial Inc. RICHARD BRIDGEB.A. LL.BBarrister & SolicitorNon-profit and charity law RichardBridge is a lawyer who recently relocated from… -
Recap of Canada's 2007 Social Finance Forum
20 Nov 2008 | 1:51 amEXECUTIVE SUMMARYCanada’s first national conversation on social finance with the mainstream financial industry was held in Toronto on October 15, 2007, building upon a number of successful forums held from 2004 – 2006 in Vancouver on innovations in social finance. Over 80 participants from the traditional finance and social finance sectors, academia, federal and provincial governments, funders, credit unions and co-operatives attended the Forum hosted by “Causeway”, a national collaborative working on effective pathways for financial investment in public benefit. They came to… -
Renewal2 - Open to Foundations
20 Nov 2008 | 1:36 amIt’s an interesting time for foundations, and some like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Gates Foundation are making bold moves by setting up their own venture funds or indicating that they are moving toward spending down (vs. preserving endowments). I hope that some more foundations take these steps and look to investing in funds like Renewal2 Investment Fund to spur the different forms of innovation that are possible. Perhaps these structures coupled with the change in financial tides might spark some more urgent and innovative investments among foundations. As history has now proven -…
-
Futureshifters: Blog Posts
-
Keeping the enterprise Flexible for Customer Satisfaction - Getting out of the comfort zone
A key element for customer retention is customer satisfaction. Our clients have shown in feedback that they really value our flexibility and it is this that ensures great levels of satisfaction. This idea was tested this week when one of my largest clients called first thing in the morning and asked to move an agreed deadline forward from a weeks time to 2 hours time(!). In this situation I think the key is to be as proactive as possible but always managing the clients expectations. The work that needed doing was a video job, we had already produced the final edit but didn't have the DVD menu… -
Better Than Mom's PB&J - Peanut Butter That Saves Lives
Here’s a new term for ya: Ready to use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). We recently reported the vital work being done by Mark Arnoldy, the 22-year-old founder of Nepal NUTrition an RUTF being developed to fight famine in Nepal. Here is another product that has shown great results in curbing famine in numerous countries in Africa and elsewhere: ... READ MORE. -
GOOD IDEAS SALON- The power of ideas!
WHAT Good Ideas Salons are where forward-thinkers come together to share ideas to make things better, whether that’s better work, better play or a better world. Based on the success of its Good Ideas Salon series in New York, the team at trends and innovation company PSFK has invited motivated individuals to produce their own salons—harnessing the talent and creativity from within their own communities. Once a month, Good Ideas Salons from Jakarta to Toronto to Hamburg connect local innovators and experts to discuss far-reaching themes like collaboration, mobile, design, and more. Videos… -
Sponsored Volunteer Opportunity in Nigeria
Landmark Internship International is seeking international volunteers for a partner NGO working in the areas of children empowerment, climate change and issues relating to the environment. BENEFITS: Volunteers would get a full programme cost waiver, free accommodation, food, local transport, and monthly stipends of about $200. During the programme, volunteers would have the opportunity of increasing their knowledge of the issues of climate change, children empowerment, and sustainable development. Volunteers would work with students in primary and secondary schools, manage adolescent and… -
Something Good: VIDEO JOURNAL #6 Up on "STORIES" section! Check it out!!!
Annie's updates you on what has been going on with Something Good since her last video journal as well as reaches out to the community to build her team. She also talks briefly about The Feast Social Innovation Conference in NYC Oct 1-2. She wants to get your opinions on a possible video cast, on the stories that she has posted on the site recently as well as announces open positions for her to build her writing team. Please comment on this video and reach out to Annie and show your support! CHECK IT OUT HERE OR BY CLICKING THE "STORIES" TAB AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. Thanks!
-
CIPE Development Blog
-
Contribution of Women to Pakistan’s Economic Growth – District Mardan
2 Jul 2009 | 7:28 amThe instability in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, leading to the influx of internally displaced persons into the surrounding areas, has been dominating the news from that region. Yet even in the midst of difficulties, there are some positive developments worth highlighting. CIPE’s work with women in the Mardan district is one such example. District Mardan of Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) has a significant position in the region in terms of trade and business. There exists an untapped potential for the promotion and development of trade and industry. However, due to lack of… -
What capitalists and slumdogs have in common
1 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pmEvery single cow in Tanzania has an owner. Every plot of arable, grazable, usable and sometimes unusable land has a public or private owner with certain land-use rights. Every single village in Tanzania has a recordkeeping office that maintains some symbolic representation of who owns which cows, who owns what plots of land, and who owns other assorted income-generating necessities of some not-immediately replaceable value. Every single village has a adjudication process for settling disputes over who owns what in each village. In the first of USAID’s 2009 Summer Seminars, Institute for… -
A Challenge for the OAS: Honduras
1 Jul 2009 | 4:06 amHow the events unfold in Honduras will reshape the role of the Organization of American States in Inter-American affairs within the next couple of years. In the last year, the Organization’s Permanent Council, General Assembly and its Secretary General remained rather quiet in the face of rigged elections in Nicaragua, attacks on media outlets in Venezuela, Ecuador, or Peru by their governments, or actions by some branches of government - specially the executive - in the Western Hemisphere to alter the structure of checks and balances in their countries. These actions clearly undermined… -
But What About the Cuffs?
30 Jun 2009 | 5:57 pmBreaking news from Nepal, courtesy of the BBC: In an effort to fight corruption at the international airport, the Nepalese government is now issuing pants without pockets to airport employees. While I applaud the practicality and simplicity of the proposed solution, I have to question whether the mere loss of pockets will stop airport employees from hassling travelers for bribes. CIPE has seen worldwide that the largest cause of reduced corruption is a change in citizen mindset. Without local desire to stand up for a new set of principles, anti-corruption efforts often go unnoticed. Tribhuvan… -
Photo Contest 2009 - Promoting Gender Equality in Education
26 Jun 2009 | 4:26 pmThe theme of this photo contest brings to mind Tashabos, Efham, and a number of other CIPE partner programs that deserve to be showcased - spread the word! As part of the initiative to promote gender equality in education, UNESCO Bangkok - along with the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), East Asia and Pacific (EAP) and South Asia (SA) - is pleased to invite entries for the Photo Contest 2009 on the theme of: Reversing Realities: Seeking Gender Equality in Education. The 13 winning photos will be announced at the end of September 2009. The winners will receive official…
-
The Dreambank Blog
-
Places To Go, Things To See: 10 Of The Most Incredible Things To Do
25 Jun 2009 | 2:49 pmHere at DreamBank HQ we’re always talking about cool things to do, great places to go, and amazing things to see. So when we bumped into this awesome post over at Trifter.com, we knew we wanted to share it on our blog. This post is 2 years old, so things have changed a little since then. It’s a bit easier to head to space, or so I hear. It’s also worth getting carbon offsets to match all these amazing things to do, just to keep it greener. I’ve personally done #’s 1 and 10, leaving me with all that’s inbetween to catch up on. Which have you done, and what… -
Father’s Day, An Excellent Opportunity For Thoughtful Gift-Giving
18 Jun 2009 | 2:20 pmWith Father’s Day being celebrated by most countries this Sunday, June 21st, I’m seeing gift guides pop up all over the internet in time for the big day. I particularly liked posts about what to do with Dad that didn’t break the bank, but also showed you were thinking of spending time with him: Go for a picnic Take him out for a game of golf, tennis, bowling, something you can do together and he’d enjoy Check out a museum/market/community event together Clean out the garage, help finish off that wood working project, re-string his tennis racket, or anything that needs… -
Experts Weigh In: What Are We Spending Our Money On!?
16 Jun 2009 | 4:25 pmWondering where money is being spent? I was, so I started to do a little digging on the world wide web. The most concrete stats I could find were for the US, which because it has such a diverse demographic and vast population, seems to be a good sample to base trend reports off of.. so without further ado, some findings: The Recession Effect: Doing some research, it seems that there are some things that are “recession-proof”: things that people have, are, and will always be willing to spend their money on. So I’ve compiled a little list for spending trends during the… -
Best Of The Worst Wedding Gifts: Getting Something You Really Want & CONTEST!
5 Jun 2009 | 5:05 pmMy head is spinning - I’ve been looking through the world wide web trying to find great alternative wedding gift ideas; so naturally, I thought the best place to start would be the worst wedding gifts people have received. It turns out, there are quite a few places dedicated to listing the things you received from family and friends at your nuptials. Now it just may be my naivety speaking, but some of the things on those lists didn’t sound so bad to me - so clearly the old adage that “one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure” still rings true. Some of… -
Re-Post On The Art Of Goal Setting
2 Jun 2009 | 4:29 pmWe were looking through our previous blog entries here at the DreamBank HQ and Dawn pointed out that this post was really fitting for the beginning of June. Summer is here for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and with it comes the feeling of re-evaluating goals and digging up forgotten dreams. So with that in mind, here’s a re post of some good advice. Blogger Peter Clemens of The Changes Blog has an excellent post entitled “Learning to Dream… Again”. I encourage you to read it – and be inspired by it. I think most of us can relate to Peter’s desire to allow himself to…
-
Overseas Development Institute
-
The looming deadline for the Millennium Development Goals: 2015
1 Jul 2009 | 10:55 pmThe deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is looming, but what should happen next?...(read more) -
Post moved
30 Jun 2009 | 10:54 pmThis post has been moved and is now available at: http://blogs.odi.org.uk/blogs/main/archive/2009/07/02/16963.aspx...(read more) -
Hidden lives: refugees in the cities
19 Jun 2009 | 6:43 amOn the eve of World Refugee Day, this blog shines a spotlight on refugees who flee to the world's growing cities....(read more) -
Six messages on climate change
10 Jun 2009 | 2:03 amAs ODI's meeting series on climate change draws to a close, this blog draws out six key messages: 1. Climate change is big, urgent and happening right now. 2. Uncertainty about future carbon emissions and their impact makes it vital to focus on specific contexts. 3. Middle income countries must play their part in mitigation. 4. Climate change is going to cost a lot, and innovative finance is crucial 5. We need to be clear about our expectations for Copenhagen. 6. Lessons about politics and policy-making on climate change are critical....(read more) -
The G-77 plus China alliance – what it means for the poorest countries
4 Jun 2009 | 11:51 pmThis blog asks whether the G-77 alliance of developing countries reflects their divergent needs on climate change adaptation....(read more)
-
Blog for Change
-
Family Values Hypocrisy; Homeless Parking Meters; Kids Killing Animals
26 Jun 2009 | 8:42 amHere’s a quiz of the week: what do Mark Sanford, Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, and Rudy Giuliani have in common? You guessed it – each are prominent GOP members who tout family values and an opposition to same-sex marriage because of its supposed threat to the sanctity of marriage while they simultaneously cheat on their spouses. [...] -
Weekly Update: Lies about Guantanamo; Falsely Excusing Prostitution; Military Going Green?
31 May 2009 | 9:16 pmHey Changemakers, The big news that shook the political world this week was that the Supreme Court may be getting an extra shot of diversity with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice. First Latina. Third Woman. One of the most experienced candidates in the past several [...] -
Weekly Update: Chuck Norris vs. Tolerance; Global Warming Underestimated; Why Rats Matter
22 May 2009 | 4:20 amOne of the most exciting recent developments in social change is the growth of innovative approaches to long-standing problems. We at Change.org hear from a lot of the social entrepreneurs behind these efforts, and there is one in particular that we’re big supporters of which launched this week: HopePhones.org. Every day, more than 450,000 mobile [...] -
Change.org Launches “Jobs for Change”
15 May 2009 | 5:23 pmHey Changemakers, I’m excited to announce the launch of a major new initiative called Jobs for Change, which aims to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the common good. Over the past few months President Obama has inspired a renewed interest in public service, providing a historic opportunity to mobilize a new generation of Americans to [...] -
Canada vs. America; Demanding Equal Pay; Debating Prostitution
1 May 2009 | 12:04 pmThe media hoopla surrounding President Obama’s first “100 days” milestone this week showed that Obamamania still rules the country. But how is the president handling issues of importance that may not get as much attention as his top priorities or the number of days he’s been in office? Pretty good, in fact. Our team [...]
-
Zerodivide
-
Public Policy Institute of California's "Californians and Information Technology" Survey
30 Jun 2009 | 9:26 amEven though Californians’ adoption of Internet technology has increased over the past year, work remains to be done to bring California to the forefront of Internet accessibility.read more -
ZeroDivide Fellow Oscar Menjivar highlighted in the news
22 Jun 2009 | 2:15 pmOn May 30th of this year, a group of fifteen bright-eyed L.A. students were honored as URBAN TxT's inaugural graduating class. URBAN Teens Xploring Technology (URBAN TxT) is an innovative after school program helping inner-city youth develop leadership and other skills through the use of technology. The program is sponsored by ZeroDivide, a San Francisco based organization that assists low-income communities empower themselves through the use of technology and is the brainchild of Oscar Menjivar -- himself a graduate of Jordan High School and Cal Poly Pomona.read more -
New Routes’ project “Abriendo Las Cajas” raise awareness on violence in Hispanic Community
18 Jun 2009 | 2:42 pmNew Routes’ project “Abriendo Las Cajas” produces DVD of stories to bring attention to violence in Oakland’s Hispanic Community MADISON, WI, June 18, 2009 – The New Routes to Community Health project Abriendo Las Cajas (Opening Boxes) has released a DVD compilation of 20 digital short stories to draw attention to violence in the Hispanic community in Oakland, California. The stories are told by Mexican adults, Latin American immigrants and Latino youth who live in the Fruitvale District.read more -
RT This: Twitter and the Iran Election
16 Jun 2009 | 2:03 pmA joint blog by Beth Sachnoff and Jessica Eting The June 12 Iran Presidential election and protests surrounding the outcomes, highlights the key role social media can play in grassroots communication. read more -
ZeroDivide’s 2008 Digital Book
16 Jun 2009 | 1:56 pmWe are happy to announce the online publication of ZeroDivide’s 2008 Digital Book. read more
-
Sustainable Industries
-
Virgance ignites social entrepreneurs
Virgance marries capitalism and activism. -
The low-cost angle
How Ikea's cheap prices affect its triple bottom line. -
Sherpa for sustainability
Ray Anderson paves a path to Mission Zero. -
Solar squeeze
Facing decreasing demand, solar startups seek new rays of revenue. -
London looks to U.S.cleantech firms
Short- and long-term opportunities for cleantech could lie across the pond.
-
Creating the Future
-
Weeds, Stop Signs, and a Good Deep Breath
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amMorning walk this morning. Grey wet day after last night’s rain. Everything is different from our normal sunny dryness and so I notice things I normally look right past. A sign catches my eye and I am suddenly laughing out loud. It says Slow Down. “Yup, I sure need to do that!” I think to myself as I notice that even at 6am, my mind is already racing with things to be done today. I breathe deep. And as we share during our consultant immersion courses, I know that deep breath is my body telling me, “Ok, you can change things right now. What is possible here?” We do… -
Monday Morning Rock Out!
28 Jun 2009 | 7:38 pmNormally I slowly weave and tease my way into the video I share for the Monday Morning Rock Out. This week, though, as we watch the future unfold before us in a way we rarely witness, it seems disingenuous to do anything but get right to the point. Each day, as we watch the news unfold from Iran, we are inspired. We are encouraged. We are frightened for the violence faced by those who are holding themselves accountable for creating not only the future of their country, but in many ways, the future of our whole world. So this week’s Rock Out is a reminder of the power we have together… -
Strength-Based Work is Not Enough
22 Jun 2009 | 9:24 amIf we want to create a healthy, vibrant, compassionate, resilient future for our communities and our world, strength-based work is not enough. I know that’s stepping on a lot of toes, but hear me out. Strength-based / asset-based work is seen in various places. It is seen in community engagement efforts, to engage folks in solving their own problems. It is seen in the counterbalance of “Yes, we did a needs assessment because the funder wanted it, but we also did an asset map to assess our strengths.” It is seen in the battle cry to not just look at clients and communities as a pile… -
Monday Morning Rock Out!
14 Jun 2009 | 9:15 pmIt’s Monday - another week ahead, another chance to hold ourselves accountable for creating the future of our communities and our world. Given the events of this weekend, that somehow seems more critical this morning than it does on other Mondays. The election in Iran, deciding how that country will interact on the global stage. The extent to which the whole world connected via Twitter to bear witness to the events in that country at the moment they occurred, far away and yet so close. If this weekend proved anything, it is the extent to which we are realizing that all of us, all… -
Straight from the Consultant’s Mouth
11 Jun 2009 | 10:32 pmI’ve been sharing a lot about Pollyanna Principled Consulting and our Immersion Courses these days, mostly because I am as immersed in them as the students are! So I thought intead of hearing how excited I have been about these courses, I would share a note I received from one of the students in our April class. Gayle Valeriote is the manager of training and consultation for the Volunteer Centre of Guelph / Wellington, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Gayle has been putting her learning into action from the moment she left Tucson last month. In reading her note, I hope you are as…
-
ThinkChange India
-
[TCI TidBits]: Increasing the ‘Joy of Giving’ in India
29 Jun 2009 | 9:45 pmAmartya revives forgotten argument - Amartya Sen has urged public debate to focus more on the central issues of social justice in India in an interview to The Telegraph to coincide with a Confederation of Indian Industry summit in London tomorrow. Thanks Mr. Sen!I In meltdown times, feel the Joy of Giving - Celebrate the Joy of Giving Week from Sep 27 to raise funds and help around 20 million needy people in the country. Think its a really cool idea! Smart card for every Indian – Follow-up on the Nandan Nilekani story from last week. Overview of the National ID program. -
[TCI TidBits]: De-traumatise education in India – No Class 10 exams!
25 Jun 2009 | 8:46 pmDe-traumatise education in India, says Sibal – Cuttting-edge education policy on the works in India, thanks to the new HRD minister Microfinance agenda for the new government - Via @balanchander (CEO of United Prosperity) – Great policy agenda for streaming microfinance regulation in India Nandan Nilekani to head UID Authority « Professor Sadagopan’s Weblog - Looks like Public Service is becoming cool in India too! Ripple Effect at the Water Summit 2009, New Delhi - Low-down from the Water Summit 2009 via Acumen Fund blog -
SocialEdge Picks TC-I as a Tweeter to Follow!
25 Jun 2009 | 8:59 amWithin an extensive review of Tweeps (people who tweet), SocialEdge has compiled a list of the 20 essential people or entities to follow in the Social Entrepreneurship space, and we are happy to announce that ThinkChange India is one of them. It truly is an honor to be included in the same category as Echoing Green, Ashoka, Acumen Fund and UnLtd, and we really appreciate all of you guys that has made this possible. So don’t be shy, please join on our Twitter feed today. Following it will notify you every time we have a new post and also other short musings and articles the TC-I staff has… -
[Op-Ed]: Free mobile phones for the rural poor – let’s call it “Wireless Welfare”
24 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmThe idea popped when I was reading this NY Times article on a federally funded program in the US where wireless carriers receive a subsidy to provide people under welfare with a mobile phone and 68 minutes of talk time each month! The subsidy program started in 1984 with a goal of providing landline telephone access to the poor. A decade ago, the program was extended to include mobile telephony. 1.4 million Americans benefit from the program. While mobile phones are an important asset for poor living everywhere, there has been considerable positive buzz recently on the role of cell-phones in… -
[Guest Post]: Impersonal Education
24 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pmEditor’s Note: Guest blogger Adrienne Villani is an Associate at Intellecap, where she is involved in the conceptualization and creation of content for Beyond Profit, Intellecap’s publication on social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, both in print and online. Trained as a demographer, she received her M.Sc. in Population and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she concentrated on the demographic and socio-economic effects of son preference on the north Indian marriage market. I think we can all agree on the merits of market-based…
-
Dan Rodrik's Weblog
-
Capitalism 3.0 -- the reviews are in
18 Jun 2009 | 3:56 amWell at least a couple of them. I gave a talk with this name at LSE the other day, which was extremely well attended. I am not happy with the title at all, which as I joked, makes me sound like a Tom Friedman wannabe. But it does capture a couple of key ideas I was trying to get across: the malleable nature of capitalism, and the need to deploy some institutional imagination to figure out how to close the yawning gap that has opened up between the global reach of markets and the (mostly) national nature of their governance. Two of the attendees have written long accounts and… -
The long view on the global economy
14 Jun 2009 | 5:02 amMy latest Project Syndicate piece argues that the world economy has handled the financial shock rather well so far, but that the real test for globalization is yet to come. History teaches that global economic order is difficult to establish and maintain in the absence of a dominant economic power. The interwar period, which suffered from a similar crisis of leadership, produced not only a collapse of globalization, but a devastating armed conflict on a global scale. So the stakes in righting the world economy could not be higher. Mismanage the process, and the consequences could be… -
The Madrassa myth
6 Jun 2009 | 2:57 pmby Asim Khwaja, guest blogger The post-9/11 emphasis on Pakistan continues to portray madrassas (religious schools) as a focal point – their rising prevalence the subject of great concern. What is surprising is that this “myth” persists despite evidence to the contrary – that madrassas are in fact not the real revolution in the Pakistani educational landscape but rather it is affordable private non-religious “mom-and-pop” schools that now dot the (rural) landscape. In a series of papers in the past few years using publicly verifiable data sources and established statistical… -
How many growth diagnostics are there out there?
1 Jun 2009 | 10:26 amI have updated the page with links to Growth Diagnostics exercises that I know of. There is also a volume of Latin American GD case studies that should be coming out from the Inter-American Development Bank next month or so. I am sure that there are others that I am missing, so if you know of any studies that are not included in my list, do send me a line and I will add a link. -
The kinder, gentler IMF on African fiscal policy
27 May 2009 | 9:03 pmAndy Berg writes to tell me about a new IMF policy note on fiscal policy responses to the current crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa and the big news is that the IMF now thinks there is a role for increasing fiscal deficits even in some of the word's poorest countries. As Andy puts it, About 2/3 of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa now have low-to-moderate risk of debt distress, the way we calculate it. There may be some scope for some fiscal stimulus in many of these countries. Part of the case for not adjusting too sharply is that scaling down investment projects can be quite disruptive;…
-
PHILANTHROPY 2173
-
What are we not doing?
1 Jul 2009 | 1:56 amThis question - what are we not doing? - may be the most important question any strategist, funder, program officer, or board member can ask. It contextualizes the choices that are being made. It sheds light on how well you (or your staff) have scanned the landscape. It will help you think about what might come next. It may nudge you to reconsider ideas or plans that you had previously put aside. It requires you to explain, contextualize, justify, position the things you are doing.Next time you are developing a funding strategy, considering a grant portfolio, thinking through evaluation, or… -
Nonprofits and Social Media Podcast
29 Jun 2009 | 1:08 amThanks to the Columbus Foundation and DonorEdge for making possible this podcast.Sidney Hargo interviews Katya Andresen of Network for Good and me on the future of social media, nonprofits and philanthropy. Enjoy.Tags: philanthropy, socialmedia, podcast, @katyan4g, @changeEvnglst, @colsfound, 2p2173 -
Charity Challenge buzzword 2009.5
23 Jun 2009 | 1:14 pm(photo by exfordy, Flickr, Creative Commons)One of the key noted philanthropy trends of 2008 was the growth of philanthropy prizes.This year the buzzword is charity challenge. These challenges tend to be some form of matching grant - based fundraising opportunity that uses blogs, twitter, widgets, online video and every other possible web-based communications tool. They allow the public to vote on where the sponsor's dollars go, or at least those recently run by Target, Toms of Maine, and American Express do so.Tags: philanthropy, buzzwords, buzzwords2009, charitychallenge -
Idea Index and changing how we look for change
22 Jun 2009 | 3:02 pm(photo by psd, Flickr, Creative Commons)The Idea Index is a great (and beautiful) example of learning from the ecosystem that prize philanthropy creates. The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) has taken all of the entries for its recent challenge and published them in the Idea Index. BFI refers to this as "an open-source database of solutions to the world's most pressing problems."It is similar to the way Changemakers is running its prize platform. HASTAC also works to connect the many organizations that submit to its Digital Media Challenge. NetSquared's annual conference acts as a way for… -
Even further "embedded" giving
17 Jun 2009 | 12:42 pmI was hoping I could come up with a term for "deeper than embedded" before writing this post, but my mind failed me. Since I am on vacation this is probably a good sign. So we'll open this up to you, dear readers - what term would you use to describe business models in which the giving element is so thoroughly integrated into the product and its marketing that it is a fundamental piece of the puzzle - even if the giving itself is not the core revenue driver, purpose of the product, or outcome of the service?Here are some examples:Contribune provides donor analytic software that allows an…
-
Social Business Blog
-
Summing up Tallberg–Afghani Reality TV and All Night Latin Bands: Tallberg Forum Part Four
3 Jul 2009 | 2:25 amSince I have been back from the Tallberg Forum and have written a few blog posts about it, people have been asking me to “sum up” the conference. This is an understandable request and I often make similar when other people attend the wide array of gatherings we attend–many of which are focused solely on social business and investment and some of which are tangentially related, such as Tallberg. It feels to me like it is much easier to capture the spirit of each Skoll World Forum, for example, and others, than it is at Tallberg. I will not even try. However a few observations… -
Waiting to be Discovered–Sometimes it Takes a Very Long Time
29 Jun 2009 | 11:55 amEntrepreneurs, we know, can get very frustrated. And as a website dedicated to helping social entrepreneurs succeed, we come across plenty who are extremely frustrated–understandably. We tell them it takes time, but this feels really pathetic. It is also very difficult to explain what will change things–especially when the situation is really gloomy. Today at lunch and in the afternoon, two stories confirmed the fact that the key ingredients for success are survival and perseverance. I had lunch today with Maria Clancy, the CEO of Passion Organic. I saw her nine months ago when… -
The Key Role of Women in the Social Economy–The Tallberg Forum, Part 3
28 Jun 2009 | 3:25 pmOne of the most remarkable facts (which I duly tweeted) from the Tallberg Forum was that 56.2% of the MPs in Rwanda were female. This vied with with the etymology of the name “Saab” (Swedish Airplanes AB, set up in 1937 to build up Sweden’s war effort) for “fact of the conference”. While knowing how the name Saab arose is interesting and will give me something to say at any upcoming cocktail party, I feel the high proportion of female MPs in Rwanda has more profound implications and may foreshadow a pattern we will increasingly see as we enter the Social Economy. -
What I Want from the Banks?–Tallberg Part Two
27 Jun 2009 | 10:58 amStill at Tallberg. Weather still unbelievably great–so I am still feeling guilty and therefore blogging. Earlier today I spoke at a session on “what we want from the banks”. The idea was, I guess, that the audience is not very happy with the banks as they are, not only from the standpoint of the losses they have generated but from the values they express and the impact on society of this expression. I made a few modest suggestions as a way of getting a conversation started. The Moderator was Tom Cummings from the Executive Learning Partnership, and he was excellent, as was… -
The Tallberg Forum and “Engaging the Other”
26 Jun 2009 | 8:44 am“I have come to Tallberg“. That is something I have wanted to say for some time. I was never sure what the Tallberg Forum was but it always sounded like an interesting conference in the beautiful Swedish countryside. After booking a place, I tried twice to cancel my attendance, owing to having a work schedule that “was just too busy” (the perennial excuse of our time). Only high cancellation fees and a nagging notion that I would not be invited back ever again prevented me from backing out–I am glad I did not cancel. If nothing else, this is one of the most…
-
xigi.net
-
Online Conference on Understanding and Accessing Social Investment
30 Jun 2009 | 12:53 pmJoin July 6 -10 to discuss the emerging world of “social investment:” a range of capital targeted to entrepreneurial approaches to social and environmental problems. Goals for this conference: • Explore the goals of social investment as it exists today, from “venture philanthropy”-style grants through to investments made with the goal of commercial returns; • Discuss how these different types of social investment capital differ from traditional funding mechanisms for NGOs and social enterprises; • Hear practical advice from some investors about their criteria when looking for… -
Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy Guides Global Health Philanthropists Toward Curbing Malaria
23 Feb 2009 | 9:10 am“Lifting the Burden of Malaria: An Investment Guide for Impact-Driven Philanthropy” offers independent, practical guidance on how individual donors can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who are at risk of contracting the disease. According to the World Health Organization, every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria, despite the existence of effective and low-cost tools to fight the disease. “Bill Gates’ unleashing a swarm of mosquitoes at the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference earlier this month is just the latest in a series of high-profile calls to invest… -
Calvert Giving Fund platform puts idle capital toward social investment
26 Nov 2008 | 8:59 pmIn the current market downturn, individuals seeking to squeeze the most impact from their shrinking philanthropic assets have an important new alternative to explore in Calvert Giving Fund’s “Global Impact Ventures” platform, offered by Calvert Social Investment Foundation (Calvert Foundation). With the launch of this unique platform, Calvert Foundation is making available a way to “put to work” philanthropic assets awaiting grant making in Donor Advised Funds (DAF) so that the assets create positive change throughout the world. This means that if a donor advisor distributes the… -
Goldman Sachs Forms Alliance With E+Co
13 Nov 2008 | 10:58 amSupporting Clean Energy Through Carbon Finance NEW YORK CITY - E+Co announced today that The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) has agreed to purchase the majority of its carbon offset portfolio. Through the multi-year alliance, Goldman Sachs will help promote E+Co’s goal of providing investment capital and support services to small, clean energy business ventures in developing countries. Small-scale clean energy projects, while supporting important social and environmental benefits, can struggle to attract sufficient funding to assure success. The financial backing and business development… -
Special Discount for Xigi Readers: Investors’ Circle Fall Conference and Venture Day!
27 Oct 2008 | 6:07 pmWe are pleased to offer the xigi community a discount to the upcoming Investors’ Circle conference in Boston. Use code: F08XIGI CLICK Here Details: Nov. 10 -12 Boston,MA Nov. 11: Venture Fair Day, this is open to accreditted investors only. There will be 20+ companies presenting representing our five focus categories: Food & Organics, Health & Wellness, Cleantech, Internationl & Community Development and Media. Nov. 12: Education Day, this is open to all! We will specifically addressing “The Crisis on Wall Street: How Social Investing Can Shape The…
-
Grameen America Blog
-
Giving Asset-Poor Americans the Incentive to Save
3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 amIn June 2009 the Massachusetts Asset Development Commission issued a report about ‘asset-poor’ people in the state. This term describes people who would lose their households in less than 3 months if they experience a sudden loss of income or a catastrophic medical emergency. Asset-poor people work—but they work at low-paying jobs and have no assets: a savings account or a car. For these families survival depends on assistance such as food stamps because the breadwinner does not bring in enough money to cover food and shelter. Ironically the state’s requirements for… -
How to Shop and Give Microloans at The Same Time
19 Jun 2009 | 9:06 amImagine the most delicious dinner ingredients you could buy for $27 at Whole Foods… a bit of fresh wild-caught salmon with organic potatoes, snap peas, and blueberries or a gluten-free cookie for dessert. It would be a slice of heaven for the discerning health-conscious, eco-minded consumer. Now, what would $27 mean in a poor nation? In Bangladesh in 1982, that tiny bit of money meant the start of an organization with a new idea on how to alleviate poverty. Taking just $27 from his own pocket, Muhammed Yunus started the Grameen Bank (“village bank”). The $27 was… -
Grameen in Omaha Part II: Poverty Affects More Women
15 Jun 2009 | 1:38 pmOmaha may be known as the home of one of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffet, but now poor women in that city are getting access to something that might just help them work their way out of poverty – microloans from Grameen America. Poverty strikes households headed by women to a greater degree than any other family unit. According to the Omaha Chamber of commerce 58% of households headed by women lived below the poverty level in 2006. Sadly, but understandably, single women with young children are the most likely to be poor. But poor women in Omaha will soon have the… -
Grameen America Comes to Omaha: Part I
8 Jun 2009 | 2:59 pmIn early 2008 when Grameen America opened its first branch in Queens, New York, many people asked, “Why bother with microfinance in America?” Since then the Queens branch has lent more than $1.6 million to over 600 poor women in a neighborhood with a distinctive immigrant community, and the organization is now expanding to Omaha, Nebraska. Areas of high poverty are usually very well-defined parts of town. While some areas of Nebraska have poverty rates as low as 4%, in other parts the rate reaches as high as 25%. With this in mind, Grameen America is starting in South… -
Fanatical for a Nobel cause
4 Jun 2009 | 2:18 pmHi everybody, my name’s Abeer, and I go to the Stern School of Business at New York University. Over the next 2 and a half months I will be interning at Grameen America, an organization that will be bringing the microcredit revolution pioneered by its Nobel prize winning sister organization, Grameen Bank, from Bangladesh to the United States. Over the next few weeks, the other interns—Julia, Mollie, Malessa, Michelle and I—will be updating this page with interesting information straight from the cutting edge of social business, important updates to the Grameen America cause,…
-
Acumen Fund Blog
-
Summer Spotlight: Listening to the client in Hyderabad
30 Jun 2009 | 10:30 pmGeetika Agrawal is pursuing her MBA at the Stern School of Business at New York University, specializing in Finance and Social Impact & Innovation. She is currently a Summer Associate at the Acumen Fund India office, where her focus is on building out the Agriculture portfolio and consuming as many mangoes as possible. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University. The agriculture industry employs 60 percent of the Indian labor force, according to the CIA World Factbook. The backbone of this sector is the small holder farmer, those living off less than five acres and earning… -
Guest Blogger: Jake Samuelson on Shades of Grey
29 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amGuest blogger Jake Samuelson is consultant at the Monitor Group, a global strategy consulting firm, and pro-bono consultant for the Robin Hood Foundation. Jake focuses on marketing, media, and technology strategy, helping clients reinvent how they interact with and relate to customers and communities. Jake’s current focus lies in helping high-impact organizations leverage social media for social change. Jake holds a BA in Economics from Harvard and is a resident of New York City. Last week, I was lucky enough to be involved in a conversation about where Acumen Fund might be in 20 years. -
Acumen Fund seeks partner(s) for Pulse metrics tool
26 Jun 2009 | 2:06 pmAcumen Fund is seeking a partner(s) to market, implement, and support the Pulse software system, a flexible social metrics tool built to integrate with the Impact and Investment Standards (IRIS) (www.iris-standards.org). Pulse and IRIS are supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, B-Lab, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Skoll Foundation, Salesforce.com Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Lodestar Foundation, and others. The Pulse tool, originally developed in partnership with engineers from Google, has recently been re-built as a Salesforce.com application that is being piloted by a… -
Ripple Effect at the Water Summit 2009, New Delhi
25 Jun 2009 | 1:26 pmThis post was originally posted on the Ripple Effect blog by Acumen Fund’s Sangeeta Chowdry - Ripple Effect Project Manager. Ripple Effect team presenting at the conference The Ripple Effect team marked the end of the successful India phase of the project by attending and presenting at the recently concluded Water Summit 2009 conference held in New Delhi. The summit had an excellent turnout with over 150 attendees and speakers representing multiple stakeholders from the water sector in India.These included senior representatives from the Government of India, NGOs, World Economic… -
Upcoming Event: Novogratz at the Paley Center in NYC - July 8th
22 Jun 2009 | 6:53 amJacqueline Novogratz, Acumen’s founder and CEO, will be speaking at The Paley Center for Media in New York City on July 8, 2009 to discuss the challenges of leveraging social media networks to transform how people think about—and act on—problems of poverty. If you missed her speak with the Young Professionals of Acumen Fund a few weeks ago or will not be able to attend her appearance at 92YTrebeca on June 24th, this is a perfect opportunity to catch her in person. In addition, this will be a wonderful opportunity to learn how Acumen Fund has been leveraging social media to share,…
-
Oxfam News Blog
-
Gaza: “frontline of collective punishment”
2 Jul 2009 | 9:34 amTwo years of blockade and three weeks of military action have pushed ordinary Gazans into a state of continuing humanitarian crisis. Michael Bailey makes an empassioned plea for the end of the blockade. Tents at Johir Ad Dik. Photo credit: Oxfam. Two years ago, Oxfam Great Britain had three staff in Gaza. We were helping to improve the water and sanitation services. We supported poor families to start vegetable gardens and rabbit breeding. Then the Israeli blockade slammed the gates of Gaza shut on development and prosperity for its one and a half million people. Since then Oxfam… -
African crises escalate as AU leaders meet - 1.4 million homeless so far this year
30 Jun 2009 | 7:00 pmFive people forced to flee every minute of 2009 in DRC, Sudan and Somalia, says Oxfam Over 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes so far this year as a result of significant increasing violence in DR Congo, Sudan and Somalia, international agency Oxfam said today, as heads of state gather at the AU Summit in Libya to discuss peace and security across the continent. At the last AU Summit, in January 2009, leaders failed to address these ongoing conflicts or take measures to protect civilians from violence and suffering, Oxfam said. Since then, violence in eastern DRC,… -
Failure to invest in African agriculture is leaving millions hungry, says Oxfam
30 Jun 2009 | 3:24 amAU Summit must take urgent action to combat growing food crises This week’s African Union Summit must produce urgent and radical steps to reform agricultural policy on the continent, with food crises and hunger in Africa set to increase in the face of the global economic and climate change crises, international agency Oxfam said at the launch of a new report today. More and wiser investment in small-scale agriculture is needed, the agency said. Released on the eve of the Summit, “Investing in Poor Farmers Pays: Rethinking How to Invest in Agriculture” warns that under-investment and bad… -
Pakistan: little help for displaced pregnant women
30 Jun 2009 | 3:23 amAs many as 40 pregnant women a day fleeing fighting in northern Pakistan are facing life-threatening complications without proper medical assistance. (Oxfam has launched an emergency response to provide support to around 360,000 displaced people in Pakistan). Manahil, Ruksana's baby daughter. Photo Credit: Oxfam. Rukhsana gave birth to a baby girl on her escape to safer areas in North Western Fortier Province from the Swat Valley. Five weeks on, mother and baby daughter (called Manahil) are living in a government school in Hayath Abad, Peshawar. “I gave birth in a car. There was no… -
Your chance to ask the minister
30 Jun 2009 | 1:57 amKalacha: Hadija Qalla ready to answer a question. Credit: Geoff Sayer/Oxfam Now is your chance to find out from the government what their plans are for international development. Today (30 June) at 14.30, international development minister, Gareth Thomas is answering questions on the Guardian website. In case you don’t know, and I didn’t until a policy person explained it to me, the government is currently writing a white paper for the Department for International Development (DFID). This will set out the government’s vision for the direction of international development. This is a…
-
Mercy Corp Women Features
-
Signing your name to it
3 Jul 2009 | 8:12 amEvery July 4, I read the U.S. Declaration of Independence. As a work of art, it’s astounding in its eloquent and persuasive prose. As a philosophical piece, it’s influenced countless nations to shape their own destinies. But to me its real, enduring power lay in the immediate action that brought it to life. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration and each, by doing so, endangered their lives by standing up to the world’s greatest military power, Great Britain. Their vow is remarkable: And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we… -
Tools for Life
2 Jul 2009 | 11:02 amAs I stand over a particularly energetic fifth grade boy to keep him from kicking the girl next to him, I’m amazed: they’re actually quiet. And still — for the most part. These five minutes of stillness could be the most important gift that these kids have received all week. I teach weekly yoga classes to fifth graders at a school in Ciudad Bolivar, an immense informal settlement in the south of Bogotá. A large proportion of the residents of the community where I teach have been forcibly displaced by the country's ongoing conflict. In our weekly yoga classes we focus on developing… -
Getting to "Yes" in Iraq
1 Jul 2009 | 10:52 amMercy Corps has been helping Iraqi families and communities since 2003. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps Iraqis are celebrating on the streets as the U.S. withdraws its troops from the major urban areas of Iraq, but the fresh violence in Kirkuk serves as a sober reminder of the country's still fragile security condition. Many are focusing on what the Iraqi military and police can do to provide short-term security. But in the long term, Iraqis need a much broader view of security. If there is any chance for Iraq to become a democratic nation with law and order, the U.S. and Iraq must invest… -
A ritual for healing
1 Jul 2009 | 4:26 amThis past Saturday we celebrated the National Day of Reconciliation, which marks the day when President Imomali Rakhmonov and United Tajik Opposition leader Said Abdullo Nuri signed a peace agreement in Moscow in 1997. That agreement ended the civil war that displaced 1.2 million people and killed somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 men over a five-year period. Those ghosts hover here, perhaps especially in the Rasht Valley where a majority of the opposition was based. Nearly every day, someone tells me their own story about the civil war. Photo: Amy Spindler/Mercy Corps Despite this, the… -
A ride with Erkana
1 Jul 2009 | 12:47 amPhoto: Malish John Peter/Mercy Corps His dream is to wake up one day and be able to read something; a newspaper in English or a textbook, anything written. When he last stepped foot in a classroom, it was in primary school. Even then, there was no literature at the school. He answers to the name of Erkana. He is 25 years old. Each morning he drives a vehicle for Mercy Corps Sudan so that he can raise money to go to school in Arua, a town in northwestern Uganda. "I need to learn how to read and write English," he says to me as he negotiates routes in Juba on our way to a meeting. "Can't you…
-
Vital Voices Blog
-
VP Biden Announces New Position to Help End Violence Against Women
2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pmVice President Joe Biden has announced the creation of new position in the White House- advisor on Violence Against Women. The position will help further enforce the landmark 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which imposes stricter penalties for those who commit crimes against women. Vice President Biden, author of the act, counts the federal law as [...] -
Women Activists in Indonesia: Unimpressed with Presidential Candidates
2 Jul 2009 | 1:44 pmWith the presidential election only a week away, advocates for women’s rights in Indonesia met on June 23 to discuss how to push gender issues onto the agenda. Although Indonesia has made strides in recent years to protect women’s rights with international and national legislation, activists contest that much still needs to be done to [...] -
North Korean Women Escaping to China and Into the Arms of Traffickers
2 Jul 2009 | 1:42 pmThousands of North Korean women have fled the extreme poverty and oppression in their home country only to be caught by Chinese traffickers. These women are often forced into prostitution or marriages with Chinese men in a process of human trafficking that has come to be regarded as modern day slavery. The women are raped [...] -
Mazar-e-Sharif’s Lone Woman Shopkeeper
2 Jul 2009 | 1:39 pmIn an industry dominated by men, Raqiba Barmaki has become the only female shopkeeper in Mazar-e-Sharif, the bustling city and pilgrimage site in northern Afghanistan. Although some women operate shops in Kabul, work for women is both hard to find and generally frowned upon. Families without a male breadwinner face particular hardship. With the support [...] -
Women’s Empowerment – Moving Beyond Statistics
2 Jul 2009 | 10:51 amAt a recent meeting held by Swiss International Organization Crans Montana Forum, Maria da Luz Guebuza, first lady of Mozambique, called upon governments and the global community to look beyond statistics when considering the empowerment of women. Ms. Guebuza pointed out that statistical analysis implies, and may even encourage, competition between men and women, when [...]
-
Women's World Banking - Investing in Women, Transforming Lives
-
WWB and Africa Microfinance Action Forum (AMAF) Host in Kenya an International Conference on the Future of Microfinance in Africa
9 Jun 2009 | 1:09 pmNearly every country in Africa utilizes microfinance. Why, then, does the continent’s microfinance sector show little development? This question was recently explored at the Diagnostic to Action: Microfinance in Africa Multi-Stakeholder Conference hosted by Women’s World Banking and Africa Microfinance Action Forum (AMAF) in Nairobi, Kenya on June 4th. read more -
Women’s World Banking Convenes its Network for its 14th Global Meeting and 7th Annual Capital Markets Conference in New York
13 May 2009 | 1:43 pmWomen's World Banking (WWB), the world’s largest network of microfinance institutions and banks, has just concluded its 14th Global Meeting and its 7th annual Microfinance and the Capital Markets Conference. Both meetings focused on how to manage financial risk in an uncertain economic climate while continuing to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs. read more -
April 2009: WWB in the Spotlight, Then and Now
30 Apr 2009 | 8:51 amApril 2009: WWB in the Spotlight, Then and Now. The international media has long recognized Women’s World Banking as an industry pioneer. Time magazine first singled out WWB nearly 20 years ago in its June 4, 1990 issue, not long after we celebrated our 10th anniversary. That story praised WWB as “unlike any other financial institution” and credited us with “a tight budget but . . . a sterling record.” Just last spring, Time again turned to WWB for its June 16, 2008 edition, citing our study “Stemming the Tide of Mission Drift” in an article examining… -
March 2009: Why a network?
31 Mar 2009 | 12:47 pmMarch 2009: Why a network? As microfinance continues to evolve at an astonishing pace, microfinance institutions (MFIs) and those in the industry face new challenges in navigating this changing landscape. One of the keys to moving forward lies in the very way in which microfinance began, with the poor helping each other through the creation of strong support networks. The group lending model has helped millions, especially women, to lift themselves out of poverty. As a network of MFIs, Women’s World Banking applies this theory at the macro level—that working together as a network… -
WWB Vice President Inez Murray Facilitates “Gender and Microfinance: Enhancing Outreach, Impact and Sustainability” Workshop
17 Mar 2009 | 8:03 amInez Murray, WWB’s Vice President of Technical Assistance and Programs, helped lead the recent three-day workshop “Gender and Microfinance: Enhancing Outreach, Impact and Sustainability,” organized by Women’s Empowerment Mainstreaming and Networking (WEMAN). The event, held March 5-8 in Bhurban, Pakistan, was sponsored by WWB, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Khushali Bank and Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN). read more
-
Ideas 4 Development
-
From Architecture to Networks: Aid in a World of Variable Geometry
12 Jun 2009 | 4:35 amSummary: Despite the economic downturn,the development industry is growing and fragmenting as more and different actors enter the field. This is in a context of wider changes in global governance in which new alliances are emerging to solve different global challenges like poverty or climate change. All development organisations need to find their niche in this more complex architecture and developing countries need to become more assertive about aid being aligned with their country strategies and systems.Given the absence of market forces or enforceable regulation, these trends in the aid… -
Humanizing development
10 Jun 2009 | 10:08 amHow do you see development? How to portrait the human face of development processes? How development initiates and programmes improve the lives of people? Development is often portrayed by images of desolation and despair despite the uncountable number of initiatives, programmes, ideas and partnerships that are changing the lives of millions of people in our developing and transition world. In order to raise awareness of the successes in the development process and share innovative and successful actions, the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in collaboration with many… -
Can capitalism deal with externalities?
4 May 2009 | 6:41 amThe recent economic downturn has led to several voices round the world questioning the merits and effectiveness of capitalism as an economic system to promote the general welfare of human society. What a number of people find troublesome is the fact that chief executives and senior functionaries of corporate organizations, particularly in the bastion of capitalism, the U.S., have apparently been helping themselves with large payments from their organizations that were actually going down and several of which have actually become bankrupt. There is also the sad experience of thousands of… -
From official development assistance to the financing of global public policies
30 Mar 2009 | 4:37 amDear bloggers, I would like to share with you some of the reflections of an article my colleague Olivier Ray and I just published in the Center for Global Development’s working papers (accessible here), as they fit nicely in the mandate of this blog - i.e. ‘sharing information, viewpoints and visions for the future with the common goal of advancing the cause of development’. In this piece we reflect on some of the changes taking place in the world of international development. We describe a transformation of official development assistance (ODA) into a global public policy whose… -
Dear Friends, let’s promote a Green and Social Recovery
25 Feb 2009 | 10:16 amI wanted to react to several very powerful pieces - each accompanied by concrete proposals - which we have just read on our blog about how to manage the present crisis. Achim Steiner demonstrated that a Green New Deal was not an additional response to the crisis but that it should lie at the heart of whatever strategies are selected to combat it. Kemal Dervis also appealed for us not to relax our efforts in fighting climate change but, on the contrary, to seize the opportunity of the stimulus packages to strengthen our actions in that field. Moreover, Minouche Shafik reminded us that the…
-
Adventures in Hope: Stories of DiscoverHope
-
Health Steps 2
2 Jul 2009 | 9:44 amThis is one of 15 houses I visited yesterday. As I went to bed last night I couldn't help but think about the bedrooms of our families; some of them with wooden walls, some with tin scraps, some with plastic so that the wind doesn't enter. Humbling and inspiring that change can happen in these little places. Paz ~ NoraWould you like to support the work of DiscoverHope Fund? Visit http://www.lendhope.org -
Health Steps
1 Jul 2009 | 5:45 pmThe stove bed, ready for the construction of mud stove. Santos is pictured here with two of her children in front of her humble house - She has made many improvements; including separating her children's bedroom space with a simple curtain and preparing her stove bed. Tula is motivating one of our families by examinig their house homework list. Health and Hope do mix. Today I spent the day with Tula, our amazing health promoter with GyC, who took me on an all day tour of 1/2 of our families in the health project to see our progress and some roadblocks. It was a very eye opening experience and… -
Showcase
30 Jun 2009 | 8:54 amJust a little short note that I have proof, not visual proof, but take my word - women have used their new found knowledge of pinateria and balloon decorating this past weekend. I went to a 15th Birthday party for a daughter of one of our loan recipients this past weekend and she had the cement hall lined with balloon arcs. One of the arc wasn't perfectly made, but you got the idea. There was also cake (recipes from our bakery class) and appetizers (from our classes last year). I felt like I was walking into a DiscoverHope Fund showcase of class work. The Birthday party was more like a… -
Work and Tea
26 Jun 2009 | 2:56 pmIt has been a busy, crazy week with classes, meetings, activities and on top of that headaches with my new apartment that is out in the countryside - one day there was no water, the next my cooking gas ran out and that night I found myself running after the motorcycle gas guy with my flashlight so he would find my house. The little things make for a full week. But instead of writing about apartment issues, or new classes, I had this cultural exchange this week that was so surprising and funny. Our fourth leadership workshop was held this past Thursday. We talked about Vision. It was a great… -
Long Division!
19 Jun 2009 | 6:47 pmI am swimming in amazement and pride. Seriously. I went to visit one of our literacy groups this afternoon and they were working on long division! and writing official documents! (I just recently learned how to do that in Spanish). This group was only forming sentences last year. Truly, they have been working very hard. I definitely give credit to the 5 students that show up twice a week, do their homework and practice their new skills. But, I also give credit to Lily, their literacy teacher, who is amazing. She prepares every class with challenging, yet fun, activities that really engage the…
-
UNIFEM: Latest News
-
Governments Need to Ensure Women Do Not Bear the Brunt of the Economic Crisis (News Release)
25 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmNew York - Governments need to provide social protection and promote green jobs for women through alternative investments that provide decent employment, such as public-private and community-related partnerships, according to representatives from governments, the United Nations, civil society and academia, who met in New York today to discuss how to ... -
Bosnian Chairman of the Council of Ministers Says NO (News)
24 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmHis Excellency Mr. Nikola Špirić, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, signed on to UNIFEM's Say NO to Violence against Women campaign at UNIFEM headquarters in New York on 25 June 2009. By adding his name, H.E. Mr. Špirić joined more than 200 ministers and heads of ... -
Economic Stimulus Packages Must Factor in Differentiated Impact on Women Hardest Hit by the Financial Crisis, Says New UNIFEM Assessment (News Release)
23 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmGovernment plans need to reflect women's realities as workers and shock absorbers of society to be truly effective United Nations, New York - Economic stimulus packages are not just quick-fixes but an opportunity to reform economic policies and make them more responsive to gender needs, says a new assessment by the ... -
Preventing Wartime Rape from Becoming a Peacetime Reality (News Release)
23 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmUnited Nations, New York - "If sexual violence is not fully addressed in ceasefires and peace processes, there will be no peace for women," said former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland at a United Nations high-level meeting on peace negotiations that convened this week in New ... -
European Commission and UNIFEM Partner to Support Gender Equality in the Context of HIV and AIDS (News)
21 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmThe European Commission and UNIFEM are embarking on a programme that will be implemented in Rwanda, Kenya, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia. With a total budget of €2,450,353 for three years, the programme will focus on promoting the leadership of HIV-positive women's groups and gender equality advocates, to ...
-
(Blog) RED
-
“Know Your Status” – a Visit to the Timber Market in the Old Port, Accra
2 Jul 2009 | 8:58 amA man dressed in a t-shirt and jeans walks through the timber market with a loud-speaker, addressing the area’s predominantly male workers in the local Twi dialect.“Know your status. Come and test with us today, here in the market....” he begins.Joshua is HIV negative, but his wife tested positive last year – a ‘discordant couple’ is the term used to describe them by health workers. Motivated by his wife’s status, he has volunteered for the last few months with the outreach programme run by the Ridge Hospital in Accra, and he regularly joins a team of nurses and counsellors… -
Starbucks Visits Rwanda to See (RED) Money in Action
1 Jul 2009 | 10:57 amStarbucks chairman, president and ceo, Howard Schultz, joined (RED) at the Treatment and Research AIDS Center (TRAC) in Rwanda last Friday to see firsthand how funding generated by Starbucks and other (RED) partners can help to make a difference in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. TRAC is Rwanda’s national HIV and AIDS research center housing the country’s busiest HIV clinic. Read more about the visit and about Starbucks latest (PRODUCT) RED offerings in U.S. and Canada participating stores here. -
U2 kicked off their 360 Tour in Barcelona last night: (RED)Zones are here!
1 Jul 2009 | 8:06 amWhat a great concert! U2 kicked off their 360 Tour last night at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium. 'We’ve got a space station designed by Gaudi ' Bono told the rapturous 90,000 capacity crowd. The band opened the show with Breathe, a track from their latest No 1 album No Line On The Horizon and went on to dedicate Angel Of Harlem - originally inspired by Billie Holiday - to the late Michael Jackson.Were you one of the lucky ones to get a ticket in the (RED)Zone? U2 have allocated a (RED) Zone VIP area at every show throughout the tour. These premium location tickets were auctioned when the… -
Check Out Who We Spotted In (CONVERSE) RED
30 Jun 2009 | 12:49 pmIt’s none other than Maria Shriver, California first lady and friend of (RED). She’s sporting her (RED) Converse’s while teaming up with first Lady Michelle Obama to volunteer last week at a San Francisco elementary school as part of President Obama’s United We Serve plan. And for other influential women of (RED) don’t miss Converse’s new Women in (RED) series which currently features 1HUND(RED) artist Amy Ruppel. Keep up the good work ladies! -
Happy Birthday to Grandmothers and Grandsons
26 Jun 2009 | 1:09 pmAt (RED) we love birthdays. It’s a time when the work that you all do in supporting (RED) really hits home. Because of you and your purchases of (PRODUCT) RED, we’ve been able to get life-sustaining antiretroviral (ARV) therapy on the ground in Africa to people living with HIV, People who, thanks to funds contributed by (RED) initiatives, are celebrating their birthdays this month.Little Katleho from Lesotho is seven this month. His mom, Caroline, is HIV-positive and every year around this time she stops to think about how Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission treatment (PMTCT)…
-
Women Thrive Worldwide
-
Women Feed the World: Ritu's Diary from Burkina Faso
17 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmThis week, Ritu Sharma, Women Thrive's President and Co-founder, is in Burkina Faso trying to answer the question: is agriculture... -
Attacking Hunger at Its Roots: Help Women Farmers
15 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmHillary Clinton on why we need to invest in women's agriculture. -
House Authorizes New Office of Global Women's Issues
14 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmWomen Thrive commends the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill that authorizes the new Office of Global Women’s... -
U.S. Congress Considers Bold Legislation to Combat Child Marriage
10 May 2009 | 4:00 pmBill to tackle child marriage’s root causes, expand girls’ opportunities. -
Take Action: Tell Congress to Pass the Preventing Child Marriage Act!
8 May 2009 | 12:26 pm
-
ONE
-
Dear G8,
2 Jul 2009 | 4:45 pmOn Tuesday, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus and the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson joined together to present the G8 with one simple request: send every child to school. In an open letter to the leaders of the G8 countries, the group asked for the G8 to commit to launching a Global Fund for Education. The proposal comes from a pledge made by President Obama himself, which you may have read about here before. The letter reads: We are heartened by the commitment of the United States President, Barack Obama, to provide a contribution of at least $2 billion… -
HIV Travel Ban Set to be Lifted
2 Jul 2009 | 3:36 pmThe Obama administration is moving forward with a rule change that would end the current regulation preventing HIV-positive individuals from entering the U.S. The proposed change, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within HHS, appeared in today’s Federal Register. The posting is a request for public comment, due by August 17, 2009. CDC will then review the comments and make any appropriate modifications, issuing a final rule later in the year. In the CDC/HHS post, the agency notes, “While HIV infection is a serious health condition, it does not represent a… -
Petition Drop in Florida!
2 Jul 2009 | 2:29 pmRecently I discovered that Miami is one of the top cities for access to clean water. As a resident of Miami-Dade county this is great news. However, I am also quickly reminded how lucky we are. The very things we take for granted, opening a faucet, grabbing a glass of water are not possible for millions of people worldwide. Yesterday Danielle DePas, Sara Paterni and I visited the offices of Senators Martinez and Nelson to ask for their support on the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (s. 624). This important bill will help provide 100 million people with sustainable access to… -
Bring What You Love
2 Jul 2009 | 1:29 pmTomorrow, July 3rd, ONE is proud to present “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” a new film from one of Africa’s most celebrated musicians (and past A-Lister). The screening will be in West Hollywood, CA at 7:00 pm. In his home country of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour is a powerful cultural icon and an important voice on social issues. Youssou is also a member of the ONE Policy Advisory Board, reflecting his deep commitment to the fight against poverty. His new film I Bring What I Love is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man’s voice to inspire change. -
ONE “Concerted” Effort – Gina’s Email
2 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pmA month ago I received an email from a ONE Member named Gina Kim who simply said she wanted to do a small local event that brings attention to those living on less than $1 a day, and she wanted to do it with ONE. Well, I’d never met Gina before in my life, we lived over 450 miles away from each other, and I didn’t know she was also a ONE member. So, of course I said, “Sounds Great. Let’s do it!” – I called her and together we mapped a game plan over the phone. Immediately Gina got a couple of friends together and they built a small coalition of people in her community. After just…
-
Changed by Design
-
Three mobile solutions to development challenges
30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amTwo thirds of the world’s 3.3 billion mobile phones are owned in developing countries. Social changemakers recognize this opportunity to reach those in need with information, tips, and resources that would otherwise be inaccessible at large scale. Here, we profile three innovative uses of mobile technology to combat developing world challenges. A Twitter tip informed me of Project Masiluleke in South Africa. Due to the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, individuals avoid getting tested and 90% of those infected are not getting treatment. In the KwaZulu Natal province, >40%… -
The Great Darfur Smokeout
1 May 2009 | 1:52 amThe Acumen Fund blog this week posted a call for solutions to the energy challenges posed by wood-burning stoves responsible for much of the black carbon causing 18 percent of global warming, according to the New York Times. Much of the third world uses wood as fuel because it is widely available and free, but the stoves they use to burn the wood are inefficient and produce large amounts of smoke and soot, causing major health and pollution problems. Acumen Fund’s main criticisms of alternative stoves like rocket stoves and solar cookers are as follows: There are lots of stove… -
Ashton’s anti-malaria fundraising saves more than lives
20 Apr 2009 | 8:41 amThis week, Ashton Kutcher triumphed over CNN in a race to amass one million followers on Twitter, winning the privilege to donate 10,000 anti-mosquito bed nets to combat malaria. The choice of prize may sound bizarre, but it is perfectly timed for the upcoming World Malaria Day on Friday, April 25. Malaria kills one child every 30 seconds, and more than 80 percent of infections occur in Africa. At $10 per net, the 10,000-net pledge amounted to a $100,000 donation from Ashton to charity Malaria No More, headquartered in New York City. In addition, Ashton has garnered similar pledges from other… -
Hippo Roller announces $25 x 200 campaign
17 Apr 2009 | 1:33 amThe Hippo Roller team has just shared great news about their redesign project. With the Hippo Water Roller, an individual can transport 24 gallons (200 pounds) of water as if pushing a 22-pound weight. This is enough to provide water for a family of five people for a day, with a single trip. However, the biggest obstacle to distributing these life-changing devices broadly was its $100 price tag, including shipping the cumbersome Hippos. Hippo Roller brought the challenge to Project H Design and Engineers Without Borders, resulting in a two-part, nesting, stackable version of the Hippo which… -
Stanford d.prize: How do you capture a monsoon?
10 Apr 2009 | 10:32 amStanford’s d.school design institute has just published the winners of their quarterly d.prize competition, recognizing the top 4 student projects of the term. The best aspect of the submission process is that teams must write their entries in haiku form. capture a monsoon, don’t only collect water, build an “extreme” team. A project called “The Deathstar” won this year’s monsoon challenge from the Design for Extreme Affordability class. This challenge gives teams 48 hours and $20 to design and build a device to maximize the capture of rainwater…
-
Jolkona Foundation Blog
-
Communication…and oh my, I’m leaving in 2 days!
3 Jul 2009 | 6:14 pmSpontaneity is not how I roll…except for today. My thoughts sort of randomly flooded my brain in the midst of packing, so I’m taking a break. First of all, packing for any international trip is a wild roller coaster! I fatigue just at the thought of everything I need to accomplish between now and my flight….despite [...] -
$15 to give a chair in Sierra Leone
1 Jul 2009 | 8:52 amThis blog post was contributed by Deanna Wallace, All As One Executive Director: All As One is dedicated to helping the orphaned and destitute children of Sierra Leone, West Africa by providing a loving home, education, medical care, and a chance for a better future. We accomplish this through the All As One Children’s Center (an [...] -
Debating solutions to poverty-without the poor!
30 Jun 2009 | 6:09 amSo over the last few months I have been involved in several debates on the issue of aid versus trade especially in light of the rejuvenated debate on development financing . I thought it would be a good idea to show you what I wrote (its really middle of the fence) while I prepare a [...] -
Awareness plus Action can Make a Difference
28 Jun 2009 | 11:24 amThere are many things in the world that inspire me, but perhaps nothing does so more than writing. There’s something about sitting down and allowing your thoughts to come to life, about having the ability to create something beautiful, something permanent, out of your own experiences. Throughout my life, however, I’ve strived to reconcile writing [...] -
Poll results for planting trees
26 Jun 2009 | 7:36 amQuick update from our online poll for planting the 700 trees from our awareness drive. The top 3 choices are India, Haiti, and Ethiopia. We will plant equal number of trees in the 3 locations. Thank you again for all your support!
-
BradleyWill - Empowering Young Entrepreneurs
-
Lack of Discipline or Lack of Direction?
2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 pmDo you ever feel like you have so much to do and you never get anything done? Often people approach me diagnosing their challenge being a lack of discipline. There are days in my life where I just want to go play in the park all day with my dog enjoying the summer sun! But by getting into a deeper conversation with them, I usually find out that they have no idea where they are going. For example, many people try to justify hours upon hours spent on Facebook and Twitter trying to generate more business. Everyone would love to use social media marketing and relationship building for… -
Links for 2009-07-01 [Digg]
2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 amRefollow: Arguably the Best Twitter Relationship Management Recently, I have came across a tool called Refollow, which is arguably the best and most comprehensive follow/relationship management tools out there. Refollow helps you discover, manage, and protect your Twitter social circle. On the website, you can log it using your Twitter account and it will take you to a page when you can view and sort all of -
12 Quotes Every Entrepreneur Should Have Tattooed on Their Arms
1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 amI have one tattoo. Who knows, I may plan to get more. Maybe I will make my body a shine to all of the great authors work that inspired me along my journey. The words of many great leaders, constantly ring in my head. This is the collection of 12 powerful yet simple quotes that shine light on my path. There are millions of great quotes, but I believe you will find these quite special. Do I think every entrepreneur should get these quotes inked on their body? Obviously it’s your choice, but it is better than some of the weird ass tattoos I have seen people stamp on… -
Refollow: Arguably the Best Twitter Relationship Management Tool
30 Jun 2009 | 10:33 amA big concern for people when they first get into Twitter is the time management issue. The way Twitter has been built allows for virtually any application to be created to enhance your experience. If you are aggressively networking on Twitter trying to establish your presence, cleaning up non-active Tweeps is very important. The numbers don’t mean jack. What matters is how many of your followers actually listen and engage in your conversations. Recently, I have came across a tool called Refollow, which is arguably the best and most comprehensive follow/relationship management… -
Links for 2009-06-29 [Digg]
30 Jun 2009 | 12:00 amDamn Sanyo...How Is Your Company Protecting It's Brand? Sanyo has horrendous customer service. Glad you care about your customers... Thanks Sanyo!
-
United Nations Good Works
-
Nasty Nematodes Beware!
1 Jul 2009 | 1:26 pmCan you imagine never seeing the sun rise? How about never seeing the smile on your child’s face? Thanks to a new drug called Moxidectin, some 100 million people across the African continent will be saved from such a dire reality. These individuals currently suffer from river blindness, a debilitating disease caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus. Transmitted by the bite of the Black Fly, which breeds in fast-flowing rivers, these nasty parasites spread rapidly and can survive for up to fifteen years in the human body.At present, the drug ivormectin is used to control river blindness… -
Women, Work, and Family: Lessons from Latin America
29 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pmIt’s normal thing in the United States for husbands help their wives with cleaning the house, cooking, or doing the laundry. This is especially true in cases when wives, along with their husbands, work and make their own contribution to the family budget. However, in Latin America, the situation is completely different – such behavior on the part of men would be ridiculed and considered challenging the traditional “machist” perception of manhood. Today, when more than 100 million (!) women throughout Latin America and the Caribbean work, a traditional Latin American perception of… -
Emergency? Dial 9-1-Camel
26 Jun 2009 | 6:37 amWhen someone is seriously injured here in the US, they’re whisked away in a fast-moving ambulance. But try to drive that ambulance in a rural desert with no roads, and you’ve got yourself a problem. To solve this predicament, the UNDP in Ethiopia is turning camels into emergency transport vehicles.Ok, so they don’t have sirens or flashing lights. But these humped, spitting beasts of burden are ideally suited to transport seriously ill patients across the deserts of rural Ethiopia to hospitals. The UNDP has also trained men and women in basic healthcare to ride along with the camels, and… -
Picture This: Environmental Sustainability in Pictures!
23 Jun 2009 | 9:05 amLast week, UNDP, Olympus and AFP partnered to launch Picturethis, an Africa based photo competition designed to highlight the work of African natives to negate and reverse the effects of climate change. The competition aims to demonstrate the people of Africa as ‘stewards of their natural environment’. The contest is inspired by the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which will bring together over 15,000 officials from 200 countries to address climate change and explore options to extend the Kyoto Protocol’s treaty’s into the future. The contest is exclusively for… -
Sneaky Sands Threaten Livelihoods Around the World
17 Jun 2009 | 1:55 pmWith the majority of news broadcasts covering incidents of death, disease, and destruction, the major threat of desertification to the lives of millions around the world is often overlooked. However, on June 17—officially marked World Day to Combat Desertification—Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon made it his personal mission to emphasize the danger of encroaching deserts, especially to populations already marginalized by poverty. A process that is accelerating rapidly as a result of climate change, desertification is an issue that, like many others, will disproportionately affect the poor.
-
What Do You Stand For?
-
Brand Power Essential: Say What You Do
30 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmWant to build a brand relevant to your supporters? Then say what you do in a crisp and clear way. The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 found that organizations who clearly state their issue focus in their brand names are perceived by consumers as more familiar and personally relevant. For example, the National Cancer Coalition captured higher consumer relevancy ratings than organizations whose names were more ambiguous. Clever or creative branding is good, but clarity makes communication easy - donors, volunteers, clients and potential advocates can easily understand who you are and what… -
Chronicles 2009 Corporate Giving Survey
29 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmCorporate giving in 2009 may not be quite as dire as anticipated. According to a new survey from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, about half of responding companies said they would maintain roughly the same giving levels in 2009 as they did last year. The Chronicle study (premium login required) on the state of corporate philanthropy is composed of corporate giving data from 108 of Americas largest companies. Its chock full of useful data and information that address some of the most common questions among cause marketers and those interested in corporate giving trends. A few key… -
For Top 10 Nonprofit Power Brands, Engagement is Key
24 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmSince yesterdays launch of The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, weve had many great discussions about the research. Every conversation starts with the same question. What is it about the Top 10 that makes them the Top 10? The answer, in a word, is ENGAGEMENT.Whether 100+ years old, or newer kids on the block, these nonprofits are experts at leveraging multiple points of consumer engagement. Many have bricks-and-mortar facilities (YMCA, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Goodwill, Boys & Girls Clubs) or in-your-face marketing (Habitat, American Cancer Society) that keep them… -
Judging the PR Lions at Cannes: Reflections
24 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmIn a career one gets few once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Being a judge for the 1st PR Lions is certainly one of them. While I looked forward to Cannes, my vision was an over-the-top glam week of parties, parties and more parties ending with awards, the global advertising businesses gushing self congratulations think unrelenting double-cheek kissing (its France naturally), fist pumping in the air Gold Lion in hand, and all night carousing. (One of the agency winners even brought his dog on stage4 times! Talented agency. Lucky dog?) Perhaps that is true. Yet with digital media… -
What Organizations are Missing From The Cone 100?
23 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmThe Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 is officially in the marketplace, and not surprisingly, amid all the chatter about who is ON the list, there is some about who is NOT. So, how did we choose the 100 leading organizations to evaluate? The answer is quite simple- we used Forbes 200 Largest Nonprofits list to give us a starting point. Check out additional info on the filter criteria. We looked at 100 impressive organizations, but in the end thats a fraction of the 1.5 million total nonprofits in the U.S., so there are bound to be some favorites that arent on the list. To the right, on our…
-
A Volunteer's Guide to Changing the World
-
Happy 4th - be safe
2 Jul 2009 | 4:51 pmI'll be offline over the long weekend - have a wonderful extended weekend, and a happy 4th of July.For my international readers - enjoy having one less blog to read for a few days :)Best!-Mark -
Change the world one (blank) at a time
1 Jul 2009 | 9:56 amChange the world one (blank) at a time.The (blank) is up to you. It can be:The way your share your love for coffeeThe blog you update regularlyThe challenge you startWhatever the (blank) is... remember these 3 guidelines.Share knowledge and educate people. It can only benefit you.Help others, and you help yourself. Doing well by doing good.Passion and beliefs can change the world.Guidelines courtesy of www.findsubstance.com - THANKS! -
Fundraising declines
30 Jun 2009 | 2:58 pmWe all knew it was coming. We knew that this economic downturn would negatively affect our fundraising efforts. This chart shows that everybody is being affected.But now that you know it, get over it. This is not an excuse for your fundraising being under goal. It might by why you fell under goal, but its not an excuse. Now that you know for certain that the economic conditions are affecting your current fundraising techniques, you have to evolve. You have to recruit more people. And you have to work on year round engagement.Starting with online might help - here are some tips you can follow. -
Nurturing creativity
29 Jun 2009 | 10:47 amI write about creativity a lot - its very important to continued success and growth (personal and organizational).Some people talk about nurturing creativity, and they do it a lot better then me. This video by Amy Tan provides some great insight into how to be more creative, and empower others to do that same.Some of my favorites:Rehearse, but act spontaneousWrongful birth principle: You were not born who you thought you would beNurture principle: Childhood "trauma" can be real good materialUncertainty principle: I'm not good enough... (hint: ignore this one!)Watch out for the observer… -
Are you announcing your improvements?
25 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pmDo you have new committee members? New computers? New iphone application? What about a Facebook page or application? LinkedIn group? Twitter? Blog? If so, it is worth announcing.There are lots of ways of announcing your improvements and growth.You can do it yourself, like Google did here.orYou can influence others to do it for you, like Microsoft did, here.Please don't ask which one is better - because there is no answer to that. You need both. Be excited about your organization, and make sure other people are excited about it, too.
-
Kiva Stories from the Field
-
The power of your loan
2 Jul 2009 | 11:29 pmBy Drew Loizeaux, KF8 Philippines The last 4 months working as a Kiva Fellow have allowed me an up close look at many different sides of microfinance. It has been fascinating for me to see and made me look at the loans I make through Kiva in a different way. As Kiva Lenders, our money not only goes to the borrowers themselves, but through our interest free loans we are also directly supporting each Kiva Partner that we lend through. Each Kiva Partner is different, and no matter what your reason is for believing in the power of microfinance, there is an organization that will fit your… -
You are in Mongolia… really?
1 Jul 2009 | 9:04 pmBy Tamara Sanderson – KF8 Mongolia When I started telling my friends and family that I was headed to Mongolia for the summer, it quickly became apparent that few people know much about the country. Comments ranged from: “So, where in Africa is Mongolia?” to “I remember that Genghis Kahn fellow from history class.” Every day, I am realizing the uniqueness of this beautiful country and would like to share a few fun facts with other Kivans. Large and Landlocked Mongolia, the second largest landlocked country in the world, is sandwiched between China and Russia. It is one of the… -
My Run-in with the Congolese Police
1 Jul 2009 | 8:35 amBy John Soleanicov, KF8 DRC I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my face. Sitting in a makeshift police station under a tent, I was surrounded by three Congolese policemen and my accuser, a young man that could not have been past his mid twenties. My crime: videotaping in public. As I was returning from a group visit with Hope’s Kiva Coordinator, Robert, I wanted to capture the infrastructure realities of Kinshasa (more on this in a later post). The young man noticed I was taping and began to follow our motorcycle. You can actually hear him in the video. Once we arrived at… -
Kiva Fellows’ Blog Quarter 2 in Review
30 Jun 2009 | 4:55 pmBy Kiva Fellows Program Team Kiva’s launch in the United States on June 10th generated a huge amount of media attention for Kiva, and an equally-large number of hits for the Kiva Fellows Blog. Kudos goes to John Briggs KF8, currently on his second Kiva placement with KADET in Kenya, for his #1 in Q2 post in response to the “Pissed Off Kiva Lenders” lending team with 1,712 views to date. The top 5 blogs in Q2 were: 1. Pissed Off Kiva Lenders, John Briggs KF8, Kenya 2. A Rose From Florence, Stephanie Koczela KF7, Uganda 3. M-Banking!, Brett Dobbs KF7, Kenya 4. I Am Living In… -
Micro-Universal Health Care
30 Jun 2009 | 8:13 amBy Cynthia McMurry, KF8 Ecuador Time and cost are enormous disincentives for the working poor when it comes to getting medical treatment. Time spent visiting the doctor is time you’re not at work generating income, and money spent on these visits is money that could otherwise be spent on your children’s education or reinvested in your business. These disincentives are strong enough that relatively minor, treatable ailments often go untreated and eventually develop into much more complicated, serious conditions that require more intensive treatments and can even be incapacitating. To…
-
Change Your Life | The Change Blog
-
How to Unleash Your Creative Brilliance
2 Jul 2009 | 6:30 amImage courtesy of h.koppdelaney Creativity can save the world. Creativity can save your life. Yes it’s that powerful. It can make you a millionaire; enchant the lover of your dreams; take you around the world; or fill your days with joy and wonder. Creativity is one of the most in-demand skills required for the jobs of tomorrow. And yet we get almost no creativity training in school. It’s expected that you either have it, or you don’t. Read on to find a simple method to begin unleashing your own creative brilliance. The Incredible Power of Creativity First, let’s take a moment to look… -
5 Ways To Learn On The Go
30 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amImage courtesy of *Zara “Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.” ~ Sarah Caldwell If you’re reading this article, I’m sure you readily accept the importance of continual learning. However, because modern life can be so busy you may find it challenging to find time to devote solely to learning, whether it be sitting down to read a book or attending an evening class. In this article I will give you 5 ways even the busiest of people -those who are always on the go - can find time to… -
The Difference Between Change and Growth - And Knowing Which You Need
11 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amImage courtesy of Ana Santos Two words that get bandied about a lot in the personal development sphere are “change” and “growth”. You’ve probably noticed, for instance, that this blog is called “The Change Blog”, and that Peter describes in his personal mission statement a commitment to maintaining a “personal growth blog”. It’s tempting to use “change” and “growth” in a woolly sort of way, meaning “living a better life”, but in fact, they’re quite different concepts: What’s Change? Change Often Means a Turn-Around When you talk about changing your life,… -
Awakening with the Two-Step Dance of Awareness and Release
4 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amImage courtesy of Eddi 07 I write books (www.beyond-karma.com) for two reasons. One, there is a simple and easy way to release depression, anxiety and the unease of being. And, two, because awakening is simple. And what is awakening? Awakening is awakening out of the world of fear and sadness. Leonard Jacobson says, “To awaken simply means to awaken out of the world of the thinking mind into the world of the present moment.” Buddha said very simply: it is the end of suffering. It is finding the joy of being. It is a fundamental shift in consciousness which opens up the world. It is… -
Switching to a Bold Mindset
2 Jun 2009 | 6:27 amImage courtesy of Schuey The person who makes decisions quicker and more resolutely flies ahead of the person who is slow and weak in their ways. Notice that I didn’t point out that the first person was always making the “right” decisions. That point is irrelevant in the longer-term. Using simple probabilities, the person that makes more decisions in the face of pressure from others will have more options on the table, and having more options is always more advantageous than having less options. This is true because the person with more options has just as many as the one…
-
Change.org's Sustainable Food Blog
-
Mike Taylor for Food Safety Coordinator
2 Jul 2009 | 9:59 pmObama's considering appointing a former Monsanto vice president, Mike Taylor, to head the Food Safety Working Group at the FDA. As Jill Richardson writes at LaVidaLocavore at the link above, Taylor thinks the FDA wastes too much time on food safety inspections at meat packing plants. Further, he believes that one of their main problems is that they have to slow down their line speed too much. Everyone who's read anything about the horrendous working conditions at US meatpacking plants knows that incomplete kills before slaughter and worker injuries increase dramatically when line speeds… -
World According to Monsanto, pt 9, Contamination
2 Jul 2009 | 8:30 amA traditional Mexican corn farmer speaks in this portion of the "World According to Monsanto" documentary about the transgenic corn conquest of the ancient home of corn and the center of its greatest biodiversity: "... If they succeed, we'll be dependent on multinationals. We'll be forced to buy the fertilizer and insecticides they sell, because without them, their corn won't grow. Whereas the local corn grows very well without fertilizer or herbicide. Look at it, it's very beautiful. ..." Now that NAFTA has made import controls on artificially cheap US corn difficult, and as much US corn… -
Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015
1 Jul 2009 | 1:50 pmGuest editorial by Jim Weill, FRAC president It’s always shocking to hear how many Americans can’t afford enough healthy food to get through the month – 36.2 million people live in such households at last count – but it’s especially troubling when you consider how many of the hungry are children. More than 12 million children – nearly 17 percent of all children in the country – live in homes that are struggling with hunger, hindering them from growing, learning and succeeding in school. During the presidential campaign, President Obama pledged to end childhood hunger in America… -
The Fertilizer Divide
1 Jul 2009 | 12:19 pmWhile plant breeding has done its part, and irrigation a lion's share, in bringing global crop productivity up over this last century, synthetic and mineral fertilizers sealed the deal. Plants need more than nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K), but an abundance of those three key, limiting nutrients will get them growing well, usually even if there are micronutrient deficiencies. So the prominent N-P-K listings on fertilizer bags are generally most crucial, and arguably the most critical of these is nitrogen. While the Green Revolution is attributed in large part to hybrid crop… -
Beetles and Monoculture
30 Jun 2009 | 7:39 pmJulian Siddle of the BBC doesn't seem aware that a pine beetle infestation has already spread to the United States, devastating forests all the way into southern California, but nonetheless provided some interesting reporting on how Canada is addressing the pine beetle decimation of their forests and the environmental circumstances shaping their thinking on the matter: ... Cold winters usually kill off the beetle larvae, but the region has been warmer than usual in recent years. ... Without interference from man, mature lodge pole pine would be regularly destroyed by forest fires. But,…
