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Collaborative Project
Anyone interesting in pooling ideas, working jointly, etc.. to brainstorm effective social projects we can start doing the groundwork for and hopefully through networking and this site make some headway in a few months to really launc things please post.
I have always been interested in a project that allows African youth an opportunity to kind of break out and empower themselves, so a project that teaches them how to start a fishing business rather then just how to fish or handing out fish.
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This is awesome, just the volume of reception. This site definitely gives us an opportunity to start working with others who are just as passionate and interested in change as ourselves so we need to take advantage of that fact to the max.
But back to business- I would really like to start an NPO that acts more or less as a social innovation thinktank. Basically we would accept any and all ideas anywhere around the world concerning projects focused on development, aid, etc.. We would screen those ideas and try to help propel them forward either through funding or guidance or networking, etc.. I don't think enough groups exist which focus on the general, on helping others with drive and expertise to turn their ideas into a reality to tackle a specific problem. Furthermore, this NPO could allow for cooperation between projects it sponsors, for example two groups working on a med or economic project could focus on the specifics while collaborating on the big picture.
What do you guys think?
I'm going to start looking at the ground work for the NPO, outlining a charter and website, etc.. Meanwhile check out my blog, I'll have a post just for that and try to start working with anybody who is interested in the idea.
Views: 41
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alchemy on -
This is an excellent idea. I encourage EVOKE agents to collaborate on any missions, and especially on their EVOKATION. Find out more about the EVOKATION here: http://bit.ly/evokewin
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Permalink Reply by Raymond M. Kristiansen on -
I really like your focus on African youth, self-empowerment. There are probably currently at least 100 projects dealing with youth in Africa already, dealing with the question of how to get them to empower themselves. Do we know of any best practices? Do we have any prime examples which we would like to replicate?
I am thinking that in order to break out, the youth can use video as one tool. Video to share their world with the world. Share ideas, give input and receive feedback.
What were you having in mind Andrew?
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Permalink Reply by Anne Hilton on -
I am interested in the question of how we involve students in this process that you are talking about in ways that are really meaningful. As a relatively new instructor, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can structure my cla**** to move beyond the borders of the classroom, the campus,and our state into the broader world, yet still retain the ability to teach the core competencies. I am ready to move into action but I just don't know how to begin which is why I am so excited by the potential brainpower all gathered in one place.
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Permalink Reply by Raymond M. Kristiansen on
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This is very interesting! For a lot of reasons. First of all - teachers in here? Awesome! We need more teachers on sites such as this. You are crucial.
Community Trading Network - hmmm. I haven't heard of that before, but I am pretty sure that it has been tried, at least 10 times, in different countries, and reports have been written about these projects, and those reports are most likely gathering dust on some shelf or sitting as a .pdf stored in some database. We should crowdsource for more information about this.
Have you been able to do any research yet? Do you even know where to begin to look for this? I don't myself, apart from some of the usual google tricks :)
Let's see if others respond with some leads for us here.
Huw Swanborough said:please anybody who has more knowledge on this area please get in touch with me as i would love to learn more on this, and hopefully learn how it could be implemented, even if only hypothetical.
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Permalink Reply by Simon Brookes on -
This is a fascinating thread and something that I think you could maybe work on together, collectively as a group. I was reading an interesting case study just this week about a group of Mayan women in Guatemala, who have formed a sort of cooperative which enables them to sell their products to a much larger market (even internationally to El Salvador). Here's the link (it's a pdf):
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/downloads/FP2P/FP2P_Guatemala_Mar...
Clearly there is massive potential here. Can you think of ways this could be developed in other countries? Are there better ways to do this?
I'm very excited to see the the first stages of collaboration happening here in the EVOKE network. I'll be awarding +1 for collaboration to you all!
I'll be watching closely to see how things progress.
Best of luck
Simon
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Permalink Reply by Nqaba on
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Andrew
It's great that you are thinking of a collaborative project. Why are you thinking of African youth?
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Permalink Reply by Wintermute on -
I would love to get involved in an innovation think tank.
I also agree teach a man to fish and he will never again go hungry.
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Permalink Reply by William Purves on
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Empowering youth was the subject of some research I did about ten years ago. One avenue for sources might be the service learning community/field. One of the keys I found then was having mentors in place for the youth involved. A second factor was early involvement in similar kinds of enterprises, whether they are practice enterprises or not. Education in the subject area is a vital component. Getting the word out and creating networks through mobile phones might be a part of the puzzle as well, especially using text (since it is usually cheaper).
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Schachtele on
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I'm intrested! I also have a youth worker, community collaboration mindset. It would be fun to have a group of people that we could work together with, and bounce ideas off of to tackle whatever projects are coming up.
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Permalink Reply by THIAGO CARVALHO PELUCIO SILVA on -
Mr. Andrew, I'm in!
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Permalink Reply by Crystal Bellar on -
I'm working on urban homelessness issues- my goals are to get people from homeless to owning their own place its is a fairly foreign concept because home owning isn't associated from homelessness... just renting which can re-create the cycle of homelessness and lead to precarious housing (someone who is on the verge of away from loosing their housing). By owning a home it leads the ability for income to go towards other basic needs ,maintenance, and possibly savings. Not towards rent which only is good for the month.
I want to be involved in innovation thinktanks too.
Your project sounds pretty cool. Oh, someone had something on fishing farms in Hati and had some insight on it. If I run across it again, I'll drop it by here.
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Permalink Reply by Nqaba on
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William, at what level were you doing this research and for whom did you do it?
William Purves said:Empowering youth was the subject of some research I did about ten years ago. One avenue for sources might be the service learning community/field. One of the keys I found then was having mentors in place for the youth involved. A second factor was early involvement in similar kinds of enterprises, whether they are practice enterprises or not. Education in the subject area is a vital component. Getting the word out and creating networks through mobile phones might be a part of the puzzle as well, especially using text (since it is usually cheaper).
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