Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities

Opening the World Social networks as enablers of free & resilient communities Mark Frazier, cofounder, Openworld.com LEVEL 3 Grassroots Realm LEVEL 2 Political Realm LEVEL 1 Virtual Realm Internet-delivered “seeds of change”

Aim of this presentation
Survey damage done by past approaches to “helping”
Review asset-awakening opportunities
Explore ways for online networks to help lift local barriers to self-help

Background
Base of the Pyramid – four billion are living on less than $3500 a year
Corruption: $1 trillion rake-off by gatekeepers
Source: James Tooley

Background
Dambisa Moyo ( Dead Aid ) : politicized aid funds predatory systems
Hernando de Soto ( Mystery of Capital ): US$9-14 trillion in capital is ‘sleeping’ due to state failures in dispute resolution and property rights systems

Background
Where can we find another approach?
Here…

Catalyzing growth in ancient times
How Phoenicians sparked trade and growth…

‘ Gifts on a beach’ in the Internet era
Today, online networks can stimulate growth in poor regions
To see how they can help local moves to a freer world, let ’s survey wealth-creating innovations in three realms

Grassroots realm Political realm Virtual realm Background on innovations

Digital giving
Micro-funding portals
Global telework markets
Today, poor
Virtual realm: innovations

Virtual realm: innovations
CLOSEUP
Digital giving
Online donors are giving vouchers and microgrants to expand access to new education, healthcare, and cell phone/Internet alternatives
Social networks are volunteering time to help bootstrap projects

CLOSEUP Micro- Funding Portals Online lending and investment networks are bringing capital to aspiring entrepreneurs Virtual realm: innovations

Graphic artists
Web researchers
Remote secretaries
Photo taggers
Online tutors
Translators
Virtual guardians
CLOSEUP Telework Markets Online marketplaces offer 50,000+ projects daily to freelancers around the world Virtual realm: innovations

Grassroots realm: innovations
Peer-to-peer business systems
Entrepreneurial learning ventures
Cell phones and internet centers

Grassroots realm: innovations CLOSEUP Peer-to-Peer business systems Groups form to borrow or save, with rotating access to capital (100+ million beneficiaries to date)

Grassroots realm: innovations CLOSEUP Entrepreneurial schools for the poor Families in struggling communities are now supporting 1.5 million informal schools that outcompete poorly-run public schools

Grassroots realm: innovations
Cell phone updates on opportunities for microentrepreneurs
PLUS –
Payment systems for vouchers and microlending
Digital image/video recording - with “geotagging” for land registries
Multimedia learning resources (sharable with affordable microprojectors)
Access to online arbitration and “eGovernment in your pocket”
CLOSEUP Cell phones & Internet links 3 billion mobile phones -- and counting

About the 3 rd (political) realm – how to deal with predatory institutions?
Most communities remain in the grasp of top-down “gatekeepers”
Yet several kinds of innovative reform are loosening their grip

Political realm: innovations

Political realm: innovations CLOSEUP Flexiwage Singapore is linking salaries of government employees to annual growth rates of the private economy

Political realm: innovations CLOSEUP eGovernment Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and South Korea now use online systems for transparent issuance of forms and permits – curbing graft opportunities (while generating online revenues)

Political realm: innovations
CLOSEUP
Free Zones
Land values soar with removal of:
Taxes
Regulatory burdens
Trade barriers
Public sector monopolies
Implicit taxes (corruption)
ZonAmerica (Uruguay), Freeport (Bahamas), Shenzhen, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai US$ 71.1 billion in land lease earnings (Hong Kong from 1970-2000)

Political realm: innovations CLOSEUP Free Zone Partnerships Successful, highly trusted zone developers are looking to partner with communities to launch a new generation of free economic zones Singapore Seeking to set up 12 “Little Singapores” China Special Economic Zone offers across Africa ZonAmerica Launching new zones in Latin America

Combining the informal, virtual, and political breakthroughs…
How can social networks bring these wealth-creating innovations together…and seed grassroots transformations?
Q

“ Seeds of Change” opportunity
We can start by offering digital gifts through cell phones and the Internet – gifts whose value is linked to local action on the asset-awakening opportunities

What breakthroughs can be loaded onto an $8 MicroSD card?
Social networks can support new breakthroughs by offering:
“ How to” videos featuring bootstrap schools/health clinics in poor areas that have become self-sustaining
Microvouchers that ensure “day one” access for residents to regional and global eLearning and eHealthcare providers
Startup work-study projects whose completion by students and jobseekers is a springboard to global telework markets
Access to allied microlending and microinvestment sites , with further introductions to larger lenders/investors based on digitally recorded progress of grassroots ventures
Links to global volunteers active in social networks and allied campus groups, technology innovators, and policy reform institutes

Grassroots Realm Political Realm Virtual Realm Social networks offer toolkits, volunteer services, telework and seed funds to local allies who spread skills and awaken assets CHALLENGE OFFERS Seeds of Change Opportunity

“ Anytime, anywhere” offers for grassroots ventures

Social network offer: Microstipends
“ Challenge grants” of microscholarships are spreading awareness of new Internet-enabled learning and job opportunities

Social network offer : Work-study & telework jobs
Online networks are offering work-study projects and freelance opportunities for students and jobseekeers to:
research and prepare video clips on opportunities to self-organize
Create “eLessons” that fill gaps in the curricula of existing schools
Practice language skills via the Internet with partnering network volunteers
Source: HorizonLanka.org

Social network offer : opportunity review
Support in creating private land registries using geotagged cell phone pictures and video clips (local groups request online volunteers from GISCorps and Internet Bar Organization)
Help with business plans for entrepreneurial schools, freelance ventures, and free zone land grant development ( support from campus groups and volunteer specialists)
Business climate reform advice and scoring of progress in transparency (support from economic policy institutes)

Social network offer : design partnerships
For Songdo in South Korea, a group of Cal State University students generated design innovations for a $25 billion free zone community

How Seeds of Change offers awaken assets Success-Sharing Development Partnerships * Early backers of free zone development -- private investors as well as local and global good causes – receive shares in concession income from incoming developers of success-sharing free zones Challenge offers of vouchers, toolkits and planning inputs Global backers provide catalysts Mid-size developers Local Governments provide transparency-enhancing reforms plus land grants for free zone expansion areas Large zone developers Quickstart by local investor Hong Kong-Scale “World City” Lead developer chosen by competitive tender 5-500 square mile free zone expansion area concession Innovation Park Lead developer chosen by competitive tender 100-1000 acre free zone expansion area concession Flow of concession fees paid by developers of expansion areas*

Next to do
Engage social networks (create quickstart toolkits, develop a reputation-building reward for volunteers, and define standing offers of online assistance for exemplary local projects)
Assemble digital gifts (obtain commitments by luminaries, social capital investors, foundations, and others to support challenge offers
Assist grassroots allies (assist entrepreneurial schools and self-help groups in poor communities to obtain land grant sites and apply asset-awakening reforms)
Replicate the self-funding projects (sponsor competitions to award Seeds of Change resources to new areas seeking to remove barriers to growth)

Next to do: a self-funding cycle A Self-Funding Cycle to Awaken Assets for the Next Four Billion *In addition to Microvoucher funds, donors can also provide how-to assistance, eGovernment software solutions, and other online resources promoting transparent business climates To win these benefits, communities commit prime land grant sites with free market reforms Private investors develop phased projects on the local sites, with a setaside share for future “Seeds of Change” challenge offers Donors offer Microvoucher funds* as a way to spread valued skills and market opportunities in exemplary communities

Next to do…
Tools are at hand for social networks to bring “anytime, anywhere” gifts to communities seeking to build their futures.
Let ’s do it!
www.openworld.com
email: [email_address] phone: +1.202.257.2574
@openworld (updates on Twitter)

Q&A
Opportunity for a reputation-building currency – how a “Freedompoints” system can help asset-awakening initiatives by social networks and local allies
How Freedompoints rewards can grow in step with grassroots breakthroughs – (visual on next slide)

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Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities

by Openworld on Mar 26, 2010

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Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities — Presentation Transcript