The document discusses how social networks can empower low-income communities and foster grassroots innovations by facilitating access to resources, digital giving, and microfunding. It highlights various successful initiatives and innovations across different realms, including political, grassroots, and virtual, that aim to lift barriers to self-help and promote economic growth. The presentation outlines a strategic approach to utilize social networks as catalysts for change, proposing specific offerings and partnerships to support wealth-creating projects in underserved areas.

1. 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”

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Background Where can we find another approach? Here…

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

7. ‘ 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

8. Grassroots realm Political realm Virtual realm Background on innovations

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

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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)

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Political realm: innovations

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

20. 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)

21. 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)

22. 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

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

24. “ 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. “ Anytime, anywhere” offers for grassroots ventures

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

29. 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

30. 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)

31. 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

32. 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*

33. 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)

34. 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

35. 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)

36. 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)