It is possible to make poverty history, provided, we follow some very basic and fundamental rules to life.

There is enough resources in the world, to meet all the essential needs of all living beings including human beings. But there is not enough to meet the greed of human beings. Animals have a level playing field - they kill when they are hungry and never save for the future. But man is greedy to amass wealth and save enormously for the future.

If we should make all transactions transparent on the web, through a single genuine bank account for all and ban currency circulation; then, there will be total transparency and accountability and most problems of greed would get exposed; and the very fact that others would come to know of your greed, as all accounts are transparent would deter people form indulging in greedy practices.

This is one sure way, poverty can be made history. Everyone would try to make an honest living and contribute to the growth of society and self.

WE DON’T CREATE JOBS, YES SUSTAINABLE FUTURE MAKE POVERTY HISTORY, NO EXCUSE 2015 HUMAN Network INDIA: IT’S OVERVIEWS AND OBJECTIVES HUMAN (Healthy Universe for Man Animal & Nature) Network INDIA is an action Network and Capacity Builder of socio-entrepreneurial NGOs (Local, National, Regional & International). HUMAN Network INDIA a major group dedicated to Sustainable Livelihoods Development in rural India in community level with the active involvement of socio-professional NGOs that at present is working in eastern India as first generation campaigner of Millennium Development Goals of UN esp. MDG 1 & 2. HUMAN Network INDIA mainly deals with the REGP (Rural Employment Generation Programme) and sustainable livelihoods for slum dwellers in cities with the active involvement of Micro level Income Generating Clusters and building capacity for NGO governance at Local, National and International level. HUMAN Network INDIA is generating employments through Peer Motivational Programmes, knowledge exchange opportunities for Capacity Building, Project Planning, Funding and Implementation within NGOs and open source ICT (Information & Communication Technologies) concern to achieve MAKE POVERTY HISTORY, NO EXCUSE 2015 through Micro- Enterprise Cluster Development Programme at no cost. Our Business Model is related to the focus of competitive market-based strategies for low-income micro-clusters with a mission towards Sustainable Future in the different steps required to bring a solution to end-client stockholders including product/service, development, production, distribution, and marketing/communication. HUMAN Network INDIA has taken up a time bound programme to maximize the REGP to eradicate extreme poverty hunger, no excuse 2015 for Micro-Enterprise Clusters, at least one SHG (Self Help Group) should be in every village with the support of world class micro enterprise cluster development tools like SI (Self Identification) PI (Product Identification) IK (Indigenous Knowledge), AT (Appropriate Technology), TQM (Total Quality Management), IPR (Intellectual Property Rights), CM (Carpet Marketing) and “HUMAN” brand being materialized through online open source action guidance from various UN (United Nations) programmes like UNDP,UNCDF,UNV,WFP,UNEP, research and training institute like UNITER, UNRISD, other UN entities like OHCHR,UNU, specialized agencies like UNESCO, FAO,WIPO, IFAD, UNIDO and partners like OneWorld, DevelopmentGateway, Paris21, OV and local universities like BCKV (Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya)& JU (Jadavpur University)

The projected area of HUMAN Network INDIA is as follows 1) Micro Enterprises /Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger MDG-1 2) Rural Education/Achieve Universal Primary Education MDG-2 3) Rural Health/Combat Malaria and other Diseases MDG-1 4) Non-Conventional Energy/Ensure Environmental Sustainability MDG-1 5) International Water/Ensure Environmental Sustainability MDG-1 HUMAN Network INDIA will use the process to support initiatives that promote both capacity development and projects, which increase incomes and link with local communities to the global economy to achieve sustainable future. Mission & Vision Sustainable livelihoods will be achieved with the support of Eco-friendly Agriculture and Micro Enterprise Cluster Development tools followed by PI, IK, AT, TQM, IPR & CM where it is hardly combat the poverty for a hunger & gender-free globe “No Excuse 2015” to have a Sustainable Future by their own. HUMAN Network INDIA wants to have its network in such a hard way to take income generation activities followed by pro-poor policies for at least one SHG in every village of India. It should be not only in touch with collective form but also every people in that respective area would enjoy sustainable livelihood to journey a short.

Please contact: Prof. Partha Kumar Mukhapadhyay, Mr. Devapriya Dhar, Mr. Dev Anand, Mr. Pinaki Mukherjee, Md. Jahangir Hossian, Mr. Asit Chatterjee & Mr. Mrinmoy Das 68, Abhay Vidyalankar Road, Kolkata 700060, West Bengal, India; Block A-1820, New Super Bazer, Delhi-33. Mobile: +91-9433390233, +91-9830632218, +91-9231824912, +91- 9831800576, +91-9434403265, +91-9830878390 & +91-9433294312; Fax: 91 33 28370169 Email: humanindia@hotmail.com Website: www.humanindia.org [under construction] Links: www.millenniumcampaign.org www.oneworld.net www.undp.org.in/un www.unvolunteer.org www.developmentgateway.org www.unido.org www.paris21.org www.fsdinternational.org www.civicus.org www.idealist.org www.wateraid.org www.bellanet.org www.wbcsd.org www.changemakers.net HUMAN Network INDIA Updated on 28.02.2006

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY Through Enterprising Bengal – “HUMAN” Model (Micro Enterprise Cluster Development Programme)

Poverty Eradication Direct Programme An Overview

Bengal, the province, extending from Darjeeling in the lap of Himalayas in the north to Sagar Island at the southern end on the coast of the Bay of Bengal has a unique position on the map of India. She also occupied the top position among the provinces of India in respect of rich heritage and diversity of folk cultures and customs. Bengal gave birth to many illustrious persons and other numerous luminaries who glorified Bengal well as India on the international forum. Bengal also occupied the topmast position in the fields of Trade and Industry. But all those are of the bygone days! Now, the Bengal, reduced in size due to partition and stripped off all her past glories, is gasping for breath under heavy odds. The surrounding eastern regional states, which so long dazzled under the glare of light from Bengal, have also been elbowed into humble positions. Unemployment is the most burning problem of the state of Bengal. This is getting deep-rooted into the society and generally assuming a malignant character creating law and order problems and eating into the very moral and aesthetic values. Unfortunately very little attempts have so far been made to combat this threatening problem since independence. Bengal like all other parts of India is a villages oriented state. About 76% of the population here lives in villages. But, of late, there is a trend among the village people to live their rural hearths and habitations and flock to the cities and towns in search of employment and livelihood. This inflow of large number of people from villages to cities and towns is jeopardizing the economic and social structures of both the rural and the urban areas. It is also revealing the extreme dismal picture of the villages, which it is thus an imperative necessity that special attention and importance must be given towards development of the villages. That’s why if the villages prosper the cities and towns and will also thrive automatically. But the reverse is not true. With the mood of cogitation we have chalked out ‘Bengal Model’ – an all around development programme for the rural Bengal which is as detailed below: Nearly 50 percent of the world's hungry live in India, a low-income, food- deficit country. Around 35 percent of India's population - 350 million - is considered food-insecure, consuming less than 80 percent of minimum energy requirements. Bengal – a State has 19 Districts (Rural & Urban). It has 341 Blocks and within it 3358 Gram Panchayats. If we want to eradicate poverty upto a standard limit, we have to reach deep into the villages and try to solve their problem with the direct involvement of the villagers. So we have tried to come up with this model.

If we can think of one NGO at the Block level i.e., 341 NGOs at different Block of Bengal. This NGO should have its three years registration, three year old Bank Account and three years Audited Balance Sheet. It should have an Executive Body with atleast one-third as female members and all should be have class ten std. education. 60% of the general members should be below the age of 30 years. The NGO should have its own Land and Building and all together the asset value of Rs. 300,000/- (Rupees Three Lakh only). The advisory members should be in such a position that they are either a Primary school teacher or equivalent to that. The NGO to have atleast three salaried staff (part time or full time) of one Science graduate, one Commerce graduate and one general stream graduate. If any NGO can fulfils those criteria, they may be entitled to get a loan of Rs. 25,00,000/= (Rupees Twenty Five Lakh only) under margin money scheme from different Govt. agencies. Our duty is to interact them to build their capacity by various means. Thus those 341 NGOs can give direct employment to approx 86,273 men and women directly and many others indirectly through action programme of Micro Enterprise Cluster Development programme under the framework of Pro-poor Polices. 1 NGO at the Block Level can look after (nurse) 10 NGOs at the Gram Panchayat (just think every Block has 10 Gram Panchayats on an average).

When we talk about 3358 Gram Panchayats in West Bengal, they also should fulfill the criteria set for Block Level NGO but some relaxation has been given for those. In case of salaried staff instead of graduates involved, XII std. pass can be approved. The asset value of Panchayat Level NGO should be atleast Rs.1, 25,000/= (Rupees One Lakh Twenty Five Thousand only). If any NGO fulfill those criteria, they may be entitled to get loan under margin money scheme of Rs. 10,00,000/= (Rupees Ten Lakh only) from different agencies under REGP (Rural Employment Generation Programme). Thus those 3354 NGOs at Panchayat Level can provide direct employment to 3,66,062 men and women and many more indirectly.

Thus the total investment of Rs. 420,65,00,000/= (Rupees Four hundred Twenty Crores and Sixty Five Lakh only) can fetch employment opportunities to 4,52,335 Nos men and women directly and many more will be benefited. If any investor comes to Bengal and invest Rs. 50 Thousand Crores and provide employment to 1 Lakh, whereas the involvement of mere 1% to their investment, we can provide employment to 4.5 times more. Foreign investors will employ very selective candidates whichever they wants to do whereas in our model, we don’t demarcate the sectors from where we select, as it is known “ The Heart of Bengal still lives in Villages”.

HUMAN Network INDIA First Generation Campaigner of Millennium Development Goals, UN Please contact: humanindia@hotmail.com Portal; www.humanindia.org (under construction)

"WE DON’T CREATE JOBS, YES SUSTAINABLE FUTURE"

Hi David, I'd like to point you to one of the finalists of our Market-Based Strategies competition: "The HealthStore: Using Micro-Franchising to Improve Access to Life-Saving Medicines." This is a fabulous model, and one that you might want to look at for your food store idea. Even though the Foundation is focused on health care, the principles on which their model is based might suit your especial needs. Here is the link: http://www.changemakers.net/journal/300508/displayfec.cfm?ID=71 Good luck! Kalpana

I have lived a nd worked in the South Bronx in New York all my adult life. The poverity here is tremendous and hunger is a real and constant event in this community. The price and quality of food in this community is horrendous and the rates of heart disease and diabities is staggering. Very successful models exist for community based food cooperatives throughout the world and there are at least two food co-ops here in nyc (in Brooklyn and Manhattan) but these arelocated in affluent communities where people buy high end, organically grown, gourmet food. Much of this communityrelies on food stamps. People here are not lasy, just very poor, disabled and unskilled. We want our purcahsing power to go further and in doing so change the course of the social direction of the community. We are envisioning a store front operation and a community garden and we envision this being a membership driven program. there are about 10 of us commited to making this happen as it would be a milestone event in a community that has more in common with people in th edeveloping world then Manattan I am open to all suggestions, help, guidence and prayers to help accomplish this effort. My thanks and hopes for peace go with you...

Hi,

We are a group of people working towards achieving universal primary education in India. As a part of this, we have been supporting some schools that are capable. We realized that , education in itself is not sufficient . If we could provide some way to alleviate the people from poverty, it would become a sustainable model. We are brooding over offering some vocational courses also, along with education , to bring the kids out of poverty. In one of our schools, we have seen children making good paper bags that could be used by shops/ commercial establishments. The quality of the product seems to be good, however the cost price is not competitive. There are some more art pieces like flowere vases etc which seem marketable. Now, the question in front of us, is how to market them. Since all of us are new to enterpreneurship, we are in a fix as to how to establish the supply chain.

Would be great if you can give suggestions, on how we could proceed. Thanks Srilatha Kappagantula

Hi! I’m megha kochhar , a third year student of B.A.Hons. economics at shri ram college of commerce, delhi university. I plan to do an MBA starting 2006 but my eventual aim is to become a social entrepreneur. It may seem a bit immature but I’m sending my plan details to you. I read about your organization during my search on the net and found some very interesting ideas of enterprises put up for rating on the changemakers site. I would be very obliged if you could spend some time going through this mail and give me a feedback on this idea as well as suggestions I could incorporate. So here goes…..

I’d like to start an NGO for rehabilitation of women starting with about 15 ladies ; and an institutional setup of a building , certain teachers , transport arrangement , food , clothing and their basic needs , essentially – either- self financed or through a soft bank loan. The aim of this program is primarily providing these women a safe haven and catering to their basic needs. But what the NGO plans to do with a long- term perspective is to free these 15 odd women from the vicious tangles of poverty and give them a life of dignity, permanently i.e. their empowerment being the prime concern. For this the NGO adopts the market strategy of taking up 2 or 3 manual labour intensive activities wherein raw materials are locally available and setup costs are not too steep. These could be for instance:

1. laundry which a guesthouse or motel might have outsourced. 2. setting up a newspaper distribution agency. 3. nursery for greens and potted plants. 4. tiffin service for neighbouring offices. 5. block printed bedsheets and cushion covers which could be distributed via a tie up with bigger NGOs like CRY and HELPAGE India.

Also funds shall be invited from volunteer donors/sponsors while offering them the following benefits:

# tax rebates on the donated amount # transperancy with respect to donated funds. # full information via an annual report of accounts and inviting them for sessions at the NGO. # easy donation through cash. # a small token in the form of a monthly dividend from the activities undertaken by the NGO.

Also the NGO would ^ get a rating and registration from a centralized body. ^ appeal to the govt. for reciprocal subsidies especially for establishment expenses and raw materials purchased by the NGO for production.

Through this , gradually, I’d like to do my bit and standby the motto that “ social entrepreneurship is not giving a person a fish a day and neither is it merely teching people how to fish: it is infact working at the grassroot level to revolutionize the whole fishing industry”.

Along with this I’ve posted a few queries which I need to know in order to better this plan:

1. is an NGO allowed to take cash donation to make it like a voluntary disclosure scheme? 2. is there an organization –consisting of govt. officials, IMF, World Bank members and NGO heads that rates other NGOS? 3. can I invest the NGO earnings in mutual funds or the stock market or real estate business for chances of speculative gain or is an NGO supposed to be risk averse? 4. is corporate sponsorship possible for an NGO and if yes what are the general terms and conditions like? 5. what other more contemporary activities can be taken up in this NGO? 6. I would like to incorporate two more things in this model but I don’t know how to go about it,,,,,so suggestions are more than welcome: # if the women bring along their children can we have healthcare facilities for them? # can the money so generated be used to sponsor education of these children?

Eagerly awaiting a response.

Dear Ms. Fatima,

Many thanks for your valuable queries. We are answering according to your questions:

While reading your application you listed as one of your challenges the land’s scarcity for setting up composting plants inside the urban area. You said that usually this land is provided by the public sector and that might be the difficulty. What other sources for land have you considered or could you use?

Compared to other cities, Dhaka is a land hungry city and availability of land for decentralized composting is a major challenge. Initially, in 1995 we managed to use (free, without any rent) a piece of land inside Dhaka city owned by Lions Club (an international philanthropic organization) located in Dhaka to experiment with our concept of community based decentralized composting model. After seeing its success, Public Works Department (PWD) and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) of the government willingly supported us with a number of vacant lands (150 m2 to 400 m2) located within Dhaka city. Here, motivation of public sector to let us use their land was to reduce their burden, cost and enhance their image. Later after demonstration effect of Dhaka city, other small towns were encouraged to let other private operators to use their vacant lands for similar projects. Here the public sector remains the owner of the land, they are only allowing others to use the land for composting purpose. After having proven model of composting system and ensured market of compost, private operators outside Dhaka city (outside Dhaka land price is reasonable) are procuring land for compost plants as a long-term lease basis and even in some instance purchasing land from private owners. Recently, Waste Concern has also come into a long-term lease arrangement with a private landowner for its 8-ton capacity composting plant in the fringe of Dhaka city. Most recently, harnessing the benefit from the sale of carbon using Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Venture of WWR and Waste Concern is purchasing a 7 hector privately owned land for the purpose of establishing a 700 tons capacity composting plant in the fringe of Dhaka city.

There was a common perception by the government officials that there is no land available inside the city to accomodate decentralized compost plant. To challenge this wrong perception with the support from RUDO/USAID-South Asia, Waste Concern conducted a survey in 1998 to varify whether there is enough land for composting. Study showed that even with one of the highest density Dhaka city, it has enough unused/fallow government land to accomodate community based composting plants inside the city.

Would it be possible to establish partnership with individuals or private companies that own land where composing plants could work and in exchange pay them a fee or allow them to have a percentage of the income? At present there are no such experiences of partnership between individuals or private companies that own land. But, composing plants being replicated in other cities are having the experience of Municipal Owned and Privately Operated (MOPO) experience where municipalities has constructed the composting facilities with the technical support from Waste Concern. Municipalities (land owner) are sub-contracting this community composting plants to local NGOs or private sectors in exchange of royalty. We believe in near future partnership between private landowners with individuals or private companies may take place in Bangladesh.

Also, what do you think the best strategies to commercialize the compost are? Why do you consider that the public sector should be the one in charge?

We never considered the public sector to be in charge of marketing of compost. Public sector can create conducive environment for marketing of compost by positive agriculture policy where compost and enriched compost are promoted by tax incentives or subsidy. Instead of marketing compost by ourselves, we established partnership with an experienced private chemical fertilizer marketing company having extensive network of sales center all over the country. Map Agro a private sector markets two types of compost one is fine raw compost and another is enriched compost (enriched with chemical nutrients based on crop and soil type). Map Agro markets it product by Alpha Agro. This compost became very popular among farmers because they have to invest less and can grow more with enriched compost and in the long run it helps their soil to regain its organic matter and improve soil structure. Here, it should be mentioned that fertilizer marketing is based on credit basis and trust. Local dealers of fertilizer sales the fertilizer on credit basis and farmers repay back as soon as he harvest his crop and this whole trade is based on trust and experience shows that farmers repayment is very much satisfactory. Could not other agents intervene in this process? What about private companies interested in Social Corporate Responsibility projects? At present apart from one single private marketing company, Waste Concern is trying to involve more private companies to market its product all over the country. Initially, private both the Map and Alpha agro were not interested to market compost project, because it was not a conventional product. Later, Waste Concern motivated the owner of Alpha Agro to deal in compost product, which brought financial benefit as well as enhanced corporate social image as they were marketing an environment friendly product. Initially Waste Concern came into a contract of 200 tons per year in the year 2000, today Map and Alpha Agro are demanding 50,000 ton of compost per year from Waste Concern.

Finally, one more challenge that I’d add is related to all health requirements and benefits that employees working in the composting plants must comply with and receive. Do you receive any special support from the health ministry of your country or the appropriate government authority for this matter? How do you ensure that employees work under healthy conditions while they’re at the plants?

Initially all the workers previously dealing with waste recycling were exposed to mixed waste with chance of potential toxic or infectious waste inside it. In our compost plants waste is not mixed with other commercial, industrial or clinical waste with potential danger. Waste is collected through house-to-house waste collection system from the community, where each and every household under the service pays monthly charge (US $ .25 to .30 per month/ households/month). Field workers and waste collectors regularly motivate the community people to segregate their waste into organic, inorganic and toxic fraction. Waste coming to the composting plant is only coming from the households and vegetable markets not from any healthcare facility or industries. No, we did not receive any support from the ministry of health regarding health issue. In the compost plant Workers are provide with protective groves, boots and mask to give them protection from any possible germs. Compared to previous working condition these workers has fewer occupational hazards during activities carried out inside a composting plant. Waste Concern provides regular health check-up for the workers. Waste Concern has been monitoring the health of its workers directly involved in composting plants. Workers directly in contact with waste are provided with proper training on identification of waste, proper hygiene & washing and housekeeping of the composting plant. So far, accept minor cuts and one incidence of broken limb of a worker, no health hazards were found in the workers.

Greetings,

Anitchka raised some questions (re-pasted here) about what drivers are needed to change behavior among low-income people in the bottom of the pyramid. The answers to those questions depend a lot on how you're engaging with the BOP and what skills and resources they already have. There are many excellent organizations in this group that have taken action and shown innovative ways of engaging with the BOP. What I can do is look at these questions from one perspective and one approach and discuss what is working for us.

The World Bank recently reported that there are three key variables that low-income people need to fight poverty. 1. economic opportunity 2. empowerment 3. security http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPOVERTY/Resources/WDR/overview.pdf

This report supports the concept of market-based solutions to poverty alleviation.

Although it is somewhat difficult to define opportunity, empowerment and security and even more difficult to state what levels of each of these variables a person needs in order to rise from an oppressive, impoverishing situation, I've found that this study provides a useful framework for evaluating the way we engage with low-income/BOP individuals.

Our goal is to teach low-income individuals to become micro- entrepreneurs. We help low-income immersion Spanish tutors (other languages to come) become online tutors ("Low-Income Tutors Sell/Teach Online Lessons at http://www.SpeakShop.com"). We provide them with audio/videoconferencing tools and an open, global marketplace for selling their services. To ensure tutors have opportunity, empowerment and security, our approach is multi-pronged:

1. Education/Training - the website is easy to use and translated for the tutor, but training is still needed to ensure a level of proficiency and comfort before a tutor ever speaks with an actual customer. We also provide basic business and marketing training and advertising templates that tutors can customize. We've found that once tutors start controlling their wages and earning higher incomes by running their own online businesses, they become more entrepreneurial -- or, quite possibly, an entrepreneurial human instinct kicks in.

2. Empowerment - For their interaction with us, we ensure empowerment by making it possible for them to control their online business. They set their own rates and hours and they are held accountable for the quality of their work through public customer feedback. We also constantly seek feedback from tutors and keep very open lines of communication. We also support them when customer service issues arise. They gain empowerment by seeing the results of their efforts. When customers are happy, they sign up for more lessons, tell their friends about their tutor and tutors make more money.

3. Security - Normally, tutors are expendable, low-wage laborers hired on and let go based on the ebbs and flows of tourism. The current Hurricane aftermath in Guatemala illustrates the precariousness of depending on tourism for your living - natural disasters, poor weather, violent activity are just some factors that often destroy tourism. Tutors who teach online can reach thousands...millions...of people across borders. They can control their schedules and rates, which means they do not have to give up other jobs to ease into entrepreneurship. Also, we don't charge them, which eases concerns and barriers to participation.

4. Economic oportunity - The Internet democratizes access to economic opportunity. Millions of customers are suddenly available where there were none. It is very important to have a receptive market for the product or services you sell. Fortunately, tutors have a service that plenty of people want to buy: learning Spanish from a great teacher and having the opportunity to interact with a human being in another country. We provide the website, tools and marketing to ensure tutors have a ready ecommerce opportunity.

Saludos and thanks for the discussion,

Cindy

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October 12 '05, 9:10 How do we generate behavioral change in the BOP and all other agents engaged with it? Poste by: Anitchka Avdotya, Educacion Services Consultant

Dear all,

All new processes happening within the BOP have brought new challenges for our current economic models. One of these challenges is changing behaviors within the low-income communities and those who want to make business with them, serve them, or just approach them. What do you all think would be the main driver that could lead to a behavioral change of these communities, individuals, corporations, and other agents engaged in this process?

For the BOP, would the driver be education? If so, what do you recommend other organizations to do in order to make education and its delivery to communities in an effective manner and with a noticeable impact? Or would it be economic development? Would people change once they see their income increase?

For businesses, are we talking about profits only? Or are companies just trying to comply with some Corporate Social Responsibility? Or is there any hope that with new economic models and opportunities, businesses shift their way of engaging with the BOP?

What do you think? Thanks, Anitchka

Mark,

Thank you for outlining this outstanding initiative.

As the Founder of the Integrative Federation, it is encouraging to learn what a small group of like-minded catalysts has done already to help achieve bottom-up integrative improvement as outlined at http://www.integrative-thinking.com .

I look forward to learning more and hope we will be able to collaborate in some way in the near future.

Graham

Below is background information about a soon-to-be released study on "digital donors" as a stimulus to free market reforms and asset-based self-help initiatives in developing countries.

The Sabre Foundation/Whitehead Foundation-sponsored paper -- "New Catalysts for Sustainability: A Global Opportunity for Digital Philanthropy" -- has been about a year in the making. It is set for Saturday, October 15 publication.

The white paper explores how philanthropies can extend challenge grant offers via the Internet to leverage new asset endowments for local nonprofits, including local scholarship funds that expand access to learning in troubled areas of the world.

We hope participants in Changemakers will find the ideas of interest. A copy of the full, newly-updated report is on the web at http://tinyurl.com/dovec. You'll see highlights below on ways that a new generation of digital grants can generate asset commitments poor communities.

Actual projects incorporating strategies set out in the white paper are now under way in Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan, where Openworld has been helping to launch land grant and microvoucher initiatives. Background and links are at the www.openworld.com web site.

We look forward to your review and to any upcoming communications.

Best,

Mark Frazier www.openworld.com 202.257.2574

===========================

FOR RELEASE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2005 Press Contact: Mark Frazier - 202.257.2574

SABRE FOUNDATION WHITE PAPER EXPLORES CHALLENGE GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR LAUNCHING SUSTAINABLE GRASSROOTS SELF-HELP INITIATIVES

Donors can offer digital donations -- gifts in electronic form -- for leveraging policy reforms and "land grant" endowments that benefit grassroots groups in troubled areas, according to a white paper that distills findings from an 11-month research project on global trends in digital philanthropy.

Entitled "New Catalysts for Sustainability: A Global Opportunity for Digital Philanthropy," the white paper describes a new challenge grant approach for philanthropies to encourage communities around the world to launch self-funding systems that expand grassroots access to learning, health care, and job opportunities.

The research effort, conducted by Mark Frazier under the sponsorships of the Massachusetts-based Sabre Foundation and Brussels-based Sabre Europe with funding from the Whitehead Foundation and private donors, proposes that current forms of digital donations such as free software and online reference materials be extended to include microscholarships for eLearning and microvouchers for health care resources.

"These new forms of giving can spread grassroots access to valued education and health information resources around the world, much as microfinance innovations have brought private capital within reach of tens of millions of small and new entrepreneurs," said white paper author Mark Frazier, President of Openworld Inc., a nonprofit Washington-based group that specializes in design of self-funding information technology ventures in emerging markets.

Given the rapid plunge in telecommunications costs and the rise of new online payment systems, the white paper notes that it is now possible for philanthropies to extend their reach by offering digital donations on a basis that can catalyze self-funding nonprofit initiatives even in remote areas of the world.

The white paper notes that expanding bandwidth enables philanthropies to bypass cumbersome and corrupt bureaucracies, and to target resources in ways that reach local nonprofits directly. By combining digital technologies with such traditional devices as scholarships, land grants, and challenge grants, local nonprofits can seize opportunities to break out of dependency upon current external subsidies and charitable giving.

The report charts detailed practical steps that can be taken by philanthropies and their non-profit clients. It notes that philanthropists can offer bundled digital donations to reward communities that agree to make local nonprofit groups beneficiaries of land grants, and that commit to new liberalizing policies raising the value of these stakeholdings. The land grant strategy builds upon the successful examples of U.S. government land transfers to universities following passage of the Morrill Act of 1862, and of land grant endowments now benefiting universities in Thailand and the Philippines.

Key factors in choosing areas to receive digital donations can include local agreements to:

- remove outmoded telecommunications regulatory constraints;

- introduce transparent eGovernment systems that simplify startup and operating procedures for business and social entrepreneurs; and

- adopt land registry reforms that can substantially raise property values and attract inflows of diaspora and other private sector investment.

"Normally, advocates of these changes have had limited leverage, because tangible gains from adopting reforms often take time to reach the public," said Frazier. Digital donations offer a means for community residents to experience a wide range of benefits with little or no delay.

Moreover, the white paper notes that vesting highly-regarded nonprofit groups with ownership interests in “greenfield” land grants can establish a growing asset base for local self-help initiatives, expanding the services they provide to communities as liberalizing reforms take hold.

"Large rises in land values can be generated by introducing titling reforms and other needed economic policy innovations on properties held by nonprofit groups," said Frazier. "Planting seeds for 'open world zones' modeled after the freeport policies of Singapore and Dubai can result in enormous asset creation for microvoucher funds and for active local self-help groups.”

In addition to laying out the framework for catalytic digital donation strategies, the white paper provides "toolkit" resources in its appendices that can be put to immediate use by philanthropies and local nonprofit groups interested in launching replicable and scalable sustainability initiatives.

Frazier noted that moves to offer digital donations on a challenge grant basis may help to open a new era in philanthropy, in which donors promote the long-term sustainability of recipient organizations around the world rather than continuing dependence upon external subsidy.

An advance review copy of the final Sabre Foundation-sponsored white paper is available for downloading at http://tinyurl.com/dovec (an 80-page report in Adobe Acrobat format).

The following web pages provide background on Openworld (www.openworld.com) initiatives implementing the white paper strategies, including microscholarship and land grant projects in Sri Lanka and Kyrgystan:

- Horizon Lanka Microscholarships (www.microscholarships.org) - Kyrgyz eCenter Initiative: Academy for Educational Development and Openworld with USAID support (http://tinyurl.com/88hfe)

“What type of investment is needed to spread the market-based strategies that benefit low-income communities? What are the right expectations for social and financial returns? What changes are needed with regards to legal frameworks and national policies to enable the right kind of investment?”

A crucial dimension of the Artisan-Owned Direct Distribution Model is the way in which stock-inventory is financed in order to qualify the village-based producer group to be able to sell direct to retailers via Internet and DHL/UPS International.

Due to the onerous banking system, and due to restrictive tax and legal conditions, and especially due to the costs associated with soliciting grants and loans, we were forced to innovate a completely new mechanism for providing the necessary financial infusion in order to insure the success of any artisan enterprise.

Again, we are more than happy to provide and recommend this model for the productive use of our fellow artisans and producers throughout the Third World.

http://www.artcamp.com.mx/AODDM/SEFI/ Social Enterprise Financial Instrument

Best wishes to all persons of good will from Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico!

http://www.artcamp.com.mx/TA/taxco.html Taxco del Alarcon

Dear Colleagues,

Anitchka Avdotya has raised some basic questions.

Education is a very broad term but I would tend to put education for living sustainably in our world as the first priority. More specifically, we could begin with training in planning and organising based on our current scientific understanding of the human mind.

This training can be very low in cost and be delivered quickly through existing educational institutions and community organisations by employing current technology.

It could incorporate the many practical tools brought forward in entries in this competition and other such tools known about by entrants.

A web-based framework for offering these tools that embodies a new "bottom-up" economic model is outlined in the Integrative Improvement Institutes Project entry.

Organisations interested in joining the Integrative Federation but are inhibited by the price of the learning modules and templates offered at www.integrative-thinking.com may obtain a single copy of each at whatever price the organisation certifies it can afford. Arrangements for obtaining multiple copies are negotiable with each organisation.

Graham

Dear all,

All new processes happening within the BOP have brought new challenges for our current economic models. One of these challenges is changing behaviors within the low-income communities and those who want to make business with them, serve them, or just approach them. What do you all think would be the main driver that could lead to a behavioral change of these communities, individuals, corporations, and other agents engaged in this process?

For the BOP, would the driver be education? If so, what do you recommend other organizations to do in order to make education and its delivery to communities in an effective manner and with a noticeable impact? Or would it be economic development? Would people change once they see their income increase?

For businesses, are we talking about profits only? Or are companies just trying to comply with some Corporate Social Responsibility? Or is there any hope that with new economic models and opportunities, businesses shift their way of engaging with the BOP?

What do you think? Thanks, Anitchka

Following up with the same topic on challenges, started by Fatima, I'd like to address the following question to the eRECICLAJE project, and also those projects which have faced or are facing the same challenges.

Felipe, the innovative way of creating employment generated by e-RECICLAJE seems to be a great tool to fight poverty and environmental concerns.

However, now that your organization is in the scaling up stage, new challenges rise. Among those, the protection of basic labor rights is key in the development of possible expansion strategies. Do you have an especial plan to ensure that child labor rights will be respected as well as basic labor rights of all workers engaged with your organizations?

Thanks, Franklin

Dear A. H. Md. Maqsood Sinha and Iftekhar Enayetullah,

Let me congratulate you for such great idea. While reading your application you listed as one of your challenges the land’s scarcity for setting up composting plants inside the urban area. You said that usually this land is provided by the public sector and that might be the difficulty. What other sources for land have you considered or could you use? Would it be possible to establish partnership with individuals or private companies that own land where composing plants could work and in exchange pay them a fee or allow them to have a percentage of the income?

Also, what do you think the best strategies to commercialize the compost are? Why do you consider that the public sector should be the one in charge? Could not other agents intervene in this process? What about private companies interested in Social Corporate Responsibility projects?

Finally, one more challenge that I’d add is related to all health requirements and benefits that employees working in the composting plants must comply with and receive. Do you receive any special support from the health ministry of your country or the appropriate government authority for this matter? How do you ensure that employees work under healthy conditions while they’re at the plants?

Thanks and I hope you keep up the good work!

Dear Colleagues,

This is in response to the folowing questions from the Changemakers Team.

“What type of investment is needed to spread the market-based strategies that benefit low-income communities? What are the right expectations for social and financial returns? What changes are needed with regards to legal frameworks and national policies to enable the right kind of investment?”

There can be no one "right" kind of investments and expectations in an absolute sense as that would imply somebody setting a standard of what is "right" for all circumstances and all people. However, we can suggest a direction in which we all could go.

In my view, the most rewarding direction is from the bottom-up - to formulate, express and communicate the demands for goods and services that would, in the opinion of the people directly affected, most improve their well-being in a balanced, integrative way now.

As regards social and financial returns we need to adopt measures and time-frames appropriate to the circumstances not impose the usual short- term approaches based on "return" to money providers (shareholders/donors).

Legal frameworks and national policies need to adapt to this bottom-up, integrative improvement approach.

This bottom-up demand-based approach would clarify the opportunities and reduce the costs for money providers.

Kind regards,

Graham Integrative Improvement Institutes Project

Greetings,

I wanted to comment upon how impressed I am by the wealth of knowledge and the entrepreneurial spirit that came across as I read each essay submission. It is an honor to serve and to be associated with such an august group of social entrepreneurs!

I would like to take a few minutes of your time to provide additional information regarding Redux. Redux provides reentry gateway services to parolees and ex-offenders who have been recently released from prison and jail. Upon release they are mandated by their Parole Agents to attend our "Orientation Seminar". We distribute a twelve page community resource guide which contains hundreds of agencies providing resources and support (food, clothing, shelter, employment, churches, medical, substance abuse treatment programs, etc.) located throughout the community.

We have representatives from various Federal, State and County agencies provide "Benefits Overview" presentations. The Human Services Agency provides immediate food stamp benefits. The Department of Public Health provides immediate medical and dental benefits. The Social Security Administration describes how to apply for SSI, Supplemental Security Income, and SSDI, Social Security Disability Income. The Department of Rehabilitation provides various programs for the developmentally and physically challenged. The Department of Labor and the Employment Development Division provides various employment and educational/vocational training opportunities. The goal was to present the available resources to the ex-offender in a simplified and unified manner.

Our primary goal is to support them in achieving self-reliance, self- sustainment and reintegrating back into the community. The best way for them to keep out of trouble and from recommitting another crime is for them to find work. With a regular income the ex-offender can find a place to live, put food on the table and begin to turn his/her life around. Unfortunately, most people look down upon this ever growing segment of society and are not willing to employ them. Redux's "Ready2Work" program acts as an intermediary, a buffer of sorts between the employer and the employee who is actually a subcontractor to Redux. Redux bonds them through the Department of Labor, Federal Bonding Program, and we go out into the community and find work for them. Although we don't charge our clients (ex-offenders/parolees) a fee we do extract an administrative surcharge directly from the employer. The employer pays Redux and we in turn pay our subcontractors.

For example, we recently entered into an agreement with a large nationwide moving and storage company to provide ex-offenders as furniture movers. They will call in the morning as say we need ten movers for the day. We supply the ready labor and they pay us $12 per hour for the service, and we pay our moving subcontractors $10 per hour. Keeping $2 per hour per subcontractor to help offset any administrative processing and placement costs.

After reading our entry "Parolee/Ex-Offender Employment, Housing, and Reentry Gateway Services", for more detailed information regarding Redux and its programs please read on.

Per Bureau of Justice Statistics as of September 2005, there are currently more than 2.19 million Americans who are incarcerated in our country's prison system with America's youth as the fastest growing population incarcerated. A total of 6,889,800 (4,073,987-probation and 774,588- parole) under adult correctional supervision with Texas and California leading the nation in number of adults supervised in the community. To put global incarceration rates into perspective, their are 8,750,000, people currently incarcerated throughout the world and while the United States only accounts for 4.6% of the world's global population, it is the number one country in terms of incarcerated populations accounting for over 22% of the world's global incarceration rate; incarcerating on average 1,348 males and 123 females per 100,000 of its citizenry even though crime is at an all time 30 year low with violent crime constituting only 4.6% of arrests in the U.S. At least 95% of all United States prisoners will be released from prison at some point.

The average cost of incarceration to American society is $60 billion annually or $22,000 per individual nationwide and a high of $36,000 per individual in California. The leading states in terms of incarceration rates are: California, Texas, Florida and New York. In the last five years alone, the California parolee population has quadrupled. More than 125,000 adult parolees are now returned to California communities each year whereby California now has over 20% of the United States parolee population. The average characteristic of a typical California parolee are: median age is 37 consisting of 89% males and 11% females whose race is 32% White; 26% Black; 38% Hispanic and 5% Other. The parolee's commitment offenses are 26% persons; 29% property; 33% drugs and 12% other. The offender returning to the community is confronted with a number of challenges in becoming a member of that community which range from economic and psychological obstacles to sociological barriers often without family support (families do not generally welcome ex-convicts back with open arms), and with the stigma of discrimination and a prison record. In order for the ex-offender to successfully reintegrate back into the community and lead a crime-free life they require: a safe place to live, a good job, a loving mentor, healthy relationships, a changed heart, a welcoming church (being spiritually grounded is helpful), freedom from addiction, healed relationships with family and friends, repairing harm done to the offender's victims, earning the good graces of the community, access to medical and mental health services and restored disenfranchised citizenship rights. To support crime-free lives, ex-offenders must be able to secure housing and find employment in their communities. This is Redux's primary focus. Working with ex-offenders Redux has learned many lessons one of which is that they need to have short-, medium-, and long- term objectives that contribute to the realization of their goals. Meaningful employment can provide a stabilizing influence by involving ex- offenders in pro-social activities and assisting them in structuring their time, improving their self-esteem, and meeting their financial obligations. Ex-offenders with stable jobs that provide an adequate income are less likely to commit further crimes. Pertaining to the ex-offender worker, our studies indicate that most employers who had hired ex- offenders in the past experienced positive results with them as employees and that employers are motivated by skills and labor shortages when they consider hiring ex-offenders. One of the first barriers an individual faces when released from prison/jail is housing. Most ex-offenders lack the financial resources or personal references necessary to secure housing in the private housing market; and federal/state laws bar many ex-offenders from public housing and government assisted housing programs. Additionally, there is a lack of access to transitional housing programs for ex-offenders returning to the community. Transitional housing programs ease an ex-offender's reentry into the community by providing a short term place to live where they can build up enough resources to secure more permanent long term housing. As a result many individuals go to homeless shelters when they are released from prison/jail. The first months out of prison are also a high-risk, high-need period for housing and other services. A recent study by the Bureau of Justice found that parolees who entered homeless shelters after leaving state prisons were seven times more likely to abscond during the first month after release than those who had some form of housing. Accomplishing prison reform through offender reentry initiatives is not a new concept to either the field of corrections or to court systems at any level of government. Both have historically provided variant programming and sanctions in an effort to change behavior and have enacted or improved policies or rendered legal decisions in order to reform institutional operations. The potential, however, has yet to be fully demonstrated. At the same time, it is clear that the attainment of further prison reform through offender reentry programs has become the catalyst toward court- corrections partnerships, particularly in the context of drug and reentry court initiatives and the maintenance of greater offender accountability. Yet recently, the concept of offender reentry is spurring a spirit of cooperation between courts, corrections and other justice partners to the realization of a mutual goal toward greater prison reform. Redux is currently seeking to strategically leverage and maximize the value of discrete local, state, federal, and private sources (foundations and grants), direct traditional and non-traditional funding opportunities to support reentry initiatives, working towards self-sufficiency as a corporation, by generating and coordinating various funding streams using a variety of projects and programs, human resource employment contracts, call-center projects and any other future revenue streams Redux can develop, such as:

Text from President Bush's 2004 State of the Union Address: "Tonight I ask you to consider another group of Americans in need of help. This year, some 600,000 inmates will be released from prison back into society. We know from long experience that if they can't find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to prison. So tonight, I propose a four-year, 300 million dollar Prisoner Re- Entry Initiative to expand job training and placement services, to provide transitional housing, and to help newly released prisoners get mentoring, including from faith-based groups. America is the land of the second chance - and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life. I have opened billions of dollars in grant money..."

There are many gaps in the current corrections system's ability to provide services to ex-offenders transitioning from prison/jail back to their communities. Many of the barriers that prevent ex-offender's successful transition back to their communities can be addressed by improving the current system so that existing resources are available systematically and delivered in a coordinated fashion among multiple agencies. Implementing system reforms that emphasize collaboration between agencies serving ex- offenders can greatly improve the services ex-offender's receive. Additionally, legislation requiring some level of post-release supervision for ex-offenders that incorporates the use of validated assessment tools and treatment services is needed to address many of the gaps in the current system. Successful transitions of ex-offenders into the community benefits everyone. An ex-offender who succeeds in establishing connections and a support system in their community is less likely to commit further crime and increase their ability to live crime-free lives.

As Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, "A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens, but by how it treats its criminals", and Mahatma Gandhi said, "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." It's time that we deal with the millions of ex-offenders across the United States of America and worldwide, and fix this abominable problem. After all "If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes the same village to take that wayward child and bring him/her back into the fold."

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Ciappina

Even though Artcamp's AODDM submission describes the model we have worked on for many years, trying be successful by marketing directly to retailers overseas, I am concerned that most people (unless they are artisan groups) will not understand. For this reason I wish to provide some examples of the kind of templates that we intend to make available to rural producers.

The AODDM proposal declines gross outside financial input as NOT necessary because the AODDM should be profitable for the village producer groups and it is the profitability of the AODDM that ought to be its engine.

http://www.artcamp.com.mx/Ventas/Vendedores/ http://www.artcamp.com.mx/Ventas/FairTrade/ http://www.artcamp.com.mx/Ventas/Fundraising/ http://www.artcamp.com.mx/Ventas/Silver22-a/ SALES LETTER TEMPLATES

http://www.artcamp.com.mx/shop/ AODDM SHOPPING CART PEWTER JEWELRY

http://www.taxcosilver.aoddm.com/ AODDM SHOPPING CART ABALONE SHELL JEWELRY

http://www.maj.aoddm.com/ http://www.maj.aoddm.com/aoddm/shopadmin/ AODDM SHOPPING CART .925 SILVER JEWELRY

http://www.artcamp.com.mx/faqretailers/intro.php FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MODULE

These links are provided as real-world examples of what we are talking about with the Artisan-Owned Diect Distribution Model and the degree to which the AODDM is ready to be applied to charge a commercial revolution.

Best wishes and congratulations on many worthy projects described here!

Dear John

Thank you for your acknowledgement. With our ongoing activities that consume so much time it has been difficult to look into other distribution avanues. So far we have formed 50/50 joint ventures since we are dealing in poorer countries and local partners do not have the full financing required. Therefore we heavily discount the machinery, training and installation to make it work. You are very correct that we need a "partner with a bank or finance NGO". We have been moderately successful with the World Bank as a finalist in the "Development Marketplace Awards 2005" a Laureate winner for this coming November "Tech Museum Awards", listed on "Global Giving" and waiting replies from IFC and Verde Ventures/UNDP.

This has taken up much time to source the above and make applications along with building and intalling machinery as well as contining research and development on other grass fibres and reeds.

John Daniels

This is a very clever proposal. Have you looked into the idea of setting up a franchise network? The benefits of using a franchise model for growth would be that you can use local knowledge and local entrepreneurs, build local business (which would multiply the economic benefit of your model) and would allow you to expand faster with much lower capital requirements and a lower overhead. Ideally you would partner with a bank or finance NGO who would provide the capital your franchises would need. I think you would probably keep control of the manufacturing but franchise the sales and construction element.

Questions Posted by: Milton James, Elyons Thank you for your interesting questions. 1.) Key reasons that led to this idea: a.)The idea that our natural environment does not have many rectangular and ninety degree angle structures and that perhaps, the natural environment for man should be based on spherical trigonometry rather than lineal geometry. b.) There is a need world-wide for decent simple affordable housing. c.) That in fact this is the very simplest and strongest structure kknown to man. d,) That the concept is based on a molecular structure that is naturally ocurring and is identified as a Platonic Solid.

2.) What makes me think it can work? a.) Experience...I have built several of these structures and lived within and withstood hurricanes in Hawaii. b.) It can work because it is a good and beneficial idea with many inherent advantages. c.) There is a desperate need for something like this to work.

3.) Do I expect that my clients will be willing to pay for all the costs of developing the communities. Yes, in fact I do, why should they not pay? It would still be more affordable than other options! The clients would be employed by us as builders and would be paid exceptionally well so they can afford to pay for the facilities. The primary clients would be those that are employed and willing to buy the houses and transfer skills to others. By starting this way, we have a very reasonable opportunity to be sustainable. There is also a housing subsidy provided by government for the poorer citzens and this can be used as most of the payment with top-off financing available to qualified applicants.

4.) Would I expect help from government or other sources to finance the creation of additional facilities. The concept would be to alleviate poverty through profit with the development of enterprise and enterprise through development. Nevertheless any and all help would be welcomed from whatever source. Ultimately the concept must be self sustaining.

5.) Do I think this idea can be spread globally? Sure, why not? If we can demonstrate a more sane way of living and using resources into the 21st century that focuses on productivity instead of consumerism and we actually live in communities that produce a large quantity of our basic requirements in food and energy, wouldn't we all want to live like this?

6.) What are the key factors that would allow this to happen? a.) The demonstration of a sustaianable smart modern African digital eco- village. b.) The recognition that we need to use and embrace all the best practice technologies such as biogas, solar applications, photovoltaics, waterless sanitation, organic gardening, permaculture and indoor kitchen gardens.

7.) What are the steps for making this sustainable? To make this sustainable, everyone has to be a winner and everyone needs to profit. Therefore we need to create a model, a blueprint for replication of a sustainable and successful SMADEV (SUSTAINABLE SMART MODERN AFRICAN DIGITAL ECO-VILLAGE)

Questions

Dear John,

Thank you very much for your entry in the Changemakers competition. We read with a lot of interest about the technical innovation of ABT and its potential to provide affordable housing solutions to large populations, and would greatly appreciate to better understand some aspects of your model.

From the consumer standpoint, how does it compare to a basic cement house in terms of cost, durability and ability to expand one’s house incrementally, in addition to the environmental benefits? Have you already conducted market-research with local communities to ensure that the material and design are culturally appropriate and desirable? An expert in affordable housing was mentioning recently how important it was to be able to build houses for low-income communities that do not shout “I am a poor people’s house”.

From the affordability standpoint, are you planning to develop any financing solution though local micro-finance organizations or to leverage government subsidies for social housing? How easy would it be to meet government requirements and bid for government projects? You may want to provide additional information about your initiative by posting an entry in the discussion forum or submitting a revised entry in the competition before Sept 29th: www.changemakers.net Looking forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards,

The Changemakers Team

Answers

Thank you for your inquiries!

Compared to concrete the benefits to the consumer are easily demonstrated. 1. At least 45% less expensive. 2. At least 75% faster to erect. All houses are in kit form. A 90m² home can be erected in less than 5 hours with a crew of 4 unskilled helpers and one supervisor. 3. Since the interior walls are self supporting they can be relocated with ease, allowing internal walls to be moved to accommodate living changes. The exterior wall panels are locked from the inside, this can be unlocked and relocated to expand the home when needed without major load bearing changes. Then additional walls that are standard ex-factory load bearing walls can be added with window and door cut outs already installed. Each kit home comes with a floor plan for expansion. 4 x 5 foot panels will sell for approximately 10 to 15.00 USD each. No other material is required except for the paint finish or concrete parge (stucco). 4. The homes are hurricane and earthquake resistant and do not break down over time. Will last indefinitely with a minimum of care/maintenance.

Market Research has been conducted in Nigeria and South Africa for shelters and because of the solid appearance and style has been accepted.

In Turkey and Romania model homes are being prepared for next Spring. At each location a modest and an executive home will be erected. Since the costs are so low it is possible to build a house for low income peoples that has the look and quality of an upper middle income home.

We are currently working with the South African. Nigerian and Sudanese Housing Ministries to begin subsidised housing projects next year.

In Romania and Turkey certain agricultural regions are working on a plan of wheat straw for buildings (homes, barns, storage buildings, etc.).

In each jurisdiction building code approvals are in process. The panels are approved in Germany, USA, Canada and England.

John Daniels ABT Insulpanel

Additional Support Information

Builder Benefits

Product Features Builder Benefits 1. Speed of Installation Save at least 25% in time, enhancing builder profits by reducing overhead and carrying costs during construction, and bringing income-producing buildings on-line faster. 2. Excellent Thermal Properties Lower utility bills through highly thermally efficient wall and roof panel assemblies. Higher profitability. Lowers portion of building costs devoted to more costly, larger HVAC systems and time consuming insulation. 3. Exceptional Acoustical Properties Excellent marketing features -- competitive advantage for high quality demising walls and floor to floor noise control. Reduces need to invest in sound deadening materials that reduce profit margins. 4. Superior Fire Transmission Rating 2.5 + hour rating for vertical wall assemblies and a 1.5 hour rating for horizontal ceiling and roof assemblies. Substantial savings in drywall costs in multi-family and commercial construction projects. 5. Superior Structural Properties Good flexibility in structural design. High racking strength for wind and earthquake loading. Fewer recalls after completion of projects due to elimination of stress cracks from settling. 6. Environmentally Safe Excellent marketing feature appealing to increasing numbers of environmentally conscious consumers.. Fewer problems associated with disposal of non-biodegradable waste from construction sites. No off gassing - no harmful airborne particles. 7. Competitive Pricing A savings in construction costs that can translate into a savings for your customer and/or increased profits for you. Significant savings from labor reduction.

Consumer Benefits Product Features Consumer Benefits 1. Speed of Installation Potential of reduced costs to purchase a home. Can be living in a new home sooner. 2. Excellent Thermal Properties Lower utility bills through highly thermally efficient wall and roof panel assemblies. High insulation performance substantially reduces annual utility costs. Lower portion of building costs devoted to HVAC and insulation. More comfortable living. 3. Exceptional Acoustical Properties Reduces need to invest in sound deadening materials. Reduction of noise between rooms and floors provides a more silent, comfortable living environment. 4. Superior Fire Transmission Rating 2.5 + hour rating for vertical wall assemblies and a 1.5 hour rating for horizontal ceiling and roof assemblies. Greater satisfaction and comfort knowing personal safety is enhanced. Lower insurance rates. 5. Superior Structural Properties Improved personal safety with less potential for structural damage from tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. Superior long-term appearance -- elimination of stress cracks from settling. 6. Environmentally Safe The ABT Insulpanel System uses renewable agricultural resources (wheat straw) which provides several specific ecological benefits: - Creates additional income for farmers. - Provides a practical use for what has been a waste by-product of wheat farming - Helps to conserve forest resources by reducing the use of dimensional framing lumber by up to 90%. Healthier family environment with natural products - no off gassing - no harmful airborne particles.

Hello there, Just a note to add to my entry. I have been working on the matter for a number of years. While having met many within the industry over the years, I have been told that I am working at the end-game, where the amount of money within the industry would be enough to realise its potential. However more importantly for me would be the demonstration effect in the developed world. Were people who have never engaged with the developing world could begin to do so, then perhaps there may emerge many new ideas, from sources that have been somewhat ignored up to now. As my entry is brief, compared to the amount of work that I have done, I would like to make it clear that there is a lot of work to be done, in that the demonstration effect is to start people thinking. I have had to invent many ideas, theories and approaches to develop this into a workable idea. Incentive structures, legitimacy of institutions, rules of engagement, adhering to economic principles and concepts, etc. all have to be engaged with, in order to bring about effective and positive change on a scale that can really make a difference. The acceptance of the concept of a new Global Public Good, if accepted (which it has by the GPG taskforce), would have to have the commitment and resources of the various interested parties to come into production. To this end stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors will have to meaningfully engage without narrow remits and preconceptions. As with the development of other GPGs, there will have to be a commitment to develop the good, and as such the entry that I have made will be little more than another drop in the ocean without the necessary follow-up and commitment.

Dear Changemakers Team,

Thanks again for your questions.

How do we ensure our network is able to provide high quality products? Product design and development is a growing part of our program. We have built a relationship with Aid to Artisans and have received excellent advice from them on design and marketing. One of their best recommendations to us was that we build relationships with professors at design schools or college design programs such as RISD, Mass College of Art, FIT and URI. Their idea was that we would be an excellent class project for the students. We plan to work with Aid to Artisans and other arts and business development NGOs to utilize their expertise in product development.

We continually communicate with our customers about what products they like best, and what they want to see more of. Then we relay the information to our product providers, and place orders for new products accordingly. We keep abreast of fashion trends, and order styles and colors that are current. Some of our product providers also sell their products in Europe, and they have been able to tell us which items are most popular there, which so far has translated very well to the American market (for example, the recycled rice bag backpacks, which are extremely popular in Europe, are also TEN’s second bestselling item)

Because most of the sources of our products are NGOs with limited business expertise, part of our product design process includes helping our source NGOs improve their operations. This includes everything from how they source materials, to managing inventory over time, eventually stockpiling items for which they expect the greatest demand. When we have adequate funding, a Head of Product Development will oversee this effort.

Your first question addresses the fact that consumers do not primarily make their purchase decisions based on philanthropic merit. If is for this reason that we are not using the more common retail models of internet sales and/or brick and mortar wholesaling. We chose the direct sales/home party business model specifically because the model allows us to create an environment in which people are motivated to buy our products because of their philanthropic concerns. We create this environment and bring the issue of sex-trafficking to the consumers instead of waiting for them to come to us. Therefore, while we agree that product design is an essential part of our business and we want new and repeat customers to desire our products, we believe that our growth primarily depends on recruiting new party hosts.

One additional comment. As we add new sources we add both new products and new marketing opportunities. For example, we are currently talking to DEPDC (in Northern Thailand) about creating a new line of products for TEN. When these products are available we will be able to contact our old hosts and their guests not just with a new line of products, but a new philanthropic opportunity.

Kind Regards,

Sarah Symons

Executive Director, The Emancipation Network

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Dear Sarah,

Thank you very much for your entry in the Changemakers competition. We read with a lot of interest about the approach of the Emancipation network that addresses the critical issue of human trafficking, and its innovative marketing strategy.

Looking back at the initial difficulties faced by the fair trade movement, how do you create a strong customer base that will buy repeatedly not just for philanthropy but because they enjoy your products? How do you ensure that the network is able to provide high- quality products that meet clients’ needs and preferences in terms of design and style?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

The Changemakers Team

Hello,

I thank you for the special interest you have taken in my entry registered for this competition. The answers to the questions you raised are as follows:

* How do you collaborate or compete with organizations working in the same field such as RIN or IIMA’s Grassroots Innovation Initiative? How does your work differ from theirs?

RIN and the grassroots initative of IIM-A ( I am not sure if you are referring to SRISTI or NIF or both) identify individuals at the grassroots level who have developed innovatons. These organisations handhold such individuals till their product is ready-to-sell. Naveen Gram steps in here. It enters into agreements with such individuals or manufacturers to market these innovations in Naveen Gram's area of operation. It does these independently without any agreement with RIN or NIF or GIAn, though they are aware of it.

Based on my work experience at RIN I observed that the biggest challenges many of these innovations face is marketing. And trying to sell them through NGO or civil scoiety route is not the best way to do it. These innovations will have to face market realities and behave in the way commercial market players behave. Naveen Gram was founded on this premise, to be a commercial organisation to promote such innovative technologies.

All technologies selected by Naveen Gram till date have been chosen from those incubated either by RIN of NIF. In case Naveen Gram does not get enough products from these organisations then it will identify select small enterprises to promote their technologies.

* How do you value farmers’ intellectual property when they come up with an idea for a new product? Is there any compensation scheme in place?

Naveen Gram does not manufacture any of the technologies it only markets. Also, it does not operate in the area of converting an idea into a commercial product. It feels NIF and its associate GIAN, RIN and other organisations like them can handhold and convert an idea into a prototype to a ready-to-sell product. These organisations take care of the IPR and related benefits to the individual farmers. Naveen Gram provides a platform to sell and therefore make money for the manufacturer who has bought the technology or directly to the innovator who makes more and more money by selling more and more. In case a farmer with a product idea approaches Naveen Gram, it will direct them to RIN, NIF or GIAN.

* What type of financing is currently available to initiatives like yours?

Naveen Gram has been started as a private limited company with an authorised share capital of Rs. 100,000. The initial fund was invested by me in the capacity of the promoter. I have also borrowed funds from family and relatives for this initiative. Naveen Gram has a mark-up for the products it sources and sells in the market. It aims to earn money through this mark-up. Additionally, Naveen Gram is also approaching individuals and Venture Capitalists who will be interested in picking up stakes in the company for investments in it. Naveen Gram plans to increase its share capital by Rs. 10 lakhs in the next 3 months and is in the process of talks with various individuals to invest, though no investments have been forthcoming as of date.

Please feel free to revert for clarifications, if any

Sincerely

Anil Pansari

Dear Anil,

Thank you very much for your entry in the Changemakers competition. We read with a lot of interest about Naveen Gram Agrotechnologies and its mission to serve rural markets, and would greatly appreciate to better understand some aspects of your model.

* How do you collaborate or compete with organizations working in the same field such as RIN or IIMA’s Grassroots Innovation Initiative? How does your work differ from theirs? * How do you value farmers’ intellectual property when they come up with an idea for a new product? Is there any compensation scheme in place? * What type of financing is currently available to initiatives like yours?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards,

The Changemakers Team

In world today, the nutritional needs of the low-income communities had become a case study, mostly in the war deserted areas of the world. Thereby causing the giving gorvenments more greves seing its citizenry dieng of malnutritions/hunger.

I deemed it wise that social enterprenuers to come and act as benevol in these areas of social investments and its like; Fishing, farming/farm produce, animals/ wild-life, whose are the fundamentals or natural means of providing foods for the needies.

In this integrating world of today, great social investments which is now withnessing around over like medicene san frotier, in the foremost to save life of the infected /unhealthy children of the world. The low- income populations can benefit in this kind ventures either by gorvenmental organisations or through social individual worker or enterprenuership.

I agree with the following comments of John Berger:-

"My advice for social-investors would be to place a high value on local knowledge. But let’s take the micro-credit model further."

In this regard I have been impressed by the approach of Blue Orchard Finance s.a. at http://www.blueorchard.ch/en/home.asp and Garrett Wyse's visionary project "Ethical Finance Forum" in this competition.

Stephanie - You pose some questions I have also been pondering over the past year. As a matter of background, I am a businessperson with only limited non-profit experience. If you wanted to know how to evaluate or finance a for profit business I could answer those questions easily as I have dealt with such questions for the past 15 years. But over the past year I have asked the same questions from the framework of an emerging non-profit business, The Emancipation Network. Ill give you some of my current thoughts but I would love to hear opinions from others.

How should investors evaluate a social-investment? That’s a very difficult question. Most of the projects in this competition involve markets and customers that are well outside the scope of understanding for most investors. You mention the example of micro-credit. I was recently at a speech by Muhammad Yunus where he went into detail on how he created micro-credit. His early critics were obviously wrong, but to me it is the underlying reason why they were wrong that was my most important lesson-leared from his speech. His critics were wrong because Yunus understood his market and customers and their capabilities much better than the critics. My advice for social-investors would be to place a high value on local knowledge. But let’s take the micro-credit model further. Let’s say its 1976 and you as investor have 100% confidence in Yunus and Grameen. What investment return should you expect – and should Grameen even seek for- profit investments? Grameen is currently 94% owned by its customers and has lent over $200 billion. Would Grameen have done even more if in 1976 a venture investor funded it in return for say, 20% ownership? I think it is likely that if in the early years Grameen was run more like a business that needed to keep their investors happy they would not have accomplished as much as they have. Another lesson-learned from Grameen is that not all great sustainable social ventures need or even should be financed by investors seeking economic returns.

There are clearly trade offs involved in any social-venture that is seeking funding. Is it best to grow slowly and use very little capital – thus keeping the “profits” dedicated to the underlying cause? Or can you better maximize the social benefit in the long term though additional, but expensive, capital? Just like for profit investing, investing in social venture will be as much art form as science. I would not be surprised at some point to see for-profit business created to help investors analyze and select social ventures.

In formulating the approach called "Integrative Improvement: Sustainable Development as if People and Their Physical, Social and Cultural Environments Mattered" over the last three decades I continually test its validity against the questions and comments people raise about various issues and practical difficulties they have with achieving sustainable development for all.

The questions and comments raised by our colleagues on 25 September are typical of the ones I have considered previously so I would like to offer a response to them. Here is an extract of the questions and comments:-

"Which are the specific actions that Social Entrepreneurs should implement to help our communities gain benefits from all the new processes."

"Let’s fill the bottom of the pyramid with relevant products and services."

"We have to facilitate and develop alliances between big enterprises and the excluded."

"I don’t see the distribution of wealth happening, and it is clear that the vertex will do business with the bottom…but how can the opposite situation take place? I don’t see the recognition of potential and real opportunities for the base to participate in the negotiation."

"We all have to get together and reflect."

"I am sure that if we unite, we will have enough strength to positively influence this process of change for society." "A good start would be to work with the language in which this statements are introduced." "How do we empower communities so this process does not end up in the traditional vicious cycle? What criteria should we use to not become the “Troy horses” that bring negative situations that seem to be good?"

"What enterprises can receive our help and based on what criteria?"

"What subjects should be considered so the poor can have better access?"

"How to make multinationals transfer resources to the poor and not the opposite?" "Which should be main interest in this midst?"

"How can we create income opportunities for the poorest?"

"The question then becomes in how do we take this strategy forward without loosing the basic purpose/meaning of our core mission/work?"

"For this reason, we need to think about why and how to implement the market-based approach, and how to create partnerships with the business sector so our solutions can help millions of people."

My response is to suggest everyone think about any successful relationships and interactions(personal or organisational) with which they have been involved. Would we all agree that we had a common basis for communication with others involved?

My experience has been that a common basis for communication is essential so training in tools to achieve this is the basis of the Integrative Improvement Institutes Project submitted for this competition.

"This is the right time for social entrepreneurs to take action in finding solutions for low-income communities, making sure that their work will bring great benefits to their communities, ...."

"We, the entrepreneurs have the challenge to build the appropriate structures and mechanisms to generate that link between the market and the excluded. We have to facilitate and develop alliances between ... enterprises and the excluded."

"We all have to get together and reflect."

Yes indeed it is a sublime pleasure to be here!

Thanks.

My comment: we need to demonstrate successful economic models that work in the third world village setting and that do NOT require any inputs from overseas. Trying to talk people with money into giving you some is not going to provide the employment we need to have our communities be solvent.

I am stressing the fact that the need now is to *demonstrate* successful economic models, and not only describe them as a project funding appeals.

It’s been wonderful to read all points of view and recognize those facts that make evident the key challenges faced with the developme