Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities

Opening the World Opening the World Social networks as enablers of free & resilient Social networks as enablers of free & resilient

communitiescommunities

Mark Frazier, cofounder, Openworld.com

LEVEL 3Grassroots

Realm

LEVEL 2Political Realm

LEVEL 1Virtual Realm

Internet-delivered “seeds of change”

Aim of this presentation

1. Survey damage done by past approaches to “helping”

2. Review asset-awakening opportunities

3. Explore ways for online networks to help lift local barriers to self-help

Background

Base of the Pyramid – four billion are living on less than $3500 a year

Corruption: $1 trillion rake-off by gatekeepers

Source: James Tooley

Background

Dambisa Moyo (Dead Aid): politicized aid funds predatory systems

Hernando de Soto (Mystery of Capital): US$9-14 trillion in capital is ‘sleeping’ due to state failures in dispute resolution and property rights systems

Background

Where can we find another approach?

Here…

Catalyzing growth in ancient times

How Phoenicians sparked trade and growth…

‘Gifts on a beach’ in the Internet era

Today, online networks can stimulate growth in poor regions

To see how they can help local moves to a freer world, let’s survey wealth-creating innovations in three realms

Grassrootsrealm

Political realm

Virtual realm

Background on innovations

1. Digital giving

2. Micro-funding portals

3. Global telework markets

Today, poor

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

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Micro-FundingPortalsOnline lending and investment networks are bringing capital to aspiring entrepreneurs


– Graphic artists– Web researchers– Remote secretaries– Photo taggers– Online tutors– Translators– Virtual guardians

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Telework MarketsOnline marketplaces offer 50,000+ projects daily tofreelancers around the world


Grassroots realm: innovations

1. Peer-to-peer business systems

2. Entrepreneurial learning ventures

3. Cell phones and internet centers


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Peer-to-Peer business systemsGroups form to borrow or save, with rotating access to capital (100+ million beneficiaries to date)


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Entrepreneurial schools for the poorFamilies in struggling communities are now supporting 1.5 million informal schools that outcompete poorly-run public schools


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 links3 billion mobile phones -- and counting

About the 3rd (political) realm – how to deal with predatory

institutions?

Most communities remain in the grasp of top-down “gatekeepers”

Yet several kinds of innovative reform are loosening their grip

Political realm: innovations


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FlexiwageSingapore is linking salaries of government employees to annual growth rates of the private economy


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eGovernmentHong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and South Korea now use online systems for transparent issuance of forms and permits – curbing graft opportunities (while generating online revenues)


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Free ZonesLand 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)

US$ 71.1 billion

in land lease earnings

(Hong Kong from 1970-2000)


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Free Zone PartnershipsSuccessful, highly trusted zone developers are looking to partner with communities to launch a new generation of free economic zones

SingaporeSeeking to set up 12 “Little Singapores”

ChinaSpecial Economic Zone offers across Africa

ZonAmericaLaunching new zones in Latin America

Combining the informal, virtual, and political breakthroughs…

How can social networks bring these wealth-creating innovations together…and seed grassroots transformations?

Q

“Seeds of Change” opportunity

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

What breakthroughs can be loaded onto an $8 MicroSD card?

Social networks can support new breakthroughs by offering:

“How to” videos featuring bootstrap schools/health clinics in poor areas that have become self-sustaining

Microvouchers that ensure “day one” access for residents to regional and global eLearning and eHealthcare providers

Startup work-study projects whose completion by students and jobseekers is a springboard to global telework markets

Access to allied microlending and microinvestment sites, with further introductions to larger lenders/investors based on digitally recorded progress of grassroots ventures

Links to global volunteers active in social networks and allied campus groups, technology innovators, and policy reform institutes

GrassrootsRealm

Political Realm

Virtual Realm

Social networks offer toolkits, volunteer services, telework and seed funds to local allies who spread skills and awaken assets

CHALLENGE OFFERS

Seeds of Change Opportunity

“Anytime, anywhere” offers for grassroots ventures

Social network offer: Microstipends

“Challenge grants” of microscholarships are spreading awareness of new Internet-enabled learning and job opportunities

Social network offer: Work-study & telework jobs

Online networks are offering work-study projects and freelance opportunities for students and jobseekeers to:

research and prepare video clips on opportunities to self-organize Create “eLessons” that fill gaps in the curricula of existing schools Practice language skills via the Internet with partnering network

volunteers

Source: HorizonLanka.org

Social network offer: opportunity review

Support in creating private land registries using geotagged cell phone pictures and video clips (local groups request online volunteers from GISCorps and Internet Bar Organization)

Help with business plans for entrepreneurial schools, freelance ventures, and free zone land grant development (support from campus groups and volunteer specialists)

Business climate reform advice and scoring of progress in transparency (support from economic policy institutes)

Social network offer: design partnerships

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

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*

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

Next to do

Engage social networks (create quickstart toolkits, develop a reputation-building reward for volunteers, and define standing offers of online assistance for exemplary local projects)

Assemble digital gifts (obtain commitments by luminaries, social capital investors, foundations, and others to support challenge offers

Assist grassroots allies (assist entrepreneurial schools and self-help groups in poor communities to obtain land grant sites and apply asset-awakening reforms)

Replicate the self-funding projects (sponsor competitions to award Seeds of Change resources to new areas seeking to remove barriers to growth)

Next to do: a self-funding cycle

A Self-Funding Cycle to Awaken Assets for the Next Four Billion

To win these benefits, communities commit

prime land grant sites withfree market reforms

Private investorsdevelop 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

*In addition to Microvoucher funds, donors can also provide how-to assistance, eGovernment software solutions, and other online resources promoting transparent business climates

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.comemail: [email protected] phone: +1.202.257.2574

@openworld (updates on Twitter)

Q&A

Opportunity for a reputation-building currency – how a “Freedompoints” system can help asset-awakening initiatives by social networks and local allies

How Freedompoints rewards can grow in step with grassroots breakthroughs – (visual on next slide)

Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities

Education

Transcript of Social Networks for Free and Resilient Communities