Connecting against Poverty

[Ian Bentley]

Hi SICU!


Sorry that I have been silent for way too long!

This post is going to be long, and I hope I don't overtax anybody's concentration span!


I’m sure that at this critical time in our planet’s evolution, all of us have been forced to look at alternative solutions to many problems. Tom Merilahti has always done so, which is why his concepts are the stuff of legend. He epitomises outside-the-box thinking... TOM IS A LATERAL THINKER PAR EXCELLENCE.

I’d like, with your permission, to introduce another - Rob Veldt.

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=20310221&a...

Rob Veldt is moderator of the group, ThinkTankThursday, on Linkedin and he is also very active in the group The Global Crowdsourcing Network.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1574527

I’m not sure if he is yet active on SICU. If he isn't I shall definitely invite him to add his special spark to this amazing platform.

So why do I want to introduce him to the SICU group?

Rob challenged his Linkedin TTT group to brainstorm the massive issue of global poverty and then to collectively agree on a single innovative project that the group as a whole could implement.

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers&dis...

Now, in my humble opinion, the challenge has not as yet elicited the level of response that such an important issue deserves.

I’m hoping that by facilitating this introduction between two highly innovative thinkers, I can help to trigger a broader level of participation in this very important discussion. One, incidentally, that I believe we could profitably also embrace on our own SICU Synergies platform.

I posted my own idea of a possible project to fight the scourge of poverty... Its one, I believe, that can truly make a difference …

AND I’D LIKE TO CHALLENGE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO PROPOSE A BETTER ONE!

So, without further ado, my Project Proposal Outline:
I live in Africa, and my proposed project, of necessity, addresses the kind of poverty inherent in the under-developed post-colonial countries in the sub-Saharan region. It takes cognizance of a diverse range of issues including culture, values, resources, skills, etc.

If I examine the sub-Saharan reality (and this no doubt would also apply to a number of other geographic regions around the world), I immediately see one unique resource that could, under properly controlled and well-managed circumstances contribute towards improving the lives of both the local people and the world population at large.

Let me attempt to explain …

I know for a fact that the region of South Africa where I live represents a veritable treasure containing a rich and wondrous variety of herbal cures. This vast array of traditional medicines is believed by millions of people, locally and globally, to work ... and many of them have proved remarkably effective in preventing and/or curing any number of diseases and other maladies.

Their potential has already been commercially exploited, albeit only to a very limited degree, by Western commercial interests. However, the local indigenous people have seldom benefited in any tangible way, which for me is part of the fundamental problem.

That treasure chest is faced with one small problem ... it has a time-lock … and Humanity is gradually allowing the keys to disappear before our collectively uncomprehending eyes.

The reason is that with the passage of time and the advance of ‘progress’ - the guardians of the keys to the treasure chest have been gradually dying off … and taking this priceless and timeless knowledge with them to the grave.

Tragically, much of it is already lost.

What remains of this precious treasure is dwindling with every passing day … its survival undercut by the relentless advance of Western commercialism, which, unless it can see a way to make a quick buck, trivialises and downplays issues like indigenous culture.

It is an emergency … this knowledge (and along with it a vast number of plant species) must be preserved – no matter what the cost.

My challenge to the members of ThinkTankThursday was to devise a way of collecting what still remains of that dwindling reservoir of knowledge … and then develop a very smart method to enable each affected community (who, let's face it, are the successors and rightful heirs to this knowledge) to cultivate and commercially exploit these species:

- For the benefit of the people and the survival of their respective cultures,
- For the protection and ultimately the survival of many plant species, and
- For the collective good of the people … and ultimately of the planet.

Assembling that information obviously presents a daunting logistical challenge … Even if one only stops to think about the politics and the practical, nitty-gritty issues like communication that are involved!

However that problem is dwarfed by a far more complex one – how does one persuade the rightfully-suspicious guardians of this knowledge to part with it?

This is where I believe that our founding statement ‘CONNECT THE UNCONNECTED comes into its own. Because it is when we begin to introduce the key players in our respective networks to one another that we truly unleash the brilliance of Tom Merilahti’s groundbreaking SICU concept.

Consider what kind of collective brainpower we could begin to unleash if we could CONNECT DIVERSE POCKETS OF UNCONNECTED CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION around the entire globe?

That, I believe, is the VISION we have to project.

Our MISSION, as Tom so eloquently describes it, is to enable creative people to perceive relations between thoughts, or things, or forms of expressions … that seem utterly different. In essence to be able to Connect the seemingly Unconnected

And of course, what better issue to target than one of mankind’s most devastating problems

....POVERTY.

If you have any brilliant ideas how this could be done, please share them with us here, or in Rob’s ThinkTankThursday group.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1129637

Let's go forth ... CONNECT THE UNCONNECTED ... and in the process let the MAVEN SUPER-CONNECTORS emerge!


HAVE A GREAT WEEK and HAPPY CONNECTING!

[Michael Junghans]

Dear Ian,

thank you very much for this information.
Yes, we have to face the fact of poverty and the loss of knowledge.
During the fashion week in Berlin, many fair trade organizations and businesses offered their work here on thekey.to

I just add this to show how much move is happening at the moment. In case of the medical area, please contact me.

Thank you again for your infoemation,
kindest regards

Michael

[Athena Gay]

Hi Ian!

What an amazing undertaking! My suggestion to you would be this: Find local people within the communities or nearby areas that the vast majority will trust, get them on board with what you hope to achieve, have them go into the communities to recruit supporters to gather the data, etc. People usually trust their own and once they realize fully the positive impact for their communities, they will cooperate. They must feel a part of the solution. Give them HOPE and you will win. To your overwhelming success in this project.

Athena

[TOM Merilahti]

Hello Ian,

Thank you very much for a great input I have been expecting from you for a while, but as always, it was worthwhile. I'd like especially to thank you for your surprising compliments I was not expecting at all. Thank you very much!!!

I would like to wish Rob Veldt warmly welcome to join SICU SICU SSG as well. What we need is professionals who are willing to share their thoughts in different professional disciplines in order to activate our fellow members to open up, discuss, argue, contribute... The content must be improved and be more focused. Valid content should be presented and discussed in depth.

The placement of discussions in each special group is also an important issue. Why? For all of us to know where we can find articles and discussions in the field of our personal interest. It's these discussions and opinions which create added value and multiplicative effects for all of us. Collaboration is the New Economy!

http://sicusynergynetwork.ning.com/profiles/blogs/collaboration-is-...

As you Ian as a global partner of SICU SSG and the representative for South Africa very well know, SICU has not been created to be a discussion forum only, but to support the business objectives of ours and first of all to achieve new business even in concrete.

SICU SSG has agreed on partnership with C2C ASIA.

That's to create, develop and put in practice divergent campaigns, projects, processes, products, services and events to be utilized by SICU's global partners, members, co-marketers and sponsors both "glocally" and globally.

http://www.sicusynergy.org/sicu_structure_&_brand_system.pdf

The SICU SSG affiliate programme handbook aims to build-up an open and flexible global framework within all SICU affiliates, global partners and members, representing different cultures & professional disciplines, can connect, interact, share ideas and experiences, receive support from each other, and create, develop and execute campaigns, projects and events in order to benefit all the parties involved.

Here's the old version of the handbook for all of you to study, It will be simplified and developed very soon: http://sicusynergynetwork.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sicu-synergy-solu...

Thank you Ian very much for starting this discussion. I hope many of our fellow members are willing to contribute in.

Dear members: Ian Bentley is SICU's global partner representing SICU SSG South Africa. For more information about the global partners open http://www.sicusynergy.org/partners.htm

Laterally yours,

TOM

[Ian Bentley]

Thank you Michael, Athena and Tom!

Firstly, to Michael: Sorry, you must think me terribly bad mannered. To be honest, it was not until I received a message earlier today from Tom, mentioning my post, that I realised it had attracted any responses. I'll be in personal contact tomorrow.

Tom and I have just spent a couple of hours on Skype discussing this, and I'm sure that something very positive will flow from the discussion. He's a remarkable man.

I'd like to respond in a bit more detail to your response Athena: I'd like to open by saying that you made an extremely insightful reply to my post, and I'm really grateful for your suggestions and advice. My basic thinking on the issue is along similar lines.

But there's something, beyond the herbs, what worries me. A lot of the African indigenous tribal culture is dying out in so many areas. The young kids are seduced by the massively consumerist version of Western civilization they are exposed to on the TV, and they are beginning to largely reject the old ways. Traditions are dying. It’s really tragic!

Don’t you think it would be amazing if we could use this herbal project also as an opportunity expose young Africans to the fact that their own tribal 'roots' and traditions are of immense value and significance. They need to become conscious that they shouldn't reject and belittle the culture into which they were born.

I have some thoughts on how this could be achieved, but I’m interested to hear other peoples views. How could this as a concept be be structured to achieve that?

I’m really interested to hear the SICU community’s views on this.

Personally, I believe what I proposed is absolutely achievable, but it’s going to take some serious outside-the-box thinking to pull it all together.

So I'd like to close by posing the following question:

Is this something we might be able, with our vast array of skills, attributes and contacts … to collectively activate on this platform as the SICU community?

[Deborah J. Boyd]

Dear members, Poverty is complicated as a global issue due to the fact that it is perceived differently in different tribes &/or families. Some people think that poverty is just a lack of money but that is not at all true. In an agrarian culture if you have land and the equipment to farm it as well as the weather required to grow crops you may have little cash but you are not really poor. The problem arises in the next generation.
When you run out of land for expanding to meet the requirements of the population you reach a point where that doesn't work anymore.
The USA more than any other country has used technology to get greater yields from the same acreage.
So you say whoopi we solved the problem. Not so fast. The difference is we have an incredible infrastructure to support the way we do it in the USA. The cost of duplicating that for Africa is trillions$.
BUT, as with communications, we need to forge new methods. What we need is a global federation where all people work locally but connect globally. Through co-ops and collaborations we can eliminate poverty. Don't clap yet. Dictators and status quo wealthy farmers in the USA & EU & UK will try to
sabotage this because they fear being put out of business. Don't expect me to feel sorry for the dictators but as far as the other farmers are concerned they are being overly emotional and do not see how the base will expand and everyone will do just fine.
That platform already exists. www.villagedirect.org. Running crowdsourcing, sicu, and several other networks through VD will greatly speed up coordination between the UN, NGOs, and the multitude of vendors that will work in the system.
Deborah J. Boyd
[e-mail]

[TOM Merilahti]

THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL!
COLLABORATION IS THE NEW ECONOMY!