I'd like to jump in and share some thoughts. I've been in close touch with Adam Curtis, BBC producer of the recent award-winning documentary, "The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear", which I feel so strongly about I've been holding screenings of it throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
However, it's Adams previous documentary, "The Century of the Self", which explains in a most revealing and compelling way, the creation of the mass consumer society we have today. Based on the ruthless tactics of Edward Bernays, "Century" shows how he created the field of "Public Relations", grounding his insidious methods on the studies and research of his uncle, Sigmund Freud. Both these documentaries together are a "must see". I say this because the grip of the media is so powerful on the social psyche that without understanding these forces that keep us sedated and docile, the corporations will continue to exploit the masses--and their foundations, as with most other foundations, will continue to fund projects and programs that address the ills, the fallout, and the adverse impact of the corporate driven, waste producing, consumer society we have today. With Celebrating Solutions! we've charted a road-map in a new direction, away from the road-kill, heat-n-serve franchised highways of self-ville all across the land. When the Council on Foundations determined its most pressing topic for the new millennium in 2000, it's theme was "Communicating Philanthropy". The intention was to address the need to support innovative uses of communication tools of the media and technology. Most foundations are reluctant to see value in funding things beyond direct services. Yet we've been able to make the case that expanding the capacity of the media and technology from merchandising to community building IS providing direct services--right into people's homes. Hence the millennium conference was a noble attempt which yielded little results--outside of some foundations creating a new staff position of Communications Director. I engineered the very first meeting between Untied Way of America and PBS--our national public television. To my mind you take the outreach capacity into the grassroots by the United Ways and community foundations, and take the prime media real estate of PBS/NPR, which have very narrow demographics, and you open possibilities for projects like Celebrating Solutions!, and other projects aimed at media reform and electronic democracy. I've walked those 10 blocks in Alexandria, Virginia between PBS and United Way, and to me it was a no-brainer to get them together. I'm wondering who else out there is making strides with the philanthropic communities. I agree, let's hold hands and learn from each other what's working and create a crescendo of positive change throughout the United States, and beyond. Together we can carve new pathways making it easy for others to move together across this threshold of multiple divides, to a healthy, informed and engaged society that thrives on a solutions ecology. Many thanks to all of you in this discussion! What's next? Looking forward... Ellison --- Michael Maranda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'll certainly agree with Mr. Paul Mondesire's > characterization of how we > might inform a Philanthropist or their designated > Foundation staff as to the > value of what we're doing in our organizations, so > that they might feel it's > something they believe deserving of their support... > And likewise that we're > doing this amidst that cacophony of voices... (and > that we will likely say > things that aren't meant to be dealt with-from the > view of some) > > But my bigger point in bringing all this up (and > sorry not to have been a > more active discussant-but very pleased to have > followed the conversation) > was the idea of "Educating the philanthropic > community" ... > > This is a very different proposition than each of us > in our separate > organizations making our separate cases to various > Foundation or other > financially well-positioned parties who are > receiving many similar requests, > and many requests of wide ranging nature.... > > This posits us working together, drawing upon our > experience on the cutting > edge of moral and social thought and practice, and > having a more united > voice extolling our collective value, and that > different philanthropic > strategies and perspectives are warranted. > > Failing that, it demands us coordinating resources > within our field such > that we are a better resource to each other and can > advance and empower > ourselves and our commuities by working together and > tending to that field > we labor in... as a garden. > > -MM > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > Michael Maranda > President, The Association For Community Networking > (AFCN) > http://www.afcn.org > Executive Director, CTCNet Chicago Chapter > http://www.ctcnetchicago.org > Co-Chair, Illinois Community Technology Coalition > (ilCTC) > http://www.ilctc.org > Vice President, CAAELII > http://www.caaelii.org > Vice President, NPOTechs > http://www.npotechs.org > > > Join us for Digital Neighborhoods: Connecting All > Chicago to the World, > October 20th! http://www.ctcnetchicago.org/event > Attend the Illinois Community Technology Conference, > November 16-17, 2005. > http://www.ctcnetchicago.org/conference > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Paul Mondesire > Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 10:24 AM > To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group > Subject: Re: [DDN] Educating the philanthropic > community > > > > > >Every day we are bombarded with media messages > educating us on some new > >drug, some phone company or financial service, or > some food product or > >new car model. This works. Advertising changes > habits and purchasing > >decisions. > > - Dan Basill > > > > We focus here on the Digital Divide but even that > phrase covers a multitude > of technical, financial, sociological, educational, > cultural, and other > challenges. In the battle of ideas, getting your > message out in a manner > which resonates with the target audience is crucial. > When you are speaking > of philanthropy, you are working at getting the > attention of an individual > or a small group (foundations etc.) who have > resources and the inclination > to share them. You must convince them to believe > enough in what YOU are > doing to support your effort. At the same time you > are competing with a > veritable cacaphony of other folks who are in need > which means you must use > whatever communications tools necessary to make that > happen. > > > > If you have a good idea, cause, or solution to some > socio-economic or health > problem, it is up to YOU to state your case in a > manner that convinces those > you approach. Ms. Cravens spoke of having to create > cost/benefit analyses > for this or that software/hardware "solution" > because someone was dazzled by > a sales presentation. That's because companies > expend huge amounts of time > and money to make certain their sales force has the > resources to close the > deal. The not-for-profit world has to be just as > well prepared to make > their pitch because ultimately it is always comes > down to SOMEONE making a > decision and you better make sure you have made a > compelling case that you > are deserving of their generosity. > > > > I just LOVE the brain power of this group!!!! Thank > you especially to Dan > B, Dr. Bork, Taran R, Steve E., Phil S., Bonnie B., > the amazing Andy Carvin > and everyone else I read but have not time to > respond to. Keep fighting the > good fight!!!!!!! > > > > Paul Mondesire > > Thirteen/WNET > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > . > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word > UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > Ellison Horne, Founder of Celebrating Solutions! United Way of the Bay Area 221 Main Street San Francisco, CA 94105 - Phone: (415) 808-7302 - www.celebratingsolutions.org - Society has problems, Technology has potential, Entertainment has power, and People have Solutions! _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
