I'd like to add some thoughts to this article on networking: 1) it only takes one person/organization with a vision and a computer to launch a network
3) a web site, even a FREE one like those offered by YAHOO to host discusions, enables this single entity to build a library of links that illustrate the vision, provide value to anyone that visits the site, and encourages collaboration 2) email enables a single person, no matter how powerful or poor, to reach out to others with an invitation to come together around a cause that has mutual self interest I live in Chicago, the third largest city in the US. With 7 volunteers and no money I formed an organization in 1992 dedicated to helping children and youth in poor neighborhoods have non-school adult support systems that would better enable them to move through school and to jobs. While we were aided in our initial efforts by computers and desk top publishing, which enabled us to use charts and maps to illustrate our vision and invitation to several thousand people at a low cost, the Interent, enabled us to illustrated this vision to the world. Over 8 years we've created a database of hundreds of peers who now work together to share experiences, build visibility, recruit volunteers and even draw dollars to each program. More than 200 are enrolled in egroups where the focus is on individual capacity-building areas, like volunteer recruitment. This year we're trying to expand on an International Art Festival concept that for the past year involved artists from around the world, to become something where it involved youth and youth groups in poverty areas around the world. The art from 10 agencies will be shown on a variety of linked web sites in a way that attracts more visitors from all over the world to each site, and that we hope will draw donors from different parts of the world to places where it is hard to find money to sustain these programs. You can watch this concept develop at <www.angelfire.com/art/cabrini> The persistence of a single leader, and the power of the vision, over many years is what motivates others to become more active in their own roles of expanding the network. As more and more tutor/mentor programs in Chicago and the US saw a value to themselves of actively participating in the network we were building, more have taken an active role. While we are still a small sapling, this can become a mighty oak over many years. The Internet makes it possible. The examples provided in the last email also show what can be done. Yet, I've heard few say "let's get together" over hear and see what we can do. Nor after about two years of GKD information sharing have I read many posts saying, "We met on the list and look at what we've started. Who wants to join us?" At <www.tutormentorexchange.net> and <www.tutormentorconnection.org> you can see examples of what we've started and how others are helping. I think that if we can find a financial institution, or an open source technology developer, to set up a no-cost donor portal, we can create links from our various web sites into a donor exchange where donors from anywhere in the world can help agencies anywhere in the world who share the same cause and are looking for money (or volunteers, or ideas, or technology). While poverty and economic development are a single cause, I'm sure there are others, like environmental activist, health activists, etc. who might want to build similar networks and donor portals. Who wants to join us an help make such concepts a reality? Daniel F. Bassill President Cabrini Connections Tutor/Mentor Connection 800 W. Huron Chicago, Il. 60622 ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, an NGO that is a GKP member*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
