Using change-making resources

Our final assignment is on David Bornstein's How to Change the World resource guide. Each one of us will choose a resource to look deeper into for personal benefit and then share it with everyone in the class. This way we can cover a lot of ground but also learn about and tap into resources we have yet to explore.

Now for an example to get us started:

- Resource: Idealist.org
- Area: Resources Seeking Job and Volunteer Opportunities
- Purpose: "Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives."
- Target Audience: People seeking to get involved and finding others who want to get involved in the non-profit sector, primarily in the US (but growing worldwide), either through volunteering or professional opportunities. Job hunters, networkers and non-profits with human resource needs.
- Value: You can create a profile that allows you to obtain email alerts to opportunities that match your interest, create listings for opportunities and network with potential employers and/or employees. You can find online discussion groups, potential speakers, as well as career or graduate school fairs. A little tricky to navigate but a very popular and powerful resource.
- Why: I am definitely going to be using this to find and connect with good people as well as job opportunities. I've heard a great deal about idealist from people everywhere in this field, and with over a million members it seems like a must do for anyone nowadays.
- Recommend: definitely, particularly for those graduating soon. A great way to get connected.

A Night With Betty (sounds scandalous but it really isn't)

Wow! How often does someone get the chance to meet with and eat dinner with a visionary, peacemaker from Uganda? Lucky for me, last Thursday I had the tremendous privilege of eating dinner with Betty Bigombe and then go and hear her lecture. Perhaps quite foolishly, I created an image of Betty in my mind that pretty much resembled a mix between a high on their horse queen-like person and an elegant Buddha-esque type. I was stunned to meet a normal-looking, down-to-earth person. She was funny, but at the same time a little reserved. She had no need to be the center of attention and was more than content letting others talk and just quietly sitting and observing. At dinner I sat right across the table from Betty and desperately tried to find some connection in which I could shove my foot through the door and remove the air of awkwardness. Finally, it happened. She was describing her flight into RDU and stated she had come from Rochester, NY (i.e. my hometown). Immediately I jumped in and told her that I was from there and she looked me straight in the eye and said, “Why is there, like a couple miles between each house?” We both laughed and talked about the rural nature of Upstate NY and then got to talking about my goal to work as an ambassador someday. Someone else at the table encouraged me to share my summer plans with Betty and so I went on to tell her of my plans to spend eight weeks living with the nomadic Massai tribe in northern Tanzania. She promptly (and rightly so) questioned my sanity. She was extremely interested in hearing about what I was doing and later in the night (after the lecture) pulled me aside and said how energized and inspired she was by the students at Carolina. She said she never would have guessed how passionate and involved college students are…I did let her know that Tar Heels are a bit of a different breed.
One thing that I really took away from her lecture was what she believed made a good peace negotiator. She said that patience was crucial. When I think of patience I think of a few hours or days at most…however, she explained how peace talks take months if not years to complete and without patience they will never be completed. She also described how she is at times a “human punching bag” just getting hit with accusations from both sides. I cannot imagine how she is able to be so involved in such a polarizing issue and yet be so removed in her effort for neutrality. She was incredibly modest for all of her accomplishments and stated that in order to negotiate peace you have to get rid of your ego. While she said this somewhat in passing, I really think that is the key to so many things in life.
She mentioned that ridding yourself of an ego is crucial in development. We will not be able to effectively minimize worldwide poverty unless we get rid of our egos. We have to realize that we have yet to find the perfect solution to poverty and if we don’t unite with the very people who are struggling in poverty, we will not be able to help them the most effectively.
Although I am embarrassed to have missed class, I don’t think I could have spent my time any better than listening and learning from Ms. Bigombe. Betty was an inspiration to me and according to her; we all were an inspiration to her. Way to go Tar Heels!

Exploring the world of social business and the BoP

Hello everyone,

We learned a great deal from Prahalad about the bottom/base of the pyramid and also remembered what Yunus proposes social businesses to be. What is definitely obvious from both of these thinkers is that there are some very interesting things happening in the world of business as it relates to poverty. There are so many different businesses out there doing interesting things and this is your space to pick your favorite and tell us about it. In addition to that, review the handouts on Prahalad and Yunus' views in order to relate the organization to their ideas.

The following is one that I chose. Make sure to check if someone already has blogged about yours!

Business: A to Z Textile Mills
Where they operate: Tanzania
What they do: produce over 10 million insecticide treated bed nets that last up to 5 years. Employ local people and continue to reduce the costs of producing the nets. They sell directly to the people but also to many NGOs and governments.
Bottom of the Pyramid principles: they meet several, here are three.

• Process Innovation: insecticide in bed net traditionally lasted only 6 months, making them useless for many people who could not retreat them with insecticide.
• Education of Consumers: the nets are distributed mainly through NGOs and governments that also provide education on malaria issues.
• Distribution: this is related to the above, but the biggest innovation was to install the production facility in Tanzania. If the need is in Africa, why not make the product there as well? An obvious question, but one that is not usually asked. They did!
  

Social Business: it is hard to say whether the company is not maximizing profits, or if it is owned by the poor themselves. What is clear is that they focus on social benefit and therefore meet the Yunus definition. To establish in greater detail it seems like one would need to go to Tanzania...anyone want to join me?
What I think is awesome: what attracts me the most about the A to Z idea is that they established the industrial operations in the country. In this way, the dramatic problem of malaria turns into an employment opportunity for the country. This is a very strong example of how you can find opportunities in problems. I'm not saying that people should make money from issues of poverty, I'm saying that people WILL. This is a reality: people need bed nets, someone will need to sell them. It makes so much sense to close this circle and have these economic benefits go to Tanzania and contribute to the development of the country and people. I wonder if there are any other health (or social) needs that can be met in this way as well...

An interesting group discussion topic

Now that we are more than halfway through the semester, which is pretty hard to believe, I am curious as to everyone's opinions about what they have learned throughout our studies of different development models, practices, and outcomes all over the world. It would be great to hear what your opinions were before and whether they have remained the same or changed over the course of the semester. Do you have any different opinions of how the U.S. should act towards other countries in terms of development now? Is there one specific model that strikes you as the most wholesome and balanced, or do you think there are bits from many theories that would work harmoniously together? Will what you have learned in our class change your pursuits in international development in the future? Hopefully we can talk about this in class because I would love to know where everyone stands with the wealth of history, practices, and examples to which we have been exposed.

hello, colli!

Collier, that is. Please excuse the nonsensical musical reference. It's one of those days.

Since I won't be able to make it to class tonight for The Bottom Billion presentation, I thought I'd watch Collier's TED talk about "4 ways to improve the lives of the bottom billion".

First impressions: great stuff. It's interesting to hear about a solution that blends tried and true economic concepts (commodity prices! GDP!) with political elements (democracy! governance! corruption!). To summarize: Collier starts off talking about the Marshall Plan and how U.S. foreign and trade expansion successfully revitalized a broken Western Europe after WWII. He then brings up research on the relationship between rising commodity prices of exports and the growth of commodity-exporting countries. His findings? GDP in those countries goes up in the short-run and things are hunky-dory. But in the long-run, things are hunky-dumpty (his words, not mine).

What does this all mean for the bottom billion? Collier argues that this long-run "curse" that plagues resource-rich commodity-exporting countries is inextricably linked to governance. He presents as a solution the creation of international standards to monitor and harness resource revenues so that they actually benefit the "bottom billion". For him, building a critical mass of informed citizenry is one of the first steps towards making this happen, and he ends his talk by calling on everyone to become informed "ambassadors" of development.

Personally, I found his logic to be extremely compelling. Dude's brilliant and he makes a hella good argument. However, I do have a few bones to pick with him:

1) He seems to be championing global governance (along the lines of the U.N. and IMF) as the solution to helping the bottom billion. While entities like the UN have made epic strides in human rights, development, and the like, its reach only extends so far when pitted against national/regional interests. How will these international standards that Collier proposes be enforced?
2) FOREIGN AID! We meet again, my old friend. Collier doesn't outright present aid as a solution but since he's a big fan of the Marshall Plan, it's probably safe to say that he supports it. I think everyone's familiar with the debate surrounding aid so I won't go into it.
3) The idea of "ambassadors" - I really love calls to action so when Collier threw his out, I was pumped. But then I remembered that he's speaking to TED members, some of the richest and most powerful people in the world. Does calling on the elite to lead the charge only reinforce the hierarchical structures that exist in development discourse?

Just some thoughts...Let me know what you think! Happy Spring Break, to all!!

William Easterly talk

I was curious to hear thoughts from you all about William Easterly's talk last Monday night. I know some of you couldn't make it, but you can probably still have some input on this.

In his criticism of the World Bank and other major aid institutions, Easterly talks a lot about the fact that they lack feedback and accountability.  Therefore, anytime they fund a project that doesn't work, there are really no repercussions for them.  I think Easterly makes a good point here; it would great to see a World Bank type group that is held accountable and thus has more incentive to be very particular about how its aid/loan money is used.

I feel like, though, I haven't seem him make any proposals as to how this would look.  Should the IMF, Bank, USAID, be restructured from the inside?  Should they be done away with started again? How do these institutions go about implementing a reliable source of accountability and a mechanism for feedback? 

I was curious to hear y'all thoughts on this. I know it's a huge question, but I would know what you guys think. Feel free to comment about whether you even agree with Easterly's statement, whether you think it's feasible, how such change would get done, anything. 

Thanks guys and Go Heels on Sunday!

Spoons and Bowls - Snacks of the Future?

Pulling a corn-based fork out of his pocked, Elliot turned to me during dinner and asked what I thought about Muhammad Yunus' edible containers idea. He bit one of the points and I joked about how the first time I ate with compostable utensils I did try to nab a nibble from them. When Yunus told a similar story during the lecture, the collective laugh in the Campus Y confirmed that many of us have attempted the same thing. At the time, I felt sheepish for trying (and failing), but he spoke about it so frankly, so reasonably, that suddenly the expectation didn't seem foolish. I spent a good part of the night picturing soup softening the sides of an ice cream cone, or ranking the potential of different foods that were just stiff and impermiable enough to hold liquid without breaking your teeth after the meal (tortilla shells vs. hardened sugar?).

It amazed me how Yunus' suggestion to simply make edible containers poses such a challenge. In the face of cheap, disposable, insulating Styrofoam (mortal enemy of recyclers) and similar products, it seems overwhelmingly difficult to try and realize his vision. Part of me insists that the pace of scientific discovery is such that the answer is within our reach, but a lingering pessimism also makes me think that there is no way it'll happen in my lifetime. What would be the shelf life of an inexpensive bowl that you can eat? Would its production end up being more environmentally unfriendly? Will we ever get off of our plastic/petroleum addiction?

Doubt aside, I really admired the way Yunus spoke about what it meant to be a thoroughly socially-minded business. One of his funnier points was to do the exact opposite of what big banks do, but I also like how he emphasized the importance of constantly improving towards a sustainable goal – no matter how improbable it seems. His anecdotes shed light on how success in the non-profit sector involves a balance of self-criticism and optimism. The lecture really got me thinking about the aspects of my work which could (and should) change.

Here’s to nutritious packaging.

The World Financial Crisis with Gary Parr

Where: Hyde Hall, University room (first floor)
When: 4PM, Tuesday, Feb 3rd
Why it is relevant to class: the financial meltdown is affecting everything on Earth.
Who will attend: I just realized I have class. Bummer.

Tell us what you think!

UNC Event: Social Enterprise in Europe

Where: Hyde Hall, University room (first floor)
When: 3:30PM, Monday, Feb 2nd
Why it is relevant to class: We'll eventually study social entrepreneurship. This is a unique opportunity to learn about this topic within the context of Europe.
Who will attend: I will try my best, but I have a conflict as of now...
How to attend (RSVP): Genny King

Hope to see you there!

Joseph Stiglitz article on cnn.com: How to rescue the bank bailout

Familiar name talking about the the current economic crisis

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/26/stiglitz.finance.crisis/index.html

If you all are interested.

Name: Investment and Microfinance Workshop
Where: Gardner 07
When:7:00-8:00
Why it is relevant to class: This is relevant to the class because linking capital markets with microfinance institutions is a highly effective way to create the resources to provide credit for the poor!
Who will attend: CMI, workshopers, tell all your friends!
How to attend: Show up! Or check our website carolinamicrofinance.org for the recording after the event.

Resource Pool

On the first day of class I distributed a handout with a list of possible resources to add to our Resource Pool. Please reply to this post with your thoughts and suggestions.

I will make the purchases shortly after February 5th in order to have them before too long so that we can make good use of them. Make sure to reply prior to that!

Finally, what do you think about donating the Resource Pool to the Campus Y Social Justice library once the semester is over? Do you have any other ideas on what we could do with it once the semester is over?

Bio info

Hello everyone,

It may be difficult to get a chance for everyone in the class to talk to one another and get a sense of where you're coming form. For this reason, I suggest that everyone use this post to provide some basic information on yourselves to introduce yourself to the rest of the class.

Here's a starter!



Name: Carlos Toriello
Past Experience and Future Plans:

• Nourish International: Guatemala 2007 Project Leader, Fall 2007 Co-chair, Mexico 2008 and 2009 Adviser, Brazil 2008 Participant, National Office Project Analyst
• Fulbright Scholarship (hopefully!): develop a comparative study of the Micro-Consignment model being replicated in Ecuador from Guatemala by CES.
  

Why I am in the course: since becoming engaged at UNC in trying to reduce global poverty, I barely had time to learn the academic frameworks that support the work that I was doing. In addition, it is clear to me that a lot of work is being done at UNC but the student leaders in this field are not as aware of each other's efforts as they could be were there more opportunities for interaction. I created this class as a means to bring student practitioners together to help each other understand the most widely known frameworks for international development and poverty reduction and to create lasting bonds between this student community.

Expectation(s) for the course: a constantly challenging and sincere dialogue between student leaders were we learn as much as possible from one anothers perspectives and experiences. A desire from students to share their (and listen to others) honest opinions. Clarification and greater understanding of what actors and thought leaders in the field are doing and how I can be a part of it.


There you go. Please share yours as well and be sure to review others.

See you Thursday!

Muhammad Yunus at UNC on February 5th

We are very fortunate at UNC to have Muhammad Yunus come to our campus to speak on February 5th. Do not miss his lecture! It will be held in the Koury Auditorium of the B-School at 11AM. RSVP to this email: kfbsrsvp@unc.edu

Attendance to our evening class is optional, but please come and share your perspective on his presentation.

Be sure to check out the site link for more info.

Also, doors open at 10AM. I wonder if anyone will camp out the night before...whoever is in the first row gets bonus points!

Site link: http://global.unc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=792&Itemid=94