Opportunities

DonateNow Mashup Challenge

Social Edge — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:19:42 -0700

How would you mashup the Network for Good donation processing service with other services to make it easier for nonprofits to raise money online? We’re working with Network for Good, the Case Foundation, and the NetSquared community to enhance the online donation process.

The DonateNow Mashup Challenge:

There are two categories to enter:

Build a mashup using Network for Good’s donation API, with a particular focus on enhancing the donor experience.
Build a mashup using Network for Good’s donation API,with a particular focus on improving or revolutionizing a nonprofit organization’s ability to fundraise.

Winners in the each category will be awarded a $10,000 prize by a panel of judges present at the N2Y3 Conference.

In addition, each winner will be granted a one-year license for the Network for Good API to be donated to an organization of their choice (if the winner is an organization, it can choose to donate the API to itself).

Network for Good’s donation API allows developers to integrate NFG's donation-processing functionality into their website or web application. Developers using the API should have a familiarity with SOAP Web Services.

Participants in the DonateNow Mashup Challenge will receive a developer license to the Network for Good Donation Web service. This free license is valid until June 30, 2008. Organizations interested in purchasing a developer license for use beyond this date should contact customerservice@networkforgood.org.

Synergos Social Innovators Program

Social Edge — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:16:56 -0700

The Synergos Institute is now accepting applications and nominations to our Social Innovators Program, which we will be reviewing through mid-September. We are in search of twenty outstanding social pioneers who are successfully implementing innovative projects in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco or Palestine, which have helped improve conditions and the quality of life for people in those five geographies.

The program will provide professional and financial support to help social innovators transform small-scale projects into sustainable organizations that are working to bring lasting social progress to their communities and beyond. Synergos will connect candidates to our network of professionals, provide technical support to help innovators develop their social venture, and offer financial awards of USD17,000 per year for two years.

So if you or someone you know has an incredible idea, solution or approach that has the potential to effect large-scale change we want to hear from you! Please forward this message along with the attached brochure and application to your networks or those you feel would benefit from our program. For more information and to access the on-line application available in Arabic and English please visit our website: www.synergos.org/socialinnovators/. For any additional questions please contact us at socialinnovators@synergos.org.

2008 IPJ Women PeaceMakers

Social Edge — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Women PeaceMakers Program (at the University of San Diego Joan B Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice) is an annual selective program that allows four women on the frontlines of efforts to end violence and secure human rights to have their stories documented. For details on becoming a peacemaker in residence or a peace writer that will document a peacemaker's story please visit the Women PeaceMakers page.

Now Accepting Applications for the 2008 Women PeaceMakers Program

Becoming a Woman PeaceMaker

Becoming a Peace Writer

WorldLink Internship Program

Social Edge — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

WorldLink offers specialized high school internship programs during the fall, spring, and summer semesters at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice (IPJ). WorldLink interns have the opportunity to explore WorldLink topics in a more in-depth manner than other student conference delegates. Interns take a regional or topical approach on pressing issues that will be further explored at the Youth Town Meeting (YTM), which is held annually in January at the University of San Diego (USD). More information.

Summer Internship

Unlike the Fall and Spring semester internship program, the Summer program offers high school youth the unique opportunity to research and create the WORLDLINK READER, a classroom tool that provides youth with the important background knowledge regarding YTM topics. The Reader is distributed to over 30 classrooms in San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico.

The student-chosen 2008-2009 WorldLink theme is "On the Brink: Responding to Underlying Causes of Conflict." Youth will discuss the embers fanned in the fires of violent conflict and actions which need to be taken on the ground to address these. The 2008 summer interns will research five main topics to create the WorldLink Reader: gender inequality, global racism and religious intolerance, lack of economic development, xenophobic nationalism.

WorldLink interns will work closely with the program coordinator in weekly mandatory meetings at the institute. Most research will be done at the student’s home and all interns will come together once a week to review research progress, discuss current events, and watch theme-related movies.

WorldLink summer internships are highly competitive research opportunities for youth interested in international relations. Small scholarships will now be awarded to accepted interns. All high school students are strongly encouraged to apply. Internships will begin the week of June 16 and end August 14 with a formal research presentation to institute staff, parents, and WorldLink donors. The corrected deadline is Friday, May 23, 2008.

Make the Difference Network launches

Social Edge — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This week, Jessica Biel and her father, Jon Biel, have launched Make the Difference Network (MTDN) at www.MTDN.com. Social entrepreneur Jon Biel, in collaboration with cause marketing evangelist Kent McBride, co-founded MTDN to create a cause-oriented social network that connects nonprofit organizations with caring individuals and businesses. MTDN increases the visibility of nonprofit organizations by empowering potential donors to search, select and fund these organizations’ specific “Wishes” and then see the results of their giving. Nonprofits can join MTDN for free and they get to keep 100 percent of all donations collected through MTDN.

The MTDN online community has already attracted more than 150 nonprofit organizations working toward fulfilling more than 250 “Wishes.” When a nonprofit registers for free, MTDN gives them the ability to easily promote their story through a powerful, eye-catching multi-media profile including pictures, videos and blogs, and then build specific “Wishes” for free. MTDN then acts as an easy-to-use, fun online hub for people to locate and show their support for social causes that touch them the most. MTDN is also a powerful cause marketing tool for businesses to connect with and support their favorite nonprofits.

“We built MTDN to connect people who share the same passions for making a difference and to educate, motivate and inspire greater social entrepreneurism through stronger life-changing communities,” said Jon Biel, CEO and co-founder of MTDN. “We believe we can all do more than is currently being done to improve the quality of life on our planet and we’ve witnessed –firsthand – that people and organizations that do good, feel good. We’re honored to be of service in helping others find and fund their passions.”

If your nonprofit is looking to jump-start or expand your online donation program and leverage the power of a cause-oriented social network to connect with existing and potential supporters, then Make The Difference Network may be just right for you.

MTDN offers a FREE Basic Membership to all qualified US based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

Benefits for Your Nonprofit

Use our powerful Web 2.0 technology to build capacity and better serve your existing supporters and members.
Receive more exposure to new potential donors and supporters.
Generate more direct donations to support specific projects or "Wishes."
Build a powerful, interactive, "Cause-Oriented" social network of donors and supporters.
Attract more visitors to your organization's Web site.

Free Basic Membership Includes:

A Nonprofit Organization Page
5 Wish Pages
The MTDN Direct Donation System (MTDN Does NOT take a percentage of any donation)
A Complete Social Network
The MTDN Video System
Access to MTDN Technology Training

About Make The Difference Network
Make The Difference Network, co-founded by actress Jessica Biel, her father, Jon Biel, Kent McBride and a team of social entrepreneurs, is a cause-oriented, online social network designed to help nonprofit organizations increase donations, increase awareness and extend their reach to a vast community of caring individuals. MTDN empowers individuals to search, select and fund causes that touch their hearts. For more information, please visit www.mtdn.com

Asia's Top Social Enterprises

Social Edge — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Authors of the forth-coming new Asia's TOP book project titled ""Asia's TOP Social Enterprises: How You Can Do Good Profitably" are seeking the contribution of stories from successful social enterprises.

Social Entrepreneurs who have been successful and profitable are encouraged to contact Timothy Chan at Asia's TOP Project website to share their stories and "secrets of success". The goal is to include 10 to 20 successful case-studies.

Book synopsis:
Social enterprises or businesses are no different from any other businesses - to succeed the social entrepreneur need to develop sound business plans, operate with sound management practices and execute with the end in mind and manage the enterprise as profitable as possible.

This book explores the NEW thinking in managing social enterprises - that is managing it profitably while doing good. In the old thinking, the primary objective of a social enterprise is to maximize social impact thus the generation of revenues are secondary. As a result, many social ventures don't even quite generate enough revenue on their own to be self-sustaining. The NEW thinking is that social enterprises have both a social and financial bottom line accountability and responsibility and that projects must be designed with performances metrics to measure and achieve both, concurrently.

The "New Thinking" social entrepreneur should strive to build more than just a socially beneficial products or services. They should build SOLUTIONS with sustainable social impact. To meet this mission social entrepreneur must be able to resolve both the social and economic problems and yet be financially profitable. Margins and profitability are the fundamentals because social enterprises like any enterprises need cash to bring to the community workable and quality first world solutions at affordable price. Profitability also ensures sustainable employment and income opportunities for the locals especially for people at the bottom of the pyramid, so to speak.

Read more.

World Fair Trade Day

Social Edge — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

World Fair Trade Day is an international celebration of Fair Trade internationally, with events organised worldwide. On and around the second Saturday of May every year, IFAT member organisations based in 70 countries, along with Fair Trade shops and networks, host events including Fair Trade breakfasts, talks, music concerts, fashion shows and much more, to promote Fair Trade and campaign for justice in trade. Fair Trade products from marginalised communities in the majority world, including coffee and tea, clothes, jewellery and beautiful handicrafts will be showcased on this day. Many events continue throughout the month of May.

Find events near you.

Download a poster.

2008 Tourism Cares Summit

Social Edge — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Future of Tourism - Color It Green

The 2008 Tourism Cares Summit will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 3-6 and will feature networking, golf, dinner and an exciting new twist - seminars on responsible tourism and how it impacts your business.

Contact Natalie King for more information

2nd International Conference: Third Sector Innovation: Sustainability and Social Impact (TSISSI)

Social Edge — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The WDI and CNU-Brazil Committee are pleased to invite you to take part in the second international conference “Third Sector Innovation: Sustainability and Social Impact” (2nd TSISSI). The focus this year is to continue to raise the profile of the valuable work of social enterprise leaders across Latin America, to share best practices and cases of social innovations in the areas of Innovative Financing Startegies, Human Resources Strategies, Sustainable Social and Economic Opportunities through IT and Models of Cross-Sector Partnerships.

Sharing those experience will help NGOs to realize the benefits of integrating some of those innovative ideas not only as a strategy to become more efficient, but also to become sustainable and enhance social impact.

The International conference will bring together leaders in the field to provide greater attention, definition and legitimacy to social innovations with the objective of NGO`s in Latin America to achieve sustainability and enhance social impact; to share practical lessons learned and encourage regional exchange of common experience among them and their supporters in Latin America.

The conference will include round-table paper presentations, learning-by-sharing session and technical assistance provided through training sessions on relevant topics such as business plan development, strategic, financial and human resource management, marketing strategy, communication or social capital and networking. The topics for the technical assistance sessions will de determine based on the indications of interest of the NGO’s at the time of registration. The sessions will be led by the IGESC staff and top University of Michigan Business School faculty. Participants should be affiliated with a civil society organization (CSO) located in Latin America.

Questions can be directed to Andréa Shpak, NGO Alliance Coordinator at the William Davidson Institute, ashpak@umich.edu or Mariana Sabino, comunicacao@cnu-brasil.org.br

Pangea Day

Social Edge — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Pangea Day Mission & Purpose

Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film.

Why? In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.

The Pangea Day Event

Starting at 18:00 GMT on May 10, 2008, locations in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked for a live program of powerful films, live music, and visionary speakers. The entire program will be broadcast – in seven languages – to millions of people worldwide through the internet, television, and mobile phones.

The 24 short films to be featured have been selected from an international competition that generated more than 2,500 submissions from over one hundred countries. The films were chosen based on their ability to inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person's eyes. Details on the Pangea Day films can be viewed here.

The program will also include a number of exceptional speakers and musical performers. Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, musician/activist Bob Geldof, and Iranian rock phenom Hypernova are among those taking part.

Attend an event near you.

Host an event.

Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit 2008

Social Edge — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Microcredit Summit Campaign and Gema PKM Indonesia will co-host the Asia-Pacific Regional Microcredit Summit 2008. We invite you to join the top leaders in the fight to end global poverty.

Click here to Register Online Now!

Clinton Global Citizen Award Winner to Speak at Summit
Fazle Hasa AbedMr. Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC and 2007 Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Award winner, is confirmed to attend and speak at the conference. Mr. Abed will speak at the plenary session entitled Building Financial Systems that Work for the Majority: Local Currency Borrowing, On-Lending Savings, Autonomous Credit Funds, and Appropriate Legal Framework as well as at the Council Meeting for Practitioners and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Summit Highlights
Muhammad Yunus2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank, will participate in the conference! Join other leaders in the field of microfinance by registering today!

The Detailed Agenda has been updated with confirmed speakers including Mr. R.M. Malla (SIDBI, India), Mr. Md. Shafiqual Haque Choudhury (ASA, Bangladesh), Mr. A. Ramanathan (NABARD, India), Ms. Roshaneh Zafar (Kashf Foundation, Pakistan), Mr. Gregory Casagrande (SPBDF, Western Samoa), Ms. Anh-Tuyet Dinh (Binhminh CDC, Vietnam), and Mr. Fahmid Karim Bhuiya (Pact Myanmar, Myanmar). The Detailed Agenda will be updated weekly with newly confirmed participants.
Click here to see the Detailed Agenda now.

MoHo 2008

Social Edge — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

MoHo is a ‘creative chaos’, a house in California that brings together 70 participants from a variety of backgrounds for 7 days to innovate together on 4 important issues affecting the world:
• “Digital gap”, bringing information to those who cannot access it.
• Understanding how social networks trigger the innovation process in the Silicon Valley.
• Energy for the bottom of the pyramid
• Access to health care for everyone, etc…

Participants will include:
• MBA students from Stanford and ESSEC Business schools
• Engineers from Stanford and Centrale Paris
• Designers from Strate College
• Venture Capitalists, bankers and top managers from leading companies in Europe and the USA
• Artists, athletes and journalists
• You?

Why participate?
• Be part of a unique experience
• Create knowledge for public good
• Network with key Silicon Valley professionals
• Learn to work in diverse teams on real tasks
• Represent your country, university or firm

To participate in MoHo, visit www.le-moho.com, and get in touch with MoHo programme coordinators.

MoHo will create an immersive environment where project teams regrouping the previous competencies will finally meet and work together on innovation ideas. MoHo will allow participants to collaborate with each other on a whole new level, to share knowledge, to build networks and above all, gain a better understanding of each other’s interests and how social blending can pave the way for true innovation with high potential for socio-economic applications.

MoHo was born of a French innovative product incubator - the “Création d’un produit innovant” (CPI) program - organized by ESSEC Business
School, Ecole Centrale Paris and Strate College Designers since 2005. CPI aims to encourage innovation and cross cultural integration
amongst students from different backgrounds. It brings together engineers, designers and MBA students around a common goal: invent an
innovative product for a partnering client company (big or small) in 6 to 9 months.

TEDAfrica 2008

Social Edge — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:15:00 -0700

What if Africa had no borders? What if her boundaries extended as far as those living in the diaspora, or even further? What if you could fly directly from Cape to Cairo, Lagos to Luanda, Bujumbura to Abuja? Or what if you could drive to every city and every town and every village? What if the Internet was a reality for every African? What if you could call the world from atop the Kilimanjaro, or from deep in the forests of the Congo? What if a lingua franca was spoken and understood by every African? What if we could halve the number of poor Africans by 2015, or eradicate poverty altogether someday? What if there was a cure for every disease and the average African could live beyond the age of 33? What if Africa embraced innovative thinking, and in the process, reinvented her future?

What if we build the Africa we want? And what if the whole world could take another look and see Africa through the eyes of Africans? What would you see?

The TEDGlobal 2007 conference in Arusha, Tanzania, gave us a picture of Africa that many were not aware of. We saw how people on the continent are now taking matters into their own hands and redefining their future. TEDAfrica 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa, will take this discussion a step further and give us a glimpse of that unfolding future.

Architects, biologists, designers, musicians, economists, healers, entrepreneurs, philosophers, poets, adventurers, astronomers, storytellers, scientists and many others, will share experiences and reveal new possibilities. In the process, they will bring to life visions of what this complex yet incredibly exciting continent is becoming.

Expect the famous TED serving of profundity and challenge. Sprinkled, naturally, with a bit of African magic and wonder.

Attendance at TEDAfrica 2008 is by invitation only. Like at any TED conference, we put as much consideration into the composition of our audience as we do in the quality of our speakers. In curating the audience, we look for individuals who come with curious minds and willing hearts, ideal ingredients for meaningful connections. To be considered for invitation, please take the time to fill in the form online.

TEDAfrica Fellows

Places at TEDAfrica 2008 are limited, but we do want to include everyone who has an important contribution to make. The TEDAfrica Foundation will identify and invite 50 deserving candidates most able to contribute to Africa's future, regardless of their ability to pay. We will offer them conference fellowships covering travel, accommodation and attendance.

Click here to apply

AIDS Vaccine 2008 Conference

Social Edge — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

We are pleased to tell you that plans for the AIDS Vaccine 2008 Conference are well underway. As you will see from the preliminary program we have attracted some of the leading names in the vaccine field to the meeting. Dr Stanley Plotkin, who developed the rubella vaccine and is the author of "Vaccines" a standard textbook, will be giving one of the opening plenary talks together with Dr Alan Bernstein from the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and Dr Malegapuru Makgoba from the University of KwaZulu Natal. We will have 10 state-of-the-art plenary lectures covering all aspects of HIV vaccine research and including a few speakers from outside the field. There will be a number of Symposia, Roundtables and Special Sessions as well as two Debates on current controversial topics. There is no doubt that the AIDS vaccine field is at a turning-point and we hope that this meeting will help to stimulate new ideas and new directions.

Abstract submission opens on March 10th and will close on May 7th. You will be informed of the outcome by 20th June. Late breaker abstracts open on August 18th and close on the August 29th. We plan to convene around 8 oral sessions and 1 late-breaker session from submitted abstracts that receive the highest scores from the reviewers. Some abstracts in selected topics will be chosen to be part of the poster discussion groups. Posters will be on display throughout the Conference with 2 dedicated poster sessions during the Conference.

In order to encourage young investigators and those from developing countries to attend the meeting we are making a large number of International Scholarships and Travel Awards available. Five young investigator awards will be announced during the Conference to scientists under 35 years of year who submit the strongest abstracts.

To apply for a Scholarship or Travel Award or New Investigator Awards, apply by May 7 by completing the application at http://www.hivvaccineenterprise.org/conference/2008/awards/index.aspx

IST-Africa 2008

Jill Finlayson — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:56:27 -0700

IST-Africa 2008 takes place 07 - 09 May 2008 in Windhoek, Namibia. Part of the IST-Africa Initiative, which is supported by the European Commission under the IST Programme of Framework Programme 6 (FP6), IST-Africa 2008 is the third in an Annual Conference Series which will bring together delegates from commercial, government & research organisations across Africa and from Europe, to bridge the Digital Divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice.

IST-Africa 2008 will focus on Applied ICT research topics addressing major societal and economic challenges, which is part of the European Commission's Information Communications Technologies (ICT) programme. The programme combines strategic keynote presentations, technical and policy papers, case studies, workshops, an exhibition and social activities.

The Advance Programme is available online and in PDF format. All participants should complete registration prior to the event via Online payment registration

IST-Africa 2008 will be officially opened by Honourable Nangolo Mbumba, Minister of Education on behalf of His Excellency, Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Republic of Namibia and closed by Dr. Libertina Amathila, Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia.

Other Keynote Speakers confirmed to date include Honourable Joel Kaapanda, Ministry of Information Communication and Technology, Namibia; Honourable Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa, Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Tanzania; Honourable Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa; Honourable Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Uganda; Honourable Dr. Sally Kosgey, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Kenya (tbc); Senior Representative, African Union Commission, Ethiopia; Mr. Remigious Makumbe, Acting Chief Director and Director of Infrastructure & Services, Southern African Development Community; Mr Antti Peltomäki, Deputy Director-General, DG Information Society and Media, European Commission, Belgium; Mr José Manuel Silva Rodríguez, Director General, DG Research, European Commission, Belgium; Dr Hakim Elwaer, Director, HRST, African Union Commission; Dr John Mugabe, Director, NEPAD S&T; Ms. Aida Opoku-Mensah, Director, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Ethiopia; Dr. Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Division of Science Policy and Sustainable Development, UNESCO and Ms Magda Berhe, The Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions.