Great story about a kid in Nigeria building helicopters in his back yard from scrap metal and old engines. I would have will personally charge in to declare him a social entrepreneur worthy of Ashoka's fellowship if he gets beyond the time worn cliche "We don't reward talent in this country."
The idea is just step one. Are you ready to really make that idea a reality? Are you ready to really work hard to make sure that your idea helps as many people as possible improve their lives? Or are you just sitting there passively waiting for someone to "reward" you?
Mohammed Bah Ahmed is a role model that the young Mohammed should emulate. His ingenious pot-in-a-pot cooling system has won awards because he distributed it widely and cheaply and thereby demonstrating its potential social impact.
You have an idea. Do you have the obsessive determination to make it the idea?
I found Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing's interview in the Los Angeles Times' Calendarlive.com an inspiration. I found her real and accessible, not a goddess but a earth mother. A role model especially for women in Africa what ever their ethnic and racial pedigree. I shall read all her books and find out more.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
HURRAY! THE CITIZEN'S PRESIDENT
Hear ye! Hear ye! The Citizen's have raised their voice and spoken! Al Gore is officially the Citizen's President! Two Oscars, an Emmy and the Nobel Peace Prize! Its a clean sweep!Let me put it into perspective for you,
Right now Al Gore has more power to determine the future of the citizen sector than he has or will ever have. If he decides to contest for the presidency he will lose in status and power, not gain
He has popular support. He has instituional citizen sector suport. He has the ears and eyes of the world. He is bigger and sexier than Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan combineed. He has Hilary Clinton in the White House!
He has credibility. He has influence globally and does not need to indulge in the horse trading that defines global diplomacy and politics.
The Draft Gore campaign says "America and the Earth need a hero right now, someone who will transcend politics as usual and bring real hope to our country and to the world." He has transcended politics and this is a significant moment in the politic history of our times.
Wouldn't it a great to see his movie An Inconvenient Truth adapted to local audiences in Africa and shown to the people? And have them marketed as aggressively in Africa as in the US and in Europe? And wouldn't it be great if a local producers made a movie about our own experience of climate change and our solutions to the threat?
How about signing up to Current TV , Gore's global network of television stations? Isn't this an awesome opportunity to ensure that the African voice is heard in the global discourse? How can we ensure that the state run propoganda stations don't monopolize this high visual impact space?
This is a moment for the citizen sector and social entrepreneurs to step in and act. This is not just A Green Tipping Point, it is a tipping piont for the citizen sector. And Gore's soldiers are from the citizen sector.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
EARLY EDUCATION
The Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) launched the National Policy for Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) and IECD Minimum Standards for Early Childhood Centres in Nigeria.
Its great to know that Nigeria finally has a policy on early child education. One long term approach to our numerous economic and social challenges is education.
Only a population capable of critical thought can question the assumptions that have allowed corruption and bad leadership to continue to plague us and retard our development.
With a policy in place what we need now is a number of citizen sector organizations to actualize it. How will it work at the grassroots? How will standards be set and maintained?
If you think that the public sector can do that then think again. Endemic corruption ensures that no public sector project achieves its potential.
The business sector is profit oriented and as a result has the tendency to be exploitative when adequate sanctions are not enforced. The citizen sector despite its flaws is in the best position to achieve high impact results.
I really look forward to seeing a professional corp of citizen sector workers giving creative consideration to how we can use this policy to bring high impact results to the greatest number of people.
Its great to know that Nigeria finally has a policy on early child education. One long term approach to our numerous economic and social challenges is education.
Only a population capable of critical thought can question the assumptions that have allowed corruption and bad leadership to continue to plague us and retard our development.
With a policy in place what we need now is a number of citizen sector organizations to actualize it. How will it work at the grassroots? How will standards be set and maintained?
If you think that the public sector can do that then think again. Endemic corruption ensures that no public sector project achieves its potential.
The business sector is profit oriented and as a result has the tendency to be exploitative when adequate sanctions are not enforced. The citizen sector despite its flaws is in the best position to achieve high impact results.
I really look forward to seeing a professional corp of citizen sector workers giving creative consideration to how we can use this policy to bring high impact results to the greatest number of people.
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