At the European Venture Philanthropy Association conference in Madrid last month, I met an interesting social entrepreneur named Andreas Heinecke.  He is passionate about overcoming the barriers between “us” and “them” and creates exchange platforms that immerse people in worlds very different from their own. 

I have heard great things about one of his platforms called “Dialogue in the Dark” where participants are guided by blind people to experience an exhibit of darkness incorporating various communication interactions.  He has incorporated this at places such as the World Economic Forum where powerful leaders from around the world communicated in the dark and could not rely on visual communication.  “Dialogue in the Dark” has allowed over 4 million people in 19 countries the experience of being out of sight for an hour, several hours, or longer.  (Although there is no comparison, some friends from Acumen Fund and I went to dark dining at a restaurant in NY where we were blindfolded our entire meal. It really was a good way to put yourself in the realities of the blind).

So when I met Andreas last month, he told me about a new invention of his called “Scenes of Silence” here where I live in Geneva.  I went to check it out and found it quite interesting—for 50 minutes, we were led by a deaf person as our guide into various rooms with exhibits that help teach you to communicate without using sound.  There is even a little silent bar where you can sit with others and have a drink while communicating on an electronic screen.  It was fun, so I recommend it to others who may be visiting Geneva soon.

When it comes to fashion, there is an exciting wave of social enterprises pushing the boundaries to spark responsible, ethical and fair trade consumerism.  And not a minute too soon... I watched a news report the other day on yet ANOTHER sweatshop allegation for the fashion company, the Gap.  Britain's Observer went undercover in Delhi, India finding Gap suppliers using children between ages 10 and 13 in conditions “close to slavery.” 

Anyone who has seen the film, Mardi Gras: Made in China, has been confronted with the inequalities of globalization as the the film humanizes the commodity chain from China to the United States. It follows young workers from the largest Mardi Gras bead factory in the world, providing insights into their economic realities, self-sacrifice, and dreams of a better life, and the severe discipline imposed by living and working in a factory compound.  Flashing video from Mardi Gras festivities, the film opens the blind eye of consumerism by visually introducing workers and festival-goers to each other.  To watch the excerpts of the film, click here.

Bringing the producer and consumer closer to understanding each others realities is powerful.  Two companies I have learned about recently are giving consumers that powerful choice to get quality fashion AND improve the lives of the producer.

MADE, is a company producing jewelry and accessories.  All MADE products are designed by influential designers, then sourced and created within disadvantaged communities across East Africa.  Following the principles of fair trade they train local artisans in new skills, providing fair wages and support at every level.

People Tree has been pioneering Fair Trade Fashion for a decade with market share in Japan and the UK.  People Tree works with some of the most marginalized people in the world by supporting 50 Fair Trade groups in 15 countries who are growing cotton, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, stitching etc.   They have top notch designers and have ecologically sound methods of production to minimize environmental impact.

Neither of these companies are charities.  These are businesses providing the consumers with fashionable products while helping to break the cycle of poverty and empower producers.  Good resources for your holiday shopping!
 

Many of us are asking ourselves, "how much is enough and what do I need?  What really makes me happy?"  We know we complicate our lives with consumerism and the comforts of “more”, but somehow seem trapped in it.  I’ve been fascinated by the buzz about Happiness research over the last two years which compares data on wealth, education and marital status with results of happiness surveys.  What they are discovering (surprise, surprise) is that money actually doesn’t make you happy, but in fact, relationships and social interaction have a much higher correlation with happiness.   

As the holiday season comes into play, I thought you all would enjoy this video called “What about me.”  

Much more to come on this happiness topic…

When I was in Kenya a few months ago, my friend Wendy Mukuru handed me an article in the Sunday Nation newspaper that was really powerful. The article was titled, “Being Poor in Kenya: a life of insults.”   The author, Sunny Bindra,  paints the picture of life being poor and opens up with: ‘Who would anyone want to be poor in Kenya? We treat the poor no better than chewing-gum stuck to our shoes.’

He goes on to describe the hardships of falling ill and navigating your way through a system when you are poor.  He continues with:

“Poverty is Problem Number One in Kenya. We can lose ourselves in all the fancy discourse we like; it doesn’t go away. The chattering classes can analyse the likely political scenarios in December; they can discuss how many tourists are coming to Kenya this year; they can have forthright debates on Tony Blair’s legacy…  If they lifted their noses from their glasses and closed their mouths for a moment, they would see that they are a tiny minority, an affluent little island of fun surrounded by a heaving, seething sea of abject misery…There is no easy answer to this problem. A certain amount of poverty is inevitable, after all. But to strip a large part of the population of all esteem is inhuman and unforgivable.

The causes of poverty are complex; its solutions have many dimensions. Better health, better education, better opportunities are pre-requisites. A thoughtful approach to economic participation is necessary... But more concern, more awareness, more sensitivity is within each person’s grasp. A poor person is just you with less money. Step one is to realise this”.

He points to a few important things.  One is the simple “I am you.  You are me” philosophy that if we can put ourselves in the shoes of others, all benefit (even if we think we are better off).  His other point is why I believe in the market-based approach as one strategy to solving poverty- it brings dignity and voice to the poor, who are producers and consumers in their own right.  They are the ones who know what they need and want most—so mechanisms which help producers and providers understand the needs and true realities of their experiences are the most powerful mechanisms to change.

To read the full article, click here.

I then came across a very cool video on Youtube about two men in Nairobi who are providing a mobile phone service from their wheelchairs.  I have no idea if this is legit, but I loved the idea as it represents so many creative ways that people are making a life and income for themselves.

One of the most interesting social enterprises I learned about in Tanzania was APOPO.  Apopo trains sniffer rats to detect explosives and diagnose disease. This unusual idea has been developed into a competitive technology by a group of Belgian and Tanzanian researchers and animal trainers.  What an exciting solution because as many of you know, dangerous landmines are a significant issue in many countries and detection processes can be slow and expensive.  In addition to the landmines, rats are now being used to sniff out tuberculosis.  Below you can find a short video describing their work in detecting mines left over from the Mozambique civil war.

A new site was launched last week that I have really found interesting.  The MDG Monitor shows how countries are progressing in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the 2015 target date fast approaching, it is more important than ever to understand where the goals are on track, and where additional efforts and support are needed, both globally and at the country level.

The MDG Monitor is designed as a tool for policymakers, development practitioners, journalists, students and others to:
TRACK progress through interactive maps and country-specific profiles
LEARN about countries' challenges and achievements and get the latest news
SUPPORT organizations working on the MDGs around the world

...on another related exciting note, the World Bank also released the African Indicators Report on Wed, which showed that several African economies are now showing signs of the positive growth needed to end decades of poverty, poor growth and stagnation in the continent.  African countries had recorded strong growth between 1995-2005, reversing the trend of economic collapses and stagnation between 1975-1995.

When I moved to Geneva recently, I was quite shocked (and I must admit, entertained) at the sight of a recent controversial political campaign poster.  As you can see, there is a white sheep standing on the Swiss flag, kicking the black sheep off.   The largest political party, the Swiss People’s Party, created this poster to drive home their election platform against immigration.  Now this sure didn’t make me feel any more welcome, and it certainly made me consider the aftermath of this for many legal, law abiding immigrants in any county who usually are important forces in supporting the economy in many ways for generations to come. 

Don’t the other white sheep look bored in this poster? 

So, I was glad to get a phone call from David several days later, who founded the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRR) http://www.tnimmigrant.org   For eight years, David has been working to try to build bridges between immigrants and native-born Tennesseans. The purpose- to build a welcoming environment for immigrants and prevent a resurgence in the kind of racism we saw in the Jim-Crow, segregationist South. Immigration brings out fears, and fears lead to intolerance and xenophobia if not addressed.

According to him (and the obvious example above), the same fears experienced in the South are growing in Europe.  So, he has been developing tools that bring together people who thought they were anti-immigrant with immigrants themselves.

TIRRC has a project called "Welcoming Tennessee" which is half public relations campaign, half community organizing campaign. The goal- change people's hearts and minds about immigrants and then demonstrate with scientific polling that you have improved the climate for immigrants in a specific geographical area. This program is becoming a national model in the U.S., and from my conversation with David, he would like to export this to Europe.  Would be cool to come back to Switzerland down the road and have the major party with campaign posters that have the black sheep and white sheep together drinking tea.

They were both a part of a group of seven people with disabilities who were hiking the 5895 meter tall mountain. A French company was making a documentary on extraordinary people and they used over 170 porters for a 21 day trek. Seeing the wheelchair reminded me of a great organization once supported while I was at Skoll Foundation, called Whirlwind Women, which empowers women to repair and make their own wheelchairs. I wondered who had made this man`s sporty wheelchair which made its way over the rough terrain so well. He used his arms to peddle the chair and a person pulled him with ropes in front while another pushed the chair as well.

When we arrived at camp with the man in a wheelchair everyone was singing and dancing in celebration of his success for the day. It was great perspective and inspiration for me.

My fellow trekkers (Tanya, Jacob and Tom) and I also sang some songs on the way up Kili, including a common Kiswahili song known as the Jambo Song. While in Tanzania, we decided to have some fun and support a small recording studio managed by my friend Alex, where we recorded a CD of ourselves singing the Jambo Song.

CLICK on the player to listen to this song, or on the link below to download the audio file to your desktop.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Download the Song

As I have reported on this year, AtoZ in Tanzania has been experimenting with private market distribution of mosquito nets, which has entailed partnerships with organizations doing social marketing.  The NY Times highlighted the debate, slashing the idea that social marketing is having an impact on malaria.  Click the link below to review:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/health/09nets.html

We were sitting in a circle, some on logs, some on chairs or on the dirt under the banana trees.  If it weren’t for the chickens running around and the occasional “moo” of a hungry cow, one might have thought that we were in the Supreme Court.  One by one, young and old, people got up to share their opinions, and I couldn’t take my eyes off some of the most eloquent and poised speakers I have ever seen. 

I had the unique privilege of attending the Boma Meeting of a Maasai family.  The Maasai are one of the most traditional tribes in all of Africa, and as pastoral people traditionally, they typically live with several generations of family members together in a group of homes called the Boma.

When a Boma meeting is called, it is Chaired by an elder and usually attended by all members of the family.  It is one of the most fascinating communal problem solving processes I could ever imagine.  This particular meeting was attended by more than forty members of the family and was convened for two reasons.  The first reason was because one member of the family had to attend the funeral of a close friend, but could not afford the bus fare to get there.  The family came together with coins here and there to support her travel so that she could pay her respects.  The second reason was much more involved.  An uncle who some described as the “drunkard uncle” had evidently wrestled with a land rights issue for over ten years and was now being threatened by someone who claimed that he had some land to them.  They had thus threatened to curse the entire family and generations to come if the land was not given up or money provided to them.  In a fascinating display of debate and family discussion, the Boma meeting went on for hours as each member of the family came up with solutions to solve the situation.  Some suggested renting the land and giving payments, selling the house on the land only; others warned of the dangers of giving up the land now since the Boma would then have non-family members living nearby…others feared for the children of the “drunkard uncle” who would not have a place to grow up and pass down.

In the end, they had heard from everyone and constructed a well-rounded solution that most agreed to follow.  I have never seen such an amazing display of community and family connection in my life.  It made me wonder what would happen if all my cousins, aunts, uncles, far removed relatives got together to figure out a problem I was going through, what kind of person I would be knowing that the support system is so closely engaged. 

If there is anything that this story should tell us, it is that the solutions to most problems are in the people who know them best, so listen carefully and understand the mutualism in the situation.           

Two weeks ago I hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, and I had six days of `pole pole`(slow in Kiswahili) hiking to reflect on life, death, and that in-between feeling that altitude sickness brings when you are more than 5,000 meters above sea level.

One of the things I reflected on was how the kindness of Tanzanian`s has renewed an important part of me.  What I am talking about is that part of people which tends to become less generous, less trusting, less patient and just harder-edged with age and experience.  After living and working with social ventures in Peru, India, South Africa, UK, Tanzania and Kenya over the past few years, I had begun to put up a bit of a shield which made it easier to deal with overwhelming and tragic realities in front of me.  Once the kind of person who tried to help everyone, I had become a bit less generous when I saw people on the streets asking for help, trying to justify in my mind that my work in social entrepreneurship was the best way to help in the long run.

Then, about three months ago, my Tanzanian friend Ben, reminded me that the little acts of generosity, even when surrounded with hardship you are unsure how to tackle, make a difference in life and are worth it.  We were walking on the road to the hospital in Arusha and we came across a man with no legs who was in the street as cars drove by within inches of him.  He dragged his body across the gravel road with his hands, making his way down the street so slowly and with great difficulty.  Although my heart hurt seeing this, I decided to walk past him saying to myself that I can`t help everyone.  Then, Ben, who has seen great struggle in life and who was probably thinking the same thing as everyone ignored the man with no legs, said to me, “Did you see that man?  Where could he be going like that so slow?  He must be in pain.” 

Ben turned back around and talked to the man, who had sweat dripping off his brow and who spoke through a mouth with only a few teeth.  The man had crawled several kilometers to visit his sick friend in the hospital.  Obviously very poor, this man incurred great pain and expense to come all this way alone... just to check on a sick friend.  We helped him get transportation home, and although he was thanking us, I didn`t know how to thank HIM enough for reminding me what it means to be generous and loving human being.

He and Ben reminded me that although we must continue to focus on our strategies and activities for solving poverty and changing the world, we must never get too hardened to take up the small acts of kindness which make us special and show us that the world is bigger than our own bubble of issues.  What fortune to allow our lives to be so useful on many levels.

This year, the exclusive TED conference (Technology, Entertainment and Design) was held in Arusha, Tanzania.  Some of the world`s great leaders and thinkers gathered to discuss Africa`s next chapter, and I made my way to a few mtgs there.

The TED Africa highlight was certainly the delicate delivery of the conference conclusion by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria`s former Finance Minister.  She painted the picture of a hopeful foundation on which Africa can build--unlike the stories of corruption, violence and instability highlighted in the news. 

Just like many of the social entrepreneurs in the Social Edge community, I have thought a lot about the complicated dimensions of Aid and development in Africa, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala sliced up the debate on Aid vs Trade so well stating that “Aid cannot solve our problems, but can be a facilitator.”  She emphasized the need for infrastructure investment to ensure the success of programs in health and education.  She also encouraged leaders to put resources into the hands of women, citing an econometric study showing that resources for women result in healthcare, education and household investments.

The most powerful part of her speech was her story of the near-death experience of her three year old sister from malaria and her journey to find a doctor.  I encourage you to click the arrow below to listen to her speech as she asks:

“What are YOU going to do to support development with all:  Aid, Government, Private Sector and the African as an individual.”

Acumen Fund has invested in a chain of pharmacies called Medicine Shoppe which has recently decided to launch a clinic pharmacy model in low income communities in India.  Click the arrow below to learn more about how this multinational company is taking top of the pyramid strategies to the base of the pyramid markets with the Sehat model.  My colleague in the Fellows programme, Nadaa, has made a great video which explains their work.  One of the things I found most interesting about Nadaa's work was that the pharmacies were originally very flashy with glass doors, clean shelves, air conditioning, etc.  They found that the low income community they were trying to serve was actually very uncomfortable with such amenities- even though the cost of the drugs and clinic visit were the same as others in the area and even better quality (because they sourced generic pharmaceuticals from international suppliers and had fully qualified doctors). The design and marketing of the clinics and pharmacies have made a huge difference in gaining the trust of these markets in the slums of India.  They had to redesign the pharmacies to cater to the experience that the low income market was used to having. 

Last week’s Economist magazine featured a series of articles on global poverty and takes a critical look at the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and their impact on poverty thus far.   Acumen Fund has been mentioned in the article on healthcare (“More Money Than Sense”) with reference to our investment in AtoZ.  AtoZ is the company I have been working with in Tanzania this year.  Click the titles below to read:

More Money Than Sense, Are We Nearly There Yet?, The Eight Commandments.

There she was.  In a polka dot shirt listening intently to the headphones perched on her slicked hair.  Pauline Nyiramasuhuko. Rwanda's Former Minister for Women's Affairs.  I watched through a glass window as a slow tennis game of translation for the trial proceedings of the Butare case occurred in Arusha, Tanzania,  last week in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ("ICTR").  Pauline is accused of using her official capacity to incite Hutus to rape thousands of female Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda Genocide- the first woman to be charged with rape as a crime against humanity by an international tribunal.

She ruins the suspicion that I have had for many years that somewhere along embryonic development, the Y chromosome seems to alter good judgment when it comes to greed and the power of political and corporate leadership.  Yep, there is a part of me that always wondered what the world would be like if it was led by (official) female leaders?  Would leadership influenced by the maternal instinct translate into a more peaceful world?  Right now in the US election race, we are wondering, would Hilary lead America into unnecessary war…how would she handle conflict and peace issues if she was President… would she do anything about the genocide in Sudan?

The World Bank announced a report on 14 June stating that women politicians are less corrupt.  "Some studies undertaken on women in public office have indicated that women could move countries into shying away from corruption and towards good governance," said Dr. Shimwaayi Muntemba, the gender adviser of the World Bank.  "Studies indicate that women in business are less likely to pay bribes to government officials."

As a woman, I would love to believe that we just naturally are more ethical leaders.  As a feminist, I am not so sure it has as much to do with genetics as it does with historical experience of oppression.  See, as a feminist, I believe that we are pretty much capable of achieving the same goals as men…and by the same means.  Humans are humans- capable of the wildest possibilities given equal opportunity and access to resources- proven not only by Pauline’s accused atrocities in Rwanda, but also by the amazing strong ethical fibre of the many female leaders who spoke out in action against genocide, against slavery or against apartheid.

As I sat there in the courtroom, 13 years after the genocide in Rwanda, watching the expensive process of justice being carried out, I wondered what difference it is really making.  Are others deterred from conducting massive genocide because they see that leaders in Rwanda are now being held accountable by the international community?  Is this process making any difference to those in Sudan who are actively choosing to slaughter other human beings?  If not this, then what other options do we have to show the crazy people in power they cannot mass murder and get away with it?

More information on the International Criminal Court can be found by clicking here.