Chicago Idealist Network

Meeting Report from Sunday

2007-05-01T09:36:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone... our third meeting was a small one, especially compared to the great turnout last time. Maybe it was the weather, or people had already made other plans. In any event, we talked about the strengths of the group as well as the areas that we wanted to develop.

We all expressed a desire to see "something come out of the group" -- there's so much potential that remains to be tapped. Specifically, trainings and workshops were proposed as one concrete activity that we could initiate to better use the skills of the individuals who make up the Chicago Idealist network. There was also a desire to forge links between the city and the suburbs, broadening the reach of our network and bringing in more resources.

The Google Group seems like the best way to have a discussion about these ideas. There's a new topic called "what's your agenda?" for everyone to share their vision for the group.

And mark your calendars for the 4th meeting!
May 20th, 2pm, at Loyola.

Meeting on Sunday!

2007-04-26T18:05:00.000-04:00

A few reminders:

Chicago Idealist Net Monthly Meeting this Sunday, April 29, 2pm

WHERE: Loyola University - Water Tower Campus
25 E. Pearson - Rubloff Reception Room
Chicago, IL 60611

Socializing, networking, nonprofit news/issues, developing the identity and goals of this budding group, & whatever else you might want it to be.

Prelim meeting goals:
- Taking a look at Idealist.org's free resources- a tech training of
sorts (pending projector setup and who can make it)
- Organizing to represent at the Sudan Freedom Walk and US Social
Forum
- Planning some social events/speakers
- New projects - share your ideas/needs!

Also check out http://groups.google.com/group/chicagoidealistnetwork for discussion and events posting (on our google calendar). It's really the best way to share info, but I'm afraid a lot of people don't have email delivery set yet to 'digest' or 'daily', so they're just not getting the news. In case you want it, check out your email delivery settings! If not, this email is just a friendly reminder...

Also, we've set up a facebook group called 'chicago idealist network' (about 66 strong so far..). If you're on Facebook.com, check it out.

Interested in helping to facilitate this meeting or direct any specific projects, post it on the google group!

US Social Forum June 27-July 1st in Atlanta, GA!

2007-04-20T11:23:00.000-04:00

Chicago already has 10 organizations signed up to go and is looking to
spread the word throughout the midwest. If individuals on this list
were interested in going, I believe we could send you under a group
rate. The next price cutoff is March 1st, so let's talk about it
soon. There's also a few busses being organized by the Midwest
mobilization team, based here in Chicago, so individuals and groups
may be a part of that as well.

USSF is also accepting proposals for workshop presentations, if any
groups would like to present.

Visit http://groups.google.com/group/chicagoidealistnetwork to get involved in these conversations.

Google Groups started

2007-03-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

Chicago Idealist Network has started a Google Group!

groups.google.com/group/chicagoidealistnetwork

If you were at earlier start-up meetings and I have your email address, I'll be sending you an 'invite' for the group in the next few days.

The group was created as a way to more effectively create dialogue within this growing network of people, so we can better connect, get input and share resources.

The Google Group will also allow for link sharing, file uploading, and events posting. It's in first stages and is quite ugly and empty, but go ahead and sign up and we'll get started!

dave

Conference opening ceremony and concert open to all

2007-03-21T01:28:00.000-04:00

Check out details for this weekend's conference opening ceremony and concert:

http://www.idealist.org/en/event/98078-132

'The opening ceremony, beginning at 7:00p.m., will feature keynote addresses by Ami Dar, the founder and executive director of Idealist.org, and Stephanie Nyombayire, a Rwandan student who represents the Genocide Intervention Network. Chicago-based DJ Man-o-Wax of the Hip Hop Congress and a crew of local breakdancers will also perform at the ceremony.

At 9:00 p.m., we kick off the conference with a celebratory concert featuring spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai (of Russell Simmons' HBO Def Poetry) and the Afro-Diasporic Groovalicious Funkadociousness of Soulfège. Bring your dancing shoes! "

The Hip Hop Congress is an excellent agency: http://hiphopcongress.com

The ceremony and concert should be a good time and are open to all Chicagoans, free of charge I believe. Check it out if you're in the area!

Round 2 Meetings UPDATE

2007-03-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

We'll be having a start-up meeting March 24th, 4-6pm, at Depaul University Loop Campus if you'd like to come out, share ideas and meet some interesting folks. Since the meeting is in the same time as place as the Idealist Campus Conference, I believe some Idealist staff will be around to meet and chat as well.

You can find details about the meeting and register here:

http://www.idealist.org/en/event/97889-63

I've added driving directions to the location over to the right on the blog's 'categories' section.

We're expecting a full room, so if you have friends or co-workers that may be interested, have them sign up soon.

Some of you have already registered and posted a little note about why you're interested in the meeting. Unless you object, I'm going to send those blurbs out to the group right beforehand, just so people can get an idea of who'll be there and who they might want to connect with.

We're also still looking for someone to present a poster about our growing Chicago Network at the Conference. Details are below- feel free to get involved with this at the conference and meet other Idealists from around the country!

Volunteers Needed - Chicago Idealist Campus Conference

2007-03-12T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Idealist is looking for a few people to create and present a poster for the Campus Conference coming up March 23-25. They'd like us to talk about our Start-Up meeting and, in general, talk to Chicagoans about getting involved with our group. I've included the description from Idealist.org below,as well as the link if you have additional questions.

Please email me (ktlorenz(at)gmail.com) by Friday 3/16 if you're interested in taking on this project!

Thanks!
Katie

http://www.idealist.org/en/ioc/conference/2007/play/poster.html
Poster Session Guidelines
The Idealist Campus Conference includes several opportunities for participants to share their work and ideas with one another. One of the most exciting opportunities is the poster session that will take place on the morning of Friday, March 23, 2007. Selected presenters will showcase their projects, programs, and innovative ideas to connect their peers and other campus community members to the issues they care about most.

We suggest that poster presentations include the following components:

Purpose & Background: Place your work in context
Goals: Clearly define the stated aims and objectives of your work
Process: Describe the steps involved in preparing for and carrying out your work
Findings: Give a brief synopsis of the results of your work (or anticipated results, if your work is still in progress)
Next Steps: List some of the next steps for the project (changes, improvements, expansions, etc.)

It might also be helpful to keep these suggestions in mind:

Remember that pictures, tables, and figures are amenable to poster displays
If you can, use color in your visuals
Make sure your lettering is neatly done and is large enough to be read from a distance, i.e., do not simply pin up a set of typed pages
Indicate the title of your poster in large letters (1" high or 72 point); the smallest text on your poster should still be large, around 3/8" high (24 point)
Provide handouts that those browsing the displays can take with them
Don't overwhelm the viewer with excessive amounts of information; rather, construct a poster display that enhances conversation
Be ready to pin up and take down your poster at specified times
Be sure to bring thumbtacks with you

Poster displays:

Posters will be displayed in the concourse of the DePaul Center at DePaul University on Friday morning during conference registration, immediately proceeding the first Co-Op Group session. Poster display tables will be assembled and set up in the designated area and the name of each presenter, along with the title of their poster, will already be attached to a pre-assigned table. Each poster presenter will be responsible for setting up her/his own display at the designated table and for removing it before the start of the all-conference welcome on Friday afternoon. No liability can be assumed for loss of or damage to material. The tables will be six feet long, and there will be no electricity provided.

Round 2 of meetings!

2007-03-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

There will be a start-up meeting March 24, 4-6pm at Depaul University's Loop Campus.

Chicago is a hotbed of compassionate citizens, groundbreaking social service work and community resources. Thanks to Idealist.org, otherwise unconnected individuals can come together to discuss our next step within this growing network, and meet some interesting people in the process.

Some of you were at earlier Chicago start-ups. For this meeting we'll be on Depaul's campus in the midst of the Idealist.org Campus Conference. I hear we may have some special guests from the conference stop in on our meeting!

NOTE: The meeting will NOT be March 18 as it says on our Idealist.org posting, but will take place March 24, 4-6pm. Please disregard any automated emails that remind you about the March 18 date! (the website wouldn't let us post for March 24, but it's all been cleared through Idealist.org for March 24, which IS when we're having it!)

This meeting is for:

Anyone interested in imagining a better world and a better Chicago.

Anyone interested in meeting interesting people and throwing around ideas.

Anyone looking to get the word out on projects they'd like to push.

Anyone involved w/ nonprofit organizations or considering volunteer work/careers with them.

(to register for the meeting, go here: http://www.idealist.org/en/event/97889-63)

Co-op facilitation at the Chicago Campus Conference

2007-02-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

If anyone is interested in facilitating a co-op group at the March 23-25 Chicago Campus Conference, check out the information below. I know a few folks from our Sunday meeting have already applied. Deadline is Thursday Feb. 22nd!

From a recent email:

Idealist.org is actively seeking students and professionals with a range of experiences to facilitate "co-op groups" during this year's Idealist Campus Conference to be held in Chicago from March 23-25th. We thought you might be interested in this opportunity. Co-facilitators will participate in an in-depth, day-long training hosted by the world-renowned Highlander Research and Education Center. This training will provide facilitators with the tools necessary to help participants identify their role in building a better world and will serve as an invaluable professional development opportunity for facilitators.

To apply, please visit:
http://www.idealist.org/en/ioc/conference/2007/play/facilitatorapps.html

Please note that the conference registration fee will be waived for the selected facilitators and food and hotel will be covered during training (evening of Thursday, March 22nd), but facilitators will be asked to cover their own travel and lodging for the duration of the conference (Friday-Sunday). For low-cost travel and lodging options, please visit:
http://www.idealist.org/en/ioc/conference/2007/logistics.html

Looking forward to hearing from you!

The Idealist Campus Conference Team

To learn more about the Idealist Campus Conference, please visit:
http://www.idealist.org/conference2007

For information about other ways that you can play a role in this year's conference, please visit:
http://www.idealist.org/en/ioc/conference/2007/play.html

To find out more about the Co-op Groups, please visit:
http://www.idealist.org/en/ioc/conference/2007/program/coopgroups.html

Southwest Side Meeting a Success!

2007-02-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who braved the freezing temperatures to venture to the Southwest Youth Collaborative for Tuesday's start-up meeting. We had a nice time getting to know each other and discussing the Idealist mission. We even watched some video clips from other meetings!

Personally it was really great to have people coming from Chicago neighborhoods far and wide to see what the meeting had in store for them. We discussed where we all were coming from, what resources we knew of and what we were looking to get out of it all. Whether looking to change the world, learn a specific skill, take a first step into community involvement or just meet new people, I think everyone came away with a new connection or two.

Regarding the Idealist 'Imagine' campaign, we're going to look into promoting utilization of Idealist.org resources from the volunteer and organizational perspectives by word of mouth advertising and by contacting organizations to let them know about the abundance of resources offered by Idealist.org. We would also like to build this blog as an online meeting point for this 'network' of community members and a collection of Chicago community resources.

See you at the next meeting!

Third Chicago meeting planned

2007-02-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

Date: February 8, 2007
Location: Black Beetle, 2535 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60622, United States
Start time: 6:00pm
End time: 8:00pm
Organizer (idealist user): Dawn
Host Organization: WorldChanging Chicago

A mesage from the host on Idealist's website:

The local edition of WorldChanging posts about today's solutions for a greener, more livable Chicago. We wanted to open up our blog team social to any and all Chicagoans interested in Idealist's mission and the topic of sustainability.

This meeting is for:
Anyone interested in WorldChanging Chicago's goal of promoting today's solutions for a greener, more livable Chicago and/or Idealist's mission of building idea-sharing networks centered around sustainability and community.

See What Chicago Idealists Are Saying

2007-01-26T19:15:00.000-05:00

Visit the "What should we discuss?" post and add to the conversation about meeting and action ideas!

Click here:
What Should We Discuss?

About the start-up meetings

2007-01-23T00:37:00.000-05:00

Join us during the week of February 5-11 to help launch a global network of people who want to change their communities and the world by connecting people, ideas and resources in every possible way. Read about this idea and see how people are responding to it all around the world.

The Chicago Idealist Network blog is a gathering space for Chicagoans interested in getting involved! We'll be posting helpful information about the Chicago start-up meetings, campaigning Chicago-style, and welcoming discussion around how to best carry out the Idealist.org/Action Without Borders campaign.

We're hoping this site will help the Chicago chapter of the campaign grow its wings and formulate strategies. Feel free to share ideas, resources and articles.

What should we discuss?

2007-01-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

Please tell us what you think could be on the agenda for our first meetings. We don't want to take over the meetings, rather to provide the sharing space for everyone's ideas.

By clicking on the "comments" option below, you can contribute to the discussion. You don't have to sign in with anything, so feel free to just leave a name or click 'anonymous'.

Two start-ups are planned!

2007-01-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

We're happy to announce two meeting times and locations to make participating in the campaign more possible.

We want to accomodate everyone that wants to particpate. So...

Option 1:
SOUTHWEST SIDE
DATE: Tues. Feb 6th
TIME: 7:15-8PM
WHERE: The Southwest Youth Collaborative
6400 S. Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60629-2830

Option 2:
DOWNTOWN
DATE: Sun. Feb 11
TIME: 2PM - ?
WHERE: Rubloff Reception room, Loyola University Water Tower Campus
25 E. Pearson
Chicago, IL 60611-2045

If you'd like start another meeting where you live, by all means, go for it. If you'd like to help us host one of these, email us!

The first Chicago start-up has been confirmed!

2007-01-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

As part of a world-wide campaign during the week of February 5-11, join us February 6, 7:15pm at the Southwest Youth Collaborative to help launch a global network of individuals who want to change their communities and the world by connecting people, ideas and resources in every possible way.

Sponsored by Idealist.org and Action Without Borders, this meeting will provide a space for the Chicago chapter of the campaign to grow its wings and generate strategies. Check out chicagoidealist.blogspot.com for campaign updates, resources, and discussion."

Continue to check back for updates on Chicago meetings and ways to get involved.

Driving Directions to Loyola University Water Tower Campus

2007-01-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

Try this link to Google maps for driving directions to the Loyola University Water Tower Campus, 25 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611

Loyola University Water Tower Campus on Google maps

See you there!

Directions to the Southwest Youth Collaborative

2007-01-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

Try this link to Google maps for driving directions to the Southwest Youth Collaborative at 6400 S. Kedzie Avenue.

Southwest Youth Collaborative on Google maps

You can take the Orange Line south to Kedzie Avenue, then take the Kedzie bus south to the Collaborative at 64th St., or take I-55 southwest to the Kedzie Ave. exit, turn left after the off-ramp to take Kedzie Ave. South to our building on 64th, which is on the right and covered in mural art.

Welcome Friends!

2007-01-21T00:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your interest in helping out! Membership doesn't take much- whether reading up, commenting or taking action, simply participating in the movement is a great first step.

Tell everyone a bit about yourself and why you want to get more involved in what Idealist and many others are trying to do by clicking 'comments' below and leaving a message.

Directions to Depaul University Loop Campus

2006-03-18T22:46:00.000-04:00

Directions to:

E. Jackson Blvd. Room # 7305, Chicago, IL 60614, Chicago, Illinois, 60614

Driving from the North and Northwest: take the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94), exit at Jackson Boulevard, and turn east. The Loop Campus is approximately 1 mile from the expressway on Jackson Boulevard.

Driving from Indiana and Michigan: take the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94), exit at Jackson Boulevard, and turn east. The Loop Campus is approximately 1 mile from the expressway on Jackson Boulevard.

Driving from the South: take the Stevenson Expressway (I-55), and then change to I90/94 west to Wisconsin. Exit from I-90/94 at Jackson Boulevard and turn east. The Loop Campus is approximately 1 mile from the expressway on Jackson Boulevard.

Driving from the Lake Shore Drive (North and South): Exit Lake Shore Drive at Jackson Boulevard and turn west. Proceed to Michigan Avenue (100 east). Turn right on Michigan Avenue, go one block to Adams Street (200 south) and turn left. Go one block to Wabash Avenue (50 east), turn left, and go one block to Jackson Boulevard.

Driving from O’Hare Airport (20 miles): Exit airport on highway I-190. This merges with I-90 east, about 2 miles from the airport. Then I-90 merges with I-94 about 5 miles later. Continue on I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) into downtown Chicago. Exit at Jackson Boulevard, and turn east. The Loop Campus is approximately 1 mile from the expressway on Jackson Boulevard.

Driving from Midway Airport (10 miles): Exit airport. Turn left at Cicero Avenue (Illinois Route 50). Go north approximately 2 miles to Stevenson expressway (I-55).

Right turn (north) onto Stevenson. Continue on Stevenson and change to I-90/94 west (to Wisconsin). Exit from I-90/94 at Jackson Boulevard, and turn east. The Loop Campus is approximately 1 mile from the expressway on Jackson Boulevard.

Taking Public Transportation: The CTA provides elevated train service from Downtown Chicago to both of Chicago’s airports. From O’Hare, take the Blue Line to the Jackson stop. From Midway, take the Orange Line to the Library stop at Van Buren and State.

E. Jackson Blvd. Room # 7305, Chicago, IL 60614, Chicago, Illinois, 60614

Contact Us

2006-01-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

If you would like to contact the organizers of this site and the Chicago start-up meetings directly, you can do so by logging into Idealist.org and sending us a message through our profiles:

Katie - suggestions, ideas for meeting organizing
http://www.idealist.org/en/userprofile112600-146

David - suggestions, ideas, resources to add to this blog
http://www.idealist.org/en/userprofile112520-189

And feel free to comment here on this page as well by clicking 'comments' below and leaving a message.

How This All Got Started

2006-01-23T00:54:00.000-04:00

A letter from Idealist.org's Ami Dar:

Can You Imagine a Better World?

Welcome again! On this page we invite you to imagine a better community and a better world, and to see how we can build it together, starting right now. Click on the photos to see what people are saying about this project, and then take a moment to see why this is needed, how it will work, and how you can get involved. And on the week of February 5-11, join us, wherever you are, to help launch this initiative with a series of start-up meetings around the world. Thank you!

1. What do we mean by a better world?
2. The challenge: so many missed connections
3. The opportunity: we have so much in common
4. How? Like stores and libraries
5. Some solutions
6. Getting started
7. What you can do right now

1. What do we mean by a better world?

We want to live in a world where all people can live free and dignified lives, where any person who wants to help another can do so, and where no opportunities for action and collaboration are missed or wasted.

That's the vision, the ultimate goal. To get closer to it, we believe that:

All over the world there are many people who share similar values, dreams, and challenges.
With all the tools we have now, we can communicate like never before.
If all of us had more opportunities to connect and work together, online and face-to-face, in neighborhoods, villages, schools, and workplaces, the world would be a different place.

How different? We don't know, but together we can find out.

TOP

2. The challenge: so many missed connections

Photo by Alvazer

There is a good chance that right now, on different floors of an apartment building somewhere in your country, two people are looking out their windows and wishing there were a garden or a playground below instead of a dirty lot. But acting alone can be difficult, and in many neighborhoods, both rich and poor, there is no way for people to know that they are not alone—that down the street, or two floors above or below them, there may be others who would gladly work with them if they only knew where or how to find them.

This problem is part of a bigger challenge: to get involved in our community, most of us need a few things in place. We need some hope and some trust, a minimum of freedom, and access to others who may want to work with us. In addition, we may need more information about the problems we want to solve, stories and ideas from people who have dealt with similar issues, and options for action that make sense to each of us.

Some people have access to all this, but many others do not. As a result, millions of opportunities for action and collaboration are missed every day. Think only of one neighborhood, one school, or one village you know, and of how much more could be done there with the available resources. If you then add up these unfulfilled possibilities all over the world, the picture that emerges can be both exhilarating and heartbreaking. Here are some more examples:

With over six million NGOs and nonprofit organizations working on every possible issue, most social and environmental problems have been tackled somewhere in the world. Unfortunately, many organizations with great programs lack the means to reach everyone who needs them.
In any school, children of all ages may have good ideas about how to improve their school or their community, but these ideas are seldom heard, and these students may have no way of connecting with one another.
In every large company there are people who care about human rights or the environment, for example, or who would like to help their business get more involved in their community, but in many cases there is no way for these people to find one another throughout the company.
Across the Internet, thousands of online newspapers bring us news that can sadden or anger us, but very few have a link that says: "Click here to do something about any of these issues."
Every day thousands of international flights take off with empty seats. Why not carry some volunteers who want to spend a year working in a different country?

This sense of unrealized potential is one engine driving this project. The other is a conviction that working together across our differences we can do something about it.

TOP

3. The opportunity: we have so much in common

Photo by Bossa67When athletes from all over the world get together for an international competition, the differences among them are clear. They speak different languages, and they come from a variety of ethnic, political, and religious backgrounds. Yet despite these differences, they all have much in common. They all want to win, they all want good weather and a good field to play on, and, most importantly, they all agree on the rules under which their respective sports should be played.

Similarly, there are now many people all over the world who, regardless of language, religion, or politics, agree on the basic rules within which the human game, in all its variety and diversity, should be played. These rules, which reflect how most of us want to be treated, have been beautifully expressed in countless essays, declarations, and laws. But in order to define a common ground on which to work together, we can distill them into just a few sentences:

Working with others, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect, we want to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.
In pursuing this goal, we do not engage in violent or illegal action, or in any action against a person or group on the basis of race, origin, nationality, religion, language, gender, sexual orientation, or physical or mental ability.
Most social and environmental problems have many possible solutions, and what works in one place might not work in another.
Patience, empathy, and laughter often help.

There have always been people who have taken this approach to life. The difference now is that we can reach out to one another, cut across the borders that separate us, and quickly build a network of people and organizations that want to act locally, think globally, and share what they can with others.

TOP

4. How? Like stores and libraries

Photo by KatrinskayaActing, thinking, and sharing are good words, but how can we all work together when each of us might approach things differently? How do we make the most of the skills, resources, and ideas that all of us have to offer, while accepting that we may not always agree on everything? To find this balance, and make as many connections as possible, we can borrow four principles from the worlds of stores and public libraries. These are:

A broad goal: Libraries help people read more books; stores connect us with products we need (or not).
As much choice as possible: Hundreds of novels; different kinds of products.
A few rules: You return your books so that others can read them; you pay before you leave.
Impartial service: Most librarians and shopkeepers don't force you to read the books they love or to buy the products they like, but they do support everyone's right to read and to choose

When we first built Idealist in 1995, we used these principles as follows:

A broad goal: To help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.
As much choice as possible: Tens of thousands of organizations with a wide range of approaches and points of view.
A few rules: No one can use Idealist to promote violent or illegal action, or any action against a person or group on the basis of who they are.
Impartial service: While Idealist offers a platform for people and organizations to connect with one another, it doesn't favor any issue, opinion, or organization over any other. The only exception is that we strongly support the right of people everywhere to work together, legally and nonviolently, for the improvement of their lives and their societies.

Over the last ten years, these principles have been tested widely. 65,000 organizations in 190 countries have registered on Idealist, and millions of people have connected with them. These numbers are encouraging, but they represent only a fraction of what we could achieve together. To do more, we can apply these principles to a much wider set of solutions.

TOP

5. Some solutions

Photo by MickipediaIf we go back to the building with those two neighbors looking out their windows, how can we make it easier for them to connect, first with each other, and then with any organizations that want to work with them? One way to do this would be to have a Community Point in every neighborhood and village that wants one, where, at the very least, people can put up a note on a bulletin board and see who responds. Depending on local conditions, community points could take different forms. For example:

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They could have a permanent physical location (at a local organization, school, community center, or house of worship, or in a coffee shop, store, or library), and use email and the web wherever possible as additional ways to serve their community.

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Alternatively, they could exist mainly online, and use a variety of places in the neighborhood for regular face-to-face meetings.

In any case, once a community point is set up, it could remain simple—a bulletin board on the wall or online, and nothing more—or it could gradually provide all of the following services:

A meeting place, open all day or two hours a week, where you can come to exchange ideas, suggest and plan a project, give or take a class, find the resources you need to help yourself and others, or simply find someone to water your plants while you are on vacation.
A new way for organizations of every kind to reach your community and work with you according to local needs and priorities. Just as your local grocery store lets suppliers of toothpaste, milk, and coffee reach many more people than they could ever reach by themselves—while allowing you to try a variety of products without having to call or visit every supplier—so community points can make it much easier for "suppliers" of human rights, preventive health, and economic development, for example, to reach and be reached by the people who want to work with them.

Health

Human
Rights

Economic
Development

Various
Other Groups

Community
Point

The opportunity to share ideas, information, and resources with people facing similar challenges in other communities, whether in the same city or on another continent.
The intangible but crucial feeling that we are not alone—that in our neighborhood, and all over the world, there are others who understand and support what we are doing.

The details, then, will vary from place to place, but imagine if in a year or two, no matter where you are, you could visit a local community point and immediately feel at home. Regardless of language or culture, you'd find people and organizations offering their community the widest possible range of projects, services, and opportunities, while sharing ideas and resources with people all over the world.

Applying these principles more widely

At the heart of these community points is the idea that if two or more people share a common goal and have a way to meet, good things will often follow. If this is true for neighborhoods, towns, and villages, it can also apply to schools, universities, companies, and other institutions. Here are a few possibilities:

School clubs

Imagine if in any school two or more students with a similar idea for a good project could always find each other within a few days. To get to that point, we need a place and a time in every school where everyone can meet, supported, if possible, by a friendly teacher and by every organization that wants to serve the school and its students.

Campus networks

In many colleges and universities there are a variety of student groups working on a wide range of issues. What is often missing is a strong network to connect and promote all of these groups, bring more outside opportunities to the campus, and link the school in a variety of ways with the community and the world around it.

Workplace initiatives

These could include, among many other ideas, helping connect people within companies (or in any other workplace) who want to work together on any issue; using the company's web site to help employees and customers find new ways to get involved; helping companies of all sizes find a local organization to support; and connecting businesses with peers in similar industries who have found cleaner or safer ways of doing their work.

Joint promotional campaigns

Photo by RJL20Most nonprofit organizations want to reach more people, but very few have the financial means to promote their work to a wide audience. So why not do this together? Just as some countries attract more tourists by promoting their country as a whole (instead of one hotel or one resort), imagine a series of advertisements—funny, creative, not preachy—in a variety of media, promoting action and collaboration around the world, and referring people to a web site or a telephone number that can help them find a good opportunity. To get started, in the next few weeks we'll use Idealist to invite people everywhere to produce short videos with their own ideas (guidelines coming soon) and post them online for everyone to share.

Community summits

Lastly, to tie all this together, imagine convening "community summits" of local business, media, and civic leaders, where each of them would be asked to do one small thing to help people get involved in their community. (The media, for example, can donate advertising space, while the phone company promotes a local help line in its monthly bills, and an association of small businesses invites each of its members to find and support a local organization.) The challenge is to do this in one or two places, and to demonstrate that the concept can work—that if you can get many of these actors in one room, and ask each of them to do one relatively small thing as part of a bigger picture, they will tend to do it. Later this year we'll try to do this in New York and Buenos Aires (and in any other city that wants to jump in), and share what we learn as we go.

All of these ideas complement and reinforce one another, and all of them are based on the same four principles: a broad goal, some rules we can all agree on, impartial service, and as many opportunities as possible.

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6. Getting started

So how do we do all this? How do we encourage more ideas to bubble up in neighborhoods, villages, and schools, and then connect all those people who might want to implement them? How do we make sure that if a retired doctor wants to volunteer for a year wherever she is needed most, a good place can be found for her? How do we make it easier for any company, large or small, to find and support a local organization? And how do we enable any organization launching a new project—for women or children, better crops or fewer landmines—to work directly with hundreds of community points in the countries it wants to serve?

To start, imagine that you woke up one morning and every telephone and computer on earth was unplugged from the wall. To make all these machines work again, and bring the whole network back to life, three or four billion people would have to plug their phones and computers back into the wall. But before this happens, think about that moment when everyone would be holding a plug in their hand, right before connecting again. At that point there would be no network at all, no one could communicate with anyone else, and yet the whole thing would be so close to coming together.

The situation we are in right now is very similar to that moment. We have in our hands everything we need to create a global network of people who want to build a better world, but to get there, we need to reach out, connect, and plug in. More specifically, here are some of the steps we can take to make this happen:

Invite people and organizations all over the world to start building this network by signing up, reaching out to others, and shaping and following this story as it evolves.
Meet face-to-face, wherever we are, to think and talk about how we can create more connections between people, ideas, and resources in our neighborhood, village, school, or workplace. (More details about these meetings below.)
Create local outreach teams of people who want to help make these connections wherever they live, work, or study.
Go beyond the web by using different methods (flyers, posters, radio programs) to reach people who may not have access to the Internet.
Try a variety of ideas—from community points to school clubs to community summits—and learn as we go.
Do all this in as many languages as we can.

As we take these steps, more ideas will come up, and many more things will become possible. But the goal won't change: working together, we can help a build a better world—a world where more people can live free and dignified lives—by connecting people, organizations, and resources in every possible way.

Wherever you are, you can help make this happen, and together we can gradually change how all of us think about what's possible in our lives and in our communities. In a world with competing visions, finite resources, and unintended consequences, there will always be limits to what we can do about our social and environmental problems. But these limits aren't fixed. We can do more with a telephone and a computer than without them, and more in a country where people are free to speak and write, than in one where they are not. Today, with the resources and the accumulated experience at our disposal, we can push these limits farther than ever before. How far? Let's find out.

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7. What you can do right now

There are many ways you can get involved, but to start, these are the most important:

Attend or host a start-up meeting in your neighborhood, school, or workplace during the week of February 5-11, and let us know how it goes.
Post a comment by logging in below. Once you log in, you can create a personal profile on Idealist, and sign up for email alerts with new opportunities that match your interests and location, or to hear about new start-up meetings as soon as they are posted here.
Invite other people to take part in this initiative. Think of everyone you know who might be interested, email friends and colleagues, and post a message on any online forum or mailing list where this would be appropriate.

And most importantly, keep in touch. We are not a big organization, but we will read every email you send us, and we will be updating the Idealist homepage every few hours with news, questions, ideas, and comments. We can't predict where all this will go, but we can promise you that we will be as transparent as we can every step of the way. Thanks for reading this, and for taking this leap of faith with us. We look forward to working with you.

Take Advantage of Idealist.org

2006-01-20T22:56:00.000-04:00

If you only have a minute to cruise over to Idealist.org:

Find: people, organizations, jobs, volunteer opportunities

Share: invite friends and colleagues to join us here

Donate: make a contribution to support this work

Follow this story: make Idealist your home page; get an RSS feed

With a bit more time:

Imagine: imagine a different world, and see how we can make it happen

Post: list your organization on Idealist

Join: an outreach team, a community point, an affinity group

Link: display content from Idealist on your website

Invite: set up a startup meeting in your community