What is the value of the work we do?  How do we measure that value?  Are salaries commensurate with the value of our labors?  I would wager that many would say “no.”  I certainly would.

We can talk about the comparatively low salaries for our public school teachers in comparison to the pay scale for professional athletes; or the institution of a minimum wage to counteract the inability of markets to provide income equity for the least able members of the work force.  But what I want to know is, if we were to develop a new system, a system that awarded value to jobs not just based on economic terms, but also for their social and environmental benefit to society, what would that look like?  And how do we get there.

Enter The New Economics Foundation (NEF) and their report called  “The Value of Work,” released last year around Christmas time.  “For the first time, NEF is attempting to put a value on what different types of employment are ‘worth’ to us as a society…In doing this we hope to throw light on the disparity between the way our society rewards certain activities that might have little social benefit and disincentivises others that have far greater social benefit. Not only are people encouraged to pursue a bottom line no matter what cost (e.g. sell a mortgage to someone they know can’t afford it) but the jobs that may be the most socially and environmentally destructive may be attracting the best and brightest staff at the expense of other professions.”

The report uses valuation techniques to track and measure the social, environmental and economic value that six professions produce – or in some cases undercut.  It also sets out to bust some myths associated with the subject, like:

• We need to pay high salaries to attract and retain talent
• Workers in highly paid jobs work harder
• The private sector is more efficient than the public sector
• Pay always rewards underlying profitability
• Some jobs are more satisfying, so they require less pay

I’m curious, how about you?

I’m trying to imagine what it would look like if salaries were based on a more holistic measure of the benefit to society.  Would garbage men be the new millionaires? Or teachers?  Would cinema stars find themselves making minimum wage (no judgements here about the actors; I love the movies. I’m just speculating)?  What are the benefits to society for various professions, professions that go unobserved and undervalued, but are of tremendous use to us all?

“The research will also challenge our notion of what constitutes ‘value’ and suggest mechanisms for measuring a broader and richer set of costs and benefits that are not captured in the bottom line. It seeks to disrupt the link between pay and status and draw attention to the impacts of different kinds of work that are often hidden behind paychecks. This will go beyond the usual emphasis on nurses and teachers to jobs that often go unnoticed.”

If you’re interested, go check out their article.  You can download it from the site for free.  NEF has tons of other interesting studies and reports released from their site.  Some that consider the implications of changing the global workforce to work a 21-hour day, or a toolkit for making active choices to change your energy use habits for the better.  It’s a pretty tremendous resource, and all of it available to the public for no charge!

Saludos,

Megan

Green My Parents

I read an interesting article recently from one of the New York Times blogs about an environmental program geared towards harnessing the immense energy and tenacity of children.  It’s called Green My Parents.  As they state on their site, GMP, “is a movement that activates & enlists kids to lead their families in measuring & reducing environmental impact at home & ‘challenge’ their parents to share savings with kids.”  The effort was just launched this past Earth Day, and now has a presence on Facebook and Twitter, trying to spread the word to young people and their parents all over the globe.  I love the way the GMP empowers kids to take a more assertive role in decisions at home, leading the way for their families.  Sometimes we need the optimism and creativity of the next generation to help push us towards the innovative and oft-traveled paths.

Many of the GMP tips are focused on countries like the U.S., where infrastructure allows for many of the changes they suggest.  However, a few tips are applicable for other contexts. I would love to see GMP chapters pop up in other countries around the globe, adapting the format for local and regional needs and opportunities.  It could be a great global community project, all pioneered by kids!

This same blog also brought me to the TED site again to watch a short speech given by young dynamo, Adora Svitak.  Svitak is no stranger to speaking in public, despite her young age (12 years old).  In this TED video, she posits that adults need to encourage “childish thinking”: “bold ideas, wild creativity and, especially, optimism.”  Unhampered by past experiences, Svitak points out that kids tend to dream big; and perhaps our job as adults is to (1) learn from that example, and (2) create environments to encourage and incubate those big ideas.

Spring is a great chance to foster your child-like dreams, or those of a child you know and love.  The weather is warming up and new energy is in the air.  How can you take that natural vitality that Spring has to offer and approach a task with “childish” optimism and ingenuity? Or can you enlist a young person you know to collaborate with you in a personal project, or one in your community?  You might find the exploration rejuvenating! 

Cheers,

Megan

Some folks over at MIT are in the midst of creating a pretty interesting tool for mapping STUFF.  It’s called SourceMap.  You can check it out here.  The basic idea is to know where the things you use and consume come from–to understand the impact of your purchases.

SourceMap is still an evolving research project.  It has some bugs, which the developers are pretty upfront about. I for one, am in love with the idea!  Think about it: “Some things have vast supply chains that stretch across the world while others are completely regional. Understanding the reach of our sourcing is fundamental to improving economic, social and environmental conditions.”

Getting Started with Open Supply Chains from Matthew Hockenberry on Vimeo.

What do you think?  Why not head over to SourceMap and plug something in.  Then share with us what you learned!  And if you are having any trouble viewing this video on our site, feel free to head over to the source (ha!) and take a look at it directly; here’s the link. The more access we have to information about what we consume, the more control we have to affect the world around us, I think.  SourceMap can be one of many tools to help us along the way.  So go play!

Saludos,

Megan

Not too long ago I caught a great blog (or re-blog, rather) from Colin Beavan, the writer and “star” of the No Impact Man documentary I posted a bit ago. The discussion of a single payer health care system was the impetus for Beavan’s musings.  And while I know that a public health care option can be a divisive issue for many–I think some of the lateral points Beavan makes in his blog are worth sharing.

Exchange of Love, from No Impact Man site

“[The] economic policy in the modern world is generally about strengthening the bonds between corporations and individuals, rather than the other, potentially more meaningful, relationships.” Beavan points out that our relationships with corporations and the private sector are important–that’s where we get our jobs, our health care, our retirement funds, among other things.  That forms a pretty dependent relationship.  However, when the economy goes sour, and things get tight for both individuals and corporations, that same relationship can’t sustain itself.  As we can see from what’s happening around us today–layoffs happen, companies shrink, growth tappers off–and corporations make decisions to survive that can be very detrimental for individuals.

“Meanwhile, because we have invested so much in the relationships with  corporations, the other relationships are weakened, which means that they can’t provide sustenance when the corporate bond breaks. Why would neighbors help neighbors when they barely even know each other?”  It’s a question worth asking.  Are our bonds within our families, communities and neighborhoods weakened by our growing dependence on the private sector to provide what we used to look for internally?

I think about this a lot living here in Mexico.  I met an American family the other day that has recently moved down here to spend two years abroad in Oaxaca.  They had two simple reasons for the move (1) The parents wanted their 8 year-old daughter to learn another language, and (2) They wanted to expose her to the Mexican family identity.  Here in Oaxaca (and in much of Latin America) the bonds between families are very strong.  As an example, most children live at home until they are married and in a house of their own. Grandparents, aunts and uncles often live under the same roof, or within a few blocks.  And everyone eats supper together, every day.  While certainly there can be some drawbacks in that kind of familial dependence, you can also see the benefits.  Families help each other, depend on each other.  And even when things get rough–and they very often do here–most people have their families to count on.  I remember when I first moved to Mexico and mentioned to a neighbor that I was looking for work; she said, “Well, even if you can’t find work, you’ll never go hungry here.  Your neighbors won’t let you.”  In a system like Mexico, where corruption at high levels, massive poverty and marginalization can make for an extremely challenging and fluctuating environment, people have learned to depend on each other heavily within their family units.  I wonder how much stronger that system could work if it extended beyond just our families, to our neighbors, our communities, our region.

Beavan continues, “So what if, instead of investing government money only in corporations to bolster that bond, President Obama also invested in strengthening local community and familial relationships? Suppose he invested in local farming and local business and general strengthening of bonds between people at the proximate level? If he did that, when the crises came, and the corporations shrunk, wouldn’t that mean that we might have the relationship with family, friends and local business that allowed us to rely on each other? Wouldn’t that mean, too, that even if the boom money went away, we would still have the enduring satisfaction and support of a strong community?” Food for thought!  Thanks to Beavan for raising some good questions.

I’m going to let Beaven’s ideas help remind me today to reinforce those relationships I have with my own community–my family, the schools I’ve attended, my neighbors, my work colleagues, the guy from whom I buy my milk every week, this community here at HarmonyWishes.  When times like these squeeze us tighter, it’s good to remember to lift up our heads and look outward for help–help we’re able to give and receive.  We may be surprised by what’s out there.  And if HarmonyWishes can help you do that “reaching out” then make sure to drop by and find an uplifting image that can help you reconnect; that’s what we’re here for!

Cheers,

Megan

Well folks, the Ides of March is just around the corner; it’s hard to believe.  I imagine a lot of you are already steadily in the pursuit of your New Years resolutions–or perhaps just about ready to let them fall to the wayside (if you’re anything like me). So now that we’re well into 2010 perhaps it’s a good time to for assessment. With resolutions we often look back, and then forward to consider “how am I,” and “where am I headed?”

So, how are we doing?

I ask this question a lot with my co-workers. We work for a non-profit here in Oaxaca, and often talk about how to measure need, resources and impact in our work-big factors for any organization to consider. We’re frequently asking “How are we doing” and “How can we improve?” More recently we’ve started chatting about how to answer that question; meaning, how do we measure how we’re doing? How do we measure our impact on communities, families and individuals with whom we work? Some organizations understandably use profitability as a measure of success. But is profitability always the appropriate measure of progress? In a recent article in Time Magazine Judith Schwartz discusses whether GDP (for instance) has become an obsolete measure of progress and success. “The GDP, generally expressed as a per-capita figure and often adjusted to reflect purchasing power, represents the market value of goods and services produced within a nation’s boundaries. Sounds reasonable. Until we consider what it doesn’t measure: the general progress in health and education, the condition of public infrastructure, fuel efficiency, community and leisure.” Schwartz uses as an example the rising costs of health care-which can be a major strain on families and individuals-but actually boosts the GDP.

So, what is an appropriate measure of progress? At the Hub in Oaxaca we’ve started talking about well being-and how our work affects the well being in our community. Well being, as a measurement tool, was previously considered mostly inside academic circles. But more recently it has expanded outside that realm as many are realizing the faulty nature of gauging success and impact by one bottom line, profit. “‘You tend to get what you measure,’” says Gus Speth in Schwartz’ article. “‘So we’d better measure what we want.’ In other words, to a certain extent we are what we count.” Luckily, today there are a number of indices used to measure progress in a more holistic way.

Happy Planet Index

There is the Human Development Index (HDI), which the UN uses in its Development Programme; it takes into consideration standard of living, life expectancy and literacy as indicators. There’s also the Genuine Progress Indicator, “which incorporates aspects of social welfare such as income equity, pollution, and access to health care.” Another index that is drawing a lot of attention these days is the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The HPI utilizes complex measures like data from Gallup, the World Values Survey and Ecological Footprint to gauge more subjective indicators like life satisfaction. The HPI considers “the degree of human happiness generated per quantity of environment consumed.”

All this talk of well being measures made me think of my own happiness and satisfaction. I’m all for resolutions if they help me get a fresh start towards a goal I value. But this year, after considering all the ways the Hub I work with can measure its work in a balanced way, I started considering my own goals for tomorrow in the similar manner, with balance.

Feb Issue of Yoga Journal

A good friend sent me this wonderful article by Hillari Dowdle in the February issue of Yoga Journal. In it Dowdle talks about the need to balance our goals throughout the year between our varying priorities. Like diverse indicators used to measure the state of our world, Dowdle’s insights offer an opportunity to do the same at the micro level. “It’s easy to get bogged down in the details, in setting goals that relate to how you think you want to look, or act, or be in this world. But consider bypassing all the particulars-the numbers on the scale, the bank account balance, the starting or stopping of habits-in favor of a deeper approach that can reshape your whole life in a positive way.” I like her suggestion to balance one’s life between the poles of dharma, artha, kama and moksha-basically duty & ethics, prosperity & wealth, pleasure & sensual gratification and the pursuit of freedom. Whatever tool you use to set your goals for the weeks and months to come-perhaps it’s worth taking a page from these conversations about well being and progress, and take a moment to reflect on how we’re judging our own progress as individuals. Can we do that with compassion and balance?

For me the holidays and special occasions, like the New Year, serve as a reminder that time has passed-and they mark a moment to look forward and back. Here at HarmonyWishes we hope that our service can help to commemorate, celebrate and mark those moments in your lives. So as you log onto HarmonyWishes this month and send a card out to someone in your circle-perhaps it’s a good opportunity to ask “How am I?” “How are we doing?” “How shall we direct ourselves forward from here?” And send that message of hope and balance out to someone you love.

Cheers,

Megan

It’s 10 o’clock on a Friday night and I’m racing down a four-lane highway, running parallel to the now-defunct train station in Oaxaca. Cars, scooters, trucks with noisy engines huffing exhaust out from dirty mufflers race by on my left side—nothing between my exposed calf and their metal doors but my pant leg. I’m on a bike.

The Streets of Oaxaca

It sounds crazy, perhaps. And in a normal situation I would have been scared for my life—bicycling in a city with zero understanding for any kind of pedestrian or bike traffic. The difference: I am surrounded by one hundred other bikers. I’m on a night ride organized by Mundo Ceiba a local non-profit in Oaxaca started by a group of youth in 2004, working on ecological sustainability in the region. The group started with an idea to plant trees where deforestation was a problem. And after planting more than 16,495 over the last 5 years, their work has expanded to promote alternative urban transit in the city—namely bicycles—environmental sustainability being the common bond. In their own lovely words (a little clunk-ily translated into English on their site): “We look that people get directly involved in these activities and make from these experiences an opportunity to interact with other people interested in generating and supporting an ecological culture that will bring good things for us as a society.”

Night Ride in Oaxaca

That’s exactly what this night ride was—a chance to come out en masse to support and encourage a friendly attitude towards alternative transit in the city. There was a moment, as we screamed down a major thoroughfare, eyes wide in astonishment from those passing by, that I felt very connected to a collective celebration of a different way to do locomote. A system that was sustainable, cheap, easy on the environment, and frankly, in the clogged narrow streets of Oaxaca, a faster way to travel!

Bicycle transit has long been a popular topic for many. One of the most famous (and often contentious) bicycle initiatives worldwide is Critical Mass. Started back in San Francisco in 1992, Critical Mass was just a bunch of cyclist gathering to ride the city streets, where safety in numbers allowed them more freedom to trek a then-unfriendly Bay Area downtown. The first event in September of ‘92 was actually called “Commute Clot.” But after a local screening of Ted White’s documentary Return of the Scorcher about bike culture outside the United States the term “Critical Mass” caught on. In a scene from Return of the Scorcher (which you can watch here in four parts) designer George Bliss commented that both motorists and bicyclists in China shared an unspoken understanding for how to manage intersections without formal traffic signals. “There was a kind of critical mass thing, where all the cyclists would pile up and then go. All the cyclists…turning left in an intersection would wait in the middle until they had enough numbers to force through the cars and make them stop. And vice versa.  And it worked!” Thus, the name of “critical mass” was embraced. Now urban biking groups all over the globe have sprouted up.

I should mention that from what I’ve read Critical Mass doesn’t claim to be an organization, with leadership or a formal body. “In every city that has a CM ride, some locals simply picked a date, time, and location for the ride and publicized it, and thus the ride was born,” states the site Critical-Mass.info. Without central leadership, groups with the name Critical Mass have emerged in various cities.  And some have an inharmonious relationship within their own neighborhoods–using the rides as forms of political protest–that for many has been a source of conflict and friction. However, other rides, like the one I participated in in Oaxaca (which isn’t associated with Critical Mass, incidentally) simply wish to celebrate bike culture in a peaceful and mindful way.  There’s a score of diversity out there amongst urban biking initiatives. As an example, some rides, like the two annual rides in Budapest, Hungary, have up to 80,000 riders, while others are just a dozen or so local cyclists. Is there an urban biking initiative in your neck of the woods?  Here’s one place you can look.

Photo from NUBIJA

More recently, there has been a push around the globe for more than just organized, collective bike rides. Cities and social entrepreneurs have been imagining ways to integrate bikes into existing transit systems—making them more sustainable and accessible. Bike-sharing systems, as they are called, have sprouted up in cities and towns around the world. Andrew Posner on Treehugger.com writes, “Essentially, in a bike-share program bicycles are made available at special kiosks or racks that are strategically placed around a city. Users can access the bikes 24 hours a day, either by inserting a credit card or by paying an annual fee for a membership card. The bikes can then be returned at any of the stations in the city.” It’s like the Zip Car model, but with bikes. Bike-share programs vary from place to place; examples abound in Paris, Mexico City, Washington DC, Buenos Aires, for instance. And while programs have had to grapple with serious challenges, like bike theft—they continue to adapt the model to best suit the locality. I just recently saw this great video on a bike-share program in Denver called B-Cycle made by Good Magazine’s video department:

So it’s official—the bicycle movement is underway! Interested in getting on board? Well get out there, then. The more of us that take the the byways on bicycles, the more we’ll encourage our neighbors and friends to do the same. It’s fun, healthy, economical, eco-friendly and you can get where you want, when you want, all on your own steam. Can you imagine a tomorrow in which you and everyone you know heads to work on a two-wheeler every morn? I can. My ride on the 22^nd helped me imagine that.

Saludos,

Megan

A new documentary was released in September, following a writer and his family as they attempted to live a full year without making a large impact on the natural world around them. No electricity. No toilet paper. No imported foods.  Check it out.

The journey for Colin Beavan and his family continues on his blog.  There you can read about some of his observations and ideas concerning climate change, community, health, you name it!  And if you’re interested in taking a gander at the full length film, the No Impact Project has partnered with the Center for a New American Dream to draw attention to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.  They are screening the movie in communities nationwide, followed by a discussion on “to talk about the impact of holiday spending on [our] lives and the environment.”  You can check out the screening dates and locations here.

Why not send your circle an e-card to remind them about the UN Climate Change Conference this year from December 7th through the 18th?  It’s always a good time to start thinking green!

I love the guys over at GOOD who have been busy making some amazing materials!  By their own definition, “GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Since 2006 we’ve been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn.”  GOOD’s videos can all be found on their website, or many are featured on their YouTube channel here.

I think GOOD does some of the best work around on making statistical information about our world come alive–which is so important. Much like a powerful image, what use is information if it can’t tell a story?  So, in honor of the approaching holidays, here’s a video they made last year on the origins of much of our Christmas products.  Check it out!

I was totally shocked when I saw this video the first time.  It made me wonder from where much of the other things I typically purchase come.  It can be pretty difficult these days to track the origins of what we consume and own–as so much is outsourced globally.  However, the folks over at MIT’s Media Lab, are creating an incredible tool to help us with that very problem. It’s called the SourceMap.

As the MIT folks posit, “Some things have vast supply chains that stretch across the world while others are completely regional. Understanding the reach of our sourcing is fundamental to improving economic, social and environmental conditions.”  The Sourcemap is a tool for use by individuals, or business owners, to understand the impact of the supply chain of which we are a part. It’s a pretty empowering instrument–because it compels us to consider how we make an impact globally with what we consume–giving us the tools we need to make informed decisions.

“[The] site is a social network where anyone can contribute to a shared understanding of the story behind products.” And the MIT developers have made it accessible to all, even creating easy-to-use embed tools so you can use Sourcemap on your own site, for the packaging of products, in your business, anywhere! Go over and take a look.

There’s so much positive energy going into projects like the Sourcemap, or the media work from GOOD. It’s truly inspiring!  Do you have a favorite project that is doing something for the well being of the planet?  Well, tell us about it.  We would love to know!

Saludos,

Megan

The season for giving is approaching. We here at HarmonyWishes are acutely aware of the wake that the giving cycle leaves behind. Did you know that, “according to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans, on average, increase their garbage amount by 25% between Thanksgiving and Christmas?”

Image courtesy www.insidesocal.com

And wrapping paper, which is commonly made from virgin materials is a large part of that outflow—not to mention greeting cards. The folks over at Recycle Works say “we buy 2.65 billion Christmas cards—enough to fill a 10-story football stadium.” Woah.

Given that, perhaps it’s a good time to consider downsizing what we consume and send on. I can’t think of a better gift to someone this holiday season, than a greener, less-cluttered tomorrow! Of course, we would love to see a lot more people take a second look at HarmonyWishes come this holiday season, and consider how our service can help diminish that 10-story football stadium-sized dent. Afterall, it was a concern for a lighter holiday footprint that propelled our founder to start this business.

What if every holiday season was another chance to reconsider what we buy and what we toss away?

In the spirit of that question, allow me to introduce you all to a worldwide project called Freecycle. We’re not just fond of Freecycle’s initiative because they share a similar slogan to that of HarmonyWishes —we also just plain love what they do. Freecycle is a grassroots, non-profit community of people with the mission to “…build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” Freecycle has a series of listservs, divided by location, that act as a central place to post items up for grabs. Think Craigslist, but focused on gift giving, and totally free! Freecycle started out in 2003 when a small Arizona non-profit was providing recycling services to downtown businesses. Rather than see perfectly good items get tossed into a recycling truck to be hauled away, the group ended up calling around to local non-profits to see if the items could be of use. Founder Deron Beal thought, “There must be a better way.” And Freecycle was born!

Freecycle now hosts some 4,852 groups with over six million members around the world. It’s a totally volunteer-driven operation. And in the past year alone, Freecycle claims to have saved over 500 tons of garbage a day from landfills—that’s five times the height of Mt. Everest if the garbage trucks were stacked on top of each other. Double woah.

As Freecycle states it, “By giving freely with no strings attached, members of The Freecycle Network help instill a sense of generosity of spirit as they strengthen local community ties and promote environmental sustainability and reuse.” Not a bad theme for this holiday season, eh? Generosity of spirit, strong local communities, a sustainable environment…sounds like just the kind of thing the holidays are about.

So, go take a look at their site. You can search your own area by zip code.  I was surprised to find a Freecycle Network even down here in Mexico.  And while you’re at it, zip over to our gallery of cards right now and send on with wild abandon! With an unlimited number of card deliveries and a myriad of original combinations, you can make a creative effort towards a green holiday season. Or take a moment to mention our lighter footprint option to your circle. Remember, it’s a conscientious gesture without scrimping on the thoughtfulness of your gift.

May you enjoy a truly green holiday season!

Cheers,

Megan

Good news!  Our die-hard leader here at HarmonyWishes, Meg, recently received word that she’s been accepted as a volunteer Team Leader with Kiva. Congratulations, Meg!  If you haven’t heard about the good work Kiva does to make a difference in the lives of fledgling entrepreneurs around the globe, then take a look here.

Kiva Lending Chart, by country

Or you can even join our lending team at Kiva here. Come help us make a difference in supporting equitable opportunities without borders.  A portion of our proceeds at HarmonyWishes, and your dollars as members (!),  goes to support the efforts of entrepreneurs around the world.  So, feel proud.

Meg’s new post with Kiva got me thinking about some of these “newer” systems of investing and giving.  Micro-lending has become a hot topic of late, especially with organizations like Kiva modeling new ways to help people who are already working to help themselves.  The idea behind micro-lending is to provide financial services to those with little access.  Traditionally, banks don’t often provide those services in poverty-stricken areas; thus, the poor often turn to local money lenders, whose interest rates can be astounding.  In many of the small villages I’ve visited around Oaxaca there are no banks to speak of at all.  People must travel hours away to the nearest city to access bank services.  However, small credit unions and lending companies (not regulated by the State) set up shop, setting very high interest rates on the money loaned.  It can be the only, and often oppressive, option many people have.

In answer to this very real need, organizations like Kiva, Pro Mujer and Grameen Bank are utilizing micro-lending systems to help bring opportunity and financial services to the doorsteps of the poor.

Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank

They’ve got some unique ideas and practices.  I’ve heard arguments for and against lending of this kind.  I’m curious to know what you think.  We’ve all been on the receiving or giving ends of loans before, no?  How different would it be for you to lend that same money to a stranger?  Is it easier to lend the money, or just give it away? I’m curious.

I think it’s an exciting time to consider—or reconsider—the ways in which organizations and individuals look for funding assistance.  Micro-lending organizations are living examples that individuals can make a powerful difference with the small resources they have to lend.  I’m trying to put that lesson to the test with some of my work here in Oaxaca.

Oaxaca State

Over the last several months I have been working with a partner here in Oaxaca to build a youth radio workshop for teens in the indigenous and poverty-stricken villages of the state.  The kids we’re teaching come from some of the most marginalized populations in the country.  Access to the basic services (education, drinking water, electricity) is limited, let alone access to extracurricular educational activities like radio.  But my partner Kiado and I think it’s important that youth from these villages have a space where their voices, opinions and ideas are valued.

Of course one of the great challenges to our work has been funding. Traditionally projects like ours would start by looking for funding from foundations, government departments or big donors.  That source of funding can often take time, requires a formal entity (i.e. 501(c)(3) status, which costs money to set up) and is highly competitive.  So, we’ve decided to use a little something called crowdfunding to get our project off the ground.  Crowdfunding, or crowdsourcing, operates off the idea that you can tap into a font of money in small amounts, from lots and lots of sources.  Rather than one foundation or donor shouldering the cost of the project, it is shared by many people in an amount that’s reasonable for each of them.

Crowdfunding is not an unusual idea here in Oaxaca, where people have little access to credit and loans.  There’s a common practice called “tanda” here that’s very similar to the crowdfunding system.  Here’s how it works: I need a loan of 10,000 pesos (around $770) so I can go to my sister’s wedding next month.  I rally 10 friends.  We each draw a number 1-10 from a hat; I automatically get number 1 because I organized the tanda and my need is most immediate. Every two weeks each member of the tanda sets aside 1,000 pesos and that’s given to the first person on the list (10,000 pesos total).  Two weeks later the next person on the list gets his/her 10,000, and so on.  It’s a loan system amongst friends; there’s no interest, and people hardly ever default because it’s their own friends they would let down.

What I appreciate about crowdfunding, and even micro-lending is that in addition to the financial resources you gain, you also harness a great deal of enthusiasm and momentum for your work from those supporting you.  Politicians do it in their campaigns, so why not little efforts like ours!  It’s been a really energizing experiment.  I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

I encourage you to think of the ways in which the support of the myriad people in your network could help you solve a problem. After all, crowdsourcing can be used for more than just funding issues. People all over the globe are opening up to the ideas and knowledge that the many can offer in small efforts. Just think of how things like Wikipedia have grown over the last few years. We here at HarmonyWishes could use your help, too. If you’re enjoying our blog and the services on our site, please help us spread the word. Or better yet, send the message on by using one of our e-cards! Help us grow our community of users and participants. Together we can make a huge impact.

Saludos,

Megan