The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a scheme/organisation that will successfully deliver assistance where it is needed in a timely fashion.
This site aims at exploring a particular form of online philanthropy based on a simple concept:
- All over the world there are communities in needs
- All over the world there are people willing and able to help those communities
- The Internet provides a link between people in need and those who can help
This concept is the corner stone of at least two well-know organisations, Omidyar.net and Nabuur.com.
Newsflash! The communities speak is a new section in the forum. Members of communities in need are welcome to tell us what they are looking for when they search for an Online Volunteering Organisation and what they expect after they have chosen one!
What this Wiki/Discussion forum is about is defining:
- what can be achieved within this framework
- how to bring together those who can with those who need through the internet
- how to successfully deliver meaningful assistance
We will here attempt at defining
- a scope of action (a sensible and no-nonsense framework)
- a vision and mission statement (to entice and inspire would be contributors)
- mechanisms of action (a structure and governance that motivate and retain contributors)
We aim at achieving this using
- the forum facility to discuss the content of the Wiki pages
- the Wiki to record and present the fruit of our discussions
Join us and then Start Here
An important note: the word organisation will often be used in these pages, such as in Online Volunteering Organisation (OVO). It should never be understood as a rigid, restrictive, controlling entity that limit initiative, freedom of action and speech but rather as a platform bringing together those in need of assistance and those who can help deliver it, a set of tools and mechanisms that free the mind from menial tasks, as the backbone supporting those who want to give their time to online voluntary work