people know how obsessed i am with teeth.  brush –> floss –> mouthwash.  always. 

it works both as a metaphor and reality!

it’s only alright if boys fart.  not girls.

girls need to tone down the attention seeking once in a while.  that’s all. 

haven’t done it, but have thought of it. 

We’ll see how these stupid tags and all this blogcrap stuff really work in terms of effectiveness and reach. Ok back to the topic at hand.

I had an interesting chat with an old friend of mine who’s quite into social projects (and investing in some currently), primarily in sustainable businesses in developing countries.  From the research, it appears that there’s a sizeable community in this area, but not alot of doers.  The key difference lies in the idea of social projects, whereby most people immediately assume they’re just charity donations and/or microfinancing.  The latter has gained significant ground in the financial field, thanks to some notable and “mainstream” exposure in the media and various financial institutions.  I think the organization people are most familiar with in this area is the Grameen Bank started by Dr. Yunus.  Microfinancing, though an effective and revolutionary financial tool, isn’t the only social form of financial sustainablility out there. 

A great company that most people probably know about by now, that amalgamates social online interaction with this is Kiva.  Seriously, a great website that really brings economies of scale in such an effective and technological manner.  What I find most exciting about this type of social revolution, despite all the catchy and feel good lingo, is that you’re not wasting money, as in I ain’t donating money wondering exactly how that money is going to be spent and how much x percentage will actually be given to the family and not to stupid admin fees.  So far, average of 3% default rate.  Better than the housing crisis.  

One thing I can’t stand is the crowd who just love going to these social conferences in fancy venues to enjoy listening to themselves about the plight of the world and that their presence on that podium will bring “true” change to poverty, disease, AIDS, etc. blah blah blah nonsense.  Most network for no apparent reason but just to be seen.  

To keep this short, I’m quite keen in learning more about this (actual projects, not conventions in your nearest hilton/hyatt/four seasons) and seeing how creative people are in their local communities and locations with their businesses and ideas.  People actually instigating real and measurable change.  If anyone has any leads or information on any stories you might have come across, please let me know.  I would sincerely appreciate them.  Geographic locations can be anywhere.  But if you find any in China, SE Asia, and India, those would be most helpful.