Thursday, January 10, 2008

Open Source Water and Sanitation

The Global Water Challenge, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation, has partnered with Ashoka, one of the most impressive idea generation factories (and social-entrepreneur-finders) on the planet. They are today launching Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis.

"Ashoka’s Changemakers and Global Water Challenge have partnered to open a worldwide search for ideas and projects that, when scaled-up, have the potential to transform the provision of sanitation and water. We hope you will join us. Between January 9 and March 16, 2008, we invite you to submit your proposals."
To get folks thinking they have pulled together a good initial landscaping of the sector here:

http://changemakers.net/en-us/node/1828/mosaic

[If you want several hundred pages - several hundred GOOD pages - of landscaping, go here:

http://www.irc.nl/page/35947 ]

Ashoka is very good at identifying entrepreneurs tackling major social issues - read How to Change the World if you have time - or make the time - it's that inspiring. This competition will give water and sanitation entrepreneurs an opportunity to get an open source review from their peers and others. Winners get plenty of exposure. Then it's up to the growing funding community to support their efforts. And that funding community is growing.

1 comment:

Eileensita said...

Cast Your Vote in The Global Competition -- Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis

Ashoka’s Changemakers and Global Water Challenge invite you to vote for the most innovative approaches to providing access to safe drinking water and sanitation worldwide.

We’ve received 265 entries from 54 countries, and 9 finalists were chosen for their pioneering ideas:

1. Naandi Foundation, India
2. WaterParterns, United States
3. City Garbage Recyclers, Kenya
4. Ecotact – Innovating Sanitation, Kenya
5. Swayam Shikshan Prayog, India
6. Himanshu Parikh Consulting Engineers, India
7. The Clean Shop, South Africa
8. Centre for Community Organisation and Development, Malawi
9. Manna Energy Foundation, United States


Now we need your help: Log onto www.changemakers.net, read through these inventive solutions and select your 3 favorites by May 11. The three winners will each receive $5,000.

Your voice is vital. Vote today!