Using digital technologies within a distributed social framework can inspire solutions that bring us closer to reaching our Sustainable Development Goals.
In May I presented at the International Conference on Social Media for Good in Istanbul, joining academics from all of the world to discuss how we might build on Internet technologies to enhance philanthropy and the resolution of social problems.
Organized by Kimse Yok Mu (KYM), an international NGO carrying out humanitarian aid and development projects in 110 countries, conference participants brought unique local experiences and views that might otherwise deny comparison. The connective tissue — what had us speaking the same language throughout — was a shared faith in technology and social enterprise and innovation to reach new heights. For me, this is what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all about. Andrei Abramov, former chief of the NGO branch of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said it best in his recap of the event:
“The role of information and communications technology (ICT) has been, and continues to be, crucial to the development of an effective and beneficial global civil society, since they enable the necessary interconnectedness across borders, the free flow of ideas, the exchange of thoughts and the process of consensus building that form the backbone of a civil society of global scope.”
Ever since Heather Grady’s SSIR blog, Philanthropy, the Post-2015 Agenda, and Diffuse Collaboration, I’ve thought about how big and small actors might work together to achieve great things in the urban sustainable development space. The underlying principles of diffuse collaboration aren’t exactly new, at least for one whose background in science affords a basic understanding of ecology.
But putting the Post-2015 Agenda under a lens of diffuse reciprocity — a concept brought forward by Hewlett Foundation President Larry Kramer and reiterated by Grady in her post — really opens up a world of possibility with regard to making cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, as laid out by SDG 11. The essence of diffuse reciprocity is the ability to see the value in any size contribution, as it applies to a shared goal or circumstance.
Grady’s blog (and you should read it) is a primer, a preview, and a call to action for the Post-2015 Partnership Platform for Philanthropy, which encourages the sector to “engage more meaningfully” in the SDGs. Finding synergy between individuals and organizations is a big part of this process.
At the conference I presented a conceptual framework for distributed social networking for CSOs, where engaged publics can address issues specific to their communities while contributing to a more comprehensive and timely global reporting structure. The goal is to show that a distributed model of communication (vs. centralized mainstream social networking) can help increase the impact of local organizations, while inspiring new ways to distribute resources, manage infrastructure and nurture local economies. Such an apparatus would help facilitate urban development through local civic participation and cross-sector collaborations.
At a United Nations side meeting in April, Don Chen (Ford Foundation) said the open nature of the SDGs invites more opportunity for new stakeholders to get involved. Building capacity and accountability, both to which Ford is committed, will be increasingly essential for local organizations looking to collaborate across borders and oceans.
Gatherings like the Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group’s conference in New York and the Council on Foundations’ conference in San Francisco have since sparked meaningful conversation on how foundations, associations and grantmakers might engage with the SDGs to help empower youth and underserved communities around the world. A workshop earlier this year in Colombia opened a dialogue between the broad philanthropic community, national and local governments, the private sector, academia and civil society, to identify opportunities where philanthropy and private social investment can work together within the Post-2015 context.
Upcoming events like the AGN Assembly in Arusha and Takaful in Abu Dhabi will connect civil society, social enterprise, governance and other themes with philanthropy in order to understand the role that donors, implementing organizations, and society at large might play in achieving success in the coming years.
CSOs collectively provide the basis for a framework for civic participation, and a distributed social ecology would help bring about a more connected and effective means of advocating for human rights, community development and the preservation of local cultures, building on cross-sector partnerships. Furthermore, metanetworks with diverse and far-reaching memberships could be ideal intermediaries for implementation, where member organizations come together across the “development divide” with innovations in knowledge sharing and capacity building.
If diffuse reciprocity represents the exchange of items of nonequivalent value, then distributed social technology is the best substrate for realizing a system in which every contribution, large and small, is recognized within a greater ecosystem of social reality and practice, and met with gratitude.
To achieve this, the social sector should consider a distributed model of communication that affords everyone a seat at the table. The Sustainable Development Goals will be approved this September in New York by the United Nations General Assembly.