A conversation on TED.com: Why not "AID BOOK" ?

Shahida Saleem
Karachi
Pakistan

Founder & CEO, Sehat First

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Why not "AID BOOK" ?

Traditional Development organizations and instiututions all too often work in silo's with the result that there may be several organization working in the same communities with duplicated efforts. Why not create an open collaboration platform which starts with the COMMUNITY and its needs. Various organizations (international development agencies, local ngo's, academia, private sector) can collaborate on developing and implementing long term sustainable solutions and share progress along with SROI performance(social return on investment) figures.

Related Talks:

Clay Shirky on institutions vs. collaboration

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Martin Vanis
- 0
Feb 21 2012: Shahida, I think that is a great idea. Such a thing will get attention eventually. Please inform me when you begin working on it; perhaps I can assist in moderating the page in the future!
Martin Vanis
- +1
Feb 19 2012: Shahida, I'm a developmental aid nut! I'm so happy someone is on the same page as I am.
Aid agencies work in these silos as they are often misguided in what is needed in any area. Progress in developing areas will never reach its true potential until aid agencies have someone to answer to other than their own analysts and the policymakers that 'hired' them.
In the most realist sense; collaborative platforms focusing on the community would benefit the community in need the most (as I am a firm believer that we must ask the impoverished citizens what they require rather than asking their government). That being said, agencies like the World Bank, IMF, or any other NGO work through policymakers and state-leaders to appease those policymakers and state-leaders because that is where their funding comes from. The entire system requires some sort of reboot.
- Shahida Saleem 50+
  - +1
  TED Fellow Associate
  
  Feb 20 2012: And it starts with the money. We have to find a way to get funding agencies to build collaboration into the program to start with and that is exactly where I see an "AIDBOOK" type collaboration tool coming in. If there is visibility on what is actually needed by the community and which organizations are filling which needs, it is at the very least a start. The key is a change in mindset.
  - Martin Vanis
    
    0
    Feb 20 2012: Absolutely. I am in complete agreement with that. The visibility of communal needs would begin with assessing any situation at the individual basis rather than the state. Do you have any plans for some sort of AIDBOOK to begin? I have discussed ideas such as these with a few of my colleagues and we are all in agreement that something has to be done, because we may as well be burning the money we are wasting.
    - Shahida Saleem 50+
      
      0
      
      TED Fellow Associate
      
      Feb 21 2012: Martin, I was thinking of starting a simple wiki type page for each of the major beneficiary countries with subs by locations within the countries. As a wiki, anyone could contribute (starting with people working in the aid organizations). what do you think?
Shahida Saleem 50+
- 0
TED Fellow Associate

Feb 17 2012: Pratyeka, In an ideal world maybe. But in the real world I think we need to realize that we can make small changes that have BIG impacts despite the corruption and other issues.