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Current News

Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents

Reporters Without Borders has published a truly fantastic Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents (46 page PDF). The contributors are top notch thinkers on the subject of grassroots communication and technology. I highly recommend this handbook to organizations that are considering blogging and more importantly, to any organization that has a stake in promoting open communication and truth telling about its issues. Posted: 9/23/05; 5:30:18 PM #

Groundspring.org merges with Network for Good

You have probably already heard that Groundspring and Network for Good are merging. There are thousands of organizations directly affect by this and many more so indirectly, but the FAQ about the merger is very reassuring. My first reaction was that there is a mismatch between the two organization's missions and values. As a Tides project, Groundspring has always had a clear progressive agenda, whereas Network for Good has been far more conservative. You can see this right now, by comparing the kinds of organizations Tides is supporting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina versus the kinds being featured by Network for Good. But I've learned that all the Groundspring staff plus several board members will be part of the merged organization, which is reassuring. This will be interesting to watch. Posted: 9/23/05; 5:24:44 PM #

Is the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector Doing Enough?

Rob Johnston asks if the Independent Sector's Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is Doing Enough and answers in the negative. He argues that stronger, more centralized oversight of the sector is needed. I have to say that I'm not well enough informed to make a judgment about this, but with a government in place that is not exactly a friend to the nonprofits that I support, increased centralization and sanctions worry me a little. Posted: 9/23/05; 5:18:05 PM #

The European Approach to Financing ICT for Development

After my trip to South Africa earlier this year, I have found myself increasingly interested in development issues as they relate to ICT. Although I have a background in both the research and the practice, especially by NGOs, I have very little knowledge of the funding and political issues involved. I did not know, for example, that the European Union is the largest donor in the world, of any kind. I learned that and a lot else in this short report on Financing ICT for Development: the EU Approach (12 page PDF). Posted: 9/23/05; 4:55:56 PM #

The Real Reasons You're Working So Hard

With far less corporate naivete than I would have expected from Business Week, Michael Mandel and others look for The Real Reasons You're Working So Hard. They take a big picture perspective to the very real issue of professional overwork, a dysfunction that plagues for profits and nonprofits alike. The authors explore the mismatch between classic organizational bureaucracies and the new communication environments in which we are expected to succeed. Dedicated professionals have to live in both worlds. The authors make some very meaningful suggestions on how to get beyond this impasse. Posted: 9/23/05; 4:29:05 PM #