"Stimulating Change From Below" Strategy: Social Justice - Call for Proposals

As part of its Strategy, Akiba Uhaki Foundation invites applications, from community-based or serving civil society organizations, social movements, community media in East Africa, that are creatively and innovatively using ICTs or community media in advocacy work towards progressive realisation of economic, social and cultural rights in East Africa. In particular, we intend to support advocacy initiatives that are using ICTs and/or community media in dealing with worsening inequalities in the East African region:

• inequitable access to quality and affordable healthcare and education;
• increasing youth unemployment levels as well as
• violation of youth labour rights amongst poor-rural communities, women and girls from marginalized communities, ethnic minorities, youth, persons living in informal settlements, persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and/or people living with HIV/AIDs (PLWHAs).

Applications must adopt rights-based approaches with clear focus on addressing the root causes of the identified problems and have clear sustainability measures.

Learn more about the "Stimulating Change From Below" Strategy: Social Justice  - Call for Proposals

ONE Africa Award 2012 | Yipe!

Throughout Africa, there is amazing progress by civil society focused on ending extreme poverty and preventable disease. These new ideas and exciting approaches are designed and implemented by Africans who understand the complexities of bringing about change and transforming lives in their communities.

The ONE Africa Award celebrates these innovations and progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Learn more about the ONE Africa Award 2012

Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World Competition

The Singapore Committee for UN Women and MasterCard have come together to organize this joint initiative called “Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World.” This competition aims to help young changemakers create a better world of opportunities for women and girls in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

The competition seeks entries from 18-35 year olds to submit a 5-minute platform to pitch their inspired idea to the world. There is an opportunity to win a $25,000 grant.The grant must show creativity and sustainable impact in the lives of women and girls across Asia, Pacific, the Middle East or Africa through entrepreneurship.

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Social Entrepreneur Grad Certificate - University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota has launched a new online Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship to help students develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to create and manage socially-conscious organizations. The program is fully online, giving working professionals the ability to expand their skills while remaining in their hometown.

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Airtel Kenya takes mass marketing via mobile phones too far

The battle for the hearts and minds of Kenya’s 25 million mobile phone users has literally brought out the worst guerrilla marketing tactics from Airtel.

 

Even though they do not offer free services, Airtel’s local marketing methods mean that paying subscribers are literally inundated with SMS text messages, and as if this was not effective marketing, Airtel are now calling subscribers and subscribing them (note: there is no opt-in!) to its music service dubbed “Ziki Tunes”.

“Dear Lucky Subscriber” ominous text messages announce to unsuspecting paying customers with the latest exhortation to reply to sign up for a service at a daily or monthly rate. Daily texts from Airtel offer “exciting” music; low rate and free calls (which we don’t mind!); downloadable games (again which some of us don’t mind!); lottery cash draw entries; top up chances to win handsets and tablets, etc

There are also messages that begin “Strictly confidential: A message of high importance is heading towards you! Follow the instructions …!”.

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Mobile Web East Africa 2012 to take place in late February 2012 in Nairobi

The Kenya ICT Board and All Amber Ltd, the organiser of premier mobile-related events in Africa, will partner to deliver Mobile Web East Africa for a second time. This senior level and progressive conference will take place on 22nd & 23rd February 2012 at the 5* Southern Sun Mayfair hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

The main objective of the conference is to facilitate the growth of the mobile ecosystem in the region. It is this synergy with the Kenya ICT Board’s wider vision that is the backbone behind the decision to once again participate as the Official Host Organisation of the conference. Mobile Web East Africa returns to Nairobi after a 24-month gap and is part of a sub-Saharan Africa series of events that is contributing to a greater focus on this vital area of technological potential for the continent.

To ensure sector wide representation at this event start-up companies and application developers are eligible to apply for a 50% subsidy to make their attendance more financially viable. All the different elements of the sector will be in attendance and participants will be encouraged to interact to facilitate the establishment of relationships and enable sector expansion, as was the case at the highly acclaimed inaugural event held in February 2010.

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6th Ogunte Women's Social Leadership Awards

Applications to the 6th Ogunte Women's Social Leadership Awards are now
open!

These prestigious International Awards recognise the achievements of women in the UK and abroad, influential female leaders, connectors, campaigners and social entrepreneurs.

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Ashoka Changemakers’ Innovations for Health: Solutions that Cross Borders Competition

Ashoka Changemakers and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio are seeking health care solutions from anywhere in the world that have the potential to be applied in other countries to improve health and health care.

If you are an innovator with a health care solution that has the potential to be applied in other countries to improve health and health care, then you can submit your entry. This competition is looking for initiatives that have demonstrated impact and help vulnerable and underserved populations. Entries are accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French.

Participating in this competition also helps you get connected to a global online community that supports the impact you are making, or seeking to make, on the ground; gain visibility with our community and our competition partner, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and have the opportunity to win cash awards.

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Green Economy Eco-Business Innovation Challenge

The Green Economy Eco-Business Innovations Challenge (GEEBIZ) is a global business innovations challenge for young people to express their vision and entrepreneurship skills and apply them to the building of a green economy. The ultimate goal is to ENCOURAGE young people (up to age 30) to put forward innovative business ideas that can form the building blocks of a new, clean green economy based on renewable energy, resource efficiency, social equity, and the restoration as well as the conservation of the earth's eco- systems

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Global Health & Innovation Conference 2012 at Yale

Date: Saturday, April 21 - Sunday, April 22, 2012
Venue: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

The Global Health & Innovation Conference is the world's largest global health conference and social entrepreneurship conference. This must-attend, thought-leading conference annually convenes 2,200 leaders, changemakers, students, and professionals from all fields of global health, international development, and social entrepreneurship. Register during January to secure the lowest registration rate.

The conference's confirmed speakers include:

Keynote Addresses

• Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovation Officer, Acumen Fund
• Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO of Honest Tea
• Jeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
• Sonia Ehrlich Sachs, MD, MPH, Director of Health, Millennium Village Project, Earth Institute at Columbia University

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G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation

The Group of 20 has launched the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation, which seeks to recognize businesses with innovative, scalable or replicable, and commercially viable ways of working with low-income people in developing countries. 

Businesses around the world are finding innovative ways to work with low-income people living at the base of the pyramid (BOP), working with them as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or consumers. These firms are called inclusive businesses.

Developing an inclusive business model that addresses the particular needs of people living at the base of the pyramid is an accomplishment. Scaling or replicating that model to expand into new markets is a challenge.

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Changemakers Activating Empathy Competition

Empathy is a critical skill in a world defined by rapid change—one that is foundational to the social, teamwork and leadership skills required to contribute successfully to society. As the pace of change accelerates, the level of empathy required to collaborate in the workplace, or on other types of teams that bring change to the world, is higher than ever before.

If you aren’t proficient in empathy, you’re severely limiting your opportunities to contribute to society, and are at risk of being left behind. If we are to create a world where everyone can be a player, provide input, and create value, we must grasp, practice, and develop empathy. 

Empathy is more than just awareness and concern. It is about cultural sensitivity and conflict resolution. It’s about the ability to communicate effectively and understand the motivations of others. Empathy is about standing up, not standing by, uncovering what’s below the surface through active listening and putting words into action.

This is why Ashoka is launching a global initiative to ensure that children master empathy, enabling them to be effective citizens, leaders and trailblazers. By launching an online collaborative competition, Activating Empathy: Transforming Schools to Teach What Matters, Ashoka are challenging teachers, principals, parents, students, and other innovators to share ideas—whether by a project, a program, or a new learning experience—for advancing empathy in education. Enter the competition today to share your passion for creating a world guided by empathy and collaboration, one led by empowered young people who succeed in the classroom and in every walk of life.

Who Should Enter

If you are a teacher, principal, parent, student, or other innovator with a project, a program, or a new learning experience that can advance empathy in education, we are looking for you.

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Skoll Foundation, Curator, Digital Platform

Location: Palo Alto
Application Deadline: January 31st 2012

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Knowledge and Networks, the Curator, Digital Platform has a hands-on, leadership role in developing the content and community platform for the Foundation. This role requires a strong doer with an ability to leverage the power of content, community and digital to accelerate progress in the social arena.

Read more http://www.yipekenya.org/Skoll Foundation Curator Digital Platform.htm

Win a trip to the M4D Conference in New Delhi, India!

Share your idea for a Future application for Development and win a trip to the 3rd International Conference on Mobile Communication on Development in New Delhi 28-29 February 2012!

The future Apps4D challenge focus on the development of mobile phone applications that in one way or another address the immense challenges our globe is facing concerning climate change, democracy, health, poverty reduction and increased livelihood in emerging growth economies.

The rise of mobile communication has been remarkable. By November 2010, over 5.3 billion had access to mobile telephony reaching up to 90 per cent of the world population. The proliferation of mobile telephony in the emerging growth economies open up a range of possibilities and new avenues for using the mobile telephone as a communication platform for change.

Read more http://www.yipekenya.org/M4D.html

2013 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship each year to select a few organisations who are solving the world's most pressing problems. The Skoll Award includes a core support grant to the organisation to be paid over three years, and a non-cash award to the social entrepreneur presented at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship each spring. 

The application process for the 2013 Skoll Awards is open upto March 1st 2012.

Learn more by visiting http://www.yipekenya.org/Skoll.html

MFA in Design for Social Innovation – Call for Applications

Design for Social Innovation at School of Visual Arts in New York is looking for a diverse cohort of 25 students for its new two year program. You can be a designer, or anyone who is a creative, visual thinker looking for deep experience and immersion and a path to a career as a leader in this exciting new field.

Applicants from a variety of backgrounds, experience and interests are encouraged to apply, including fine arts; graphic, new media and product design; technology; business; science; engineering; social science and economics.

Learn more by visiting http://www.yipekenya.org/MFA.html

Pivot East, Developer Competition and Conference 2012

This event will be held on the 5th and 6th of June 2012 in Nairobi and entries will be accepted from companies located in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and South Sudan.

The pitching conference will have a rich audience of investors, development partners, telecoms operators and other industry players from East Africa and across the globe. 

Pivot 25, a first of its kind mobile apps developer competition and conference helped string the success that Pivot East is building on, with over 100 entries from across East Africa in 5 categories which were Payments and commerce; Entertainment, gaming and utilities; Business and the enterprise; Government, education and agriculture; and Health.

The region takes on to the world with leading innovations like M-pesa and hence is well placed to bring out other world changing mobile innovation. The effort is clear with the launch of m:lab East Africa which is a facility for mobile entrepreneurship training, incubation and applications testing in Nairobi. Other tech hubs and incubation centers have also been established recently in East Africa as part of a growing ecosystem to develop and nurture innovation alongside entrepreneurship.

Read more http://www.yipekenya.org/Pivot.html

Astia Global Entrepreneur Program - Call for Applications

The Astia Community is an unparalleled resource for success - a transformative program designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who want to become dominant players in their sectors.

Who Should Apply?

Exceptional women-led high growth start-ups who know that success is not just about raising money but about growing a business and thriving in today's tough market.
Applications are taken on a rolling basis.

Apply today if you have...

• An innovative idea in either the Technology, Life Sciences or Clean Tech sectors
• A high-growth investment opportunity
• An exceptional team and business strategy
• A significant market opportunity
• A defendable competitive advantage
• At least one woman in a leadership role (at C level) or in significant position of equity and influence

Find out more 

Dell Social Innovation Challenge

What if every student who believed they could change the world actually had the tools to do it?

That’s what the Dell Social Innovation Challenge is all about. Since 2007, more than 15,000 students from 90 countries have proposed more than 3,000 ideas for tackling social and environmental problems. Participants are given the mentoring, tools and cash prizes needed to take their projects to the next level. Over the years more than $350,000 has been awarded to teams from around the world who’ve had the courage, vision and passion to turn their “What Ifs” into action.

Any undergrad or graduate student in any field of study, from any country, can enter the challenge. This isn’t your traditional business plan competition – you can enter a project at any stage, whether you’ve just thought of an idea or are already running an organization. It doesn’t matter if your idea is nonprofit or for-profit.

Read more http://www.yipekenya.org/Dell Social Innovation Challenge.html