| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

FrontPage

This version was saved 14 years, 7 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by jaresty
on August 25, 2009 at 12:16:20 pm
 

Distributed Essential Services in Afghanistan (DES-A)


 

I. Pilot Project in Nangarhar Province

 

Background

 

This wiki supports planners and those working in the field on the Distributed Essential Services in Afghanistan (DES-A) program, particularly the pilot project in Nangarhar Province.  DES-A seeks to provide essential services (as valued by Afghans and sustainable by them) by leveraging information and communications, enabled by distributed renewable energy. 

 

Broad Concept

 

 

Information and communication (I&C) are powerful forces that can contribute much to Afghanistan.  Together with distributed, renewable energy, they can support essential services through a bottom-up approach (through organizations like the National Solidarity Program--NSP) that could be executed quickly, while being consistent with “top-down” national development strategies. Private sector investment is essential in building sustainable, long term capacity.

 

A hypothesis (subject to modification by the Afghans to suit their needs), is that the combination of power and comms could support:

 

·         Agriculture/Food--Information about market conditions, forecasts and transportation; cool storage and on-site processing; micro-loans, integrated solar/combustion cooking; irrigation.

·         Clean Water--Purification systems tailored to local conditions.

·         Public Health--Cell phone-based services for pre-natal and maternal care in remote areas, satellite-based telemedicine services to clinics, expanded internet access to hospitals.

·         Lighting--Basic lighting for streets, stores and households (a light in every kitchen).

·         Education--internet expansion to universities, extension of learning access to remote areas.

·         Business Development--Sharing information on market opportunities, extension of micro-credit, coordination of buyer/seller relationships, encouragement of entrepreneurs.

·         Training to Support Sustainable Economic Growth—Hands-on, project-based learning focused on building Afghan business capacity and the market’s ability to absorb job skills.

 

 

These also could enhance governance through more satisfied citizens, transparency and funds transfers, and contribute to rule of law through innovative justice and dispute resolution.

 

Critical enablers of these services include (1) distributed, renewable energy (microhydro, solar, wind, local geothermal, hybrid, etc.), (2) communications, including extended infrastructure (radio, TV, cell phone voice, texting, and high speed internet, etc.) plus ‘content’ and ‘sensing’ applications to enhance utility, (3) information sharing with responsible participants, (4) supplementary ‘reach back’ support from experts outside the country, and (5) social network development and trust-building.

 

Nangarhar has been chosen for the pilot since it is relatively prosperous and stable, and has significant private sector capacity.  Within Nangahar the initial focus would be on Jalalabad, four district capitals, 25 remote villages, and a camp for refugees or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).  Preparations suggest that useful services could begin this Fall and scale quickly, if the effort is given priority.  If judged successful, the approach could be extended to other provinces, combining Afghan and international efforts and adapted to local conditions.

 

The DES-A concept has been discussed with Ambs Eikenberry and Wayne since May, and got support.  GEN McChrystal (Commander, International Security Assistance Force--ISAF) concurred via videoteleconference on Aug 7, as did representatives from CENTCOM and USAID in Kabul.  Representatives of the Afghan Ministries of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Ministry of Communications and IT (MCIT) expressed interest in early versions of the project.  The proposal also has been reviewed with businessmen, the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce, other USG representatives as well as people from NGOs, PVOs, etc.  Approaches have been made to UNAMA.

 

The next step is to move the concept and the planning forward, with reachback support, to turn DES-A into a "pull from the front" action.  Contributions from all sources are welcome to this wiki to provide planners access to as  information as possible from distributed talent.

 

 

Info for Contributors

 

 

Before beginning, please read the four-page project outline in the file titled:  DES-A 8-23-09 long version.doc

 

Request that contributors provide a general text overview of their approach(es), including potential barriers to success.  Where possible, include the following data in tabular format: 

  • Project Location (Jalalabad, district capital, remote village, refugee/IDP camp, etc)
  • Set-up costs, including shipping, customs, etc.
  • Annual costs
  • Total 10-year cost
  • Notes

 

Samples can be found below under B3b: (Telemedicine hub and spoke), B4a & b (solar flashlights) and C1c (Microhydro power in remote villages). 

 

Please include references, contact info for those who could be reached for more information, and cross links (for example, to the "DES-A Working Group" on the www.star-tides.net website).  Don’t include proprietary info or other data you don't want shared.  Cost info can be anonymized if desired (e.g. “One firm estimated that”).  This also is not an advertising site, or a place for registering formal proposals—those will be addressed separately by the line decision-makers.  If you’d like to describe your company/NGO/PVO and list contact info, that’s fine, but please keep it dispassionate.

 

Organization

 

  • Section A includes: 
    1. General information about planning, assumptions, metrics, etc.
  • Section B addresses: Essential Services (market information, irrigation, micro-credit, etc.) that may apply to them, recognizing that the Afghans may redefine what they consider essential. As such, these proposed services should be considered as hypotheses until final decisions are made. 
    1. Agriculture/Food (Cold Storage, Solar/Integrated Cooking)
    2. Clean Water 
    3. Public Health (Cell Phone based Pre-Natal Care)
    4. Lighting
    5. Education
    6. Business
    7. Training to Support Sustainable Economic Growth
  • Section C includes Critical Enablers: 
    1. Distributed, renewable energy (microhydro, solar, wind, perhaps local geothermal, hybrid).
    2. Communications
    3. Information Sharing
    4. Community Reachback Support                    
  • Section D covers Related Areas:
    1. Social Network Development
    2. Policy and Doctrine 
    3. Legal and Regulatory Constraints 
    4. Resource Allocation 
    5. Training
    6. Engagement of Dispute Resolution

 

A.  General 

 

1. Project Overview

 

The project objectives must be set by those forward, in ways that address Afghan needs, and that can be sustained by them.  For the purposes of definition in this document: 

  • "Domains" refer to functional areas in which services will be implemented, such as agriculture, clean water, public health, etc.
  • "Services" refer to activities that directly affect the welfare and living standards of the Afghan people
  • "Enablers" refer to underlying information and processes that support the development and delivery of the services.  DES-A focus on three key enablers:  distributed renewable power, communications, and information-related functions. 

 

Coordination mechanisms among the various public-private, whole-of-nation and trans-national elements will be decided by those forward.  However, the breadth of talent and enthusiasm of participation shown by those engaged in the planning so far suggests that there will rich resources for planners to draw on. 

 

To allow planners to leverage this talent, reach-back support capabilities will be made available, along with mechanisms for timely information sharing, retrieval and storage (library) services.

 

2. Planning processes

 

In 2008 Michelle Parker published a paper through the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at National Defense University (NDU) entitled: "Programming Development Funds to Support a Counterinsurgency: Nangarhar, Afghanistan." (http://www.ndu.edu/CTNSP/Def_Tech/DTP%2053%20Programming%20Development%20Funds.pdf). The paper included an eight-step process of strategic program development:

• Understanding the Strategic Framework

• Operationalizing the Strategy

• Determining Geographic Focus through Tribal Analysis

• Defining Project Parameters

• Conducting the Project Identification Process

• Gaining Government Approval

• Holding the PRT Project Nomination Board

• Implementation"

 

This construct may be useful in DES-A's Nangarhar pilot as well.  I found the methodologies for selecting villages for engagement, and discussions of engagements with Afghan authorities to be particularly valuable.

 

3. General sizing assumptions of the project components:

 

·        150 families/village X 25 villages = 3,750 families (services provided to 2 in the first quarter (Q1) after project start, 4 in Q2, 8 in Q3, 11 in Q4) [NB:  The original assumption was 300 families/village, but Chris Corsten suggests this is too high.  He has provided detailed information on the number of "beneficiary families" who would profit from microhydro in some 7 villages and sub-villages in Momandra District, 61 in Batikoot, 27 in Dehbala, 17 in Beshood and 103 from across Nangarhar.  See Microhydro survey 15 Aug 09.xls  Comments welcome.]

·        2,000 families X 4 district capitals = 8,000  (1 per quarter), one proposal is to start with Hisark, Kama, Kuz Kunar and Dara-I-Nur.  Khogyani and Achin were not recommended to avoid rewarding bad behavior. 

·        10,000 families in J-bad = 10,000 (500 in Q1, 1500 in Q2, 3000 in Q3, 5000 in Q4)

·        10,000 families in a refugee/IDP camp = 10,000 (2500 per quarter)  [Need to pick which Camp]

Total 31,750 families (est 158,750 people at 5/family) for the Nangarhar pilot by the end of 12 months. 

 

4. Metrics

 

Its very important that this project have reasoned objectives and that the metrics flow from a plan to achieve the objectives  There are two broad categories of objectives

  • Fundamental objectives, which are outcome based.(e.g. an objective might be to enhance literacy.  A metric could be to increase literacy from 20% to 30% in five years.  In this approach, schools would be built to enhance education.  They're not an end in themselves.  Can cell phones and other educational approaches reduce the need for brick and mortar schools?)
  • Means objectives:  How well is the plan being executed (am I getting a reasonable return on investment and is it moving toward the fundamental goals?

For each of the postulated domains and services outlined above (subject to change based on Afghan and other inputs) request provide recommended fundamental and means objectives, as well as draft metrics.

 

Reference:  Dr. Dave Davis, GMU

  

B. Domains and Essential Services

 

1.      Agriculture/Food:

a.     General.  The hypothesis is that the Afghans might value the following sorts of services related to agriculture and food: 

  • Cool/cold storage and on-site processing of agricultural products to reduce crop spoilage;
  • Lowered cooking fuel use by solar/combustion integration;
  • Information about market prices, transportation routes and weather forecasts via cell phone, as well as info on how to make farmers smarter (potentially better crops, etc); 
  • Precision information on soil moisture and crop health via high resolution imagery of fields from low-cost, non-ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) imagery such as unmanned air vehicles (see also section C3 on geospatial information sharing); 
  • Micro-credit or cash transactions
  • Power and information related to irrigation 

 

b.  Cool/cold storage and on-site processing of agricultural products to reduce crop spoilage and lowered cooking fuel use by solar/combustion integration;

1.      General:   Onsite storage of agricultural products, whether in cold storage or less energy- intensive storage such as root cellars, could reduce spoilage and even allow for some goods to be sold after peak growing seasons when prices are likely to be higher.  Minister Zia of MRRD expressed an interest in this in March 2009 at Aspen. He reportedly was principally interested in refrigeration units rather than solar units. Such units also would have to consider the cost of fuel and who would perform maintenance on the refridgeration plants. 

 

     Solar food processors (typically for drying agricultural products quickly) provide an alternative approach.  See, for example:  Pat McArdle report on Solar Food Processing in Afghanistan 09-3.doc.   Pat McArdle also contacted Afghan Engineer Sabur Achtari, who runs the Afghan Solar Bedmoschk Center in Wardak Province.  His center offers a complete training package in solar food drying, which they  conducted with PRT Logar and PRT Parwan last year.  Eng. Achtari has provided the following proposal for training, which includes the provision of solar driers:   Kalkulation-Jalalabd 09-3 Engr Archtari.xls  and Soladryer for Farmer in Jalalabad, Engr Achtari 09-3.doc

 

     See also the section on solar-based food processing on pp. 32-33 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

 

     Barriers:  Solar food processing approaches face many of the same cultural barriers as solar cooking (see below), but without the direct involvement of so many individual family members.  They might be an easier

2.      Jalalabad.  Engr Archtari's proposal (see link above) is $6310.50 for 20 driers, 2 trainers, movement of personnel and equipment to J-bad, etc.

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

c.      Solar/Integrated Cooking

1.      General:  Pat McArdle is a retired Foreign Service Officer who has served in Afghanistan and who has spent many years working with solar and integrated solar/high efficiency combustion cooking.  In March 2009 she filed a report that begins: 

     "I have consulted with several experienced solar cooker colleagues (list at the end of this message) regarding the widespread introduction of solar cookers into Afghanistan (which has an average of 300 solar cooking days/year).  They expressed a general consensus that parabolic solar cookers would be the most appropriate of the three types of solar cookers to introduce at this time. The ability of parabolic cookers to generate high temperatures very quickly even at high altitudes and in very cold weather (as long as there is sunshine) all point to this as the solar cooker technology that will most readily be adopted.   The National Solidarity Program could be a useful vehicle for introducing solar cookers into villages.     

 

 

 For a quick impact project it will be necessary to import the solar cookers.  For longer term stability and job creation local craftsmen should be taught how to manufacture the cookers for sale. Initially, large numbers could be imported from China or India (see below).  A very quick impact project might be to introduce them first to the village tea shops where they could be used to boil water in a very public place.  Male and female villagers would see them in use and would notice how much less wood is being burned by the owners of the chai hanas.  Parabolic solar cookers can also be used for ironing clothes. The irons used in areas where there is no electricity are just that, pieces of iron with a flat bottom, a handle and a place to put hot coals.  In India, laundry workers are heating their irons on parabolic cookers and saving a bundle on charcoal.   

 

 

                              The full report can be found at: Pat McArdle report on solar cooking in Afghanistan, 09-3.doc

 

 

      A related set of e-mail threads amplifies many of these points:  Gmail - Re Solar cooking and solar water pasteurization in Pakistan - linwells@gmail.com.htm

 

     In a separate e-mail, Pat wrote: "contacted my solar cooker colleagues in Afghanistan regarding your request for information.  Michael Mueller ( in Bamiyan) and Grace Magney (in Kabul) of Global Hope Network have submitted a proposal to PRT Zabul for a project to teach people to construct parabolic solar cookers that can be used in family compounds for cooking or in tea shops to keep a kettle of water boiling all day long with solar power.  Their proposal, which they are willing to duplicate for Nangarhar Province is below.   SOW for 50 Solar Cookers in Zabul 09-2.doc  [The cost, including training and things like sunglasses, is $3439 for 50 units ($68.78 each).  The main consumable seems to be tape, which would need to be replaced every 1-2 years.]   Do you have any idea of the number of solar cookers that would be required?  Grace Magney is also contacting an Afghan carpenter who has built a Devos solar cooker.  This is an easy to construct, portable parabolic solar cooker (made of wood, sheet metal, steel tubing and small mirrors) that includes a work table and would be ideal for Kabob Shops or large families.  This man might be willing to train other Afghans to make their own Devos solar cookers."

 

A separate report (Chinese Solar Cooking 09_Tingcun.pdf) addressed the growing success that Chinese have had with solar cooking.  To which Vinay Gupta commented on 090303:  "Pat, what's the story with the Chinese Butterfly. We hear figures like 2 million units in use in China - how's that happening? Free market? Govt. mass production? How does that compare with the SK14?  If it's got to 2m units free market, that would seem to indicate that people like using it a lot more than the other designs I'm familiar with, and that would seem to make it a logical choice for Afghanistan."

 

     Finally, see the section on Integrated Cooking and Solar Food Processing from pp. 27-24 of:  Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

 

     Barriers:  Despite its demonstrated performance in many situations and many potential benefits (such as avoiding further deforestation in Afghanistan), solar cooking faces significant resistance from personnel from many aid and development agencies.  For example: 

 

 

 

I just want to put in a word of caution.  There are very few, if any, successful solar cooker programs that I can think of anywhere.  Yes, they can heat water very well, but the social barriers to their use is significant.  They simply do not cook what people want, in a manner that they want to cook it.  It is not a technical problem, it is a social issue.  I know there are many advocates for this kind of technology, but approach it with eyes wide open as it is not new, and has a long track record of projects that don't achieve what they were intended to.  We can’t decouple technology and social/cultural behaviours.  I know you know this, but not all technology advocates understand this......  For example, solar cookers might reduce firewood consumption, but the women might like collecting wood as it is the only time they are allowed out of the house...  There are many, many implications of introducing technology into these cultures...
 

I'm certainly not wanting to sand-bag anything.  I just wanted to flag to the group that it is not as simple as putting a few university designed units out there.  It’s time to find some new mistakes to make!  Yes, I can completely understand that situations like refugee camps can see a higher likelihood of success with solar cookers, as the options are often pretty dire.  There may also be a higher chance of success in locations around Afghanistan as environmental degradation forces changes in cultural practices.  I would love to see solar cookers work out as there is no doubt that the use of firewood is hard to sustain, but someone needed to note that this is not new.  My team of engineers here in Kabul tried unsuccessfully to introduce solar cookers under a German initiative a few years ago and essentially got nowhere.  It was great to boil the kettle at the office though.   In any case, if an approach to solar cookers can be worked out such that the needs of the consumer (technical, cultural and social) are accommodated, and the reasons for the other past failures are thoroughly understood, then sure, maybe this one will work out better.

 

The net of the above suggests that solar-based approaches can offer significant capabilities, but they should include significant social and cultural elements as well as technical.  They also may be particularly well suited for refugee/IDP camps.   Recommend planners contact Pat McArdle (solarwind1@mac.com), who has many inputs and contacts.  Tony Woods (twoods@sesa.af) also should be contacted.

 

     The need to provide cooking solutions when the sun isn't shining is addressed through the kinds of integrated solar/high efficiency combustion cooking that have been demonstrated in STAR-TIDES activities (www.star-tides.net) and USSOUTHCOM's Crisis Management Experiment IV in July 2009 and elsewhere (http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Integrated_Cooking_Method).

 

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

d.       Information about market prices, transportation routes and weather forecasts via cell phone (coverage now reaches 85% of the population);

1.      General:  See Aaron Rose work in Peru on providing agricultural info to farmers over cell phones, and Roshan's new network.

Barriers:  Illiteracy

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

e.      Precision information on soil moisture and crop health via high resolution imagery of fields from low-cost, non-ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) imagery

1.      General:  At least one observer felt that this would a few bridges too far, at least for the remote villages.  As he put it, grapes are rotting on the ground because there's no wood for grape arbors.  As a result, people are looking for wire for arbors.  So UAVs at this stage are much more than what's needed.

 

      On the other hand, if actions  could be taken relatively easily to improve agricultural incomes through beter information, shouldn't they be tried?  The August field experiments at Camp Roberts, CA showed the potential to link rapid situational awareness through SMS-texting and related tools to geospatial products such as maps and images.  Even if precision imagery isn't available, GIS products from less precises UAVs might still be useful.

 

     Another wrote:  Based on Philippine experience, It would appear prior to implementing Situational Awareness innovations for civilian purposes we would need to be building a capacity for the community to build their own educational resources about the innovations and the application of them through Project Based Learning in the schools. 

     Barriers:  very low baseline, at least in remote villages.   techical, cultural, operational, OPSEC, etc.  But see results from Camp Roberts

2.      Around Jalalabad

a.       The elements in any location include:

o       A small, unmanned aerial system (UAS)

o       A processing station to integrate information from the UAS (or other sources) and turn it into Geospatial Information System (GIS) products of use to local

o       A rapidly installable network to display the information

o       A

3.      Around each of four district  capitals

4.      This is not expected to be expendable  initially to remote villages

5.      To monitor developments around a camp for refugees or IDPs

f

               f.    Micro-credit or cash transactions

 

1.      General

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

                          g.  Power and information related to irrigation

 

1.      General

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

 

2.      Clean Water:  purification systems tailored to local conditions.  Needs could range from treatment with tablets to simple filtration to reverse osmosis units.

a.       General.  David Luft e-mail on wind-driven pumps, AKVO, WHIX, LIFE

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

3.      Public Health: 

a.      General:  Wide range of opportunities here.  Doctors largely around Kabul.   Could bring literally life-changing services to remotre areas.  Doesn't have to be wide bandwidth--scale services to what's available. 

     Barriers:  literacy, culture/gender

 

b.    Cell phone-based services for pre-natal and maternal care, using both text messages and, for those who can’t read or write,

1.      General.  Reference, Ron Poropatich.  Barriers

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Each of 25 villages

5.      Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

c.      Hub and Spoke Telemedicine System (incremental benefit potential - the InternetBar Group can add an online justice system application to the Hub and Spoke Telemedicine System for a small incremental cost increasing the benefits and services which will be available at the beginning of the test period.)  Reference Kim Guevara (kim@medweb.com) and Pete Killcommons (pete@medweb.com)

     Barriers:

     1.      The estimates below include: lighting, communications, air conditioners, satellite, and                    limited telemedicine equipment (but not radiology equipment)

2.      In addition, the hub in Jalalabad has twice the solar power compared to the spoke to spoke.

3.      The spoke refer to district sites at the capitol and the refugee camp        since the power is at best a few hours a day at the rural clinics, and probably 70% of the time at the hub site, we elected to include the solar option to provide sustainable solutions for the clinics and rural areas.

4.      A budget from the cellphone SMS text message service, as described in paragraph A3a, can be added for about $35,000.

5.      Provision has been included to train numerous Afghan medical students on the telemedicine equipment, and to fund them for part time jobs providing clinical and technical telemedicine support to the clinics.  Budgets are based on 1 medical student for every 5 clinics.

6.      The model used for this was based on a visit to Nangarhar University medical school , and the real world experience communicated to us from members of San Diego-based  La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary, Jalalabad Fab lab, and Synergy Strike Force in developing relationships with the medical school over the last several years.

 

 

Location

Facility Cost

Maintenance Costs per year

Total 10 yr Cost

Notes

Jalalabad (Hub)

$566,058

$122,400

$1,790,058

Does not include Shipg or Customs

4 dist capitals

$241,596

$10,500

$346,596

Does not include Shipg or Customs

IDP camp

$60,399

$2,625

$86,649

Does not include Shipg or Customs

Total

$868,053

$135,525

$2,223,303

Does not include Shipg or Customs

 

4.      Lighting:  basic household lighting (a light in every kitchen), plus community lights.

a.       General:  Lighting runs the gamut from village-wide systems run off central power plants to decentralized systems based on portable lights (typically light-emitting diode--LED or cool cathode fluorescent--CCF) with their own solar panels, or rechargeable batteries.  Benefits include: 

1.      Overall quality of life:  As a prominent Afghani said, “The most transformational thing one could do in Afghanistan is to put a light bulb in every kitchen.  Not only does it promote education, but it also empowers women and extends the day.

2.      Education:  Since many children work to provide subsistence during the day, this opens the opportunity for evening learning.

3.      Safety and security:  City and village streets are much safer.

4.      Economics:  lighting allows for cottage industries and small businesses to operate after sunset.  Kerosene for illumination is an expensive and reoccurring expense, taking as much as 30% to 50% of disposable income.  

5.      Health: An estimated 1.6 million people worldwide die each year from bio-mass and kerosene inhalation which causes cancer.  Many thousands more are injured or killed in kerosene fires. 

6.      Environment:   A kerosene lantern can emit up to 100 kilos of carbon annually, and green tree limbs and shrubs are cut to build fires for illumination, contributing to deforestation.  

Barriers: 

References:  Mark Bent, Bob Freling, Tony Woods

b.      The figures below are from one company’s proposal for stand-alone, solar-powered lights suitable for room lighting and spot beams. 

1.      The cost per light ranges from $18 to $23 each, with the more expensive one also being able to charge cell phones. 

2.      The lights are built in China, and production can be scaled rapidly.

3.      LED lights made by Nichia of Japan work better in than most LEDs under Afghan conditions (there can be as little as 4 hours of light in the Afghan winter). 

4.      Rechargeable AA NiMH batteries cost about $.39 each for 800 MaH (each flashlight has 3), can be recharged 500-750 times (about 1.5-to-2 years) before they need replacement, and have much less environmental impact than NiCads.   Hence the average annual cost per flashlight is $1.08/2 = $.54/year.

5.      In 2008, the sea freight shipping charge from Ningbo, China to Karachi, Pakistan, was quoted at $700 for 2,500 lights for the 22-day voyage.  The figures below assume one light per family, a price ladder for each segment of $1,000 per 5000, and $1,500 per 10,000 and that the land shipping charges between Karachi and Jalalabad would be the same as for the sea portion, thus doubling the shipping cost. 

 

 

Location

Number

Acquisition Cost

Shipping (sea + land)

Total

Total Cost for period of ten years (with battery replacements)

Jalalabad

10,000

$230,000

$3,000

$233,000

$287,000

4 dist capitals

  8,000

$184,000

$3,000

$187,000

$230,200

25 villages

  3,750

 $86,250

$3,000

  $89,250

$109,500

IDP camp

10,000

$230,000

$3,000

$233,000

$287,000

Total

35,500

$816,500

$12,000

$828,500

$913,700

 

6.      Beyond the factor of race, there is a question of packaging the lighting so the women can retain access.  In Africa, coloring the women’s lights pink was sufficient to keep the men from stealing them.  However, as one producer noted:  “We sent 1,000 pink to Afghanistan in late 2007, just for women.  They were well received, but we got only a limited amount of feedback.  My only concern would be the Taliban retribution - if we are educating girls?  I will defer to people with more recent experience in Afghanistan.  In Africa, they work well - but in Africa, they do not kill their own people (women) if they want to become educated.”

 

7.      Local production is another issue.  Again, as a corporate officer said: I am for this - but there is no economic reason from our end to do this - it costs very little for the labor to put these together - the biggest cost is of course the components.  I would be amenable to discuss this - sending in basically a kit - if someone is willing to fund the local production.

5.      Education

a.      General.  Barriers

     References: 

b.  Innovative ideas and extension of internet services to universities and teaching hospitals.

1.      Jalalabad: 

a.       Information Sharing:  Jalalabad has a number of  innovative projects that are being sustained on shoe-string budgets. The Fab Lab in Jalalabad (http://blog.fablab.af/?m=200906) is now being supported by scrimping, saving, and private donations -- A number of individuals are looking for ways to get some of the infrastructure and support funded. FabFi is an open-source, FabLab-grown system using common building materials and off-the-shelf electronics to transmit wireless ethernet signals across distances of up to several miles. With FabFi, communities can build their own wireless networks to gain high-speed internet connectivity---thus enabling them to access online educational, medical, and other resources. For reference you may wish to read a previous report on Dr. Wells on Information sharing opportunities in Nangarhar: http://www.star-tides.net/node/380    

b.    San Diego-Jalalabad Sister Cities Foundation.   

c.    SILK+ and MIST (and others?)

d.       Light Up Jalalabd

e.      If you have a chance to tour Chantilly Academy that was set up by John Wittmann you can see demonstrated unique Project Based Learning classrooms that cover all communications basics up to the technical side.  John Wittmann is available to support his having set up Teacher education programs about this methodology.  The PBL Model would be wrapped around things like the FAB Lab from MIT.

f. The InternetBar group has developed online training to set up e-commerce based businesses. With some development, they can be delivered over cellphones and over OLPC platforms;  this past July, IBO met in Kabul with the program leader for 10000 Women who has recently trained 300 women owned Afghan businesses, and, IBO ran a training program pilot on "E-commerce Training for Afghan Women 9 lawyers and officials from the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The training is developed pro bono from IBO's Legal Empowerment Network, which also can become part of the online justice application - making pro bono legal services the norm for this and other appropriate situations. 

 

c.      Expansion of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programs based on lessons learned from existing projects,

1.      General, Barriers

2.      Jalalabad

3.      Each of four district  capitals

4.      Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

d.       Experimentation with cell phone-based programs keyed to provide more capability as connections become more capable.

a.       General:  SIM-Village.  Expand beyond brick-and-mortar approaches (not enough teachers in the rural areas).  Link up with Mortenson?  David Luft--brickmakers. Barriers. 

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

6.      Business including online business

a.       General-Sharing information on market opportunities, extension of micro-credit, coordination of buyer/seller relationships, encouragement of entrepreneurs, work with InternetBar group on implementing an online business incubator through its PeaceTones Initiative (www.peacetones.org).

     Matchmaker engineering

     Barriers

 

b.Logical deal-flow for online business - based on InternetBar Microcommerce (microcredit plus e-commerce) Campaign Research in Kenya (2006), and further developed at conferences held at University of Toledo (2007), Tufts University (2008) and Bentley University (2008);

                                  1.  Local individuals can produce commercial goods (from crafts to ringtones) and get them into global markets in a way in which the bulk of the profits will be retained by the seller.  BUT, in order for this to happen, the following must be in place:

                    A.      Internet Connectivity must  be available--along with any needed training

                    B.       E-commerce tools--especially payment systems must be available, (e.g., PayPal)

                    C.      Local (or at least regional) banks must be available to take payments--depositor institutions

                    D.      Currency conversion is required--again a function of the banking infrastructure

                    E.       Local people need access to micro-loans so as to make their business operations viable

                    F.       Product delivery systems must be in place--UPS, FedEx, etc. for crafts and other goods (not needed for digital goods)

                    G.      Local, state and national laws (or political intermediaries) must not be in opposition--and kick-backs must be removed from the process

A, B & F are functions of forming business relationships with private companies who want to support the project for both good-will and pecuniary purposes. So, a dedicated aspect to the plan has to be to engage such companies as soon as possible to explore their interest level, logistical capabilities in our target countries and the business model. We need to get at least contingent commitments from players in these vital areas.

C, D, E & G above are functions of the financial system. There are two aspects.

·         IBO must ascertain whether local or regional banking systems can play the roles suggested or, in the alternative, whether other payment systems would have to be utilized--such as debit cards. However, there must be some local/regional banking infrastructure in place to minimally at least be a depository institution--the profits have to go someplace and be converted into currency that local people can use.

·         The second tier is global and relates to strengthening the lending process by guaranteeing or insuring the micro loans made to locals.

                              2.  Products can be sold online and payments can flow back to the local person IF:

                    H.     All of the factors above were present

                    I.         A website could be developed (or web sites) to facilitate sales and be operated probably from the U.S.

                    J.         Sufficient funds could be raised to promote/market the products world-wide (started in 2009 with PeaceTones campaign and World Justice Forum support)

a.       Fundraising is required here in the US and potentially elsewhere so that local people's products could be adequately marketed globally online. The program will succeed  but we must  address the costs of Internet marketing. By doing this through IB.org certainly we may get discounts or advertising/promotion as in-kind contributions.

3.  Standard of living, economic freedom and power and hopefully development of democratic-oriented, market-based economic growth could be enhanced--which directly impacts related health, poverty and other issues that are so vitally important to individual people's lives.

 

References:  David Luft

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs.

 

7.      Training to Support Sustainable Economic Growth

     a.       General:  Building Afghan business capacity through a ‘Jump-Start’ (very focused and intensive) Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program (EFP) with hands-on instruction, training and support around 1) basic business skills, 2) identifying specific business opportunities, and encouraging the development of online businesses and norms for online businesses, and getting plans started and 3) “launch” support, including micro-investments or other forms of encouragement to “seed” multiple businesses, while expanding the community of ‘entrepreneurs.’  Training Afghan trainers to grow capacity on their own.

     Barefoot Solar Engineers

     Barriers

     References:  David Luft

     1.       How many people need to be trained, where?

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of the four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

C.     Critical enablers

1.      Distributed, renewable energy (microhydro, solar, wind, perhaps local geothermal, hybrid)

a.      General. 

     1. Microhydro.  See Microhydro survey 15 Aug 09.xls and pp; 5-12 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

     2. Solar.  See Scatec Solar and Solar Stik.   Also pp. 16-18 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

     3. Wind.  See pp. 13-15 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

     4. Local Geothermal.  See p. 21 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

     5. Hybrid.  See pp. 18-20 of Distributed Infrastructure in Afghan 2-21-09_1.doc

     6. Overall.  See Afghanistan Renewable Energy Businesses.shtml and Agha Khan Green Energy 4-17-09 MWAI-7RB34A.htm

     7. Barriers:  Need to get village buy-in and revenuie streams.  Pilferability of solar components.  Not very attractive to outside investors.

b.      Each of four district  capitals

c.       Each of 25 villages (average 30kW). 

d.      Camp for refugees or IDPs

e.       Figures for below graph based on “Distributed Infrastructure in Afghanistan” report on page 13, which can be found at: http://www.star-tides.net/node/379

 

Location

25 Generators

Engineers, Security, Vehicles etc.

Total

Per Year Maintenance Costs

Total for Ten Year Period

25 villages

$1,250,000

$750,000

$2,000,000

$125,000

$3,250,000

 

2.      Communications ranging from text messaging to cell phone voice, community/content applications to wide-band, high speed internet.

1.      Overall ‘physical’ extension / roll-out strategy & execution plan

a.       General

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of the four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

2.      Overall ‘content’ / application development / strategy & execution plan

a.       General

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of the four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       1 refugee or IDP camp

 

3.      Refer to previous report by Dr. Wells on  improving (ICT) in Afghanistan for reference: http://www.star-tides.net/node/381

 

3.      Information sharing, storage and retrieval regimes to give non-traditional participants access to the information they need and building trust for two-way communication where appropriate

a.       General.  Must include world class library functions and reachback support from outside the country to supplement those on the ground.   Camp Roberts experiences

b.      Jalalabad.  B4D program.

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

4.      Reachback support from outside the country to supplement those on the ground.

a.       General

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs 

 

D. Related areas: 

1.      Social networks, including those enabled by the communications infrastructure (via community / content applications)  need to be developed and trust built so that solutions are solving Afghan problems and to develop their sense of ownership so that equipment won’t be sold in local markets to meet short-term priorities.  Begin with Strategic Listening.  DTP 53

a.       General:

1.      There are over 80k (est) young men who have moved from RC South and RC East to Kabul to avoid Taliban conscription.  I think this is an untapped reasource provided GIRoA can welcome and assist them as they come into the city.  Authentic engagement and support could lead to the formation of a CCC (new deal type) for AFG that may fill some of the human capacity gap here.  If we picked the smart, honest hardworking of the lot, we could put them into a civil service training program.  If done by cohort and bonded effectively, they could serve as a sort of young turks project to change the tactical level of GIRoA agency operations (reduce corruption). 

2.      Multi-cultural ethical considerations are key, and consideration should be given to appointing an ethics advisor knowledgeable of both Afghan and partner nation norms.

3.      NGO and DoD experiences in Muslim areas of Mindanao have provided experiences in innovative approaches to community development that may be relevant here.

4.  Barriers

b.      Jalalabad.  Sister City Foundation.

     Reference:  Steve Brown, Dave Warner, Fary Moini

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

2.      Policy and doctrine need to be converted into field operating procedures that can help all concerned work effectively together.  Efforts must be coordinated.

a.       General:  Review policy and doctrine like: DODD 3000.05, DODI 8220.02, FM 3-24, 3-07 and 3-0, Sphere Standards, S/CRS planning framework, UN rules, rules of individual PVOs, IOs, NGOs, etc. Address implications for field operating procedures.

     Barriers

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

3.      Legal and regulatory constraints must be understood—what can be shared with whom?  Under what circumstances?

a.       General:  Engage Chip Wedan (DOD GC).  Take advantage of MG Fields' (SIGAR) offer and IG/GAO people.  Address covenential relationships. 

     Barriers General uses of Title X funds, limits on CERP, donor constraints, Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) rules

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district  capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

f.     Access to legal services, and understanding the constraints, was researched by Internet Bar from 2005=2008;  the  framework for the research is linked in a speech given by ICT director of UNESCAP, Daewon Choi, at the inaugural forum held at Ropes and Grey in DC - summary of research follows

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.      Resources must be allocated effectively from several different supply chains:  Government, non- government, commercial, empowered citizens, etc. 

a.       General:  recommend maintaining close coordination with the SIGAR.  This will involve non-traditional approaches, multiple streams of money, and vey different national and organizational cultures.  Up front engagement my help avoid long term problems.

1.       How do we find out what pots of resources are available and who’s working on what?  When will the Afghan project data base be ready soon

2.      People:  Where come from, what kind of rotation?  Include volunteers and reachback and private sector (AACC, AACI)

3.       What are the execution metrics (see beginning).  Engage GMU

Barriers

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refugees or IDPs

 

5.      People must be trained, lessons learned (not just “observed”), exercises held, and educational curricula changed.

a.       General:  CCO, Project-Based Learning, FabLab and FabFi.  Exercises like OGP and FaHum show what can be done.  Curriculum change—engage Transformation Chairs Network.  How is training matched to future job creation and the ability of the economy to absorb it?

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of four district capitals

d.      d.    Each of 25 villages 

e.       e.    IDPs

 

 

6.      6. Engagement with related activities, such as governance, rule of law, other infrastructures, security.  For example, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms the leverage improved communications (and are adapted to Afghan conditions) may contribute to rule of law, and the availability of more information could enhance transparency in government. 

  

a.       General

1. Governance:  impact of more satisfied populace, increased transparency and transaction security

2. Rule of Law

     a. See below under Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

 

Dispute Resolution:  Rule of Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)/Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in Afganistan

 

On July 16th, Colin Rule gave a presentation on ADR/ODR to a US Institute of Peace (USIP) seminar on "Smart Tools for Smart Power."  It focused on how ADR/ODR is used in e-bay and pay pal to resolve online financial disputes among distributed parties.  One of the key shortfalls that's repeatedly cited in Afghanistan is a weak "rule of law" (delays in bring disputes to trial, government and police corruption, etc.).  This typically first affects citizens at local levels in Shuras/Jirgas or Sharia courts.  Has anyone given thought to how dispute resolution might be enhanced in these environments by alternative (but culturally acceptable approaches) if there were widespread access to cell phones?  Afghanistan is a verbal culture and it will be awhile before broadband reaches these many, so ADR is probably more appropriate that ODR, but maybe there's a PDR (phone dispute resolution) that could link together dispersed people in mountain valleys.

 

The dialogue below is intended to contribute to understanding in this area.  Lin Wells

-------------------

From Colin Rule <crule@paypal.com> on July 16:

 

I’m cc:ing Jeff Aresty, a good friend of mine in the ODR field and Founder of InternetBar.org – Jeff is just coming back from Afghanistan, and we were talking about the prospect of doing some ODR/ADR work there, so I think he’d be a great point of contact.  I’m also cc:ing Dan Rainey, another ODR giant and a frequent co-conspirator of Jeff’s – he’s the biggest ODR advocate in Federal circles (he works at the National Mediation Board) and he’s done some work with Afghanistan as well.

 

My partner in crime Chittu Nagarajan has been doing some work with the Microjustice initiative in The Netherlands – seems like they’d be a great repository of expertise in thinking through how a robust ADR/ODR system could be designed for Afghanistan.  Also, Sanjana Hattotuwa is the person with the most experience using mobile devices to build ODR systems – I bet his experience in Sri Lanka would be informative.  Ethan Katsh has written extensively about how ODR systems can help the developing world (see the UNCTAD report, page 201).

 

I’d love to do a call to brainstorm on this topic (this call was held on July 20).  I’d love to learn more about the Conflict Transformation programs at the NDU as well.

 

-----------------

Sanjana Hototawa <sanjanahattotuwa@ict4peace.org> weighed in from Sri Lanka on July 17:

 

Thanks Colin for putting me on this list and your excellent presentation. This is an interesting idea to which I can only contribute some probative questions based on my some lived experience of using mobiles for ODR. 
 
1. Can the US military, govt and other bilateral and multilateral funders countenance culturally accepted norms that are very different to the lib-dem framework of justice? What is "culturally acceptable" in Afghanistan may be extremely violent towards gender relations, women, children and violate tenets of the UDHR. How will the project's raison d'etre negotiate what may be the strengthening of policies and practices at the local level inimical to what the Western liberal mindset sees as democracy, esp. if it really helps local level dispute resolution? See for example the conclusion of this article published just two months ago - http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090517/OPINION/705169864/1335
 
2. Combined with the above, will the introduction of models of dispute resolution, invariably fashioned the justice frameworks informed by the West, cause more conflict? E.g. A justice system that does not accept stoning as a form of punishment, or such abominations as this - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/law-will-let-afghan-husbands-starve-wives-who-withhold-sex-1740229.html, signed by the good Mr. Karzai himself? And how will the project deal with tensions between competing Islamic justice systems such as the Hanafi code or and the ultra-conservative Salafist code?
 
3. Pgs. 14 - 15 of the ICTJ's report on HR violations in Afghanistan suggests a rich, textured understanding of and approach to justice by its citizens (http://www.ictj.org/static/Asia/Afghanistan/aihrc.callforjustice.eng.pdf). Aspects of this texture are served by mobile phone based ODR and by the communities themselves, for example using mobile phones for restorative justice (with its focus on the community instead of the State) instead of retributive justice, addressing their fears of persecution for HR abuses "destroying the country".
 
4. Recognise the difference between access to information on justice and redress of grievances and ODR platforms. An Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) does not need a literacy greater than punching numbers on a keypad to access a rich spectrum of information, otherwise difficult to find and access, which can help in DR. This can be through solutions like Freedom Fone's http://mobileactive.org/directory/vendors/dialup and combined with multi-lingual single number information delivery mechanisms set up by (local) government. If you strip away the marketing spiel, the 1919 service in Sri Lanka as described here - http://www.icta.lk/index.php/en/component/content/article/86-re-engineering-government/610-1919-one-window-for-government-services-information - is also a model in this regard, for the service in a country not known for its effectiveness or efficiency in government, actually works. And works well. 
 
5. Re. ODR platforms per se, obviously these need to work in the local languages, and perhaps even sometimes in the local dialects. Easier done verbally than textually, making an acceptable ODR system more voice based than text based in Afghanistan. 
 
6. Recognising that it may not be necessary to create sophisticated ODR platforms. Communities with mobile phones will automatically find ways to integrate them into justice patterns such as the village councils and various regional councils. If the objective is to "enhance" dispute resolution, then culturally appropriate and realistic markers of success need to be established first. You're not going to have Judge Judy type courts anytime soon, and women are not going to be emancipated anytime soon. Can then these mobile phones, in addition to however they may be used for community justice, also encourage competing narratives that bear witness and feed into a national reconciliation process? Can they help strengthen processes such as the National Solidarity Programme (http://www.nspafghanistan.org/about_nsp.shtm) which from what I have read is one of the largest efforts in history of an international force seeking to rapidly merge or interweave traditional, Islamic, and state representational and justice systems in a country?
 
My experience in Sri Lanka suggests that the careful design of projects of this nature is pivotal to their success on the ground. There is space for innovation - such as progressive, on-demand over the air (OTA) access of progressive judicial interpretations of Islamic law and vital precedents in cases related to land, marriage etc that can help marakas settle disputes without going to, or having to hold a qawmi jirga
 
The attached paper (Mediation from the palm of your hand (Sanjana).pdf), written a few years ago, provides ideas that can possibly be adapted to enhance DR at the local community level in Afghanistan, from my experience in Sri Lanka. 

 

 

 

     b. ICT contributions to resolution of land disputes (but note corruption issues at the beginning of most digitization processes)

     c.  Tribal law vs Islamic law--impact of "Bottom-up" approach

3. Other infrastructures

     a.  Shelter Eric Russi

4. Security

 

b.      Jalalabad

c.       Each of the four district capitals

d.      Each of 25 villages

e.       Camp for refuges or IDPs

 

7.  Information about other provinces in prep for scaling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. To effectively harness the development potential of microcommerce, the economically disadvantaged must be afforded access to qualified legal systems.  However, there are several barriers to providing legal access to economically disadvantaged persons:
    1. Legal costs, including retaining a lawyer and paying for any court costs
    2. Opportunity cost of participating in the legal system
    3. Sophistication required to navigate the legal system
    4. Difficulty obtaining access to current legal materials
    5. Lack of respect for the law among the poor

                                                              i.      Frequent violations of the law (such as squatting) create the impression that the law need not be followed

                                                            ii.      Intimidation from others that are more powerful makes it seem like the legal system only works for the wealthy and powerful

    1. Fear of punishment for unrelated violations of the law, including living or drawing electricity illegally

    2. Elites blocking reform efforts

    3. Corruption

    4. Cultural factors, such as social stigma attached to even a legitimate legal action

  1. What are some of the qualities that these legal systems must possess?

    1. It must be functional and offer real protection to participating parties

    2. Transparency as to how justice is rendered

    3. Independence from improper influences

    4. Open and easy access to all individuals and entities, including the economically disadvantaged

    5. Justice must be rendered in a timely manner

    6. Enforcement and accountability

                                                              i.      There must be recourse to hold others accountable to legal judgments

  1. Where do these legal systems exist?

    1. Domestic legal systems – legal systems in the person or business’s home country that provide access to protection of legal rights and redress for violations of those rights

    2. International legal systems – supra-national organizations that offer access to protection of international legal rights and redress for violations of those rights 

    3. Foreign legal systems – legal systems in other countries that offer access to protection of foreign legal rights and redress for violations of those rights

    4. Development of an online justice system proposed by IBO

  2. General suggestions to improve legal access:

    1. Establish feasible and quantifiable goals

    2. Don’t try to do everything at once – focus on a particular geographic area or market that has an existing and stable legal profession that can be used to support a microcommerce initiative

    3. Local legal training to increase the quality and quantity of legal representation available to the economically disadvantaged

                                                              i.      Train lawyers to provide direct legal counsel to micro-entrepreneurs

                                                            ii.      Train domestic and foreign paralegals to offer basic legal information to micro-entrepreneurs

                                                          iii.      Offer certification and/or create institutional law schools to provide institutional legal education

                                                          iv.      Enable and encourage others to share legal knowledge

  1. Develop Alternative Dispute Resolution systems, including ODR and phone-enabled systems

                                                              i.      Foster arbitration and mediation outside of the legal system

                                                            ii.      Develop corresponding legal support for these systems

  1. Public awareness campaign as to the need for legal advice and how to obtain it

  2. Create a global information system to link legal professionals with micro-entrepreneurs. 

  3. Decentralize access to legal information by creating more access points to legal information, such as small libraries or individual computer centers that provide free internet access

                                                              i.      Fund more Mobile Telecentres, a bus with computers, wireless technology, and solar powered electricity that can bring the Internet and computer training to rural areas that have little or no access to the Internet. 

    1. Foster a coalition of support for reform in developing countries

  1. Providing sustainable funding for on-going legal improvements:

    1. General comments:

                                                              i.      Create standardized guidelines to manage funding

                                                            ii.      Create an online global legal information system to match those that need legal advice to donors willing to pay for it

1.      Use donations to subsidize legal training and advice until the market has grown sufficiently to support a financially independent legal profession

2.      Potential donations can be used to create an endowment

3.      Ensure that donations are independent of any religious, political, or economic agendas

4.      Be aware that, as with any donation, there is a risk that donations can be misused and channeled to groups that lack a financial need (such as the wealthy) or to groups that will misuse the resources (such as organized crime or terrorist groups)

    1. Encourage and provide the support system so that micro-entrepreneurs are encouraged or required to donate a portion of their profits to organizations that provide the same benefits to others that the entrepreneurs have received

    2. Governments may tax microcommerce wealth

  1. Ensuring that wealth creation is channeled into projects that help the poor and ensure ongoing improvements in legal systems

    1. The nature of microcommerce is such that the wealth that is generated will be decentralized, creating a strong and steady demand for legal improvements and an expansion of supporting legal infrastructure

    2. Link continued access to microcommerce technological infrastructure to feasible, quantifiable goals for poverty reduction and legal infrastructure development

    3. Standardized guidelines for allocation of grants

                                                              i.      Place restrictions on any large grants made to governments or large nonprofit organizations

  1. Funding can be placed in an international account supervised by qualified NGOs and/or  the United Nations  (as has been done with oil-producing nations) to disperse funds to appropriate projects

                                                              i.      Restrict access to the money

                                                            ii.      Require that a certain percentage of proceeds be used to address poverty issues and improving the legal system

  1. Develop alternatives such as working with microentrepreneurs to support community projects as is required in IBO’s PeaceTones initiative

 

    1. Independent audits to evaluate progress and identify changing needs

  1. Creating a global legal information system that links legal professionals and entrepreneurs

    1. Develop a central online resource with answers to common legal questions that arise

                                                              i.      Even though not all microcommerce entrepreneurs will receive access to a lawyer, this central resource can provide a basic knowledge of local legal structures to allow unsophisticated individuals to pursue microcommerce opportunities with some legal knowledge and a corresponding confidence in their rights.

                                                            ii.      Microvouchers - Create a central online support that can match individuals that need legal advice to donors that can provide monetary support or legal information

                                                          iii.      Lawyers can donate services or money

                                                          iv.      Other individuals can donate money to support micro-entrepreneurs obtaining necessary legal advice

    1. Develop a system of Field Partners to connect those micro-entrepreneurs that most need legal advice to the resources that can help them

  1. Other issues

    1. Consider how cultural issues will affect the implementation of legal infrastructure on a national and regional basis

                                                              i.      Anticipate cultural issues that can be accommodated (such as reluctance to check email frequently)

                                                            ii.      Be sensitive to cultural issues that cannot be accommodated and must be incorporated into any development plan

 

  1. Create a communication network so that individuals and groups can share lessons learned

  2. Publicize positive results and rely on individual “success stories” to influence public opinion and pressure public officials to support these initiatives

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.