Community

ResponsibleChina Community: WikiCarbon, Wokai, Givology and CODE

Lots going on in the ResponsibleChina community this month.

Here are some highlights I’d like to share:

WikiCarbon

The China Carbon Forum, a Beijing-based nonprofit professional network dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China, has created a wiki community portal for those interested in the so-called “carbon market,” defined as all the “regulatory, financial, investment and trading aspects related to renewable energy, clean technology development and transfer, as well as carbon emission reduction certificate trading.”

Here’s the main page of WikiCarbon, and you can read more about it in the “About” section.

The idea is to post event listings (extensive and relevant, but hard to navigate), links to influential Web sites and blogs (a good start, but limited and not very detailed), and initiate online conversations through “Hubs,” of which some have moderators and currently include the following topics:

• Trading Platforms in China
• Regulations and Policies
• Monitoring of CDM (“Clean Development Mechanism”) Projects
• The VER Market
• Carbon Sinks
• Vertical Technology Transfer & Finance
• Research, Development & Marketing
• Employment

The information is useful, but disorganized and not user-friendly. Perhaps as more registered users join the community and contribute to wiki edits, the resource will become a more valuable tool.

=====

Wokai.org

Wokai is getting ready to launch! You can hear more about this innovative microfinance organization by listening to my recent podcast interview with founders Casey Wilson and Courtney McColgan.

Here’s a note from the team about how you can help:

1. Make a Secure, Tax Deductible Online Donation: So far we have raised nearly $14,000 of the $50,000 we need to underwrite our operations through April 2009. Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

2. Join the Wokai.org Pilot Program: So far more than 50 supporters have helped us improve the site by making five $10 contributions to women in Inner Mongolia and sharing their comments on the experience. We are looking for 150 more friends to join in. “I found the site to be very well designed overall. Very impressed with its ease of use and intuitiveness!” commented one participant.

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Wokai for becoming one of 10 finalists for the Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition, an initiative of Ashoka’s Changemakers.net. Wokai was chosen as one of 500 entries from 61 countries. They’re calling on your vote to advance to the winners’ list:

To win, we need to get the most votes between now and November 10! Go to http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/competition/staplesyv and vote for Wokai. You must login and vote for 3 organizations. It takes about 3 minutes, but will make a world of difference for our non-profit.

=====

Givology.org

I got an email from Danielle Matsumoto, marketing associate for a new startup called Givology.org.

The nonprofit was founded by a group of undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania last spring. Similar to sites like Wokai.org and Kiva.org, Givology.org is an online P2P platform that raises money for student scholarships and education projects in the developing world.

Givology’s current students and education projects are in China, many from rural communities, but the organizers say they have plans to expand worldwide with new partnerships. “Givology’s vision is to create a global community of people connected through their belief in the transformative power of education,” Matsumoto says.

Here’s how Givology works: Individuals view profiles of students and education-related project profiles on our website. They then select which ones they would like to support as well as the amount they would like to donate to each one. Once a student or project is fully funded, the money is channeled to our local partners, who disburse the funding. Partners also provide regular updates from each student or project via givology.org, and donors even have the option to message the students they are supporting.

I hope to write a more in-depth profile of the organization soon. Stay tuned!

=====

CODE: Center of Dream Enterprise

My sister Amena Schlaikjer, who works for ?What If! Innovation‘s Shanghai office, informed me about an upcoming event sponsored by the Center of Dream Enterprise (CODE), which teaches students about social innovation in its “Dare to Dream” course. We wrote about founder and leading lecturer Steve Koon in August.

In December, at least 100 students of social entrepreneurship from China’s top universities will showcase their CODE projects at ?What If!’s Shanghai office. Amena says they are also interested in internship and educational opportunities abroad.

Sphere: Related Content

© 2008 ResponsibleChina.com: Environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship in China..