"Voluntourism" and The Atlas of the Real World

I want to highlight two articles recently published on CNN.com. The first is on The Atlas of the Real World, a book and website that maps social and economic data. The news is extremely relevant to the BOP Source community, because maps give us visuals for how to convey the need for our work in more creative ways, beyond language. In public health we refer to "creative epidemiology" where we use creative comparisons to convey numbers of people affected by disease and hardship. For example, imagine 10 Dodgers Stadiums filled to the max and that many people have HIV in the town of Smallville (this is not true, just a hypothetical example). Maps with data about tuberculosis, unemployment and literacy help us comprehend and in turn convey to others the severity of a given issue we are working on at the base of the pyramid.

The second article is on "Voluntourism," or luxury vacations that give back to the community. I've always been fascinated by the intersection of luxury and charity, whether it occurs in the high fashion community or in the lives of celebrities like Angelina Jolie. The article on CNN details what kinds of voluntourism one can choose and how to maximize impact through reflection on one's goals and careful selection of participating non-profits. It's pretty interesting that the article goes into such depth on maximizing impact, given the perception that many people who want to give back may just be interested in the "feel good" aspects of volunteering; the article, on the other hand, highlights a new kind of volunteer, one who intelligently considers all aspects of the work he/she engages in.

Financial Education Summit 2008 in Beijing Nov. 25-26

The Citi-FT Financial Education Summit for 2008 is on the theme of Reducing Financial Vulnerability: Innovation and Impact. Sounds like a necessary and intriguing topic to discuss during these hard economic times. As in other fields, though, I wonder how much structural problems such as economic downturns, come down to education and individual behavior or are due more to systemic challenges that need to be fixed within relevant institutions?

As always, report back to BOP Source if you're able to make it to Beijing for the conference.

Branding and Sustainability

I wanted to highlight two upcoming events related to sustainability and branding. The first is the Green Enterprise Unconference held in Mountain View, CA on December 3rd. The event is sponsored by Forum One Communications, a fantastic socially-conscious communications firm.

The second is the Sustainable Brands International Conference happening in my favorite place, Miami Beach, FL from December 9-11. Both look to be exciting events and will draw diverse crowds. As aways, please report back if you're able to make it!

Chocolate in the Amazon

As a chocolate lover, I couldn't help falling in love with this story in the International Herald Tribune. It chronicles the quest of Quechua villagers in Ecuador to make quality chocolate, create a sustainable and enduring business around their product, and sell the chocolate bars in international markets. My question, though, is, How do we replicate such successes? Living in Nepal, I often wonder what natural resource would be so coveted by international audiences to the point where rural communities here could form and sustain profitable businesses around the local product. The irony is that there is SO much here! From water to paper to tea to rare fruits, Nepal is abundant. It seems that identifying the right product is key. So how do you do that? How do you gauge the international market?

Tell us what you think. Do you have an experience of your own to share?