CISV should motivate and support its members to start new NGOs.
CISVer are usually a well-educated, creative bunch of people. When they get together, have a few beers, many a great idea has evolved. I'm not talking about new activities or new CISV camps, I'm talking about ideas about solutions to real-world problems. Unfortunately CISV has had a tradition of being a lot of talk and very little action. This is something that we should change.
Many universities, especially in the US, are actually very good in supporting their students in turning their product ideas and research results and projects into profitable companies. Google is a spin-off of Stanford Universitiy, also the MIT in Boston has a long radition of start-ups that span off the campus grounds.
What I'd like to see, is CISV supporting spin-offs in the non-profit, humanitarian field.
CISV is an elite organisation - let's face it - with members in important political and commercial positions. People with money and connections are abundant in the NAs and chapters, and the network is world wide. We want our members to become active citizens of the world, we have all the resources readily available, but we don't give them any support.
If a group of CISVers want to start their own local, national or even international NGO on a specific theme with a specific goal, this should be supported by CISV. The support I'm thinking of is networking, legal support and even financial support. Let's scrap the Peace Fund and turn it into a a Spin-off fund instead. We've always had trouble explaining what CISVs impact is. If we can list a number of NGOs started by CISVers, supported by CISV, wouldn't that be great?
CISVer are usually a well-educated, creative bunch of people. When they get together, have a few beers, many a great idea has evolved. I'm not talking about new activities or new CISV camps, I'm talking about ideas about solutions to real-world problems. Unfortunately CISV has had a tradition of being a lot of talk and very little action. This is something that we should change.
Many universities, especially in the US, are actually very good in supporting their students in turning their product ideas and research results and projects into profitable companies. Google is a spin-off of Stanford Universitiy, also the MIT in Boston has a long radition of start-ups that span off the campus grounds.
What I'd like to see, is CISV supporting spin-offs in the non-profit, humanitarian field.
CISV is an elite organisation - let's face it - with members in important political and commercial positions. People with money and connections are abundant in the NAs and chapters, and the network is world wide. We want our members to become active citizens of the world, we have all the resources readily available, but we don't give them any support.
If a group of CISVers want to start their own local, national or even international NGO on a specific theme with a specific goal, this should be supported by CISV. The support I'm thinking of is networking, legal support and even financial support. Let's scrap the Peace Fund and turn it into a a Spin-off fund instead. We've always had trouble explaining what CISVs impact is. If we can list a number of NGOs started by CISVers, supported by CISV, wouldn't that be great?
This is a great post!
I could not agree with you more... After all, CISV is about educating for active global citizens, and that in itself implies that people are educated to go out the organization and do their own thing. I have always felt that CISV by itself does not necessarily "change the world", but it definitely empowers you and gives you the tools so you can take initiative and do your own thing to make the change you wish to see.
PS- Good idea on the Peace Fund :)
A very good post!
I thought about this issue a lot while reading in Mosquito Tactics where it becomes obvious that in form of camps CISV can only enlighten about problems as e.g. structural violence. In this frame we cannot really work on a concrete and current issue apart from talking about it.
As far as I know the only way we can do this is through Mosaic or IPPs.
If we tried to include this kind of work the organisation of CISV itself would have to change or extend.
So I really like the idea of cooperating with NGOs. I don't know how this could work in concrete but it is a good approach to have an increasing impact on issues we are discussing. But I doubt that we could support NGOs financially.
@ Nick: Yes, it would be great! :)