At the end of 2007 I, like many others participated in the Give One Get One program of One Laptop per Child (OLPC). 75,000 laptops went to Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Oceania, the West Bank, and Haiti.  An additional 75,000 laptops came into the USA as part of the “get” side of the equation.

In light of the recent disaster in Haiti, the OLPC group is gathering used XO laptops to send to Haiti. If you or the child to whom you gave the laptop is no longer using it then kindly send it to the address below (even if it is broken).

OLPC FOR HAITI c/o Exel
615 Westport Parkway #500
Grapevine, TX 76051

75% of the schools in Port-au-Prince have been destroyed in the recent earthquake. Because of the XO’s unique features (sunlight readability, solar powered, water resistant, drop proof), it is also an ideal tool for relief work.

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I do have to agree with the usefulness of the laptop.  It’s a great travel PC if you don’t need anything sophisticated or can live on Google apps for productivity software.  I have often used mine for writing in the bright southern sun.  I could see how useful it would be as a disaster relief tool.  As such, I will be sending mine in.  I encourage you to do the same.

Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty.  Disasters like this magnitude 7.0 earthquake are especially devastating when they strike places that are already struggling to provide the most basic of services for its population.  The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. Haiti’s lack of development—which translates into a lack of government capacity for emergency preparedness—magnifies the impact of this tragedy.

Did you drink a bottle of water today?  Did you drink a glass of tap water?  This is a luxury in a country such as Haiti to begin with.  The prospect of clean, fresh water is now much more elusive than it was last week.

Now, how YOU can help…

Drink tap water and kindly donate the money you would have spent on bottled water or a cup of coffee to relief efforts.  Simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. You will need to confirm the donation.   Need a receipt?  Receipts are available online at mGive’s Web site. In addition, this is a recommended mechanism for aid by the US State Department.  http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/help_haiti_disaster_relief_efforts

Why is this a good idea?

Monetary contributions to established relief agencies are always the most useful response to disasters. Financial contributions allow professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster victims and to pay for the transportation necessary to distribute those supplies. Unlike in-kind donations, cash donations entail no transportation cost. In addition, cash donations allow relief supplies to be purchased at locations as near to the disaster site as possible. Supplies, particularly food, can almost always be purchased locally – even in famine situations. This approach has the triple advantage of stimulating local economies (providing employment, generating cash flow), ensuring that supplies arrive as quickly as possible and reducing transport and storage costs. Cash contributions to established legitimate relief agencies are always considerably more beneficial than the donation of commodities.

Finally, watch out for any scams promising aid.  If you would like to make donations, do so to recognized aid organizations such as the Red Cross or OxFam.  The US State Department provides a list of recognized aid organizations.

Thank you for listening and thank you for considering how you can offer assistance to those who need it.

[edit]

Here is a list or recognized aid organizations operating in Haiti:

• Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
• American Red Cross, 800-733-2767
• American Jewish World Service, 212-792-2900
• AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
• Beyond Borders, 866-424-8403
• CARE, 800-521-2273
• CarmaFoundation
• Catholic Relief Services, 800-736-3467
• Childcare Worldwide, 800-553-2328
• Concern Worldwide, 212-557-8000
• Cross International, 800-391-8545
• Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
• Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
• Feed My Starving Children, 763-504-2919
• Food for the Poor, 800-427-9104
• Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
• Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
• Haiti Marycare, 203-675-4770
• Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
• Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
• International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
• International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
• International Relief Teams, 619-284-7979
• Lutheran World Relief, 800-597-5972
• Medical Teams International, 800-959-4325
• Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
• Mennonite Central Committee, 888-563-4676
• Mercy Corps, 888-256-1900
• Operation Blessing, 800-730-2537
• Operation USA, 800-678-7255
• Oxfam, 800-776-9326
• Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
• Rural Haiti Project, 347-405-5552

• The Salvation Army, 800-725-2769
• Samaritan’s Purse, 828-262-1980
• Save the Children, 800-728-3843
• UN Central Emergency Response Fund
• UNICEF, 800-367-5437
• World Concern, 800-755-5022
• World Hope International, 888-466-4673
• World Relief, 800-535-5433
• World Vision, 888-511-6548
• Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552 (Wyclef Jean’s grassroots org. Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 via your cellphone.)

• Google set to take on Apple in China
• Smartphone rivals ready to engage
• China to get iPhone (8/28/2009 from Wireless Week)

The world’s first and second largest wireless operators by subscriber numbers (China Mobile and China Unicom respectfully),  are ready to launch smartphone handset which utilize 3G services.  The prominent handsets will be China Mobile’s Android OPhone and China Unicom’s desired iPhone offering.  [UPDATE:  As reported on 8/28, China Unicom has reached a multi-year deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to China.]  While financial folks will ponder the ramifications of the new marketspace, I’m wondering about the implications on social media (more below).

• Facebook could be a hit with shoppers
• Facebook clicks with advertisers by offering connection with users

Apparently Facebook will have a few storefronts opening up in the next few weeks.  One of the first will be 1-800-Flowers.  Consider that 120 million people log into facebook each day.  Combine that with all the other Facebook apps that gather your information – such as birthdays, and you have a very powerful and customized e-commerce platform.  In addition, the advertising links are more targeted to the communities the products are catered to.  This isn’t rocket science, but it underlines the importance of being in the space where your customers go, where the communicate, and where they play.  Now if only all those new Chinese smartphone users could access Facebook.

• Marines ban social network sites

The US government has placed a ban of at least one year on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  They have stated the reasoning is because they want to protect military networks from potential malicious code.  It’s also probable that the DoD wants to eliminate potential information leaks (such as confidential arrivals and departures in sensitive geographic locations).  However, have they considered the impact on the common soldier?  Most of our soldiers are 20-somethings who use these sites as the primary method of communication with friends and family.

• Human rights groups attack Chávez ‘media crimes’ law

So Hugo Chávez wants to imprison folks for up to four years who speak out in the media.  The bill seeks to punish journalists and anyone they interview who “causes panic”, “disturbs social peace”, or compromises national security.  Chávez is fighting what he calls “media terrorism”.   Currently, this is aimed at television and radio, but could easily bleed to the internet and social networking platforms.  Coupled with the nationalization of the radio stations in Venezuela, this is a pointed effort to limit personal expression.  At least he’s not banning it like the Marines.

Now pile this on top of the ongoing developments around communication in Iran.

Social media is not going away.  It is not a fad.  It will only become more pervasive as time moves on and people are exposed to its power to give the individual a voice.  It is a powerful tool in anyone’s toolbox: whether they be a political activist, a journalist in a not so “free-speech” country, a company trying to sell a product, or a consumer.

We all have a voice.  Social media allows us to be heard.  Should there be limits?  Possibly.  The articles mentioned show multiple facets to this question.  They also show how the largest population will soon have access to social media tools via their phones.  And finally, they show how businesses are relying on this type of communication and interaction to grow their business.

It’s an open conversation and I welcome your opinions…

Ingredients:
1/4 cup allspice
1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 scallions, including green tops, sliced
1 Scotch Bonnet chili
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dark Jamaica rum
1 (4 pound) boned pork loin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulverize the allspice with the cinnamon and nutmeg in a spice mill. Place the spice mixture in a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and chili. Season with salt and pepper. Process until a paste is formed. Add the rum and mix well.

Rub the mixture all over the pork loin. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Remove the meat and place in a roasting pan, and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to roast for 1 1 /2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Best served with the Black Beans and Fried Plantains.  Try coconut rice pudding for dessert.