THE LAB

I love that online communities can motivate all types of folk to get active and challenge the butt-in-chair status quo.  People who can’t or don’t want to afford a gym membership, or avoid fitness centers for non-fiscal reasons (yep, that’s you!), can tap into multiple online communities that get them emotionally and physically in check. If you move cross-country from your favorite fitness buddy, personal trainer or spotter, you can monitor each others’ stats and successes regularly using a fitness forum. I like to comment on my BFF’s daily food log despite our countrywide divide (which somedays reads: Red Bull, mac n cheese, Red Bull & vodka. No lie!) using www.peertrainer.com .

Community boards (broadly speaking) can be excellent sources of information for making better nutritional choices and changing your diet. Perhaps you’re curious how to improve your mins/mile while eating less meat? Throngs of likeminded people share their experiences and results online, and are almost always eager to continue the discussion should you engage with them.

We know that retirement can mean being less socially involved. But these days–heck, don’t waste your golden years blubbering on the sofa–anyone can connect online and meet up for a pickup game. Try it! Discover walking or hiking groups, rec sports teams, or salsa dancing clubs, all of which offer you a huge serving of enjoyment with your exercise.

On the Origin of … Community

Community is obviously an integral part of our human existence today, but how far back in human history do our ‘groupish’ tendencies go?

Two years ago, I listened to an interesting episode of the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Quirks and Quarks radio program which specifically highlighted the role of evolution in the original formation of human communities. In the program, the radio host was interviewing evolutionary biologist Dr. David Sloan Wilson about his then ‘new’ book Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives.

Charles Darwin, what a man he was; His ideas completely revolutionized the way we think about our world. But can you apply his theory of evolution to the social tendencies of humans to form communities? Dr. Wilson would argue ‘yes’.

Let’s start with an experiment – because this is exactly what Dr. Wilson does when he’s teaching his evolution classes at Binghamton University, and, well, I figure he’s a smart guy, so we should follow suit and start with the same experiment!

Step #1

Make a list of the traits or words you would associate with an ‘evil’ person.

Step #2

Make a list of some traits or words you would associate with a ‘good’ person.

What do you get?

For evil, you might get ‘murderer,’ ‘thief,’ ‘selfish,’ ‘greedy’ etc.

For good, maybe you came up with ‘selfless,’ ‘altruistic,’ ‘compassionate’ etc.

Now let’s pretend we have two isolated islands (much like Darwin’s famous Galapagos Islands). On one of those islands put a bunch of ‘evil’ people, and on the other island, put a bunch of ‘good’ people.

Which group do you think would survive in the long run?

The ‘good’ group, obviously. The ‘evil’ individuals would murder, steal, cheat, and lie their way into extinction.

The conclusion? We humans are biologically predisposed to forming tight knit groups -ahem, communities – where we can rely on and support one another.

Dr. Wilson goes on to point out that culture is also an adaptation we’ve acquired to help us cultivate our communities. Artwork, music, dances, traditions, languages, even religion are all evolutionary adaptations to bring us together into groups of well meaning, ‘in-it-for-the-good-of-all individuals.’ Interesting food for thought.

So there you have it. Nature never intended for all humans to live apart from one another. From our beginning days as cavemen to our current technology-gorged society, we are meant to live in tribes, in groups, in communities, and (I suppose) in online social networking websites. Community is a part of our genetic makeup!

Dr. Wilson does a much better job than I do explaining his and Mr. Darwin’s ideas, so please check out his interview on Quirks and Quarks yourself:  CBC Quirks and Quarks Interview with David Sloan Wilson.

by Ashley Best
Education & Social Media Fellow

Need the current scoop on education in the United States? Check out these links!

Week of November 23rd – November 27th 2009

RECYCLING PROGRAMS: Everyone has the opportunity to reduce their eco-footprint in one way or another.  School recycling programs are and effective and educational way to spread the word about a simple, everyday task that can help conserve numerous resources.  These links are great examples of potential projects or successful ventures in the realm of school recycling programs!

Recycling at school can be fun and rewarding!

1. A Start-Up Kit: This North Carolina based program, Recycle Guys, shows schools how to start a successful recycling program from the ground up.  The tips range from identifying waste reduction possibilities to funding financial obligations.

2. Quick Facts: These 14 facts show the dramatic impact wide-spread recycling can make!

3. Recycling Recognition: Schools that implement a successful paper recycling program are eligible to enter to win the yearly American Forest and Paper Association’s School Recycling Award.

4. Hands-On Learning: PaperRecycles.org provides free lesson plans and group activities to engage students in learning more about the importance of recycling.

5. A Difference You Can See: Northern Middle School in Maryland shows how deliberately bringing recycling to the forefront of student’s minds can make a positive impact.

Check back for next week’s hot topic!  Education is empowering. Enjoy the week!

How is social media changing the world? Check out this week’s hottest hits in global development!

1. The Myth of Microfinance? Why MFIs Shouldn’t Be Freaking Out (Yet)

A nice overview of the microfinance realm from our friends at the Center for Global Development.

2. Net Impact Conference Speaks About ICTs

Dave Ferguson, head of Global Development Commons for USAID, speaks out about the importance of collaborative partnerships and community surrounding information and communication technology.

3. Development Marketplace 2009 Winners

World bank blogs sponsored competition announces its winners that will : Turn Ideas Into Action!

4. Gen-Y: The Social Innovation Generation

Saul Garlick, the founder of ThinkImpact, a non-profit organization that aims to alleviate poverty by harnessing the entrepreneurial power of young people and students, writes about Generation Y and global development.

5. Seattle-Based Company Halosource Gains Ground in Water Purification in Brazil, China, India

An article from World Water and Environmental Engineering extolling the virtues of Halosource’s water purification technology and global partnerships. Check them out!

by Ashley Best
Education & Social Media Fellow

Need the current scoop on education in the United States? Check out these links!

Week of November 16th – November 20th 2009

CLASSROOM SIZE: The number of students per classroom across America has grown exponentially over the past few decades and it is no secret that this classroom overcrowding has a negative impact on the quality of education a student receives.  The following links showcase recent studies and articles that delve into the choices that have lead to overcrowding and what could, or should, be done.

Student rally for smaller class sizes in New York City.

1. Elementary School Budget Cuts Hurt : Government budget cuts hurt elementary school students as larger classroom provide less one-on-one time with teachers during pivotal years of development.

2. Safe Buildings or Student Seats? : New York City Schools spend more money on building repairs than on creating more seats to alleviate overcrowding. What makes sense to you?

3. Students Need Their Space : A school’s physical environment is crucial to productive classroom time.  The University of Georgia explores the role physical and social distance within schools to promote the appropriate amount of square footage per student.

4. A Step In The Right Direction : Classroom size reduction is the first step toward bettering education; teachers must adjust their teaching strategies to accommodate smaller class sizes if changes are to have lasting effects.

5. Class Size Matters : Class Size Matters is a non-profit dedicated to reducing class sizes in New York City. Check out their awesome links to learn about their plan(s) of action!

Check back for next week’s hot topic!  Education is empowering. Enjoy the week!

Re-Vision Labs is in the business of building community, but what, exactly, is community?

If you ask Google to ‘define: community’, your first hit is this: “A group of people living in a particular local area.”

Hmm, well lots of people live in lots of particular local areas and they don’t always have what we call community…or maybe they do? Sometimes it seems like there are multiple communities in one given area.

And what about people that don’t live in a particular area together and still consider themselves part of a community? Take online community for example. These people don’t live anywhere near each other. They can be half across the world from one another and still think they share something in common with the other members of their community …

Maybe that’s it then!

A community is a group of people who share something in common! And it doesn’t have to be the same piece of geographical turf, it could be anything! ……Or could it?

Here’s what Wikipedia – arguably the result of one of the most extensive online communities in existence – has to say about the word:

“In biological terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.
In sociology, the concept of community has caused infinite debate, and sociologists are yet to reach agreement on a definition of the term….”

Uh oh – If the sociologists still can’t agree on what community means, how are we plebeian-folk supposed to figure out what it is?!

Seriously, what is community? And what does it really mean to us today in our daily lives, in our work lives, in our online lives, in our world at large? From small niche communities like the Live Action Role Playing people that romp around in city parks and forests in knight’s armor and princess dresses with swords and shields to what is often referred to as the ‘global community’, what does community mean? Why do people inevitably engage in community?

LARPers a'LARPing

Right, well here’s to a brand new series of RVL blog entries dedicated entirely to exploring these exact questions. What is community? How does a community start up in the first place? How is it already manifested in our globally integrated, technologically-inundated society? Why do some communities fail while others thrive? And above all, why do we as a human race need and covet community; What does it do for us?

Obviously, this is a pretty deep question, and I have no intention of addressing it in its entirety in this first entry or even in the first dozen or so entries. It is my preference to explore the concept of community, in all of its complexity, piece by piece, story by story, and conversation by conversation.

So I’ll end here, for now, with a question for all of you readers and an invitation to be part of the conversation:

“What does community mean to you?”

by Torrie Sullivan

This week was the final straw in my 7 month mojo-pilfering experience as a founding partner of Re-Vision Labs.  I came to Seattle with horns and trumpets blaring back in May specifically to bring business strategy and processes around operations, IT, finance, etc. to this new company.  With my UCLA MBA and “Big 4” consulting background, I came into our first strategy meeting armed with breakdowns of functional departments, a red pen explosion all over the existing business plan, and a 360 Degree Performance Evaluation process. Instead we spent the entire time talking about how we wanted to make a difference in the world.  Not kumbaya, let’s paint each other green and burn our panties “make a difference”, but really, what and who exactly we were going to assist in building movements to fight for an end to global poverty?  Who were the good guys in finance and how could we aid in community building to shift power and make sure that the mistakes made here in the US weren’t transported over to developing countries?

Wait a minute….the most important questions aren’t around product lines and services level and culture creation and talent acquisition and retention?  It’s about our personal morals, beliefs and plans to join forces in making the world better?  My Corporate Mojo is a loud 10 piece band and the banjo just lost its strings.  DA-DA -DING -ding- ding- ding- ding- ding- ding…

As each month passed and my vibe was not exactly vibing, one instrument after another lurched in final note into the recycling bin.  I was talking when I should have been listening, forcing measures and metrics and creating formal meetings to address things that really only needed a brief conversation over a cup of joe at Stump Town.  This is not to stay that Seattle companies or Re-Vision Labs don’t rely heavily on fundamentals of business.  It’s just that there is a [whisper whisper] higher priority than maximizing shareholder value [gasp!].

This week a brand new addition to the team pulled me aside to remind me not to make decisions out of fear.  Nothing else, just wanted to make sure I thought about this.  The old jazz viper in me wanted to flare up and pound the table [professionally of course] and insist that though appreciated, his feedback was not appropriate in this situation.  But transparency and authenticity are not just words on our website.  These kinds of conversations happen all the time at Re-Vision Labs and finally, instead of putting up my usual defenses when challenged, I listened and thought, I wonder why I am afraid right now?  The very last squeaky string in my ensemble died.

I was told yesterday that I’m probably not ready to write this first blog.  That I’m not ready to formally assert a personal brand because I don’t know exactly what I stand for to make sure people listen.  Well, I admit that I’m wrong a lot, that in dealing with these unbelievably complex topics around how to change the world I worry I don’t have enough information to take a firm stand, and I can’t guarantee that anything I say has any real value.  Though painful at first, I believe that finally admitting and accepting that I don’t know is a life-changing step forward.

I don’t have a personal brand because Seattle stole my mojo, and in its death, I’m finding the silence to be incredibly beautiful.