Sunday, May 17, 2015

What Could Transparency Look Like

Transparency is first and foremost about fundraising. Global media might have an attention span of a few weeks, if that. TV coverage, the most effective in getting people to donate, has a smaller attention span than print media. But reconstruction work can last months, years. Fundraising will have to be ongoing and global. That is where social media comes to the rescue. If there is 100% online transparency, you are essentially creating photos, videos, texts and graphics that can be easily shared over social media.

Transparency is not top down. Everyone involved is hoping the Nepal Government will play a large, central role. But no one, not even the Nepal Government can hope to play a one door role where, if you want to help, you necessarily have to go through the Nepal Government. That one door idea is essentially a bottleneck and gridlock idea. That is the exact opposite of what needs to happen.

100% online transparency applies to every stage of relief, reconstruction, resurgence, from deliberation to delivery. Every impacted village should have solar powered phones. Information flow is key. Work getting done on the ground is what will raise money.

And, no, the democratic process does not stop. Criticisms will not and should not stop. If anything, they should go on hyper drive. 100% online transparency means any interested person anywhere in the world can play watchdog roles. That heightened interest is what will make fundraising possible.

The ultimate test is when you manage to create bonds between individual donors globally to individual families receiving help.


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