Emerging Futures Network

Emerging Futures Network recieves a 2007 Omidyar Network $15,000 community favorite award. In their award letter, Thomas Kriese, executive producer of Omidyar Network stated that the award was given to recognize Brandon CS Sanders, David Braden, Gerry Gleason, Laure Dillon, Julie Caldwell, Michael Maranda, and Ted Ernst for their work with Emerging Futures Network.

From the Omidyar Network site:

Brief Description: Emerging Futures Network’s (EFN) mission is “To establish a comprehensive and evolving infrastructure to enable people and organizations to fulfill their visions for uplifting humanity and healing nature.” The group provides an interactive forum where information, expertise and contributions are exchanged and directed to projects working to make innovative ideas succeed for a better world. Focus areas include network weaving, reputation, identity and open data systems.

Rationale for Funding: With over 75 members, EFN has grown into one of the most active groups

on omidyar.net. Their work is done with a great deal of transparency and collaboration. EFN projects include:

• Organizing a conference in Blaine, Washington: “Building an Evolving Infrastructure: Connecting Networks for Action” which was attended by over 20 omidyar.net members in December 2006.

• Creating a bigger presence on the Internet by building http://www.emergingfutures.net and http://www.emergingfutures.net/wiki
  

• Establishing a wider network by affiliating with: OGuild - people working in open source and open space technology, and Network Weavers – a group to make referrals, learn from one another, work together in a variety of ways, and create resources together.

Because the process of connecting people is central to EFN’s work, this funding should provide opportunities for omidyar.net members to collaborate within EFN’s broad network.

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Visit Emerging Futures Network Omidyar Network Group

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We have had much talk of Guilds among the EFN: OGuild or the Open Guild, the emerging Network Weavers Guild and Network, and more.

I invite you to take share in a Vision, articulating Guild in (r)elation to Networking and Commons Perspectives which are among core values of the EFN.

Imagine a Guild as a Service-Leadership Collective, grounded in the ethical pursuit of a craft, and standing in relation to a Network of Practice.

Imagine a Concentric Commons: each Guild a Commons, encircled by a Network of Practice also as Commons, encircled at the widest level again by the greatest Commons for All of Us.

There is something striking in the relation amongst these Concentric Commons:

What is Good for All of Us is Good for each Network, and for each Guild.
What is Good for each Network is also Good for each Guild.
What is Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander (got you there!)
What is not Good for each Guild cannot be Good for Network nor for All of Us.
What is not Good for each Network cannot be Good for All of Us.

This sets a high bar, indeed.

As Guild is related to craft and practice… i.e. activities we find useful in this world, we see that within the widest Circle, within the All of Us there are Many Guilds, and Many Networks. (Network offers a Filter and Map.)

The Network as Movement (a social networking video)

At the Recent Changes Camp meetup folks asked us “What is Emerging Futures Network?”  We discovered:

THERE IS A MOVEMENT   …. THERE IS A NETWORK  …. made up of small, loosely linked parts that collectively define the mystery and evolution of human beings.EMERGING FUTURES NETWORK is a catalyst, that connects people, ideas, actions and networks with the Movement, the Network, the Work.

Our mission is to build an evolving infrastructure for people and organizations to fulfill their visions for uplifting humanity and healing nature. 

Our work focuses on connecting people, projects and ideas to get things done. 

Our initiatives and affiliate members work to facilitate the energy between the dots of the larger movement — to evolve and grow supports for and with human beings engaged in making the world a better place.

As a result of the Recent Changes Camp meet-up, two Emerging Futures Network affliations have been launched:

1. OGuild: an association for people working in open source and open space technology. 
2. Networkwork Weavers:  a network, a trade assocation and a broker for business opportunities for connectors, organizers, activists, writers and social networkers.

Save the dates & buy your ticket:

February 1: Emerging Futures Network meetup

February 2-4: Recent Changes Camp open space event

From http://www.omidyar.net/group/efn/news/38/:

1. Define the 3 functions of EFN, structures and roles we need to deliver an integrative EFN launch.

• 3 functions: connection, reputation, identity
• Integrative launch: Uplifting a multiplatform shared community center with an open source directory, membership care, reputation and identity system. EFN Node and other Key Nodes doing together what they can’t do alone.

2. Define staff and office needs (role descriptions, budgets) to bring on a short term person to get us ready for the launch. The job description(s) you are working with Ted on. As soon as we have these developed we will begin raising short term funds.
   
3. Design an integrative launch to raise funds with. Melissa and I are working to develop the launch to integrate EFN with Hope Storm Youth Interactive Website, AMO, Climate Change, Membership Care, Marketing, IT/FlowSpace and others to create a multiplatform infrastructure that aligns launch Nodes and activities with EFN to faciliate shared connection, reputation and identity.

To help facilitate this YOU can:

• Subscribe to our NEW Emerging Futures Network elist (low-volume announcement list and/or higer-volume collaborate list)
• Participate in an upcoming conference call sometime between January 10-20. PM me and/or post best day/time here for participating in this call.

• Attend the one day Emerging Futures Network Portland meetup, Thursday, Feb 1 and then stay on for the Recent Changes Camp event (Portland: Feb 2-4)

Note: Airfares are really low on South West Airlines (14 or 21 day advance purchase)

The focus of the Portland meetup will be our integrative launch. We we are looking for launch partners to bring their projects, have some appreciative dialouge and leave the day with an outline for an integrative launch. If you are working on open source network weaving, connection, reputation, identity and open data systems would love for you to attend. Part of launching a multipatform infratructure will include integrating launch themes through interactive Nodes (you and your work)that engage Youth, Climate Change, Grandparents, Human Support, IT Support, etc…

You are invited to RecentChangesCamp 2007. RecentChangesCamp is an un-conference (BarCamp) of, for, and by folks who want to ‘build communities worth having’ both online and off. We are coming together to make connections, write code, have fun, revise the CyberneticRoadmap, do as much good work as each and every one of us can … and then go home more connected, more energized and more capable of building great communities and the tools they depend on. Bring your friends and join a good party that’s growing even better!

Blaine, Washington — Dec 1-4, 2006

This is an invitation. Please join us! If you are engaged in making the world a better place via championing your own initiative or supporting others, jump in with a group of like-minded partners to develop something bigger than any one of us. Join us as we uplift our interconnecting visions and weave together projects for a better world, one that we cannot initiate alone. Come explore and cultivate our collective potential and forge new alliances.

Who Are We? Meeting under the umbrella of Emerging Futures Network (501(c)3), and the members of omidyar.net, we represent a wide cross-section of thinkers and doers — active citizens, volunteers, advisors; social venture entrepreneurs, technology folks, community leaders, bloggers, funders and friends of philanthropy, grassroots organizers, targeted currency folks, activists, and visionary strategists of all ages. We are linked by our strong desire to contribute to shaping the future into one that supports, enhances and sustains all life on Earth.

We believe every individual has the power to make a difference.

We exist for one single purpose:

So that more and more people discover their own

power to make good things happen.

– omidyar.net’s mission

• Add Your Name to the Participant List

What Will We Do?
We will gather December 1-4, 2006, in Blaine, WA, at The Cabana Club, a costal resort on the Puget Sound to identify each of our pieces, bring them to life and develop a clear action plan for delivering immediate next steps. Using appreciative dialogue, open space and appreciative action planning facilitation there will be time for both work and play.

• Schedule of Events

We will leave having defined and agreed upon our initiative parameters and mapped out answers to the following questions:

• What is needed MOST? - goes to essence or core value of the project(s).
• What is the LEAST that defines success? - goes to threshold: if we don’t achieve at least this, don’t bother.
• What is needed NEXT? - goes to action.
• WHO ELSE needs to be involved? - goes to stakeholders and constituencies.

Sign Me Up! — To Register: Send name, full contact info and URLs to motivate@frontiernet.net so we can start connecting even before the meeting starts. Please include 3-4 sentences which includes: any contact information you would like to share with other participants, information about who you are and what results you hope for from our meet-up. We will link this information to our Participant List.

Cost: Our fixed costs have been funded by Emerging Futures Network. Please contribute $30-$300 to cover direct variable costs for materials, snacks. Make payments online or send a check payable to Emerging Futures Network, 165 W Oak St., Elko, Nevada 89801 USA.

Lodging, Travel and Meals:
The event will be help at The Cabana Club. Contact Julie Caldwell at motivate@frontiernet.net or call 775.753.8572 to coordinate sharing a 1-2 bedroom condo on site or book your own private reservation on site or at a nearby bed and breakfast. Make your plans now!

• Travel Accommodations Information

Can’t Attend but Want to Get Involved? All our efforts are towards widening the circle of gifted and talented people determined to create a better world, so please feel welcome and get involved through this website (http:/www.emergingfutures.net) Post to our blog and or send us a link to your work so we can consider adding your link to our blogroll. This is one way for us to strengthen the network.

This is an invitation. Please join us!

Are you going by skateboard, by bike, by hot-air balloon? Our current list of everyone’s plans is here: http://www.omidyar.net/group/efn/ws/travel_arrangements/

Please directly edit that page, write in the comments, or email ted@chicagohumanist.org with your travel plans so we can coordinate rides from the airport and such.