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.)