SI MONTHLY NEWS November 2006 News
From SI Exco News
Host the "dolphin" ;)
For those not knowing who are these kind of marine mammals in Servas, we just remember that in the Thailand meeting in 2000, a pilot project was officially set up and run by Guido Bienhaus and Amir Levi. This eventually produced the Whale system as a unique, monolithic technological solution for handling and storing Servas Host lists in electronic format. Whale is currently run by Germany eV Servas branch.
Whale was officially presented in Barcelona workshops in 2003, and a few countries decided to use it. But at the same time, countries like Italy started to present a different model to overcome some perceived limitations and rigidity of the Whale project.
During the Latina meeting in 2006, Italy presented a more structured prototype of the new ideas, covered by the general concept of "dolphin". Here the main points, many of which are explicitly backed up by resolutions of the Host list Group during the assembly:
- Federative
Dolphin program is NOT forcing centralization, but enforces free and efficient federation. It can be used even by countries with poor Internet Access. (resolution from Italy approved in Latina)
- Safe
Every country decides the level of protection, access, visibility they desire for their data. (as explicitly stated during Latina 2006 conference).
- Open Source
Dolphin programs are freely available to any country wanting to use them on their own computers and providers, so as to enhance security and data
- Talkative
While not promoting bureaucratic centralization, Dolphin promotes communication so that each separated database can work in a federated way and have all the needed data at the right moment. Dolphin can even talk with Whale (if the other mammal wants to..)
- Flexible
Every country, while sharing a common and needed standard for keeping their list data, can have some personalized data.
- Friendly and Easy
Forms are easily usable by people limiting the time they must be connected to internet or to their computer.
- Up to times
Better competition with similar programs such as Hospitality Club, (but handles information in a safer more Servas-minded form).
- Well Stated
Dolphin project (in a different incarnation, but with similar concepts) is currently used very happily in Italy since 2002, so it is well set up.
In November 2006, an official usable website in servas.org had been set up with professional help for hosting Dolphin. Countries wanting to experience it can contact Omer Ozkan, Uwe Federer, Anna Flammini, Mario Burlando to be put in the list of participating countries and to receive needed training for the use and the possible transfer of their lists to Dolphin. Turkey?, Brazil?, Sweden?.... already volunteered to use this.
Countries already using Whale can keep with it or switch to this new program.
Claudio Pacchiega
Some websites
Hi, there! Here is a website, Charity.focus which may interest you.
CharityFocus Programs
One-Page Overview
HelpOthers.org: make someone smile.
SigsofLight.org: daily good news.
ProPoor.org: South Asian development work.
iJourney.org: inspiring profiles of everyday heroes.
cShops.org: community shops to support rural artisans.
InspiringMessages.org: banners with meaning.
PledgePage.org: put your fundraising cause online.
BeTheChange.org: all in one.
Quite an interesting organizational approach to Budget, too "see 'About Us' >Budget
Gary Sealey
AIDSfreeAFRICA
This could be of interest to Servas members looking to help others.
http://movies.aol.com/movie/3-needles/24594/synopsis
As president of AIDSfreeAFRICA, a non-profit organization that supports the creation of a pharmaceutical infrastructure in Africa, I have seen my share of HIV/AIDS related movies. However, nothing like 3 Needles! Saw it yesterday at the United Nations pre-screening.
It comes out tomorrow 12-1-06 all over the US and I believe Canada.
Highly recommended. The best film to show that there is no"one fits all" solution.
"The humanity of our world will be measured against the fate of Africa," said Horst Koehler, German President and former managing director of the Washington, DC-based International Monetary Fund, inhis inauguration address in 2004.
AIDSfreeAFRICA, Inc
Community Partnerships Against AIDS Programs
Bamenda/Cameroon
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel, Ph.D.
uploaded by Amelia
