Networks & Network Tools
Resources for people interested in networks & network tools
A list of resources for people interested in building and strengthening networks.
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Jun 25, 2008
Updated: Nov 10, 2009
Membership: Member Referral
Semi-Private
Organization Info [Edit]
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About [Edit]
Omidyar Network hosted the omidyar.net community from 2004 to 2007. If you were a member of the omidyar.net community then please connect with:
Omidyar.net Wiki
Coming Soon! Omidyar Network on WiserEarth Groups
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.
We are actively building a network of participants, because we know we can`t do this alone. Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helsp scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic, social, and polictical change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $270 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation accross multiple investment areas.
The Network funds for-profits, nonprofits and public policy efforts in the following investment areas:
- Access to Capital-- Microfinance, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise, Emerging Market Ventures and Property Rights
- Media, Markets & Transparency-- Social Media, Marketplaces, Government Transparency and Trust, Reputation & Identity
Mission, Philosophy, and Approach
Omidyar
Network believes that all individuals have the innate potential to make
life better for themselves and their communities. Certain conditions
increase the likelihood for individuals to discover and act on that
potential, and consequently improve the quality of their lives as they
define it. Such "enabling" conditions include equal access to
information, resources and tools, the ability to connect to others with
shared interests, and a sense of ownership over outcomes. Our work is
focused on building and sustaining environments characterized by these
conditions.
We
approach any environment or context (e.g., microfinance) as a system
that is comprised of individuals, institutions, supporting structures,
and the relationships among them. We believe the most efficient way to
build, enhance and sustain the enabling conditions of a system is to
apply a broad combination of tools and to engage institutions and
structures, not only within but also across sectors--public, private,
and social. It is our belief that each sector has a distinct and vital
role to play.
As the actors within a system become aware of how the conditions of access, connection and ownership help them achieve their goals, we believe they will be more likely to cultivate those conditions. Over time, this cultivation will facilitate more and more positive effects in the lives of individuals and communities. This is a virtuous cycle, one that we expect will scale exponentially among increasing numbers of people and in different contexts. Ultimately, we hope that people everywhere will constructively engage with each other to pursue what they care about most, resulting in a global society that is continually advancing social progress.
