NetSquared already has started. Sitting next to again an impressive cake, the room is buzzing while I write my intro. Rolf Kleef, from Amsterdam, here to enjoy San Francisco for some three weeks, and doing the last little bits with Roshani and Mike of Oneworld US to be ready for two rollercoaster days!

Many NGOs are good at forming strategic alliances to achieve their objectives (they're usually also good at competing each other nearly to death, often at the same time, but I'll keep that for a different post maybe). Yet, at the level of web technology, this usually seems to be limited to the level of exchanging tips and tricks, perhaps some RSS feeds, and referring each other to providers and vendors.

Two major developments are changing that situation now:

In my third year coming to NetSquared, I find myself in a new role: as one of 21 designated "project leads" who will be trying to connect the featured projects with the developers ready to work on an NGO project.

I'm working with Roshani Kothari and Michael Litz of the Oneworld Connect project, and together we've started a wiki page with what we'd like to work on. I'm posting the story here too: please help us develop this further, shape our thoughts, and connect our ambitions to the endless possibilities :-)

I feel privileged to enjoy another NetSquared rollercoaster ride of fun for good! I'm joining Siegfried Woldhek of NABUUR, and together with our champions and cheerleaders Kristine Mucher and Michael Brown, we're looking forward to see you join the global neighbor network: a little bit of your time and talents can help change the lifes of many people!

And since the network is the message in this day and age... I'll be in San Francisco for a few more days (until the weekend), and to cite another source of inspiration, I'd love to meet friends I know and friends I haven't met yet. Saturday night is the designated party time... get in touch, 'cause I'm not sure yet where :-) (hey, you could get a free stay in the kewlest part of Amsterdam)

I've tried to find projects that truely put the "local agenda" of the end user at the heart of their work. "Facilitator projects" that are not becoming a stakeholder, but a means to a (local) end. Giving people tools to improve their own situation in their own way, extra opportunities to be effective with their energy and ambitions.

Some of my favourites:

• Nabuur.com: realising concrete local results with global neighbours

Following the example of Michael Heilemann for Reboot8, I created a public Google calendar based on the schedule of the website. Available as XML and as iCAL.

Some more work is needed: the parallel online conference, descriptions, keeping it up to date. Let me know if you want to contribute, and I'll add you as manager for the calendar!