Join us for the San Francisco Net Tuesday on September 9:
Involver: How Nonprofits Can Create Video Campaigns for Social Networks.
NetSquared is an initiative of TechSoup
NetSquared enables social benefit organizations to leverage the tools of the social web.
- Home
- PulseWire: Connecting women to transform our world.
PulseWire: Connecting women to transform our world.
Voting Summary (Elevator Pitch):
We envision PulseWire as an electrifying new tool with the power to unleash the transformative potential of women’s and girl’s voices ─ at a time when empowering women is recognized as the most effective way to solve global problems.
Supporting organization:
World Pulse
URL:
www.pulsewire.net
City:
Portland
State/Region:
OR
Country:
USA
Project Vision Statement & Potential Social Impact:
"Even though we do not all have computers, we can get on the Internet. But you must tell us where to go to find information and help. I can assure you — we African women are waiting for such things. If you bring PulseWire to us today, we will use it the very same day."
- Martha N., a Congolese social worker at a surgical fistula clinic for women survivors of sexual violence, Goma, D.R.C.
“Women’s voices are gold for the world.” – Jensine Larsen, PulseWire Founder
PulseWire is an interactive media website that offers women worldwide ─ including those just coming online via cyber cafes or cell phones in remote and impoverished regions ─ the power to speak for themselves to the world, access critical resources and share sustainable solutions.
We envision PulseWire as an electrifying new tool with the power to unleash the transformative potential of women’s and girl’s voices ─ at a time when empowering women is recognized as the most effective way to solve global problems.
Our strategy for social impact is four-fold:
1. We start with a "tipping point" philosophy by targeting thousands of grassroots leaders and NGOs with online access who are empowering their communities. PulseWire acts as a media partner to directly channel the stories, needs and solutions of the women they serve to receptive global audiences.
2. We apply the latest field-tested advances in communications technology and sustainability and present them in an accessible and appealing way to women on the ground. Services include: digital mapping, bulletin-board, easy blogging, instant translation, e-microcredit, mobile communication, community toolkits.
3. We forge business partnerships to channel technology (phones, laptops) to activate key groups for South-South/North-South networking.
4. We develop community-defined success indicators to evaluate how PulseWire’s services help users tackle HIV/AIDS, poverty, human rights, education and trafficking.
Sustainability (financial) model:
We anticipate PulseWire to be fully self-sustaining and profitable through business sponsorship package revenue and membership package revenue as our international community grows and web traffic increases.
Business:
PulseWire is developing long term relationships with global businesses that support women’s leadership and wish to build brand loyalty with a motivated, and increasingly economically powerful, global women’s demographic.
These leading businesses share our values and will receive a generous listing on our business allies page, where they feature their brand mark, and can publish their own message of support to a global audience of women. Business sponsors also receive featured listings on our site and in our e-newsletter when they have product and service donations or employee volunteer offerings for our audience.
Membership:
Members of our community who desire deeper access and networking with global women’s groups can purchase an affordable membership package. This package provides discounts on international conferences, personalized planning assistance for meaningful volunteer travel, discount travel packages, as well as special offers and vouchers from our partner businesses. These membership packages will also help small women’s businesses, international conferences, and aligned businesses directly connect with our passionate audience.
Potential obstacles:
1. Be Global, Serve Local:
Challenge: create a global e-community that supports local community building.
Solution: Target grassroots leaders and NGOs and strengthen community infrastructure for women to locally network.
2. Language:
Challenge: Providing access for multilingual, multimedia users.
Solution: Use emerging translation technology and test a communal Wikipedia translation process.
3. Security:
Challenge:Provide a safe digital space for women online.
Solutions: Offer security tools, community flagging, digital safety education tutorials.
4. Authenticity:
Challenge: how to vet user-generated content to assure authenticity of voices, sources.
Solution: establish an online culture and authentication standards that promote women's rights and voices.
Resource Needs:
Pulsewire seeks:
a) Visionary funding partners: multiyear (3) private and/or foundation seed funding
b) Technology and business partners to help adapt and disseminate technology specifically for women: security, digital mapping, telephony software; language localization; and hardware (telephones, computers) and training.
c) Airline and shipping partners; air miles.
d) Equipment: LCD projector.
e) A brilliant and professional video short producer.
f) Women coders (php, Drupal) to augment our awesome team.
Key Milestones:
The vision for PulseWire was conceived in 2005 after World Pulse Magazine, a publication that covers world issues through the eyes of women, was inundated from women around the world who wanted their stories and solutions told. World Pulse realized that emerging technology presented an opportunity to create a media platform that would be far more impactful than a print magazine for linking women’s voices to develop innovative solutions to global problems.
Over the last 9 months World Pulse has:
Developed a 5 year business plan.
Developed a prototype.
Created an International advisory board.
Drafted and disseminated technology gaps/use case survey to grassroots networks.
Secured seed funding for phase one development.
Secured an experienced development team, including editorial, business (CFO), design, marketing, and new media technology experts, including a mobile telephony specialist.
Our next 90 days:
April-June 2007:
Finalize grassroots beta testing networks and iterative feedback process.
Establish standard operating procedures including security protocols and codes of conduct.
Secure remaining funding for stage two and three development.
Secure an anchor organizational and business partner.
Complete marketing plan.
June - September2007
Beta test begins.
Analyze early beta results.
Prepare for marketing launch in fall 2007.
Launch “behind the scenes” blog on PulseWire development.
Create ongoing video documentation of our journey.
Project Summary:
PulseWire is an interactive new media website designed for women worldwide - even those just coming online via cyber cafes and mobile phones in remote and impoverished regions - to speak for themselves to the world, access critical resources and share sustainable solutions to local and global problems.
We envision PulseWire as an electrifying new tool with the power to unleash the transformative potential of women’s and girl’s voices ─ at a time when empowering women is recognized as the most effective way to solve global problems.
About World Pulse
PulseWire is a program of World Pulse, a global media organization that covers world issues through the eyes of women. www.worldpulsemedia.com. PulseWire will be Beta tested with the World Pulse global community of subscribers, grassroots networks and media and leadership organizations around the world, some of which include: the International Women's Media Foundation, the Global Women's Green Action Network, the Global Fund for Women, UNIFEM, over 15 global HIV/AIDS women's networks.
Comments
PulseWire is the kind of
PulseWire is the kind of project that boggles the mind with the possibilities involved. Connecting women in order to fundamentally alter our world for the better is the kind of goal whose time has come. With the transformative possibilities of the Internet and other technologies to bring together multiple viewpoints, the PulseWire project promises to increase the global role of women in shaping our society. For too long the world has been run as a profit and loss institution with little thought given to those disadvantaged in such a winner take all set up. It is my hope that given support, and resources (and your vote!) that PulseWire can be the communication tool of choice for women and men all around the world who are interested in social justice and gender equality. Please support this innovative, hopeful and beautifully presented project.
I truly believe ...
HI all,
I wanted to add a personal comment to the project description for PulseWire because I truly believe that the mission and features of the project and web portal could dramatically change women's lives by putting needed resources and tools into their hands. As someone who has been working in the field of AIDS for over 20 years, and someone who co-founded a project in Rwanda helping to deliver free HIV treatment to women survivors of genocide and rape, I have had my ear very close to the ground for years. I believe we need a tool that accelerates the delivery of info and services, but that does this by letting women at the grassroots and frontlines of their struggles, like AIDS in Rwanda, tell us what they are doing, want and need, and how they think we can best support their efforts. I think PulseWire can do this. We have worked very hard very quickly to put some great thinking into this project, and I think it has the potential to be an amazing tool for empowering women and NGOs to fight global problems like AIDS, but also to transform what we believe is possible in the arena of new technology.
AC
Anne-christine d'Adesky
Executive co-Director, WE-ACTx
www.we-actx.org
& Director of Global Advocacy, PulseWire portal
www.pulsewire.com
(415)648-1728 ofc \ (415) 690-6199 cell
Innovative & Necessary