Oct 2023: Waking Up, Wikipedia and Humanity

[ssandino]

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Waking Up, Wikipedia and Humanity

written by Aurélie

Waking up

The other night I woke up with the sensation that we were hacked. Luckily this was just a dream. It may have been related to our participation in Finclusion Week, which is a big deal in the industry. Social Income was part of a panel discussion addressing the cybersecurity challenges faced by NGOs. “At Social Income, trust is our currency,” Sandino declared. This is the simple truth: without trust, there would be no donations, and no payments to people in need.

Transition

Flavien has just been appointed co-president of Social Income's board, joining Kabelo. Together, they are focused on maintaining up-to-date governance and our long-term goal – getting 1% of Switzerland to contribute 1% of their income to Social Income. He replaces attorney Simone, who remains on the board, and whom we thank for all her legal groundwork since the start.

Made it

You know those people who look up everything on Wikipedia in real-time to win an argument? I am not one of them, but I am quite proud that Social Income has an entry in the largest open-source software encyclopedia in the world. If you are a Wikipedia editor, cross-reference us wherever it makes sense. What comes after Wikipedia, a Guinness world record?

Humanity

I don’t know many people who have launched a basic income pilot. One is Sandino, and another is Michael Tubbs, a former American mayor. Amidst the chaos and brutality currently consuming our world, the quote from his TED talk makes a lot of sense to me: “When we see someone different from us, we should see our common humanity in us.”

Stop the spiral

I recently read a book from the 60s called One-Dimensional Man. It challenges the idea that happiness depends on constantly acquiring more material possessions. In short, we live in a system designed to pretend that we must have more stuff, but in order to have more stuff we must work longer hours and earn more money, as if happiness could be bought with material objects. Let’s remember this.

Watch or listen

I've got some recommendations. Have you heard about Sous contrôle, a series about the French foreign service and NGOs? I highly recommend it, and my binge-watching roommates (and new contributors) agree. This SNL sketch skewering charity commercials brilliantly satirizes so many of my thoughts around similar ads. I also discovered Abel Selaocoe, a South African cellist who skillfully blends African and Western music.

Geneva update

Last week Rachel M’Bon, director of the documentary Je suis Noires, came to give a talk about racism in Switzerland. What struck me most: “When you’re in Switzerland and belong to a minority, society expects you to be grateful and not to stand up for yourself.” Clearly, our journey towards true inclusivity is far from over.

My World in Data

Stat of the month

46%

According to predictions, almost half (46%) of the world’s youth will be African by 2100. Africa is the youngest and fastest growing continent in the world. By 2030, there will be 375 million young people in the job market in Africa. Within a few decades, this demographic boom will push Africa’s workforce to more than a billion people, making it the largest in the world.

Affordable phones

Did you know that an Indian phone company just launched a 4G phone for $12? This is cheaper than an Aperol Spritz in Geneva. Such a phone lowers barriers considerably for poor people to get a phone. But remember, our recipients don’t need the internet to receive a Social Income, and if they don’t have a phone they get one from us.

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My World in News

• Basic income could rewrite the narrative on poverty. (Poverty Unpacked)
• Providing women with their first access to digital financial aid can lead to reduced poverty. (Center for Financial Inclusion)
• Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio discusses the increasing number of military coups in the region. (Al Jazeera)
• Ending the war through agreement and disarmament were two of the decisive factors for peace in Sierra Leone. (Economist)
• Political paralysis in Sierra Leone threatens millions of dollars in aid. (Financial Times)

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