ERIU DIASPORA VOX: Wherever Green Is Worn

“ERIU
DIASPORA VOX”
Wherever Green is Worn
An Ethical Shoppers’ Retail Campaign to End Social Exclusion
How Building Bridges to Diaspora Communities can impact

real change through Better Livelihoods
Page 1
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” (Samuel Beckett)
Contents
1 Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 5
2 SUMMARY: Impact and Change through better Livelihoods ....................................................... 6
3 THE COMMUNITY: Ask Ageing Populations first ....................................................................... 7
3.1 The Awakening .................................................................................................................. 7
3.2 So what are ICCO E-Communities anyway? ....................................................................... 9
3.3 Dream their dream ........................................................................................................... 10
3.4 Co-create and maintain a Vision of Community................................................................. 12
3.5 Identify and satisfy Community needs............................................................................... 15
Ø Their Ideals .......................................................................................................................... 16
4 THE THIRD SECTOR ORGS: Find Local Community Leaders ................................................. 16
4.1 The Awareness ................................................................................................................ 16
4.2 The Champions ................................................................................................................ 17
Ø Their Participation ................................................................................................................ 20
5 THE COMMUNITY HUBS: Engage at Alpha-points .................................................................. 21
5.1 The Gathering .................................................................................................................. 22
5.2 VOX Labs Model .............................................................................................................. 24
5.3 Co-Creation of Products and Services .............................................................................. 26
Ø Their Insights ....................................................................................................................... 28
6 THE CULTURE CAT: Start with Virtual Social Tourism............................................................. 28
6.1 Capture the soul of Social Brands. .................................................................................... 28
6.2 Virtual – Homecoming ...................................................................................................... 29
6.3 Interactive ........................................................................................................................ 29
6.4 Social ............................................................................................................................... 30
6.5 Innovative ........................................................................................................................ 31
6.6 Tourism ............................................................................................................................ 33
Ø Their Empathy ..................................................................................................................... 34
7 THE SOCIAL BRANDS: Co-create Community Brands ............................................................ 34
7.1 Capture the soul of the Community................................................................................... 35
7.2 Co-market to become one world class Social Brand ......................................................... 36
7.3 VOX ................................................................................................................................. 37
7.4 Are Universal Social Brands (USBs) the New Way then? .................................................. 38
Ø Their Imagination ................................................................................................................. 39
Page 2
EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

“Roots and replicas - Longing and belonging - In search of an identity."
Twitter: @eriuvation LinkedIn The E-Communities.Coop Email: labs@voxworld.coop
Promoted by: www.voxworld.coop Research, Development & Innovation by: VOX LABS
© Copyright 2018 28 August 2018 Role-model - Part 2 (4), V1
8 THE DIASPORA APPEAL: Ask Global Ageing Populations ...................................................... 40

8.1 Capture the soul of Diaspora Audiences ........................................................................... 40
8.2 The Diasporas .................................................................................................................. 40
8.3 Lead the way in Diaspora Networking ............................................................................... 42
8.4 Share one Inter-Community Vision. .................................................................................. 43
8.5 Go on an Inter-Community Mission" ................................................................................. 43
8.6 Aim for same Inter-Community Goals ............................................................................... 43
Ø Their Recognition ................................................................................................................ 44
9 THE CLASSES: Learn how-to with Change Agent Tutors......................................................... 44
9.1 Cross the Bridge to Social Inclusion together .................................................................... 44
9.2 Take Social Inclusion Classes at the Hub ......................................................................... 45
9.3 Become a Show-how Tutor, it’s what you know best ......................................................... 45
Ø Their Inspiration ................................................................................................................... 47
10 THE ICCO ORG: Expand TSO Membership............................................................................. 47
10.1 The Co-op Society - Empower through SCE ..................................................................... 49
Ø Their Ownership................................................................................................................... 51
11 THE VOX FOUNDATION: Add another TSO Fundraiser .......................................................... 51
11.1 Learn to Earn ................................................................................................................... 51
11.2 Generate Job Opportunities.............................................................................................. 53
11.3 Leverage Trade to create Micro-finance Fund................................................................... 56
Ø Their Inclusion ..................................................................................................................... 58
12 THE FRANCHISORS: Collaborate across the Third Sector ...................................................... 58
12.1 Reach-out to the Diaspora through Ageing Populations .................................................... 58
12.2 Find Global Diaspora Champions, the cultural ambassadors ............................................ 59
12.3 Locate Community-based Orgs ........................................................................................ 60
Ø Their Appreciation ................................................................................................................ 60
13 THE VOX FORMATS: The AmberKats Franchise .................................................................... 60
13.1 VOX Box Shops, it's shopping with a significant difference ............................................... 60
13.2 Projects............................................................................................................................ 61
13.3 Programmes .................................................................................................................... 61
Ø Their Innovation ................................................................................................................... 65
14 THE RETAIL OUTLETS: Network at Diaspora Omega-points................................................... 65
14.1 Diasporas can Shop from Home at Culture Showcases. ................................................... 65
14.2 The Exchange - Open Diaspora Showcases at Home....................................................... 66
Page 3

14.3 The Marketplace - Discover a World of Social Purchasing ................................................ 66

14.4 What is Universal Social Purchasing (USP) in practice? ................................................... 66
Ø Their Impact ......................................................................................................................... 70
15 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 70
Ø S.C.E - Creating the Conditions to make it happen ............................................................... 70
Ø S.W.O.T - Discover new Gold of the Third Sector ................................................................. 79
Ø FAQ ......................................................................................................................................... 82
Page 4

1 Glossary
Term Definition
VOX The Voice of the eXcluded in the Communities, a collective voice that is heard,
heeded and through which the silent majority can speak and where unheard
ideas can take root. VOX promotes Social Inclusion for better lives and livelihood
through the co-creation of better quality jobs and services.
DIASPORA VOX United as one Global Community wherever the Green is worn, a People Without
(Diaspora Borders, who are connected or wish to be connected to the land of their birth
Community and/or the birthplace of their Ancestors. They are people in search of an identity,
VOX) who believe that we are all born in a place for a reason. They want to actively
explore that sense of longing for belonging or may wish to re-discover their Roots
with its most profound meaning for their lives.
ICCO A collaborative International Community Cooperative Organisation (ICCO)
information as a chaordic organisation under the new SCE format, set to be co-
created and managed from Ireland with ERIUVOX’s 32 County Chapters as its
role-model and acting as the custodian of the Community’s ethical brand as
supported by a 1,000 Village Branches. ICCO is open to Diaspora membership
participation in all Continents (Richard O'Farrell (VoxWorld.Coop), 2018)
SCE The European Cooperative Society (SCE, Societas Cooperativa Europaea)
(Commission, 24.08.2018) is a unique corporate co-operative format devised by
European Commission to offer greater legal protections for Cooperative
organisations and has been passed into law in every EU State.
VOX Chapters ICCO Chapters act as custodians for their “Community VOX” ethical brand.
Communities Constituted as Communities of Purpose, of Interest, of Practice, or of Action that
can be further defined by their local geography as Communities of Place.
Smart Communities that have crossed the bridge to Social Inclusion by embracing their
Communities Community Arts and digital, social, economic and financial Literacies.
Smart Services Traded Services that target the Social Purchasing Marketplace, including
Education, Wellness and Virtual Social Tourism as led by Arts & Culture.
The Third Sector Cooperatives, Social Enterprises, Self-Help Groups (SHG) and also Voluntary
groups (formal & informal) from Arts & Culture, Social Sector, Life-work, Life-skills
as well as Social Tourism organisations outside of public and private sectors.
Coping Classes People struggling to ‘make ends meet’, who most often are constituent members
of the ranks of Ageing Populations, the Unemployed, the Low-Income Earners
and the Digitally Disengaged. Term origination from “The Coping Classes: Why
do we all feel so damn poor?” (Judith Woods, 29.01.2008)
VOX Champions Living in Local Communities, they are first to champion the cause of Community
VOX ethical brands for the benefit of those being left behind in society.
VOX Living in Global Diaspora Communities, they are first to champion the cause of
Ambassadors VOX ethical brands to satisfy the unmet latent needs of People Without Borders.
VOX LABS The Creator and Developer of a socially innovative poverty reduction economic
model that is dedicated to Third Sector organisations (Richard O'Farell , 2018) for
co-creation of better Livelihoods through its constituent parts- VoxWorld.Coop as
an ethical symbol retailer under authorised Coop Marque; AmberKats as the
VOX Franchise for point-of-sale management of VOX Cultural Showcases,
Smartshops and its ‘Shopper Stopper’ display units; and VOX GEM Ethical Label.
VoxWorld.Coop VoxWorld.Coop is the Ethical Symbol Retailer and the Promoter of Community
owned Cooperative Brands with content that also carries the VOX GEM Ethical
Label to target Ethical Shoppers in co-promotion of Community e-Services. It was
created for the Digital Coop Age for global distribution via online, offline or mobile
on the USB flash drive platform.
Page 5

2 SUMMARY: End Social Exclusion through better Livelihoods
An Ethical Shoppers’ Retail Campaign is a unique way for ethically-minded and socially caring people
around the world to end the blight of social exclusion by building bridges to their Diaspora
Communities in order to bring about real and lasting social change through ethical jobs and services
for better livelihoods.
Why promote Better Livelihoods for the Coping Classes?
Poverty and Extreme Poverty, in particular,is underpinning an escalating instability that threatens
world peace today. VoxWorld.Coop firmly believes that new organisational Structures are a pre-
requisite to the alleviation and ultimate eradication of this substantial mounting threat, for which the
Coping Classes are in the front line. We believe the best way to effectively combat this threat is to
build expansive two-way bridges to their Diaspora Communities that foster high impact and lasting
change by building Better Livelihoods at home and abroad. These are new and powerful relationships
in-the-making that is needed to avail of unseen, yet vast opportunities that are opening up for the
Coping Classes as participants, not just as beneficiaries. These include opportunities to deliver
immediate, sustainable and scalable solutions in internationally traded Diaspora services, in local
services job opportunities, in overseas and offshoring opportunities to fill the vast global shortage of
workers and services. To do so, they simultaneously need to acquire the essential tools-of-trade of
social inclusion in literacy educational programmes that enable cross-border engagement and
participation with their Diasporas.
What is needed for such transformative Change in the Community?
VoxWorld.Coop envisages Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) as the Community leaders of this
ethical campaign that seeks to identify and satisfy the needs of the universal ‘Coping Classes' as they
strive to discover the Voice of their Community in the World. Participating TSOs are needed to assist
in the co-creation of Global Community Brands that deliver new, customisable products and ethical
services through Retail channel engagement and networking to build those Better Livelihoods.
How can we expect to achieve real and lasting Impact in their lives?
VoxWorld.Coop promotes the idea of the establishment of a member-controlled Organisational

Structure, called ICCO (SCE), that would represent Local and Global Communities on both sides of
the current divide as they address the needs of their Coping Classes. Uniquely, ICCO (SCE) traded-
services will be distributed with their increasingly powerful Community VOX Community brands, under
the VoxGEM ethical label. The immediate, reachable and identifiable ethical consumers of these
products and services, as envisaged, are to be found in designated Social Tourist Outlets at home
and Diaspora VOX outlets abroad to their Global Communities. VOX, standing out for Voice of the
eXcluded, the voice of empowerment and the voice of the people will support these Community VOX
Brands with VOX Hubs, as they develop Community branded services based on their own values.
Page 6

A VoxWorld.Coop ICCO (SCE) Collaborative Business Plan, the glue logic
The VoxWorld.Coop promoted ICCO (SCE) Collaborative Business Plan is written from the
perspective of the Coping Classes that reside within the underserved and disenfranchised
Communities and whom this ethical Campaign most seeks to serve. It is also written with Third Sector
Orgs (TSO’s) that reside within their homeland Communities in mind as well as those Community
base Orgs (CBOs) that reside within their Diaspora Communities. The Coping Classes are typically
people typically found among the ranks of the Ageing Populations, Unemployed, Low-Income Earners
and the Digitally Disengaged.
The focus of this Plan is on the Global nature of Communities in the digital age, on reaching-out to
their Diasporas on the one hand and within their Homeland on the other in this new world. First, there
is the need to hear and heed the cry of the Coping Classes among Ageing Populations with their
universal needs. The solution differs in that the focus is on Trade rather than on Aid. They deserve to
receive a response with solutions – that brings impact and change for them through generating new
and affordable services as well as income to provide them with better Livelihoods. The goals they
need to reach have been described described as ‘big, hairy and audacious’. The Third Sector from
which the Coping Classes eke out their current existence has been officially described in an EU
Report as ‘a loose and baggy monster’. The world they inhabit demands that the new Order be hewn
out of their reality, their chaos – leading to to birth of Cha-ord. Some years ago VoxWorld.Coop
determined that to meet those immense challenges required a new organisational form and format, a
Chaord. We started to promote ICCO (SCE) as one such solution. It is designed as a Community
TSO member-controlled organisation. It is now open for retail Roll-out in first of four phases with
Ageing Populations, Unemployed, Low-Income Earners and the Digitally Disengaged through their
participating Diaspora Outlets.
3 THE COMMUNITY: First ask our Ageing Populations

3.1 The Awakening
For the Communities of yesterday to create the level of new ethical services and jobs that are so
urgently required needs their re-creation as Smart Communities. To differentiate themselves from all
others in that process requires the Coping Classes to either already know or rediscover their true
identity and voice as one Global Community. The search for that identity unearths a primary need to
learn and understand their Culture, know about their people that went before them and of their values.
Ageing Populations hold the keys to that Culture, preserved by retention of their language. And so the
first port of call for that global re-connection is Ageing Populations, both home and away. They hold
the information, the knowledge and more a willingness to share rather than hoard. Thus began our
ICCO (SCE) journey towards that Awakening to the latent power residing virtually untapped in all of
our Global Communities. To our surprise we are set to discover together how much more Ageing
Populations have to offer than they ask to receive.
Page 7

Silent Needs
The Ageing Populations in general in all our Global Communities have many urgent needs, most
often borne in silence, which require immediate solutions. Topping that list is the non-availability of
essential and affordable services in healthcare and education. They may not have enough income to
enjoy in their retirement, or enough to travel to share life with their economic-emigrant families and
above all that of grandchildren. Many will not have enough saved to retire in comfort when that time
comes too, many having lost almost everything in the ‘perfect storm’ crash of 2008 of the banks,
pensions, the stock market, and residential property. They all need a hand-up to escape from one or
even many kinds of unfolding poverty that thrust their lives into misery. Of course, they count today
among the billions who have always lived that way! Many of them are digitally disengaged and so do
not have access to critical services online, including online jobs. There is an ever growing need for a
sense of security as they get older, and a mostly unspoken dire need to address the significant hidden
issues of loneliness or lack of esteem borne by a sense of failure. All need the opportunity for active
participation and worthwhile contribution to their community, being one of substance that reveals their
actual worth in society. We believe that these silent needs can best be addressed in new ways and by
new ideas in traded-services.
Hidden Skills
Our Ageing Populations have a lifetime of knowledge, experience and judgement that can only be
gleaned from a life spent in astute observation. Many have developed a sense of enlightenment,
compassion and possess a deep understanding of what care means to society as a whole. Now they
have the time and ability to see, to hear and to listen until they understand the significant needs of
others in their family or the broader community. They have earned the trust and so are trusted by
TSOs in their Community. Of most significance but an often unappreciated value, they possess the
invaluable insight into the richness and values embedded in their culture - all precious assets to pass
as gifts to the next generation, that which can only be honed and borne from the ‘university of life’.
That may result from a life spent as an artisan, or as a carer, or from a deep interest in arts and
culture or perhaps from an in-depth experience of life in cooperatives or social enterprises - even
gleaned from global travel. Regardless of the source, these hidden life-skills and experiences can be
manifested as priceless traded-services during their so-called Third Age or Third Act.
New Ideas
When just asked, older people often reveal rare insights into the way that life really works for people
of all ages – often maybe bemoaning that ‘life is wasted on the youth or in their youth’, if only they had
that time back again. Coming together, however, they can generate a raft of hitherto undiscovered
new and often powerful ideas that have not yet been fully articulated. Those who have studied how
the household names in US Brands started life in the private sector have discovered to their surprise
that brands like McDonalds and KFC were started by members of the Ageing Population. The Third
Sector does not have a comparable record to the Corporate Sector in the social brand building. Very
often we find that no one has ever really taken the time with their Ageing Population to ‘listen until
they understood’ them, ending as ideas lost at their birth on the trails of everyone’s busy lives. These
ideas, unless revealed, remain without understanding, appreciation and risk great opportunities being
Page 8

lost to the generations that follow. When we reflect on the fact that any idea developed into a solution
for one Community, we may be surprised to find that it can equally benefit people in every Community
and globally. Consider then how older people could integrate themselves as vital assets not just
among Third Sector Charities and the Cooperatives but among all kinds of Social Enterprises and
Self-Help Groups. That can also apply to any area of value in geographical or other types of
Communities. Consider then how new ideas could co-create countless solutions for the collective
benefit of both themselves and world communities in general as TSOs in collaboration with other E-
Communities under umbrella of ICCO (SCE) when coming together as one.
So how can ICCO E-Communities assist this Awakening?
An E-Community (AIDS Foundation e-Learning) has been defined by World Bank as "a virtual space
(or website) where people and practitioners from around the globe who share common concerns get
together to exchange ideas, experiences, resources, challenges and possible solutions, and tools on
a specific subject." (Temple Uwalaka -University of Canberra, Australia) An E-Community ‘get
together’ today can be via social media, by Facetime, Skype conference, meeting in their homes, but
perhaps best of all at a local Community Hub - whether engaging at a local Café, Hotel, Tele-centre,
Library Commons, Community Centre, Pub Meeting Room or any other suitable location.
The four kinds of Community TSOs sharing common interests with ICCO
People are increasingly participating through their TSOs in different types of Communities, both
formally and informally, as they seek to express themselves in society. Variously, they choose online
engagement and digital networking on a global scale every day but many among Ageing Populations
are excluded, being digitally disengaged. Community options have now extended beyond
Communities of Place to:
1. Communities of Interest (Smart Village Communities) - Communities in Third Sector who share a
common interest, primarily expressed through membership of their Arts & Culture organisations.
2. Communities of Purpose (Social Sector Communities) - Communities in Third Sector who share a
common interest, primarily expressed through membership of their preferred Third Sector
Organisations (TSOs).
3. Communities of Practice (Life-skills Communities) - Communities in Third Sector who share a
common interest, primarily expressed through membership of their specialist Life-skills’s
organisation.
4. Communities of Action (Life-work Communities) - Communities in Third Sector who share a
common interest, primarily expressed through membership of their chosen Career organisation.
While these Communities can also be defined by their geographical locations (continent, region,
country, district, country, city, even town, and village) in a borderless world, they can all be
brought together under one umbrella to serve so-called Virtual Social Tourists, an ideal target
audience as an ICCO (SCE) start point. Each and every kind of these Communities can
collaborate today as Global E-Communities – whether offline, online or mobile. ICCO can help to
shine a spotlight on their work, through engagement with their TSO and their chosen social
brands custodians. In doing so, it will seek to bring together all supporting service providers and
Page 9

consultants in one place, including from private and public sectors, in a spirit of joint endeavour
and cooperation.
People without Borders
While we tend to immediately think of Communities as being locally based on geography, as being
where we live face to face, we are no longer limited by borders anymore the with the digital age. We
can now think of E-Communities as Online Communities, people connected beyond borders, thanks
to the prominence of internet websites, e-commerce in our lives, and embracing social media in all its
many forms. With such an array of online connections and the resultant dialogue, these can grow into
relationships that were never possible before now. And so the Global E-Community is born. These
relationships can readily develop to generate new ‘virtual social tourism’ income, often called virtual
culture tourism, extending to other online traded-services opportunities. All will underpin future
Livelihoods. Accordingly, so much more is possible now given the open access to a digitally
networked world and which people in every community can (potentially at least) access through their
local tele-library, telecentre, internet cafe or perhaps via home/ mobile access. The very name
Community is born of the Third Sector itself, one that can be shaped to the image it holds-up for itself,
and usually supported by services from public and private sectors in so doing. Growing up in Rural
Ireland at harvesting time on the farm we were all familiar with the concept of that Gaelic word
‘Meitheal’ (Communal work), which conveyed the idea of the community spirit with which neighbours
responded to each other's needs. Nobody involved ever forgets how that made them feel. Indeed
some of their children are still building houses collaboratively for each other today, each relying on
their own particular skill. Tomorrow their children will undoubtedly be part of emerging E-Teams
collaborating on projects with their immigrant neighbours as one Global E-Community.
Global Communities engaging by two-way Retail networking
So what can ubiquitous E-Communities do now that face to face local Communities cannot do? No E-
Community needs to stand alone anymore, and no individual need to stand alone within it either.
Global E-Communities are now developing a two-way relationship, both reach-out and reach-back.
Both may have very different needs but those relationships can be harnessed to engage and then
network at necessarily formal and also informal levels. Of these, the casual engagement has the most
enormous potential for progression and that can best be addressed through Retail – whether online,
offline or mobile. Local Community participants can sell custom branded products and services to
their global diaspora counterparts, even working as E-Teams. What cements that important
connection or re-connection is Culture, led by Diaspora Roots & Replicas. That global dimension
alone changes the way we look at our Communities forever. There we learn to appreciate that they
are our very bloodlines, those with whom we have a natural empathy, no matter how much that
relationship may be lost or buried deep over the years, even over the centuries. These are the people
who understand each other best because they tacitly appreciate their shared culture and language.
3.2 Dream their dream

The dream of the Coping Classes changes all landscapes. But what can ICCO actually do to assist
them in realising their dreams? ICCO Ethical Retail Campaigns enables new ideas to blossom into
life in ways that enable lasting change through better livelihoods and lives? The answers to our
questions about the social change we seek are indeed there to be found, often visible only when we
Page
10

put our collective heads together, but thanks to social media, are there for all to share-in the
conversation while actively contributing and engaging with our new ideas and new ways. The rest is
up to each of us and our Global E-Community.
Man-made problem has man-made solutions too
We discover how much we do all really care when our eyes are opened to see that the plight of the
Coping Classes is actually a man-made problem. We realise that there are actually man-made
solutions possible too. We come to understand why these answers are so urgently needed and how
they would bring a boon in blessings to countless peoples’ lives. We start to observe how others
around us adopt an attitude of ‘wilful blindness and selective deafness’, a term coined so compellingly
by Margaret Heffernan in her book of the same name. We see that avoidance of facing home truths is
escapism and does not absolve us of any blame for the resulting corruption or evil that is then allowed
to persist and persecute other people. While others may choose to remain oblivious to the
predicaments of others in the Community, denying any sense of responsibility for the community into
which they were all born or now live, we soon discover just how much it’s in our own self-interest to do
so. Remarkably, we learn that man-made solutions are not about charity, but rather offering a hand-
up instead of a hand-out.
Where we appreciate, we respond
Yet, somehow we feel something within us telling us that we hold at least one of the keys to those
answers for which others are looking in their life. And when we allow ourselves to feel others pain, we
know we are the change-makers for which they are now seeking, indeed for which we may already be
seeking ourselves. We are aware that the changes we make will depend on our own attitude to what
after-all are 'our' coping classes, people who reside amongst us and around us everywhere. They are
those who otherwise suffer needlessly or in silence as they try to just cope and survive. We awaken to
the fact that our attitude in life ultimately becomes us, determines who we are and who we want to
become - as people, and collectively as a community. When we appreciate that, we feel compelled to
respond because we learn that the Coping Classes are somebody's grandparents, parents, family,
siblings, friends, neighbours, school pals or childhood acquaintances of old - or maybe even our own
family. But most of all we become aware of another extraordinary fact - that we actually need the
Coping Classes more than they need us! It's not by accident that we learned through the ages that we
can tell the calibre of a Community by their attitude to their Ageing Population.
When we look around us, we just know what has to be done
What then can we do about it now? We can build our own Community Brand. We can club our
services and/ or ideas together to add to our Community capability and capacity and to that of ICCO
(SCE) as one collaborative Virtual Community of the Third Sector. ICCO has just one primary
objective, to enable people to empower themselves. What the Coping Classes do not need is our
charity but just want new ways up, new ways out and new ways forward in what is a radically changed
and unfamiliar world to them. Everybody needs their independence and quality of life. This is
achievable through these new services and jobs creation. We all can see just how much the world
has gone off kilter, how that ship has listed and will sink unless corrective action is taken. The Ageing
Populations are not the lifeguards, they are the observers - but tapping into their knowledge and
Page
11

experience to see and understand the dangers first. If we ignore the observations, insights or
collective wisdom of our Ageing Populations we do so at our peril. And because we recognise their
plight. it's in our nature to come to the rescue of another human being who is in trouble - becuase we
know may be us one day too or was our ancestors in times gone by - it's in our very nature to do what
we were born to do. Once we understand why, we just know what to do, what ought to be done - and
in getting together under one initiative at ICCO (SCE) only then who can say what is or is not
possible? It's their dreams, their reality but we can be part of changing their entire landscape for today
and for generations to come. Then, surprisingly we discover that action equally changes our lives too!
3.3 Co-create and maintain a Vision for our Community

When we collectively express a vision that inspires, we spell out for our Community that which sets us
apart, which, like Community Art, can alone separate us from the pack. That’s when our visions
become our values!
And so we might ask - when will the world listen intently to their Ageing Populations among their
Coping Classes in the Community, listen to the wisdom of the crowds, in a World where the rules are
written by the plutocrats, people whose power derives from an often unearned wealth?
Going back to our Roots to re-discover the Future
So where and when do we begin to address this challenge? We can begin as soon as we enjoin the
inaugural Virtual Social Tourism Programme when we set out to discover together, through our
Community’s Roots & Replicas, the great stories about who we were born and have as one
community become. We learn about the great gifts we inherited from our past that will continue to
guide us, inspire us and differentiate us as we travel together into a brighter future. These are stories
that preserve the secrets our rich heritage through time, led by:
1. The Greats in our Global Community

2. The Icons of our Global Community
3. The Famous in our Global Community
4. The Treasures of our Global Community
5. The Stars of our Global Community
What really matters is what we become as One Community
We know that every Community needs a vision of its destination on its chosen road to the future and
that those ideas are nothing without action. But what really matters is what we want to become, as a
Community. That leads us towards what values we choose to embrace in this process of change? In
this Collaborative Business Plan document we first address the needs of the Ageing Population, we
promote the idea of "Community VOX" as social brands with unique ethical content; embrace our
“Diaspora VOX” Communities as the primary audience that cares most about their Coping Classes.
Here, VOX stands for empowerment, the voice of inclusion, for one powerful customised Social Brand
that is owned and distributed by each community, for the benefit of their community, while making a
powerful statement about its values in doing so. As always, it's what we actually do in our
Communities that matters most in life, not what we say.
Page
12

Add Community value with Diaspora Communities
We know that every community is able to provide its own unique content to the world and that in co-
branding in "Community VOX" it earns the stamp of authenticity for their social values. But that's just
the beginning - what matters even is the particular values those products and services identify within
the outlets. The question becomes – which of the following globally recognisable global community
values will we also choose for co-marketing our chosen "Community VOX"? Viable options are Co-
operative principles, Fair Trade standards, Tele-centre access, Innovation hubs, College literacy
classes & courses, Third Sector Orgs and our first option, the Diaspora outlets networks.
A ground-up, inter-community collaboration
The World always responds to grassroots advocacy, but when Communities band together ground-
up, and in an inter-community partnership, they can make not just a good case for a good cause -
they can also make a big difference. And it's measurable too – called SROI, a Social Return on
Investment (SROI) - in number of Community VOX brands co-created and their revenues, in the
services provided, the number of jobs created, in number of Diaspora outlets opened worldwide, in
the number of Community TSO engaged and number of their user membership that network at ICCO.
When visions become values the world changes around us, and the way of life in the entire third/
social sector changes too, and all for the better.
It’s Your Voice, Your Vision – Communities reimagined!
We become who we want to become when we find and release our own voice. It is innovation alone
that will breathe new life into that new vision we have both of and for ourselves and our Community.
Florent Bernard says it well in his video at TED on Innovation Europe when he suggests: ‘We have a
dire need to build a new World of our Dreams, that which he describes as a stream of new ideas
flourishing in an environment that encourages and actively supports those ideas.' He adds that this
'only originates from the passion, creativity, and innovation of our people'. Do we have a World of our
Dreams? No, but can we re-imagine how Europe in that World might look?. And now that we know
why we must do it (to enable new and better livelihoods for the coping classes), and since we know
what we must do too (reimagine our World as one Community), it only remains for us to figure out
how-to-do-it (to release that passion, creativity, innovation buried deep within us all). So how do we
do it? If we are to release all that energy, as Florent Bernard puts it, we must generate a receptive
environment that nourishes and embraces new ideas. We achieve that by providing regulation-friendly
start-up support; through providing an array of funding sources whether from the public, private (esp.
Venture Capital) and also the social sectors; by promoting intellectual property rights. In short, we do
so by changing the way we work or even thought about work as a people. We are all in this together,
and the advantage goes to the first movers!’
Visions of a World that "could be"
Muhammad Yunus (Daniela Papi- Huffington Post, 12.06.2013) of Grameen Bank fame challenges us
to create Stories, Images, and Visions of the World that "could be"….if social problems were fixed, a
world where only original ideas can pave the way for real solutions. At the awards ceremony at the
Page
13

Skoll World Forum, the Nobel Peace Prize winner gave a powerful talk to hundreds of forum
delegates from all around the world. He asked social entrepreneurs to write about the possibility of a
new future. He pointed out that science follows science fiction, with the fictional images of scientific
inventions contributing to the drive to achieve those visions in reality. In describing what he believes is
needed to create the changes we want to see in the world, he asked why we don't have "social fiction
too."
The High Cost of Low Vision
Perhaps the time is now to deliver many more Community-based solutions as lead by a social sector
that empathises, understands and cares most about their people, as aided and abetted by private and
public sectors too. Ana Isabel Paraguay from Brazil shared a paper that draws our attention to an
outstanding point concerning sight loss awareness: ‘….where indeed 'prevention rather than cure'
should be the mantra at the top of this and every health agenda. Every day we are making enormous
advances in learning so much more about the brain and consequently how to address many more
serious illnesses like sight and dementia. And with the new technology that is available today, we can
diagnose those illnesses much earlier. Yet many drugs are only developed by the pharma’s when it is
'a major', thus the more they are growing in numbers, the more likely they are to react.’
And Vision Spring says 700 million people could have their vision restored with just a pair of glasses –
unbelievable but true, and a significant change that is surely within our grasp! They have already
delivered 1,297,808 pairs of glasses that however only meet a tiny fraction of that need. Added to that
problem is the fact that there is an extreme shortage of nurses and carers to deal with even existing
diagnosed eye and other illnesses. A clear picture is emerging – what a difference that would make in
the world in just one step, one challenge, one big issue. Every Community Hub can be part of that
change.
And everyone has something to teach and something to learn
So said Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, often called one of the greatest living
moral icons of our time and who was a key role player in the fight against apartheid in South Africa,
and more recently the campaign against HIV/AIDS. In welcoming the launch of the website: Turning
the World Upside Down he said: "We are also endlessly inventive. Without the resources and the
history of Europe and America, we have created solutions for ourselves.......Africa has much to teach
as well as much to learn from the industrialised countries of the West. Together, by combining our
knowledge and experience, we can create better health for our people everywhere."
The key to the Future is all in the past
Intelligent, immersive and adaptive Learning - long ago, even before the invention of the printing
press and still today in remote corners of the world as untouched by civilisation, community-based
learning was intelligent, adaptive and immersive. In such communities, people spent their lives in the
same village and only rarely experienced travel, their teachers were the wise, old, respected elders in
the community who saw children growing day by day, week by week and year by year.
These elders acted as teachers, guides, and mentors to their students, treating them as individuals,
Page
14

knowing their strengths and weaknesses and intelligently adapting the learning process to each
individual to prepare them for the role in their society most suited to them. These elders could direct
their learners to sources of knowledge and experiences the best motivated them and which best
suited their capabilities and interests. This personalisation of the learning experience has been absent
from today's society for many years, and the notion of tight-knit communities has been eroded by
today’s mobility and freedom of access to communications technology. We are simultaneously the
most connected and the least connected society in history. In an inter-connecting world, there lies our
most significant challenge for the Coping Classes.
3.4 Identify and satisfy Community needs

Third Sector Orgs in their Community and their membership may affiliate with any one of the following
“Community VOX” Social Brands through local or regional Community Chapters. Each Social Brand
will form its own independent Third Sector Org, where each Social Brand essentially authenticates the
content carried by their members in VOX Catalogue at the VOX Outlets, backed by a network of
Community Hubs. TSO members will elect one representative to Chapter of their chosen Social
Brand. Each Chapter will then select one representative to the board of their Social Brand. Each
Social Brand board will propose one representative to the Supervisory Board Director to ICCO (SCE).
Together they will then elect a Chairperson and an ICCO Management Board.
1. VIRTUAL SOCIAL TOURISM VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
2. ARTS & CULTURE VOX Social Brands (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
3. SOCIAL SECTOR VOX Social Brands (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
4. LIFEWORK VOX Social Brands (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
5. LIFE-SKILLS VOX Social Brands (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
6. LATINO VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
7. ASIAN VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
8. EUROPA VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
9. CHINESE VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
10. AFRICAN VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
11. AMERICAS VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
12. INDIAN VOX Social Brand (including Chapters & TSO member Orgs)
dotCoop (.coop), the standout way to let the world know
dotCoop (.coop) is the domain and online brand of identification of the giant Cooperative movement.
VoxWorld.Coop promotes its values globally since 2005 under licence. Paul Hazen was once head of
Dot Cooperatives USA that managed dotcom for a decade. It will be the domain and identifier of
choice at ICCO (SCE) outlets. "Our Vision is that the Whole World Becomes a Cooperative", says
Paul Hazen, then President and CEO of US National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), in
an interview back in 2009. Does that Vision still hold true – yes, even if exaggerated to make his
essential point of course? It’s another blast from the past, and much overlooked since – but it's a
great question. It was a great interview, one that was full of new thinking from outside the box. Are we
not too slow in the Third Sector in grasping these new ideas that are already out there, helping them
to become a reality? Is it a question of fear of change or resistance to taking our courage in our own
hands that inhibits us, or leaving it to others to lead?
In that vision, Paul draws awareness to the fact that the main weakness among Co-ops in the USA is
Page
15

lack of visibility and understanding. He quotes an NCBA survey which says only 40% so appreciate,
and proposes adopting dotCoop (.coop) as one standout way to let the world know you abide by
cooperative principles as your way of doing business. So why not at least view World Cooperatives in
a collaboration that no longer is bounded by geography - crossing borders and where our respective
Cultures serve as our global language of communication...through our arts, music, sports, crafts, etc.
Paul is now a Board Director of ICA Coop, the apex organisation of the cooperative movement,
having in the interim also headed up OCDC as CEO.
Ø Their Ideals
ü Membership, Fundraising & Added Value Creation
Community ideals will manifest themselves at ICCO (SCE) through its Cooperative Society format in a
collaboration of TSO memberships, formal and informal, from across Third Sector Orgs – both
existing and new. This will release an array of opportunities to both grow Community memberships as
well as provide substantial new Fundraising opportunities for them. It will add Community value
through their co-creation and their ownership of their Social Brands.
Ø Traded-Services & Job Creation
Opportunities exist in every Community from satisfying the silent needs of their Coping Classes, both
at home and abroad, or from re-discovering hidden and unused skills and talents, or from exploring
new ideas gleaned from the ‘university of life'. VOX supports those needs, skills and ideas in the co-
creation of new traded-services and jobs for their Community.
Ageing Populations at home can innovate, create, invent, invest or merely become users of these
traded-services. There is a vast, untapped, global social marketplace as yet unreached and waiting
for delivery of education and healthcare as well as countless other services. There are as many great
opportunities as there are significant needs worldwide. Availability has been blocked to-date by the
vital issues of non-affordability, by borders, culture and language barriers – all of which can be
overcome in this new digital world via online, offline or mobile Retailing. We are mindful that Kauffman
Foundation US studies confirm that net job growth Job Creation occurs in the U.S. economy only
through start-up firms, not from existing firms. Continuing education opens the way to these
opportunities, an awakening through Digital Literacy (The EMILY Fund) learning across every
Community, getting ready for the Change and Impact right ahead on the road.
4 THE THIRD SECTOR ORGS: Find Local Community Leaders

4.1 The Awareness
Creating a greater Sense of Community through books
Page
16

What are the Community Hubs that are already growing our Neighbourhoods and Towns starting to
look like? Will future Hubs be fostered by Cafes, Tele-Centres, the Community Centre or will it be a
more progressive form of Library such as Intel have envisaged?
A wonderfully insightful Forbes article by David Vinjamouri on Libraries in America captures the
imagination, details the opportunities and obstacles for Libraries in a changed world of publishing and
reading. In "Why Public Libraries Matter" (David Vinjamouri -Forbes, 16.01.2013) he spoke of creating
a greater Sense of Community through Books and saw the Library as Information Commons,
Knowledge Market spaces and Community Hubs.
Back in 1950, he says, there were just 11,022 titles published, while in 2010, 328,259 titles were
brought to market. "Public libraries for their part have been slow to react to the dramatic changes in
publishing and reading that threaten their ability to fulfil their core mission of promoting reading. But
there is another side to public libraries in America: they are dynamic, versatile community centres.
They welcomed more than 1.59 billion visitors in 2009 and lent books 2.4 billion times – more than 8
times for each citizen. More than half of young adults and seniors living in poverty in the United States
used public libraries to access the Internet. They used this access, among other purposes to 'find
work, apply to college, secure government benefits, and learn about critical medical treatments'. For
all this, public libraries cost just $42 per citizen each year to maintain.
The growth of electronic reading holds significant opportunities and threats for both Public Libraries
and Publishers. This is no small affair - new research from the Pew Research Centre shows that a
third of Americans now own eBook readers or tablet devices, and Amazon sells more eBooks than
Print books."
This US Library story is a familiar one to the rest of the world. Yes, Libraries in our Communities can
indeed become Information Commons, Knowledge Market spaces and/or new Community Hubs. But
whatever direction Libraries do go in they will undoubtedly continue to create that vital Sense of
Community through Books that they always have done. Indeed their importance as measured in
Reader numbers will likely grow exponentially if we take a worldwide perspective. They are ideal
centres for greater local participation, for embracing a greater understanding of each other’s culture
and language globally. Entire lives are changed with one book, one that costs nothing to read in a
Library. But when they add the Tele-Centre & Café for outbound connectivity to their Diasporas and
back again to their Roots as a two-way street – Libraries, as a Third Sector Org, have the power to
transform lives, livelihoods and entire Communities like never before imagined as a Community Hub.
4.2 The Champions
Light-up Our Village with E-Commerce
When Communities decide to run a campaign to ‘Light-up our Village with E-Commerce’ through their
Universal Social Brands – it’s a slogan for another kind of L.O.V.E. Story, this time between
Communities & their Tele-Centres /Cafes that enable new E-Livelihoods to be generated. That
requires local champions as leaders, with the initiative and the know-how that revolve around Hubs.
It’s hard to think of anything more important for the future of entire Communities than access to a
Community Hub, ideally through proactive Libraries with Tele-Centres and/or Village Cafés. That is
Page
17

especially true when given the vast potential for leadership across the virtual jobs desert that is the
Digital World of today and also the forces driving the Social Innovation Economies of tomorrow. They
are the signature tune to that crucial crossing of the Digital Bridge, that fearsome digital divide in a
reach-out through social inclusion for the E-Livelihoods that will sustain them into the future.
Tele-Centres have contributed to the provision of millions of e-skilled people in this new workforce.
These e-skills are essential today to fill what is a shortfall in many millions of ICT Skilled Jobs
worldwide over this decade alone. We now know that each ICT Skilled Job creates five to seven
spinoffs jobs in a Community. The only issue we see in this for Tele-Centres is that they have
associated more with the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) mindset of the private sector, and
that needs significant nurturing. Their Social Brand nature within CSR will take a long time to tune into
local culture and languages, to then respond on a local basis to their needs. Communities need
champions as Agents of that Change. It begins with Digital Literacy.
And yet still many hundreds of millions in Europe and the USA still have to adopt Digital Literacy as
the new norm, in fact, billions worldwide have yet to do so. And so they risk being left behind as ghost
communities in this unstoppable digital march to the new Digital World. With Aid & Donors now
dwindling fast in both contributors and amounts everywhere today, what is urgently needed are new
and ever more imaginative ways to find and address new Funding methods. That will allow these
Tele-Centres to be developed and sustained, where they can grow and expand as integrated global
networks.
Which type of Tele-Centres will lead the way? Will it be one that will be able to provide to their
customers the required Computer Literacy Courses, like ECDL or other e-skilled Training Centre
courses? ICCO (SCE) is an innovative vehicle that aims to introduce valued Literacy courses from
with worldwide recognition - that will create and sustain many Jobs and E-Livelihoods over many
years. And so this is where we can start in our Communities - with Tele-Centres and E-Tutors, at
Village Hubs with their projects & programmes that link to Community Co-operatives which will the
way to social inclusion. Now that we know there is a way for Communities to go forward, all that is
now needed is the collective will of the Community. And that is a will that is born of an understanding
with determination and commitment to bring about real change, which we can already see in
abundance throughout the world as it grows into a dynamic Social Purchasing Marketplace.
In the UK one in five people are Unemployed
Reports from the UK show that one in five people are Unemployed and many without the prospect of
a Job, yet it does not have to be like this. The story is the same one throughout Europe, indeed
worldwide. Ageing Populations over 50 and Youth are to the fore in those numbers.
‘So, when we look at these statistics they ask, are we looking in reality at a lost generation, without
opportunity and little aspiration or expectation of employment?
Possibly yes. If so, how can we resolve it? 60% of the jobs in the UK relate to the public sector, so will
the public sector grow and absorb those people? No, the public sector has been downsizing as it
responds to the reduction in government funding with cutbacks. Will the private sector then step into
the breach and fill the jobs deficit in the pursuit of social value and stability? No, their primary concern
is profits and the SME’s, on whose shoulders growth plans now fall, have not got the available funding
Page
18

post the crash of the banks. And so it is up to Third Sector, the social sector including Co-operative &
other Third Sector Orgs to step up to the plate, driven by SROI objectives instead and make an
impact through commercial activity that will generate new career possibilities.’
No, it does not have to be like this in the UK or elsewhere. In this period of Great Change we as
individuals and as Communities have to adapt the way we look at Work itself too, need to redefine
urgently what a Job is and will be into the future. The best opportunities are now online....online
traded-services deliverable from anywhere, by anyone, at any time. That's the New Deal for
Individuals and Communities alike.
Of relevance here is the report by Stephen Yeo in 2002: "Co-operative and Mutual Enterprises in
Britain: Ideas from a usable past for a modern future" (Stephen Yeo - Centre for Civil Society, London
School of Economics, June 2002). There he says "Co-operative and Mutual Enterprises (CMEs)
offers a sharp definition to the ubiquitous adjective 'social' where, without a cutting edge, 'social' can
vaporise, emptying it of meaning, in the same way that 'society' has been emptied of meaning in the
past two hundred years." It's about using history to inform the future, to enable new growth and
development.
No one TSO and no one Sector holds the solution within their own walls
It is becoming evident that no one TSO and no one Sector hold the answer within their own walls so-
to-speak to this scale of Unemployment or indeed Poverty or other significant social issues. It will take
a collaboration of all three sectors - social sector, the private sector, and public sector - coming
together to solve the scale of those problems. CMEs have indeed emerged from under what had been
described as 'a dusty old image' to add such an edge, refreshing its image as one that includes but
now goes beyond the Co-op, one that brings together consumers and producers, individuals and
communities alike. The other sectors cannot rival that alone.
To have both the capacity and capability needed to address the sheer scale of such social demands
will take a new type of Organisation that collaborates across all sectors, all 'jumping together' as one.
ICCO is promoted here as one such Org. If we take the dominant social problem, poverty, and look at
the underlying need to cross the digital divide - we can see the apparent deficiencies in all three
sectors in their own right. By coming together with shared objectives, they can however all provide the
solution required to enable the world to move-on following the 2008 debacle. The social sector is
emerging relatively unscathed as the potential new leader for society at large, holding the key to this
new future. And CMEs are the cutting edge of that future.
Five years on from the Crash, the talking persists, but billions remain on the other side of the digital
bridge. They stay detached from what the rest of the world takes for granted as the only way forward
into the future - one led by new and identifiable technologies or, in a phrase, 'access to the internet'.
They remain therefore unable to participate in this emerging new world. Yet it can be seen already
how they have as much to offer fellow Communities across the globe as to their own people - Nurses
and Carers, in general, being leading examples. All they want in return is a livelihood. Every
Community can start with just a Library, add a Tele-Centre/ Café over time and take off from there.
All we need in 2013 is a Spark
Page
19

"There is (already) a place where an Innovative idea can become a reality, a place where this idea
finds collaboration, commitment and resources....to turn (that idea) into the Future....in each
Community and no matter how tough the conditions are. This (place) is found in any one of the
500,000 Tele-centres, part of one of the widest social user groups on the Planet, reaching over 1
billion Users every day.....join us to turn Ideas into Action, Action into Reality.....so said the 4th Global
Forum on Tele-Centres, the Spark13 Conference, in Granada Spain on May 28-29." The Future never
looked so bright.
Ø Their Participation
Smart Villages World Communities
1. Culture Categories - Books, Music, Sport, Games, Dance, Arts & Crafts, Heritage &
Roots, Famous, Myths & Legends, Life & Times.
2. Culture Sources - Radio Stations, TV Stations, Record Labels & Collectors, Libraries,
Book Publishers, Culture Centres, Sports & other Clubs, Tourism Orgs, Lifestyle Orgs,
Archives.
Social Sector World Communities
1. Formal - Cooperatives/ NFP, Foundations, Associations, Trade Unions, Public Internet

Access Points/ Tele-Centres, Community & Culture Orgs/CBO's/ HTA/ Civic & Social
Orgs/ Civil Society, NGO's, Federations/ Confederations, Media Lab & Charitable Orgs.
2. Informal - Networks, Platforms, Social Network Services/ Social Media Networks,
Clubs, Informal Groups/ SHG/ Faith-based, Social Movements, Learning Circles/ Study
Groups/ Open R&D/ CIDE/ CEP, Hack Labs/ Peer Learning/ Knowledge Sharing &
Peer to Peer Groups/ SHG (p2p).
Life-Work World Communities
i-Care, i-Teach, i-Sing, i-Create, i-Write, i-Seek, i-Repair, i-Buy, i-Guide, i-Heal, i-Promote,
i-Communicate, i-Safeguard, i-Study, i-Innovate, i-Secure, i-Promise, i-Judge, i-Draw, i-
Landscape, i-Finance, i-Lead, i-Protect, i-Record, i-Critique, i-Sew, i-Plan, i-Harvest, i-
Deliver, i-Contribute, i-Save, i-Sign, i-Preserve, i-Solve, i-Dream, i-Build, i-Invest, i-
Develop, i-Negotiate, i-Run, i-Coach, i-Think, i-Invent, i-Observe, i-Plan, i-Strategise, i-
Listen, i-Speak, i-Defend, i-Coordinate, i-Explore, i-Sculpt, i-Paint, i-Consult, i-Fly, i-
Assist, i-Solve, i-Mobilise, i-Imagine, i-Share, i-Transmit, i-Document, i-Improvise, i-
Interview, i-Model, i-Translate, i-Compete, i-Tell Stories, i-Research, i-Analyse, i-
Construct, i-Rescue, i-Programme, i-Direct, i-Act, i-Host, i-Process, i-Support, i-Connect,
i-Mend, i-Read, i-Calculate, i-Talk, i-Instruct, i-Solve, i-Play, i-Advertise, i-Trade, i-Edit, i-
Chart, i-Bank, i-Remedy, i-Educate, i-Assemble, i-Train, i-Inform, i-Monitor, i-Venture, i-
Broadcast, i-Order, i-Check, i-Record, i-Dance, i-Orchestrate, i-Compose, i-Organise, i-
Arrange, i-Advise, i-Govern, i-Photograph, i-Drive, i-Edit, i-Serve, i-illustrate, i-Shop, i-
Forecast, i-Rescue, i-Cook, i-Compose, i-Sell, i-Design, i-Give, i-Find, i-Inspire, i-
Understand, i-Believe, i-Unite, i-Report, i-Market, i-Troubleshoot, i-Engineer, i-Administer
Page
20

Life-Skills World Communities
1. Artisans - Operators (Crafters & Promoters) & Entertainers (Performers & Composers)
2. Guardians - Administrators (Supervisors & Inspectors) & Conservators (Providers &
Protectors)
3. Idealists - Mentors (Teachers & Councillors) & Advocates (Champions & Healers)
4. Rationals - Coordinators (Top Managers & Masterminds) & Engineers (Inventors &
Architects)
ICCO (SCE) membership is limited to Third Sector Orgs. Increased Community membership is driven
through constituent Orgs as their representatives. That membership is promoted globally through
retail content with membership cards included. New fundraising opportunities exist for TSOs running
in parallel with those programmes. Added Value is created among TSO through the revenue sharing
dimension of the SCE format.
ü Traded-Services & Job Creation
As awareness feeds in a greater sense of community, local champions or leaders will emerge – at
least four are necessary for every Community – to address digital, social, economic and financial
fundamentals across the TSOs. They will lead the way across the social divide as they drive both
membership and fundraising of the Third Sector Orgs in tandem. TSOs today can take countless
forms in this digital era - covering arts & crafts, social sector, lifework and life skills or a blend of all in
social tourism. And TSOs are all about participation within the broader Global Communities, enabled
through the arrival of the concept of E-Communities. This presents potentially limitless opportunities
for new traded-services & job creation in scale – many enabled by e-commerce.
5 THE COMMUNITY HUBS: Engage at Alpha-points

Mostly the goal is to establish a VOX Hub in every Community, ultimately in every Village, for the
primary benefit of our four main audience classifications, together known as the 'Coping Classes'.
They are called Alpha-points, where everyone begins. Every collaborative VOX Hub would adopt a
“Community VOX” as its umbrella social brand at ICCO (SCE), which brand would have regional
chapter options too. Every Ageing Population Org participating would represent their members at their
chosen world or regional chapter through voting rights and through the Regional VOX supervisory
board member. Collectively ICCO member orgs aim to add considerable social value as social
innovators, getting started with their social Change Agent Tutors. The purpose is to co-create new
innovative brands with added value ideas that may have been gleaned from or perhaps born of the
crises or obstacles that were met along their journeys through life. These will then underpin
Livelihoods in this digitally driven and more socially aware age; co-creating traded-services of and for
themselves with others in cooperation. Essentially, Ireland will be the master social innovation centre
Page
21

for provision of a complete range of supporting services to those Hubs, where required, for co-
creation of these “Community VOX” Social Brands – providing VOX customisation, e-commerce and
other requirements.
Older people have the insight it takes to open a Community or even a Village Hub. These are
envisaged as meeting or hospitality points for indispensable social engagement. They will all,
however, be ideal places for social inclusion or lifelong learning or a crucial nearby roadmap to
greater community involvement. Such a Hub can be operated informally with the participation of any
local cafe, hotel, college, library telecentre, internet access point, community centre or other
convenient community meeting point with facilities. First facilities would include Change Agent Tutor -
tutors of digital, social, economic or financial literacy as needed everywhere – followed by “Show
How-to XYZ” tutors from all walks of life, teaching what they know best in life to those interested in
learning. This can be for any service that is in need in either local or any global community too. In so
doing they can generate valuable extra income while providing the tools of access to a better
livelihood for the many. Only older people possess many of those unique set of tools of
empowerment. Every participating Community will have its own particular, contributions and
motivations to take it forward from there.
5.1 The Gathering

Community Hubs have at their core the Gathering of people open to sharing rather than hoarding.
The Parlour Café
The home and convener of all “Community VOX” brands will be at the Community Hub, where TSOs
may learn about how to engage with their chosen “Community VOX” social brand. These will be
Gathering Points (‘Alpha Points’) at any suitable locations to provide support for Community TSOs
and their social brands, typically:
1. Parlour Cafés
2. Library Centres
3. Tele-centre
4. Community Centre
5. Community College
6. Hotel business centre
7. Public meeting points
The most prominent of these is the Parlour Café, a welcome that is ideally attached to a Library or a
bookshop and a telecentre. Livelihoods would be underpinned by traded-services that very often
originate from members’ new ideas. These would be creatively born of the Ageing Populations and
other ‘Coping Classes’; where the primary benefits will emanate out into their community to underpin
sustainable Livelihoods for them. This will be achieved in a reach-out across-borders, cultures and
languages to generate social inclusion when supported by a network of change agent tutors (CATs). It
is open-to-all to participate in their own way, including by serving as local champions at the hubs and
as global ambassadors at the outlets.
Page
22

It would be a collaborative body for Communities and their Organisations everywhere and will
primarily promote traded-services in an inter-community drive amongst them. Its focus would be on
the generation of e-Livelihoods in the Community through global services trading.
The VOX Operations in that reach-out will have three dimensions – “Diaspora VOX” Outlets to access
the global Social Purchasing Marketplace, “Community VOX” Social Brands for Catalogue content
and “VOX Hubs as the homeland infrastructure to support co-creation of new and ever more
innovative content for retailing under those social brands. Supporter roles, in the form of Change
Agent Tutors (CATs), will first be opened to affiliated TSO members of all participating organisations
at VOX Hubs – would be accredited as VOX Champions at home, while those abroad will be certified
as their VOX Ambassadors, in support of VOX Outlets franchised outlets
Interconnect at Hubs for social innovation
Interconnect at Community Hubs for social change with VOX Labs Model. Ireland, the ideal Location
for Social Innovation Master Hub with its unique history of Emigration - Global Irish Community that
exceeds its island population a dozen times.
We all know the biggest obstacle of all to progress is the utterly inadequate funding for the entire
Third Sector, as led by Co-ops - a sector that is still not yet recognised for its vast, virtually untapped
potential in job creation, innovation, social inclusion and community development. This is right across
the developed world, but also offers enormous unseen opportunities in the developing world. Yet the
gap to be filled is now visible, with substantial global shortages for skilled ICT workers and related in-
demand and on-demand services worldwide, but which also require language skills and often a
cultural appreciation too. This entire sector needs vast seed funding to back the tens of thousands of
new social innovation start-ups is necessary for this new frontier to build the necessary momentum,
and in turn, win full-scale financial backing - on its own social terms - to fire the jets of that entire
Third Sector.
Thankfully the wheel has gone full circle, and times are set to change, but it will take one last surge of
energy, on a universal scale, to do what is urgently required. How will that happen and what will be its
trigger? It will happen with the coming together of the Cooperatives ('Coop of Co-ops') and with the
rest of the Third Sector - on a shared Community Cooperation initiative - working together to achieve
through social innovation and development in the scale of what Silicon Valley did for the Private
Sector over past 30 years, since the early 1980's. It achieved the impossible dream with hi-tech
innovation and development and, crucially, with the backing of its countless start-ups by a third of the
entire US venture capital pot. And what will be the trigger for the Third Sector? I believe the trigger will
come in the form of a global Social Innovation Centre, a master hub.
If Silicon Valley hub did it for Private Sector, what will Third Sector's Social Innovation Hub require - a
home? I believe the home of that Social Innovation Hub can be provided in and from Ireland, today. It
has all the necessary credentials and the hunger to do it right now, as recent IDA comparison charts
demonstrate. And any Private Sector entity wishing to set up in Ireland to provide B2B business
services and consultancy to that Third Sector worldwide can be assured of Ireland's excellent support
structure too. Ireland would be delighted to support all interested members, current and future, of this
group in any such endeavours by directing them to appropriate quarters as part of our ICCO social
initiative.
Page
23

5.2 VOX Labs Model

The VOX Lab Model is one critical resource in making this Social Innovation Centre a reality. This is a
summary of its virtual e-business model – a poverty reduction economic model:
Key VOX Partners
Licensed VOX Labs partners will provide complete end-to-end services from affiliated Digital Hub &
Master Franchise Centres to authorised VOX Hubs, Outlets and Social Brands. They will include
dedicated POS Packaging, Logistics, Marketing, Technology & Finance partner service providers as
applicable. Interface partners will open with content and brand customisable VOX USB memory cards
and membership voucher-cards. Authorised VOX Showcase display partners will follow together with
interactive kiosk & other interactive technology-based POS partner services as demand dictates.
Particular provision is made for the majority of potential users who are likely to be without immediate
digital access and/ or e-skills. Dedicated Open Platform partners will provide a direct interface with
target Community Audiences worldwide online, offline and over mobile.
Key VOX Activities
A full complement of independent VOX Labs’ B2B services will be available through authorised
partners for provision direct to VOX Hubs, Outlets & Social Brands worldwide. B2B specialist global
Consulting E-Teams will provide supportive services to meet and match related global demand. POS
services will include VOX Shop formatting, VOX Box impact dispensers, customer interfaces, Supply
Chain Management standards, independent Open Platforms, Cloud and other authorised service
providers under VOX Labs Licensing Authority. All with have service level agreements. Notably, VOX
co-branded POS customisation, servitisation and productisation will be provided as options. Literacy/
capability services will be made available locally through authorised Change Agent Tutor champions
for Ageing Communities and Diaspora audiences. All these activities will be deliverable from
authorised providers at supporting VOX Digital Hub, Master Franchise Centres & Foundation in
Ireland, as well as from regional Managed Outsourced Services Centres on demand.
Key VOX Resources
Customisable Smartshops and Culture Showcases units can be rolled out worldwide in line with retail
demand volumes through universal retail franchised formats, supported by concepts and in-store
marketing support activities. Smartshops will include technology-based integrated VOX networks of
iPOS, mPOS, iPhones, iKiosks, i Screens and well as of POS Dispenser Systems, Display System &
Diaspora Boxes.
VOX Cost Structures
ICCO & VOX entities will work with VOX Communities to co-create VOX Brands at VOX Hubs,
backed by VOX tutors and Tele-centres for e-skills development in the communities. They will also
provide innovative Retail Networking services through VOX Shops at participating Outlets worldwide,
both existing and new, going global simultaneously in distribution and reach-out to and for developing
Page
24

communities. Added Value created will be shared on a revenue sharing basis among, content
providers, franchise & consulting service providers but above all among ICCO & its TSO owners.
VOX Value Proposition
There are several ways in which ICCO can both co-create and cooperatively offer new value to
Communities. This can be achieved by unique co-presentation of products and services to generate
impact at point-of-sale and targeting the latent demands of the booming universal social purchasing
marketplace. This can be achieved through co-creation of VOX Community Brands to promote and
authenticate original content in innovative products and services that would appeal to the VOX
Customer Segments.
VOX Customer Relationships
There are four primary ways in which Community audiences can be served with VOX Labs model:
- in collaboration with their Apex Orgs for order aggregation and in-store marketing in VOX Channels
to market;
- through their affiliated member agents as so-called Community Ambassadors who can service VOX
Outlets;
- through local members as champions at VOX Hubs to serve Communities as either literacy tutors
(digital, social, economic & financial) or as e-skilled tutors with know-how from across the Customer
Segments;
- Via Call Centres supporting B2B and B2C operations. Our Community groups profile above refers to
their average constituent orgs.
VOX Channels
There are many Community Outlet options from which to choose at Diaspora locations – cafes,
hotels, other hospitality locations, third sector orgs, airports, libraries, telecentres, community centres
etc. VOX Channels are open for reach-out through VOX Outlets to VOX Community audiences of
which many areas yet unreached by Business or Social Networking channels. Most often they will be
located initially in or near Cafes and other Hospitality points with a cultural dimension. Access can be
via franchised VOX Shop Displays offline, VOX Storefronts online or VOX Showcases with
smartphone access.
VOX Customer Segments
There are five Community options from which to choose aim is to reach-a Third Sector who share in
a common interest:
- They can be VOX Communities of Place in the Third Sector - whether Global, Regional, a Country, a
State, a District, a County et al.
Page
25

- They can also be specialist VOX Communities - ranging from VOX Smart Villages Communities in
the Third Sector (Communities of Interest, Arts & Culture)
- They can be VOX Social Sector Communities in the Third Sector (Communities of Purpose, TSO's),
- They can be VOX Lifework Communities in the Third Sector (Communities of Action, Careers)
- Lastly, they can be VOX Life-skills Communities in the Third Sector (Communities of Practice,
Temperaments).
These specialist communities may further be identified as a Community of Place too, defined by their
geographical borders, depending on their profile and especially their global appeal. Each ICCO
collaborative member Org will be identifiable by adding VOX to their chosen Community brand name.
VOX Revenue Streams
ICCO is designed as a new concept to promote revenues primarily for three categories of providers
across all sectors –the VOX Content providers, VOX Franchise Service providers and VOX Specialist
Consulting Teams. Revenues are generated via VOX Shops & their VOX Community branded
products and services throughput. Additional revenues are also created through TSO narrowcasting,
or point-casting to their participating TSO membership, or through sponsors who wish to target
specific Communities with so-called ride-along services. Products are shipped direct to the point of
interface, omega-points, or services are supplied direct, on a revenue-sharing basis that is designed
to optimise fair value for content providers while generating new business traffic revenues for
authorised VOX Providers.
It is open to everybody and every Community to use this VOX Labs Model. It is a whole new way of
doing business utilising new ideas and approaches, worldwide. We no longer need to wait for the big
corporations to see and fund so many of the countless new TSO opportunities that open up literally
every day. Today we have the tools and the support services available on tap into or co-create our
own jobs, mostly as traded-services. Today there are tens of millions of e-skilled Jobs waiting to be
filled somewhere, most only seen if you are already online, and also with many unsatisfied services at
home too, many unseen or mostly unheard. Where there is a will, the Coping Classes can find a way
to be part of that new future - with just innovation added.
This is the New Golden Era, born of World Class Knowledge & Innovation Workers. This is our future.
5.3 Co-Creation of Products and Services

While in Dublin the author of a book on Co-Creation of Content, Venkat Ramaswamy, proved to
be an authority on this subject, his field of expertise. He was delighted to share his thoughts with
anyone else interested in this massive issue of today. Venkat describes it best himself:
A World where WWW stands for Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing
"A fundamental implication is that enterprises are now a nexus of interactions and value must be
created with, and for, individuals as co-creators (Venkat Ramaswamy - Professor, Ross School of
Business, University of Michigan,, 21.01.2013):
Page
26

1. Enterprises must stop thinking of individuals as passive and docile recipients that firms
traditionally deliver to, but must instead engage individuals as active co-creators of value.
2. All entities that affect or are affected by the actions and outcomes of a value creation process
can be a co-creator - in other words, the more inclusive the engagement of stakeholders in the act
of creating value (through engagement platforms), the better.
3. “Value” is subjective and not only varies from individual to individual, but also within individuals
in the context of their experiences in space and time. The meaning of “value” is thus a function of
human experiences, and products and services are a means to this human experience-based
embodiment of value.
4. Individuals are, by definition, an integral part of creating experience-based value. Their own
creativity is relevant to the process of creating outcomes of experience-based value. This requires
expertly designed engagement platforms as the means of enacting value creation together.
Engagement platforms are both offerings and the methods to create those offerings.
5. Individuals must be continuously engaged as stakeholders in value creation, as much on their

terms as that of enterprises, expanding how enterprises think about both value creation resources
and opportunities.
6. Convergence of value creation based on human experiences of individuals in economy and
society necessitates that all enterprises, whether private, public, or social sector enterprises, must
engage people individually and collectively.
7. Private-public-social enterprises must build ecosystems of capabilities centred on the wealth,

welfare, and well-being of all individuals."
That says it all in a nutshell - a world where WWW stands for Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing and
the new axis of enterprise on a Private-Public and a Social axis. Now every Community can work
together while independently preserving their individual, their TSO and their Community’s
separate identities too.
New ideas and four kinds of Jobs
There are four kinds of Jobs - the Thinker, the Builder, the Improver or the Producer? (LinkedIn,
6.05.2013)
1. Everything starts with an idea. This is the first of the four jobs – the Thinkers.
2. Builders convert these ideas into reality. This is the second job.
3. Improvers make this reality better. This is the third job.
4. Producers do the work over and over again, delivering quality goods and services to the
company’s customers in a repeatable manner. This is the fourth job.
And then the process begins again with new ideas and new ways of doing business being
developed as the old ones become stale. Every job has a mix of all four work types
dependent on the actual work involved, the scope and scale of the role, and the company’s
Page
27

growth rate. We recognise too that every person is comprised of a mix of each work type, with
one or two dominant.
Ø Their Insights
Community Hubs are ideal locations to promote TSO membership. A unique ‘Matching Fund’ is being
established at authorised VOX Foundation to support the establishment of VOX Hubs. Revenue-
sharing ensures that the value created is shared out across the community rather than resting in the
hands of a few.
The Gatherings at Community Hubs will expose us to many unseen services and jobs opportunities.
These include awareness at the Hub Jobs Centre of the online Job opportunities, being the c.30% of
all Jobs only published online and unavailable otherwise to those without access or e-skills. It will
include an awareness of in-demand services too, both in local and Global Diaspora Communities.
There will also be an added awareness of educational programmes that can clear the path to using
and providing those services – creating extra income or jobs for tutors in parallel. In every Hub, in
every Village potentially, there will also be one or more jobs to be filled for operational purposes –
filling gaps with Tele-centres, Parlour Cafes, Classes – where every Hub and every Idea needs the
thinker, the builder, the improver and the producer. But the most significant opportunity for the Ageing
Populations to leave their mark on the world here is to assist in the start-up of a Local Co-operative at
the Hub. This would engage with their Global Community and network with other Communities at
ICCO. Then, born of their unique insights into their Culture, they could identify new content for
delivery under a chosen Community VOX brand label that would stand the test of time –delivering on-
going services and creating jobs while doing so.
6 THE CULTURE CAT: Start with Virtual Social Tourism

6.1 Capture the soul of Social Brands.
Discover the wealth buried deep in your Culture, capture the soul of Social Brands.
The under-served Coping Classes are predominantly found among four universal groups across all
Communities, cross-borders. They are people who struggle to maintain a decent standard of living,
often merely surviving from week to week, even day to day. They understand each other and their
deepest needs better than any other. They are not looking for hand-outs, but hand-ups instead. They
merely want others to help them to help themselves. Now they can learn to become either providers
or users – or both - of TSO products or services that they can see showcased at any participating
ICCO Community Outlets, first at Diaspora locations. They can come to realise that their global
Page
28

content can sustain Livelihoods in their locality and can support them with quality-of-life services, led
by Care Services. Collectively they can see how that can also help their Community Development –
through that Trade, as opposed to (perhaps in addition to any) Aid, and which will empower their
people as they do so. Local Communities can target Diaspora and other Community audiences as
collectively they reach-out and engage through a network of authorised Community Outlets. They can
distribute "Community VOX" co-branded content to that Diaspora to meets their large latent needs,
and meet local needs as a by-product. These four Local Community groups are defined at ICCO as:
1. The Ageing Populations

2. The Unemployed
3. The Low-Income Earners
4. The Less Well Educated
First Community Business Goal
ICCO’s first goal here is to engage with the Ageing Populations worldwide. They are ICCO's primary
local Community target to feature at Universal Diaspora VOX Outlets. Community content will be
sourced through their local Hub, whether informal at the Café or formal at the local Culture Centre.
There they will adopt their Community VOX brand to promote their new ideas while using services in
tandem as a consumer of others services too from across the worldwide social marketplace. The
minimum target Community Chapter size is 1,000 participating constituent members. They will be
represented at ICCO by their TSO, participation levels for which are determined by the distribution of
content cards in the first year – optionally under planned purchasing programmes. These are the dual
card that includes a membership card with a contribution of €1 in equity to ICCO, with a content value
of €20 minimum.
6.2 Virtual – Homecoming

Virtual Social Tourism is a new way of looking at Tourism, targeting the vast bulk of the Diaspora
Communities who are no longer connected to their homeland (or that of their ancestors) or cannot
travel home; but still, those who share a longing and belonging in their hearts. They are bound
through a Culture they share if no longer the language. This connectivity is both innovative and
interactive.
6.3 Interactive
Is Retail the new answer in global Diaspora Networking?
I was especially interested in feedback from Geneva, by Oksana Pidufala - UN Affairs at World Bank.
I offered this reply to WB blog:
"First, we should say that VoxWorld.Coop was part of Irish delegation by invitation at the UN General
Assembly on International Migration & Development in New York 2007. And recently we attended by
invitation at Global Diaspora Forum in Dublin, Ireland on 14-15 May 2013, which was enjoined by
simulcast with IDEA in Washington and ran in parallel with their Silicon Valley event.
The consensus at GDF 2013 would surely wholly agree that now is the time, as you put it so well, to
"engage, enable, and empower" governments to deliver on their good intentions. Many of those topics
Page
29

in Geneva were in fact discussed back in New York 2007 and again at the GDF 2013 event, the latter
being energetically exercised by many of those points that you summarise here.
This is my central point of analysis though - Diaspora Networking for reach-out is the longstanding
major obstacle to be overcome here. Despite technology advances in the intervening years 07-13 and
before, the primary underlying issue revolves around their fundamental relationships with their
homeland - itself born of their reasons for leaving home in the first place, whether economic or
otherwise and crossing generations as it does. That is the great disconnect, and technology does not
explicitly hold the answer on its own through databases or whatever. Indeed very many are not online
or do not have ready access to it, or their families do not have it; indeed affordability is an additional
issue. Without that diaspora connectivity, as opposed to earlier migrant family connections, those
good intentions - no matter how strong - will not manifest themselves anytime soon, not regarding
achieving those otherwise laudable goals as Geneva sets out. But there is perhaps another way to
connect in a broader base.
Despite those significant issues that do exist, one point of connection remains intact, often deep
within our diasporas, however - their love of their culture, their broad sense of belonging and longing
for where they or their ancestors were born.
Now Retail can hold the key, and indeed in our long-held view is the solution, to fostering and
enhancing that sense of belonging, that connectivity, through culture....made available on their
terms....to engage as remotely or as close and personal as they would wish it to be.....whenever and
wherever they choose to give of themselves. Such a new and respectful approach will provide a more
full arc of engagement, and we have all the tools today to do so. It's in their music, sports, books,
entertainment....the key to their future is to be found in their past, in their culture as protected down
through the generations by their language. VoxWorld.Coop"
6.4 Social
So what differentiates our Cultures?
Who, where or what do you consider to be the Greatest Gift(s) to emanate from your culture for the
benefit of other people? How does it fit into your vision of the future, for your Community?
Every Community needs a New Vision for tomorrow, one that reflects the rapidly changing world, one
born of the global connectivity through technology. This technology has now opened up the world to
Knowledge and Innovation Economies and to the opportunity for the Third Sector, in particular, to
come together and blossom. Soon they can finally rival the Private Sector that won all the headlines
and kudos of the past Century and whose achievements were as real as they were tangible - being
the era that from its beginning gave birth to the planes, trains, motor cars and electricity a hundred
years or so ago.
Today, times are once again a-changing dramatically, this time the most significant opportunity falls to
the Third Sector. We either take control of our future ourselves or let others dictate the life we will
have for ourselves and our people. We have all the tools in our own hands now. So how will that
evolve for your Community - through our Culture no doubt, fist re-discovering who we are as a
People? And that starts for each of us with where our Communities are coming from, what are the
Page
30

great gifts of culture that have already been passed down to us. We do so as we acknowledge that
we see four types of Communities here in this group, each as set out in sub-groups attached. We may
be shocked at what we discover, or should we say, re-discover. But first, What is Culture?
What is Culture?
Historians offer this explanation that has appeal (LinkedIn Slideshare) -
"Today, in the United States as in other countries populated largely by immigrants, the culture is
influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country (Pop Culture Paper,
23.09.2012)..........The term Western culture has come to define the culture of European countries as
well as those such as the United States that have been heavily influenced by European immigration.
Western culture has its roots in the Classical Period of the Greco-Roman era and the rise of
Christianity in the fourteenth century. Other drivers of the Western culture include Latin, Celtic,
Germanic and Hellenic ethnic and linguistic groups........Eastern culture generally refers to the societal
norms of countries in Far East Asia (including China, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea and South Korea)
and the Indian subcontinent......Many of the Spanish-speaking nations are considered part of the Latin
culture, while the geographic region is widespread. Latin America is typically defined as those parts of
Central America, South America and Mexico where Spanish or Portuguese is the dominant
languages......The countries of the Middle East have some, but not all things in common, including a
strong belief in Islam and religion, is a powerful pillar of this society.......The continent of Africa is
essential two cultures—North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The continent is comprised of many
tribes, ethnic and social groups. One of the key features of this culture (Contributor, 12.07.2017) is a
large number of ethnic groups—some countries can have 20 or more—and the diversity of their
beliefs."
6.5 Innovative
Scaling up for Social Innovation – ‘new kinds of jobs.'
How do we scale up for Social Innovation?: Are Community Retail Networks the big New Way for the
Third Sector to lead the way in Co-creating Jobs? Yes.
Two essential Conferences, the Global Diaspora Forum and on Digital Agenda Europe's Open
Innovation 2.0, in Dublin this year both focused in a big way on the need for collaboration to drive out
the solutions we so urgently need in society today. Indeed one could clearly see the potential fruits of
a 'cooperative collaboration' too. All agreed however that business networking is now the order of the
day if we are to achieve that goal. There was a new air of enthusiasm for undertaking the sheer scale
of tasks that society are asking (begging?) to be undertaken, something not observed before. There
was a sense that I was here before (perhaps back in the day of Ford Model T jobs displacement) but
after which an avalanche of, the then unseen, ‘new kinds of jobs’ were to follow. There was a
realisation that business networking is a harvesting process, one that takes a long time to grow from
seed to crop and for which patience and commitment are needed in equal measure. Most saw that
CSR (corporate social responsibility) action, however well-intentioned, as not being enough - indeed
Page
31

mere crumbs to a world ensnared in poverty and deprivation, searching for jobs to carve out a living.
That attendance was a prelude to our actions here, the formation of ICCO under SCE format in
Ireland, which was set out here before and can be referenced in detail as we proceed with Work plan
& Roll-out in the master plan that follows - and which always has been the ultimate goal.
While the need for cross-sector (private, public & third sector) collaboration was understood by all,
given the scale of the tasks ahead, and whereas the value of cooperation was seen and appreciated
too - few saw the Third Sector as the potential provider of the solution it has to be said. Their clout
and determination to make such a difference on the scale required were not apparent. After all, who in
the Third Sector are talking with the kind of authority that Intel (one of the organisers) for example can
speak with - who dare to risk billions by investing in RDI (research, development & innovation)
projects that may or may not see the light of day. That takes insight, foresight and great courage to
innovate on that scale.
The third Sector lacks an understanding or appreciation of its future roles
What I did not see, that which was missing across the two conferences that featured the best and the
brightest of the corporate and public world was this - a visualisation of the role that the Third Sector
could and indeed will play in a new bright future for communities. Yes, our co-operatives are the
leading light of the third sector to date. They have created c.100 million jobs, and those are jobs with
a profound social dimension too. But there is a need for hundreds of millions more of these jobs, as
ILO have articulated so well. From where are those jobs going to come? It's not surprising that
everyone turns back to look towards the private sector again, but they have not changed, and profits
still trump jobs today. The public sector is cutting back on jobs as budgets are getting slashed. Yet!
The third sector does not collaborate on a scale that will make the impact required on this problem.
The problem is Poverty. Does the private sector offer the Solution? No. Is the private sector part of
the solution, yes!? Can the public sector solve the problem, no? Is the public sector part of the
solution, yes!? So who does it fall to, to come up with that solution - the Third Sector, Yes! Can they
do it, yes, but only in a cross-sector solution and when led by them. Why driven by the third sector-
because they are the most? That will just begin in earnest with the formation of global Community
Cooperatives, involving everybody in co-created solutions - thus a coming together in a collaboration
born of the Co-ops and the entire Third Sector in general under one independent umbrella body
initiative. ICCO (SCE) is one such body and one such solution that is ours to offer. That needs the
leadership of the coops/ third sector and the support of the best and brightest across the private and
public sector for their services and consulting skills.
It will happen on Purpose
That requires a Purpose, which we have set out (VOX - the Voice of the eXcluded). It needs a
Structure, which we are now putting in place (ICCO). It requires Principles, for which we have chosen
the cooperative principles of SCE. It needs a new retail Community Business Model, which we have
developed (VOX Labs). It requires an engine room, for which we have the tools (VOX Hubs in the
community). It needs a Retail Network as a complementary addition to that of Business Networking,
to reach-out with Communities to an aware Social Marketplace, for which we also have the tools of
Page
32

the trade (VOX Outlets). It's up to anyone and everyone as to what role they can and will play.
Collectively speaking, that process starts in earnest this week with willing and engaging participants.
And that's just the beginning for all of us.
6.6 Tourism
Roots & Replicas, on the Amber Voucher-cards
Virtual Social Tourism boils down to Roots & Replicas for the Diaspora. It starts with Amber Voucher-
cards, the customisable Social Purchasing Voucher-card that is dedicated to Arts & Culture in the
Global Community, through their third sector orgs (TSOs).
It has often been said that the key to our future as individuals or as a community can only be found
buried, often profound, in our past. Yet many among the greatest Immigrant Nation that is America
today fear, even dread, to thread back over the routes that their ancestors took or were taken. And
that applies equally to Irish Americans (due to the Great Famines) as it does to African Americans
(due to the Slave Trade) and other races, those who mostly arrived together there over the 18th &
19th centuries. The difference between Irish & Africans in America today is that the Irish can trace
their family history (the so-called family tree) records in large part back over the centuries should they
choose to do so, while many Black Americans just cannot do so because their records no longer
exist. But today, that is only one way to re-connect with our past. Other nations have very different
stories to tell, but all roads lead to America.
The virtual tourism experience
And so we know today that genealogy is only one of many ways in which we can engage and learn
from our essential pasts. We all can share in our history great and famous people, places, and things
as well as all other attributes of our Cultures - thanks to the virtues of technology - and stretching right
across many fields of high endeavour, even reaching back centuries to the very same times of our
ancestors. We can embrace our cultures in our own ways and, one could say, reverse engineer or
deduct what our people were all about through our respective cultural records, reproduction or even
re-mastering. Where? We can find all in our culture forms through books, music, sports etc., and
culture sources such as radio, TV, and others. Many will be known as they are very often reflected in
tourism today, but most will not. The local and global communities have never joined together to re-
create that experience, however possible it is today. But now we can share in what can be called a
virtual tourism experience, designed to fit our respective diaspora requirements, according to country/
state/ county of origin, and virtually on-demand today too. We can even compile Home Culture
Libraries of our own to reflect that ensuing voyage of self-discovery. How? Modern-day USB flash
drives are ideal for the purpose and can be readily customised in design and content to meet our
respective needs. What? From Culture Categories - Books, Music, Sport, Games, Dance, Arts &
Crafts, Heritage & Roots, Famous, Myths & Legends, Life & Times; and other Culture Sources -
Radio Stations, TV Stations, Record Labels & Collectors, Libraries, Book Publishers, Culture Centres,
Sports & other Clubs, Tourism Orgs, Lifestyle Orgs, Archives. Those preserve and preserved our
roots down through the ages, for all of us to re-discover when ready, and which now we can re-
embrace, collect to pass on to our children and theirs. We live in the era that is the first to be able to
do this in any substantive way and can be as innovative as our imagination takes us.
Page
33

What about the Replicas? When we engage in a meaningful way in that voyage of self-discovery, as
an individual or as an entire community or even race, we want to retain a grip on what we find.
Replicas, authentic symbols of that experience, are a proven way to do this. We even see this among
fans of famous sports teams wearing their replica jerseys today. On this great journey to our roots,
this is all the more important a memory jog. This time it can extend to far more than just a product;
however, we can interact with the music, sports, books etc. of our roots as often as we choose. The
means of re-creation, distribution, storage, and interaction with our culture are all there for us to use
today, it ups to each of us to avail of them or not.
Ø Their Empathy
No one is closer to the local Community than their Diaspora, many with broken connections going
back centuries but including those as close as recent emigrants.
Ø Membership, Fundraising & Added Value Creation
This represents access to a vast new global Social Marketplace through a Culture Catalogue with
unique content for Diasporas – with enormous new opportunities in membership, fundraising and
added value creation via their social brands.
The Retail and Trade Catalogues will be the primary source of B2C traded-services and B2C support
services from which new incomes and job creation will emanate within every participating Community.
The primary focus will be on Virtual Social Tourism for ‘People without Borders'. It will focus on Global
Diasporas, to whom local Communities can deliver customised products and services to those who
cannot or have yet to visit their homeland or that of their forefathers. It's the place where they share a
broad sense of belonging with that of the local population – which can be satisfied, at least in part, by
Virtual Social Tourism when born deep in the local culture. The Ageing Populations are the first
source of such knowledge and ultimately added meaning for their Community VOX social brands.
7 THE SOCIAL BRANDS: Co-create Community Brands

Working together with public and private sector service providers, the aim is to co-create VOX Social
Brands in every participating Community, being those that want to cooperatively and powerfully
showcase their innovative ideas, retail them as services, through authorised VOX Outlets formats
worldwide.
Thus an Ageing Population Org in any country can choose as its “Community VOX” social brand that
country’s VOX brand, or their regional VOX brand, or perhaps the world Tourism VOX brand; they
could, alternatively, choose one of their self-defining Arts & Culture, Social Sector, Life-work, Life-
skills VOX brands too. Their choice will depend on that VOX brand with which they most identify and
thus help co-create.
Page
34

There, ICCO (SCE) sees Education as its first essential service, the greatest gift of all and our starting
point. Pre-requisite programmes will be promoted and driven through authorised and affiliated
Change Agent Tutors (CATs) in every participating Community, at home and abroad; followed by e-
skilled services as matched to services-in-need due to global shortages worldwide viz. teachers,
carers/ nurses, ICT providers. The big difference here is that the primary benefit from all ICCO (SCE)
activities of “Community VOX” social brands will emanate into the Communities to underpin
Livelihoods of the Ageing Populations and the ‘Coping Classes’.
7.1 Capture the soul of the Community

When Values become Visions, capture the soul of the Community
A shared Vision propels everyone together as one Community, gets their collective shoulder behind
the Community wheel. It’s what fuels change and progress. It generates new Smart Services content
from local providers for global users. Third Sector Orgs (TSOs) representing the Coping Classes are
typically identified by one of twelve recognisable Global Community brands, which co-create added
value content for their ultimate “Community VOX” label from home:
1. Virtual Social Tourism (Roots & Replicas) VOX

2. Arts & Culture VOX
3. Social Sector VOX
4. Life-work VOX
5. Life-skills VOX
6. Latino VOX
7. Asia Pacific VOX
8. Europa VOX
9. Chinese VOX
10. African VOX
11. American VOX
12. Indian TSO Orgs
ICCOs first goal here is with Virtual Social Tourism (Roots and Replicas) branded content through
VOX Chapters as represented by TSO members, explicitly featuring Culture Content for delivery at
Global Community Outlets and at Diaspora gatherings of People without Borders. The first Diaspora
consumer interface will be dual Voucher-cards, co-branded with Community VOX and Diaspora VOX,
and carry Roots & Replicas featuring digital culture content and replicas with Echoes of Home.
Role-model – EriuVOX
Every “Community VOX” is a Social Brand & Story for Social Inclusion and Empowerment in their
Global Community, ‘People without Borders’. Ireland is the preferred VOX role model, for which the
Irish chapter called “EriuVOX” (Europa VOX) reflects the ancient origin of its name and its Social
Brand’s purpose.
Measure Cooperative Success, reap the benefits
Page
35

Measuring Cooperative Success: New Challenges and Opportunities - is it possible? According to

OCDC report, in a word, yes! In this excellent but often over-looked report from 2009 OCDC says:
"Market failure — the failure to provide essential services - is endemic in Developing Countries
(USAID, 2009), mainly in rural areas. Cooperatives can meet the need for services by tapping the
local knowledge and combining it with management, business, and technical skills. Through
Cooperatives, the development process becomes far more inclusive. Not only do members participate
in finding solutions, but they also reap the economic benefits associated with the success of their co-
operatives.
Access to a variety of business services including research, financial, management or other forms of
technical support is critical to the long-term viability of an individual cooperative — and the sector in
which it operates" is an assessment worth its weight in gold. They also assess that: "Integrating young
people into cooperatives and developing their leadership and management skills is increasingly
essential to the success of the global economy."
Access to low-cost capital markets, they say: "It's often difficult to access capital markets in
developing countries, but primary cooperatives need substantial capital to supplement capital from
their members. An apex organisation can provide access to large-scale capital markets, at
considerably reduced interest rates. Frequently, capital markets are accessed under government
auspices with lower interest rates explicitly or implicitly guaranteed by the government. This may
seem like a distortion of market forces, but it is justified by the social benefits of these subsidies."
Materially they add: "Capital-related services were instrumental in the development of co-operatives in
the United States."
The OCDC Report further identifies four essential indicators for that cooperative success:
- Sound business practices

- Strong membership participation - Support of cooperative apex organisations
- Facilitating economic environment
It says: "Each of these requirements can be measured and analysed — not only for judging
cooperative success but also for diagnosing when, where and how cooperatives will succeed." The
Report concludes: "Governments can help cooperatives spread from grass-roots, local organisations
to a national network by providing organisational expertise and a large infusion
of capital." But! Isn't it time we stopped this seemingly total dependence on Governments for funding
and looked again at the power that lies in our own minds, if not hands. We can co-create new funding
ways that are born of new ideas in a technology transformed world. When we put all our heads
together, it's incredible what we can conjure up. We can imagine dedicated Community Co-op Banks
in any or every country for example, with full financial services and inter-connectivity including ATMs
worldwide. The idea is out there for some time, one that is deliverable with cooperation.
7.2 Co-market to become one world class Social Brand

ICCO is promoting "Community VOX" social brands in a co-marketing drive with recognisable global
Community Values at World Coop Outlets in a Ground-up (grassroots, bottom-up), Inter-Community
Initiative.
Page
36

ICCO is envisaged as a world-class organisation for the Coping Classes, born ground-up to become
their own unstoppable force for change in their lives. While fundamentally the ICCO (SCE) entity is
based on Co-operative Principles, it also adopts added Community Values brands as embedded in its
Inter-Community Co-operative Org. Together, as one familiar brand they can showcase their co-
created Content at VOX Outlets worldwide as they collaborate under one roof promoting "Community
VOX" reach-out for the Coping Classes:
1. Diaspora Co-Marketing
2. Co-operative Co-Marketing
3. Fair Trade Co-Marketing
4. Tele Centres Co-Marketing
5. Innovation Co-Marketing
6. Colleges Co-Marketing
7. Third Sector Orgs Co-Marketing
ICCO (SCE) thus commenced its activities by focusing first on:
1) Ageing Populations, and their

2) Community VOX social brands, to represent
3) Virtual Social Tourism (Roots & Replicas) content, at
4) Diaspora Co-Marketing Outlets
7.3 VOX
VOX is one of the oldest words in the world given its origins as VOX Populi - the voice of the people,
popular opinion. VOX, as employed here, stands for the ‘Voice of the eXcluded’, for ‘giving voice’ to,
for the empowerment of Communities, through the promotion of better livelihoods and services
through Trade rather than Aid. Accordingly, VOX Labs has developed a poverty reduction economic
model, the VOX virtual E-Business Model, over many years for this purpose with its primary focus on
affordability among the Coping Classes, people residing at the so-called Bottom of the Pyramid. VOX
has been promoted by VoxWorld.Coop worldwide for well over a decade as one such prime solution
with the capacity and capability to deliver global impact in community development.
Community VOX
The concept of “Community VOX” is the co-branding of Community brands and VOX – known as
Social Brands. “Community VOX” is conceived as a Social Innovation Initiative for Social Inclusion. It
is achievable through co-marketing across the Third Sector with their leading Social Purchasing
organisations, beginning with the Diasporas.
Diaspora VOX
This VOX Retail Platform for “Diaspora VOX” engagement enables future networking with their
Homeshores, crucially at both informal as well as formal level, through the medium of virtual and
Page
37

physical Social Tourism in the start-up phase. There are many Diaspora layers, many languages and
many culture bridges to cross – and retail is the ideal platform for virtual dialogue en route to
engagement, informal or formal. Retail represents an opportunity for innovative Social Gathering
interconnection in ways that other networking ways simply cannot offer. VOX creates new
opportunities in entrepreneurship, job generation, remittances and culture tourism and at a dozen
different levels. One critical observation for the Diaspora is that retailing works both ways – through
both interactive exchanges but also through showcases exchanges too at, ideally, Hospitality points
both at home and away.
“Diaspora VOX” Outlets embrace and expand that appeal with ‘Tourism for People Without Borders’ -
Virtual Interactive Social Innovation Tourism (VISIT). Collaborating as “Diaspora VOX” at authorised
universal Community brand outlets, they act as-one to promote the empowerment of people through
the generation of jobs, incomes, trades - better Livelihoods. It enables reach-out for interconnection
through Retail networks, for on-going networking among those vast numbers of people who have not
yet engaged with, or cannot yet travel to, their own homeland or perhaps that of their forefathers to
answer the call and explore that powerful sense of belonging within all Diaspora. EU defines Social
Innovation (Innovation Circle Network, 2014) as “Innovations that are social in both their ends and
their means – new ideas (products, services, and models) that simultaneously meet social needs
(more effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or collaborations. They are
innovations that are not only good for society but also enhance society’s capacity to act. Social
innovations take place across boundaries between the public sector, the private sector, the third
sector and the household. The European Union has a rich history of social innovation. These
solutions find new ways of meeting social needs and create tools for social policy and investment.
Social innovation is growing into a vibrant and creative field.”
7.4 Are Universal Social Brands (USBs) the New Way then?
Are Universal Social Brands (USBs) the New Way for Communities to grow & prosper, by leveraging
their local Community Brands to generate Livelihood opportunities in Licensing & Franchising
Services? (O'Farrell)
Let's compare. We are all very familiar with the impact big Global Brands of the Private Sector, to re-
enforce that point lets consider this. If we think of sports, we think Nike; if we think film, we think
Universal Studios. If we think books, we think Amazon; if we think online, we think Google. If we think
smartphones, we think Apple. And if we think spreadsheets, we think Microsoft while if we think
computers and we think IBM; when we think of social media, we think Facebook....and so the list goes
on. Big Brands have an impact and add meaning, that with which retail shoppers identify in their
droves. When we think of Big Brand Licensing opportunities for MSME's in the Private Sector we
think of those with an extended reach through Big Brand Licensing of merchandise. Then we might
think of anyone from, say, Michael Jordan's basketball gear at Nike to an array Hollywood Movie
character merchandise or the Drinks sector brands. Perhaps we might think of Guinness licensed
merchandise or every other kind of big brand there with 'me too' T-shirts etc. They just all add their
brand name to the production of MSMEs as we know. Yet! Isn't it hard to think of Merchandise
Licensing, however, being big business in the Third Sector? Yes, it is.
Page
38

If we look at Retail Brands in Private Sector too, we come to appreciate why and where over 50% of
USA retail sales, for example, originate from Franchise sales. Don't we all know the McDonalds,
Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, Domino's, Dunkin' Donuts, Subway and many other fast food outlets; of
Starbucks Cafes, of 7-Eleven & Circle K convenience stores; of Hotels like Days Inn, Hampton &
Intercontinental; of UPS stores & mailboxes. Who may be less well known are Merry Maids & The
Maids residential cleaning services; American Dairy Queen ice cream parlours; or of Cruise One
travel agency and Comfort Keepers homecare;. There are even franchise brands with thousands of
outlets like Ace Hardware, Liberty Tax Service, Health Mart Pharmacy, Vision Source & Coldwell
Banker. And that's just a flavour, where it's actually hard to find any leading retail sector that is not
dominated by Retail Franchise brands. So how does Third Sector compare the here -they are not
really on the same pitch, are they? Have we any evidence of that?
To get an idea of their relative impact, we should look at the hard answer to another directly related
question first, as to how social brands stand in the social sector: What Brands generated the most
positive and active social conversation in 2012? The first Third Sector impact we see there enters at
no 29, Wikipedia, and that is not a retail brand. The rest of the Top 50 are all Private Sector, the Third
Sector does not get a look in. Yet we know that some Co-ops do franchise very well indeed, like The
Co-operative UK - but relatively speaking, the sector is not at-the-races yet.
New Ideas, new ways
Go on; create your own Job - DIY! Why not take your own Big Idea and enjoin your local Community
Hub and local Social Brand.? Not got one, why not Start-up with your Community VOX at ICCO?
And whether you are Unemployed, a Low Income Earner, are Less Well Educated or among the
Ageing Population - discover new kinds of Jobs that are opening up every day online, ones you will
not hear about until online. Even take a free MOOC Course like millions of others do worldwide today,
DIY or book a tutor, then choose to Go Out on your Own or, alternatively. set up a local E-Services
Cooperative, or go through your Third/ Social Sector Organisation in collaboration with others of like
mind at 'ICCO' (SCE). Now you can Trade locally, nationally, regionally or even globally. The courses
can also be made available through 'ICCO' (SCE) on a co-branded and co-marketed Voucher-card in
collaboration with local Cafes at Tele-centres and other outlets.
Ø Their Imagination
It's the time for New ideas, New Ways.
This represents access to a vast new global Social Marketplace through a Culture Catalogue with
unique content for Diasporas under Social Brand Labels – with enormous new opportunities in
membership, fundraising and added value creation via their social brands.
Page
39

The content of itself is valuable, but creative content needs Community Brands to back that content
as authentic and reliable. With VOX added it brings in another dimension, appealing to the
exponentially-growing social purchasing marketplace. Co-marketing with the Diaspora adds
community value and all together is designed to drive volume and thus income cum services on a
scale that will alleviate or even eradicate poverty in one or many of its forms.
8 THE DIASPORA APPEAL: Ask Global Ageing Populations

8.1 Capture the soul of Diaspora Audiences
Work together as-one; capture the soul of Diaspora Audiences
The tallest trees have the deepest roots (Blog), and so it is with people and their homeland
Communities. The origins of every Diaspora are preserved deep within their Culture. Their Culture is
protected by their language, which typically means it often lies dormant as an undiscovered wealth
buried deep in their ancestral past. This is their ‘hook', their glue logic for engagement, for on-going
connectivity. There are many kinds of TSO organisations, formal or informal, in the Communities that
act as custodians of that culture. Culture is typically unearthed through engagement and networking
with those TSOs as they journey through life, often in search of identity when inspired by a co-shared
vision. In the broadest terms of the word Community, Global Communities often identify with one of
seven kinds of Community Orgs, the target audiences, in those journeys:
1. Diaspora – leading the search for identity

2. Co-operative – promoting the principles,
3. Fair Trade – embracing the standards
4. Tele Centres – enabling the access,
5. Innovation – sharing the new ideas
6. Colleges – teaching the classes & courses,
7. Third Sector Orgs – engaging the coping classes
ICCOs first goal here is with the Universal Diaspora Communities, leaders in the search for Global
Community identity. They are the cultural ambassadors with a difference. They would identify Global
Diaspora locations, perhaps then act as Outlet agents and/ or Change Agent Tutors. Each
participating Outlet would be expected to have the potential for throughput of c.2, 500 in dual-cards
memberships per annum – equivalent to the representation of a dozen Community VOX social
brands, or a dozen traded-services POS display gift box units from one or more Communities.
8.2 The Diasporas

They matter more in the world today than ever before, a hidden benefit that has come to pass due to
this more open world as heralded in by the Internet ever since mid-1990's. It impacts every nation
today, in many different ways and degrees of impact. The Diaspora World has been found however to
be a most complex world with which to engage, born undoubtedly of the many ways by which it
originated. Formal networking with the Diasporas has yet made relatively slow progress, due to the
many layers of its resultant complexity.
Page
40

When people move, ideas also move, and that makes the world smarter
The Diasporas are the dispersion or spread of people from their original homeland. There are c.215
million International Migrants in the world today, first generation people living in a country other than
the one in which they were born. That number has trebled in the past 50 years and is set to double
again to well over.400 million over next 50 years. Besides, an equal number of Domestic Migrants are
living today far from home but within their own borders, notably Chinese. However, those figures do
not include the 350 million African or 250 million European as well as many other descendants living
elsewhere around the world – the multi-generational Diasporas. Robert Guest of the Economist,
author of "Borderless Economics" paints the picture: ‘More Chinese people live outside mainland
China than French people live in France, with some to be found in almost every country (Economist,
17.11.2011). Some 22m ethnic Indians are scattered across every continent. Diasporas have been a
part of the world for millennia. But today their size (if migrants were a nation, they would be the
world's fifth-largest – larger than Brazil) and the ease of staying in touch with those at home are
making them matter much more.’ No other social networks offer the same global reach. Virtually all
Americans have immigrant roots and are known to treasure them – they have always been a magnet
for emigrants, the USA would simply not exist without them. The Economist adds: ‘When people
move, ideas also move and that makes the world smarter…..This is because the diaspora networks
have three lucrative virtues: first, they speed the flow of information across borders; second, they
foster trust; third, and most important, diasporas create connections that help people with good ideas
collaborate with each other, both within and across ethnicities.’
The financial impact of the Diaspora – with Remittances
The World Bank adds the economic impact of the Diaspora – with Remittances standing at $406
billion in 2012 (World Bank Report, 22.11.2012): “Remittances to developing countries are projected
to grow by 7.9 percent in 2013 (Guardian, 23.11.2012), 10.1 percent in 2014 and 10.7 percent in 2015
to reach $534 billion in 2015. Worldwide remittances, including those to high-income countries, are
expected to total $534 billion in 2012 and projected to grow to $685 billion in 2015” Dilip Ratha (Blog
D. R., 16.06.2011), WB’s leading Remittance authority says: “Remittances provide the most tangible
and least controversial link between migration and development.” In his book, he argues: ‘that poor
countries need additional, cross-border capital channelled to the private sector for employment
generation, growth, and poverty reduction. For that, innovative financing mechanisms are necessary.
The volume brings together various market-based innovative methods of raising development finance
including securitisation of future flow receivables (including remittances), diaspora bonds, and the role
of shadow sovereign ratings in facilitating access to international capital markets.'
In very many countries today fewer people are at work while they are also supporting a rapidly ageing
population - these Global Diaspora Communities carry enormous collective impact potential for both
their host and their homeland Communities alike - through entrepreneurship, remittances back home,
skills transfer and other lifeblood contributions to Global Community development. Ultimately for them,
it's all about re-creating a sense of place. Diasporas are socially inclusive by nature and retail is a
unique way for them to mobilise around that interest. ICCO offers a Retail opportunity to connect at
whatever level they wish, and in an instant – with a simple route to participation and ownership
included.
Page
41

8.3 Lead the way in Diaspora Networking

Diaspora Networking is leading the way in Global Community Development, now can Retail Outlets of
Community Brands reach-out and engage with their much wider global audience through Arts &
Culture?
The Global Diaspora Forum 2013 met in Dublin, the European arm of IdEA (International Diaspora
Engagement Alliance), in what was an exceptional and thoroughly organised get-together by its Irish
organisers as part of its current Presidency of European Union. It proved to be a great time and place
to meet and engage with members of the Diaspora from all over the world as representatives of their
homeland organisations as well as with local and global Irish Org representatives. It was the time to
discuss individually and collectively the scale of the significant issues facing all Diasporas in their daily
lives. They both learn from as well as teach each other, and also it is a time to think hard about the
universal solutions proposed to problems that are so urgently in need of resolution but now made
possible by technology. It was a great place to take new ideas and fine-tune them for immediate
implementation.
Whereas the Forum clearly saw virtual and physical networking as a sure-fire way to go forward, it
was abundantly clear too in that engagement process that Diasporas do vary enormously from
country to country, in languages and culture, and often see their engagement with homeland is still a
bridge too far. The Forum, in my view, painted a clear picture of why so many among our Diasporas
had to emigrate in the first place, about what the subsequent outcomes over generations may have
been. Above all that was done by focusing so well on how we now need to all come together to
convert the plethora of new ideas, forthcoming freely from both sides of what are social divides, into
immediate, resolute actions. But are the Global Diaspora Community Orgs (home and away) able to
go it alone?
Funding for their homeland families through remittances, philanthropy,

diaspora bonds, re-pat funds, investments, remittances-in-kind transfers
While there many among the Diasporas who provide massive funding for their homeland families
through remittances, philanthropy, diaspora bonds, re-pat funds, investments, remittances-in-kind
transfers and in other ways - other issues complicate the reach-out through networking with scattered
populations worldwide, quite apart from any 'willingness to engage'significant matters. We can
observe that very many of their Diaspora numbers are not online yet, while many are emigrants from
homeland countries still without proper internet access as yet. Many are low-income earners too who
cannot choose to promote global networking with their homeland until Linked-in, or transfer their skills,
or act as export agents, or indeed as cultural ambassadors for their community brands. Others are
less well educated but have great new opportunities to learn 22new digital skills that will open up new
livelihood opportunities, and begin a new life. And there are ageing populations both at home and
abroad where most have yet to cross that digital divide, those who are snowballing in numbers but
who have so much more to offer from their experience and expertise to society through their Co-ops,
Social Enterprises and Self-Help Groups.
Yes, Retailing of Community branded Arts & Culture services and products can indeed offer an
additional but yet relatively untapped though dominant force in that evolution, born as it is of the
inexorable rise in the Social Purchasing Marketplace. So the only question that remains for all
involved I imagine is what will it all look like in practice?
Page
42

8.4 Share one Inter-Community Vision.
Vision Statement: Why We Do What We Do
"To visualise, innovate, design and build a non-hierarchical, caring and new cooperative-driven Third
(Social) Sector economy, to be born under an initiative in a digital world of inter-connected Village
Community Co-operatives. To share common cause and beliefs while remaining independent of
Private and Public Sector economies. To create and reveal the vast, latent but virtually untapped
talents that exist in society worldwide among the 'coping classes' - the unemployed, the low-income
earners, the less well educated and the ageing populations. To enable a new and affordable, effective
and efficient way that embraces novel social model solutions that open opportunities to give Voice to
the Voiceless among Communities everywhere. To deliver interactive, sustainable and traded
services through a collaboration of enlightened service provider networks.
It's why we do what we do, to identify the Vision of Community that most appeals.
8.5 Go on an Inter-Community Mission"
Mission Statement: How We Aim To Get There
"Through championing the building a new kind of independent, co-founded, and online International
Community-driven Cooperative Organisation (ICCO) that is based in Ireland (Europe), in a global
reach-out through collaboration with and for collective representation of Third Sector Organisations
everywhere - as led by Co-operatives, Social Enterprise Centres and Voluntary Groups; and by
utilising a new Community-driven Business Model to generate co-created added value services for
inbound and outbound trading purposes, while protecting the values of local Communities' Culture
and languages and embracing Co-operative and Fair Trade principles."
8.6 Aim for same Inter-Community Goals
Goals Statement: What We Plan & Do
"By enabling online Community Co-operatives or MSME Start-ups to be 'born global', to co-create,
promote and deliver innovative, added value traded services to fill the unsatisfied demand worldwide
for culture and language literate services. By creating a network of micro-franchised local Village
Hubs and global Community Outlets, backed by authorised master franchise and central digital hub
services to deliver microfinance, remote education and co-op services in our unique point of sale
display concepts." It's what we plan and do.
o A Social Brand in every Country

o A Cooperative in every County
o A Hub in every Village
Page
43

o A Credit Union/ Coop Bank in every Town
Ø Their Recognition
The Diasporas are not recognised in their own land very often – there is a great need for a two-way
street inter-connection. Retail offers that choice when focused on Culture.
Vast new funding opportunities exist for Diaspora homeland families through leveraging of
remittances, philanthropy, and diaspora bonds, re-pat funds, investments and remittances-in-kind
transfers. That is just the beginning. Retail offers many new ways to expand that choice.
The Ageing Population among Diaspora Communities have high needs but also many different
needs, some of the spirit from feeling abandoned by their Community of birth, or inheriting a sense of
that abandonment or even shame resulting from economic migration in times past. Many turn that
harsh experience to advantage through enterprise and innovation, but they are not in the majority.
Local Communities are ideally situated to address those needs while generating much needed added
income at home from what become global exports. Many Diaspora Communities are relatively large
compared to their homeland population. Global Diasporas are ideally positioned to shop for products
and services from home. Most have an unquenchable need to search for identity. Many also need
that connection and networking. Most will benefit from an informal connection through buying
dedicated Diaspora VOX social brands that carry meaning for their lives. The added sense of
recognition, of how much they matter, is a virtually untapped and enormous resource for the future.
9 THE CLASSES: Learn how-to with Change Agent Tutors

9.1 Cross the Bridge to Social Inclusion together
There is one vital Bridge to cross before these opportunities come into the vision and open up in front
of us for all to see. That bridge is the crossing to Social Inclusion. Mostly it is a virtual bridge over four
primary kinds of poverty - digital, social, economic and financial. All are collectively included in what
we call V.O.X., Voice of the eXcluded. VOX is championed by VoxWorld.Coop – where VOX is an
enabler in the self-discovery of The Voice of our Community, their Voice of Empowerment and their
Social Brand that ultimately drives social transformation. This we believe is the way forward for all our
coping classes of today and tomorrow. While the journey to here has been complicated, it has slowly
become ever less complicated over time. We have now reached our primary Goal, the point of
readiness to open Community retail outlets for their Social Brands at Diaspora locations. New
opportunities will abound, and whole generations of people can be enabled, by following across the
Page
44

bridge to social inclusion, to access facilities and courses or classes via their local Hubs. That will also
be our first measurable, significant social impact. That's where ICCO (SCE) begins, by promoting
Change Agent Tutors (CATs) in every Community.
And so on this great trail forward, we all feel compelled to get to today's virtual mine face to make it
happen, as we morph into participating Change Agents while inspiring our own third /social sector
organisations (whether big, medium, small or micro) to be part of one great global collaboration at
ICCO (SCE). We will move forward with fellow-traveller organisations that hold similar beliefs and
share in the same goals. None of us needs to be reminded that we all know the world is in an
unstable place right now, and that to do nothing is not a viable option anymore. We know too that
poverty is at the root of so much evil in this troubled world. We know poverty also the primary source
of so much sadness, grief, and desperation. And we know in our heart of hearts that the problem is
man-made and that the solution equally rests in all our heads this time, if not in our hands like a
century and a half ago. This time that solution will be born of the inspiration within all of us, it’s our
new gold.
As always that move will be led by those most enlightened in our communities, those local Orgs who
most Care about other people, their people; about the kind of world we now live in, about our purpose
in that world, and about the sort of society we leave for our grand-children. In a word it's all about
Care - the care we hold in our hearts for people, planet and indeed our purpose in life. And it's Care
that matters most in society, what is needed most in society today - evidenced in the vast global
shortage of healthcare and wellness services, across every country in the world. Together we can
deliver one real, lasting and impactful solution.
But it all begins with the challenge of choosing your particular Social Brand of VOX, for the socially
excluded, the social co-brand that stands up and stands out for your local community's Voice in the
World, set to release a potential which we cannot yet fully fathom.
9.2 Take Social Inclusion Classes at the Hub
1. Take a Social Inclusion Curriculum, Class or Course

1. Digital Literacy Courses
2. Social Literacy Courses
3. Economic Literacy Courses
4. Financial Literacy Courses
2. Locate your Change Agent Tutors (CATs)
1. e-Skills Awareness Tutors
2. e-Skills Literacy Tutors
3. e-Skills Competence Tutors
4. e-Skills Excellence Tutors
5. e-Skills Services Sciences (SSME-ITSC)
6. Show-How Tutors
9.3 Become a Show-how Tutor, it’s what you know best

Let's consider how older people could integrate into cooperatives (or any other area of community
value) for the collective benefit of both themselves and communities in general - and better still, all
Page
45

done through individual or cooperative initiative(s). It's all a case of – ‘find a solution, everyone reaps
the benefits'.
‘Find a solution, everyone reaps the benefits’.
The Ageing Populations in all our Communities have many great needs requiring urgent solutions.
The Ageing Population in all our Communities has many great needs requiring immediate solutions.
There is the unavailability of essential and affordable services - led by health care. Many have not
enough income to enjoy their retirement or to travel to be with their economic migrant families. Some
have not enough income to retire on when they reach that age. Others have a need to escape from
one or even many kinds of poverty or have an unmet need for digital literacy preventing access to
crucial services. There is a need for security in their old age; even a need to address profound
loneliness or lack of esteem, or to reveal a real sense of worth; and most often to address a lack of
opportunity for active participation and contribution to their community.
But! Ageing Populations have more to offer to than to receive from society. They have a lifetime of
knowledge, experience, and the judgement gleaned from a lifetime of observation. They have a sense
of enlightenment and compassion and a greater understanding of what care means to society as a
whole, they have the time and ability to see, hear and listen until they understand others. They have
earned that priceless sense of trust and being trusted. They have a genuine appreciation and respect
for the richness and values embedded in their culture - all invaluable assets to pass on, all borne from
the school of life.
They have insights too, into the way that life really works for people, generating a raft of hitherto
untapped new ideas that no one has listened to due to their otherwise busy lives, thus have not been
understood nor therefore appreciated yet. Bring those 'needs and haves' together, and they can
bridge that gap for any participating communities. Produce solutions in any one Community, and they
can benefit all Communities the world over.
Show what you know best
We promote one such way at ICCO, the idea of local Village Hubs & borderless global Community
Outlets. Now older people have what it takes to open a Village Hub - to become a meeting or
hospitality point for indispensable social engagement-yes, even an internet access point (or guide to
one), but also a place of lifelong learning for social inclusion, yet a crucial nearby route to greater
community involvement too. Such a Hub can be operated informally with the support of any local
Cafe, or any other Hospitality location, or another suitable meeting point. Older people can choose to
become local village champions for their village hub – or, if living away from home, become a local
ambassador of an Outlet for their global Community. Any Ageing person can choose to be a 'Show-
how' Tutor of what they know best and offer society, being anything in need in local or global
communities - even as tutors of digital, social, economic or financial literacy as needed everywhere. In
so doing they can generate extra income where required while providing the tools of access to a
better livelihood for the many. That is one clear and worthwhile way by which those who wish it could
integrate better into cooperatives or communities everywhere.
Page
46

Ø Their Inspiration
We never know until we try.
Literacy Classes opens the door to a new world of limitless opportunities when we venture out.
Classes generate new income for Tutors (CATs).
Education opens up all our minds. Educational forms have been transformed by such as remote
MOOC university courses, by ICDL Digital Literacy and FDIC Money Smart courses. NLP has made
learning faster and more specific to our individual learning methods. Edutainment has brought us to a
point where learning for anyone, anyplace, anytime can also be much fun. Continuing educational
programmes enables us all to seek out advancements, learn new skills, use our free time for the great
benefit of others and even discover many of our own otherwise hidden talents. We find out that
everyone is a teacher and everyone a learner – we can show our skills to the world today, even in
retirement. Ageing Populations today cover a lifespan of as much as 40 years, often as long as the
average working life. The opportunities that exist here for Tutors to guide and inspire others, at least
for four Change Agent Tutors alone, within every Community or even Village is truly enormous.
10 THE ICCO ORG: Expand TSO Membership

I.C.C.O: Release the Hidden Power in the Global Community. ICCO (SCE) is a collaborative business
being born of the Third Sector where ownership rests among interdependent TSO Orgs and their
participating members. ICCO differs from all Apex or Advocacy Org, Federations or Trade
Associations, in that it is a European Cooperative Society (SCE) format that acts as a metamediary
(and not intermediary) or go-between in the co-creation of global Social Brands content to the Global
Diaspora Communities and others. It delivers traded-services to international Communities with
primarily social, economic, digital and financial benefits. Their primary benefits emanate out to the
Coping Classes in their Communities rather than upwards to shareholders. The universal Coping
Classes mostly reside among the Ageing Populations, the Unemployed, Low-Income Earners and
Less Well Educated in society. They are being brought together to form borderless Global
Communities through an interconnecting of Community Hubs with their Diaspora Outlets, where VOX
is the bridge and provider of open Retail platforms for engagement via those VOX formatted retail
outlets. The first reach-out channels are the Diasporas’ hospitality locations. These will re-present
Third Sector content guided by Ageing Populations through those retail spaces, existing or new. Such
retail spaces can vary in size from as little as one square metre to a showcase, or indeed become an
entire store. Ideal outlet locations would be Cafes ‘with a welcome on the mat’, or other locations
offering hospitality facilities. There they would invite Ageing Populations to their local ‘Roundtable’, an
open forum for the formation of their own Local Community VOX Hub. ICCO’s first focus there is
Education, led by the Literacies from Change Agent Tutors – digital, social, economic & financial.
Authorised VOX Outlets locations provided would be suitable for provision of customisable services
and/or products through offline, online and/ or mobile interfaces. Every Community's level of success
Page
47

would ultimately be measurable by the social return on investment (SROI), which mainly would be a
factor of the number of participating Diaspora Outlets in this first of seven phases of the rollout.
After many years of groundwork, we determined that such a TSO collaboration could only be
economically and feasibly achieved through the medium of a new kind of org., ICCO (SCE), where
Home Communities could work in tandem with their Diaspora Communities initially and to be followed
by other co-marketing partners. From global informal org groundwork at VoxWorld.Coop it became
apparent that morphing into this new and unique formal structure of ICCO (SCE) Org, as envisaged,
would need a focus on the following Elements:
The Purpose
That it would require an ICCO entity where any TSO organisation could represent their members in
one collaborative body for the well-being and empowerment of the under-served, under-educated and
the disenfranchised in society. Co-branding with VOX, its Community Brand aim would be to become
the globally recognisable Brand of Inclusion for their Community, as one homeland Community VOX
social brand. Co-created at their VOX Hub, they would provide internationally traded-services in a
distribution arrangement with co-marketing partners at authorised VOX Outlets worldwide,
commencing with their Diaspora locations, as one cross-border Diaspora VOX social brand.
The People
That it would need to inspire a generation of socially aware people by bringing together those with a
broad sense of commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship. This would be achieved
through the interconnection of their representative Orgs on an international scale together with their
members. They would be led by Ageing Population orgs and followed by other orgs representing the
“Coping Classes” – the unemployed, the low-income earners and the less well educated. To achieve
these objectives they would need to operate their respective Projects and Programmes as one
collaborative, cross-sector initiative. They would be enabled by authorised service providers and
consultants from across public, private and third/ social sectors, being those who broadly share in the
same beliefs, commitment, and enthusiasm.
The Concept
That it would require the co-branding, co-marketing, and co-promotion of Community VOX Social
Brands featuring co-creating content with Ageing Populations and other strata of the Communities at
affiliated VOX Hubs locations within their chosen Community. Demand would be generated by
programmes at collaborating VOX Outlets internationally as led by Diaspora VOX and followed by
other Co-marketing partners. These Outlets would use exclusive franchise formats from
VoxWorld.Coop - variously being Point-of-Sale Dispenser gift box sets, Culture Showcases displays
and Smartshops together with membership dual-cards. Supporting traded-services would be provided
by authorised services providers through Co-marketing franchisors and their affiliates.
The Structure
Page
48

That its shareholders would be differentiated through one of the following categories of TSO Content,
Customers, Suppliers or Investors: TSO Services Providers (Social Sector incl. Community Co-op
Brands, Arts & Culture, Lifework, Life-skills & their employees); Retail Outlet Orgs (for TSO
Dispensers, Displays, Showcases, Shop-in-shops and Smartshops); Community Hub Orgs (with B2B
product & services providers, and ICCO Employees); Specialist Consulting Teams Orgs (for B2B E-
Teams); TSO Product Providers Orgs (B2C content providers); Community Development Orgs (incl.
Investors, Consortia, Patrons, other funders); Outsourcing & Offshoring Services (authorised VOX
Labs In-House Orgs & Employees). It would be a structure where Third Sectors Orgs would be the
dominant category of shareholder/ owners.
The Practice
That every participating TSO would conduct its own Social Brand trading activities as an
interdependent body in collaboration with participating ICCO (SCE) members. Revenues generated
would be differentiated in that they would emanate out into the Communities through the unique
revenue-sharing formula embedded in its social franchise model. And every participating TSO,
whether content or service provider or consultant, would be validated as an authorised member of
their affiliated Community VOX Chapter in the first instance.
The Direction
That collaborative VOX Vision, Mission and Goal Statements for Community VOX & Diaspora VOX or
other affiliated organisations would be agreed and adopted by their respective Chapters upon ICCO
(SCE) entity formation cum engagement together with the authorisation of their associated content,
services & consulting providers. Retail Outlets, existing and new, would then enable both informal and
formal reach-out through networking across all sectors with traded-services travelling that same route.
In doing so, it would allow new, major parallel Fund-raising initiatives for all TSOs in Third Sector
including Cooperatives, while also activating and populating their membership.
The Principles
That ICCO needed to be registered under the new European Cooperative Society (an SCE) for the
use of its corporate-cooperative format, where it will have as its principal object the satisfaction of its
members' needs and/ or the development of their economic and/or social activities. Activities will be
conducted for the mutual benefit of its members so that each member benefits from the actions of the
SCE following their level of participation. Members of the SCE will be users, customers, employees or
suppliers or those otherwise involved in the activities of the SCE. Control will be vested equally in
members, one Org one vote. There will be no artificial restrictions on membership
10.1 The Co-op Society - Empower through SCE
Co-ops Resilience in a downturn
Resilience in a downturn: The power of Financial Cooperatives is highlighted in a recent ILO Report.
Page
49

Simel Esim, Chief of the ILO’s Cooperative Branch, (and a member of The E-Communities.Coop
group on Linked-in) shared this analysis of ILO Report in an article on the importance of financial
cooperatives to the banking sector – and to the economy. She said: "The economic contribution of
financial cooperatives, although substantial, is often undervalued, and sometimes completely ignored,
yet some of the largest banks in the world are cooperatives. Cooperative credit keeps and creates
businesses and jobs and ensures that enterprises stay afloat."
The Report is entitled: "Resilience in a downturn: The power of financial cooperatives" and reviews
the performance of financial cooperatives, looking in particular at the aftermath of the 2007-2008
crisis and the continuing long austerity period. It explains why financial cooperatives have proven to
be more resilient in pointing to the specificities of the cooperative model of enterprise.
In the book, on which the report was based, author Birchall explains about the power of Financial
Cooperatives: "They made better use of their smaller assets and still made profits because they
concentrated on recycling savings into loans rather than depending on the money markets. Yet they
were at least as profitable, and in several countries more profitable, than the investor-owned banks".
In the analysis, the ILO points out: "After the banking crisis, nearly all cooperative banks exceeded the
8 per cent Tier 1 stability threshold. Raiffeisen, Rabobank and OP-Pohjola Banks all had over 12 per
cent Tier 1 ratios. By April 2009, while many traditional banks were struggling, the ratings for
cooperative banks were still at A and upward, with Rabobank maintaining its AAA rating." And that is
backed up by statistics that demonstrate the scale of the achievements -
- 3,874 local co-op banks in Europe with 181 million customers.

- Credit unions operate in 100 countries worldwide with 51,000 unions and 200 million members.- Co-
op banks and credit unions reach the most impoverished people and have a substantial economic
impact
"The banking crisis confirmed that financial cooperatives are stable and risk-averse," author Birchall
stresses.
India provides the Inspiration
India produces the Inspiration - 98% of all Villages & 25% of the world's one billion individual co-
operative members. Everyone interested in Cooperatives might increase their role in opening up a
new world order, this is a useful place to start, with ICA President Dame Pauline Green in India:
"India is now getting used to being something other than just a ‘developing' country, as its economy
continues to grow at rates significantly higher than those of the mature Western economies — an
average of 7.6% between 2002 and 2007, and of 8.2% for the four years 2007 to 2011 (ICA,
30.04.2013).
So what of its vast co-operative sector? The largest co-operative country by numbers of primary co-
ops at just over 610,000, with 98% of Indian villages covered by co-operatives that are active in a vast
range of economic activities, the Indian movement represents one-quarter of the world's one billion
individual co-operative members!
Started in 1967 with 59 co-operative members, IFFCO now has nearly 40,000 primary co-ops
grouping 55 million farmer members and a turnover in 2011-12 of over USD 4.5 billion (ICA, From
Page
50

small villages to a global enterprise, India provides inspiration, 30.04.2013).
Next generation Cooperatives have so much more to offer now, as they cross the digital divide, aided
in identity by its dotCoop (the .coop domain) drive over past decade.
Ø Their Ownership
Ownership of new initiatives changes the landscape for all Third Sector Orgs.
Collaboration creates new value for all, to drive membership and generates priceless new funding for
all TSOs.
In addition to opportunities identified so far - ICCO (SCE) will have two Boards and staff to recruit. Its
vital role however in Services and Jobs arena will be in encouraging more Community TSOs to
register with their Community VOX social brands and then to leverage the power in their collective to
drive influential programmes through dedicated Retail Outlets worldwide. The higher the number of
outlets the more significant the impact we will all have together on Livelihoods and poverty among the
Coping Classes in general. That will be the ultimate measure of success, the actual number of
participating TSO Retail Outlets. When we reflect on the number of Cooperatives and other potential
Third Sector Outlets in the world, the scale is worth in-depth consideration.
11 THE VOX FOUNDATION: Add another TSO Fundraiser

11.1 Learn to Earn
The MOOC Movement in Education is on in earnest
The MOOC Movement in Education is on in earnest, going from a gathering momentum to a

stampede.
The E-Communities.Coop group on Linked-in has always had a trifold objective - Free Education,
Livelihood Generation and Community Micro-Financing for delivery to your Hometown. MOOC is the
first big step in the wider world today.
What was radical forty years ago in Education is timid today compared to what we are witnessing
with MOOC - whether that comes from Coursera or Khan Academy or whoever. Others are emerging,
but those do herald the breakthrough moment - and where 'it does what it says on the tin'....provide
Page
51

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).... open to everyone, crossing borders. And while the idea
was invented in 2008, it only became popular in 2011 when Stanford University launched three
courses, each of which had an enrolment of c.100, 000. The last leg to go is the Certificate issue, but
today you can earn a Qualification from leading US Universities for free and ‘just' pay for the
Certificate. And we all know that Education is the forerunner to new and better Livelihoods.
Yet, we must be watchful - as Jane Robbins writes in Inside Higher Ed’s Sounding Board blog: "Like
any cross between former entrepreneur, teacher of ethics and innovation, and higher Ed scholar, I
have been following the MOOC (Robbins, 25.03.2013) movement closely. It is, of course, a
Movement, with its own brand of evangelism and technological and demographic shock and awe. But
it is also an idea whose time may have come, not so much because the concept of online education is
new, but because of the adjacent possible of internet streaming, tracking, and other underlying
technology, and the related near-implosion of the traditional, increasingly unsustainable, model of the
university as quasi-state. The question is whether it can itself find a sustainable model. We won't
know for a while—as I remind my students, disruptions rarely become dominant designs. We certainly
do not have a dominant design for MOOCs yet, as we are currently mired in the era of the ferment of
competing ideas and experiments."
Education, Getting in the Flow
Education is now getting in the flow - with Social Structured Learning, an aggregation of Micro-
learning experiences driven not by Grades but by Social Rewards.
We have recognised what a fantastic advancement MOOC has been in transforming Education as we
know it today, but what comes next: "We try to fit new technologies into existing social structures in
ways that have become familiar to us (Gorbis, April 2013 Issue)......it foreshadows a much larger
transformation--to what is called Social Structured Learning."
Now Marina Gorbis (Executive Director, Institute of the Future) continues: "MOOCs today are our
equivalents of the early TV when TV personalities looked and sounded like radio announcers (or often
were radio announcers). People are thinking the same way about MOOCs, as replacements of
traditional lectures or tutorials, but in online rather than physical settings. In the meantime, a whole
slew of forces is driving a much larger transformation, breaking learning (and education overall) out of
traditional institutional environments and embedding it in everyday settings and interactions,
distributed across a wide set of platforms and tools.......Social-structured learning may be the future,
but the foundations of this kind of education lie far in the past. Leading philosophers of education--
from Socrates to Plutarch, Rousseau to Dewey--talked about many of these ideals centuries ago.
Today, we have a host of tools to make their vision reality."
Martina adds: "We are moving away from the model in which learning is organised around stable,
usually hierarchical Institutions (schools, colleges, universities) that, for better and worse, have served
as the main gateways to education and social mobility. Replacing that model is a new system in which
learning is best conceived of as a flow, where learning resources are not scarce but widely available,
opportunities for learning are abundant, and learners increasingly can autonomously dip into and out
of continuous learning flows."
Page
52

11.2 Generate Job Opportunities
No Jobs? The answers we seek in our heads
No Jobs? The solutions we seek are in our heads, not in our hands this time. The new gold is 'world
class knowledge and innovation workers', the opportunities are immense, direct ex Homeshores to
the World.
We need to discover new Ideas and new Ways that reflect the modern world we live in - this digital
world has both killed off Old Jobs in virtually every Community but also created matching New Jobs
opportunities too but as yet untapped.
A recent response here on some USA Jobs 2020 projections made me think hard about what was
missing, why couldn't we see new solutions to the jobs shortfall that already exists all around us in
new opportunities that have opened up for all. Was it because it involved significant changes from the
way things were always done, I wondered. Maybe it was because we were born into a blame culture
and could not see any other way? Or was it because it required new initiative that was not
forthcoming because we could not see how it would all work, or who would lead, or was it a perceived
lack of funding? Maybe, just maybe, it was because we saw obstacles to progress that might no
longer exist. Whether it was one or all of these, or something else, two things were clear - there is
both a great need for vast numbers of new Jobs worldwide, and there are also solutions in new ways
to provide affordable Services across borders, language, and cultures alike.
Surely, I figured, Communities know they already possess the power to co-create their own services-
based jobs by trading with their global and also other Communities worldwide? After all, they all have
among them countless unemployed people who have both the ability and the desire to work hard to
build new livelihoods, where all they need is an opportunity. And wouldn't very many low-income
earners just love the opportunity to earn more, to have a better life for themselves and their families,
and willing to learn more to do so? And aren't there enormous numbers of people without digital
literacy capability skills who would be very motivated to learn such new skills when given the
opportunity but especially when made aware of the vast benefits for them in doing so. And doesn't
every Community stretch across borders, language and culture and don't they all have an ageing
population in dire need of more available and affordable services to meet their particular needs. Yet!
And all have so much more to contribute back to society than to receive from? And those are just the
needs; there are many unfulfilled wants too in those same Communities worldwide. So as for
Opportunities, aren't they just endless?
When we look, we can see, yes, that every Community has some unique services to provide,
opportunities born of the digital world we now live in. That differential may merely be born of our
unique Language or preserved in our unique Culture as inherited from our past - a difference that is
as important in Healthcare & Education as in any other sector of great need. We know that
opportunities can and do arise from our Education and Training, though not always, just as others
have testified here at this group. But those jobs and traded-services that give rise to them can be born
or mined from our own unique Arts & Culture, Third Sector Orgs (Co-ops & TSOs), Career paths or
Skills sets.
There is always a place to start when we look, to where the bar to entry is lowest and the
opportunities worth all our efforts and ingenuity. When we look we can see, yes, that the new gold is
'world class knowledge and innovation workers', and it can be mined as one Community, one global
Community, one Global E-Community worldwide. Tools-of-trade - we can hire-all in or hire-all out as
Page
53

we need, that is not the real barrier to progress any more, is it? When can we start to co-create our
own solution then, we can have the management we want and can rely on ourselves to grab the best
opportunities before others do. Why not a collaboration then, we might ask, across E-Cooperatives/
Third Sector, Tele-centres, Innovative ideas, E-Fairtrade and E-Diaspora Communities worldwide. It's
our choice, our vision, our Livelihoods. That was my conclusion, and that is what ICCO is all about.
E-Livelihoods anywhere need more e-skilled Teachers everywhere.
Speaking at the presentation of her survey, the E.U.'s Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes
said there was a genuine need for more IT skills training for teachers (Baker, 19.04.2013). "ICT skills
and training must be available to all students and teachers, not just a lucky few," she said.
The survey, which takes place every five years found....that only 25 per cent of nine-year-olds in the
E.U. are in a highly digitally equipped school with modern equipment, fast broadband (10Mbps plus)
and high connectivity including email for students and teachers, local area network and virtual
learning environment.
The report recommends more investment in teacher training, for example through MOOCs (Massive
Open Online Courses), as well as the creation of ICT coordinator posts.
World Class Knowledge & Innovation Workers, the New Gold
If 'World Class Knowledge & Innovation Workers' are the New Gold, how will the ICCO Infrastructure
& E-Services enable E-Communities to co-create E-Jobs and generate new wealth through E-
Livelihoods?
The answer lies in VOX, a name inspired by VOX Populi (Voice of the People) and which stands for
Community empowerment, giving voice to the voiceless, but specifically 'Voice of the eXcluded' to
enable their access to and use of the tools of digital, social, economic and financial inclusion. We
discovered very early on that VOX needed a new poverty reduction economic model and for that
purpose, VOX Labs was created and developed. It is a roadmap to the future that leads away from
poverty and towards e-livelihoods through capability & capacity development in the communities.
Accordingly, the VOX Labs Business Model has been created for the primary benefit of the Third
Sector that those Communities inhabit. It is well known as a most complex arena and one that VOX
Labs has sought to understand and simplify through many years of exhaustive groundwork worldwide.
Our solution now being implemented has just four aspects for VOX Communities - local VOX Hubs,
global VOX Outlets, VOX Structure (ICCO/ SCE) & related services from Ireland & a VOX Brands
catalogue.
Now we have now entered the process of an ICCO (SCE) start-up where we handover from initial
promoter VoxWorld.Coop. We are currently focused on the original stakeholders as Co-Founder Orgs
together with its inaugural service providers, where ICCO will be wholly owned by all its members and
for which the critical ICCO funding will be dependent on membership participation as buyers or sellers
- the inaugural programme for which will commence with Voucher-cards, as co-branded by VOX
Communities.
ICCO differs in that it will reach-out to Communities primarily through Retail Networking,
Page
54

complementing the more traditional approach of Business Networking activities. The ICCO
Infrastructure in its SCE format & with related E-Services will thus enable E-Communities to start from
scratch start co-creating E-Jobs that will generate new wealth through E-Livelihoods in their
Communities. We are this month looking to finalise the ICCO prime movers and co-founders, together
with first VOX programme. We want those of you who are ready and able to be part of that process.
Are we thinking Outside the Box on Jobs?
Are we thinking Outside the Box on Jobs? Don't we all have a Need to Work? Are the Tele-centres
already out on the road ahead to becoming the Community Champions of tomorrow promoting E-
Livelihoods?
The Tele-centre Community worldwide opened a most thought-provoking discussion at their forum
last month at Telecentre.Org for its c.4,000 members, to which I contributed the following views:
"Over 200 million Unemployed in 2013 is not the ILO's only scary stat, and which collectively ought to
be a wake-up call for Communities everywhere. Although it is not a cause for despondency either, it
is, however, a call for most urgent, concrete action.
So who will lead that response in the Community? That lead must surely come this time from the
Third Sector, probably as led by community-branded Cooperatives and Social Enterprises in general.
And the Tele-centres have the toolkit availability within their concept to make them best placed locally
to lead their Communities through their TSOs across that crucial digital divide bridge, though much
remains to be done there. Local Tele-centres have the know-how ingredients required to feed into the
essential courage needed to first empower local community champions and global community
ambassadors alike, that in turn will release a community's confidence in themselves, to back their own
vision of and for themselves.”
And Microsoft Youth Spark gets very close to an answer with: "We want to empower Youth to change
their world", though it's still only part of the solution on its own as we know too. Tele-centres do
present enormous opportunities for both Youth and Women, being those who are such a considerable
percentage of the unemployed worldwide.
In fact, Tele-centres could, maybe ought to be seen as that 'guide on the side' for Users within their
communities. Apart from being a vital provider of digital access for so many, they can provide one
other vital ingredient for those who wish, or even desperately need, to cross the digital divide - they
are poised to instil a courage or confidence to get people past that (often hidden) fear factor, so-called
'keyboard fright', that quietly afflicts and distresses so many. Help people get past that fear, and a new
world opens up for all to see.
Innovation is indeed the ultimate answer. The Tele-centre is well equipped in principle to be the Hub
of their Communities. They can either do so as a standalone resource or be attached, bolted-on to
one or more of......a cafe, a college, a hotel, a library, a business, a cooperative, an NGO or any other
TSO place of business that can be found today in every community around the world.
I believe the key to job creation at Tele-centres is two dimensional - a need to think both Local and
Global; firstly, to think of Tele-centres at home as 'content generator hubs' for newly empowered local
providers, whether M-SMEs (micro and small to medium-sized businesses of private sector) or Co-
Page
55

operatives or TSOs (Third Sector Orgs); and secondly, in parallel, to think of Tele-centres abroad as
providing opportunities for new (micro) retail outlets carrying that content - under their known
Community brand names, otherwise called Universal Social Brands - to their diaspora and other
socially enlightened purchasers in the social marketplace that are driven in their choices by social
purchasing.
Yes, we all do have a deep Need to Work, wherever we live, as the placard in that post proclaims. I
believe too that the Tele-centres are indeed already well out on the road ahead, with the capability to
assume the mantle of Community Champions and with the capacity to spearhead a new and dynamic
drive in generating large numbers of E-Livelihoods in every Community. But who will first enjoin them
in that effort - will it be the Co-operatives or the Third Sector in general, or will it be the MSME's who
will engage to drive that change to fast-forward?
11.3 Leverage Trade to create Micro-finance Fund
Home-shore Matching Funds - a new Funding Model
Home-shore Matching Funds - a new Funding Model, in the form of Local Community Development
Hub starter funds, channelling 10-20% of new business proceeds for re-investment into Local
Community trading.
We all know it’s time for Communities to get down to business, now that the talking's done, and here
is our plan.
There has been much discussion online today about Third Sector being dependent on Funding
sources from public and private sectors, and all the obligations that go with that. And much debate too
on other Funding options - ranging from decrying the deficiencies of banking and corporate
capitalism, especially in failing to meet the needs of the third sector with its added social values; in
exploring the potential of co-operative capitalism and covering everything in between too, including
Community banking itself. Many have looked at the potential for Cooperatives, of their Credit Unions
(though not often recognised as Co-ops themselves!), to fill that gaping void but it is apparent that,
despite their many excellent characteristics, they don't have the global networks or investment levels
to provide the full financial services required, not anytime soon. Meanwhile, the needs of society are
growing ever more rapidly. We know that the under-banked, and the coping classes in general, have
the biggest issue with digital literacy, and thus with even access to low-cost banking and thus to low-
cost cross-border remittances services. The picture is a familiar one, but we can do something about
it now.
What we need, what society urgently needs, is a raft of new funding models, even interim models to
go into action while the other talk goes on alongside. One such immediate model derives from the
Social Purchasing arena, and it offers immediate Matching Funds potential. This is how it works:
- Every social purchasing card sold carries a 5% Diaspora Levy, primarily being an open
contribution made by their own diaspora customers for specific application as an investment
in local community development ie. local Community Hubs, that supports development of
local culture brands to enable provision of local products and services worldwide to meet their
diaspora requirements. Thus every member of our respective diaspora communities that
Page
56

'shop from home' pays that little extra so that the people of their homeland can live a better
life, as they learn to earn to build their own third sector organisations in arts & culture, social
orgs, in like-work or life-skills. The businesses their funds build may indeed one day be the
very route they take in 'working their own way back home' too. But that's only the first step.
- Now that 5% Diaspora Levy will be matched by a matching Community Culture Brand
franchise fee, paid by providers as they utilise of their community developed brand name to
generate new business opportunities among their diaspora. Together, these measures raise
funding equivalent to 10% of all content card proceeds among the worldwide diaspora sales,
and which will be administered through a VoxWorld.Coop authorised Foundation, linked to the
new ICCO (SCE) organisation of the third sector, that is dedicated to that purpose and run by
those with a profound global humanitarian understanding in Developing Communities.
- In turn, this Fund is open to being matched by, and designed to attract, NGOs &
Foundations et al who support Community Development self-starters among the
disenfranchised through the provision of a matching 5% Investment, and mainly targeting
those Communities who back their own vision for themselves with hard action. This is a step
that is additional to any Aid those Communities receive already.
- Finally, the original Fund with its 5% levy is now open to be quadrupled in currency value
with a further matching fund in the form of Local Gov. Job creation support, in return for their
Local Trader jobs generated, and also for reinvestment in local Hub.
And these opportunities are open today to any enterprising Community that is primed and ready with
the content for the digital age.
These social purchasing cards, Jim, are produced by VoxWorld.Coop (longtime promoter of ICCO)
licensed producers using its customisable card formats that include the above HS Matching Fund
features, as well as many other features as described earlier. Our social purchasing cards are pre-
formatted USB flash drive card carrying AV culture content in digital form and designed to meet the
target community's unfulfilled requirements; it is provided together with a pre-formatted plastic card
that includes ICCO (SCE) membership with its €1 fee and has promotional voucher options too.
USBs are for use by purchasers with computer access either in their community or at home. They do
not require any pre-requisite computer skills, but instead are intended to also promote community
digital (and other) literacy courses which can be pre-loaded on these USBs and where we will work in
with tandem with participating local telecentres, tele-libraries, tele-cafes, tele-hotels and tele-hubs or
other tele-outlets that provide daily local access and, perhaps, local supporting tutors too.
All these cards and supporting customisation services are available from Ireland through licensed
providers today. Services are provided online once an agreement is reached with VoxWorld.Coop, the
long-time promoter of ICCO and its EU Cooperative Society format and also an authorised supporting
Foundation.
Subject only to volumes - both these amber card options can also be represented at POS in amber
gift boxes, even in amber POS displays for TSOs, and indeed as complete amber shops or shop-in-
shops at above-authorised culture friendly tele-locations. These can represent any continent, country,
Page
57

region or world TSO organisation. They can showcase, for example, the culture of (say) all 50 US
States in one place, or all 55 African countries. They can showcase all 47 EU countries, or India,
AsiaPac, LAC, China or be as varied as the Oregon Trails, Great Silk Road etc.; and even with other
dedicated outlets too like dotCoop social brands, Credit Union, SEC, Apex or even a country like
Ireland with its 32 counties for their worldwide diaspora communities.
Ø Their Inclusion
The road to social inclusion is paved with Education.
VOX Foundation opens the door for those without hope among the Coping Classes.
Apart from Jobs at the Foundation, the VOX Foundation's essential contribution here will be in
generating an innovative investment Fund for Community Hubs development and provision of free
education and other services to those Hubs in Train-the-Trainer Programmes.
12 THE FRANCHISORS: Collaborate across the Third Sector

12.1 Reach-out to the Diaspora through Ageing Populations
Today we can reach-out to Ageing Populations through In-store awareness.
Ageing Population (AP) & "Community VOX" - Is this the Road Ahead for Community Social Brands in
Third Sector? A Blueprint is now available for discussion with AP Representative Orgs worldwide. The
document was drafted in response to a featured conversation at our Linked-in group recently on
Measuring Cooperative Success: New Challenges and Opportunities.
Ageing Populations (AP) are the first of four under-served targets VOX Audiences to be addressed in
a retail reach-out by ICCO (SCE) through AP Representative Orgs in collaboration with VOX, the
global brand for social inclusion worldwide. The other three target audiences to benefit will be the
Unemployed, Low-Income Earners and Less Well Educated.
Retail Networking is the preferred route for awareness programmes and subsequent engagement
(formally or informally) through co-located VOX Outlet showcases at Diaspora Community cafes &
other hospitality locations. Culture Showcase franchises and supporting in-store activity are
envisaged as the way to draw attention, increase awareness, impact and then engage with all four
audiences. This Blueprint sees Social Brand being distributed by their Orgs - commencing with Arts &
Culture content - in a co-branded arrangement with VOX, "Community VOX". It sees this as the way
to engage in the social purchasing marketplace, to underpin livelihoods within the communities in
need.
TSO Social Brands are also open to a co-marketing arrangement with Orgs representing
recognisable Community Values - cooperative, fair trade, innovation, diaspora, colleges, telecentres
and other third sector orgs. If you are a representative organisation of Ageing Populations in the third
Page
58

sector and wish to engage in this discussion with VoxWorld.Coop - promoter of ICCO (SCE) - we will
be happy to forward a copy of this 12-page draft blueprint to you on request so you may consider
participation with ICCO (SCE) in this unique VOX social innovation initiative for social inclusion in the
communities.
Open with at least one Starter-pack (one point-of-sale Dispenser, one Backpack, one in-store
marketing promo materials) per each “Community VOX” social brand re-presented aka. Minimum one
Community group. Each Starter-pack is delivered complete with four dozen dual-cards, each in a
package deal gift box. Each dual-card includes a customisable USB content card and a plastic
membership card. Starter-pack replenishment is on average once per quarter
12.2 Find Global Diaspora Champions, the cultural ambassadors

Locate the participating Diaspora Outlets, the Storytellers. So just who are the Americans?
No story of the Global Diaspora Communities can be complete or understood correctly in today's
world without asking the question - just who are the Americans? America emerges as the Immigrant
Nation of the West. Being closely aligned with our Irish history of extraordinary population movement
we had to first understand, in this quest, much more about our two very different worlds. The first
European colonisation of America only began in c.1,600 AD, UK-led. It was amazing to learn that the
English colonies in 1700 America had a population of only c.250,000, growing to 1 million in 1750 –
with a quarter of them being Irish. Total US pop was estimated at 2 million then, with Europe standing
at 160 million and the World at 790 million. We were amazed to discover that the population in the
first US census in 1790 registered stood at a mere 3.9 million citizens, that in its census of 1820 the
US pop stood at 9.6 million – an area covering all of 3.8 million sq miles, a Land of Opportunity
indeed. We were shocked to discover that in Ireland’s first census of 1821 this little island of Ireland
had a pop of 6.8 million, growing to 8.1 million in 1841 – an area of only 32,000 sq miles. We
compared and contrasted with Newgrange which was built in Ireland in c.3,200 BC – incredibly, c.500
years before the Pyramids and long before Stonehedge in Britain too.
Fundamentally then, it was easy then to conclude that America is a relatively new country to its
people and that their original Roots in Europe alone, as claimed by half of its citizens, have an
amazing cultural history story to offer – in addition to those great unexplored stories of their African
and Latino Roots. So what is the origin of the American population today? iDEA, the International
Diaspora Engagement Alliance asks: “Who are Americans? And where do they come from? The U.S.
has the largest number of global diaspora members of any country in the world. Indeed, virtually all
Americans have immigrant roots — and these roots are a quintessential part of the country’s
narrative.” They discovered that American Roots included, among others – where African countries
were listed individually:
1. Germany 48,088,000
2. Ireland 39,285,000
3. Mexico 34,824,000
4. United Kingdom 33,243,000
5. Italy 17,433,000
6. Poland 9,472,000
Page
59

7. France 8,635,000
It was a natural conclusion for us when we arrived at this point then to start with Diaspora Outlets,
with the US as the original Diaspora Hub, the first step on the road for ICCO with its VOX Shops.
These and other Global Diaspora people opened up the world for all of us through their enterprise and
risk-taking, left their lasting mark on the world and in doing so created the first Global Communities
with tracks and trails where others could follow down through the centuries. Our Ageing Population
keeps that story in their memories to pass on to the generations that follow.
The ICCO Goal is 5,000 Outlets per Customer Segment, commencing with the Diaspora. These
outlets will primarily be in Developed World as led by North American Diaspora locations
12.3 Locate Community-based Orgs
Ø Their Appreciation
Without an appreciation of each other’s perspective or point of view- nothing happens.
Membership, Fundraising & Added Value Creation
With appreciation everything is possible.
Traded-Services & Job Creation
Reaching out to the Diaspora requires Cultural Ambassadors or cross-border champions who expose
the value of Culture Showcases and Services for Ageing Population among their Diaspora
Community and accordingly to engage TSO Retail Outlets for that purpose. Every Diaspora
Community needs a Hub like home, needs Tutors, and CBO Franchisors to identify and represent
‘AmberKats’ formats for Community VOX brands to those outlets.
13 THE VOX FORMATS: The AmberKats Franchise

13.1 VOX Box Shops, it's shopping with a significant difference
So just what can we all do within our own field of vision - as one Community, or as multiple
Communities joining their imaginations together. Well, we can start, we can bring about changes in
our own world, and in doing that - those actions can be mirrored (seen or unseen), replicated
throughout the world too.
We have witnessed Retail being transformed from incredible and original Department Stores like Le
Bon Marche in Paris to Supermarkets like Tesco, massive Discount Stores like Walmart, and
Superstores like Carrefour and Ikea. We have seen Franchises grow into Chain Stores like
Blockbuster, fast food outlets like McDonald's, Megastores like Virgin, and phone stores like Nokia.
We have watched Great Malls like Mall of America rise alongside Airport Shopping like World Duty-
Free, Speciality Stores like Disney, the Factory Outlets like Gilroy in San Francisco. There are
countless more, but they all began with one idea, one inspiration, one person, one shop. Today we
Page
60

even witness the unbranded peek-a-boo Popup shops appear everywhere, a new wave has begun.
Change never ends in retail and, since there is no progress without innovation, neither then does
opportunity!. Add in the inspirations Retail gives us, and the thrill of the bargains.....and we just know
that Shopping Online alone will never touch this. Why - because physical shopping is in reality all
about being around People.
Now we have our own VOX Box Shops, it's shopping with another difference. Uniquely too, it is
dedicated to the sector that has been left out-of-the-loop so far, the Third Sector. The reasons - lack
of capacity, capability, affordability, distribution networks, funding, cash flows, branding, demand....a
whole variety of reasons....but none of which are blockages to progress any more. There are lots of
unsatisfied applications among the vast Third Sector - education, healthcare, countless affordable
products and services to name a few. In fact, they require new business models, new kinds of retail
models - fine, as we have those here today. The TSOs don't need to replicate what the Private Sector
does, most do not have affordability factors to reach the under-served, the coping classes or even the
disenfranchised in society anyway. Why - because they are not their primary target market.
Discounting is not enough anymore. They don't perceive a 'fortune at the bottom of the pyramid'
anyway.
So what is left is a wide open space of opportunity for TSOs and much-needed services for people in
virtually every Community in the world. All that is needed in active imagination, and perhaps even
better - an insight that is born of experience from the 'university of life'. They are most often
discovered untapped, unasked, unexpected among the Ageing Population, of which there are many to
be found in every Community. Other local issues will emerge as temporary stops on the way - but
hey, there are surmountable too.
13.2 Projects
There are several choices at the point of sale:
1. POS Dispensers
2. POS Displays
3. POS Culture Showcases
4. POS Smartshops
5. POS Shop in Shops
6. POS Virtual Retail Networks
7. POS Model Shops
Co-create new content in traded-services for Diaspora Marketplace. Satisfy latent demand with
traded-services for Homeland Marketplace in education, care and other traded-service needs.
13.3 Programmes
VoxWorld.Coop, the Global Networks
VoxWorld.Coop is a registered user of dotcom (.coop) domain, the distinguishing domain of the Co-
operative movement. It is an informal organisation, whereas Promoter of the potential of a new
collaborative entity for the Third Sector for many years - it will now is ready to support Co-operatives
and Third Sector in general as an Authorised Services Provider enabler at Hubs and Outlets, and in
Page
61

co-creating "Community VOX" social brands. It has access to the Open Platforms necessary for
global trading – whether online, offline and over the smartphone.
VoxWorld.Coop has been promoting worldwide the idea of ICCO (SCE) being the way forward in
Community Development, encouraging new ways of leveraging Diaspora Remittances, unique
Matching Funds concepts, Co-Marketing partnerships, sponsorships and new ideas in Member
interfaces too, all designed to underpin countless Livelihoods opportunities through a campaign for
social inclusion.
It has exclusive access for the use of the VOX Labs model, a unique social franchisor model for
operation through retail franchises via a catalogue of innovative programmes and point-of-sale
interfaces – notably - Culture Showcases and Smartshops.
VOX Trade Catalogue – Franchise Service Providers and Consultants
No one organisation possesses the multi-skills required to service the sheer scale and worldwide
reach of the Social Marketplace – crossing borders, cultures and languages while doing so. The VOX
Trade Catalogue listings introduce another way of doing this – flexible E-Teams, designed to meet the
specific requirements of each “Community VOX” social brand and their content providers as custodian
organisations.
VOX Content Catalogue – Content Service Providers
The customisable VOX Labs Model is brought together with participating Community Social Brands in
a VOX Content Catalogue to deliver co-branded and co-marketed "Community VOX" content, typically
in the form of traded-services. ICCO (SCE) will focus on how the ‘Coping Classes' can transform
themselves as the ‘Creative Classes' instead of through the process of co-creation of their
"Community VOX" umbrella brands.
Programmes - Inaugural
After the prerequisite Literacy education and optional e-skills programmes, the Inaugural Programme
envisaged is that of Virtual Social Tourism, focusing on Roots & Replicas and their cachets of culture.
This is of particular interest to Ageing Populations, often a reservoir for such knowledge. Revenues
generated will then be targeted in priority provision of locally affordable Wellness & Homecare
services. The first interfaces will be in the form of pre-formatted "Community VOX" Voucher-Cards,
USB Memory-cards and point of sale (POS) packaging.
VOX Voucher-Cards will be able to gather together Cachet of Culture
Consequently, purchasers or users of "Community VOX" Voucher-Cards will be able to gather

together over time their own Cachet of Culture in the form of Home Libraries - homeland content as
Page
62

well as of other people or places of interest. They can complete their collections or compilations in a
veritable festival of world cultures, available for their users 365 as they wish. Then when they get an
opportunity to travel, can afford to travel, they will then know much more about their journey, thanks to
the content delivered by their "Community VOX". They will be able to understand much better, to
appreciate and respect each other's culture much more. Most of all, they will learn how to not just
connect but trade, to collaborate in entirely new ways with their fellow under-served communities.
Through this medium, they can deliver or receive via their "Community VOX" vital services at
affordable prices, new e-services in education, healthcare/ wellness and hospitality - generating new
e-jobs while doing so. It's an exchange of culture that will fuel understanding rather than division,
celebrate diversity and underpin livelihoods for the benefit of all our "Coping Classes" today, driven by
Diaspora Communities and, materially, for the ultimate benefit of their youth - the next generation.
USB memory cards and POS dispensers will promote awareness
These first Programmes as dedicated to Virtual Social Tourism will reflect the dominant themes of
longing and belonging that variously inhabit the world of all Diaspora people, whoever and wherever
they are. For some those Roots will mean the genealogy trail with family tracing. For most, it will be in
the retail purchasing of culturally inspired books, the music, the sports, the dance, the arts, the crafts -
or any other aspect of their Culture that most appeals to them. There, the first interfaces of
Community VOX Voucher-cards, USB memory cards and POS dispensers will promote awareness
and impact through VOX customisation, co-branding, co-marketing, sponsorship - and with optionally
have dedicated the more local county or district chapters too.
The VOX Labs USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit D412800
The VOX Labs’ USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit D412800 has been called:
- a 'Shopper Stopper' for its ability to halt shoppers in their tracks, catch their attention and
imagination;
- a 'Talking Box' for its ability to communicate with and convert those shoppers into
purchasers;
- a 'Concept Systems' Display Unit because of its ability to represents products and services
alike under seasonal concepts as supported by an auto-merchandising BackPak system;
- a 'Hi-Impact Substitute' because of its ability to compete or beat all-comers in the rate of
merchandise throughput, lowest levels of model stock assortment complete with rapid backup
logistics & SCM; - a 'Micro Shop' because it takes up only one cubic foot of retail space, yet
with an unmatched high return on retail merchandise investment;
- a 'Culture Showcase' because of its unique ability to display digital culture products and
traded services.
Now that's all now made available in just one Box - the VOX Labs USA patented Point of Sale
Display Unit D412800 - which is provided free-with-product, subject only to purchase volume terms
and conditions. It can take up space as little as 1 Cubic Foot or can become a shop-in-shop with wall
Page
63

and/or gondola display units and/ or kiosques, or indeed become a complete Franchise Shop with
VOX Franchise supporting services.
The VOX Labs USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit D412800 was designed to stimulate demand
for M-SME's through its many unique features and qualities. It is innovative, aesthetically pleasing to
the eye, creates hi-impact in store, ideal for kaleidoscopic presentation or colour blocking, and is user
instruction-friendly. It has a customisable and extremely compact display, gift pack friendly, embraces
the arts, is system orientated, ideal for supply chain management integration while promoting
servitisation, productisation and personalisation. It is eco-friendly, flat pack deliverable has a no-fuss
installation, and no merchandisers are required. It has an integrated BackPak system to keep best
sellers in stock and is extremely useful, versatile & multi-supplier compatible, complete with in-store
concepts and marketing materials to drive sales throughput.
The VOX Labs USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit D412800, is the full feature unit for ‘Parlour
Cafes’ culture showcase and centrepiece for our VoxWorld.Coop shop-in-shops. It is dedicated to
Third Sector Orgs independence while prioritising products that meet Fair Trade standards and
traded-services from dotCoop (.Coop, Co-op) registered Third Sector Organisations, both formal and
informal.
The VOX Labs USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit. D412800 holds 16 x customisable 'gift
packs', or gift boxes, and a BackPak that holds another 32 x gift packs, a total 4 dozen in one so-
called Starter Pak, all designed for ease of early replenishment. There are 8 x frontal display packs
which are suitable for colour blocking or assortment presentation. It has a printed marketing header
for point of sale impact, branding, co-marketing endorsement and marketing messages. The acetate
front screen of Display Unit is also printable and is ideal for instructions on product use or other
operational details. The designs can be one-off or part of as an entire collection or series.
The VOX Labs’ USA patented Point of Sale Display Unit. D412800 has been traded worldwide on five
continents, in over 40 countries and in over 5,300 shops. It is suitable for Outlets small or large or
even new retail outlets. It is initially delivered with BackPak as shrink-wrapped together with Display
Unit to form a Starter Pak. It is available to any Third Sector Community Brand as they engage at
Phase 4 level and onwards.
It’s Showtime - Tell your Story to the World
It’s Time to Tell your Story to the world –the Coping Classes are the new Creative Classes.
What Social Brand of V.O.X. do you represent? It took a decade and more of great cooperative efforts
of the many to get to this critical point in our social innovation mission on the road to here and ICCO
(SCE) formation. A big thank you is due to all those, too many to be named here, who lent their
support in countless and valuable ways during what was most challenging times. Thanks are also due
to those people and their orgs that joined in the efforts of our Linked-in group and showed true grit in
staying the course. All are very much appreciated and were crucial in sustaining us in our efforts,
getting us to these starting gates. Our Linked-in group is now ready to morph into this new ICCO
(SCE) organisational initiative from its location in Ireland/ Europe. ICCO will co-found or otherwise co-
create one, independent, collaborative 'organisation of organisations' with global reach-out capability
Page
64

and capacity required to achieve transformational social impact. That process will be dependent on
numbers of committed Change Agent Tutors in each Community. The net benefit will emanate out
into the community to underpin sustainable Livelihoods for our so-called 'coping classes in society'
that reside, often in silence, within all of our borderless global communities.
Collectively the problems that our coping classes face in everyday existence can be overwhelming at
times. Indeed billions exist today facing one or even many forms of diverse kinds of Poverty every day
- financial, digital, social and/ or economic. They might be described as permanent residents of what
has most often been called the Bottom of the Pyramid. But we now know too that poverty is a man-
made problem, and is a problem, therefore - however great - that can also be solved too, by people
working as one. The ICCO particular approach exists alongside, in fact in open collaboration with
NGO's, Charities and every other Aid based group, but our specific focus is very different. We
concentrate on how the Coping Classes can transform themselves as the Creative Classes instead -
through the process of co-creation, when in structured collaboration with others across any sector in
society via ICCO (SCE).
Ø Their Innovation
“Community VOX” Voucher-Cards will be able to gather together over time their own Cachet of
Culture.
Membership, Fundraising & Added Value Creation
Livelihood solutions on the scale required tomorrow will emanate from any one organisation, it will
take collaboration behind new initiatives in social inclusion.
Authorised VOX Shops are Franchise Formats designed to fit into and perform in virtually any space
in both existing and new Retail Outlets, primarily TSOs who want to share in the same social
purchasing marketplace. Apart from CBO Franchisors to identify and represent these Franchise
Formats to the incoming TSO Outlets – their members are ideally situated to provide income–
generating services to those Outlets as ‘AmberKat’ Agents.
14 THE RETAIL OUTLETS: Network at Diaspora Omega-points

VOX Retailing is the bridge to a new Way of Life. Retailing is ICCO's chosen Diaspora networking
platform, an approach that uniquely provides for informal engagement in a world where billions have
yet to cross the digital divide and participate in the today's essential Knowledge and Innovation-driven
social, economic environment.
14.1 Diasporas can Shop from Home at Culture Showcases.
Page
65

14.2 The Exchange - Open Diaspora Showcases at Home

This ICCO (SCE) Entity will be located in Ireland, whose long history of care and concern for people
worldwide with an ideal Social Innovation Hub base for the provision of supporting services.
The ICCO (SCE) will be an aggregator of "Community VOX" social brands and Ireland is an ideal
location with its long Social Marketplace identity - born of generations of teachers, nurses, doctors,
missionaries and lawyers who in their travel activities gave so much care to, and showed so much
care for, so many people throughout the world over the centuries. They have left a broad and
discernible footprint wherever they went, memories now preserved wherever its c.80 million Diaspora
reside today. Similar stories apply to every nation's Diaspora.
And so Ageing Populations are the ideal strata for first global connectivity activities, to and through
their Diaspora Communities. Priority locations for interface with Diaspora Communities can be
identified at their frequented Hospitality and other places – cafes, hotels, internet access points,
telecentres, local hubs, libraries, shipping desks, airports and many other hot spots.
14.3 The Marketplace - Discover a World of Social Purchasing

Interact for impact in the Social Purchasing Marketplace.
We may be more familiar with the roles of the public and private sectors, but it is the giant Third
Sector that has the potential to impact and change the lives of the Coping Classes in all our
Communities. While the Third Sector is known today more for its Co-operatives, it is far more
significant than that – it incorporates all organisations big and small, both formal and informal, indeed
all those that are not already part of those public and private sectors. This Third Sector flies ‘under the
radar' according to a recent EU report, yet probably holds the key to the meaningful solutions so
desperately being sought in an increasingly unstable world – Jobs, jobs born of the digital era, that will
underpin both better Livelihoods and Traded-services within our Global Communities.
Social Purchasing Marketplace worldwide, people who are alert to the broader social needs and think
twice before they buy, asking themselves - who benefits?. There are four types of Communities
envisaged here –
1. - Communities of Purpose (third sector orgs including charities, co-ops),

2. - Communities of Interest (arts & culture),
3. - Communities of Practice (life skills, temperaments) and
4. - Communities of Action (life work, careers).
14.4 What is Universal Social Purchasing (USP) in practice?

What is Universal Social Purchasing (USP) in practice? (Richard O'Farrell) Why is the Developing
World, indeed the 'Coping Classes' everywhere, being increasingly – and somewhat remarkably -
seen as 'the Solution' and no longer just as 'the Problem'.
We read a lot about Social Purchasing in general, about those enlightened shoppers who 'vote with
their wallet', the ever-growing numbers who ask they buy 'who benefits most here' before. They
typically have the most discretionary spending power and those who also bear in mind the Coping
Classes, simply 'cause it matters. Increasingly they become a card-carrying member of a more Caring
Society. They know in their hearts and minds that Change is inevitable, indeed an essential
Page
66

ingredient, before we can all as a Society move on. Now on more specific terms, we call this process
Universal Social Purchasing (USB), as this outlook on life gathers pace.
People living in Unreached Communities
SMART LIFEWORK: Now that the fog has been lifted through shared insights - we can all look and
see the vast pool of untapped yet essential skills all around the world, especially those with crucial
"Lifework skills" that are so very much in-demand today - such as Nurses, Teachers & ICT skills
everywhere. Let's take one, the Nurses, then extrapolate to other essential Lifework groups with
global shortages. We call it Smart Lifework because those who take up this lifework are mostly
devoted for life to their chosen career, but who now require ICT skills to meet tomorrow's world
demands.
We have all come to realise that those people living in Unreached Communities everywhere have in
fact these skills at hand already but as yet untapped; that they are not held back from supplying those
needs to their own people and indeed others by any lack of initiative, foresight or insight but mostly
through a lack of access to Education. That ranges from the need for the pre-requisite digital literacy,
language, courses availability, quality course assurance, numbers of places on offer, affordability or
even locations of the College.
Less understood, however, is that these quality College Courses shortages are in turn often caused
by a lack of suitably qualified College Tutors, those with the pre-requisite technology, language,
course knowhow and experience as well as inter-personal cultural and other skills required to deliver
ICT-literate, remote, student-centric Education that is in demand today for anyone, anywhere, at any
time. The greater need for addressing the critical Global Shortage of Nurses in their millions
worldwide is the prior need to 'Educate the Educators'. To do this, the Countries with the most would-
be Student Nurses populations lack the necessary funding resources, and thus the technology
required to provide such education and service delivery to those new standards required by young
people today. Today such education is increasingly being provided offshore in some Developing
Countries because it is much cheaper for the Country & Employer alike, but the availability of the
resultant Nurses services are being taken up in general by overseas communities in the Developed
Countries because they can afford to pay most for their graduates. Thus services are mainly going to
the highest bidder, the wealthy nations, because of a gross shortage of supply there too due to their
own Health & Education budgetary constraints. That leaves developing countries at a grave
disadvantage. New ways need to be found - and indeed are available when we look closer - to meet
the global demand across all nations and people. These new ways are made possible with the advent
of information and communications technology (ICT) for the provision of E-Health traded-services
within every Community.
SMART TRADERS: When we think Care, we first think Nurses; when we think Nurses, we first think
Hospitals; then we think Clinics and then the Carers in the Communities. Today or tomorrow we will
all need one, we all get that. The emphasis will change, yet needs to change. Every Community
needs not just Nurses who 'Care For' (the Unwell) but increasingly needs Nurse Coaches who 'Care
About' (our Wellness) their Community. In that tomorrow, it's all about Communities first, Nurses &
Carers in general as attached to their Hubs and providing local and global Traded-services. If the
affordability of those Services is the obvious first significant obstacle to successful E-Health
Page
67

implementation, then Universal Social Purchasing (USP) is the perhaps unseen answer, the actual
solution. To whom will that USP appeal most, to their Diaspora Community - those who care most
about and want their families and people back home to have a good quality of life, connected home
through a lifelong sense of longing and belonging. And in that scenario, the Community Hub and their
Community Brand become the providers of the new content in the form of traded-services through
worldwide merchant networks. Traded-services can be paid for by debit cards, credit cards but also in
exchange for USP Voucher-cards that are also open to sponsors underwriting. Those Smart Traders
beget the Livelihoods of many, still working at home, providing both local and global services.
That scenario applies not only to Nurses but to all others travelling the road with potential to offer the
Lifework services for which there is a tremendous unsatisfied global demand; but then again it also
applies to Life-skills, Social Sector and even Arts & Culture service providers too.
SMART CONTENT: And so as this story can unfold for any and every Community, as the paradigm or
our mindset changes too. The Developing World, in fact, the 'Coping Classes' everywhere, can
increasingly be seen as 'the Solution', no longer just as 'the Problem'. Yes, only one initiative(s) -
Education - is all that is needed today to release that great resource and direct those available skills
towards satisfying people's unmet needs worldwide. In doing so, they meet an even greater need with
the prime objective of alleviating and then eradicating first the extreme poverty (people who have to
live on c.$2 a day), then poverty itself. Poverty is what threatens the world's stability as it feeds
insecurity and fuels anti-social behaviour. Yes, there is indeed a better and most feasible way out of
the cruel grasp of that poverty. And so today we are witnessing a great Awakening to the realities of
what confronts us all, as a by-product of the global financial crash of 2008 - we see how the world is
pulling back from that precipice to which it had arrived because of a previous failure to confront these
real and present dangers. That abject failure in Social Leadership is now being swept aside by an
avalanche of Social Entrepreneurs everywhere. Past failures to take those long overdue actions are
locked firmly in the past...that which previously allowed poverty to put 'on hold' the lives of billions of
people, while in so doing creating a vacuum that served as the root of so much evil and corruption.
And so today there is a window of real opportunity for this great Awareness to raise its head in an
appreciation of each other, of our own Art & Cultures and what we can do for each other. That, in turn,
will serve as a springboard to Social Tourism with its related underpinning of Livelihoods. And it goes
still further - it promotes Virtual Social Tourism among the diaspora and those nations who avail of
their Lifework traded-services. Then further possibilities abound for a great Gathering to follow in a
celebration of those Cultures, a virtual festival of world cultures - available direct from Homeshores
direct from the Communities as they then come together in Co-operatives & Social Enterprises to
meet that growing demand, underpinning ever more Livelihoods.
And so we arrive at a more Caring World, where all the people of the world are seen to deserve and
be entitled to the respect and dignity that gives them an equal opportunity for a Livelihood - from
where they can build a fruitful life for themselves, their families and their Communities
SMART SECTOR: When you become part of it here at ICCO through your participating TSO
membership - firstly, you will be a co-member of those VoxWorld.Coop promoted ICCO Communities
in the social marketplace; secondly, you will be leveraging Universal Social Purchasing (USP) through
its VOX Labs virtual New Business Model with its innovative formats and community customisable
interfaces through VOX Franchise in Ireland; and, thirdly, you will be ready to buy and/or sell your
Page
68

own Content in customisable products and services at VoxWorld.Coop authorised Outlets, and
collectively under your own Interactive Community Brand name(s). Then it is time to present your
private servitised product offering, where VOX Franchise prioritises innovative ICT-based digital
products designed to release and satisfy your Diaspora's latent demands in this new social
marketplace; focusing on your culture as part of one great online Global Community Neighbourhood.
In doing so you will be availing of low-cost production in volume and with ability to outsource and/ or
offshore all or any of your required B2B business or B2C community services that you may require,
from Ireland, as an Social Innovation Hub, as you participate in this vast social marketplace
experience - all on a revenue sharing basis. There, the barriers to Livelihoods are gradually
dismantled and finally removed. That is the World that we envisage and can co-create with the
Communities of tomorrow, and their constituent Third Sector Orgs (TSOs) of the Social Sector. With
ICT added, we call it the Smart Sector.
SMART COMMUNITY ACTION: While we can only promote this new thinking, it's eventually up to
every Community to decide or not to take their own first step towards this new world. By first fixing on
a vision for themselves, one that captures the imagination of their own community alone, This is one
that gives them a unity of purpose that will then propel everyone into collective action, to work
together as one global Community....thinking different, but with shared beliefs.
A Community that Cares for others cares for itself, and somehow finds the courage that needs to be
embedded in their actions while together giving the great Gift of Hope to their fellow Community
members in reaching out to their Coping Classes to satisfy their great needs while answering their
own, with new Livelihoods.
Community participation
Community Participation: Dispelling the Myths about Citizen Engagement is a significant obstacle. A
recent Involve pamphlet (30 pages) counters five prevailing myths about Citizen Engagement:
1. That it is too expensive,

2. That citizens aren’t up to it,
3. That participation only works for easy issues,
4. That citizen power is a floodgate we should avoid opening at all costs, and5. That citizens don't
want to be involved, they just wish to excellent services.
A Social Movement to End Poverty?
"A Social Movement to End Poverty and to enhance Shared Prosperity? But how do you do that?
More broadly, how do you start any social movement?. It’s not easy." (Jim Yong Kim)
"It's not easy. The world is littered with failed attempts. The roadblocks are numerous - including
sceptics casting doubt, saying the task is impossible and that others have tried and failed. Why spend
time on a futile endeavour? But in nearly three decades of working to fight poverty, I have come to
conclude that optimism in the face of seemingly intractable problems is a choice. If your cause is just
Page
69

and you are working in an institution with the means to truly make a difference in the lives of the poor,
the optimism of the spirit is a moral responsibility......(And so) The greatest social movements have
taught us that with enough determination and commitment, extraordinary things can happen. All of us
share a responsibility to act in the face of inequality, poverty, and injustice. If we don’t act, nothing
changes, injustice persists, and poverty becomes more entrenched. I know we can build a movement
to end poverty and enhance shared prosperity that will change the world, even in these difficult times.
We can make it happen." JIM YONG KIM, Aug 2012 (President, World Bank Voice blog)
Ø Their Impact
Retail is the only way that offers engagement on members own terms – two-way, formal or informal.
While demand is drawn at 1,000 members per Chapter, the target per Outlet is 2,500. The minimum
number of Outlets target per Social Brand for customised POS is 5,000 for POS Dispensers, with
10,000 for POS Displays, Showcases, Shop’n Shops or Virtual Retail Networks. The StarterPak for
each Outlet is 4 dozen. The minimum point of sale (POS) space is one sq. metre. The starter value
per Voucher-card is 20 units (€$£). The share contribution per participating TSO member at ICCO is
€1.
With Retail, possibilities abound – only limited by imagination and effort. It presents a New World at
our feet, the feet of the Third Sector.
This is the point of sale, the point of impact for every Social Brand. It does not create direct jobs and
services itself, it promotes social brands here – sharing in the same visions of that of the Community
VOX branded content it carries. It's the theatre that creates the excitement and reach-out to the
Diaspora VOX and other co-marketing Communities. It does benefit from new jobs generated in
spinoff benefits of increased footfall, however – from attracting new business from the Social
Marketplace through participating in VOX Programmes, backed by ICCO (SCE), assured that the
benefits emanate out into their designated Communities it services and not upwards into the hands of
a few stakeholders.
15 APPENDICES
Ø S.C.E - Creating the Conditions to make it happen
Description:
Page
70

This European Cooperative Society (from now on referred to as ‘SCE'), as applied in launching ICCO,
will have as its principal object the satisfaction of its members' needs and/or the development of their
economic and/or social activities, in compliance with the following principles:
- where members of the ICCO (SCE) can be customers, suppliers, employees, investors,
or can be otherwise involved in the activities of the SCE;
- where control will be vested equally in members;
- where profits will be distributed according to business done with the SCE or retained to
meet the needs of members;
- where membership carries no artificial restrictions;
- where members will typically be TSO enterprises representing their own association;
Legal Status:
SCE is a European Cooperative Society (Societas Cooperativa Europaea), for which EU Statute
guarantees equal terms of competition between cooperative societies and capital companies. The
formation of an SCE is governed by the law applicable to Cooperatives in the Member State in which
the SCE establishes its registered office aka. ICCO (SCE) in Ireland. Subject to this Regulation, an
SCE shall be treated in every Member State as if it were a national cooperative. These Regulations
are cited as the European Communities (European Cooperative Society) Regulations 2009. The SCE
Regulation does not cover other areas of law such as taxation, competition, intellectual property or
insolvency. The Statutes of the SCE parallels the Statute of the EU Company (SE) (Commission)
adopted in 2001 but has been tailored to the specific characteristics of the Cooperative Societies. It is
the first and only European Company form which can be established from scratch and with limited
liability. Registration renders a Society a body corporate with limited liability. The SCE, like all
cooperatives, is a legal entity that allows its members (physical persons or legal entities) to carry out
specific activities in common while preserving their independence.
Autonomous Associations:
It is a European Cooperative Society, where Cooperative Societies are independent associations

made up of persons coming together voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural
aspirations and needs (Learmonth), through the means of a company owned collectively and where
the power is democratically exercised. VoxWorld.Coop acts as a metamediary, a go-between or
promoter of ICCO (SCE) for this purpose. All Community Brand trading will be conducted directly
through authorised VOX retail outlets worldwide.
The form of SCE:
An SCE will have as its principal object the satisfaction of its members’ needs and/or the development
of their economic and social activities in their Communities (Law E.-L. t., 22.07.2003), in particular
through the conclusion of agreements with them to supply goods or services or to execute work of the
kind that the SCE carries out, or commissions - where:
- The subscribed capital of an SCE shall be divided into shares, with variable options.
- No member shall be liable for more than the amount he/she has subscribed.
Page
71

- Where the members of the SCE have limited liability, the name of the SCE shall end in
‘limited’ (Union, 22.07.2003).
- An SCE may not extend the benefits of its activities to non-members or allow them to
participate in its business, except where its statutes provide otherwise.
Formation of SCE:
They may be formed in one of the following ways, per the legislation -
- from Scratch ('Ex Novo'), by five or more natural and/or legal persons resident in at least
two Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA), formed under the law of a
Member State of the European Union (EU), and governed by the law of at least two
different EU Member States;
- by a Merger, between cooperatives formed under the law of an EU Member State with
registered offices and head offices in that Member State, provided that at least two of
them are governed by the law of different Member States (FID Trust International);
- by a Conversion, of a cooperative formed under the law of an EU Member State, which
has its registered office and head office within the EEA if the cooperative has had for at
least two years an establishment or subsidiary governed by the law of another EU
Member State. (Law, 16.03.2016)
- A Member State may provide that a legal body the head office of which is not in the EEA
may participate in the formation of an SCE. This is provided that the legal body is formed
under the law of a Member State and has its registered office in that Member State. It must
have a real and continuous link with the Member State's economy.
- Where the laws of the Member State of the SCE's registered office so permit, the statutes
may provide that persons who do not expect to use or produce the SCE's goods and
services may be admitted as investor (non-user) members. The acquisition of such
membership shall be subject to approval by the general meeting or any other organ
delegated to give consent by the general meeting or the statutes.
Statutes:
The statutes of the SCE shall include at least:
- the name of the SCE, preceded or followed by the abbreviation ‘SCE’ and, where
appropriate, the word ‘limited’, together with
- a statement of the objects;
- the names of the natural persons and the names of the entities which are founder
members of the SCE;
- indicating their objects and registered offices in the latter case;
- the address of the SCE’s registered office;
- the conditions and procedures for the admission; expulsion and resignation of members;
- the rights and obligations of members; and
- the different categories of membership, if any, and the rights and responsibilities of
members in each class;
Page
72

- the nominal value of the subscribed shares, the amount of the subscribed capital, and an
indication that the capital is variable;
- specific rules concerning the amount to be allocated from the surplus, where appropriate,
to the legal reserve, the powers and responsibilities of the members of each of the
governing organs;
- provisions governing the appointment and removal of the members of the governing
organs;
- the majority and quorum requirements; changes to internal Statutes require a two-thirds
voting majority
Acquisition of Membership:
Membership of an SCE may be acquired by natural persons or legal bodies:
- Members who are legal bodies shall be deemed to be users because they represent their
own members provided that their members who are natural persons are users.
- The Statutes may make admission subject to other conditions, in particular: subscription
of a minimum amount of capital, or requirements related to the objects of the SCE.
- In some circumstances, Cooperatives may also have among their Members a specified
proportion of Investor members who do not use their services, or of third parties who
benefit by their activities or carry out work on their behalf.
- ICCO (SCE) may have among its members' Customers, Employees and Suppliers of
product and services but also Investor members who do not use the services of the Coop.
- Membership may also be lost, subject to conditions set out in Article 15
- TSO Enterprise User numbers can be determined by the number of Voucher-cards
purchased.
Conditions of Membership:
An SCE’s statutes may permit a company within the meaning of Article 48 of the Treaty to be a
member of one of its organs, provided that the law applicable to cooperatives in the Member State in
which the SCE’s registered office is situated does not provide otherwise. That company shall
designate a natural person as its representative to exercise its functions on the organ in question. The
representative shall be subject to the same conditions and obligations as if he/she were personally a
member of the organ.
Structure of SCE:
The SCE structure selected will be made up of a General Meeting on the one hand and a
Management Board of Directors with an overseeing Supervisory Board of Directors, on the other
hand, a Two-tier system.
Page
73

General Meetings:
First general meeting to be held within the 18 months following incorporation;
- members have in principle an equal right to vote;

- shall act by a majority of the votes validly cast by the members present or represented;
- shall lay down the quorum and majority requirements which are to apply to general
meetings;
- hold all other general meetings at least once each calendar year;
- the management organ shall be bound to convene a general meeting at the request of
the Supervisory organ;
- agenda shall include at least the approval of the annual accounts and the allocation of
profits;
- statutes of that SCE may provide for the participation of employees’ representatives in the
general meetings;
- shall allocate the surplus in the order and proportions laid down in the statutes, and in
particular, may carry them forward or appropriate them to any legal or statutory reserve
fund or provide a return on paid-up capital and quasi-equity or payment being made in
cash or shares.
- The statutes may also prohibit any distribution.
- Founder Members will constitute the inaugural Supervisory Board of Directors, as
provided by the Statutes, while members of the Supervisory organ shall be appointed and
removed by the General Meeting
Allocation of available surplus: The balance of the surplus after deduction of the allocation to the legal
reserve, of any sums paid out in dividends and of any losses carried over, with the addition of any
surpluses carried over and of any amounts drawn from the reserves, shall constitute the profits
available for distribution.
A general meeting may pass resolutions on items on its agenda. A general meeting may also
deliberate and pass resolutions concerning items placed on the agenda of the meeting by a minority
of members in accordance with Article 57.
Voting Rights:
- Each enterprise member of an SCE shall have one vote, regardless of the number of shares held.
- A person entitled to vote shall be entitled to appoint a proxy to represent him/her at a general
meeting in accordance with procedures laid down in the statutes.
- The statutes may permit postal voting or electronic voting, in which case they shall lay down the
necessary procedures.
- Conduct of the business of organs: unless otherwise provided by this Regulation or the statutes, the
internal rules relating to quorums and decision taking in SCE organs shall be as follows.
- Quorum: at least half of the members with voting rights must be present or represented.
- Decision-taking: a majority of the members with voting rights present or rendered, where changes to
internal Statutes require a two-thirds voting majority.
Founder Members:
Page
74

The founder members shall draw up the Statutes of the SCE in accordance with provisions for the
formation of national cooperative societies. The Statutes shall be in writing and signed by the founder
members. Founder Members will constitute the inaugural Supervisory Board of Directors, as provided
by the Statutes, while members of the Supervisory organ shall be appointed and removed by the
General Meeting. The members of the first Supervisory organ will, however, be elected in the
Statutes.
Shareholders:
- Shares shall be held by named persons. The nominal value of shares in a single class shall be
identical.
- More than one class of shares may be issued, at the different nominal value of shares per class.
- Shares may not be issued at a price lower than their nominal value.
- Shares will be issued for cash. - The statutes shall lay down the minimum number of shares which
must be subscribed for to qualify for membership.
- Each member is entitled to be allocated part of the distributable profits.
- Members may benefit in proportion to their volume of trade with the cooperative and not their capital
contribution.
- Shareholders will be differentiated at ICCO (SCE) through one of the following Categories of
Customer, Suppliers, Employees or Social Investors:
TSO Services Providers (Social Sector incl. Community Co-op Brands, Arts & Culture, Lifework, Life-
skills & their employees);
Retail Outlet Orgs (POS- Dispensers, Displays, Showcases, Shop-in-shops and Smartshops);
Community Hub Orgs (CATs, B2B services providers and ICCO Employees); Specialist Consulting
Teams Orgs (B2B E-Teams);
TSO Product Providers Orgs (B2C product providers);
Community Development Orgs (incl. Investors, Consortia, Patrons, other funders); Outsourcing &
Offshoring Services (authorised In-House Orgs & Employees).
Third Sectors Orgs, the TSO Service Providers, will be the dominant category of shareholder/ owners.
Capitalisation:
- The capital of an SCE shall be represented by its members' shares, with the minimum Capital
amount required is EUR 30,000; this is the sum below which subscribed capital may not be allowed to
fall, even as a result of repayment of the shares of members who cease to belong to the SCE.
Page
75

- The capital may be increased by successive subscriptions by members or on the admission of new
members
- Board may also retain on behalf of its members a separate Share Premium Reserve account from
retained earnings
Capital Providers:
- Founding Members, Founding Orgs and/ or Funding Investors, Inaugural TSO Org Members &
Supervisory Board of Directors.
- TSO Member Shareholdings contributions, to be set at €1 per Community member, with options for
other classes of shares for other categories of member, but all bound by one member one vote.
- Retained Trading Profits
- Social Purchasing Investment Fund, for Community/ Village Hub investment funding:
VOX interfaces content levy
National & Regional Gov’t incentives, with matching funds
Community Development Orgs, with matching funds
NGOs, Foundations, Local Gov’t incentives etc., with matching funds
Confidentiality:
The members of an SCE's organs shall be under a duty, even after they have ceased to hold office,
not to divulge any information which they have concerning the ICCO (SCE), the disclosure of which
might be prejudicial to the cooperative's interests or those of its members. An exception lies where
such disclosure is required or permitted under national law provisions applicable to cooperatives or
companies or is in the public interest.
Electing a Supervisory Board of Directors
The supervisory organ will supervise the duties performed by the Management organ. It may not itself
exercise power to manage ICCO (SCE). The Supervisory organ shall elect a Chairman from among
its members, under the statutes. The supervisory organ may not represent the SCE in dealings with
third parties. It shall represent the SCE in dealings with the Management organ, or its members, in
respect of litigation or the conclusion of contracts.
The term of Office
Members of SCE organs shall be appointed for a period that is laid down in the statutes and not
exceeding six years. Replacing the Founders inaugural Board within 19 months, the
Page
76

Supervisory Board of Directors shall be constituted of:
Elected representatives of World Chapters acting as custodians of their respective “Community VOX”
Social Brand and representing affiliated Third Sector Orgs and their membership: :
1. Virtual Social Tourism Director

2. Arts & Culture Director
3. Social Sector Director
4. Life-Work Director
5. Life-Skills Director
Elected representatives of Regional Chapters, acting as custodians of their respective “Community
VOX” Social Brand, and representing affiliated Third Sector Orgs together with their membership:
6. Africa Director
7. Asia Pacific Director
8. China Director
9. Europe Director
10. India Director
11. Latin America & Caribbean Director
12. North American Director
A Chairman will be appointed by the Supervisory Board. The ICCO Legal Counsel will be appointed
to the honorary role of Chairman Emeritus to oversee all VOX legal agreements in VOX Labs Service
& Consulting Providers, the over-riding SCE format agreement and all other agreement. The ICCO
(SCE) Promoter’s representative will be appointed to the honorary role of President Emeritus to
oversee VoxWorld.Coop Hubs & Outlets franchises implementation. The following regulations will
apply:
- The members of the Supervisory organ shall be appointed and removed by the General Meeting; the
members of the first Supervisory organ will, however, be named in the Statutes.
- No person may at the same time be a member of the management organ and of the supervisory
organ of an SCE.
- Of the members of the supervisory organ, not more than one-quarter of the posts available may be
filled by non-user members.
- Emeritus roles will be appointed by the Promoters under the Statutes on an on-going basis for
sustainability purposes.
- The Chairman shall call a meeting of the supervisory organ under the conditions laid down in the
statutes, either on his/her own initiative, or at the request of at least one-third of its members, or at the
request of the management organ.
ü Appointing an Executive Board of Management
The management board will be responsible for managing the SCE and may represent it in legal
proceedings and in dealings with third parties. The Management organ shall also elect a Chairman
from among its members, under the statutes. The Chairman shall call a meeting of the management
organ under the conditions laid down in the statutes, either on his own initiative or at the request of
Page
77

any member. The member or members of the management organ shall be appointed and removed by
the Supervisory organ.
The term of Office: Members of SCE organs shall be appointed for a period as set down in the
statutes not exceeding six years. For tax purposes, ICCO (SCE) will have the status of a multi-
national company, and pay taxes where it has a permanent establishment, ie. Ireland (Europe).
The Management Board shall be constituted of:
1. CEO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Executive Officer - R & R to include oversight of Local VOX
Hubs Projects & Management Teams plus Social Literacy Champions & Tutors
2. CFO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Finance Officer - R & R to include oversight of Local VOX
Hubs’ Finances plus Financial Literacy Champions & Tutors
3. COO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Operations Officer - R & R to include oversight of Local VOX
Hubs’ Operations plus Economics Literacy Champions & Tutors
4. CTO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Technology Officer - R & R to include oversight of Local
VOX Hubs’ Technologies plus Digital Literacy Champions & Tutors
5. CAO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Education Academy Officer - R & R to include oversight of
Global VOX College Internet Distance Education development programmes plus Social
Literacy Champions & Tutors
6. CMO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Micro-Finance Institute Officer - R & R to include oversight
of Global VOX Social Investment Fund development programmes plus Financial Literacy
Champions & Tutors
7. CSO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Traded Services Centre Officer - R & R to include oversight
of Global VOX Traded-services development programmes plus Economics Literacy
Champions & Tutors.
8. CIO: the ICCO (SCE) Chief Innovation Officer - R & R to include oversight of Global VOX
Outlets Programmes & Support Teams plus Digital Literacy Champions & Tutors
Each Director should be experienced in and selected from one of the following Community added
brand value areas: Cooperatives (principles), Diaspora (Global reach-out), Colleges (curriculum,
classes & courses), Fair Trade (SCM standards), Innovation (new ideas in traded-services), Tele-
centres (ICT access), Third Sector Orgs (collaboration) and VOX Labs (virtual e-business model)
The following regulations also apply:
- The member or members of the Management organ shall be appointed and removed by the
Supervisory organ.
- At the proposal of the Management organ, the subscribed Capital may be increased by the
capitalisation of all or part of the reserves available for distribution, following a decision of the general
meeting, under the quorum and majority requirements for an amendment of the statutes. New shares
shall be awarded to members in proportion to their shares in the previous capital.
- Without prejudice to Article 33 (1) (b) the acquisition of Membership of an ICCO (SCE) shall be
subject to the approval of the Management organ. Candidates refused membership may appeal to the
general meeting held following the application for membership.
Page
78

Ø S.W.O.T - Discover new Gold of the Third Sector
Strengths: Under the Radar discovery
In the JRC’s European Commission Report (2011) as entitled - “Under the Radar: The Contribution of
Civil Society and Third Sector Organisations to e-Inclusion” by Author: Alexandra Haché includes the
following Third Sector definition with summary findings Defining the Third Sector (Alexandra Hache &
Clara Centeno, 2011)
“The arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. [...]. It
commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of
formality, autonomy and power” (Change, 2007) (The Centre for Civil Society at the London School of
Economics)
Summary of Findings:
“Social Innovation carried out by the Third Sector has the following characteristics:
a) -it is implemented by individuals who are not motivated by monetary profit;

b) -it can cover and supply services and solutions that tackle social needs;
c) it can provide solutions to specific needs of small groups of citizens which are not covered by
the commercial and public sectors;
d) it can experiment with alternative pathways and has an associated right to fail and learn from
its mistakes.“
And the report focuses on ICT here, where the: “TSO (Third Sector Orgs) …. study has also shown
the importance of taking into account as key actors those TSOs, which are “Under the Radar”: the
large numbers of small, medium and/or ephemeral organizations in this category that not only shape
the variety, richness and heterogeneity of the Third Sector, but they also enable experimentation,
innovation and exploration of new uses, training and development (of ICT) by citizens. Their
identification, definition and analysis constitute a challenging new field of research that should be
scrutinised. Any reflection on the socio-economic importance of the third sector would be incomplete
without an account of both legally-formalised TSOs and informal TSOs, which explore other forms of
self-organisation and autonomy."
Weaknesses: Third Sector lags behind
The ICCO (SCE) is dedicated to Third Sector content providers including Co-operatives, NFP, Social
Enterprise, Self-Help Groups, Volunteer Groups as well as virtually all formal and informal
organisations in the sector – being those TSOs operating outside of public and private sector spheres.
We recognise that the definition of Third Sector does differ too according to the region of the World
one may live in; where many separate it into Co-operatives and a Fourth Sector instead. And in some
countries or even Regions, the name Co-operative does not resonate ‘like music to the ears' due to
Page
79

bad prior experiences. Indeed there are many critical differences in the understanding of Third Sector
even between EU and USA, over issues about whether it should evolve:
a) In partnership with Gov’t (EU) OR Competition with Public & Private Sectors (USA);
b) By reliance on public Grants and contracts (EU) OR seeing Fees as a central resource
(USA);
c) From a long history of leading to ideological competition amongst TSO Orgs (EU) OR as
a Self-Help & puritan ideology, a giving back to the community attitude (USA).
d) Either as a Third Sector embedded in a Social Economy (EU) OR without a concept of a
Social Economy, all orgs are seen as becoming part of regular economy eventually
(USA).
The concept of ICCO (SCE) is also addressed and discussed in great detail over past year at our
Linked-in group, The E-Communities.Coop, to which all Ageing Population and Diaspora CBOs are
cordially invited.
Opportunities: Knowledge Workers the new gold
There is a Global Shortage of e-Skilled workers today in the order of many tens of millions, of which
about.30 million are in ICT field alone – and compounded by a shortage of millions of Nurses,
Teachers, Carers and a host of other Lifework workers too. The age of the Knowledge Workers has
arrived with gusto. And Public and private Colleges combined cannot hope to meet that level of
shortages to bridge the ever-growing gap in services that now exist. Although the corporate world is
now increasingly investing in those gaps as led by Asian and Indian Colleges, they are also dictating
their preferred course(s) and sphere of influence in doing so. That direction, however, reflects for-
profit motives of the private sector only, a top-down approach that is set above the vast needs of
broader society. Adding to that complexity, global demand has switched its emphases - from product-
based to service-driven economies, where a plethora of new services-sciences education courses are
now starting to dominate within the private sector. In large part, of course, this reflects the fact that
consumers increasingly demand instant satisfaction, mega value and recognisable brand power in the
services. More importantly, perhaps invisibly, these services bypass the urgent but exponentially
growing needs of new, mostly unmet demands of the emerging social marketplace. There the
underserved have started to cross the social divide in their multitudes. Their needs are what others in
Western World already take for granted, healthcare and education services as well as jobs. Their
requirements, however, differ enormously in that they require more affordable services, requiring new
models of service, those with the capacity to deliver across new borders, through new languages and
customisable according to new cultures. These necessitate offline, online and smartphone options to
reflect their different access capabilities. And such solutions require radical Social Innovation and
dynamic Social Entrepreneurship on a mass scale not seen before.
Threats: A great need for Social Cohesion
Meanwhile, in the ILO’s Global Employment Trends 2012 (2012) it reports that: “the World faces a
challenge of creating 600 million jobs over the next decade alone (ILO, 24.01.2012); that there is
already a backlog of global unemployment of 200 million (SSRN India, 28.08.2013) – which is an
increase of 27 million since the start of the financial crisis in 2008. More than 400 million new jobs will
be needed over the next decade (London Business School, 7.11.2013) to avoid a further increase in
Page
80

Unemployment. Hence, to generate sustainable growth while maintaining social cohesion, the world
must rise to the urgent challenge of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade. That
would still leave 900 million workers living with their families below the US$2 a day poverty line,
largely in developing countries. The Report notes in 2011, 74.8 million youth aged 15–24 were
unemployed, an increase of more than 4 million since 2007 and that in the world as a whole, there
were nearly 29 million fewer people in the labour force in 2011 than expected based on pre-crisis
trends, with 6.4 million fewer youth and 22.3 million fewer adults. Outside of Asia, developing regions
have lagged behind developed economies in labour productivity growth, raising the risk of a further
divergence in living standards and limiting prospects for poverty reduction. Among the 900 million
working poor, there were an estimated 456 million workers around the world living in extreme poverty
below the US$1.25 a day poverty line in 2011." That is a scenario that presents the most significant
underlying risk to global instability today.
ICCO (SCE) paves the way forward to collectively overcome existing obstacles and meet the
challenges on the road to Community Development and better Livelihoods for all participants.
Page
81

Ø FAQ
Questions Answers
Q: What problems does ICCO (SCE) expect to A: It aims to alleviate poverty among the Coping
solve with “Diaspora VOX” Community’s added Classes, to empower participating Communities
value products and services, what niche do they through the promotion of Social Inclusion, as they
expect to fill and what does it expect to become? learn to co-create new inter-community trading-
services that generate sustainable jobs in
development of better livelihoods.
Q: Does ICCO (SCE) have historical and A: ICCO (SCE) is being created as a
projected financial statements yet? Collaborative Start-up by participating Third
Sector Orgs, whose revenue targets will be
determined by number and throughput of
participating retail Outlets of VOX Social Brands
worldwide. These Brands will be sanctioned by
incoming Board of Directors, and whose impact
is expected to reflect of the size of target Coping
Classes audience and the scale of their problems
being collectively solved.
Q: What are the risks and threats confronting the A: Fear of change in the Communities that can
ICCO (SCE) and what can be done to mitigate be reflected in a shortfall in the energy,
them? enthusiasm or flair among Third Sector Orgs but
required to create and sustain the momentum for
significant change in the lives and livelihoods of
the Coping Classes.
Q: Who will run ICCO (SCE), how are they A: A professional Board of Management will be
qualified to do so and how does it intend to appointed and removed by an elected
conduct itself? Supervisory Board of Directors representing the
ICCO (SCE) stakeholders and while observing
Co-operative principles in a corporate structure.
Q: Who are the People that ICCO (SCE) seeks to A: The under-served and disenfranchised in
serve, who are its competitors, and how will this society by filling gaps in the market for services
corporate cooperative organisation maintain a in education, healthcare and elsewhere that are
competitive advantage? not currently affordable or otherwise available to
them; those unreached by private sector models
and unreachable by public sectors due to other
priorities or lack of funding.
Q: What is the ICCO (SCE) solution to the A: A collaboration of Third Sector cum Social
problem and what are the company's capital and Orgs as supported by private & public sector
resource requirements? service providers and consultants, as self-funded
by Revenue sharing traded-services and also by
ICCO (SCE) Capital Providers, ref. 4.1 (16), and
its innovative VOX Foundation.
Q: What is the New Business Model for the A: A VOX Labs virtual e-business poverty
Collaborative ICCO (SCE) business plan and how reduction economic model, providing a revenue-
will it make money? sharing model for community participants.
Q: How does ICCO (SCE) plan to manage its A: Through leveraging capacity and capability
operations as it grows? from authorised VOX service providers and
consultants across private, public and third
sectors.
Page
82

Page
83


ERIU DIASPORA VOX: Wherever Green Is Worn

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

ERIU DIASPORA VOX: Wherever Green Is Worn

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

“ERIU

An Ethical Shoppers’ Retail Campaign to End Social Exclusion

How Building Bridges to Diaspora Communities can impact

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

8 THE DIASPORA APPEAL: Ask Global Ageing Populations ...................................................... 40

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

14.3 The Marketplace - Discover a World of Social Purchasing ................................................ 66

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

2 SUMMARY: End Social Exclusion through better Livelihoods

Why promote Better Livelihoods for the Coping Classes?

What is needed for such transformative Change in the Community?

VoxWorld.Coop promotes the idea of the establishment of a member-controlled Organisational

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

A VoxWorld.Coop ICCO (SCE) Collaborative Business Plan, the glue logic

3 THE COMMUNITY: First ask our Ageing Populations

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

So how can ICCO E-Communities assist this Awakening?

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

People without Borders

Global Communities engaging by two-way Retail networking

3.2 Dream their dream

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

Man-made problem has man-made solutions too

Where we appreciate, we respond

When we look around us, we just know what has to be done

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

3.3 Co-create and maintain a Vision for our Community

Going back to our Roots to re-discover the Future

1. The Greats in our Global Community

What really matters is what we become as One Community

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

Add Community value with Diaspora Communities

A ground-up, inter-community collaboration

It’s Your Voice, Your Vision – Communities reimagined!

Visions of a World that "could be"

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

The High Cost of Low Vision

And everyone has something to teach and something to learn

The key to the Future is all in the past

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

3.4 Identify and satisfy Community needs

dotCoop (.coop), the standout way to let the world know

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

ü Membership, Fundraising & Added Value Creation

Ø Traded-Services & Job Creation

4 THE THIRD SECTOR ORGS: Find Local Community Leaders

Creating a greater Sense of Community through books

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

4.2 The Champions

Light-up Our Village with E-Commerce

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

In the UK one in five people are Unemployed

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

All we need in 2013 is a Spark

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

Smart Villages World Communities

Social Sector World Communities

1. Formal - Cooperatives/ NFP, Foundations, Associations, Trade Unions, Public Internet

Life-Work World Communities

EriuVOX - IONA VOX – Europa VOX– World VOX

Life-Skills World Communities