nation1 newsletter draft

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nation1 newsletter draft

N A T I O N 1
http://www.nation1.net
global networks to connect and empower youth

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Dear Friend,

As you are aware, Nation1 is an ambitious but achieveable project to create a global online network of young people. Young people sharing experiences, problems and bright ideas to make the world a better place. Young people working together to effect change on a local and global scale. Young people influencing the decisions of global decision makers.

www.nation1.net

It may be some time since you've heard from us - we apologise for that. We will be the first to admit that it has been harder than we hoped, and taken longer than we planned. That we are children wanting to create something ambitious generates enormous legal, financial, logistical - and simply TIME problems. But while it has sometimes been painful, hard and slow, these set-backs are far outweighed by the experiences we have had as a team. We have met literally thousands of amazing young people working on incredible projects, learned more each day and formulated new ideas. This newsletter is designed to inform of this progress and encourage you to reassert your support and involvement in the Nation1 initiative.

Finally, we would really appreciate your help in translating this message. Please send any translations to us.

If you have any questions please contact us (your preferred language is okay!)

The Nation1 Team!
info@nation1.net

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CONTENTS:

Bringing you up to speed: hightlights in Nation1's history.
Nation1 structure
Action opportunities: what you can do NOW!
How young people can join our project team!
Adult assistance required...
Sponsorship opportunties
How to contact us.
Newsletter admin

Aug 1997: Nation1 is dreamt up by an international group of young people, connected and communicating over the Internet.

Nov 1998: Junior Summit '98 was held by the Media Lab at MIT (http://www.media.mit.edu). A declaration of Nation1 was read to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Jan 1999: A new 25-member project team, formed out of JrSummit delegates, meets online to begin planning Nation1.

May 1999: 11 representatives of Nation1 attend the Hague Appeal for Peace to meet with other young people developing projects to empower youth.

1999: Nation1 representatives attend numerous other events to get a better picture of what is already 'out there' and garner support. We travel to Puerto Rico to meet with educators, to Arizona to meet youth leaders, and to New York City to meet world leaders.

Dec 1999: Nation1 expands the project team and divides into 10 taskgroups.

Jan 2000: Nation1 representatives speak at the White House Milennium Celebrations in Washington.

May 2000: the Nation1 Foundation Inc is formed in NYC to act as a legal base for Nation1 activities.

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THE CURRENT STRUCTURE OF NATION1

Nation1.net itself will be an online community with a unique structure. Not only will the citizens actively contribute to the content of the site (posting news articles, and photos, and moderating chat discussions), but they will democratically elect citizens to administrative posts. The site will go live later this year.

Building the Nation1.net community is quite a challenge. Working on Nation1 are 10 teams of young people aged around 12-22 (mainly 15-16). Each team is focusing on a different area of the site: from communications tools such as chat, to the online media center, to the online polling area. Since January, the teams have been designing their area, brainstorming features and mocking up 'screen shots'. Now, they are beginning to develop content partnerships with other organisations to ensure Nation1 is full of relevant and helpful information and links when it goes live. Three other groups are working on the day to day operation of Nation1 - Fundraising, Promotion/Outreach and Technical Coordination.

We are also supported by our friends at the MIT Media Lab. In particular, Warren Sack has joined Nation1 as Research Scientist. We also hope that our volunteer teams and MIT involvement will soon be complemented by a very small full-time staff.

You won't be able to become a citizen of Nation1 until after our online community at nation1.net goes live later this year. However, we'll be sure to keep in touch and let you know as soon as citizenship registration begins.

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ACTION OPPORTUNITIES: WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW!

We know you don't really want to know about our boring progress - you want to jump onto the Nation1.net online community network NOW and start making a difference. However, even though you can't access the site yet doesn't mean you can't find some way to contribute your energies to a good cause - or make your voice felt.

Here are some action opportunities you can do NOW!:

1) In October 2000, the world's attention will be on Sydney, Australia. No, it's not the Olympics. It's the International Youth Parliament! Community Aid Abroad/Oxfam Australia are hosting this mammoth event which will bring together two young people (aged 15-28) from every country in the world for a ten days. The program of IYP2000 will contain debate and discussion of policy and advocacy issues, talks from inspirational speakers, advice from decision-makers, opportunities to develop strategies for local action and access to training in the knowledge and skills appropriate for social change. IYP is even working with Nation1 on an online version fo the parliament! :)

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON MAY 30th 2000! So you'll need act fast!
More information is at http://www.caa.org.au/parliament/

2) Ever felt like your view is IGNORED? Have you got something decision makers should hear? In our socities, adults often look at statistics on youth 'issues' and find only problems. Then they develop a solution. (Without asking a single young person). Have your say: participate in the develop of the Global Youth Platform, a project to create a set of policy ideas by youth for youth in each country around the world. This effort is being coordinated by Nation1's associates at the Global Youth Action Network. Visit them and SPEAK UP! at http://www.youthlink.org

3) Need more action opportunties? GYAN is the place to go. Calenders of youth events, a massive database of youth organisations -- always plenty to do. The address again? http://www.youthlink.org

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HOW YOUNG PEOPLE CAN JOIN OUR PROJECT TEAM!

Right now, we are looking for more taskforce members, particularly young people with significant and demonstrated experience with:

computer programming and web development. Our emphasis is with Java servlet programming.
web-design
fundraising and funds management
press release writing, video production or public speaking

Volunteers must make a firm committment to the project, but will find the work stimulating, challenging and rewarding. Involvement in Nation1 requires high personal motivation and initiative as participation is primarily self-directed. Youth participants will be working with a growing number of particularly well known and respected adult mentors, experts in the technology, business, cultural or developmental fields.

Prospective project team participants can send a resume to Maitreyi Doshi at maitreyi@jrsummit.net. Ensure you mention your areas of interest in working with the Project, eg. Programming, Content production Publicity, Fundraising.

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WE NEED ADULT ASSISTANCE!

Where possible we are attempting to match our highly capable young taskforce members with an adult 'expert'. We have a range of adults who have pledged to work with the youth volunteers, including experts in online communities, programming, webdesign, internet law, non-profit management, fundraising, funds management, publicity and education. However, we feel it is best to have a very high ratio of mentors to youth so that each young person can draw on the advice of a number of experts. Therefore, we require many more adult advisors, particularly in:

financial management
non-profit management
video production

(but also all of the above)

Adults are welcome to work within Nation1 as much or as little as they wish and have time for. We do not ask for any minimum level of involvement, but do hope you can make a regular committment. To get involved, contact Maitreyi Doshi at maitreyi@nation1.net with a resume. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Nation1's current funding requests will allow us to fully resource our project. Our requested budget covers primarily some computer hardware, staff, rent, bandwidth, travel and promotion costs. You can support Nation1 with in-kind product donations, or with cash.

Supporting Nation1 is an attractive and unique opportunity for your organisation/company to demonstrate global good citizenship, particularly to an audience of youth that will be tomorrow (let alone today's) leaders. A sponsorship 'partnership' can be mutually beneficial for both Nation1 and the donor.

Dontions to Nation1 are also tax-deductable. More information can be obtained from Nick Moraitis (e-mail nick@nation1.net).

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HOW TO CONTCT US:

Look us up on the web: http://www.nation1.net
E-mail us in your preferred language: info@nation1.net

OR TRY MORE OLD-FASHIONED WAYS...
Warren Sack, Nation1
c/o MIT Media Laboratory
20 Ames St, room E15-120c
Cambridge, MA 02139
UNITED STATES
(e-mail us for phone and fax details)

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NEWSLETTER ADMIN:

This e-mail is being sent to you because you/or someone using your e-mail address signed up to the Nation1 annoucement newsletter list, most probably by filling in the form at http://www.nation1.net/ or http://www.nation1.net/main.htm

This is a very low-volume mailing list. It carries at most 10 messages a year (there has only been 2 over the last year). However, if you want to unsubscribe it is easy. Simply send a message with a blank subject to: "majordomo@nation1.net" with the words "unsubscribe announce" in the first line of the body of the message. Ensure you are sending from the same e-mail account that you are receiving this message from.

This newsletter is copyright 2000: nation1

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