Seeking Part-Time Writer for The Humanity Campaign

Seeking Part-Time Writer

The Humanity Campaign is a start-up non-profit organization based in Durham, North Carolina. Its mission is to reduce poverty and hunger in developing countries by working to increase access to education, healthcare, nutrition, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity in North Carolina and in developing countries.

The organization wishes to begin to publish content in its web site in order to raise its profile as a contributor within the field of sustainable development. To accomplish this goal, The Humanity Campaign is seeking an individual to research and write content for its web site at www.humanitycampaign.org and build a network of sources and writers in developing countries.

Topics that can be written about include, but are not limited to:

• Appropriate Technology


• Civil Conflict


• Compassion and Dignity


• Corruption


• Direct & Bilateral Aid


• Economics


• Education


• Efforts of NGOs


• Energy, Food, & Water


• Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurs


• Environmental Sustainability


• Financial Systems & Exchanges


• Genocide


• Government, elections & democracy


• Healthcare & Medicine


• History


• Human Rights


• ICT (Internet, Mobile)


• Microfinance


• Motivation


• People Changing the World


• Poverty & Prosperity


• Private Enterprise


• Human Psychology


• Public Policy


• Religion & Faith


• Social Entrepreneurship


• The Rule of Law


• Trade & Investment


• Transparency


• Trends


• War & Peace


• Youth
  

Organizations that can be reported on include, but are not limited to:

• Acumen Fund


• Amnesty International


• ASHOKA


• Doctors Without Borders


• Engineers Without Borders


• Gates Foundation


• Global Giving


• Google.org


• Idealist.org


• Kiva


• Human Rights International


• Millennium Village Project


• Nourish International


• Open Society Institute


• Red Cross / Red Crescent


• Save The Children


• The Bookings Institution


• The Cato Institute


• The Clinton Foundation


• The Earth Institute


• The Ford Foundation


• Transparency International


• USAID


• UN


• UNICEF


• UNDP


• World Bank


• World Economic Forum


• World Trade Organization

Philosophy

The organization has a philosophy that all humans have equal worth and that equality of opportunity should be encouraged. It believes that economic development does not always lead to greater happiness or prosperity if it causes environmental destruction, dependency, or materialism. It tends to favor development work that is done through local stakeholders and is sustainable. It tends to favor transparency.

The organization chooses to focus partly on North Carolina as one can often make the largest impact locally. It chooses to focus partly on the developing world as there the need is often greatest. While it is interested in writing about any country or group in the developing world, it’s area of greatest focus is Africa.

The organization believes that we have the ability to end extreme poverty in our lifetimes while ensuring we leave a world that is environmentally sound and ecologically rich.

Through the writing, the organization wishes to explore the overarching question of “what are the factors that contribute to a happier, more prosperous society” and start to build a global network of individuals who are working toward creating better and stronger communities and societies.

The eight core beliefs of the organization are:

1. All humans are created equal and have equal value


2. We should strive to create a society in which there is equal access to opportunity for all humans


3. We should strive to live in a sustainable world


4. We should respect each other and treat others as we would treat ourselves


5. There is value in education


6. We should love, not kill each other


7. We should work to eliminate extreme poverty


8. There is great power in entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship to address the critical challenges of our time

Responsibilities

The individual hired for this position is responsible for:

Researching, writing, editing, fact-checking, and publishing content to the web site.

Working to build a network of sources in developing countries who can provide quality story ideas, photo and video content, and primary research data. We wish for the site to be a source of primary news and reporting whenever possible and over time be cited by others as a trusted source.

Working to build a network of writers in developing countries who are willing to contribute topically-relevant quality content that can be posted to the site.

Style Guidelines

Content should be written in a conversational style that engages the reader.

All facts and data should be fact checked and footnoted.

Sources should be listed unless information was provided on the condition on anonymity.

Biases or conflicts should be disclosed. Ownership of stock in any publicly traded company that is discussed should be disclosed.

All articles should have at least one picture within them.

Use of videos within posts is encouraged when possible.

Individual posts should be between 200 and 750 words.

Draft posts for story ideas can be written as drafts and saved until completed

The author of each post should be disclosed

The language that the posts should be in is English

We would like for a number of the posts to highlight people, programs, or companies that are doing exceptionally positive work in developing countries, especially those in the start-up, technology, or entrepreneurial sectors.

Examples of posts that generally fit the topical, style, and guidelines to be used on the site include:

http://www.ryanallis.com/the-opportunity-of-our-lifetimes/

http://www.ryanallis.com/1m-prize-for-best-developing-country-technology-innovation/

http://www.ryanallis.com/sustainable-capitalism/

http://www.ryanallis.com/the-superficial-luxurious-degeneration-of-america/

Requirements include

• B.S or B.A. degree from a four year accredited university


• Experience living in a developing country


• General alignment with the beliefs of the organization


• Excellent writing skills


• A high level of character and personal integrity


• A passion for helping others and making a difference in the world

Remuneration

Work can be paid hourly or by approved post. Compensation is market-based, negotiable, and based on experience. Hours and work is negotiable. Schedule is flexible.

For More Information

If you are interested and/or would like more information, please send resume, cover letter, writing sample, and work history to ryan[at]icontact.com. Additional information on The Humanity Campaign, Inc. can be found at www.humanitycampaign.org.

About The Humanity Campaign

The Humanity Campaign, Inc. (THC) was founded in November 2005 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by Ryan P. Allis. Originally known as the Anti-Poverty Campaign, the organization's name was changed in December 2007 due to the inspiration of Mother Theresa who was never anti-anything and instead always pro-something. She never once would attend an anti-war rally, but attended many peace rallies.

THC has supported projects in Guatemala, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, and Honduras to date. The organization has provided financial support to Nourish International, Advocates for Grassroots Development in Uganda, Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc., Clinton Global Initiative, Duke Engineers Without Borders, the Women's Center of Wake County, and the Millennium Village Project to date.

We've provided funding for interactive English-language courses for school children in Concepción, Honduras, supported the efforts of Jeffrey Sachs in Sauri, Kenya, funded the creation of a video documentary of a Nourish International trip to Najaf, Guatemala, supported AGRADU in providing anti-retroviral medication in Mukono, Uganda, and supported engineers at Duke University working on the creation of a peanut shelling and corn kernel removing appropriate technology device for use in Malawi.

The Humanity Campaign, Inc. incorporated on February 13, 2008 as a Non-Profit Corporation in the State of North Carolina. We have applied for and are currently awaiting 501(c)3 designation from the IRS.

The Humanity Campaign, Inc. is a multi-decade commitment. The mission of The Humanity Campaign, Inc. is to reduce poverty and hunger in North Carolina, the United States, and in developing countries by increasing access to education, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity.

Thank you very much for your support!

Students in Conception, Honduras being provided English-language training by Jody Heck of Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. with a grant provided by THC

"I will never attend an anti-war rally. When you have a peace rally, invite me." - Mother Theresa

A Mission to Change The World (Urgent)

While I am optimistic, I am somewhat distressed by the state part of our world is in today. I am distressed by two simple facts...

First, while we have prosperity and opulence in many parts of our world--49,000 humans, people just like you and me, die each and every day from starvation and preventable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, and diarrhea. Second, while we live in comfort, 2.7 billion humans live on under $2 per day.

These numbers are Purchase Power Parity (PPP) adjusted--meaning that 42% of the humans in our world must live a full day on the same $2 that you and I would use to buy half a latte at Starbucks. These facts come from the World Bank and the World Health Organization, respectively.

When I learned these facts in Economics class at Manatee High School at age 17 from an inspirational teacher Robert Fletcher, I couldn't ever afterwards pretend as if "I didn't know."

I've read a lot over the past six years about the topic of human poverty, global politics, and economics--inspirational books like The End of Poverty, The White Man's Burden, How to Change the World, The Bottom Billion, Globalization and Its Discontents, The Lexus & The Olive Tree, The Road to Serfdom, Atlas Shrugged, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, The Secret History of The American Empire, The Fortune at The Bottom of the Pyramid, and The Mystery of Capital.

I've come to a conclusion...

I want to dedicate the rest of my life to reduce poverty and hunger and increase access to education, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity here at home in North Carolina and the U.S. as well as in developing countries. This is not charity--this is humanity. We will never have a secure world when half of our brothers and sisters do not have access to basic human needs like shelter, food, primary education, and preventative medicine.

Personally, I believe entrepreneurship is an essential part of the solution--commercial entrepreneurship, public sector entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship.

But being an entrepreneur is NOT easy. The knowledge of how to build a successful organization isn't easily learned.

Building a new 'start-up' of any type whether a non-profit or for-profit is definitely not simple. I'm only 23 and I feel sometimes like I have developed the scar tissue of a 45 year-old building iContact to $10 million in annual sales.

It's truly been an absolute bliss to come in every morning and know that I've played a big role in creating 85 jobs. I get so much energy from being around our team. Being an entrepreneur is truly my passion. I love it, but the experience is what I can only imagine raising a real child would be like. What one has to sacrifice, to give, to devote to the effort is immense. I never thought it would be THIS hard when I started six years ago.

What I can say is that I've learned so much more than I could have ever imagined.

I want to share everything I've learned about business, about opportunity evaluation, about raising venture capital, about product development, about marketing, about sales, about finance, about managing people, about creating systems with as many entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs as I possibly can--and not just commercial entrepreneurs, but social entrepreneurs, corporate entrepreneurs, and public service entrepreneurs in every part of our world.

Writing Zero to One Million for me is part of spreading a message of entrepreneurial possibility and global social change.

I believe that every person in this world should have access to the knowledge of how to be an entrepreneur.

I believe that anyone in this world should be able to become a successful business, social, or public service entrepreneur--if they set their mind to it and have the right tools.

I also believe that IF the knowledge was spread far enough and the financial structures existed in our global society for anyone regardless of location or class to become a successful entrepreneur--our world would have the entrepreneurial talent at the grassroots level to address the biggest challenges of our generation--how to eliminate extreme poverty, get food to the hungry, medicines to the sick, and microcredit financial resources to the ambitious youth of our generation--so that they can productively solve the needs of humanity with their talents, not fight in political or religious wars driven by a lack of hope.

Thank you very, very much for your help and assistance. I sincerely appreciate your help and look forward to working with you for many decades to change the world together.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance whatsoever to you now or in the future.

Love, hope, peace, prosperity...

Cheers,
Ryan

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh

The Humanity Campaign: What We Believe

Welcome to the home for The Humanity Campaign. We're just beginning, but intend for this campaign to continue on for decades to come.

The Humanity Campaign works to reduce poverty and hunger by increasing access to education, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity at home in North Carolina and the United States, and in developing countries.

We believe in a loving, caring humanity in which that which binds us together is much more powerful than that which separates us. We believe...

1. All humans are created equal and have equal value
   
2. We should strive to create a society in which there is equal access to opportunity for all humans
3. We should strive to live in a sustainable world
4. We should respect each other
5. We should love, not kill each other
6. We should work to eliminate extreme poverty
7. There is great power in entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship to address the critical challenges of our time

The Mission of the Humanity Campaign

Below is the original mission of The Humanity Campaign as published in Appendix 4 of the book Zero to One Million (McGraw-Hill, January 2008) by Ryan P. Allis:

The Humanity Campaign was founded in November 2005. It is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We wish to increase standards of living, reduce poverty, and encourage sustainable economic development, especially in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin/South America. Our mission today is:

"To reduce poverty and hunger by increasing access to education, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity in North Carolina, the United States, and the developing world."

Our strategy for accomplishing this goal is to make entrepreneurship and business development possible for every person in every country, fight corrupt government and business, work with governmental and non-governmental organizations to enhance the business and social infrastructure, establish proper legal and property ownership systems, promote free trade and remove tariffs and subsidies, improve entrepreneurship and business education at the grassroots level in every country, and connect entrepreneurs, investors, and governments at every level so as to encourage the exchange of contacts, ideas, methods, and investment capital.

We believe that competitive market economies, free from collusion and corruption, are essential to creating an incentive to produce and thus are essential to a high standard of living. We believe that the ability to be an entrepreneur should be made available to every human from every country. To this end, we will promote not pure capitalism, but rather efficient competitive market economies that take into account those at both ends of the socioeconomic ladder.

We believe in promoting the principles of liberalism. We believe in a republic and democratic system of government, religious freedom, and the promotion of individual initiative. We believe there is a distinct and important role, though limited, for government, especially in the early stages of a country’s development.

We want to give the over two billion persons who live on under $1 per day the chance and ability to make something of themselves, create a life free of poverty, and provide value to society. Presently, breaking out of poverty, becoming an entrepreneur, or significantly improving one’s status is not possible for the majority of persons in the world. In the way is corruption in government and deficiencies in business and social infrastructure, proper legal frameworks, entrepreneurship education for those at the lower socioeconomic ends of society, and communication among aspiring entrepreneurs.

To reach this goal we will follow the below tactics. We will

1. Encourage and teach entrepreneurship at every level;
2. Fight political and business corruption;
3. Help build the business and social infrastructure;
4. Lobby for free trade in goods;
5. Help establish proper legal and property ownership systems; and
6. Connect entrepreneurs at all levels with investors and governments.

First, we will encourage entrepreneurship at every level. The skills of always improving processes, focusing on efficiency, and properly managing people will be important to all members of society. While not everyone will want to be an entrepreneur, we believe that it is a right of mankind to be able to start a business, create value, and if a business succeeds profit from working hard and intelligently.

We must democratize entrepreneurship and streamline governmental systems so as to create a society in which it is not just those with money and connections who are able to start a business. We believe that entrepreneurship creates competition in the marketplace, creates an efficient use of resources and distribution of goods and services for society’s needs, and over time ensures that the price of goods and services goes down while the quality goes up—thus increasing standards of living.

We must teach entrepreneurship in the villages, towns, and cities, and in the schools and homes. Often this will not be the type of entrepreneurship you’ll learn in an American business school. There will often be no venture capital, no down rounds, no initial public offerings, no option pools, and no seasoned executives to attract. Rather, we’ll just as often be teaching how to register a business in a country, the difference between a balance sheet and an income statement, or the difference between revenue and profit. We hope to be at all levels, from working with governments and NGO’s such as the World Trade Organization and World Bank to arranging methods of international distribution and trade for local artisans and farmers to helping write the curriculum at a new graduate business school in Nairobi to assisting with the creation of the first formal stock market in a country.

Crucial to our ability to reach our objectives will be the extent to which we are able to reduce political and business corruption in our world. While the majority of this has been routed out in developed countries over the past century, much still remains in developing nations. We must promote democratic elections, checks and balances in government, and the development of organizations that play roles similar to the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States. We must fight despotism, nepotism, favoritism, fraud, tax evasion, and financial manipulation.

The third part of our strategy is to assist in the development of the business and social infrastructure. There are very few entrepreneurial support organizations, effective Chambers of Commerce, or universities completing top-tier research in developing countries. We must work to encourage the growth and assist in creating the structure for such organizations.

We must help to launch research labs, entrepreneurship clubs, and tech transfer offices at universities, encourage an active Chamber of Commerce in every sizable town, and bring entrepreneurial networking organizations such as the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), World Entrepreneurs’ Organization (WEO), Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) to the developing world. Finally, we will work to establish efficient tax systems and with part of this revenue, along with revenue from international aid create a social safety net that gives a hand out for a limited time and forever a hand up.

One of the major problems in our world today is that countries continue to have tariffs on foreign goods and subsidies for their domestic producers, hurting the people of other countries as well as their own countries. Through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and now the World Trade Organization (WTO), much progress has been made on this front since World War II.

One of the most egregious free trade violations today, however, is being made not by the developing countries, but rather by the industrialized countries, namely those in the European Union as well as the United States. This is the problem of farming subsidies. The rich nations of the world pay over $320 billion each year as subsidies to their farmers while they pay just $50 billion in aid to developing countries. These subsidies create artificially high prices and keep producers in developing countries out of the marketplace, essentially relegating the farmers of the developing world to poverty and enriching the large agribusiness companies of the developed nations, while consumers everywhere suffer from higher prices. While a case can be made that some of these subsidies are necessary to maintain enough domestic food production for national security, many must go. The WTO talks in Cancun in September 2003 were the first step toward removing them. The Humanity Campaign will join this fight.

As Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto notes in The Other Path and The Mystery of Capital, a significant problem in the developing world is the lack of formal property laws. Without official title to their land, even if it is only a ten foot by ten foot slum, the poor have little incentive to improve their house and surroundings and just as important are unable to leverage this asset to obtain a microloan from the bank that they could use to start a small business or turn their wood panel or hardened mud walls into concrete or brick. We must establish formal property laws throughout developing nations and we must do this immediately. Further, we must establish legal systems that do not unduly benefit any party or caste, are fair to all members of a country, and take atrocities such as corruption and torture very seriously.

It will take many decades to build The Humanity Campaign into the foundation we hope it will become. There are many people who have dedicated their lives to increasing standards of living, solving the global problem of poverty, and encouraging economic development in the third world. We are with you and we hope you will be with us. For more information on our mission and organization, you can visit http://www.humanitycampaign.org. If you may be interested in helping us achieve our goals, I encourage you to contact us.

The Humanity Campaign: Who We Are

Ryan P. Allis, Executive Director

Ryan Allis, 23, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Humanity Campaign. Ryan is the CEO of Durham, NC based iContact, and the author of the book Zero to One Million: How I Built a Company to One Million Dollars in Sales... And How You Can Too.

Ryan serves on the Boards of Nourish International, Leadership Triangle, Junior Achievement of Eastern North Carolina, and Advocates for Grassroots Development in Uganda. He is a member of the Raleigh-Durham Chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization.

Ryan founded The Humanity Campaign (formerly known as the Anti-Poverty Campaign) in 2005 to work to reduce poverty in developing nations by fighting corruption, promoting technology use, expanding microenterprise and microfinance efforts, and instituting improved education, health care, and financial systems. Ryan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was an economics major and Blanchard Scholar.

> Learn more at ryanallis.com

Other contributors include:
Jennifer Monroe, was blogging from Mali and Uganda, now from Washington D.C.
Joel Thomas, was blogging from Argentina, now from Chapel Hill
Erin Mulfinger, blogging from Guatemala, now from Greensboro, NC
Carlos Toriello - blogging from Guatemala, now from Chapel Hill
Joan Moina - blogging from Nairobi, Kenya
Moffat Thomas - blogging from Gabarone, Botswana

Want to join the HC team? Email ryan [at] icontact.com and he'll add you as an authorized contributor.