livingbytruth November 21, 2010

I add my voice to those of my Minciu Sodas friends Kennedy Owino, Samwel Kongere, and Franz Nahrada, who have already replied  to your email about doing an archiving project and funding it through Kickstarter (I have copied a shortened version of your email below and highlighted it).

I would support the creation of the archive for various reasons.

Not philanthropy

My contribution to the archive project will not be a part of my normal charitable giving.

In some ways it is hard for me to say openly, in front of so many of our friends in Africa, that I will respond to your request, when I do not normally respond to direct individual requests for financial help made through Minciu Sodas. People often ask for individual help with all kinds of urgent family and community expenses. Perhaps they will wonder how can I support you if I have not supported all of them? It is not something I can easily explain. Will people understand if I say it is partly because I am not in Minciu Sodas as a philanthropist? (What if I try to explain that there are some places, and people, in Nigeria that I simply do not want to go back to because of the mismatch between who I am and who people expect me to be in terms of deep pockets, and responding to immediate needs? Will they understand then? Perhaps only those who know both cultures can understand.)

Even if I was a philanthropist and I had the deep pockets necessary to respond to repeated requests for financial help through Minciu Sodas would I do so?  Would I respond to all requests? How would I judge between them? Would Minciu Sodas be the best channel to direct my charitable giving? I don't know.

Minciu Sodas was home to me, for my non-formal post-graduate studies

I came to Minciu Sodas for the opportunity to think. In some ways there was huge overlap, between your views of Mincius Sodas, Andrius,  and mine, but in other ways we had differences, which we sometimes discussed. You (its founder) saw it as a laboratory and a potential business, while I (a participant) saw it as a kind of non-formal university. For me it was an online home and study centre for self-directed learners - place where I was encouraged to "think out loud". Other people in Minciu Sodas found other things there.

I found it to be true to the name you gave to it "Minciu Sodas" - Orchard of Thoughts. I wrote some of my thoughts  while I was there, but, more importantly to me, I participated in and observed the amazing, groundbreaking, global, online community that you created and nurtured - like a farmer creating and tending an orchard.  I believe you will see it bearing fruit, but perhaps not in the ways that you originally expected and hoped.

Support from alumni

It is perfectly normal for universities to approach alumni for financial support (especially when the university is building a new library, or buying some precious archive, or setting up some new research facility). Given I see myself in that relationship to Minciu Sodas I am happy to be approached to contribute to your work on the archive (which I see as a combination of library, archive, and innovative research tool).

I will contribute to the archive fund in appreciation of what Minciu Sodas has given me, and because I believe it will be a unique and valuable resource, both to those who were part of it, and also as a mine of information for researchers  who come later - especially if they are interested in socio-technology and the development of successful online communities.

Additional information

You have also asked for additional information from us about the value of Minciu Sodas. I cannot begin to do justice to that here. Maybe we can have a separate conversation (or series of conversations) about it. I would also welcome the chance to explore ways in which things that I am doing, planning, and thinking about now may complement things you are doing, planning, and thinking about.

Pamela