1. Transparent Labor at mytinyukraine.org

    What problem are you solving?:

    One of the most striking effects of globalization has been the creation of an enormous population that migrates, legally and illegally, in search of labor opportunities.“What is it like to work in Dubai? Will I be paid? Can I get my passport back from the boss?” These are the questions lingering in the mind of a Ukrainian laborer, one of many, who is about to embark on a job-seeking journey. Yet it is very hard to find authentic answers to such important life-changing questions due to the lack of information about realities of working in a foreign country.

    Even NGOs that actively engage with trafficked persons can only get small bits of knowledge about what actually happens after workers take on jobs abroad. Because workers don’t openly come forth due to anonymity issues, the valuable lessons – such as typical problems and dangers involved – become secrets and don’t get passed on to the newly recruited, thus creating an endless cycle of human rights abuse and slavery. 

    Describe your idea:

    Migration is at its heart, an act of bravery. Yet we haven’t utilized emerging technologies to fully support it. I propose to move away from passive media campaigns to active engagement and transparency through the use of open source tools that can help inform those seeking to migrate. 

    Imagine if workers who came back from labor abroad could anonymously send SMS messages about their experiences to a Web 2.0 site like mytinyukraine.org. Then people thinking about taking on a job overseas could browse those messages and learn about the realities of working in a foreign country, only then making an informed decision about whether or not to take the risks.

    The following implementation plan is suggested:

    1. Set up a FrontlineSMS server to receive SMS messages (http://www.frontlinesms.com/)
    2. Store received and formatted data in a MySQL database
    3. Utilize Ruby-on-Rails to display messages from the database through an interactive website with a browse/submit interface

    What country will this operate in?: Ukraine

    Who are you?:

    I am a Fulbright fellow with a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.A. in Education working with a number of NGOs, including the International Organization for Migration, on migration research and counter-trafficking initiatives in Ukraine. Currently based in Kyiv. In the past I have worked as a systems architect/developer in the non-profit sector and have experience with community engagement. I strongly believe that creative thinking and an appreciation for humankind combined with new media and technologies can become powerful agents of change in the world and make a difference in the lives of actual people!

  2. Citybook of complaints

    What problem are you solving?:

    In every city there are all sorts of not good things: the broken roads, machines, telephone booths, old abandoned houses, environmental problems, which can be repaired or removed.

    Whatever people might complain, write, photograph, discuss, vote, perhaps even to raise money for the repair or renovation.

    It is even possible to install a few meters of radiation through the city, that would measure the background radiation online to Kiev (capital of Ukraine), which are located near Chernobyl, it would be very important.

    Even if the Ukrainian authorities will still be on the existence of the Internet resource, the people themselves can cooperate to solve their problems.

    Also on the site can be tracked most problem areas of the city

    Who would be interested in this site
    People living on in the area of the city, street, place
    Authorities that would track the most problematic places that would point to the restoration
    Just people who may be living in this location

    Describe your idea:

    It will be a social network with elements such as Digg and system for collecting money, where for every problem you can vote, negotiate, collect funds, to establish responsibility for solving this problem.

    What country will this operate in?: Ukraine

    Who are you?:

    My name is Pavel
    I live in Kyiv, Ukraine
    I work as a web developer(Microsoft platform) and Open Source solutions, such as php, drypal, mysql

  3. Vibor33 Russia Vladimir

    What problem are you solving?:

    freedom of access to information
    free speech for all sitizens of Vladimir and region
    participate freely in political and public life of the region
    Allowing independent NGOs in the region to freely communicate information about its activities
    mproving the skills of young activists of civic organizations in the management of information

    Describe your idea:

    Placement decisions and draft decisions of the Legislative Assembly, local councils, the regional administration and city mayors.
    Creating the possibility of negotiating site visitors.
    Analysis and structuring comments and transmitting them to the appropriate authorities.
    Formation of requests to the authorities on the basis of texts comments.
    Popularization of the law on access to information.

    What country will this operate in?: Ukraine

    Who are you?:

    Intellectual Movement “Lebed”
    www.vldlebed.ru