XplanaZine

Economic and Political Stabilization with Low-Cost Web Enhancement
Key Players: joint operations between nations, regions, military-civilian groups, businesses and non-government organizations

This is a step-by-step approach to a low-cost way to quantum-leap the efficacy of community mobilization efforts, and to assure that joint operations (multi-national or military-civilian) achieve immediate results.

A community may find itself unable to respond to or rebound from political crises, war, regime changes, natural disasters, or economic shocks.
Why? Safety nets have collapsed.
- Government-subsidized safety nets are both the most stable and the most fragile. They collapse completely during times of political dissent, war, or regime change.
- Association-based safety nets are usually locally or regionally-funded. If there are economic or political shocks, these, too, collapse.
- Religious or faith-based organizations sometimes have a destabilizing agenda and/or rigid structures that are effective in providing initial assistance to a community in crisis, but they ultimately corrode the glue that holds a community together by introducing intolerance and dismantling the structures and attitudes that encouraged cultural diversity and inclusion.
- International humanitarian aid organizations should not be considered permanent alternatives to local safety nets. They provide intervention and on-going technical-managerial assistance. Their ultimate goal is to strengthen local resources.

New alliances, new strengths through joint operations
- Multinational, binational (between nations)
- Civilian - military cooperative ventures
- Faith-based and non-faith-based organizations
- Inter-regional, representing urban and rural communities

Community-driven / community-centric perspective must prevail

Safety Net Construction

Procedures: Use a cost-effective, integrated web-enhanced technology solution which includes
-a- Multi-use, multi-function web-logs for collaborations, information sharing, announcements
-b- Websites for directories, library resources, training materials, white papers, technical assistance
-c- Portal for gateway to shared information
-d- Access to central server for high-level applications (accessed remotely from personal computers and network hubs using thin-client software)
-e- Information management / project guidance through integrated customized “umbrella organization” portal
-f- Financial services provided via outsources services — payments, funds transfers, etc.
-g- Resource bartering provided via e-store, e-commerce solutions
-h- Open-source courseware for online training and education // distance collaborations

What is created? What is a workable sequence?

Phase I: Information and Resource Networking
Philosophy: The primary objective is to utilize a joint / multi-national team effort in order to share resources, gain insight, enable programs to work effectively, and to train local and regional personnel. Sustainability is emphasized, as well as the development of productive linkages.

-Step 1- Directory of regional centers
-a- Identify cities or towns
-b- List key contacts
-c- List of services, municipalities, key businesses
-d- Profile the economy
-e- Overview of growth areas / challenges

-Step 2- Match Safety Net Components to specific elements in a community
-a- Health (includes water, waste treatment, shelter)
-b- Security
-c- Commerce
-d- Roads and Transportation
-e- Education and skills transfer
-f- Governance
-g- External fund raising

-Step 3- Solve immediate problems by facilitating cross-community exchange or barter

-a- Updated list of items available for exchange barter
-b- “Wish list” creation — prioritize in terms of urgency of need and possibility of obtaining it
-c- Terms of trade // create barter framework (contacts, products, etc.)
-d- Logistics — basic issues of transport and warehousing

-Step 4- Safety-net Task Force
-a- Assign Joint Force person to oversea a region
-b- Identify Safety Net components & the responsibility for each
-c- Joint Force person must develop Action Plan

-Step 5- Training and Transition
-a- Onsite training with access to distance expert who responds to specific issues, provides customized guidance
-b- Online / distance training
-c- Travel-study programs

Phase II
-1- Business Information Centers — Information partners work with coordination of umbrella entity
-2- Health Information Centers — Information partners work with coordination of umbrella entity
-3- Association linkages

Phase III
Political Stabilization
-1- Democratic institution-building
-2- Information access
-3- Transparency
-4- Anti-corruption
-5- Team-building
-a- Cultural diversity
-b- Conflict resolution
-c- Inclusion strategies
-6- Associations
-7- Harmonized tariffs and taxation
-8- Income tax normalization

Phase IV
Accounting and Financial Management
-1- Thin-client software to central computer for financial accounting
-2- Access to planning, analysis, etc.

Phase V
Online Financial Services
-1- Online banking
-2- Web-enhanced credit organizations
-3- Commodities exchange
-4- Affiliated services (financing, brokering, transport, warehousing, etc.)