Shake the Pillars

Ethical Outsourcing may sound like a bit of an oxymoron, but it’s the vision driving a new project from my allies at HJC. The idea is to put a social development face on the practice of outsourcing (hiring programmers in developing countries at much lower salaries than their counterparts in the western developed nations - also described as “moving jobs offshore”).

The idea is this: (from HJC website)

Imagine developing a global online campaign to raise money and awareness about the issue of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

It’s already being done by organizations such as the United Nations, the global fund for AIDS, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation

Imagine expert communications/fundraising/Internet consultants who help NGOs create powerful online campaigns to raise money, advocate, and educate on a wide variety of issues , including HIV/AIDS in Africa.

It exists through the work of niche western-based consultancies like HJC New Media in Toronto

Now imagine the same kind of consultancy, but based in Africa, and run by Africans who design and build the very same world wide online campaigns that are working to end the tragedy of HIV/Aids on their continent.

It should exist and now it does!

 

HJC Africa is a project to create a new internet consultancy, based in Africa, that works with international NGOs, progressive businesses and national/international governments on communications, advocacy, fundraising and e-governance using new media in the African context, for global campaigns.

HJC’s Nigeria-based partner in this venture is Suanu.net, run by Ken Wiwa, the son of executed Nigerian writer and environmental activist Ken Saro-wiwa. From his base in the city of Port Harcourt in the Niger delta, Ken Wiwa has created a network hub for internet and social justice campaigning and has assembled a team of web developers, programmers and graphic designers who can deliver top-quailty web and email products for global causes. As a social enterprise, the Suanu.net/HJC partnership will return a share of consulting profits to support local groups and civil society organizations in the Niger delta, where communities suffer ongoing hardships while oil companies reap huge profits and cause environmental destruction.

In February, I made a trip to Port Harcourt to help assemble the web team. The Suanu.net cybercafe in the old colonial section of town is the hub of Suanu.net, where internet users, designers and web developers gather to go online. The facility currently leases it’s internet connection from an Isreali satelllite company, but more local opportunities to get connected to the internet are available. About every third shop along the main roads seem to advertise some sort of cell phone or internet service. We succeeded in establishing team of talented local designers and web production experts.

Suanu.net will be launching its services shortly, and HJC is already working to recruit a handful of NGO clients who support the vision of ethical outsourcing, and who will see this as both a proper way to develop international online campaigns aimed at or speaking on behalf of African people.