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related: geotourism, ngos editing: [|Exploring Ecotourism]

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Makers of More
 A live conversation on unlocking the potential of communities through cultural, art, design, and technology solutions. Moderated by Emily Kasriel of the BBC and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
 * Streamed live on Dec 16, 2014 **

Panelists: Ken Banks (Ashoka Fellow and Founder, kiwanja.net), Joan Webley (Founder of Nanook Enterprises - Jamaica), and Pamela Chng (Founder of Bettr Barista - Singapore)

We live-casted a stimulating conversation by these all-star social entrepreneurs. Viewer questions were fielded via Twitter. Follow #MakersofMore for more updates!

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[|2010 Geotourism Challenge: Places on the Edge - Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destinations]
[|Ashoka’s Changemakers], National Geographic, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are launching an online competition to search for innovative solutions for coastal, waterway, and island destinations that protect the environment and strengthen the heritage and livelihoods of local residents.

The [|Geotourism Challenge 2010: Places on the Edge - Saving Coastal Destinations] competition seeks sustainable models from organizations of all sizes, individuals, and global corporations that enhance—rather than degrade—the unique character and beauty of oceans, rivers, bays, lakes, estuaries, and waterways, and the culture and heritage of their inhabitants. **Entries are accepted until December 1, 2010.**

"If you live by the water, or have visited shoreline destinations, you know the beauty and fragility of these places," said Jonathan B. Tourtellot (National Geographic Fellow; Founding Director, Center for Sustainable Destinations). "Coastal destinations are under intense pressure from mass tourism, real estate development, and resource extraction. That can not only destroy natural habitats, it can degrade the very character of the place. Local culture, architecture, scenery—all are at risk. What's more, the marine food chain depends on healthy shorelines. It’s up to us to keep these places intact, to continue enjoying them responsibly, and to learn from them."

A panel of independent judges will select between 10 and 15 finalists from all of the entries submitted in the competition. From these 10-15 finalists, the Changemakers' online community will vote for three winners, who will receive a prize of USD $5,000 each.

In addition, muchbetteradventures.com will select three winners from all of the Geotourism Challenge 2010 entrants to receive a free, lifetime, upgraded level of membership to muchbetteradventures.com, as well as access to services and mentoring to build and improve their adventure tourism product.

The judges for the Places on the Edge: Saving Coastal Destinations competition are: Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the World Conservation Union; Dr. Sylvia Earle, Ocean Explorer and Founder and CEO of the Deep Search Foundation; and Ashoka Fellow, Yves Lesenfants, technical advisor of the IDB Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN), as well as the social founder of the Programa Andes Tropicales Foundation.

“We are confident that this online competition will identify sustainable business models for the world’s coasts and shorelines that respect the values of geotourism, said Sushmita Ghosh, President Emerita of Ashoka. “Tourism can sustain or enhance the geographical character of a place, its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture and the well-being of its residents. We look forward to learning about many innovative ideas from the Places on the Edge entrants."

Geotourism is defined by National Geographic as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place: its environment, heritage, culture, aesthetics, and the well-being of its residents.

** Ashoka earns Charity Navigator's highest rating for fiscal responsibility nine years in a row **

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2009
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Online Thematic Groups
Working together for Sustainable Tourism Join us at []

New Opportunity! - The IDB/MIF from its Sustainable Tourism Cluster (STC) and Ashoka Changemakers got together to launch on-line discussion groups on different topics related to the development of sustainable tourism.

Said topics were identified after the analysis of the initiatives – coming from the Latin America and Caribbean region – from participants to the 2009 Geotourism Challenge “People, Culture and Territory” developed by Ashoka Changemakers and National Geographic in partnership with the BID/MIF (STC). By means of these groups we aim to cause the exchange of experiences and discussions related to the generation of new models for the tourism sector that favor the access to finance, technology, information, global markets and to new networks required to improve the competitiveness, social use and sustainability of the tourist proposal.

A new opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Inter-American Development Bank ([|www.iadb.org]) through the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) ([|www.iadb.org/mif]), has signed partnership agreements with National Geographic and Ashoka Changemakers with the intent to promote and support geotourism initiatives. The IADB believes that this concept is compatible with the improvement of competitiveness, social use, and sustainability of tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Both diversity and quality of projects submitted in previous challenges take advantage of this online competition as a means of selection of proposals that generate innovation and solutions to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of supply of small and medium businesses. The Geotourism Challenge 2009, with support of the MIF’s Sustainable Tourism Cluster (STC), represents a new opportunity for Latin American and Caribbean organizations to access financing for technical assistance provided by the MIF.

**//What does the MIF’s STC finance?//**
The MIF’s STC will co-financed ten projects under //The Geotourism Challenge 2009: Power of Place – Sustaining the Future of Destinations//. The methodological and technological guidelines that will govern the selection of new projects represent a wide spectrum of opportunities for organizations and companies whose products and services can be leveraged for innovation in the tourism sector. The MIF will invest between USD 300,000 and 500,000 in each project as part of its co-financing. This is assuming that budgets are properly justified for the goals and that MIF’s contribution includes the administrative costs of the project by a maximum of 3 to 4 years.
 * Projects that help to develop and to promote **innovative methods and market entry strategies** for products and services in sustainable tourism offered by MSMEs and community business.
 * Projects that contribute to the development and application of **geography and cartography tools** applied to the sustainable management of products and destinations.
 * Projects that contribute to the development and implementation of **financial strategies and tools** available to MSMEs and community business.
 * Projects that create new **organization models** of production networks in sustainable tourism.
 * Projects that include or are based on **information technologies and virtual communities** to facilitate market access offers in sustainable tourism.
 * Innovative projects in **social business models**.

**//How to apply to get funds from the STC?//**
next steps
 * 1) Read carefully the instructions of The Geotourism Challenge 2009 and complete the entry form.
 * 2) Then, a selection committee will evaluate entries and will pre-identify a group of projects based on the information submitted in the form.
 * 3) The STC will ask each pre-identified proposer for a more detailed introduction document.
 * 4) The selection committee will choose the final ten proposals that optimally respond to the needs of innovation and methodology required by the STC.
 * 5) The selected proposals will be announced as finalists for MIF’s STC projects in The Geotourism Challenge 2009.
 * 6) The proposals will be part of the final design process of projects supported by the MIF’s STC.

IDB/MIF opportunity to Latin America and the Caribbean Region

At present, the IDB/MIF team is carrying out the assessment of the submitted initiatives and in August, we will be announcing which are 10/15 finalist proposals of this opportunity for LA and the Caribbean. The design stage starts in September, when applicants will have to start working on the production of a final document. In December, we will announce the approved projects and these will receive the co-financing aimed at execution.

Timeline:

June 15 – August 15 2009 – Evaluation by BID/Fomin

August 15 2009 – Announcement of 10/15 finalist initiatives for the IDB/MIF opportunity.

September 15 – December 1 2009: design stage by applicants for the production a will provide technical support for the design of the final projects. In this manner, the aim is to guarantee that projects comply with the methodological and technical concepts required by IDB/MIF, as well as all the guidelines and obligations required by IDB to applicants. This stage will be finished with the production of a complete document for each of the projects (donors’ memo, budget, logic framework and acquisitions plan)

December 1st – Announcement of project to be co financed. Final approval and announcement of the project that will be financed.

February – March 2010 (1er quarter 2010) - Execution phase.

Consultants hired by IDB/MIF will be assigned to each of the selected initiatives to – jointly with participants – work on the design of the projects to be co financed.

=Competition Summary= http://www.changemakers.com/condenasttraveler/connect http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/500615

How can we open the joys and benefits of travel to more people and make it accessible to those who have been discouraged or restricted from exploring and connecting to the world? JOIN US in the search for the best ideas to encourage citizens from all corners of the earth to travel more and connect with the rest of the world. Enter your idea by August 5, 2009. WE BELIEVE that the travel industry has great power to inspire global engagement. ENTER NOW and tell us 1) how to encourage citizens to travel beyond their borders, and/or 2) for those who are discouraged from travel due to cost or other barriers, how travel companies or other organizations can best extend opportunities to them. THE WINNERS will be published in the November 2009 “Reader’s Choice Awards ” issue of //Condé Nast Traveler.//

//Elsewhere// //http://comunia.org.ar/blog/2010/10/intercambio-y-comunicacion-en-medios-sociales//

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