Moving forward: new steps for our foundation 48percent.org
Written by Roelinda Klip on 15th November 2019
Although the idea for the foundation has been around for a while, 48percent.org was officially founded last week when the new board signed the statutes. Recently the foundation also became an official partner of War Child. With these moves, the young foundation is taking the next steps towards globally available communication.
Organizations with a larger purpose
48percent.org stems from the two Groningen-based companies Voys and Devhouse Spindle, founded by internet entrepreneur Mark Vletter. The organizations are purpose-driven, which means that there are larger goals being worked towards next to economic results. Our shared goal is to promote access to free communication and information. This goal is pursued in many different ways; through how our products are made, the way we interact with customers, and even the way we are organized, which is without managers or functions but through self-organization.
The World Wide Web, but not for everyone
The idea for 48percent.org originated in 2017 from a wish to also contribute to the purpose on a non-profit basis. The foundation has a part of the revenue and employee hours at its disposal to realize this. The name of the foundation wasn’t just randomly chosen: when the idea first came to be, around 48 percent of the world population didn’t have access to the internet. In our opinion, access to communication and information is the basis for equal opportunities and thus for bringing equality to the world. There are multiple obstacles when it comes to this, like access and connectivity, but also affordability and the lack of the right knowledge and skills. 48percent.org is involved in eliminating these obstacles. And, since last week, as an official foundation!
The signing of the statutes by Voys, Devhouse Spindle, and 48percent.org
Partnership with War Child
Next to the official founding part, 48percent.org also has formed its first official partnership. By supporting the Can’t Wait to Learn education program of War Child, children in conflict zones are provided with lessons via interactive games on tablets. Pollien van Keulen, spokeswoman of the foundation:
“Education is an important way for how knowledge and skills for using the internet can be developed. There is an extra digital skill within Can’t Wait to Learn: children learn to work with tablets, thus becoming confident with digital devices.”
The power of working together
As a young foundation, there is a lot of searching, discovering, and pioneering happening. Van Keulen hopes to find other parties that want to work towards achieving the same goal:
“We know a lot about communication technology, yet we are relative new-comers within the nonprofit world. But we believe in the power of collaboration. Access to communication and information is a global issue that an enormous group of companies, non-profits, and experts are working on. It doesn’t matter to us who contributes if it makes the world more equal. We are searching for possibilities for us to contribute, through, for example, forming partnerships with War Child and contributing knowledge or money.”
The foundation is actively searching for new partners that believe in this mission. If you are interested in joining their efforts, have ideas of what the foundation can do next, or want more information, join them for a cup of coffee. They also hope to come into contact with relevant and interested parties through their new website www.48percent.org.
Your thoughts
No comments so far