The generous support for Colalife from Simon Cohen of Global Tolerance continues. Simon has offered to host a meet-up at their London headquarters for those us who can make it on 16 December, 6 - 9pm. This is particularly welcome as most of us have never met! Numbers will be limited to 20. The following people have already responded to announcements through the Google and Facebook Groups: Steve Bridger; Simon Berry; Ann Holmes; David Wilcox; Tessy Britton; Ian Crawford; Ellie Stoneley; Steve Dale, Simon Cohen and Kate Andrews. If you’d like to join us please comment on this blog item or email me at sxberry -at- gmail -dot- com. Numbers will be limited to 20.

The meeting will be informal and focus on ‘what next?’ By the time we meet we will have the outcomes of the meeting in Dar Es Salaam to consider.

Here’s the first response to the call for innovative designers and it’s a neat idea and an alternative to removing a bottle from the crate to insert a ‘ColaLife Pod’. It’s been submitted by Jessica Ponsford, a 2nd year Fine Art student from Loughborough University School of Art & Design. Jess says:

My art practise is primarily about producing work to make a difference or raise awareness to issues in the world around us.

My design simply uses the negative space within the coca cola crate, sitting between the bottles in sets of three.At the moment they are designed to be
made out of recyclable plastic with a foil cover on top to open. They are also able to be torn apart for single use. I have produced the design with idea of it containing the rehydration salts, the life straw and other educational materials. I haven’t worked with exact dimensions as it is just an initial idea.

Thanks Jess. So what do you think? All of Jess’ graphics are here.

The ColaLife, Four Children A Minute video can’t compete with video clips of Barack Obama but it’s competing pretty effectively with everything else on YouTube. It’s number two in a search for Project 10^100 on YouTube. Second only to the Google video itself. In a Google search for ‘project 10 to the 100th’ it features very highly too.

Thanks to everyone who’s viewed it, embedded it, rated it and favourited it!

To mark the 2,000th viewing of the video we are providing the whole video for download. Right-click here and select ‘Save Link As …’ (6.0MB). It’s in mp4 format and so you should be able to drag it straight into iTunes and onto your iPod.

BUT please go and view the video online as well and if you have a YouTube account please give the video 5 stars, comment and make it a favourite . . . every little helps!

Thanks.

This photo was taken by Teseum - the original is here

Here is an update on the progress of the Coca Cola campaign. The headline is:
HEADLINE: Coca-Cola invites ColaLife to Dar Es Sallaam!

May 1988 - May 2008 - the first 7,305 days - no progress!

• May 1988 Had the idea while working on the British Aid Programme in NE Zambia that Coca-Cola’s distribution muscle could be used to distribute oral rehydration salts in developing countries
• I tried to promote the idea but made no progress at all!

May 2008 onwards- the last 180 days - real progress!

• 6/5/08 The presence of Coca-Cola’s Chief Executive at the Business Call To Action event re-kindled the idea. I contributed to the online blog saying: What about Coca Cola using their
  distribution channels (which are amazing in developing countries) to distribute rehydration salts? Maybe by dedicating one compartment in every 10 crates as ‘the life saving’ compartment?’ (original live blog available here)
  
• 6/5/08 I decided to blog the idea and then follow-up by trying to get Coca-Cola’s attention. The blog post is here.
• After the blog post I tried to get the idea debated on the BBC Radio 4 iPM programme. I was successful on the 3rd attempt and after getting friends to support the idea on the iPM blog (see below).
• 6-14/5/08 I was in communication with Coca-Cola but could not get past the first line in Coca-Cola’s CSR department
• 16/5/08 Heard Annie Lennox on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. She said We can distribute Coca Cola all around the World but we can’t seem to get medication to save a child from something as simple as diarrhoea and I think that that is wrong. At this point I decided my blog post wasn’t going to be enough! I decided to set up a Facebook group to get people behind the idea.
• 18/5/08 Facebook Group formed.
• 19/5/08 #colalife tag set-up in hastags
• 21/5/08 Interviewed by Eddie Mair for the iPM Programme.
• 21-24/5/08 The iPM Team worked flat-out to create an amazing feature for the programme on 24/5/08 and this paid off handsomely
• 23/5/08 colalife tag establsished in del.icio.us
• 23/5/08 The iPM Team received a Written statement received from Coca Cola - ‘willing to talk’
• 24/5/08 The campaign was featured on iPM (BBC Radio 4)
• 24/5/08 As part of the iPM feature, Eve Graham (ex lead singer - The New Seekers) sang supporting lyrics to ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing’.
• 27/5/08 Coca-Cola Reydration Project proposed on RSA Networks (RSA Members only)
• 1/6/08 The colalife ampaign was nominated for the New Media Awards
• 5/6/08 Telephone conference with Coca Cola’s Global Head of Stakeholder Relations and UK conterpart
• 13/6/08 Facebook Group grew from 0 to 2,115 in 26 days. Membership includes a ‘frontline’ Rehydration Project in India
• 16/6/08 Face to face meeting with Coca Cola’s Salvatore Gabola in Brussels.
• 3/7/08 Ran workshop at the 2gether08 Festival
• 3/7/08 Follow-up interview with the iPM Programme (video)
• 6/7/08 Coca-Cola’s Adrian Ristow sent his first diary note from Ethiopia
• 6/7/08 ColaLife Google Group established
• 6-20/7/08 Facebook bug did not allow Kate Andrews to be added as group administrator - Facebook Support contacted
• 13/7/08 Simon Berry interviewed on the BBC World Service
• 21/7/08 Kate Andrews became Admin of the Facebook Group (group size: 3,400)
• 29/7/08 Kate’s article published on Inhabitat.com
• Inhabitat article starts an avalanche of other artcles including on treehugger, trendhunter and many more.
• 3/8/08 ColaLife Flickr Group established
• 3/8/08 colalife.org domain name purchased
• 3/8/08 Aims & objectives finalised through Google Group
• 4/8/08 Colalife website and dedicated blog built by Facebook Group member Dave Briggs.
• 6/8/08 Facebook Group membership hits 4,000
• 14/8/08 First face-to-face meet-up of the ColaLife Group
• 20/8/08 Meeting with James Alexander, CEO, We Are What We Do
• 21/8/08 Interviewed for Common Ground Magazine (US) - feature to be published on 1/10/08
• 21/8/08 Responded to questions from El Mercurio, Chile
• 27/8/08 Facebook Group membership hits 5,000, Google group has 55 members, Flickr Group has 256 members
• 31/8/08 Article published in the Sunday edition of El Mercurio, Chile. This is the first the ColaLife story has been printed on paper. >>more
• 1/9/08 ColaLife banner ads made available. >>more
• 8/9/08 Facebook group hits 5,500 - the number of children under the age of 5 that die each day in Africa. >>more
• 12/9/08 ColaLife ‘Buzz Monitor’ created using Pageflakes. >>more
• 15/9/08 talkSPORT interview. >>more
• 20/9/08 Excellent ‘Before and After’ ORS pictures found. >>more
• 4/10/08 ColaLife featured as a case study at ‘Social Activism Online’ conference. >>more
• 19/10/08 ColaLife Video for Google’s Project 10^100 published on YouTube. View the video on YouTube.
• 19/10/08 Application submitted to Google’s Project 10^100. >>more
• 25/10/08 Kate Andrews writes ColaLife Wikipedia Entry.
• 25/10/08 Coca-Cola invites ColaLife to Dar Es Salaam! >>more

Next moves

• Following the meeting on 24-25 November in Dar Es Salaam, I will be doing 2 days ‘fieldwork’ researching Coca-Cola’s distribution network. I’ll be seeking out and talking to as many of the stakeholders as possible.
• Encouraging the prospect of trials of the concept in east Africa before the end of 2008.
• Seeking engagement from a multi-national NGO.
• Encouraing ideas and contributions from members of the various groups (eg design of inserts for crates; educational and awareness raising materials; local logistics; grass-roots engagement etc etc).
• On-going PR campaign to ensure support groups continue to grow.
• Event?.

5,500 children die every day in Africa before the age of 5. This initiative could save thousands and thousands of children’s lives through positive engagement between the private and NGO sector.

I just got a tweet from Julian (right!) to say that he and Steph (aka Georgia Wonder) will be playing at the American Embassy on election night. Why is this significant? Well the last job Julian did was the sound effects for the ColaLife video. Oh, and before that they were supporting Mick Hucknall. Thanks again Julian.

PS: Try and weave in a ColaLife mention into your set if you can!

Image credit: Rory McCann

Following on from last week’s excitment around our application to Google’s Project 10^100 and the associated ColaLife video, there is another significant development.

True to his word, Salvatore Gabola of Coca-Cola has invited me to a 2-day stakeholder meeting in Dar Es Salaam on 25-26 November to discuss the findings of their research into their distribution network which Adrian Ristow has been reporting on here. The meeting will make recommendations for the pilots* that will be carried out based on the research findings.

This is hugely significant. I’ve re-arranged my diary and suspended my no-fly pledge for this trip. Like the original interest and coverage from the BBC, this would never have happened if we hadn’t all been able to get together here, on the Facebook Group, in the Flickr Group and using Google Group Mailing List.

At this stage I only have limited information on the meeting, there’s been no agenda issued yet. But I do know that about 20 people have been invited, mostly local stakeholders. International invitees include DfID and Oxfam and someone from Harvard (who were involved in the research) will be facilitating the meeting.

Anyway - I need help with the planning. I’m going to stay on for a couple of days after the meeting to gather information and materials the ColaLife campaign needs. Your thoughts please! What should be on the to-do list?

* The main idea of the pilots is to see how the growth of Coca-Cola’s distribution network could be done in a way that maximises the impact on poverty reduction. This means we are going to have to work hard to get the ColaLife idea as part of the pilots but that’s our objective.

Here it is, the 30 sec video to support the ColaLife submission to Goggle’s Project 10^100 (10 to the 100th). Please go and look at it on YouTube. It’s a thing of beauty! Please can I also ask you to comment on it on YouTube and rate it (highly?). It’s worth clicking the ‘watch in high quality’ link to appreciate the detail.

After watching, commenting and rating - that should only take 2 minutes - can I ask you to do one more thing? Please send a link to this page to 10 of your friends and ask them to do the same? Very many thanks.

I want to thank the following people who have dedicated a significant part of their lives over the last 3 days to pull this together: Luke Berry (artist); Sam Berry (Animator); Julian Moore (Sound); Simon Cohen and Howard Lake for creative suggestions.

There’s still time to comment on the text of the application if you can.

Onwards and upwards!

At 19:15 BST the ColaLife idea was submitted to Google’s Project 10^100.

What happens next?
Google will now select 100 of the ideas they receive and publish these on 27 January 2009 and ask everyone to vote for the ones they like to see supported. The top 20 will then go to a panel of experts who will choose the five that are funded.

You can register for a reminder to vote here. Go on, do it now!

Fingers crossed.

The full text of our application follows. Our answers are in bold:

Google’s Project 10^100

Submission form

Have a great idea for helping a lot of people? Submit it here.

The first three questions are required for submitting your Project 10^100 idea, but we won’t display any of this personal data on the website or disclose it to third parties without your explicit permission.

Note: Please note that the information you have entered will be lost if you leave the page without submitting the idea.

Name

Simon Berry

Mailing address:

Address Provided

Email address:

sxberry [at] gmail [dot] com

Language:

English

All this information will appear on the public site as part of your submission.

Nickname: (How you want to be named as the author of this submission?)

SimonBerry

City:

Rugby

Country:

UK

Your idea’s name (maximum 50 characters):

ColaLife

Please select a category that best describes your idea.

Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don’t fit into any category at all.

Health

6 small boxes, 1 great idea…

What one sentence best describes your idea? (maximum 150 characters)

That Coca-Cola use their distribution channels (which are amazing in developing countries) to distribute rehydration salts & save children’s lives. 147 characters

Describe your idea in more depth. (maximum 300 words)

We (6,000 in a growing Facebook Group) want to combine the talents of people working for Coca-Cola, at all levels, with the talents of those working to save children’s lives in Africa to reduce the terrible death toll of children under the age of five.

Why Coco-Cola? Because you can buy one in the most remote corners of the world, but you can’t get simple medicines. Coca-Cola have built the most amazing, truly global distribution network. We want to harness it to ‘do good’ whilst they use it to ‘do business’: a compatible process; a win-win relationship. Their network comprises local entrepreneurs, linked to locally run bottling plants. We want to demonstrate that corporates can ‘do good’ and local enterprise supports social as well as economic development. If we can make it work with a global commercial player then the model may transfer to other compatible partnerships.

The problem is not new. In Africa, everyday around 5,500 children under 5 die from simple causes like dehydration from diarrhea. This has been the case ever since record keeping began. That’s more than 2m children per year, 4 per minute in every minute of a 24 hour day, in Africa alone.

Why not use an existing, sustainable, commercial network to distribute simple medicines (oral rehydration salts)? And get hygiene and sanitation messages to all the places you can buy a Coke. This would save thousands of children’s lives. It would spawn other ideas that would join up the private sector with the public/NGO sector, combining talents of both for a better world.

We think win-win arrangements work. We want Coca-Cola to do what it does best. Let’s encourage a link-up between global business and national and local NGOs to solve one of the most shameful situations on our planet.
297 words

What problem or issue does your idea address? (maximum 150 words)

We want to address child mortality in developing countries, focusing initially in Africa; this is one of the current UN Millennium Goals. It really is an indictment on our humanity that we allow so many children to die, day in day out, in developing countries. Most people in more developed countries have no idea that this is happening; linking publicity for the issue to a simple-to-understand solution explains the fast-growing support for this idea. One measure of this is the growth of the Facebook Group which has grown, from a standing start, to more than 6,000 members in just 6 months.

The other problem this idea helps to address is the lack of awareness in the developed world, in the short to medium term, that people in Africa need help to find solutions for simple day to day issues; not just when ‘disaster’ strikes.
144 words

If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how? (maximum 150 words)

The whole world would benefit from this idea becoming a reality: more children would reach their 5th birthday (this is a human right); birth rates would fall (when children survive, parents seek ways to limit the number of children they have); and the disgrace on all of us that so many children do not get the opportunities in life they deserve would be alleviated.

In addition, if we could demonstrate this type of partnership between a global multi-national and the NGO and public sectors, then many other businesses are likely to explore similar partnerships. This would go beyond ‘the usual’ CSR initiatives and show new ways of working for the common good.
112 words

What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground? (maximum 150 words)

We have already made a lot of progress and we now have an open line to the CSR people at Coca-Cola. But there’s lots of work to be done persuading the business people in Coca-Cola and so we MUST keep the pressure on. We still need to persuade a global NGO to engage. As with all simple ideas the devil is in the detail. The campaign needs proper resources to build on the voluntary effort to date to: build an effective PR campaign; work out the logistics without undermining the livelihoods of those involved in local distribution; do the design work required to get materials into Coca-Cola crates; engage with local health experts and practitioners on the ground; design and implement trials that get ORS and educational messages out to parents who need them; promote the whole concept of cross-sectoral cooperation to solve problems.
144 words

Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented. How would you measure it? (maximum 150 words)

When the campaign started our objective was to get this idea in front of Coca-Cola and talk to them about it. We achieved this within a few weeks and so our ambitions have grown. We now want to see properly monitored and evaluated trials of the idea take place, with business, non-profit and public agencies working together.  We want everyone involved to learn from these so that the methods can be spread and taken up by those working to reduce child mortality on the ground.

Reduced child mortality would be our ultimate measure of success and there are tried and tested methods for measuring this. We’d also like to measure awareness amongst parents of how to prevent diarrhea in the first place and their knowledge of what to do in the event of their child getting diarrhea to prevent death from dehydration.

142 words

I agree to Project 10100’s terms of service

Yes!

The following fields are optional:

You may also submit 1 YouTube video (max 30 seconds long) explaining your project. View video guidelines

Enter the URL of your YouTube video.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bj24ofyfr6E

If you’d like to recommend a specific organization, or the ideal type of organization, to execute your plan, please do so here. (maximum 50 words)

We need to engage with many organisations and expertise to make this happen but a first step would be to get an international NGO to commit to working with Coca-Cola at a global level. We could then drill down and make things happen from the bottom up.
47 words

Email me when the voting period begins.

Yes please.

If my idea isn’t chosen in this program, please contact me about organizations that are interested in funding it.

Yes please.

Finally, please note that you can’t revise your submission once it’s live, so make sure you’ve included all the relevant information before you click “Submit.”

OK!

=END=

Overnight I had comments on the storyboard from one of the best PR brains in the business; ideas on a soundtrack from one of the most talented miusicians out there; an offer to do the drawings and another to do the animation.

I downloaded the above ‘animatic’ on the train this morning. It had been produced by my son, Sam (Blue-Zoo), so that the musician (Julian Moore - Georgia Wonder) can get on with the soundtrack while artist (son Luke) and animators do their stuff. Thanks also to Simon Cohen of Global Tolerance for ideas and words.