Lee Thorn -- Jhai - Giving everything away

December 28, 2009

Dear friends AND board,

I hope this finds you AND your family well. I have some good news for you! I also have several New Year’s gifts for you in this long missive and a request for your cooperation and help. I think you’ll like this one.

First, I want to share something my first organizing mentor, Q.R. Hand, Jr., taught me starting in the 1960s. Q.R. started as a community organizer in Harlem in the 50s AND trained organizing trainers of trainers for years. Q.R. told me to listen for ‘ANDs’ AND ‘WITHs’ to show you how people are thinking AND do things. What happens when you pay attention to 'and' and 'with'?

Here’s my good news:

I have decided I want to give away everything I have learned in over 40 years of work WITH poorer people. I have also decided I want to give away everything I have learned over 13 years of cooperating WITH poor people on technological innovation that works for them because it was designed in part by them. I want to do this:

• smartly
• WITH you,
• not at you,
• by building on what you, our partners AND we have done in R&D AND implementing.

The jhai board is still deciding on some of the details of our next steps, but I can say now

• Jhai is a virtual network of people WITH good heart AND vast experience.
• We are transforming quite quickly into a sliding scale, nonprofit consultancy specializing in social change.
• Jhai is cooperating in the setting up of vast, linked virtual networks of mentors AND mentees, sorted by same language group. I believe we can do this for free WITH a small investment by an interested firm. We're planning with the University of Santa Clara.
• We are looking for partners to license the JhaiPC on a royalty basis or to buy it outright. We have engendered some interest. The JhaiPC2.0 COG/speed AND COG/wattage is the best in the world. We’ll help market.
• We will continue to do implementations AND R&D in Laos on a high impact basis. Even in Laos we intend to work WITH the forthcoming Jhai Association as they do implementations.
• I will no longer be chair of Jhai as of March 1. Now I do those things I enjoy most almost exclusively within AND outside of Jhai. I will not, however, ever run away.

We definitely need your help, including your financial help. I describe athe end all kinds of cool stuff we’ll give you as incentives, if you donate.

First, I want to describe the general problems we want to address WITH you AND our general way of doing things, so you can copy, help or consult WITH us. In later updates I will go into more detail on how these work in various development modalities. This thing is long and dense, so feel free to skip around.

BEING POOR FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE POOR

The fact is that when you are poor – AND I am talking here from first-hand experience – you have

• the least leeway for error,
• the least savings for emergencies,
• usually live in the most precarious areas
• WITH the worst sanitation,
• worst nutrition,
• least education
• least opportunity for education for your children
• AND are generally the most generous, kind AND cooperative WITH your neighbors compared to all other classes of people

You feel precarious AND hopeless because your life is precarious AND you you are likely hungry, even when your children are not.

If you live, like some of my friends,

• in the coastal areas of Bangladesh or in the deforested areas of Kenya or in the recently demilitarized areas of Laos or in the poorest villages of Northwest Uttar Pradesh, India,
• without electricity, without year-round roads, without connectivity, without in some cases even mobile phones, AND
• are very vulnerable to climate change through flooding or drought, soil changes AND the migrations of animals -
• you need help. You need it now.

I want to describe briefly over these next weeks, how you can use AND support kind reconciliation methods WITH poorer people to increase radically the effectiveness of

1. economic development
2. organizational development
3. technical development
4. financial development
5. AND increase personal development for both ourselves AND, when they choose those WITH whom we work AND play who are poorer than us
6. as well as, I submit, WITH people of whatever economic status.

RECONCILIATION METHOD DEFINED

Today I will focus on the reconciliation method’s definition. In the next updates, coming soon, I will fill in the blanks in all six areas listed above.

Jhai until now has done direct, innovative research AND innovative development work, often using information AND communication technology (ICT). We have done what is called ‘sustainable’ development for well over a decade. In well over 90% of our projects people on the ground are still making money. We combine

• well-hewn business practices AND
• innovative market research AND training techniques WITH
• state-of-the-art, appropriate technology
• Always WITH local leadership we mentor AND that mentor us.

The villagers AND slum folks we work WITH always win. They get what they need to get what they want. Jhai AND particularly I, Lee Thorn, as my wife sometimes calls me, The Eejit, have made plenty of mistakes AND I try to learn from these mistakes every time.

AND we’ve faced plenty of adversity. We’ve been faced by armed people AND run-away engineers, we’ve run out of money, we’ve dealt WITH corruption, AND I’ve been stupid, ignorant, arrogant AND ridiculous. Through this we like to think we’ve matured. We are, like you, blessed.
What do we do?

The short answer is we work very hard AND try to work smart. The next shortest answer is we work:

• dialogically,
• humbly as we bring our whole selves to the table
• by following the lead of people who live in the places we are helping,
• WITH the smartest investments we can make,
o ones that give maximum bang for the buck,
o ones that lead to greater self-sufficiency at the village or neighborhood level.

Let me break this down briefly.

DIALOGICALLY

When I got home from Viet Nam in 1966 I read a book by Martin Buber called ‘I AND Thou’. From this I moved through many other of Buber’s books. I then moved onto a book by Maurice Friedman, a student of Buber’s. It is called ‘The Life of Dialogue’. In it Dr. Friedman explained Buber’s works. I read this book several times, each time studying it from a different angle.

What I got from all this reading – AND remember I was a recent veteran from a fierce, immoral, unjust war who had severe post-traumatic stress disorder AND was acting out in various ways, including organizing other vets – was that if I slowed down long enough to listen to another human being my life experience becomes richer spiritually AND socially NO MATTER what my experience means or doesn’t mean. When I say ‘slow down’ I mean I let me mind rest a bit before I get into the conversation in the first place. I also mean I intend to hear the other in the conversation AND listen very carefully so that I can take the person ‘in’. I finally mean I take the meeting to be a spiritual experience AND I am very happy to have it.

At least for that moment I am fully alive. AND that’s the point generally: be fully alive!

So I do meetings dialogically because 1/I feel more alive; 2/I don’t have to understand everything, I just get to be there; AND 3/I get to know someone without judgment of them or of myself.

When I pull this off, I ALWAYS benefit. It also pulls me towards a new way of being, one that is less self-directed AND more community-centric.

HUMBLY

This simply means we take people how they are AND are curious about how they are AND realize they are largely just like us.

In our Reconciliation Method we first sit WITH village leaders individually, introduced by whoever invited us into the village. We meet WITH all formal leaders in the village or neighborhood, of course, but we focus on meeting women leaders AND businesspeople. We do this led by village people who are sensitive to village norms AND values. We never preach.

Once we meet WITH a few people individually AND visit a few homes, we talk some more to other people at the suggestion of the first set. In these conversations – individual or small group – we ask them about what they consider their most pressing issues AND problems. We try to get them to make us understand their problems down to the smallest (or almost smallest) detail. This is not so much to ‘solve’ these problems as to show we understand they understand their problems best. We later try to convince them to tell us what they think is the solution to the problems. I think that it is proven that usually people know themselves 80% of the best solution for their problem. Lots of problems do not need the introduction of technology. Some do. I always assume that they don’t need technology, unless villagers tell me they do. Heck, they may not even need me.

One thing we are doing at this stage is finding the best entrepreneur AND the most trusted woman leader. More on this later. It is very important not to try to invent any new wheels. We always try to acknowledge what is good among those things in the place that work AND build on these assets – whether they are human or otherwise – AND go from there.

After we have a day or two of these meetings, we ask for a community wide meeting. At this community meeting
* we eat a meal,
*then we hang out some more,
then we facilitate a ‘vision’ for the village AND
work WITH them on a six month (no longer, sometimes shorter) work plan WITH sure, easy wins in the front end.

When I say ‘work WITH them’ I mean we always bring our whole selves to the conversation. The point is more improved relations than it is ‘results’. It is easier to get ‘results’ once you have better relations, than the other way around. The other way around is often compulsion AND that almost never works.

I never go to these things by myself. In fact, I never lead these things. I always work WITH a local, connected, bright, experienced, technically savvy, educated ngo head or consultant who comes from the same country, but is not a member of a clan represented in that village or neighborhood. Also, we never let language be a block. All work is done in the local language.

What happen when we work like this are denser relationships for all involved. What also happens is effective social change of the highest order – people get better health, better education AND increased livelihood – on their own terms AND according to their own priorities.

BY FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF LOCAL PEOPLE

The one trap that is most dangerous is when local people say, “What do you think we should do?” QR taught me never to answer this question directly or quickly. Always ask the questioner what they think first. If they won’t answer make it into a joke, if you can, but in any case ask again AND again what they think should be done? Eventually you establish intimacy AND you can work together to solve the small sub-set of problems not addressed through the meeting. Don’t lead; follow. Don’t order; collaborate. If you get intimate enough to get in a fight later – AND survive it AND reconcile – you know you are on the right track. Pretty soon you can work your way out of a job.

Why is this? I could spin theories on this for days. What is most important is that we have shown this works well over our 13 year, successful track record. We’ve done sustainable projects for all this time.

PROPER INVESTMENTS

What is a proper investment? Well, a month ago I got a small inheritance. I first paid down some of the mortgage on our house. My wife AND I are now involved WITH doing deferred maintenance AND some home repairs we know will make life better for us AND are good investments long term. Finally, we had the best Christmas ever. I never gave so many presents. It was wonderful! But I did this within a budget AND WITH consultations WITH my wife. The rest I have put away until I have a clearer idea on what to do.

I’m no financial genius, but I do know that the first thing to put money is WITH people AND for things that are needed to protect current assets. When people are very poor AND you want to help them, it is best to work out a comfortable deal WITH them – comfortable for all parties – that maintains AND even increases their communities assets – their wisdom, knowledge, homes, AND businesses – especially their businesses – that benefit the most people. Who knows what they should be? The community itself, especially after going through the process I describe above. What do they need? Micro loans are good, but that involves organizing groups and risk management AND that costs money, too, considerble money, AND must be considered. What I think is best are small long-term investments or even start-up capital that is not necessarily returned, that increases smartly the assets of the community according to their own lights. This may start WITH schools or health or bringing a new source of income to a community or all three. My point is that if the investment is made through a community process as abovem our research shows WITH great assurance, whether or not it includes technology – the result is nearly fool-proof. An entrepreneur makes money AND community greatly benefits from the expansion of their asset base. All win.

Where to place such an investment? I, of course, think a brilliant move would be to invest in Jhai – either through a donation or help in commercializing our services or products. Bet in my board AND me. Bet on our allies, like Neurosynaptics or World Health Partners, through us AND we’ll give you world class accountability.

For a gift of $45 or more, we will give you a glow-in-the-dark ‘Sound of Young America’ t-shirt WITH a wonderful picture of a toy rocket ship taking off in the front. I’ll buy these from my son, Jesse Thorn, who is America’s Radio Sweetheart.

For a gift of $100 or more I will consult WITH you by phone or by Jhai Networks on whatever you want for up to one hour.

For a gift of $200 or more I’ll meet you for lunch AND give you two hours of camaraderie AND good cheer … as well as a good lunch nearby my office.

For a gift of over $500 I’ll do my best to get some celebrity – like Jesse or someone – to give you the time of day AND a few chuckles. I haven’t exactly asked them yet. But I will. We can make this happen. Money back guarantee.

We definitely need your help as we go through these exciting changes. You are the key to our – AND I do mean OUR – success. WE can help real people in real poverty communities change the world, village by village, slum by slum, school by school, clinic by clinic AND community center by community center. You can make a HUGE difference.

Here’s one last gift from my book of days:

Thwarted by poverty

It is not easy for men to rise whose qualities are thwarted by poverty.

JUVENAL

Just as F. Scott Fitzgerald and even Jesus tell us there is something “different” about the rich, we need to remember that there is something “different” about being poor. When poor, in my experience and in my observation, not only is the sense of possibility diminished, but also one’s special qualities become less accessible. Without enough to eat, for example, one cannot do anything very well. It is just as difficult to think as it is to do. It is extremely difficult to be creative. This is a problem for the all of us, since we are all connected in so many ways. It diminishes us all, not just “them”, not just “those others”. - LT

Please give via Paypal on our website www.jhai.org or to the address below.

Yours, in Peace,

Lee Thorn
Jhai Foundation
350 Townsend St., Ste. 309
San Francisco, CA 94107 USA

Phone: +415 420 2870
lee@jhai.org

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