Security lines wrapped around the corner as I entered the United Nations Plaza this morning. In every room and throughout the halls there were conversations taking place between individuals that were carrying the voices of their people & communities. You could feel what people brought with them-- discovery, hope, excitement and a deep desire to connect on behalf of those that they serve.
Today we were excited to announce the Learning Economy during a keynote at the United Nations General Assembly, and we are equally excited to announce here officially to the world!
The Learning Economy is a coordinated blockchain initiative aimed to create a shared value commonwealth to pay students of all ages to learn, teachers to create substantive course, and stewards to help us grow the economy.
During The SDGs In ACTION, hosted by IDLO and the Diplomatic Courier, our architect and CEO, Chris Purifoy, sat among 4 other keynote speakers to discuss the role of technology and blockchain in coordinating and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The forum hosted global leaders from the private and public sector, academia, UN Member States, UN agencies, NGOs, and international organizations, who lent their feedback and questions in an open general assembly forum.
In addition to Chris, we heard from keynotes Gary Litman, Vice President for Global Initiatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Deirdre White, CEO for Pyxera Global, Judit Arenas, Office of the CEO, APCO Worldwide and Former IDLO Deputy Permanent Observer to the UN, and His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamjii.
A roundtable discussion followed with contributors including Margery Kraus, Executive Chairman, APCO Worldwide, Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Executive Director, Smithsonian Science Education Center, and Manjula Dissanayake, Executive Director, Educate Lanka Foundation. A general theme discussed was the critical need for better coordinating systems to centralize global effort around individual Sustainable Development Goals.
"Empowerment"
I was struck by a comment made by Deirdre White who spoke very openly and honestly about the current state of discourse in our country. She spoke about the way we use language in relation to marginalized individuals and communities.
She expressed that to "empower" someone assumes that we have the authority to give them power. As if they didn't have the right until we gave it to them. She challenged us to find other words to use as we have these conversations that enable people to empower themselves.
A key theme for the forum was the need to discover new ways to measure progress and impact.
Chris spoke to the assembly about blockchain's role in measuring impact and quantifying value, by creating frameworks that underpin Sustainable Development Goals with new decentralized coordinating mechanisms. We will post Chris's full speech on the Learning Novella as soon as we receive the transcription.
Chris also explained our hypothesis that backing a cryptocurrency with an inherent value like gold or education can stabilize volatility in crypto markets, allowing a massive commonwealth economy to sustain and grow.
Today was a beautiful and inspiring day. I even grabbed a block of UN Peace stamps for my collection!
