While this blog has been somewhat dormant, my efforts toward creating new models for productive investment through hometown associations (HTAs) have not. One of the outcomes of the behind-the-scenes work is my involvement with a new social networking startup called Tierra Natal.
Tierra Natal is the brainchild of Liliana Miranda Townshend. Liliana and her family are originally from Jocotopec, Jalisco, Mexico. She has spent most of her life in California and her background includes high tech entrepreneurship. Her parents are part of the active Jocotopec community in California and she initially built a website, www.jocotopec.com so her parents could communicate with the larger Jocotopec diaspora.
She and I have had a running conversation on the potential of hometown associations to alleviate poverty and spur economic development in their communities of origin. One thing we quickly realized in working with HTAs is the need for basic infrastructure - governance, communications, etc.
Tierra Natal is the first social networking site designed around place. Unlike other social sites (Myspace, etc.) that is centered around the individual, Tierra Natal is centered around municipios in Mexico. Individuals can look up their municipio and join that group, contributing photos, videos, news, and other events that are of interest to that community.
In addition, hometown associations can have their own webpage within Tierra Natal and communicate with their members, fundraise and organize projects, etc.
This social network is one-of-a-kind and has the potential to vastly accelerate the capacity of the hometown association movement.
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