From USA to INDIA

I'm going to import the idea to my own country, India, as I have a better understanding of it's culture (and cultural practices), norms, rituals and beliefs, ideologies, laws, etc.

Below is a differentiation table I devised, between the CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS of USA and India.

CULTURAL VALUES

FAMILY	INDIAN VALUES Clan - A quasi system of fraternalism; and prestige a dependency on individual responsibility the nearest to the clan; a greater pressure exists in the nuclear clan than anything comparable in the dominant society; a relationship gives security and identity.	NON-INDIAN VALUES Nuclear family - Secruity and prestige found within the confines of the nearest relatives and especially in the nuclear family. (Can it be argued that there is even less and less of the nuclear family? Boy Scouts, Brownies, Golf Clubs, Bridge Clubs?)
TRANSMISSION OF CULTURE	By word of mouth	By writing books.
PEACE	Harmony - Cosmic harmony is sought; individual is concerned personally with the entire cosmos.	Personal peace - a personal harmony is sought within the individual person.
HEALTH	The body and soul are one; health is synonymous with the harmony of body and soul with nature.	A scientific viewpoint is taken to the restoration of bodily health.
TIME	Natural time regulates their activities with a NOW orientation.	Clock time regulates with a FUTURE orientation
WILL POWER	Fatalism; man cannot alter events and he must constantly attempt to restore all things to their original harmony.	Self-determination - The world can be altered by man's will. He tries to create God.
	OWNERSHIP	Clan system dictates ownership, which is carried on through mother. (In some cases through father.)	Legal ownership - passed by law.
	PROPERTY	Communal - Using only what is needed and sharing with others.	Private property - Surplus is accumulated; goods belong to one person.
	SECURITY	Security is found within the family and clan. WHO AM I?	Security is found in success. WHAT HAVE I DONE?
	AGE	Respect for the wisdom and experience of age.	Medicare is indicative of a non-Indian value.
	WORK	Work when necessary	Work for itself
	STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY	Non-competitive; non-comparative (could stem from the wish to preserve harmony)	Competitive - Basis for GET AHEAD
	TABOOS	Explain evil by spirit	Explain evil by science
	UNNATURAL HAPPENINGS	Witchcraft - A power to harm others. Witches are often viewed in the light of a scapegoat for all ills and unnatural happenings. Some are respected for their power to inflict evil; ambivalence of emo- tional response to them. SAME FOR GOOD.	Rational approach to explanation of unnatural happenings - even explain GOOD this way. Do not go to the Primary Cause.
	ADAPTABILITY	Reason why is sought; the practicality is examined. Value is sought in the NOW.	Progress is the goal; pure research.
	RELIGION	Myth and example by synthesis	Dogma and instruction by analysis

Comparison Of Values

	INDIAN VALUES Leaders are the servants Cooperation Group Emphasis Passive Informal Courtesy Patient Sharing Time - Constant Respect for Age Harmony with Nature Religion = Way of Life . . . Sacramental, Symbolic Non-verbal Extended Family Tradition No Eye-to-eye Contact Holistic Problem Solving . . . Vision of Total Happiness = Spiritual Harmony	NON-INDIAN VALUES Leaders are the masters Competition Individual Emphasis Assertive Formal Politeness Impatient Saving Time - Fleeting Respect for Youth Conquest over Nature Religion = Segment of Life . . . Intellectual, Gnostic Verbal Nuclear Family Novelty Eye-to-eye Contact Analytical Problem Solving . . . Piece by Piece Happiness = Wealth Accumulation

CARROTMOBBING/ The Idea

Simple but brilliant concept, makes me want to organise one. (Maybe when I go back to delhi in December. Who knows!) :)

It's a way to help a business go more green. So the idea of a reverse boycott, instead of saying "no one's going to shop at this store unless you do something better", we say, "everyone's going to shop at this store to help you do something better in order to go green."

Very symbiotic relationship concept.

Doesn't need much advertising costs either. Do it over facebook/online/sms etc. and the even itself acts as another means to further advertise the concept.

Carrotmob

Persuading businesses to become greener by promising them a “mob” of new customers. (A portmanteau of “carrot and stick” + “flashmob.”)

Jeremy Caplan explained the Carrotmob approach to consumer activism in an article for Time:

The concept is simple: instead of steering clear of environmentally backward stores, why not reward businesses with mass purchases if they promise to use some of the money to get greener?

The first Carrotmob event took place in March 2008. It was organized by Brent Schulkin who promised 23 storeowners in the San Francisco area that the business which promised the most environmental improvements would be rewarded with a horde of new customers. On March 29, Schulkin’sCarrotmob descended on the winner:

The crowd spent more than $9,200 at the K&D Market, which then fulfilled its pledge to plow 22 percent of the day’s revenue into greener lighting — with the haul from the Carrotmob providing enough cash to make all the improvements recommended by an energy auditor (andCarrotmob supporter).

Since then, the Carrotmob philosophy has extended across America – and the world – as a post on Carrotmob.org explained:

We are activists who accept the premise that corporations will nearly always continue to keep profit as their top priority. … Rather than rage against this tendency, we work with it. Carrotmob can put rewards in place that will make environmental responsibility the most profitable choice. Companies will do what we want, not because of negative pressure, or morality, or a boycott, or a petition … there are enough sticks out there. We need a big juicy carrot

Meet the CarrotMob

Forget negative campaigning, why not reward green businesses instead - with a group spending spree? Tanis Taylor joins their first UK event

The Brief

From the 'Top 10' list of ideas and analysis that we compiled over the summer, we were asked to select one key innovation/idea that we have to now translate to suit the public or culture of another country.

I'm having a tough time trying to decide which one out of the 10 I should to take forward. It's a cross between Velib, The 4-day workweek, the Grid and Carrotmobbing.

I'm going to base my choice on a short analysis of their individual success, setbacks/complications, adaptibility and ability to translate into other cultures/countries.

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I'm going with 'Carrotmobbing'.