The general consensus so far, (and logic,) seems to suggest that this is the best subject for an initial post in this Group -- that is, a thread in which we can all discuss ideas and make suggestions with & for each other regarding what the best methods are to go about establishing I-Power "Crews" on a local level.  Naturally, the first source of inspirational ideas could probably come from simply watching some of the initial I-Power videos from 2008, like the one that I linked above in the Group's Description box entitled "Our Motivation".  But I think it is important to note that nobody should feel compelled to copy exactly what they did in every detail.  We are all different and unique individuals, after all; as would be the friends that we might attract to this idea; and the needs & cultural qualities of our individual communities will also be different.  So any individual "Crews" that might be created would also have their own unique qualities, purposes, direction, focus, etc.  As an example of what I mean, while the Belgian Crew who started this web site is largely concerned with Net Neutrality, a Crew that was started in the Sudan might be primarily focused on issues such as genocide, or feeding the poor and hungry; and a Crew that was started in Iran might be more concerned with an overthrow of the strict Shiite government.  I think that every local Crew should have the right to choose what kind of activism issues they believe are the most relevant & important for their own communities.

I also think it is important to note that we do not have to think too big, {as I was personally inclined to do when this idea was first presented to me,} and that we remember that although the original I-Power Crew has grown a little bit over the last few years, that they started with just 5 friends and the support of their families. Of course, this is somewhat inspirational; but I think it also serves as a good example of what a small group of people can do when they get their hearts and minds together on a project.  I think it would even be possible to start a Crew with just 2 or 3 people.

One of our founding Group members, Casey {aka the miltownkid,} has already begun work on forming a local Crew in his own community, so I recommend that everybody send him a friend request on here, in case you ever have a desire to exchange personal messages with him concerning his efforts.  Several of the links that I put on our Resource Links Page were given to me by him.

Some Suggestions for Initial Ideas & Steps:

#1 Decide on a Theme & Purpose.

Of course, Self-Development would be one natural choice; but you can include other ideas of your own that you think are also important issues and which your Crew would focus on.

#2 Think of Some Friends or Acquaintances Who Might be Like-Minded.

Then contact them to talk about this idea.  If you don't have many friends, you're going to have to make some.  LOL  Or at least think of some other way of attracting like-minded people to your effort(s).

#3 Establish Regular Times to Personally Meet Up with Your Members.

I would think that at least 2-3 times a week would appropriate if you are really serious; but you could always start with a less frequent schedule that is appropriate to your circumstances.  In any case, you should at least exchange phone numbers & email addresses, etc., so that you can stay in frequent contact with each other, and be able to able to bounce ideas back and forth.

#4 Develop Short-Term & Long-Term Action Plans, and Establish Priorities.

It's hard to accomplish a goal if you don't have a plan for how to achieve it.  It's also important to stay flexible; and to be willing to change your plan(s) if your first one isn't working.

#5 Treat Your Project Like a Business.

In other words, you need to be serious about it, or nobody else will take you seriously either.  Not only that, but you will need to be willing to invest more than just your time into it. Certain activities may require equipment or funding, and you will either have to come up with the money for these things out of your own pocket, or rely upon some other form of income. Charitable donations would be one way; but you might also think of some other ways to create an income for your Crew; and they don't have to be conventional.  For example, the I-Power Crew makes money out of "Athene" being a YouTube partner; and from Chiren playing poker professionally. Those are some pretty unconventional methods, if you ask me.  lol  Most of us could never raise money using either of those methods!  You may also have to think about creating a non-profit corporation for your Crew at some point; either for tax purposes or for other reasons.

#6 Try to Have Some Fun.

Regardless of how lofty your ideals are; neither you, or your friends are likely to stick it out long-term and put a lot of continuous effort into whatever you decide upon as goals unless there is some fun involved along the way; so think of some ways to have some.  This may not always be true; but mostly, it is.

#7 Consider Establishing an Online Presence.

Maybe not right away, but eventually I think you will want to establish an online presence by creating a separate email address for your Crew; and even a web page.  In the beginning, you could start small by simply creating a Facebook Page or Group. {I'll provide links for how to go about doing this on the Resources Page here.}  And later, depending on your goals and the talents of your team members, you might also consider creating a YouTube Channel, or other accounts on the web.

For examples:

Casey has his own website called Pwning Life.

Ryan has his own Facebook Group called Level Up!

And Beano has an International Activism related website called Project-Virality.

Keep in mind that I can always edit & change the content of this Discussion; so if you think that we should add or change something, let us know.  Please include any additional ideas that you may have in your comments below; as well as any criticisms. Books or websites that you know about that teach people how to build charitable organizations from scratch would be beneficial.  And I'm especially interested in any ideas that you guys may have as to how somebody who doesn't have very many friends could attract people to join up with them in a project like this.

See Also:

http://ipowerproject.com/group/creating-your-own-crew/page/resource...