# Blockchain for Social Impact **URL:** \ **Category:** About decentralization\ **Created:** [January 26, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201 "2018-01-26T11:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sheldrake](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discuss.diglife.com/sheldrake/32/4_2.png) [@sheldrake](https://discuss.diglife.com/u/sheldrake)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201/1 "2018-01-26T11:03:26Z")
This looks interesting. Anyone here involved? > **[Home - Blockchain for Social Impact](https://blockchainforsocialimpact.com/)** > > The Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition (BSIC) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization that incubates, develops, and collaborates on blockchain products and solutions that can address social and environmental challenges across the United... According to [this post](https://media.consensys.net/blockchains-are-for-humanitarians-too-3dd7c55bf547): > we began talking to humanitarians and impact investors across the globe, while simultaneously reaching out to technologists inside and outside of ConsenSys. Together we laid the foundation for a coalition united by a single goal: To research, fund, create, and deploy sustainable (and adaptable) blockchain solutions to address humanitarian crises across the globe. To explicitly state it, we now have all three parties necessary to achieve this. On Tuesday, May 16th, more than 30 people representing 22 organizations, came together to launch the Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition (BSIC) was officially launched. ---
**Author:** ![laura](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discuss.diglife.com/laura/32/9_2.png) [@laura](https://discuss.diglife.com/u/laura)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201/2 "2018-01-26T11:50:15Z")
Not involved, but have been following it - and humanitarian blockchain projects specifically - with some interest. There are reasonable arguments for decentralised data where there’s no trusted party, as there often isn’t in contested and politically messy contexts, but at the same time there’s no question that the hype cycle around blockchain is driving some poorly-justified projects. As Dave Birch would say, what’s in the blocks? who can access them and how, and are blocks the right place for that info? Also interesting ethical questions about tech maturity and when it’s appropriate and ready for use, in contexts where potentially life-critical information may be stored/lost/leaked as well as powerful new benefits possible… ---
**Author:** ![Mitra](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discuss.diglife.com/mitra/32/43_2.png) [@Mitra](https://discuss.diglife.com/u/Mitra)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201/3 "2018-01-26T16:53:14Z")
Second what Laura said - I’ve seen a number of “BlockChain for good” presentations, and there weren’t that I saw where the Blockchain added anything that wasn’t available much more simply & cheaply with strong crypto and decentralized storage. I worked on humanitarian technology for a long time, and its rarely the technical (IT) factors that are the limiting ones, almost always the human factors as Laura says “What’s in the blocks, who can access” and so on. A smart contract doesnt help with trust unless you also trust how its going to be triggered i.e. what real-world input is required to trigger the digital outcome. . ---
**Author:** ![Graham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4af34b/32.png) [@Graham](https://discuss.diglife.com/u/Graham)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201/4 "2018-01-27T17:07:07Z")
> **[What would a Co-op Coin ICO look like? - The Open Co-op](https://open.coop/2018/01/25/co-op-coin-ico-look-like/)** > > Co-op coins are not a new concept but the days of trading locally minted coins for a pint of milk or a loaf of bread are long gone. Instead, the rising interest in digital currencies and rapid increase in the number of Initial Coin Offerings looks... ---
**Author:** ![Graham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4af34b/32.png) [@Graham](https://discuss.diglife.com/u/Graham)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://discuss.diglife.com/t/blockchain-for-social-impact/201/5 "2018-01-27T17:07:30Z")
[https://www.meetup.com/Bitcoin-Blockchain-Cooperatives-Reducing-Inequity/events/246276168/](https://www.meetup.com/Bitcoin-Blockchain-Cooperatives-Reducing-Inequity/events/246276168/)