| Meet the Zero-netters : |
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How it all started.
Is there any hope in a clash with ZERO Tolerance?
In September 2005, 12 cartoons of Islam's prophet Muhammad were published in a local newspaper in Denmark, as a result, a wave of negative feelings and actions followed on both sides; by mid January of 2006 a sever case of cross-cultural misunderstanding was apparent. Many level-headed people worldwide felt the need to do something positive in reaction.
Sahar El-Nadi, Independent Culture Consultant from Cairo published an article explaining the cross-cultural lessons to be learnt from this clash and how to avoid similar situations in the future, she sent a short email to a small circle of her friends on 7 February 2006 explaining how multicultural and creative people should get together to encourage friendship and understanding across cultures. Soon many enthusiastic people worldwide responded to her call for constructive action. Thus a core volunteer group was formed, made up of young Egyptians in their 20's & 30's, all multi-lingual, successful professionals in many fields, with cross-cultural exposure, creative talents, and friendly nature. They were supported by many enthusiasts worldwide from various cultural backgrounds, ages, and faiths.
Zero-Net was born:
A unique Cultural Outreach Initiative under the slogan Don't Hate, Educate!
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ZERO Connections:
A shared dream brings people together regardless of their differences
We started working from point ZERO. Our volunteers hardly knew each other before joining the team; they met via email for the first time. We do not represent any formal entity or organization; we're just a bunch of educated, level-headed friendly Muslims who want to make a positive difference for a change, hand in hand with friends from around the world. Without formal organized backing and on minimum personal relations, this international team managed to work across distances, free of charge, to launch and execute creative cultural understanding projects with the aim of eliminating HATE through reaching out to EDUCATE about our culture and learn about the cultures of others. This is not a religious or interfaith project; this is rather a cross-cultural understanding project with valuable lessons for all regardless of backgrounds.
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ZERO Budget:
When you want to make a dream come true, money is never an issue
Our initiative does not include any fundraising; we just need free ideas, advice, effort, connection, services or products to support the project. We're determined to prove that miracles can happen with enough belief, creativity, team work, self confidence and dedication. All those things don't need money to work. We're hoping to be as a success model for any group of people who want to make a difference on limited resources. We hope to inspire them to think together, pool their resources, and enjoy making dreams a reality. |
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ZERO Luck:
Achievement is made of hard work not just good luck
A unique creative concept was created by Sahar El-Nadi, including the name Zero-net and the slogan: Don't Hate, Educate! She wrote the script for the flash intro of the site which explains the philosophy. The web design team turned this into a stunning visual theme.
As soon as work began, all the projects had to be executed in parallel at the same time; which needed much organization, planning, attention to details, and constant communication. Management at Zero-Net consists of brainstorming, creative sessions, and voting. Our kids' projects are passed through a junior team for "approval" before launching. A steering committee manages several projects with dedicated volunteer teams. |
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