We are building a village. Its name is Kaleel Village and when I close my eyes I can see it. In time it may have roads, buildings, streets and subways, but still I stand here today with tools in my hands because when I close my eyes it is already built. There is hustle and bustle, great conversations of all kinds and the sparks of innovation cascading from every word, thought, and idea; and though we have yet to put our shovel in the ground when I close my eyes I can see Kaleel Village.

Kaleel Village will be many things to many people, but above all Kaleel Village will be about community; an inclusive community that unites and connects people in new and engaging ideas for organizational and community change. A village that will develop into what community means to you, to me, and to others who will join and connect with us. Kaleel Village may start small, but it will grow; the village will grow. When I close my eyes I can see the community; every person, thousands of them. People who want to show up completely, people who want to be present in life, people who want to start a new conversation about organizations and their culture, people who want to make a difference in the world and people who want to give back.

I want to build a village where the source of wisdom comes not from a select few but from the whole and where the spirit of problem solving and creation is collaborative; a place where everyone contributes and everyone is valued. In Kaleel Village members will communicate and share ideas with each other. Its members will explore new angles and generate new ideas. Members will evaluate new perspectives and begin new conversations.

The foundation of Kaleel Village will be social media architecture. That will be the primary tool to integrate, create, build, construct and develop Kaleel Village. We believe social networking, a virtual village, is central to the vision of what Kaleel Village can accomplish, and how it will bring people, ideas and collective action together to make a difference in people’s individual lives, their communities and their organizations.

Kaleel Village will be a different kind of community; a community of effort. One that will be a portal to connecting the dots between people, ideas, projects, groups, organizations and what we all care about the most; Inclusion, being seen, valued and respected for who we are. A village where people can come to contribute in many ways and then take action.

Kaleel Village is not a complex model. Remove the technology aspect from the equation and what you have left is community. Kaleel Village is about community. I want to build a village so here I am entreating you, each of you, to put your shovel in the ground next to mine. Together we will build Kaleel Village.