Joi Ito wrote today about Global Voices (blog, wiki) which is "a name, an identity, a watchword to ward away the chills of restricted expression. A place for coordinating ideas; a source for inspiration; an optimistic, collaborative manifesto". This is a very cool project and about the best thing I can think of to blog about on a holiday honoring the birth of a person who loved and respected all human beings.

And at the same time, I see many challenges. One of which is creating technologies that will enable people to read what they want and to publish their ideas - and maintain control over them - without fear of retribution. (This is also a primary goal of 2idi and the Identity Commons.) There is a project just underway aimed at giving all the people of Costa Rica a virtual identity (perhaps using i-names) with emphasis on the poor so as to help the distribution of aid and supplies where needed the most.

Let's all get together and make the better world we envision real.