Last week we have launched an invitational challenge on our beta site. We want to follow-up on the projects submitted to NetSquared Challenges. We are digging for your stories, and we want them filmed!

You have probably heard about one image being worth a thousand words -- that may be debatable. However, what is unquestionable, is that many people will rather watch your story than read it, especially if we are talking about the International Net2 audience.

As you might have already read in the NetSquared team authored posts (#RestartRomania), on the TechSoupGlobal.org site, or on the Personal Democracy Forum website, TechSoup Romania recently wrapped-up a successful web-based social justice challenge. My post appears as another in the Restart Romania series, and will focus on an important lesson learned: the international reach and local impact thing is actually pretty tricky. The Net2 team and TechSoup Romania teamed up for this case study, and we are already learning from the experience and starting to master the skill.

Have you ever posted a project to the NetSquared Project Gallery? Maybe submitted one to a NetSquared Challenge? Here at Net2, we are crazy in-love with these projects. We've found them inspiring and absolutely amazing, and I hope that you have too!

We're inviting all Net2 project "alumni" to enter the Net2 All-Star Invitational! We are looking for short (60-90 seconds) videos capturing  your achievements and the social impact of your project.  We want to hear -- and share -- your story. What's been happening with your projects and ideas since you created your project, or entered a Net2 Challenge? Tell the world about it! Make a video and enter the Invitational. 

Through October 31, 2011 you can apply or nominate  for the Antonio Pizzigati Prize. The challenge annually awards open source software developers. The 10,000 USD prize is founded by The Florence and Frances Family Fund of Tides Foundation and honors the brief life Tony Pizzigati, an early advocate of open source computing.

OpenIDEO is an online community platform where creative thinkers from all walks of life collaborate to solve social problems. This project from the newly created nonprofit arm of “design and innovation firm” IDEO leverages crowdsourced innovation, the design thinking of IDEO staff and the experience of mission-driven organizations to address critical social issues.

The Ashoka Changemakers are running  "Citizen Media: A Global Innovation Competition", in partnership with Global Voices and with the support of Google. The goal of the competition is to identify and amplify new ideas for media that catalyze participatory citizenship.

NASA, USAID, The Department of State, and NIKE joined together to form LAUNCH: Energy Challenge in an effort to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to global sustainability challenges. LAUNCH searches for visionaries whose world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise for making tangible impacts on society in the developed and/or developing worlds.

Back in April, DonorsChoose.org gave developers and data crunchers an opportunity to “hack education.” The contest challenged the public to build apps that improve education in the United States. Contestants developed apps and data analyses across seven categories, which were evaluated against a central question: Which app or analysis has the greatest potential to engage the public and impact education?

NetHope, in partnership with USAID, GBI, and DNA, recently launched the Stop Human Trafficking App Challenge. This contest draws upon the thriving culture of innovation in Russia to respond to one of today’s most pressing development challenges – sex and labor trafficking. The contestants are invited to compete in a skills-based challenge to design and build innovative and functional mobile applications.

The recent Applications for Good contest challenged developers to create apps that would help low-income Americans become connected learners, find jobs, get healthy, and build financial security. Developers submitted their ideas and creations from March 14 until May 16. The winners were announced during a live streamed ceremony on June 14.