Oct 04
Nowadays, Internet is our main source of information. We use the Internet to read the news, to communicate, but most of all, to learn. It is a powerful learning resource that is taking over the use we give to libraries and other onsite research sites. This week I was introduced to an interesting website that …
Oct 04
Two years ago, I was backpacking though Asia, I found myself in Seoul, South Korea visiting friends and watching the World Cup finale. Against direct orders from my parents, I decided to take a tour up to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the North Korean border. Having known a substantial bit of history about the …
Sep 30
Today I thought I would talk to you about an interesting twist on responsible tourism that I stumbled upon: the Youth Career Initiative (YCI). The YCI was launched in 1995 in Bangkok as part of a community initiative by the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and was intended to “give back” to society by teaching disadvantaged …
Sep 29
This week I received an email about a program that was funded by USAID, the US federal government’s international development agency. I’ve read several in the past highlighting youth initiatives and other similar projects. What caught my attention about this one was the fact that it addressed controversial topics like child marriage. The Youth Theater …
Sep 29
Imagine living in poverty. You are your household’s main breadwinner. You are married and have four children who are all under the age of 18 and are depending on you to meet their most basic needs: shelter, food and clothing. You have the opportunity to go to another country to work. They will pay you …
Sep 26
Empowering the consumer through the power of stories. When we go to the supermarket, very often you only have a vague idea of where the product comes from, what the chain of production involved or how the product got to the stands. Most of us happen to be incredibly ignorant consumers, blind to what goes …
Sep 23
Fire burns, true, but fire also purifies. Count my words as fire, burning embers that purify an unspeakable truth spoken at last. Two lesbians of African descent abandon fear for risk, decide to marry in New York City, breaking social taboo while making U.S. history. But did their struggle for equality pay off in Africa? …
Sep 23
Uganda Skimming over the New York Times this morning, I noted that the first article in their global edition was regarding the outrage that Oxfam is uncovering about Ugandan settlers being displaced on behalf of the Ugandan government and an international organization. Despite being a catchy headline on a leading newspaper, unfortunately these practices are …
Sep 23
What a week! This summit provided a great opportunity for networking with social change leaders, social media gurus and others interested in social issues. The connections made through social media and the opportunity to connect activities happening around New York at the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative provided a holistic view of global …
Sep 22
What if your home was no longer yours? What if you were a guest in a place you once called your own? As I prepared for a fact-finding trip to Colombia in May 2010, I tried to do my homework. I looked up demographic and country data, information on the people I was meeting with …
