Microfinance has become something of a buzzword in recent years (depending on which circles you run in), and the industry’s increase in popularity has also lead to an increase in criticism. You may remember my last post about microfinance, as well as the posts written by my colleagues, but for those of you who don’t, …
Category: Sustainable Impact
Aug 22
Voluntourism Certification
A few weeks ago Tourism Concern, a UK-based non-profit focused on ethical tourism and travel, announced that they will soon be launching Gap Year and International Volunteering Standard (GIVS). GIVS is a voluntourism standardization program that will ensure that voluntourism companies are regulated and are a benefit to the destination communities. As you may recall …
Aug 19
America’s Hidden Secret Part II
In my last post, I gave an overview of the plight of U.S. child farmworkers and the lack of protection they receive. Hundreds of thousands of children are working on U.S. farms, picking the fruits and vegetables that land in our regularly shopped grocery stores. Despite popular belief, the agricultural industry has been found to …
Aug 17
America’s Hidden Secret
Do you know who is picking your fruits and vegetables? I bet you wouldn’t think that children as young as 5 are working the farms and fields that supply your grocery stores. I bet even more that you wouldn’t think the farms and fields I am referring to are in the United States. The truth …
Aug 12
The Power of Students in Chile
Chile, one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, has been going through its own array of protests and demonstrations these past few months. In the past, students did not take a great degree of interest in their country’s political decisions, but the tide appears to be changing. Though the student population of Chile has …
Aug 11
Sustainable Stoves
I’ve written a lot about climate change and how future development needs to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. It’s easy to talk about these things like there are simple solutions and unlimited funds to develop sustainable products. In reality, however, it’s an extremely difficult process to create a product that is the perfect intersection between …
Aug 11
Voluntourism: the Good and the Bad
On Tuesday afternoon I gave a webinar presentation on voluntourism, or volunteer tourism, and though it is now available on the SISGI Group Institute for Social Change website, I thought I would give a quick summary of it for those of you who couldn’t attend (or didn’t know about it). Voluntourism is the combination of …
Aug 09
Another Type of Refugee
As I was writing the blog series analyzing the current situation at Dadaab Refugee Camp, I started to think about the need for refugee camps and services in general. A refugee is a person who flees – or who has been displaced – from their home and seeks refuge elsewhere. Many refugees flee in fear …
Aug 03
A Plan for Dadaab Refugee Camp, Part IV
Yesterday, Ryan wrote the third post in our series discussing the current situation in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. He talked about the need for mental health care and social entrepreneurship services in Dadaab, as they crucial in enabling the refugees to eventually leave the camp and rebuild their lives. Both of these services, along …
Aug 01
Building Back Better in Pakistan
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the opportunity and need for Haiti to redevelop sustainably after the devastating earthquake in 2010. I also discussed how construction in Bihar, India – after a flood completely washed away the area – could be a model for rebuilding homes in Haiti. Unfortunately, like Haiti and India, Pakistan …
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