Oct 06
In previous posts, I’ve stated that I consider myself a human rights advocate. I define this term as an individual who works to ensure that all human beings have their basic needs met and rights enforced. This includes needs such as food, housing, clothing and rights to education and physical and religious freedom. Under international …
Sep 27
Líbano es un país relativamente rico en recursos naturales. No tiene desiertos, las tierras de cultivo son fértiles, tiene las cuatro estaciones del año y es el país árabe que tiene más agua. Pero a pesar de estos atributos naturales, Líbano es un país dependiente de las importaciones de alimentos, que representa 70% de su …
Sep 20
Read this post in English Se calcula que en México, alrededor del 50% de la población es urbana. Desde 1940, la población urbana empezó a crecer exponencialmente porque hubo una falta de apoyo a la población rural. En los últimos 50 años, han habido decisiones económicas y políticas que han cambiado la distribución de la …
Sep 08
I’ve written a few posts now where I’ve mentioned “greenwashing” (my post about Sandals, for example), but I realized I’ve never discussed what greenwashing is. So, I’ve attached a helpful video that describes greenwashing and gives some tips on how to avoid falling for greenwashing traps when searching for sustainable products. The video deals mainly …
Sep 07
I recently read an article about a mother, Raquel, that had been sentenced to prison for the death of her child, after a car hit her son (who consequently died) as he crossed the street. The mother was sentenced in spite of the fact that the driver who ran over them was drunk. An accident …
Aug 22
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 17
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 11
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 10
Facing climate change and modernization Lebanon is a relatively resource rich country. It has no deserts, it has good arable land, it has four seasons and it is the most water-gifted country in the Arab world. But despite such natural attributes, Lebanon is a food import dependent country for 70% of its total food consumption. …
Aug 09
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 …
