I wanted to like NBC's new show, The Philanthropist, but I didn't.What I did like is that The Philanthropist's website has a resource page with links to organizations like the Nigerian Red Cross, CARE, and the International Crisis Group. That's about all I liked.The show's premise is that a wealthy businessman, Teddy Rist, has a transformational experience during a business trip to Nigeria and helps save a young boy during a flood. (We later learn that his own young son is dead). Although his company has a foundation, giving money doesn't feel like enough now for Teddy, and he returns to…
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Have Fun • Do Good
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Did I Like The Philanthropist? Not So Much.
26 Jun 2009 | 2:08 pm -
How You Can Participate in United We Serve This Summer
25 Jun 2009 | 11:21 amAs I mentioned in my Monday post, First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve, June 22nd was the first day of United We Serve, the Obama Administration's nationwide summer of service initiative that will run until September 11th, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance.While I was at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service this week, I went to a session about United We Serve with Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, and Carlos Monje, Senior Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Counsel.Wicks and Monje outlined the 3… -
Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges
24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amI've been hearing a lot about the Social Innovation Fund lately, an element of the Serve America Act. A May 6th White House blog post by Jesse Lee, What is the Social Innovation Fund? says that the Fund will, "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country."To learn more about the Fund, I attended a panel called Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.The discussion focused less on what the Fund will do, and more on best… -
First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve
22 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm"It's been said that our true calling in life is where our heart's greatest gladness meets the world's deepest need."--First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.It was pretty darn exciting to be a member of the press for the opening plenary of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service where First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address today.Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the September 11th Presidential Forum on Serviceduring the Service Nation conference in New York City. During the conference, Senator… -
Empowering Refugees: Interview with Kjerstin Erickson of FORGE
19 Jun 2009 | 6:45 amKjerstin Erickson is one of those "shiny" people who lights up a room. After meeting her at the Global Engagement Summer last spring, I knew I wanted to grab her for an interview before she became too famous.Erickson founded FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) in 2003 when she was a 20 year-old junior studying public policy at Stanford University. FORGE serves 60,000 refugees in three different refugee camps in Southern Africa, and is an official operating partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).Now 26, Erickson is still FORGE's Executive…
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The Greater Good Blog
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And they all lived happily ever after…
2 Jul 2009 | 8:56 amGrowing up, I was always a fan of bedtime stories with my mom. Looking back, I realize she had quite a talent for picking some good ones (like my favorite, Where the Wild Things Are). According to a recent study by researchers Dorit Aram and Sigalit Aviram, published in Reading Psychology, these stories weren’t just a nice treat before bed; they may have actually had a lasting impact on me. In the study, Aram and Aviram looked at the mother-child reading habits of 40 middle-class Israeli families with kindergarten-aged children. Within these families, they examined the relationship between… -
The Daddy Shift in the news
25 Jun 2009 | 12:41 pmGreater Good Senior Editor Jeremy Adam Smith’s new book, The Daddy Shift, has been generating a huge buzz nationwide.In the unlikely event that you missed any of the recent media coverage, check out these highlights: a story featuring Jeremy and one of the dads featured in the book, Gopal Dayaneni, on the Bay Area’s ABC News affiliate; a profile of Jeremy on the front page of the Style section in this past Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle; an interview with Jeremy on the public radio daily news magazine show, “Here and Now”; and a Q&A on Salon.com, which… -
Why Grandparents are Great
22 Jun 2009 | 9:25 amI’ve always been close with my Grandma Marilyn. At 77, she’s still a vital part of our family, providing lots of humor, advice, and the occasional present. But according to a new study, grandparents like Grandma Marilyn are even more valuable than I realized. It turns out that when grandparents are involved in their adolescent grandkids’ lives, those kids have fewer behavior problems—and this is especially true for at-risk kids. In the study, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, researchers looked at a wide cross-section of secondary school students in England and Wales,… -
Better Together: A review of The Lonely American
18 Jun 2009 | 12:14 pm“Americans in the twenty-first century devote more technology to staying connected than any society in history, yet somehow the devices fail us: Studies show that we feel increasingly alone.” So begins the new book The Lonely American, by psychiatrists Jacqueline Olds and Richard Schwartz (Beacon Press, 2009), which describes America’s obsession with living separately from others and the corresponding (often hidden) costs to our psychological health. The number of single-person households has increased from roughly seven to 25 percent of all households in last 60 years. But as…
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How to Save the World
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Four World-Changing Questions
30 Jun 2009 | 8:51 pmBLOG World-Changing Questions 12 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE It's been awhile since I updated my article on "What You Can Do (to Save the World)". The revisions depicted in the chart above reflect my recent disenchantment with idealism (which too often makes us inconsolable, inflexible, inattentive and intolerant), my realization that the world can't be saved, only made better than what it is, and my recently-acquired preference for collective action over personal self-change. On this final point, I'm beginning to believe that we cannot be, or become, what we are not,… -
2110: A Dispatch From the Future
28 Jun 2009 | 8:57 pmBLOG 2110: A Dispatch From the Future conception of post-civilization all-weather wear by mary mattingly My regular readers know that I don't expect we will be able to resolve the combination of cascading crises -- led by climate change, the end of oil, and the collapse of the unsustainable and debt-laden industrial growth economy -- that will face us in the coming decades. While I don't advocate doing nothing to mitigate the damage we are doing now, just because it won't be enough, I also think it would be useful, for our descendents who survive the end of our civilization, to imagine how… -
Links (and Best Tweets) of the Week: June 27, 2009
27 Jun 2009 | 4:53 pmBLOG Links (and Best Tweets) of the Week: June 27, 2009 An example of snow sculpture and sand sculpture (from a competition on PEI) by Delayne Corbett. Here are more of the PEI entries (thanks to Tree for the link). What motivates an artist to create something that will last for a shorter time than the time it took to create it? The Psychology of Consumption: From The Oil Drum, this study by Nate Hagens is a must-read. It examines the theory of natural selection and how humans have evolved to be addicted to certain behaviours that enhance survival. Our economy has likewise evolved to exploit… -
What Canada Could Be
26 Jun 2009 | 10:55 amBLOG What Canada Could Be It's not easy being Canadian. You get ignored by most of the world, and never taken seriously (Ambrose Bierce's definition of humanity: "An animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be. His chief occupation is extermination of other animals and his own species, which, however, multiplies with such insistent rapidity as to infest the whole habitable earth, and Canada.") You are expected to understand both Americans and Europeans, and sometimes help mediate between them. Outside your own country, you… -
Google Wave: The Wikification of Conversation
25 Jun 2009 | 7:21 pmBLOG Google Wave: The Wikification of Conversation At a meeting of Canadian IT leaders today, I was charged with explaining Google Wave to them. The objective was for them to appreciate how GWave will change the way people in business communicate. I've viewed the videos and some online explanations of the product, which is due for public release in the fall. But none of these really gives the end-user a sense of what GWave is, or does. So I decided to tell a story instead. Here's the story I told them: One of our tasks is to provide guidance on how the transition of Canadian companies to IFRS…
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What's a BOPreneur?
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BOP Blips
24 Jun 2009 | 8:21 pm- Nice to see IDDS get a shout out in this month's Fast Company calendar. This will start on July 8 in Kumasi, Ghana. Two Colorado State students, Sule Amadu (Cohort 1 and recent grad) and Habib Anwar (our new Cohort 3), will be helping out, and Bryan Willson and I will be there for part of the program. Full time faculty will include Amy Smith (MIT), Ben Linder (Olin), and Ariel Philips who will be hosted by KNUST's John Quansah and Crossman Hormenoo. The program ends in time for the participants to be part of the Maker Faire Africa in Accra from 14-16 August.- For another GSSE team blog,… -
Pay Attention To Your Private Parts
17 Jun 2009 | 6:35 amWhen you are designing a venture, spend some time on the network. Think about the "5 Deals" in a venture: customer, founders, funders, employees, and supply chain. Your venture will need to make a deal with each of these groups to build out the network.Once you have sketched out your proposed network (use a dirty napkin for karma points), think about which of these deals are private, and which are public.Private in two ways.First, is this a deal with a public organization (charity, social enterprise, government agency) or private organization (a company)? If private, the consideration (the… -
"It is very possible, for you very possible.”
15 Jun 2009 | 8:40 amGreat to see blog postings coming from our GSSE teams in the field.Running Water International is working in the Njoro region Kenya this summer on biosand filters (BSF) for clean water in homes and schools. They have already started taking orders!And they now have a waiter inspired mantra: "It is very possible, for you very possible.” Indeed.To subscribe to feeds, click on your feed icon on your toolbar. -
Teaching "about" stuff
6 Jun 2009 | 7:48 amOne common discussion around universities is about the value of teaching disciplines that society tends to view as an art or a talent. In my area, I often hear it expressed as "can you really teach entrepreneurship?" Implicit in the question is that entrepreneurs are born, not made. I have also heard that people question whether one can be taught: leadership, teamwork, art, etc.*This is a topic that has been discussed in this blog since its humble beginnings.But what is my answer to the question? I usually respond "I don't teach students to be entrepreneurs. I teach them about being… -
Shuffling into Intersections
20 May 2009 | 9:47 pmPuzzled by my current reading. Just finished Ishamael Beah's "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier." Concurrently working through Jessica Livingston's "Founders at Work" and Niall Ferguson's "The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World."So what is the connection between child soldiers in Sierra Leone; founders such as Steve Wozniak, Paul Graham and Craig Newmark; and Medicis and silver mines of Peru? I have no idea.All are excellent, but my current selections seem a bit like selecting shuffle on an iPod (is this an option on Kindle?). Guess it will be a test to see if I can see…
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Gail Goodwin's Blog
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Moving Through Life
24 Jun 2009 | 10:58 pmIn case you’re wondering why you haven’t heard from me this week, we’re in the process of moving from our home from Colorado to a new home in Montana. The past two weeks have been spent sorting and packing our treasures for the 1000 mile trek. And boy, has this brought up a lot of stuff for me! Physically relocating from one place to another is just like moving from one place to another emotionally, through the changes in our life. Why is it then, that we wait until we’re ready to move to rid ourselves of excess baggage, in both a physical and metaphysical way? I…
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The Road to the Horizon
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Last month's most read posts
1 Jul 2009 | 4:33 pmThe most popular posts on The Road in June 2009:Last month's most read Rumbles:● Who is on Twitter from Iran?● The most erotic of all plants● World's 10 most dangerous landing strips● Twitter versus #iranelection● Iran election cartoonsLast month's most read News Items:● How many people die of flu every year?● The world's happiest countries● The 50 most stable and prosperous countries● Sudan from the 1994 famine to Darfur● #CNNfail versus TwitterLast month's most read Ebook shortstories:● The day I got deported from the US● From sand to a city● Introduction to The… -
Getting started as an aid worker - A positive story
1 Jul 2009 | 9:11 amI get A LOT of Emails from people who would like to start as an aid worker and find it difficult to get into the humanitarian world.While I condensed my advice in this post, many ask for specific tips, or "what would you do if you were in my situation?"...Back in January, I got this request from Stefano, via The Road's discussion forum:Full Post +/-(...)I have been an Italian expat for nearly 20 years. I moved to the UK with no English at all, ended up with a BA degree in European Studies. After 11 years in the UK I moved to Ireland in 2002. Between the UK, Italy and Ireland, I have been… -
Looking for me? Try the Cannes Film Festival!
1 Jul 2009 | 9:03 amIt looks like we're the special invites of the Cannes Film Festival. Boy, did not know our fan club stretched that far! :-)Thanks to MF for the link! -
Is the US already at war with Iran?
30 Jun 2009 | 8:11 amSupport to fractions at war in a country where a third country has a political, or economical interest is not new. We have seen it throughout the Cold War, we witnessed it in Afghanistan and Iraq throughout the past decennia. We have seen it in South and Central America. We still see it in Africa every day: support coming from Europe, China and more often than not, from the US makes its way through different channels and ends up with "proxies", military opposition fractions as if those were "fighting a war on behalf of"...This video questions in how far the US is already engaging in a war… -
Views from Tuscany
29 Jun 2009 | 1:36 pmLet me tell you again. I LOVE to live in Italy. You drive for twenty minutes and discover a new treasure. This country has more sea shore than any other European country, it has mountains, hills, and flats. It has history, culture, excellent food and lovely people.I just love to sit somewhere on a bench, a stone, or in the fields and breath it all in. Just a little while ago, we drove two hours up north, into the south part of Tuscany. Just look at these treasures:More on The Road about Italy and living in Italy
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Tactical Philanthropy
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Philanthropy Daily Digest
2 Jul 2009 | 6:03 pmJustmeans.com: How innovative is the Social Innovation Fund? Jeff Trexler argues that the Social Innovation Fund is nothing special. If the Fund is a bust, I think in retrospect Jeff's post will have been the blueprint for why things went wrong. (tags: philanthropy) NBC: Touching Hearts TV Show NBC is launching another philanthropy themed TV show in the San Francisco market this fall. Unlike the dramatic rendering of The Philanthropist, Touching Hearts will be a "guide and resource to charitable giving." (tags: philanthropy) The Philanthropist: Production Taking Action:… -
American Forward Responds
2 Jul 2009 | 4:05 pmKelly Ward, the director of America Forward has just submitted this response to my recent posts about the Innovation Fund (see posts here and here): Thanks Sean for both of your posts and for grounding this discussion in what’s written in the Serve America Act. As you say, the foundation for how the Fund will work is described in the bill. To add to the detail you give above, the Serve America Act requires the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer the Innovation Fund and determine which grantmaking intermediaries will receive money, and with government matching the… -
The Innovation Fund & The Serve America Act
2 Jul 2009 | 3:11 pmYesterday I highlight the way that President Obama’s description of the Innovation Fund differed in fundamentally important ways from the policy recommendations of America Forward. The simplest way to understand the distinction is that the way Obama described the Fund would mean that it was making grants to nonprofits, while the American Forward policy recommendation has the Fund making grants to grantmaking organizations. My sense at this time is that the mismatch is based not on an intentional decision by the President to run the fund in a different way, but by a lack of understanding by… -
Philanthropy Daily Digest
1 Jul 2009 | 6:03 pmNew Philanthropy Capital Blog – Could grant-makers borrow their way through the recession? John Copps wonders if foundations should consider borrowing to maintain their grantmaking levels. (tags: philanthropy) Seth's Blog: The risk/reward confusion Seth Godin, urges readers to put aside (for the moment) taking big risks, and looks at the large returns that come from taking just a little risk. Clearly a lesson for philanthropy. (tags: philanthropy) New Models for (Philanthropy) Research & Dialogue « Philosopher 2.0 Tony Wang, remixes a recent Working Wikily paper and my recent… -
The Innovation Fund
1 Jul 2009 | 12:34 pmYesterday, President Obama officially launched the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and the Innovation Fund (whether it is now call the Social Innovation Fund or just the Innovation Fund is unclear). He also named Melody Barnes to run the Innovation Fund. You can see video of the event here. Interestingly, President Obama described how the fund would work in a way that I think would be a huge mistake and is not in line with indications we’ve had to date of the structure. President Obama said: “We’re going to use this fund to find the most promising non-profits in…
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Skip A Lunch
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15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans
29 Jun 2009 | 12:15 pmHi folks, thanks to Laurie for letting us know about Post Foods “Bowls of Hope” program. Post Foods, in partnership with Feeding America, will donate up to 15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans. For each purchase of a specially-marked cereal — including Post Shredded Wheat Original, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Original, Post Shredded Wheat and Bran, Post Shredded Wheat Lightly Frosted, and Post Shredded Wheat Honey Nut — Post Foods will donate one balanced breakfast. Get more info at the Post Shredded Wheat website (turn off pop-up blockers). -
HelpPoint for Kids and the Zurich Golf Classic
28 Apr 2009 | 7:05 pmFor the past five years the Zurich Classic Golf Tournament has been raising money for children’s charities, $18 million to date. This year, Zurich Financial Services is contributing $95,000 to two kids’ charities, Fore!Kids Foundation and Practical Action via an online golf relay game at HelpPoint for Kids. Go to the HelpPoint for Kids site and create a golfer. Tee off a message to up to five friends, and each one can, in turn, tee off messages to their friends. Every time players tee off a round of 18 the two charities will receive donations from Zurich. Sounds like alot of fun,… -
World Malaria Day
24 Apr 2009 | 1:02 pmImage courtesy of www.malariafreefuture.org Hi Everyone, tomorrow (April 25th) is World Malaria Day. Lots of organizations are taking part this year and you can help too. Check out Voices For A Malaria-Free Future for some great information on the fight against malaria in Rwanda, as well as other advocacy projects VOICES does in Ghana, Kenya, Mail, and Mozambique. They have some great information available, including the following: Along with basic information and how to take action, you’ll also find included at the site: - Background on the successful Rwandan program via… -
Learning Lift off in Legoland - Students in Need in Waianae
8 Apr 2009 | 10:22 amWe received a message yesterday from the teacher, Ms. K., thanking us for our donation to the “Learning Lift Off in Legoland“. She needs lego sets for her students whom face extreme poverty out in Waianae. Unfortunately she still needs $417 to fully fund this project. Some stats from Ms. K. Nine-year-olds growing up in low-income communities are already three grade levels behind their peers in high-income communities. Half of them won’t graduate from high school by the time they’re 18. I’m hoping we can gather enough people to each donate just a small amount,… -
100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World
2 Apr 2009 | 10:42 amWe’ve been featured in a list of “100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World“ on the www.bestuniversities.com blog. We’re #14 in the “General” list, yay! Hopefully our idea on making small “lunch-money” sacrifices to change the world is being heard, adopted, and done by folks like you and me. Thanks for the continued support!
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Timbuktu Chronicles
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Backyard Metal Casting
3 Jul 2009 | 5:46 amMake points us to a treasure trove on casting.An answer to a question on melting metal is answered thus:Melting metal is simple and if you are good at building things then you'll definitly have no trouble building a furnace. Most people say to start with a charcoal burning furnace...because it is dead simple to use. But people who end up really enjoying metalcasting tend to advance toward a more -
AutoFabbing
2 Jul 2009 | 7:09 amRobyn Dixon reporting in the LA Times highlights dexterous Automobile fabbers: Somewhere, a relentless tinny hammering rises. Shrieks of grinding metal shatter the air. A curlicue of acrid smoke spirals lazily as a worker melts a plastic Japanese bumper using a heated chisel, smoothing the surface as carefully as a mother frosting a birthday cake. More here.via Agege Labsphoto courtesy of Robyn -
Fablab Kenya
1 Jul 2009 | 5:04 amThe seeding process continues, FabLab Kenya launches: ...it will empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are practical and economical...[continue reading]via Nubian Cheetah -
Quick Hits
30 Jun 2009 | 6:35 amFaces of small businesses in Malawi-IFCRwanda and the 'digital divide'-TechcrunchRuchugi Salt Works-Bid NetworkEthnic specialty vegetables...look for the African Eggplant!Cultivating Native Woods...Lessons for Africa? -
The Business of Health
29 Jun 2009 | 6:08 amNelly Nyagah reporting in Trade Invest:Healthcare represents a significant investment opportunity, yet current consumer demand continues to be unmet in most sub-Saharan countries. For instance, an estimated 18,000 wealthy Nigerians travel abroad every year to seek medical care, while in Kenya at least 5% of the total stated demand for healthcare is not satisfied due to limited access to services
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Echoing Green Blog
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Join The March 18 Movement with Mideast Youth
2 Jul 2009 | 12:28 pm2009 Echoing Green Fellow Esra’a Al Shafei recently launched a video in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Bloggers to raise awareness on The March 18 Movement. Also referred to as “OR318,” The March 18 Movement was born from the death of Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, an Iranian journalist and blogger who was accused of spreading “propaganda” against the Islamic Republic of Iran and insulting religious leaders. By creating this video and informing others of the risks that bloggers often face for expressing their ideas, Esra’a and her team hope to extend protections generally… -
NPR highlights microvolunteering with The Extraordinaries
1 Jul 2009 | 1:25 pmWe were excited today to see the homepage of NPR.org feature an article about 2009 Echoing Green Fellow Jacob Colker and his organization The Extraordinaries. Jacob and his partner Ben Rigby are harnessing technology in smart phones to inspire others to engage in social change. By combining charity with brevity, The Extraordinaries provides tech-savvy individuals a new avenue of exploring volunteering (which they call microvolunteering). The application is currently in its testing phase, but will soon allow people to pull out their smart phones during their spare time to translate a… -
President Obama meets with Echoing Green Fellows
30 Jun 2009 | 7:39 amWe are very excited to announce that President Obama will be meeting with social innovators today in the East Room of the White House. Through the Social Innovation Fund and the White House Office of Social Innovation, the President will be announcing plans for how government can partner with social sector innovators to solve problems. Echoing Green President Cheryl Dorsey will be attending the event along with nine (!!) other Echoing Green Fellows including: Andrew Butcher and Chris Koch (GTECH Strategies), Felix Brandon Lloyd (CentsCity), Kara Bobroff (Native American Community… -
Daniel Tellalian featured in Entrepreneur Magazine
29 Jun 2009 | 8:35 am1998 Echoing Green Fellow Daniel Tellalian and his partner, Elwood Hopkins, were featured in The June 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, in which they explore their inspiration for launching their organization called Emerging Markets Inc. Passionate about changing the economic landscape of Los Angeles’s low-income neighborhoods, Daniel and Elwood recognized that they would need to become more business-savvy to reach their goals. In order to turn their heart-felt mission into a “limited profit business,” Daniel and Elwood conducted field research in these low-income communities to… -
Cheryl Dorsey appointed to White House Fellows commission
25 Jun 2009 | 2:09 pmWe are thrilled to congratulate Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, for her recent appointment to the position of vice-chair on the Commission of White House Fellowships. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program has offered exceptional young individuals who demonstrate leadership and an unwavering commitment to serve their country the opportunity to work at one of the highest levels of the federal government. As a public policy innovator, Cheryl served as a White House Fellow from 1997-1998, aiding the U.S. Secretary of Labor as a Special Assistant, advising the Clinton…
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Razoo
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Echoing Green Funds Future Changemakers
2 Jul 2009 | 2:11 pmOur world is constantly evolving. To keep up with the changes, and continue to provide help to people who need it, we need to identify the most promising solutions and innovations, and come up with new models to transform our society into the world we want to live in.For many nonprofits, it’s tough to shift business models at the drop of a hat. Though groups may have the best intentions, they often stick with the tried-and-true methods of operation, rather than taking chances on unique worldchanging strategies.However, several nonprofit groups are using their funds and name recognition… -
Teen Rides 100 Miles in Wheelchair to Raise Funds for Bay Cliff Health Camp
1 Jul 2009 | 2:52 pmThis summer, plenty of parents are taking their kids to summer camp. But this year, rather than ride in the car with his parents, 14-year-old Gene Fletcher decided to make his entrance in a unique way: by riding the entire 100-mile journey from his Michigan home to Bay Cliff Health Camp in his motorized wheelchair, with his parents and a group of supporters traveling alongside him.Gene, who has scoliosis and cerebral palsy, decided to take on this ambitious trek as a way to raise money and awareness for Bay Cliff Health Camp, where he has been an enthusiastic camper for the last six years. -
ShelterBox Provides Portable Homes to People in Need
1 Jul 2009 | 2:48 pmWhen a natural disaster strikes or a war breaks out, thousands of people are often left homeless. Shelters quickly become dangerously overcrowded, and it takes time to bring in temporary housing or build new construction. Emergency supplies, food, and basic medical equipment can also be tough to track down when so many people are injured and in need of aid. So how can we help people who’ve been displaced and have nowhere to turn?Tom Henderson, a British Rotary Club member and former search-and-rescue diver for the Royal Navy, came up with a solution in 2001: the ShelterBox. This simple,… -
Advocacy Project Connects the World Through Technology
29 Jun 2009 | 1:46 pmEven if they aren’t rich, most high school students living in Washington, DC, can count on a few basic elements: a warm bed to sleep in, three meals a day, access to health care, and education. But recently, thanks to volunteer Kristina Rosinsky from The Advocacy Project, students from the summer program at the Washington International School received a wakeup call that made them realize how much they genuinely had, compared to others their age around the world.Rosinsky created a role-playing game for the students that would help them to understand what it would be like to be an… -
A Good Idea Promotes Random Acts of Kindness in San Francisco
29 Jun 2009 | 9:23 amAbout a year ago, Jared Paul was in the throes of what he calls “a third-of-life crisis.” He and his girlfriend had broken up. His career in sales and marketing left him unfulfilled. He felt spiritually empty. Paul, 32, left his job to ponder his next step. After three months of introspection inspired in part by Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, he was reinvigorate by an idea: He’d gather and inspire altruistic people who could then ignite that spark of goodness in others. It seemed like a good idea, so the San Francisco resident called his new group A Good Idea. Its…
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World Economic Forum
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Celebrating 25 years of Engagement in India
30 Jun 2009 | 7:59 amThis year, the World Economic Forum celebrates 25 years of collaboration and active engagement in India. As a result of over two decades of partnership, the annual India Economic Summit has emerged as an institution in Indian business, policy and political circles. The India Economic Summit 2009, the country’s foremost gathering of government, industry and civil society leaders, will take place on 8-10 November 2009 in New Delhi under the theme “India’s Next Generation of Growth”. Following the recent elections, this year’s programme will provide a unique opportunity to interact… -
Summer Davos - Looking at The World Through an Asian Lens
26 Jun 2009 | 3:15 amAfter a successful series of regional meetings in the Middle East, Africa and East Asia, we’re now gearing up for our "Summer Davos" in Dalian, China. The meeting which kicks off on September 10th is different from our regional events in that it’s a true global gathering similar to Davos but “looking at the world through an Asian lens” as Robert Greenhill, Managing Director, put it in this interview. The "Summer Davos" which is officially the "Annual Meeting of the New Champions", will focus on how we can revive economic growth in the current turmoil. -
Looking for Technology Pioneers 2010
25 Jun 2009 | 3:02 amEvery year the World Economic Forum is looking for Technology Pioneers, companies around the world that are involved in the design and development of new technologies. To be selected as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, a company must be involved in the development of life-changing technology innovation and have potential for long-term impact on business and society. In addition, it must demonstrate visionary leadership, show the signs of being a long-standing market leader - and its technology must be proven. Technology Pioneers are companies from around the world that… -
Looking for Social Entrepreneurs/Young Global Leaders
22 Jun 2009 | 8:12 amThe Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is searching for young social entrepreneurs to include in the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum. The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a sister organization of the World Economic Forum. It is a unique, multistakeholder community of the world’s most extraordinary leaders under 40, which creates a diverse, multinational, multistakeholder network of the top young leaders in the world; enhances knowledge and leadership skills; and serves as a platform to work collaboratively on key issues facing the world. Current Young Global… -
Key Strengths & Weaknesses of Mexico's Competitiveness
20 Jun 2009 | 9:53 pmThe World Economic Forum’s Mexico Competitiveness Report 2009 is the first-ever study of this type for Mexico. Using the Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index’s methodology and the latest thinking in competitiveness research, The Mexico Competitiveness Report 2009 provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s current competitiveness landscape, highlighting strengths and problematic areas. Ranked 60th in the Global Competitiveness Index 2008-2009, Mexico presents important strengths in its market size, sophisticated business sector and diversified production structure, as well as…
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Green Parent Chicago
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What is Environmental Justice?
1 Jul 2009 | 3:00 amSome say that the term environmental justice should in actuality be environmental injustice. For those that have never come across either of those terms it implies the unfair and inequitable burden of negative environmental impacts on a particular group of people. A group therefore can be isolated by race, gender, class, position in the workplace, economics, or location. The importance of understanding environmental justice truly comes down to our social costs of everyday living. We as urban citizens live a fast life. We are extremely focused on our work, our… -
Reading the Labels, What to Consider in Personal Care for Kids
30 Jun 2009 | 8:11 amPerhaps you closely read the labels on food and beverages that your family consume. If so, you may be equally selective in choosing the types of personal care products you use on yourself and/or your children too. But navigating the seemingly endless aisles of soaps, creams, bath products, shampoos and other personal care products targeted for babies and children can be a dizzying chore even for the most dedicated shoppers. If you ever wished for a handy list of personal care product ingredients to avoid, the Environmental Working Group, (the folks who brought you the "Dirty Dozen"… -
EarthTalk™: Can Insulating Paints Help Save Energy? Are They Safe?
28 Jun 2009 | 6:11 pmDear EarthTalk: Do insulating paints actually insulate and save energy? If they do, are they environmentally friendly to use?-- Bob Dibrindisi, Easthampton, MA Paint additives that claim insulating qualities have been marketed since the late 1990s, but energy research organizations have not confirmed their insulating value. For its part, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not recommend using paints or coatings in place of traditional bulk insulation. “We haven’t seen any independent studies that can verify their insulating qualities,” the agency reports. The federal… -
Green Kids Activities at the Taste of Chicago
26 Jun 2009 | 6:55 amTaste of Chicago, the city's most popular food and entertainment festival begins today for its 29th year and will run until Sunday July 5 in Grant Park. Though some Chicagoans may skip the lines, the crowds (an estimated 6 million annually) and the higher prices of restaurant offerings at the Taste, there is still plenty of free entertainment for kids and families once again. This year many of the activities have an outdoor or green theme. A few of the fun green things to see and do at the Taste's Family Village include: Activities hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry, Purple… -
The Biodiversity of Play
24 Jun 2009 | 5:16 am*Editor's note: Today we are very pleased to welcome guest writer, Kellen Marshall-Gillespie: It is extremely important as environmentally aware parents that we all consider the values and lessons we are teaching our children. It is not only environmental efforts that will save the earth but a collective effort among all ethnicities and species as well. Sometimes we are comfortable knowing a particular group of people and we create a unrealistic point of view biased by race, class, religion and or economics. The cultural divide can be bridged through play by creating diverse…
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Social Enterprise Reporter -
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Inaugural Green Collar Job Corps Class Graduates
29 Jun 2009 | 10:58 pm35 graduates of all ages and colors came on stage to pick up their green hard hats and diplomas last Monday from Laney Community College's 7-month Green Job Corps program in Oakland, CA. Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums was on hand to congratulate the graduates and to remind them of the historic significance of their achievement: "You are the new astronauts, going where others have not gone before: fighting poverty and pollution." The Green Job Corps was an idea hatched back in 2007 by Van Jones and his colleagues at the Ella Baker Center. I had spoken with Ian Kim, the EBC Green Collar Jobs Program… -
Heinz College's Institute for Social Innovation Launches The Chronicle of Social Enterprise
19 Jun 2009 | 10:05 pmThe inaugural issue of The Chronicle of Social Enterprise, published by the Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College Institute for Social Innovation, is now available as a free PDF download at http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/download.aspx?id=767. This issue profiles 20 affirmative businesses, plus stories about affirmative business incubators, the role of the federal government and the rise of the movement internationally. Affirmative businesses are social enterprises that provide jobs, competitive wages and career tracks to people who are physically, mentally, economically or educationally… -
Green Collar Social Enterprise: a Perfect Storm of Opportunity
2 May 2009 | 12:36 pmNow is the time for social entrepreneurs to come forward with new ideas for green jobs. With the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act stimulus, energy and green job bills, there is a perfect storm of opportunity that we may not see again. Nonprofits are well positioned to take advantage of local, state and federal connections when competing for grant awards and contracts to develop green job training programs. read more -
2009 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship
16 Apr 2009 | 3:59 amHaving spent the majority of my career in the private sector, I have seen many conferences, but nothing quite like The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. The annual event at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School is an explosive cloud of inspired innovators bouncing against each other in a highly charged environment. While the inspiring program of speakers and panels creates an innovative buzz, the breakout sessions that fill every gap in the agenda throw delegates together and create a storm of ideas and collaborative action of epic scale. read more -
Growing Home featured in Green For All video
1 Feb 2009 | 10:23 pmGrowing Home combines the best of social enterprise and green jobs. Using federally donated lands outside Chicago, Growing Home helps formerly homeless and drug addicted clients reconnect with the land by growing organic vegetables and selling them in the city. Growing Home was featured in one of SER's first issues, and my interview with the founder and ED Harry Rhodes is still online at http://sereporter.com/?q=node/88. read more
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Acumen Fund Blog
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Summer Spotlight: Listening to the client in Hyderabad
30 Jun 2009 | 10:30 pmGeetika Agrawal is pursuing her MBA at the Stern School of Business at New York University, specializing in Finance and Social Impact & Innovation. She is currently a Summer Associate at the Acumen Fund India office, where her focus is on building out the Agriculture portfolio and consuming as many mangoes as possible. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University. The agriculture industry employs 60 percent of the Indian labor force, according to the CIA World Factbook. The backbone of this sector is the small holder farmer, those living off less than five acres and earning… -
Guest Blogger: Jake Samuelson on Shades of Grey
29 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amGuest blogger Jake Samuelson is consultant at the Monitor Group, a global strategy consulting firm, and pro-bono consultant for the Robin Hood Foundation. Jake focuses on marketing, media, and technology strategy, helping clients reinvent how they interact with and relate to customers and communities. Jake’s current focus lies in helping high-impact organizations leverage social media for social change. Jake holds a BA in Economics from Harvard and is a resident of New York City. Last week, I was lucky enough to be involved in a conversation about where Acumen Fund might be in 20 years. -
Acumen Fund seeks partner(s) for Pulse metrics tool
26 Jun 2009 | 2:06 pmAcumen Fund is seeking a partner(s) to market, implement, and support the Pulse software system, a flexible social metrics tool built to integrate with the Impact and Investment Standards (IRIS) (www.iris-standards.org). Pulse and IRIS are supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, B-Lab, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Skoll Foundation, Salesforce.com Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Lodestar Foundation, and others. The Pulse tool, originally developed in partnership with engineers from Google, has recently been re-built as a Salesforce.com application that is being piloted by a… -
Ripple Effect at the Water Summit 2009, New Delhi
25 Jun 2009 | 1:26 pmThis post was originally posted on the Ripple Effect blog by Acumen Fund’s Sangeeta Chowdry - Ripple Effect Project Manager. Ripple Effect team presenting at the conference The Ripple Effect team marked the end of the successful India phase of the project by attending and presenting at the recently concluded Water Summit 2009 conference held in New Delhi. The summit had an excellent turnout with over 150 attendees and speakers representing multiple stakeholders from the water sector in India.These included senior representatives from the Government of India, NGOs, World Economic… -
Upcoming Event: Novogratz at the Paley Center in NYC - July 8th
22 Jun 2009 | 6:53 amJacqueline Novogratz, Acumen’s founder and CEO, will be speaking at The Paley Center for Media in New York City on July 8, 2009 to discuss the challenges of leveraging social media networks to transform how people think about—and act on—problems of poverty. If you missed her speak with the Young Professionals of Acumen Fund a few weeks ago or will not be able to attend her appearance at 92YTrebeca on June 24th, this is a perfect opportunity to catch her in person. In addition, this will be a wonderful opportunity to learn how Acumen Fund has been leveraging social media to share,…
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PSD Blog - The World Bank Group
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Dollars and sense
1 Jul 2009 | 11:20 amEditor's Note: Anushka Thewarapperuma is a consultant with Advisory Services - Access to Finance at the IFC. Think you’ve got better money management skills than the world’s poorest? You might be surprised to find out that you’d be up against stiff competition. Jonathan Morduch and Daryl Collins report on their journey to various corners of the world (Bangladesh, India and South Africa to be exact) to observe how people living on less than $2 a day managed their financial lives in the recently published book Portfolios of the Poor. Their findings were summed up nicely in a recent… -
The mysterious acronym PFI
1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 amI am often confused when using acronyms. In the vast terminology of public private partnerships (PPP), it’s not hard to do. For example in a lot of countries the acronym PFI, which stands for Private Finance Initiative, is used as a synonym for PPP (Public Private Partnership). While the term PFI originated in the UK, in that country it is not synonymous with PPP. PFI has a more specific meaning, relating to a special government investment policy that clearly indicates what is and what is not PFI. While Wikipedia defines PFI as a “method to provide financial support to… -
Labor laws and Mexican spam
1 Jul 2009 | 8:06 amHow hard is it to fire someone in Mexico? It is apparently sufficiently hard that they offer courses on how to do it. I spent seven years in Mexico, and I still receive some Mexican spam. Here is my translation of an email I received which was advertising a one day course on how to fire employees: Firing a person is a delicate process filled with legal “mines.” It doesn’t matter how prepared you feel or how correct your decision is. Not doing it the right way puts you at risk for a lawsuit. No manager should begin this process without attending this seminar!! I don’t doubt that it is… -
Involving the public in public private partnerships
30 Jun 2009 | 12:19 pmCall them taxpayers, citizens, or just simply the public—they are the reason why public private partnerships (PPPs) are created. They are the users and the ultimate financiers, whether by paying taxes or tolls, and they want to have a bigger role in decisions about what infrastructure shall be built and how. It’s no surprise that public opinion is the ultimate judge of the success of PPP projects. And this ultimate judge is not always just; it does not always have the right information at the right time. It’s up to fallible public sector officials to ensure that proper information and… -
Big guy, little guy: Who suffers more from crime?
30 Jun 2009 | 12:08 pmAt first you might guess that it’s the big firms that make an easy target. But we need to do more than guess—the policy implications are quite different if the answer is “big” or “small.” If large firms are more efficient and do more R&D and export to other countries, then crime can be more harmful to the economy when directed against such firms. However, compared with large firms, wages and profits may be lower in the smaller firms. Crime directed against small firms can therefore be regressive (causing more harm to the relatively worse-off). It turns out…
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Wokai News
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China Banking Regulator Calls for Closer Supervision
1 Jul 2009 | 11:28 amThere was a short but interesting article released by the Wall Street Journal last week regarding recent news from China's lead banking watchdog, the CBRC (China Banking Regulatory Commission). Government officials have recently called for a more closely watched banking industry, with memos and directives being sent out to the commercial and microfinance banking regulators. The [...] -
Wokai.org Releases in San Francisco Bay Area
1 Jul 2009 | 10:05 amJessica Lee Jessica Lee volunteers at the Bay Area Chapter as our Business Strategy Associate. On Sunday, June 28, San Francisco was beautiful inside and out. Outside it was about in the 70s and inside the historic Ferry Building it was all about Wokai Bay Area Chapter’s official launch party – Dollars Without Borders: Growing Microfinance in [...] -
China Microfinance Making More Headlines
29 Jun 2009 | 9:07 amCheck out another interesting article on the ever-changing microfinance landscape in China. In the China Daily article, Wokai co-founder and CEO Casey Wilson speaks about the need for microfinance in China: "China has the second-largest microfinance demand worldwide," said Casey Wilson, a California native who helped launch Wokai in 2007. However, she added, it "lags far behind [...] -
Emmy Award winning journalist features Wokai in online video!
26 Jun 2009 | 5:57 amEmmy award winning Nick Mackie has posted an entry on his blog, Grubby Lens, highlighting the success of Wokai and its CEO, Casey Wilson. His piece offers a first-hand account of his experience traveling with Wokai to produce what will ultimately become a TV feature for global broadcast, planned to air in July. He currently presents [...] -
Is Social Media the Answer to all of our Problems?
25 Jun 2009 | 9:40 amIn an article published by The Independent, Andy Hobsbawn discuses the effect social media has had upon the recent trend towards social giving. He touches upon how our basic need for community has helped drive the social networking phenomenon; the internet has simply provided “new channels of social and philanthropic expression.” He focuses upon six [...]
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So what can I do?
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Change the world.
6 Oct 2014 | 3:52 pmHow will you make our world a better place?* Health and education* Economics, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance* Food and water* Energy and technology* Women, children, and family* Environment, land, and sustainability* FaithAnd don’t forget to visit the So What Can I Do Bookstore. Your efforts can change the world.”Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mohandas GandhiPlease visit http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com to offer your comments and suggestions, forward this post, and peruse the archives. Thanks for reading "So what can I do", the public service weblog promoting… -
Join the So What Can I Do blood donation team.
20 Jun 2009 | 8:40 pmI went to the Red Cross blood center today and gave a pint. Regular readers and regular donors know that blood donation is a fast and easy way to save up to three lives. You never know when you or someone you know will need blood. So please consider donating blood, platelets, or red cells. And if you do, you’re invited to join the So What Can I Do Red Cross Racing Team. Here’s how:• Visit redcrossracing.com .• After you register scroll to the bottom and click “Team Competition.”• Enter the So What Can I Do team code: O?67SO .• Remember to log your donations to win points and… -
Celebrate World Free Your Mind Day – June 19th.
18 Jun 2009 | 9:07 pmI spent this Juneteenth thinking about what my family would have been like if my great-great-granddaddy Griffin Henry Belk hadn’t walked off that plantation when he did. I expect it would have made a huge difference, because when Griffin Henry Belk left, he was able to travel (searching for his parents), purchase land (160 acres for $11 in Ozan, Arkansas), and generally prepare to provide for his wife and five children to come. So I woke up Juneteenth morning and told my daughter about her great-great-great-granddaddy. Even though she’s only two, I expect it resonated with her, or will… -
Make Kiva microloans in the US.
11 Jun 2009 | 9:04 pmI’ve written frequently about microloans - how the concept spread as a tool for economic development, how to lend and get your money back – sometimes with with interest, making a loan a no cost to you, etc. But my most popular post on the topic discusses microloans in the US. I’m pleased to report that there is now another option for those interested in making microloans in the US. Kiva now offers the opportunity to make microloans in the US. If you’re in the US, this is a great way to help your neighbors move ahead through entrepreneurship. And if you need a microloan, this means… -
Be the match: Join the Marrow Registry for free June 8-22.
25 May 2009 | 7:58 pmEarlier today when I wanted to forward my post on cord blood donation, I realized that most of the links had gone dead. While updating them, I was pleased to learn about the upcoming Marrowthon from the National Marrow Donor Program. NMDP has set a goal of adding 46,000 new members to the marrow registry during this drive. Each new member increases the odds that someone with a life threatening blood disease will live, and live well – disease free.Joining is easy: just take the eligibility quiz, fill out a form, and swab your cheeks for a cell sample. (I had to give a bit of blood for…
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Worldchanging: Bright Green
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Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
3 Jul 2009 | 3:16 pmHusk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco Systems. As the winning entrant, Husk Power walks away with $250,000 in seed funding, which they will use to build and operate more power plants in rural areas of Bihar, India's poorest state. Congratulations to Chip Ransler, Manoj Sinha and the rest of the Husk Power Systems team on this big win. They have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and FOX Business. … -
Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist Show
3 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmUnique visionary activist and astrologer Caroline Casey recently interviewed Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist radio show, a live weekly radio program broadcast by KPFA in Berkeley, California. Also featured is Carolyn Raffensperger of the Science and Environmental Health Network. The show originally aired July 2, and will be available in the audio archive until Thursday, July 16. Visit the site to download or play. Help us change the world - DONATE NOW! (Posted by WorldChanging Team in About Worldchanging at 1:37 PM) -
Carbon Tax Shift Gaining Favor Across Canada?
3 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pmPosted by Anna Fahey As British Columbia acknowledges the one year anniversary of the landmark carbon tax shift policy, the revenue-neutral tax recently bumped prices at the pump from 2.4 cents to 3.6 cents a litre. But the price change at the pump hasn't drastically altered public opinion one way or another. In fact, as reported in Sightline Daily today, carbon tax shifting appears to be gaining favor across Canada. A quick refresher on carbon tax shifts: The plan literally shifts taxes, it doesn't add taxes. All revenue generated by the carbon tax in BC are returned to individuals and… -
Pioneer City 2030: What the Energy System of the Future Looks Like
3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amThe energy system of the future is being founded now. New energy systems and technologies are growing on an accelerating curve: • Buildings that are green, super-efficient and fully managed by digital technologies have become economically competitive. • Hybrid vehicles partly propelled by electricity have emerged in the market, with plug-in vehicles coming over the next several years. • Smart electric grids that employ digital technology to manage power supply and demand are spreading through long distance transmission and local power distribution. • Renewable energy in the form of… -
Insider Voices: Human Dimensions of Low Carbon Technology
3 Jul 2009 | 8:16 amThis is a really smart project discussing how cutting-edge climate-friendly business ventures have begun and succeeded or failed. Though it's not casual reading, it'll be fascinating to those wrestling with these questions, because it focuses on the element most often left out of innovative plans: people. "When people talk about reducing carbon emissions," the report's authors say, "they usually talk about technologies or economics. But the five year Lowcarbonworks research project reveals that’s not enough. Unless we understand the wider systemic context of low carbon initiatives and the…
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Social Business Blog
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Summing up Tallberg–Afghani Reality TV and All Night Latin Bands: Tallberg Forum Part Four
3 Jul 2009 | 2:25 amSince I have been back from the Tallberg Forum and have written a few blog posts about it, people have been asking me to “sum up” the conference. This is an understandable request and I often make similar when other people attend the wide array of gatherings we attend–many of which are focused solely on social business and investment and some of which are tangentially related, such as Tallberg. It feels to me like it is much easier to capture the spirit of each Skoll World Forum, for example, and others, than it is at Tallberg. I will not even try. However a few observations… -
Waiting to be Discovered–Sometimes it Takes a Very Long Time
29 Jun 2009 | 11:55 amEntrepreneurs, we know, can get very frustrated. And as a website dedicated to helping social entrepreneurs succeed, we come across plenty who are extremely frustrated–understandably. We tell them it takes time, but this feels really pathetic. It is also very difficult to explain what will change things–especially when the situation is really gloomy. Today at lunch and in the afternoon, two stories confirmed the fact that the key ingredients for success are survival and perseverance. I had lunch today with Maria Clancy, the CEO of Passion Organic. I saw her nine months ago when… -
The Key Role of Women in the Social Economy–The Tallberg Forum, Part 3
28 Jun 2009 | 3:25 pmOne of the most remarkable facts (which I duly tweeted) from the Tallberg Forum was that 56.2% of the MPs in Rwanda were female. This vied with with the etymology of the name “Saab” (Swedish Airplanes AB, set up in 1937 to build up Sweden’s war effort) for “fact of the conference”. While knowing how the name Saab arose is interesting and will give me something to say at any upcoming cocktail party, I feel the high proportion of female MPs in Rwanda has more profound implications and may foreshadow a pattern we will increasingly see as we enter the Social Economy. -
What I Want from the Banks?–Tallberg Part Two
27 Jun 2009 | 10:58 amStill at Tallberg. Weather still unbelievably great–so I am still feeling guilty and therefore blogging. Earlier today I spoke at a session on “what we want from the banks”. The idea was, I guess, that the audience is not very happy with the banks as they are, not only from the standpoint of the losses they have generated but from the values they express and the impact on society of this expression. I made a few modest suggestions as a way of getting a conversation started. The Moderator was Tom Cummings from the Executive Learning Partnership, and he was excellent, as was… -
The Tallberg Forum and “Engaging the Other”
26 Jun 2009 | 8:44 am“I have come to Tallberg“. That is something I have wanted to say for some time. I was never sure what the Tallberg Forum was but it always sounded like an interesting conference in the beautiful Swedish countryside. After booking a place, I tried twice to cancel my attendance, owing to having a work schedule that “was just too busy” (the perennial excuse of our time). Only high cancellation fees and a nagging notion that I would not be invited back ever again prevented me from backing out–I am glad I did not cancel. If nothing else, this is one of the most…
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Serendipity Factory
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Kind Over Matter Garden Cards
2 Jul 2009 | 2:07 amI know I keep saying it, but darn it those Kind Over Matter girls are awesome! They have made beautiful little garden cards you can download and place in people's gardens that say "Your garden is lovely, thank you for making the world more beautiful." Sigh. They are so cool. copyright: Kind Over Matter -
Anti-Woe Wednesday
1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 amThis is our second time featuring a Jen Gray video. Could she be any cuter? How about some enthusiasm people! -
Working Better by Tere Arigo
30 Jun 2009 | 2:08 amAnother honest little tidbit of advice from the lovely Tere Arigo. -
Growing Up
29 Jun 2009 | 2:45 amGrowing Up from Jr.canest on Vimeo. -
This Day.
25 Jun 2009 | 6:24 pmI made this for you in my Doodle Art class...
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Gimundo.com
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Young Brothers Invent Bestselling iPhone App
2 Jul 2009 | 6:15 pmThink all of the bestselling iPhone apps are created by Silicon Valley geniuses in their spare time? As it turns out, the technology is child's play. -
13-Year-Old Girl Survives Plane Crash into Indian Ocean
1 Jul 2009 | 9:01 amAmidst the tragedy of Tuesday's Yemenia Airline crash, there is one bright spot: A 13-year-old girl who'd been on board the flight was discovered alive with only minor injuries. -
Bar Code Trackers for Food Could Help You Eat More Ethically
30 Jun 2009 | 3:31 pmWhile the technology isn’t commercially available yet, several companies are working to implement food tracking software, which will help conscientious consumers to find out where their local shops’ food was grown before making a purchasing decision. -
Teen Mugging Victim Uses Google Street View to Nab Criminals
29 Jun 2009 | 2:54 pmGoogle can be good for all sorts of things, from searching to shopping. Now, you can add crime-solving to the list. -
Ten Healthy Summer Foods That Won’t Break the Bank
28 Jun 2009 | 4:06 pmFrom our friends at Divine Caroline, here are ten great suggestions for healthy and budget-friendly summer fruits and veggies to incorporate into your diet.
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How I changed the world today.
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Nourish International
28 Jun 2009 | 10:07 amA friend of mine pointed out that this great project needs to raise a few more dollars by a few more people in 2 days, in order to stay on Global Giving.So I donated today to Nourish International. Nourish is a student movement to eradicate global poverty. During the school year, undergraduate students organize as Nourish Chapters where they raise money through small businesses called "Ventures." Using the money they've earned, they select a sustainable development project to fund. Over the summer, they travel abroad to work alongside members of the community to implement the project. -
Kiva loans to Honduras
26 Jun 2009 | 5:03 pmI made 5 kiva loans today to Honduras.POR UN FUTURO MEJOR Group in Honduras (Activity: Retail) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reina Pricila Centeno Gomez in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ana Baudilia Escoto in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anita Sorto in Honduras (Activity: General Store) Y-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Henry Daniel… -
kiva loan to Lydia
25 Jun 2009 | 4:56 pmI made a loan today to Lydia Kwakye-Boateng in Wiawso, Ghana. Lydia is my sister's name.Lydia Kwakye-Boateng is thirty-eight years old. She is divorced and has given birth to one child, a girl, who is currently in the primary school. She lives with her daughter in a rented apartment in a commercial town called Dwenase in the Western Region. Dwenase is a suburb of Sefwi-Wiawso, the district capital. Lydia is a food vendor. She prepares and sells rice and stew. She sells on a table at the lorry (truck) station in the mornings. She buys her goods from nearby communities and wants a loan to buy… -
Bogo light
24 Jun 2009 | 7:24 pmI just bought another BOGO light, they are on sale. They are the best flashlights. My friend has even dropped his from a roof and it still works. These are worth it, even if you're not interested in helping Africans.BoGo means Buy one, Give one. We want our lights to benefit the less fortunate; therefore, with each light purchased in the developed world, a second identical light will be donated to an organization that will distribute it in the developing world with our direct financial support. Give the Gift of Light, and Help Us Change the World! -
Kiva loans with Kiva Credit
22 Jun 2009 | 4:56 pmI made a few loans today to use up some Kiva credit - monies that have been repaid to me.anzragch Sereeter in Mongolia (Activity: Cloth & Dressmaking Supplies) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Esteban Ramirez in Honduras (Activity: Clothing Sales)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Margarito Amador in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Georgina del Socorro Mendiola Meneses in Nicaragua (Activity: Retail)…
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NextBillion
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Director, Markets and Enterprise Program
3 Jul 2009 | 7:36 amOrganization: World Resources InstituteLocation: Washington, DC, USThe World Resources Institute (WRI) is seeking a Director to lead its Markets & Enterprise Program. WRI's work in this area has focused on the role of the private sector in tackling some of the world's most pressing environmental and social problems. The Institute has been a pioneer in this field, building a portfolio of ground-breaking initiatives that aim to influence capital markets, investment flows, and enterprise development to achieve greater sustainability. The program is well positioned to grow and increase… -
Have you Been to Changemakers Lately? It's About Time
2 Jul 2009 | 9:55 amAuthored by: Francisco NogueraChangemakers is one of the web's most dynamic and interesting destinations for those of us interested in ideas and their power to advance tangible change in the lives of the "next billion". Its recent re-design and the upcoming finals for one of their competitions (one very much in the vein of development through enterprise) are reasons compelling enough for me to ask you: have you been to Changemakers lately? If the answer is no, well it's about time. Their new site is refreshing in so many ways. Visually it a made a great leap forward, showing beautiful… -
Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
1 Jul 2009 | 1:02 pmAuthored by: Rob KatzHusk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco Systems. As the winning entrant, Husk Power walks away with $250,000 in seed funding, which they will use to build and operate more power plants in rural areas of Bihar, India's poorest state.Congratulations to Chip Ransler, Manoj Sinha and the rest of the Husk Power Systems team on this big win. They have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and… -
Social Capital Markets 09: Go to "Woodstock" with a 40% Discount
1 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amAuthored by: Rob KatzBy the time we got to Woodstock / We were half a million strong - Joni Mitchell, "Woodstock"Well, there won't be half a million of us, but as Bill Baue noted in a recent CSR Wire article, the Social Capital Markets conference (2009 vintage) is quickly shaping up to be an important event for our generation of changemakers, investors, intrapreneurs, policymakers and innovators. (His exact quote was "...[SoCap09] is quickly becoming the Woodstock for social entrepreneurs.") NextBillion.net covered the event extensively last year, and we are pleased to be going… -
Microfinance: An Open-Book Blog
30 Jun 2009 | 8:45 amAuthored by: Tayo AkinyemiOccasionally one encounters a novel application of a familiar technology. In this case, it's blogging. David Roodman, fellow at the Center for Global Development and architect of the Commitment to Development Index, is writing an open-book blog about microfinance. He drafts a chapter, then posts it for comment and critique. Mr. Roodman shared the introduction to his book on February 17th and has since authored nine additional sections. Although the work looks substantially complete, there is still a tremendous opportunity to contribute…
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Spare Change
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Marketing Games for Health
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation invited me to write a guest post on its Pioneering Ideas blog, along with several other people who are investigating how games can be used to promote health. This guest blogger series is tied into the 2009 Games for Health Conference, which happened a couple of weeks ago, as well as a recent report from the Sesame Workshop’s Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which looks at how video games can be a positive force for children's health.The question they posed for us to answer was:"There is a growing consensus that digital games can be deployed to support learning and… -
Upcoming: Social Marketing University Advanced Course and Webinars
16 Jun 2009 | 5:00 amIt's that time again - time to announce the next session of Social Marketing University! Many of you know that I have been offering SMU trainings since 2006 as a 2-1/2 day introduction to using social marketing to promote health and social issues.This year, taking into account many people's requests for the next level of social marketing training beyond the basics, I will be offering the Social Marketing University Advanced Course. This 2-day training is for people who are already familiar with the fundamentals of social marketing who are looking for new ideas and insights, including those… -
@Replies, Damn @Replies and Statistics
24 May 2009 | 11:21 pmThis post will be somewhat of a Twitter inside baseball topic - not what I usually write about - so if you are not interested in Twitter arcana, you might want to skip this one.Those of us on Twitter could not have missed the uproar that happened a couple of weeks ago when Twitter management decided to make a "small settings update" to its service by eliminating an option they said was "undesirable and confusing." This change removed the option to see the one side of the conversations people you follow are having with people you don't. Now you can only see these "half conversations" (called… -
Guest Post: The Slave Next Door - Ron Soodalter
18 May 2009 | 12:58 amMany of you know that human trafficking and modern-day slavery are the issues I care most about and have volunteered the most time and energy. That's why I was honored to be approached for a guest post by author Ron Soodalter, who has just written a book with Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves, called The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. Though awareness is becoming more widespread, far too many people still believe that this is not an issue in the US. Awareness is the first step toward action, so though this post is not specifically about social… -
The Tip Jar - 5/10/09
10 May 2009 | 6:00 amIt's been a while since I've done one of my Tip Jar round-ups of interesting links and pieces of information here on Spare Change. If you follow my Twitter feed (@Nedra) or links I bookmark on Delicious, you may have seen these and many other useful items already; in fact, I see so many great resources every day that it's hard to pick just a few to share.Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are blessed to have the world's best and hardest job!Show your support for the effort spearheaded by Craig Lefebvre to finally get a professional social marketing association off the ground. Join the 100…
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TakePart Social Action Network™
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California City Forgoes Fireworks to Feed Families in Need
3 Jul 2009 | 8:13 pmWhen did the Fourth of July fireworks show get so contentious? That shirtless dude 12 Coors deep is just trying to have a good time. The most American of American holidays can start a shouting match faster than Jenny Sanford blaming her husband’s infidelity on gay marriage. Your grandmother laments the noise, your brother complains about air pollution, and your dad tells him to get off his goddamn soapbox. John Adams did, after all, write that July 4 should be marked with “illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forevermore.” But head to the… -
Top 10 Movies with “American” Titles
3 Jul 2009 | 7:45 pmI figured that this 4th of July I would do one movie list that was appropriately thematic in terms of the content of films and one movie list that was based solely on “thematic” film titles. Thus I give my Top 10 Movies with “American” Titles. All the films below contain America or U.S.A. in the title. A few actually deal with what it means to be American while others are simply movies that should be seen. Enjoy and as always let me know if I missed your favorite 10. The American President - This movie may be pretty typical Hollywood fare and a bit cheesy but I still… -
4 Alternatives to Polluting Fireworks
3 Jul 2009 | 7:42 pmAs I write this, I am heading to a Fourth of July celebration where they will likely set off a ridiculous number of fireworks (especially for a house party), and I will most assuredly oooo and ahhh over the chest-thumping explosions and sparkling weeping willows falling from the sky. So, forgive me a certain degree of hypocrisy while I suggest a few alternatives to celebrating the Fourth of July that don’t involve polluting the sky with gunpowder. As Andy pointed out, environmentally friendly fireworks are in the “works”, but until then… 1. Outdoor Movies Rule… -
Four Freedom Movements You Should Know About This Independence Day
3 Jul 2009 | 6:29 pmIt’s been 233 years since America declared its independence, but for millions of people around the globe, the fight for freedom is just getting started. More than half a century after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed, the international community continues its struggle to combat discrimination, government corruption and political oppression worldwide. Western coverage of protests in Tehran, the coup in Honduras and internet censorship in China just scratch the surface of a global deficit of human rights, but the problem runs much deeper. Two hundred years out,… -
Sarah Palin Resigns as Governor of Alaska
3 Jul 2009 | 4:58 pmSarah Palin, in a move that most likely is meant to be buried by other news (read: Michael Jackson) and a holiday weekend, has announced she is resigning as governor of Alaska. Check out the last part of her speech here: Having watched the whole 18 minute speech, she seems tense and slightly rambling, and based on her words, I really feel like she’s resigning not for any political positioning, or ulterior motive, but simply because she’s simply tired of it. She doesn’t like being scrutinized, she doesn’t like being attacked, and she was just plain done with people…
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Social ROI: A Social Entrepreneurship Blog
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The Mind Trust Education Entrepreneur Fellowship
30 Jun 2009 | 3:35 pmThe Mind Trust’s Education Entrepreneur Fellowship is a nationally unique incubator for transformative education ventures. The Fellowship offers promising education entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop and launch their break-the-mold education ventures and the support necessary for success. Fellows receive two years of salary, benefits, a stipend for travel and professional development, and more. With this support, fellows will be able to realize their visions and achieve extraordinary results for some of the nation’s most underserved students. Fellowship ventures… -
Google SMS Allows People To Access Information With Their Mobile Phones
29 Jun 2009 | 9:06 pmGoogle does a great job of describing Google SMS– it’s basically technology that meets the needs and infrastructure of Africa: Most mobile devices in Africa only have voice and SMS capabilities, and so we are focusing our technological efforts in that continent on SMS. Today, we are announcing Google SMS, a suite of mobile applications which will allow people to access information, via SMS, on a diverse number of topics including health and agriculture tips, news, local weather, sports, and more. The suite also includes Google Trader, a SMS-based “marketplace” application… -
Jobs for Change: Recruiting a new generation of leaders into the nonprofit, government, and social enterprise sectors
19 Jun 2009 | 10:45 amJobs for Change is being launched at a time of both crisis and opportunity. The crisis we face is rooted not only in our faltering economy but also in our national failure to confront major challenges, from education to energy to health care. At the same time, President Obama has inspired renewed interest in public service, providing a historic opportunity to mobilize people to address problems that have been ignored for too long. The mission of Jobs for Change is to help take full advantage of this opportunity by recruiting a new generation of leaders into the nonprofit, government, and… -
Facebook’s Hunger Program: ShareYourLunch.net asks you to “Share Your Lunch With 20 Children For Just $10
16 Jun 2009 | 8:24 amThis comes from TechCrunch as well: Yesterday, we wrote about Microsoft’s pledge to feed the hungry if you download their web browser. That campaign is misleading, and it really shows when you compare it to another campaign of a similar nature. Today, while at Facebook’s new headquarters in Palo Alto, we noticed that it too is involved in a campaign to end hunger. But rather than pledging to feed hungry people only if you download something from Facebook, the company is doing it on the down-low, asking its employees to help out, in its own cafeteria. continue reading. Link to Share Your… -
Mozilla Encourages Users To Participate in Service Week
15 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmNot sure what’s up with Silicon Valley churning out the love these days but here’s Mozilla’s efforts: This September, Mozilla is challenging users to earn their Internet merit badges by donating their time and talents to public benefit institutions, non-profits, and those in need. According to an email we received from Mozilla, “Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. This new initiative is looking for people with a talent for writing, designing, programming,…
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JUST CAUSE - make some good news™
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Be A Mentor
24 Jun 2009 | 9:23 amMentors are matched one-to-one with a student. Mentors and mentees meet after school and/or on weekends and spend 4 to 6 hours per month. read more -
Kick the buckets and hose, no car wash at home
22 Jun 2009 | 8:51 amA typical car wash lasting 10 minutes uses approximately 100 gallons of water. What if we could conserve hundreds of gallons of water in one week. read more -
Videos, Voters, and Youth
21 Jun 2009 | 10:17 amThe idea behind the online organizing movement is simple: go where the people are. read more -
insomnia, nostalgia, gratitude
5 Jun 2009 | 10:02 amI appreciate the space afforded my thoughts, my heart, at 4AM. With nobody around, the stresses of the day fall away and goodness bubbles up. read more -
A portrait of self hate
4 Jun 2009 | 5:26 pmWhat it is to love an addict? It is pain one can not truly put into words. It is a disease worse than any cancer. On Loving an Addict - For family and Friends of Heroin Addicts or Opiate Addicts read more
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Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy - Institute for Food and Development Policy
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Former Food First Intern Scours the Urban Food-scape to Help Build Community
2 Jul 2009 | 6:40 pmBy Rick Jonasse Food and agriculture have been intertwined with community and culture for thousands of years, but the modern food economy with its industrial production and large impersonal grocery chains, not only distances people from the source of their food, but also from one another. Asiya Wadud was recently featured in a recent New York Times article for on her efforts to forage in the urban landscape for fruit that is not being eaten. She is connecting people in a 200 member fruit exchange network called Forage Oakland. read more -
Statement by Guatemalan Organizations and Communities to National and International Public Opinion
19 Jun 2009 | 2:15 pmWe Declare: 1. The expansion of plantations for agrofuels is advancing quickly in Guatemala. Over the last five years national and international agribusinesses have been increasing their control over land to plant sugarcane and African palm for this purpose. This is leading to a decrease in the land planted for food, putting the population’s food security at risk. It is also contributing to the weakening of many rural communities, undermining the basic elements of indigenous communities’ cohesion and identity. read more -
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food recommends principles and measures to discipline "land grabbing"
15 Jun 2009 | 2:13 pmGENEVA / BRUSSELS -- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Olivier De Schutter, on Thursday (June 11, 2009) proposed a minimum set of principles and measures based on human rights in the elaboration of large-scale transnational land acquisitions and leases, more commonly referred to as "land grabbing". His call comes at a time when Governments are preparing to negotiate on responsible investment in agriculture at the forthcoming G8 Summit. read more -
Mount Kenya Declaration on the Global Crisis and Africa’s Responsibility
9 Jun 2009 | 12:57 pmStatement from the African Biodiversity Network From 23 - 31 May 2009, the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) have gathered together near Mount Kenya, 25 organisations from 10 countries that work with farmers and local communities on the issues of biodiversity, food sovereignty, livelihoods, climate change, traditional knowledge, culture and community rights in Africa. read more -
Peaceful protesters in Peru blockading oil development killed by government police
8 Jun 2009 | 11:23 amPLEASE TAKE ACTION to support our Indigenous brothers and sisters in Peru who are literally fighting for their lives at this very moment. In protest of the Peruvian government’s attempts to change laws and the constitution to open up Peru’s Amazon to exploitation by the oil, gas, mining and agribusiness industries to meet its obligations under the Peru-US Free Trade Agreement, Indigenous Amazonians have been protesting non-violently for over 60 days. read more
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Chris Blattman's Blog
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News flash: there are no angels and demons in politics
3 Jul 2009 | 9:56 amLiberia's lady President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has been banned from public office. Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission released it's report yesterday, concluding that Sirleaf be barred from politics.Sirleaf is the latest darling of the aid community (Museveni and Zenawi: remember when?). Said aid community is, for the most part, stunned. Even Kristof is at a rare loss for words. Should they be so surprised?Sirleaf openly supported at least two rebel movements -- Charles Taylor's attempt to overthrow President Doe in 1989, and LURD's invasion to oust Charles Taylor a decade later. -
Shout out to all my... gas companies
3 Jul 2009 | 5:48 amIt probably seemed a good idea at the time. But Russia's attempt to create a joint gas venture with Nigeria is set to become one of the classic branding disasters of all time -- after the new company was named Nigaz.See The Guardian for the full, hapless, story. -
Little big man
3 Jul 2009 | 2:57 amOmar Bongo, longtime President of Gabon, died last month. I've been meaning to blog this article from The East African for some weeks. It takes a certain genius to stay in office 42 years in Africa. Early signs suggested he had the gift. One day Bongo, who had got a temporary job in a telegraph office in Brazzaville, noticed a telegram from a French general with instructions about which leader was going to be made to win which election. Bongo was shocked, and leaked the information to local newspapers in Brazzaville, which feasted on the story. He was arrested and charged with revealing… -
The one that got away
2 Jul 2009 | 4:43 amIn honor of the anniversary of Congolese independence (June 30, 1960), I bring you along on a journey into my inner monologue, provisionally titled "Argh! Why is coverage of the Congo always so f***ed up? (Part XVIII)." My Google news alert for the DRC spat this out for me the other day: "DR Congo: UN calls for urgent reform after women raped during attempted prison-break." Of course I clicked through, because nothing compliments a breakfast of ibuprofen and coffee like tales of sexual assault in the Congo. Tragically, however, the linked UN News Centre article provided little in the way of… -
A development blog you're probably not reading (but should)
2 Jul 2009 | 3:16 amAnti-malarials and TRCs, how to sell coconuts and random graffitti. (These are a few of my favorite things.) Myles Estey is (I gather) a journalist based in Liberia. His blog, The Esteyonage, is worth a look.
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...My heart's in Accra
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John Hagel on serendipity
3 Jul 2009 | 5:21 pmFuturist and consultant John Hagel caught my attention with a talk titled “Shaping Serendipity”. He’s introduced by John Seely Brown, his frequent collaborator. Brown and Hagel are writing a new book together, and a chapter focuses on serendipity. (And as a chapter in the book I’m failing to write is also on serendipity, I made a point of attending…) Hagel offers a definition of serendipity: “Unexpected encounters that surprise and delight.” He notes that, in telling people about the session, they’d react first with delight, and then with… -
Aspen Ideas Festival: Immigration Reform
3 Jul 2009 | 1:14 pmI jogged (yes, me, jogging!) from Tim O’Reilly’s talk to a session on immigration reform at Aspen. I was still late, so I arrived during David Kennedy’s historical perspectives on American immigration. He reminds us that, despite our myths about people coming to the US out of a love of freedom, before World War 1, 44% of immigrants to America went home. Immigration was at a historical high, which dropped sharply between the wars and after WWII. During that period of time, less than 5% of population was foreign born. We tend to think of this as “normal” in terms… -
Tim O’Reilly on Government 2.0
3 Jul 2009 | 12:12 pmPioneering technology publisher Tim O’Reilly tells us that “government as a platform” is the definition of government 2.0. To explain to a non-technical audience what this means, he explains that his company specializes in finding innovations at the edge and amplifying them, through events, publishing and market research. This involves watching alpha geeks like Rob Flickenger. Tim says he knew Wifi was important when he saw Flickenger on the roof of the O’Reilly building using a cantenna to bring Wifi to his favorite coffee shop. Similarly, they were able to anticipate… -
Aspen Ideas Festival: Surveillance society
3 Jul 2009 | 10:47 amElliot Gerson of the Aspen Institute introduces a conversation titled, “Your life in a surveillance society”. The discussants are Jack Balkin, legal scholar and philosopher at Yale Law School and Admiral Mike McConnell, former director of the National Security Agency. Gerson offers examples of surveillance in our lives, including the airport, cameras to detect speeding, but also activities like Twitter. He suggests that there’s an increasing acceptance of devices and mechanisms which we might have past thought as totalitarian. Balkin rejects the term surveillance, and breaks… -
Aspen Ideas Festival: Digital Natives
3 Jul 2009 | 8:06 amThis morning at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Brian Lehrer show is being broadcast live as we act as breakfast-eating studio audience. The first guest is Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. Lehrer introduces Pawlenty as the Republican’s Obama - young, smart, charismatic and a party leader, who was considered a front-runner for McCain’s running mate. Pawlenty admits that he didn’t get the result he would have liked in the Coleman/Franken recount, “but the process was fair.” The problems, he says, weren’t with the voting process but with absentee ballots -…
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Tworque
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The inefficiencies of aid: Donor Denial and lack of educated input
1 Jul 2009 | 8:13 amA constant question I'm asked is why international aid is SO inefficient. There are many answers to this question. Here's one reason...donors, who generally live very different lives from the poor, don't seem to know the difference between people who know what they are doing and those who don't.I was reminded about this again just recently, when a good friend of mine (let's call her "Anita") got fired recently. Yes, everyone's getting laid off these days, but this was sad. Anita was the perfect person for the job she was working on. While no one can still point a finger at her work quality… -
Blog Spotlight: Wronging Rights
30 Jun 2009 | 1:10 pmphoto source: http://www.actagainsttorture.org/photogallery/human_rights_for_all.jpgI've been following the Wronging Rights blog for some time now and have really enjoyed the material they put out. The authors are a pair of Americans I think, Amanda and Kate, who have put up very little information about themselves. But I sense that they are both Human Rights lawyers or have some such background.Anyways, the blog focuses on calling out Human Rights violations and violators around the developing world. There is a great deal more emphasis on Africa, than on the other continents (I'm sure this… -
Iconoclasts: A great series
29 Jun 2009 | 3:58 pmArchbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson share an hour of "hanging out" in the series IconoclastsHave you ever wondered what it would be like to sit in on conversations between two great minds...people of extremely diverse backgrounds, from different parts of the world whose commonalities lie in their genuine respect for each other's art and the need to constantly better themselves.That is what the Sundance series "Iconoclasts" is. Now in its fourth season, the series puts together brilliant, but often unlikely pairs of people together for an hour. It makes for fascinating and… -
Blogger is acting weird...apologies!
26 Jun 2009 | 12:21 pmOn days when I expect to be busy, I write my posts ahead of time and pre-post them. Blogger has a new feature that allows you to set a posting date somewhere in the future.I've been using this feature quite a bit the past few months and for some reason its been acting up in the past two weeks. Although I had preposted items for most of this week, they didn't show up until today. I'm still not sure why. So I wanted to apologize for this strange behavior...posts from previous dates showing up randomly. I don't know how to fix this. But I appreciate your patience and forbearance as… -
Too Much Too Late
26 Jun 2009 | 10:29 amphoto source: http://1.bp.blogspot.comIn case you are the only person who hasn't heard, Michael Jackson died unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. I was close to the epi-center at that point, near UCLA Medical Center where Jackson's body lay and a large crowd was collecting. I was in line at an ATM when I overheard the lady behind me telling her friend what happened. Like everyone else, I was shocked.Since then, Jackson's death has been reported on almost continuously around the world. Vigils have been planned in every kind of setting imaginable, and the internet has crashed several times trying…
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globalhealthideas.org
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Why maternal mortality is not easy to solve
23 Jun 2009 | 7:26 pmBy Ashish Gupta (cross-posted from his blog) My manager at GE healthcare and I went to Canje (pronounced Kanj), the “headquarters” of Zanmi Lasante (Partners In Health in Haiti). It was truly exciting to get an opportunity to visit the place where Dr. Paul Farmer started his inspirational work. On our way there, we encountered a group of 12 men who were carrying a women on a stretcher. Turned out it was a woman in labor, who also had eclempsia (caused due to hypertension, and one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally). The lady was from a village on a mountain. -
Pacific Global Health Summit
22 Jun 2009 | 6:36 pmCalled the Davos of public health, the mysterious Pacific Health Summit in Seattle is a gathering of top leaders in the field. Science Speaks a blog supported by the IDSA and HIV Medicine association was there. Check out their great series of posts below: 1. Secret global health gathering underway, link 2. Fauci: New TB research agenda desperately needed, link 3. Fighting TB in the mountains of Lesotho, link 4. Photographs from the TB front-lines, link 5. Calls for strengthened lab capacity, service delivery and better policy, link 6. Newsmaker: Seeking partners in Russia to fight MDR-TB,… -
Using Yogurt to help HIV Patients
21 Jun 2009 | 8:33 pmThis is a fascinating 10 minute interview from PRI’s Global Health and Development Podcast, definitely worth listening too: Can Yogurt Slow the Spread of HIV? 12 Jun 2009 Scientist Gregor Reid joins The Takeaway to talk about his work with HIV patients in Africa. He has helped teach a group of ‘yogurt mamas’ in Tanzania how they might serve up disease protection one cup at a time. Play: Quote from the podcast: “We have changed from a human spieces that ate a lot of plant foods to food with essentially no organisms at all because we are so paranoid about getting… -
KFF Global Health Tracker
21 Jun 2009 | 7:06 pmI have been talking about this kind of thing for years, well the organization that is one of the best in producing useful health information, the Kaiser Family Foundation has a global health page and tracker. The screen shot below is from our friends at Little Devices that Could. This is a good start, but a lot more could be done, not sure why no one is doing it? Menlo Park, CA – infoZine – With attention to global health rising on the U.S. policy agenda in recent years, the Kaiser Family Foundation launched a set of new resources, providing U.S. policymakers, non-governmental… -
Health & Growth World Bank Blog
17 Jun 2009 | 8:18 pmThe World Bank folks (thanks to Pavneet for giving us this info), specifically the Commission on Growth and Development have a blog that they are re-dedicating some attention to: “In the coming weeks, we will be launching a volume dedicated to issues related to Health and Growth. The volume is co-edited by Nobel Laureate Michael Spence, and World Bank Advisor Maureen Lewis. It features contributions by Sir George Alleyne, David Canning and David Bloom, Simon Johnson and Hoyt Bleakley, among others. Topics include Early Life Nutrition, Disease and Development, and population…
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Utah Valley Global Health Group
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Health Systems get-together, and HSIA sign-on activated
3 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pm2 brief announcements: 1. The call to action for Health Systems Impact Assessments was published today in the Lancet. -Consider Signing onto the call here. 2. On July 8, at 5pm, we will have an informal meeting at my house to discuss “Transforming Health Systems.” All are invited. Drs. Henry Mosley (Johns [...] -
Research Assistant and Volunteer Opportunities
16 May 2009 | 7:40 amSee here for details. -
Global Health Journals
14 May 2009 | 3:36 amThe CORE group has compiled the only list of global health scientific journals that I am aware of. I think it is very helpful. Any other lists out there? Any additions or comments to the list? -
RESULTS Meeting this Saturday
6 May 2009 | 3:46 amThis Saturday, May 9, the local Utah Valley RESULTS group will meet at 12 noon at at 2198 JFSB on BYU campus. See here for more about RESULTS. Hope to see you there! -
Karl Kirby and Rising Star Outreach: Experiences with Leprosy in India
13 Apr 2009 | 10:40 pmTo introduce myself, I’m currently serving as the medical director for Rising Star Outreach (RSO) in India. Chad has asked that I post something about what I”ve been doing over the past 8 months. It’s very difficult to know where to start, but I’m going to give it a shot and then follow-up [...]
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All Day Buffet
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The First Feast Salon TONIGHT!
29 Jun 2009 | 6:28 amGood Gets Creative Monday, June 29th, 2009 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Meet at the Apartment 101 Crosby Street, New York The first Feast Salon is tonight and we’re excited to start the week off with a bang. Stop by the MEET space in Soho for an eclectic dialogue on how Good gets Creative. Experts from non-profit, to digital to bottom-up fundraising will share their stories (as will everyone else in the room we’re sure). Short talks and insights from remarkable speakers. No drama. No ego. Just intimate conversations on how to change the world. Look who’s talkin’ Noah Brier… -
Kickstarter at The Feast Salon
26 Jun 2009 | 1:06 pmWith the top-down system in disarray, it’s time for the bottom-up funding and crowd source movement to lead the way and show the world what’s it’s got. Which is why we’re excited to have on of the micro-funding world’s all-stars with us at our first Feast Salon this coming Monday! Kickwho? How does it work? Basically people propose projects for funding. Whether a CD, or an art project, others can pledge to micro-fund these works (and get cool stuff in return). If the project hits it goal within the allotted amount of time, it’s a go, the projects gets its… -
Feast Salon - Good Gets Creative
19 Jun 2009 | 10:12 am“The Feast” is a cross-disciplinary series of programs addressing social innovation and new ways to make the world a better place. Our secret sauce lies in a healthy combination of passion, creativity, and entrepreneurship to shift the way things are done – thereby changing individuals, industries, and ultimately the world. “The Feast Salons” are short talks and insights from remarkable speakers. No drama. No ego. Just intimate conversations on how to change the world. Monday, June 29, 2009 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM MEET at the Apartment 101 Crosby St, New York GOOD GETS… -
Feast on Good
16 Jun 2009 | 3:32 pmWe’ve been working day and night to bring you the all-new, improved and awesome re-launch of The Feast. We’ve hooked it up with a new design, more events, and more to get you full on good! The Feast is a cross-disciplinary series of programs addressing social innovation and new ways to make the world a better place. Our secret sauce lies in a healthy combination of passion, creativity, and entrepreneurship to shift the way things are done - thereby changing individuals, industries, and ultimately the world. On October 1, 2009 at The Times Center in New York City, “The Feast… -
By/Association
5 Jun 2009 | 8:21 amAs you know, All Day Buffet is an incubator for social innovation. We partner with entrepreneurs to connect, develop, and launch purpose-driven ventures. Today, we’re happy to announce the launch of By/Association. By/Association is a private service for personal introductions to remarkable people. We hand select our members for their exceptional creativity, vision, and cross-disciplinary networks. We then introduce them to each other. Because when two amazing people get together, their potential impact grows and the world changes shape. Our goal is to reinvent the traditional…
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CRIN News Feed - Home - English
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ZIMBABWE: Diamonds in the Rough: Human Rights Abuses in the Marange Diamond Fields of Zimbabwe
2 Jul 2009 | 11:52 pmZimbabwe's armed forces are engaging in the forced labor of children and adults, and are torturing and beating local villagers on the diamond fields of Marange district in eastern Zimbabwe, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The military, which remains under the control of the Zi -
EUROPE: Key child rights network folds
2 Jul 2009 | 9:19 pmThe principal European child rights network will close after key funders failed to stump up the cash to keep it afloat.The European Children's Network (EURONET) has been working since the mid-1990s to promote children’s rights in European Union decision-making.But, a -
ASEAN: Inter-American Commission encourages creation of human rights mechanism
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm[WASHINGTON, D.C., 2 July 2009] – In the year of its 50th anniversary, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) welcomes the progress toward establishing a regional human rights body by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In its 42nd Ministerial Meeting, to be h -
Complaints Mechanism: Next Steps
2 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pmUpdate on the campaign – June 2009Latest news from GenevaOn 17 June 2009, the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution establishing an Open-ended Working Group to «explo -
CHILD LABOUR: Give Girls a Chance: Tackling child labour, a key to the future
14 Jun 2009 | 11:08 pmThis report focuses on girls and child labour, the theme of the World Day against Child Labour for 2009. This, of course, does not diminish our concern with the harm suffered by boys engaged in child labour. However the report is intended to bring home to readers the particular vulnerabilit
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The Pop!Tech Blog
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2° and the Planet’s Future
3 Jul 2009 | 4:11 amYou know the administration has changed when you read a headline like the one featured by a Reuters News Alert yesterday: “U.S. seen backing 2 degrees Celsius target at G8.” I realize we are nearing 200+ days into this new administration, but as someone who has (and still does) lay awake at night worrying about [...] -
Hibaku Trees: Planting seeds from Hiroshima
2 Jul 2009 | 8:47 amCollecting seeds in Hiroshima 2008 from Hiroshi Sunairi on Vimeo. Scientists will tell you that Mother Nature abhors a vacuum. Artist Hiroshi Sunairi has learned that she also has little tolerance for war. On August 6th, 1945 an atomic bomb called Little Boy was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. With a force equivalent to 13 kilotons [...] -
‘White Flight’ Online? danah boyd asks at PDF
1 Jul 2009 | 8:12 amFor years, many people have been saying the Internet will be a “great social equalizer.” Give everyone access to technology, and differences in race, class, and income will give way to a stronger democracy, right? Not necessarily, says Net researcher danah boyd. Speaking at this week’s Personal Democracy Forum in New York, boyd said that even [...] -
Hello from your new PopTech Blogger-In-Chief
29 Jun 2009 | 11:34 amI am delighted to join PopTech today as Digital Content and Community Manager; as part of my job, I have the privilege of being your Blogger-In-Chief, continuing the great work (and PopTech dictionary evangelism!) of Michelle Riggen-Ransom in past months. We will be adding new writers to those you already enjoy, and you can join us [...] -
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation
29 Jun 2009 | 6:34 amThe Garden of Cosmic Speculation, a thirty acre private garden in the Borders area of Scotland created by architect and architectural critic Charles Jencks. It is a joining of terrestrial nature with fundamental concepts of modern physics (quantum mechanics, super-string theory, complexity theory, etc.), and the literal and physical manifestation of the craftsman as philosopher, re-uniting the "head and hand divided" (Richard Sennett).
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quoteflections
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Antique Roadshow Hits $1 Million Jackpot
3 Jul 2009 | 8:01 pmA woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts. Four pieces from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795) includes a large bowl crafted for the Emperor. Executive producer Marsha Bemko said, " For 13 years we've been hoping to feature a million dollar appraisal on Antiques Road Show; it's been our great white whale...We have finally captured this elusive trophy." The find took place in Raleigh, N.C.The PBS Antique Roadshow website features some of the treasures featured over the last few years. One can complete a search, for… -
July 4, 2009: Well Wishes from a Neighbour
2 Jul 2009 | 8:01 pmWhat are the reasons to celebrate July 4, 2009 from the perspective of a Canadian? After all, our destinies are inextricably linked with that of our kind neighbours to the south.The U. S. has elected a dynamic, inspiring president with a vision. Lawrence Martin writes there are a number of aspects of his vision which complement our own:- With his centre-left philosophical tilt, Barack Obama, who knows little about Canada, is ironically closer to the Canadian mainstream than the American one.- He is a moderate who favours conciliation over confrontation.- He is also a multilateralist and a… -
Michael Jackson Tribute and Quotations
1 Jul 2009 | 8:01 pmMy goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive...the ecstasy of divine union through my music and dance.I wanted to have a place that I could create everything that I never had as a child. So you see rides. You see animals. There's a movie theater. I was always on tour, travelling.Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's the gospel. People write negative things, cause they feel that's what sells. Good news to them, it doesn't sell. ~ Michael JacksonMichael Jackson (1958-2009) will be noted for his fame and controversy. The seventh child of the Jackson family, his… -
GPS July Theme: Nurture in Nature
30 Jun 2009 | 8:01 pmNature never did betray the heart that loved her. ~ William WordsworthWhy are there trees I never walk under but large and melodious thoughts descend upon me? ~ Walt WhitmanNature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~ Lao TzuLook deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert EinsteinThe theme for July is simple: reflect upon a time when nature provided you with comfort, beauty, or inspiration. This special moment may have occurred close to your home or afar, it may have been past or present, simplistic or profound. You can choose any genre: poetry,… -
Kayaks and Water Lilies
29 Jun 2009 | 2:42 pmMy wife and I enjoyed a long weekend at Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario located at the southern edge of Lake Huron. This wonderful park of 6,330 acres has over 1,000 campsites each allowing space and privacy amidst towering oaks and pines. It is one of the few areas in North America labelled as oak savanna. This ecosystem rests atop an undulating sand dune topography that began forming over 6,000 years ago as the glaciers retreated.One of the highlights was kayaking an inner tributary where acres of water lilies were just beginning to reveal their summer splendour. The whites were out while…
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Tonic - Top News
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Video Documentary of Kingsnorth Six Climate Change Protests
The historic Kingsnorth protests in the U.K., in which six Greenpeace activists in October 2007 climbed a coal-fired power plant in a protest over the climate change impacts of the possible construction of similar coal plants there and elsewhere in England, is now documented in an excellent 20 minute video released last month (see video below). The so-called “Kingsnorth Six" were arrested, but their trial turned into a historic event, credited in part for helping change U.K. government policy on coal plants. The legal defense team for the Kingsnorth Six set about to prove that by shutting… -
Zac Efron Got A Haircut!
That’s right. I’m going to write an entire 500 and change in words about the greatness that is Zac Efron’s new haircut. Why? Considering this week in entertainment (and the world), we all need a pick me up and well, would you look at that face!? What can you say about young men's fashion in 2009? Some of it is a travesty. Along with chivalry, the concept of men dressing for women is somewhat ambiguous. I mean in LA alone, some men wear Spanx, and along with skinny jeans, lavender loafers with no socks, Bermuda shorts, blazers and those hoop earrings that stretch your earlobes, this… -
Chipotle Goes Local
Chipotle Mexican Grill, the Denver-based chain, is trying to do its part to support local produce at its restaurants across the country. According to the Eat.Drink.Better blog, this summer the company will buy 25 percent of at least one produce item from small and mid-size farms within 200 miles of each of its stores -- so long as the produce is in season. Supporting these local farmers may prove challenging for Chipotle, depending on the size of the farms near its restaurants. After conducting a supply-chain test, the company realized that smaller growers would have more difficulty… -
The Recession's Refugees
On the same day Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California would have to hand out I.O.U.s rather than cash to pay its bills, another group of California's recession victims protested for the right to simply have a patch of ground to sleep on.In Sacramento, 250 homeless and their supporters marched for their right to remain in the tent city they erected following the closing of a winter shelter. Mayor Kevin Johnson says he is working on "developing a 'tough love' proposal that provides both compassion and a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to public health and safety." This… -
How Green Are Your Fireworks?
It's July 4th again, and those displays of big bright flowers exploding in the sky will make the kids go ”ahhhhhhhh!” And for the next month or two, they'll make the fish and frogs living nearby go “ughhhhhhhh!” Since the Chinese created gunpowder a millennium ago, little has changed in its chemical makeup. The perchlorate salts potassium and ammonium, the primary oxidants used in fireworks – and roadside flares, weapons, etc. – are what make them go boom. They’re also known to inhibit the thyroid gland and cause cancer. According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of…
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Tonic - Top News
-
Video Documentary of Kingsnorth Six Climate Change Protests
The historic Kingsnorth protests in the U.K., in which six Greenpeace activists in October 2007 climbed a coal-fired power plant in a protest over the climate change impacts of the possible construction of similar coal plants there and elsewhere in England, is now documented in an excellent 20 minute video released last month (see video below). The so-called “Kingsnorth Six" were arrested, but their trial turned into a historic event, credited in part for helping change U.K. government policy on coal plants. The legal defense team for the Kingsnorth Six set about to prove that by shutting… -
Zac Efron Got A Haircut!
That’s right. I’m going to write an entire 500 and change in words about the greatness that is Zac Efron’s new haircut. Why? Considering this week in entertainment (and the world), we all need a pick me up and well, would you look at that face!? What can you say about young men's fashion in 2009? Some of it is a travesty. Along with chivalry, the concept of men dressing for women is somewhat ambiguous. I mean in LA alone, some men wear Spanx, and along with skinny jeans, lavender loafers with no socks, Bermuda shorts, blazers and those hoop earrings that stretch your earlobes, this… -
Chipotle Goes Local
Chipotle Mexican Grill, the Denver-based chain, is trying to do its part to support local produce at its restaurants across the country. According to the Eat.Drink.Better blog, this summer the company will buy 25 percent of at least one produce item from small and mid-size farms within 200 miles of each of its stores -- so long as the produce is in season. Supporting these local farmers may prove challenging for Chipotle, depending on the size of the farms near its restaurants. After conducting a supply-chain test, the company realized that smaller growers would have more difficulty… -
The Recession's Refugees
On the same day Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California would have to hand out I.O.U.s rather than cash to pay its bills, another group of California's recession victims protested for the right to simply have a patch of ground to sleep on.In Sacramento, 250 homeless and their supporters marched for their right to remain in the tent city they erected following the closing of a winter shelter. Mayor Kevin Johnson says he is working on "developing a 'tough love' proposal that provides both compassion and a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to public health and safety." This… -
How Green Are Your Fireworks?
It's July 4th again, and those displays of big bright flowers exploding in the sky will make the kids go ”ahhhhhhhh!” And for the next month or two, they'll make the fish and frogs living nearby go “ughhhhhhhh!” Since the Chinese created gunpowder a millennium ago, little has changed in its chemical makeup. The perchlorate salts potassium and ammonium, the primary oxidants used in fireworks – and roadside flares, weapons, etc. – are what make them go boom. They’re also known to inhibit the thyroid gland and cause cancer. According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of…
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Blog for Change
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Family Values Hypocrisy; Homeless Parking Meters; Kids Killing Animals
26 Jun 2009 | 8:42 amHere’s a quiz of the week: what do Mark Sanford, Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, and Rudy Giuliani have in common? You guessed it – each are prominent GOP members who tout family values and an opposition to same-sex marriage because of its supposed threat to the sanctity of marriage while they simultaneously cheat on their spouses. [...] -
Weekly Update: Lies about Guantanamo; Falsely Excusing Prostitution; Military Going Green?
31 May 2009 | 9:16 pmHey Changemakers, The big news that shook the political world this week was that the Supreme Court may be getting an extra shot of diversity with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice. First Latina. Third Woman. One of the most experienced candidates in the past several [...] -
Weekly Update: Chuck Norris vs. Tolerance; Global Warming Underestimated; Why Rats Matter
22 May 2009 | 4:20 amOne of the most exciting recent developments in social change is the growth of innovative approaches to long-standing problems. We at Change.org hear from a lot of the social entrepreneurs behind these efforts, and there is one in particular that we’re big supporters of which launched this week: HopePhones.org. Every day, more than 450,000 mobile [...] -
Change.org Launches “Jobs for Change”
15 May 2009 | 5:23 pmHey Changemakers, I’m excited to announce the launch of a major new initiative called Jobs for Change, which aims to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the common good. Over the past few months President Obama has inspired a renewed interest in public service, providing a historic opportunity to mobilize a new generation of Americans to [...] -
Canada vs. America; Demanding Equal Pay; Debating Prostitution
1 May 2009 | 12:04 pmThe media hoopla surrounding President Obama’s first “100 days” milestone this week showed that Obamamania still rules the country. But how is the president handling issues of importance that may not get as much attention as his top priorities or the number of days he’s been in office? Pretty good, in fact. Our team [...]
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Dollar Philanthropy
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Soulful words I needed today.
17 Jun 2009 | 7:43 am"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." - Henry Van DykeMy drive for my own perfection is often exhausting. Sometime just making some racket is what is needed to break the silence of perceived obstacles. That's all folks.... -
Andean Collection: How a Guilty Pleasure can Help South American Women
12 Jun 2009 | 10:05 amI went to a Women's College. I spent most of my "corporate" days working in a woman-owned company. So I am a big believer in "Girl Power." In fact, I'm pretty much convinced that if we girls pull together that we can find some awesomely creative ways to solve many of the world's problems. More to the point, if we can lend helping hands to good mothers so that they can provide for their children then we are taking a big step toward repopulating the world with a wonderful new generation full of hope and potential. So I love to hear stories about… -
31 Bits: A Little Bling that Helps Women in Uganda
14 Apr 2009 | 4:37 amNow, I've never been much of a girly girl, but I do enjoy the guilty pleasure of having a snazzy bracelet or necklace. Having been bitten by the beading bug, I used to make a lot of my own. However, now that Doodles is here, I've no time and no space to spread out. Thank Heaven for 31 Bits! They have just launched their online store where you can buy Ecofriendly, fair trade jewelry made out of 100% recycled paper, posters, and magazines by internally displaced women in Northern Uganda. The Uganda Story:31 Bits explains, "Uganda has been plagued by an internal war between… -
Washington Area Women's Foundation Helping Orgs Fulfill Their Mission
9 Mar 2009 | 7:38 amMy Friends at the WAWF doing what they do best--- helping organizations help women and children in their area. My friend, Lisa, sent me the details on their latest 2009 Leadership Award Winners --- each of which got $10,000 to help them do good work in their areas of passion and expertise. Washington Area Women's Foundation is the only donor-supported public foundation focused solely on improving the lives of low-income women and girls in the region and on increasing philanthropy by all women. A committee of nearly 60 volunteers selected the Leadership Award winners through a… -
Dollar Philanthropy Celebrates Blog Action Day
15 Oct 2008 | 4:07 amOctober 15th has been selected as the day when bloggers all over the world put on their "Do Gooder" hats and blog for a cause. Well-- that's not a new thing here at Dollar Philanthropy.So, I'll keep this short...Poverty is a bad thing. However, each of us needs to be sure that we do not allow it to shape our judgements and definition of people who must deal with it's consequences. Poor people are just like us. It is just that their poverty creates the situation where they lack access to resources many of us take for granted. Access to health care Access to food…
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Gift Hub
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The Internationale Owned By?
30 Jun 2009 | 2:40 pmActor whistles the Internationale for 7 seconds on camera and receives a bill for 1,000 euros for the use of copyrighted intellectual property. Fortunately, here in the US the former Russian National Anthem is in the public domain and you can whistle it for nothing. (Thank you, Tom, for the link. What do I owe you?) -
Tough Times Survey Results
30 Jun 2009 | 2:31 pmFrom Bridgespan a telling graphic showing how badly nonprofits have suffered in the last 6 months. More detailed information here. -
Private Money, Public Good
28 Jun 2009 | 6:15 pmHow Public is Private Philanthropy? by Evelyn Brody and John Tyler in pdf published by The Philanthropy Roundtable. The authors conclude that there is no basis in curent law for treating private foundations as public money to be controlled in their grants, say, by government action. The poor will have to look to the taxpayer, not the foundations for their entitlement programs. As a practical matter, if the government begins to treat foundation money as their money, fewer foundations will be set up. A foundation, if controlled in its grants by government, would be just another, more… -
The Intellectual Property of the Holy Spirit
28 Jun 2009 | 5:57 pmImproprieties:We in the US and elsewhere have had the habit, for perhaps too long, of assuming that conversation can be bottled up inside a piece of thingliness - a vessel like a book, a CD, DVD, digital file, painting, etc. -- and presented as a self-sufficient, closed object which can then be sold. I don't think that's what "markets are conversations" was intended to mean, but the closing of the conversation, like the enclosure of the commons, leads to improper notions of something as "a property," and then, "intellectual property."Stalin had Mandelstam… -
Vigilante Philanthropist Glorified on TV
25 Jun 2009 | 4:09 pmInteresting response by Steve Gunderson of Council on Foundations to the NBC show, The Philanthropist. He quotes a friend as saying, "The Philanthropist is to philanthropy what the Pink Panther is to police work." The PR says it follows the heroic adventures of Teddy Rist, billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante philanthropist, taking him across the globe from Haiti to Myanmar, Kashmir to Paris, Kosovo to San Diego.” In the interest of setting the record staight, I do think we should encourage the Council on Foundations to offer a prize annually to the …
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TheGiveWell Blog
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2008-2009 international aid recommendations
1 Jul 2009 | 4:26 pmOur 2008-2009 recommendations for international aid are now available. Report homepage Recommended and top-rated charities Highlights: We believe that health is the best area for an individual donor looking to accomplish concrete good. Many programs have strong and proven track records of success in international aid. This is largely not true of other areas. More at our cause overviews. The Stop Tuberculosis Partnership and VillageReach are the strongest options we’ve seen for an individual donor seeking a proven, cost-effective, scalable vehicle in international aid. Other recommended… -
A conversation with a donor interested in obstetric fistula
17 Jun 2009 | 3:10 pmJeremy, a teacher, recently emailed us because he was interested in supporting charities that work on the problem of obstetric fistula. Fistula is a cause that I’ve written about before and is one that, emotionally, is extremely compelling. I thought the email exchange with Jeremy was informative, so (with his permission) we’ve posted it here. In brief, I think it provides: A reasonable template for a donor thinking about supporting an organization that provides surgical care An example of how a donor can care deeply about a specific cause and have an initial feeling about the… -
Donating to Gates - against its will
9 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pmWith all the people and organizations out there who would like more money, there’s something remarkable about the fact that the Gates Foundation is specifically asking people NOT to give to it (PDF) - and still couldn’t keep away over $10 million in donations in 2008. Why the Gates Foundation doesn’t want your money First off, I have a lot of trouble understanding the Foundation’s stated reasoning (PDF): From time to time, people generously offer to contribute money to the foundation. We prefer that people give directly to our grantee organizations rather than to the… -
The challenge of local ownership
4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 amOne of the consistent refrains we’ve seen in aid literature is the importance of local participation/enthusiasm/ownership for aid projects. Many programs have been criticized for being too “top-down” (i.e., imposing outsiders’ designs on local communities), with the implication that more “bottom-up” programs (i.e., getting local people to participate in the design of execution of programs) would be more likely toi create real and lasting change. For an example of this reasoning, see this USAID review of Integrated Rural Development programs (PDF). The basic… -
November conference sponsored by Social Solutions
4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 amI’ll be speaking on a panel, “Improving How we Give,” at this November conference. Should be interesting.
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The Hero Workshop
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The Story of Aung San Suu Kyi
2 Jul 2009 | 12:48 pmThe Philanthropist is NBC’s new hour long action drama on Wednesday nights. It follows a mega-rich man who has found a passion for personally acting positively for his causes. I was pretty excited to see it last week and tuned in last night to watch the episode set in Myanmar (or Burma). I had wondered aloud to friends whether Aung San Suu Kyi would be mentioned. Well, she was actually a featured part of the story. However, the scriptwriters inexplicably changed her name. I can’t imagine why they did it. That was the least of my concerns – the story treated her… -
The Newest Hero-in-Waiting
29 Jun 2009 | 8:25 am -
Catching Up
27 Jun 2009 | 9:06 amWith the arrival of our newest hero, I’ve been lax in getting some important links written about in the last week. So, here is some reading. The biggest event was the 64th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi. She is still imprisoned in Myanmar. Many people across the world, famous and not, have left messages of support for her at this website: http://64forsuu.org/ I encourage you to educate yourself on her story if you haven’t already. I’ve certainly written about her a few times here. Her struggle is important in comparison to other dictatorships around the world. The… -
Heroes in the NBA
26 Jun 2009 | 8:54 amMore specifically, hero’s journeys in the NBA. There have been three events in the NBA in recent weeks that have interesting ties to the hero’s journey. The draft was on last night and a number of players have just received their Call to Adventure. As their dreams of fame, success, glory, and money seem a step closer they will need to Cross the Threshold into the big league. That crossing is regularly a test to insure the hero is ready for the road ahead. Peter Parker (Spiderman) had a test at his crossing when his uncle was killed due to Peter’s unheroic act. This… -
The Baby Is Coming
25 Jun 2009 | 4:39 pmI’m going to be in the hospital for the next few days welcoming my newest hero. Not sure what that will mean for the blog short term, but I thought I’d let you know
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Article 13 Ltd.
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The GFC & CSR - New York schools: partnering to promote education
28 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmThe New York City Department of Education has partnered with Verizon and Samsung to carry out an innovative pilot of educational software on mobile phones, designed to incentivise students to improve performance through the opportunity to earn rewards in the form of free mobile phone talk time, text messages and movie downloads. -
The GFC & CSR - Sustainable supply chains in the retail sector
21 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmMany of the world’s largest supermarket chains, including Wal-Mart, Tesco and Marks & Spencer have been concentrating their collective efforts on improving their supply chains. While much has been achieved, the activities have tended to be focused on specific aspects of the supply chain, such as packaging waste. It is important to recognise that there is a need to look at what else needs to be done and whether regulation is required in order to see our shopkeepers go the extra mile. -
Ford: Integrating transparency and anti-corruption throughout the business
14 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmTransparency in business case study 1: One of Article 13’s 2009 UNGC actions is to produce five best practice case studies on transparency and anti-corruption. Our first case study looks at Ford’s wide scale changes to its ways of working in order to integrate a variety of ethical codes, sustainability initiatives and anti-corruption policies throughout the business. -
The financial crisis - sustainability friend or foe?
7 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmCSR expert view: With predictions from the IMF that global growth will slow to below zero this year, leaving up to 50 million people unemployed worldwide, we take a look at what the financial crisis means for corporate responsibility and sustainability mega-trends such as climate change and poverty in the developing world. Will we have resigned ourselves to our fate or will it bring opportunities to address these issues constructively? -
World Environment Day
31 May 2009 | 4:30 pmWorld Environment Day (WED) is an initiative designed to build worldwide awareness of environmental issues and climate change. It is a principle vehicle for the United Nations to enhance political attention and action. As part of Article 13's ongoing commitment to the UN Global Compact (UNGC), and specifically our efforts to support the environment and climate change, we robustly monitor our own environmental impact and advocate for the protection of our planet's environment.
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Tonic - Top News
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Video Documentary of Kingsnorth Six Climate Change Protests
The historic Kingsnorth protests in the U.K., in which six Greenpeace activists in October 2007 climbed a coal-fired power plant in a protest over the climate change impacts of the possible construction of similar coal plants there and elsewhere in England, is now documented in an excellent 20 minute video released last month (see video below). The so-called “Kingsnorth Six" were arrested, but their trial turned into a historic event, credited in part for helping change U.K. government policy on coal plants. The legal defense team for the Kingsnorth Six set about to prove that by shutting… -
Zac Efron Got A Haircut!
That’s right. I’m going to write an entire 500 and change in words about the greatness that is Zac Efron’s new haircut. Why? Considering this week in entertainment (and the world), we all need a pick me up and well, would you look at that face!? What can you say about young men's fashion in 2009? Some of it is a travesty. Along with chivalry, the concept of men dressing for women is somewhat ambiguous. I mean in LA alone, some men wear Spanx, and along with skinny jeans, lavender loafers with no socks, Bermuda shorts, blazers and those hoop earrings that stretch your earlobes, this… -
Chipotle Goes Local
Chipotle Mexican Grill, the Denver-based chain, is trying to do its part to support local produce at its restaurants across the country. According to the Eat.Drink.Better blog, this summer the company will buy 25 percent of at least one produce item from small and mid-size farms within 200 miles of each of its stores -- so long as the produce is in season. Supporting these local farmers may prove challenging for Chipotle, depending on the size of the farms near its restaurants. After conducting a supply-chain test, the company realized that smaller growers would have more difficulty… -
The Recession's Refugees
On the same day Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California would have to hand out I.O.U.s rather than cash to pay its bills, another group of California's recession victims protested for the right to simply have a patch of ground to sleep on.In Sacramento, 250 homeless and their supporters marched for their right to remain in the tent city they erected following the closing of a winter shelter. Mayor Kevin Johnson says he is working on "developing a 'tough love' proposal that provides both compassion and a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to public health and safety." This… -
How Green Are Your Fireworks?
It's July 4th again, and those displays of big bright flowers exploding in the sky will make the kids go ”ahhhhhhhh!” And for the next month or two, they'll make the fish and frogs living nearby go “ughhhhhhhh!” Since the Chinese created gunpowder a millennium ago, little has changed in its chemical makeup. The perchlorate salts potassium and ammonium, the primary oxidants used in fireworks – and roadside flares, weapons, etc. – are what make them go boom. They’re also known to inhibit the thyroid gland and cause cancer. According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of…
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Worldchanging: Bright Green
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Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
3 Jul 2009 | 3:16 pmRobert Katz: Husk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition... -
Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist Show
3 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmWorldChanging Team: Unique visionary activist and astrologer Caroline Casey recently interviewed Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist radio show, a live weekly radio program broadcast by KPFA... -
Carbon Tax Shift Gaining Favor Across Canada?
3 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pmWorldChanging Team: Posted by Anna Fahey As British Columbia acknowledges the one year anniversary of the landmark carbon tax shift policy, the revenue-neutral tax recently bumped... -
Pioneer City 2030: What the Energy System of the Future Looks Like
3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amPatrick Mazza: The energy system of the future is being founded now. New energy systems and technologies are growing on an accelerating curve: • Buildings that are... -
Insider Voices: Human Dimensions of Low Carbon Technology
3 Jul 2009 | 8:16 amAlex Steffen: This is a really smart project discussing how cutting-edge climate-friendly business ventures have begun and succeeded or failed. Though it's not casual reading, it'll be...
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Social Citizens
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Personal Democracy Forum Superlative Roundup
2 Jul 2009 | 11:46 amPersonal Democracy Forum (PDF), the largest conference covering the intersection of government and politics, drew about 1,000 people to New York this week for its sixth annual gathering. There were lots of highlights, so I'm just decided to award a few superlatives, but I encourage you to check out the techPresident blog and others for more highlights. Most popular government representative: Vivek Kundra With about 80% of the attendees identifying themselves as Democrats, it's no surprise that the many Obama campaign and administration representatives should be well-received,… -
America's Giving Challenge and The Primetime Philanthropist
25 Jun 2009 | 5:20 pmComing off the heels of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, I’m reminded about the power of individuals to recognize their potential not only as volunteers but also as philanthropists. It’s kind of serendipitous timing that just last night NBC aired its first episode of a new series, The Philanthropist. While the Chronicle of Philanthropy invited readers to reflect on the show in an online forum during the series debut, the jury is still out on whether or not Philanthropist (the TV show) will impact philanthropy (the practice) in the real world. As… -
Where Do Philanthropy and Service Meet?
19 Jun 2009 | 5:58 pmAs the National Conference on Volunteering and Service gets underway in San Francisco next week, 4,500 leaders from across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors will pack the Moscone Center for workshops and plenary sessions aimed at strengthening the culture of service in our country. And, in a year when so many conferences have been forced to scale back, or have seen significant declines in attendance -- the energy (and turnout) surrounding this year’s service conference is a testament to what a hot issue service seems to be at this moment in time. I’m not suggesting that… -
Meet the New Echoing Green Fellows
16 Jun 2009 | 2:57 pmFrom Mumbai to Massachusetts, the 2009 Class of Echoing Green Fellows announced today, represents a diverse group of 17 social entrepreneurs, many of whom are honing their skills as social citizens and leveraging technology for social change. With 1,000 applicants the competition was intense, but the fourteen projects announced today, represent some of the most innovative ideas in areas from civil and human rights to education and public service. That’s why we’ll be watching with great interest as these leaders carry their work forward. We join in congratulating the… -
Social Citizen Sighting: Justin Dillon
15 Jun 2009 | 7:10 amOne of our favorite things about our work is learning how Social Citizens are using their creativity, idealism, and digital fluency to support their causes every day. To share some of these great stories, we're starting a new series called "Social Citizen Sightings." If you see a Social Citizen, we would love to hear about what they're doing too. Just fill out this quick form with their name, affiliation and 150 words or less on what makes them a Social Citizen. Call+Response is a film that uses music and prominent cultural and political figures to draw attention to the reality that…
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Operation NICE
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NICE Testimonial: An Honest Gentleman, Part II
2 Jul 2009 | 6:54 amWhile on the topic of honesty, I thought I'd post Jen Ulasiewicz's story about an honest gentleman that she encountered last fall. October 7, 2008 - We went to a birthday party that weekend for our friends' 3 year old twin girls. The party was held at the gym where they take gymnastics and they got to jump around and do all kinds of things. While we were standing there talking and watching the kids play, a man came in asking if anyone owned a blue SUV. I said that we do and asked why? The guy said he just backed into us. I thought great, the whole front end is smashed in but no, luckily there… -
NICE Testimonial: An Honest Gentleman
1 Jul 2009 | 7:59 amThank you to everyone for your comments on my last post regarding what the future holds for Operation NICE. It means so much to hear what you think! This blog/project only exists because of all of you! Honestly, I was worried when I began it that I would run out of things to post after a few weeks, but you continue to send me your testimonials and interesting links. I have a huge collection of stuff stored up! Who knows what the future holds, but at least a future exists.I wanted to share a testimonial of my own from my trip to Austin. On the final evening of the conference, HOW always puts… -
Thinking Out Loud about Operation NICE
30 Jun 2009 | 6:58 amHey guys! So as you know, I just came back from the HOW Design Conference in Austin, TX. It was educational, inspirational, and recreational. While there, I noticed a recurring theme among multiple sessions I attended. Design for social change. Despite the fact that I attended the conference to further my skills as an in-house designer, I couldn't help but relate every session to Operation NICE. I left energized, but also disappointed. I feel like I should be doing more. Like I was meant to do something meaningful with my life. I often joke with my husband that I should just drop everything… -
NICE News: Spreading Hope with Art
29 Jun 2009 | 12:02 pmHi everyone! I just returned from the HOW Design Conference in Austin, TX yesterday and I have a bajillion things to catch up on, so no assignment as of right now. But I did want to share this. Last July, I posted a story about one of my heros, Bren Bataclan. He is an inspiration in every sense of the word. Last week, the CBS Evening News did a segment about the wonderful thing that Bren is doing. Please watch!Watch CBS Videos Online -
NICE Testimonial: International Assistance, Part II
25 Jun 2009 | 10:37 amWhile we're on the subject of NICE strangers abroad, Maya sent me a lovely story about a recent trip to Korea that she and her boyfriend took. My mom is Korean and happens to hail from the town Maya speaks of in the story, so it felt extra special for me to read it. We were recently in Korea and found the people to be overly nice, though one particular one stands out. It's something I don't know that we'd find much of in the US, though possible due to the repercussions offering a ride to a stranger even if your intentions are good!My boyfriend and I had had a very long and active day in Busan…
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Case Foundation - Investing in People and Ideas that Can Change the World
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Crowdsourcing Philanthropy
30 Jun 2009 | 8:58 amA couple of months ago, we reported that Paul Buchheit, co-founder of FriendFeed and, before that, the engineer behind Google Mail, had inspired a discussion around the best use of $20k for the common good. Looks like that conversation has lead to something more concrete. Paul calls it collaborative charity. Donating money to worthwhile causes seems like a good idea, but doing it right requires knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, time, and of course money. I have at most two of those things. The traditional solution is to rely on “experts”, but that has its own problems. His solution? -
Dressed to Give: The Uniform Project helps improve education for children using a little black dress
26 Jun 2009 | 12:44 pm"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." This quote from Olympia Dukakis' character in the movie Steel Magnolias motivates me every time I try to assemble the same old clothes into a fresh look. But, what if you turn accesorizing into something more than just keeping your closet au courant, such as improving educational opportunities for children in India? That would really bring new meaning to this quote. This is the challenge the creator of The Uniform Project, Sheena Matheiken, set for herself. She'll wear one dress (well, 7 identical versions to… -
United We Serve: a new rallying cry
23 Jun 2009 | 7:16 amIt seems we’ve been at the service crossroads many times over. Whether it’s a national tragedy like September 11, a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina or the less defined but widespread devastation the economy is currently having on our nation – as a country, we find a way to rally. And, yesterday we heard a new rallying cry. Thousands convened in San Francisco for the kickoff of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and Mrs. Obama called on all Americans to find a role to play in our nation’s recovery efforts by volunteering as part of United We Serve. At its… -
My inspiration: Norma Norton, 1929 - 2009
22 Jun 2009 | 12:10 pmOne of the most common questions I hear from people I meet who know about our work at the Case Foundation is, "why did you and Steve create the Foundation, and why have you chosen to make this your life's work?" The answer I quickly offer is that we have a faith and a belief that to whom much is given, much is expected. But it turns out that is only the quick, polite answer I use in passing. And it is only part of the story. The real answer is much deeper and layered and goes to the heart of who and what inspired us and modeled a life of giving back. Which brings me to the reason for this… -
Learn the Lingo: P is for podcast, casting your (online) shadow
19 Jun 2009 | 1:36 pmLike many in today’s social media dictionary, the term “podcast” can be a confusing, even intimidating word. Many ask, what is a podcast? I know what you think, it sounds like something an alien space ship might do, but believe me, its not. To clear the air, a podcast is Web 2.0’s alternative to radio, just as YouTube acts as an alternative to TV or movies. And like all Web 2.0 applications, podcasts are democratizing media, giving broadcasting power to the people, or in our case, to non-profits everywhere. The term “podcast” is a conglomerate term, a combination of iPod and…
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Ode Magazine
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Biologic architecture brings design to life
2 Jul 2009 | 4:50 pmBy: Sky What is biologic architecture? Biologic architecture is the pure principle set of rules for design, construction and land use which utilizes the necessary 'fractal' or rose like symmetry/shape of electric fields which allow all living systems to thrive. The premise behind biologic architecture is that all life responds well to design that is in accordance with nature and avoids harmful materials and sharp corners which literally bleed (hemorrhage) capacitive charge. The ultimate goal of biologic architecture is to create fractal charge fields that are implosive in nature and encourage… -
Six eco-trends reshaping the fashion industry
2 Jul 2009 | 9:13 amMajor brands and young, globally minded designers alike are asking the question: How do you come up with a garment that is sustainable, that can stand on its own and not rob from the future? Here are six trends that eco-designers are currently following. Slow designers like Natalie Chanin make handcrafted garments, like this camisole dress, rooted in traditions of craftsmanship and quality.Photo: Alabama Chanin Designer Natalie Chanin remembers the exact moment her fashion paradigm shifted. "I was standing on a street corner in the [New York City] Garment District holding this old T-shirt… -
Swim safely in Europe with the Water Watch map
2 Jul 2009 | 8:44 amBy: Kate Finding a clean and safe swimming spot in Europe this summer is at your fingertips with the Eye on Earth World Watch map, a user-friendly resource resulting from a partnership between Microsoft and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Beaches, rivers and lakes are marked by icons which are color coded (greens are safe, reds warn against swimming areas where the water is unhealthy and swimming is prohibited) and many are marked by a thumbs up or thumbs down, indicating other map-users rated a particular area as good, bad or average. The map combines EEA water quality ratings with… -
The Global Corner International Learning Center raises funds via dancing
1 Jul 2009 | 4:50 pmBy: moglobalcorner A fund raising Zumbathon™, a dance marathon combining fitness and philanthropy, on one of the hottest days on record this year in Pensacola, brought together a diverse group of over 70 supporters who raised $851 dollars for The Global Corner International Learning Center. "We had a great time and through the exposure of our organization at the Zumbathon™, we were able to bring awareness of our unique program to the local community," said Lee Little, Director of The Global Corner International Learning Center. In the 2008-2009 school year, The Global Corner spent over… -
The International Ecotourism Society promotes responsible tourism
1 Jul 2009 | 9:54 amBy: Kate The International Ecotourism Society unites conservation, communities and sustainable travel while promoting responsible travel to natural areas while conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. According to ecotourism.org, TIES works by creating an international network of individuals, institutions and the tourism industry, educating tourists and tourism professionals. Public institutions and donors integrate the principles of ecotourism into their operations and policies. As the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association, TIES seeks…
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Causecast - Latest News
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How To Advocate For The Homeless
3 Jul 2009 | 1:07 pmby KAREN MURPHY, Contributing Writer It's estimated that approximately 3.5 million people in the "United States":http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html, 1.35 million of them children (nearly 40%), are likely to experience homelessness this year. In addition, incidence of homelessness has increased dramatically (by a factor of two to three) over the past 20 years, and these numbers are only going to get larger as time goes on when economic pressure, job loss, and the rising cost of living are factored in. People experiencing homelessness need a voice. That voice is us. KNOW… -
Carmen Meets Borat, Less Memorable For Borat
3 Jul 2009 | 8:21 amBy "AARON HORWITZ":http://www.causecast.org/member/aaron-horwitz, Contributing Writer Recently, while at the Los Angeles Film Festival, I was browsing through the catalogue of upcoming films when one caught my eye—a relatively under-the-radar documentary out of the Netherlands called "Carmen Meets Borat":http://www.carmenmeetsborat.com. Obviously it was the last word in that title that stuck out, probably the production company's intention. While the film certainly does deal with the now world-famous mustached Kazakh played by Sasha Baron Cohen, that is not the main focus of the film. -
The Last Beekeeper Focuses on Disappearing Bees
2 Jul 2009 | 6:45 pmby AARON HORWITZ, Contributing Writer Remember that scene in M. Night Shyamalan’s awful film "The Happening":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BRZ0u01KwQ, where Mark Walhberg mentions the sudden disappearance of millions of honeybees all over the planet? Well, turns out there was some truth to that statement. A lot in fact. And it’s a happening that could be much more devastating than the reviews for Shyamalan’s next box office train wreck. Jeremy Simmons’ new documentary, "The Last Beekeeper":http://worldofwonder.net/productions/The_Last_Beekeeper/, sheds a bit of light on this bizarre… -
Ship from North Korea to Burma Changes Course
2 Jul 2009 | 4:58 pmby "JONATHAN HARRIS":http://www.causecast.org/member/jonathan-h, Managing Editor On the eve of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Burma, the plot continues to thicken in regards to the secretive military regime's relationship with North Korea. The rogue Asian nation has helped Burma build a series of special bunkers and speculation has grown in recent weeks that North Korea could attempt to provide Burma with missiles. Now, despite no interaction from the U.S., a plot may have been foiled. From The Telegraph: The Kang Nam 1, which is being monitored under new United Nations… -
July 4th Volunteer Opportunities
2 Jul 2009 | 11:21 amby "JAMES ROCCHIO":http://www.causecast.org/member/diata, Causecast Editor The 4th of July comes on a Saturday this year, a fittingly American day (no work, no church). If it's anything like last year, you're already stocking American flag napkins and Styrofoam Statue of Liberty hats. The greatest debate will be between charcoal and propane, and you and the of-age members of your family will be slurring the lines of My Country 'Tis of Thee and the National Anthem together by sundown. While you're off work and the kids are off school, the problems in America don't break for weekends, or…
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Honolulu Twestival 2009
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Twestival Local on Sept. 12
16 Jun 2009 | 10:12 pmMark your calendars! “We can make brilliant things happen if we put our hearts behind them. Today at the 140 Character Conference Amanda Rose, the founder of Twestival is making two official announcements. The first is Twestival Local on September 12th. The goal is “to give people the opportunity to feel they are a part of a larger social movement, but bring the cause a little closer to home”. On this day, cities will be encouraged to host events and select a registered charity to support with 100% of the proceeds. “The second is the official Twestival 2010 date which is… -
Honolulu Twestival is On!
12 Feb 2009 | 12:44 pmOnly through the power of Twitter — and a group of fantastic volunteers, and many wonderful and generous sponsors — could something like the Honolulu Twestival come together in just two weeks. And tonight, it all comes together at Oceans 808 at Restaurant Row. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., people will come together to prove the power of social media to bring social change. We’ll eat, drink, enjoy some great music and meet some cool people… and raise money for charity: water in the process. As of 10:30 a.m. HST, we’ve raised $3,060. It costs $4,000 to drill a well to provide a… -
Come to the Fete, Win, Eat!
11 Feb 2009 | 10:20 amThe list of fantastic prizes that will be given out at the Honolulu Twestival keeps getting better and better! Thanks to DK Restaurants, you could win a “Taste of the Steak House” gift certificate to d.k Steak House or a “Taste of Sansei” gift certificate to Sansei. These gift certificates are good for a dinner for two, featuring a pre-set menu including several courses of each restaurant’s most popular dishes! Get your tickets now, and join us tomorrow to meet up, rock out, eat, drink, and do good. -
Win Handmade Jewelry from The Bead Gallery
10 Feb 2009 | 10:52 pmMahalo to Jamie of The Bead Gallery for donating two beautiful handmade jewelry pieces to the Honolulu Twestival. You could win one of them just by showing up, or increase your chances of winning them (and our many other fantastic prizes) by buying more tickets for $5 each. All proceeds go to charity: water! On the left, the peach necklace is “Sundara” (beautiful in sanskrit). Features Bali silver links, natural-color mauve freshwater pearls, and a laser etched shell pendant. On the right, the green necklace is “Forever Green.” Features freshwater pearls, shell… -
eHawaii.gov Sponsors Honolulu Twestival
10 Feb 2009 | 10:48 amWe’d like to thank the team at eHawaii.gov and the Hawaii Information Consortium for sponsoring the Honolulu Twestival. The Hawaii Information Consortium has run the Hawaii state internet portal since 2000 and has deployed over 40 applications, including business filings and name searches, tax filings, camping permits, online ID services, professional and vocational license searches, wedding permits, and more. “Twitter is a great tool for many government applications,” says Russell Castagnaro (@rcastag), General Manager of eHawaii.gov. “As we work with all of the state…
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Wilmington, NC Twestival 2009
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Twestival 2010 Date Decided!
17 Jun 2009 | 6:49 amJust a quick post to let Wilmington, North Carolina know that Twestival 2010 (And late summer) is planned for: Twestival Local : Saturday 12 September 2009 Twestival Global : Thursday 4 February 2010 More details here: http://twestival.com/ -
Corporate Social Media Strategy, and Marketing, Wilmington, NC
13 Jun 2009 | 3:04 pmSince Twestival is over now and we await the exciting news for next year, I thought we could briefly mention how social media, twitter, and other social tools have impacted our town of Wilmington, North Carolina since the Twestival. I am the organizer for Twestival in Wilmington, and have since really pursued building Say It Social, my corporate social media strategy, consulting and marketing company. Twitter of course is just a tool of social media that we instruct corporations to utilize to engage the influencers, their customers. Take note of some the content on our site: Social Media… -
T- minus TWO HOURS: Wilmington Twestival 2009!!!!!
12 Feb 2009 | 1:28 pmHello, everyone! I hope you’re all getting excited about helping out a wonderful and greatly needed charity! There are almost 40 people who have purchased tickets online here, but we want you to be able to enjoy all you can with the advanced purchase rate of $15. If you wait to get to the door, it’s $20, but then again, it’s ALL going to the charity, “charity:water.” If you’re curious, read this New York Times’ article on how the global Twestival event began. Again, you’re helping out a wonderful cause and I am sure people in developing… -
It takes $4,000 to build a drinking well
8 Feb 2009 | 6:49 pmGreetings Wilmington! Tonight/Today is the day the world gathers and supports a fabulous charity that brings clean, safe drinking water to developing countries. Who doesn’t deserve clean water? And Wilmingtonians can help, too, at our very own Twestival. For starters, you can buy your tickets here. They are $15 if you buy them before Thursday, but then they are $20 at the door. For that amazing price, which ALL goes to charity:water, here’s what you get: -T-shirt - First 50 people in the door get one! After that, $5.00 donations. (which will list all the businesses and people who… -
T-Shirts… any donations for charity?
6 Feb 2009 | 8:58 amHello everyone. Hope you’re getting excited for Wilmington Twestival! We’ve lined up a great venue, beer, food, entertainment and door prizes, so we’re almost set to go! But- we are missing one thing: A charitable donation from a t-shirt company to feature the logos of all the companies who have helped make this event possible. We need 50-100 t-shirts donated to the event. They will have a Twestival logo on the front and then logos of all the businesses (including the shirt company’s) on the back. We have less than a week to make this possible. Please, if you can,…
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Philadelphia Twestival 2009
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Time to gear up for local Twestival!
22 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pmPlease go here and suggest local Philadelphia-area charities to raise funds for our local Twestival on September 12, 2009. Stay tuned here and on @phltwestival for more information as it comes available! -
Updated list of prizes! (Updated again 2/12!)
11 Feb 2009 | 5:46 amHere’s the AMAZING prizes we have up for grabs so far at Philly Twestival, donated by our generous sponsors: *$25 gift certificate to The Hungry Heart restaurant from Catenation *$25 Best Buy gift card from Some Other Castle *$100 gift certificate to Moo Tattoo *$75 gift certificate to Philly Beer School *$50 iTunes gift card from Swift Signal *$100 gift certificate to Central Bark Doggy Day Care Philadelphia *1 large print from LTLprints *A gift certificate good for up to 16 people to bowl for 2 hours, with complimentary lanes, shoe rentals, chips, and salsa from Lucky Strike Lanes *2… -
Drink specials!
10 Feb 2009 | 11:08 amThe wonderful owners of The Get Happy Pub are not only allowing us the entire second floor to ourselves for Twestival, they are also offering drink specials for us rock stars! Each attendee will get a ticket for one free drink when he/she checks in. Your entire ticket price goes to charity:water AND you get one free drink ticket, one free raffle ticket, and a wristband so the bartenders know you’re with Twestival. Here are the drink specials for us: $2 domestic drafts $3 well drinks $4 pints of Guinness $5 bomb drinks And here are some pictures of the bar and what’s on draft to… -
Latest list of prizes for Philadelphia Twestival!
10 Feb 2009 | 8:09 amHere’s the FANTASTIC prizes we have up for grabs so far at Philly Twestival, donated by our generous sponsors: *$25 gift certificate to The Hungry Heart restaurant from Catenation *$25 Best Buy gift card from Some Other Castle *$100 gift certificate to Moo Tattoo *$75 gift certificate to Philly Beer School *$50 iTunes gift card from Swift Signal *$100 gift certificate to Central Bark Doggy Day Care Philadelphia *1 large print from LTLprints *A gift certificate good for up to 16 people to bowl for 2 hours, with complimentary lanes, shoe rentals, chips, and salsa from Lucky Strike Lanes… -
Prize round up so far!
5 Feb 2009 | 12:20 pmHere’s the FANTASTIC prizes we have up for grabs so far at Philly Twestival, donated by our generous sponsors: *$25 gift certificate to The Hungry Heart restaurant from Catenation *$25 Best Buy gift card from Some Other Castle *$100 gift certificate to Moo Tattoo *$75 gift certificate to Philly Beer School *$50 iTunes gift card from Swift Signal *$100 gift certificate to Central Bark Doggy Day Care Philadelphia *1 large print from LTLprints *A gift certificate good for up to 16 people to bowl for 2 hours, with complimentary lanes, shoe rentals, chips, and salsa from Lucky Strike Lanes…
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Bristol Twestival 2009
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A guide to Banksy’s secret show
12 Jun 2009 | 11:37 amThe phrase ’expect the expected’ could have been written for Bristol graffiti artist Banksy. Whether it’s painting ‘We’re bored of fish’ in seven foot high letters on the wall of the penguin closure at London Zoo or placing subverted artworks in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the controversial figure, whose true identity is know to very few, is legendary around the world. But just when you thought he couldn’t pull off any more surprises, today the stunt to end all stunts was revealed. In a secret operation that James Bond would… -
How your money is making a real difference
14 Apr 2009 | 3:19 pmTwo months have now passed since the world celebrated Twestival; events in 185 cities to raise money for charity: water. And what a day it was! In Bristol, almost 200 of you joined us at The Lanes, one of the city’s newest and most exciting venues, for an evening of dancing, eating drinking, CoolBoard balancing (only those who came will know what that is!) and, most importantly, money raising. In total, we collected £1,510 which is a massive achievement given that we started organising the event less than five weeks before it took place! If you haven’t yet seen it, here’s… -
The morning after the amazing night before
13 Feb 2009 | 4:49 amWell, what can I say. The Bristol Twestival was a truly fabulous night. Around 200 people showed up and Bristol, you certainly know how to party if the state of The Lanes at 1.30am is anything to go by! The entire organising team was overwhelmed by how many people joined us and dug deep into their pockets for charity: water. Our fundraising target was £1,000 but we’re delighted to announce that we smashed it! In total, you raised £1,482.10. Bristol, you should be very proud of yourself! Checking out the Twitter stream it’s clear that fun was had by all. We’re glad to… -
Bristol Twestival: Everything you need to know
11 Feb 2009 | 9:11 amThe date Thursday 12 February The time 7pm to 1am The Place The Lanes, 22 Nelson Street, Bristol, BS1 2LE Tickets Tickets to the event cost £5 with 100% going to charity: water. We will be selling tickets on the door between 7pm and 8pm but to avoid having to queue (and maybe miss out on a goodie bag!) we urge you to buy tickets in advance here. The running order 7pm - 8pm: DJ Twang 8pm - 8.30pm: Raffle part one 8.30pm - 9.15pm: Mango Factory 9.30pm - 9.45pm: Raffle part two featuring Kerry McCarthy MP 9.45pm - 10.30pm: Fortune Drive 10.45pm onwards: Leisure Allstars The sponsors Sift… -
Our timetable of events
10 Feb 2009 | 8:08 amThe wait is over! Here are the timings for events at the Bristol Twestival on Thursday. 7pm - 8pm: DJ Twang 8pm - 8.30pm: Raffle part one 8.30pm - 9.15pm: Mango Factory 9.30pm - 9.45pm: Raffle part two featuring Kerry McCarthy MP 9.45pm - 10.30pm: Fortune Drive 10.45pm onwards: Leisure Allstars Timings are approximate but we will try as far as possible to stick to the above. We hope you all have a fantastic evening. Over 110 tickets have now been sold and remember, we only have 150 goodies bags to give away. If you haven’t done so already, get your ticket now!
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A Volunteer's Guide to Changing the World
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Happy 4th - be safe
2 Jul 2009 | 4:51 pmI'll be offline over the long weekend - have a wonderful extended weekend, and a happy 4th of July.For my international readers - enjoy having one less blog to read for a few days :)Best!-Mark -
Change the world one (blank) at a time
1 Jul 2009 | 9:56 amChange the world one (blank) at a time.The (blank) is up to you. It can be:The way your share your love for coffeeThe blog you update regularlyThe challenge you startWhatever the (blank) is... remember these 3 guidelines.Share knowledge and educate people. It can only benefit you.Help others, and you help yourself. Doing well by doing good.Passion and beliefs can change the world.Guidelines courtesy of www.findsubstance.com - THANKS! -
Fundraising declines
30 Jun 2009 | 2:58 pmWe all knew it was coming. We knew that this economic downturn would negatively affect our fundraising efforts. This chart shows that everybody is being affected.But now that you know it, get over it. This is not an excuse for your fundraising being under goal. It might by why you fell under goal, but its not an excuse. Now that you know for certain that the economic conditions are affecting your current fundraising techniques, you have to evolve. You have to recruit more people. And you have to work on year round engagement.Starting with online might help - here are some tips you can follow. -
Nurturing creativity
29 Jun 2009 | 10:47 amI write about creativity a lot - its very important to continued success and growth (personal and organizational).Some people talk about nurturing creativity, and they do it a lot better then me. This video by Amy Tan provides some great insight into how to be more creative, and empower others to do that same.Some of my favorites:Rehearse, but act spontaneousWrongful birth principle: You were not born who you thought you would beNurture principle: Childhood "trauma" can be real good materialUncertainty principle: I'm not good enough... (hint: ignore this one!)Watch out for the observer… -
Are you announcing your improvements?
25 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pmDo you have new committee members? New computers? New iphone application? What about a Facebook page or application? LinkedIn group? Twitter? Blog? If so, it is worth announcing.There are lots of ways of announcing your improvements and growth.You can do it yourself, like Google did here.orYou can influence others to do it for you, like Microsoft did, here.Please don't ask which one is better - because there is no answer to that. You need both. Be excited about your organization, and make sure other people are excited about it, too.
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Sublime Goodness
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Teenage Girl Only Survivor of Plane Crash into Indian Ocean
2 Jul 2009 | 3:17 pmThis is both a sad story and an uplifting story. On the one hand, 152 people are most likely not to be found alive because of a plane crash this week into the Indian Ocean. But on the other, by some divine twist of fate or miraculous occurrence, 14-year-old Bahia Bakari was found in the water where the plane went down...the plane's sole survivor. Here is the deal:Bahia Bakari clung to wreckage in shark-infested waters for more than 13 hours after being ejected from the doomed jet. The 14-year-old, who cannot swim and did not have a lifebelt, was alone in the water from 1.30am as bodies and… -
Hiatus...for the Summer
29 Jun 2009 | 6:21 pmWha? Who? Why? Silly right? After a little over six months, I have more readers, subscribers, and commenters than ever. I started the blog on a whim and it has continued to make me very happy and introduced me to some amazing people (and content!).Anyway, I spend about 1-2 hours each night on the computer, posting on blogs, finding stories and aimlessly clicking around the internet.I need some Christopher time. I have a few books in my head (children's stories and a "grown-up" book) and I want to take a few months off to develop them. Therefore, I'm going to spend the time I used posting to… -
The Sublime Goodness Mixtape Vol. II
28 Jun 2009 | 9:42 amThat's right - the wait is over. It's been twelve weeks since the first Sublime Goodness Mixtape and since then I've been posting another Sublime Sunday song every week, comprising this second installment.And I do say, this is the most eclectic mixtape I think I've ever made (and I've made many!) - Michael Jackson, Smashing Pumpkins, the Chi-Lites, Vampire Weekend, m....I've also created some front and back cover art that is in the zip file like last time (and in case you are wondering, the pictures for both volumes of the mixtape are from my copy of the Illustrated Leaves of Grass by Walt… -
Maru the Japanese Cat - Famous & Funny
26 Jun 2009 | 6:18 pmPeople love cats. And Maru is no exception - he's HUGE in Japan where he and his owner are from.Why? He's cute and he really likes to get into stuff.You'll see what I mean. This video of him jumping in and out of cardboard box is fun to watch:Wow! And when he can't get completely into something, he at least wants to get his head into it.Quiet hilarity. And when he's not getting in and out of things, he rests in the sink:> Visit Maru's YouTube channel for more videos> Visit his blog (yes, his blog!)Related Sublime Goodness Posts:Funny Cat VideosFunny Dog VideosCute Things Falling Asleep -
RIP Michael Jackson - "Famous Moonwalk" 1983 Video
25 Jun 2009 | 6:06 pmMichael. MJ. The King of Pop. It was the death of Elvis for my parents, and for my generation today will be a sad milestone of history.Michael Jackson is a huge part of my childhood (and others no doubt) - I remember waiting all night for his videos to come on MTV when I was little, I wore out my copy of Thriller, I had a MJ scrapbook, trading cards, and this classic poster of Michael in a yellow sweater vest on my wall. Later on, I was impressed with his willingness to push the envelope a little bit, releasing a lyrically edgy hit song like "Black or White."Later in life, when I spent years…
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Kiva Stories from the Field
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The power of your loan
2 Jul 2009 | 11:29 pmBy Drew Loizeaux, KF8 Philippines The last 4 months working as a Kiva Fellow have allowed me an up close look at many different sides of microfinance. It has been fascinating for me to see and made me look at the loans I make through Kiva in a different way. As Kiva Lenders, our money not only goes to the borrowers themselves, but through our interest free loans we are also directly supporting each Kiva Partner that we lend through. Each Kiva Partner is different, and no matter what your reason is for believing in the power of microfinance, there is an organization that will fit your… -
You are in Mongolia… really?
1 Jul 2009 | 9:04 pmBy Tamara Sanderson – KF8 Mongolia When I started telling my friends and family that I was headed to Mongolia for the summer, it quickly became apparent that few people know much about the country. Comments ranged from: “So, where in Africa is Mongolia?” to “I remember that Genghis Kahn fellow from history class.” Every day, I am realizing the uniqueness of this beautiful country and would like to share a few fun facts with other Kivans. Large and Landlocked Mongolia, the second largest landlocked country in the world, is sandwiched between China and Russia. It is one of the… -
My Run-in with the Congolese Police
1 Jul 2009 | 8:35 amBy John Soleanicov, KF8 DRC I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my face. Sitting in a makeshift police station under a tent, I was surrounded by three Congolese policemen and my accuser, a young man that could not have been past his mid twenties. My crime: videotaping in public. As I was returning from a group visit with Hope’s Kiva Coordinator, Robert, I wanted to capture the infrastructure realities of Kinshasa (more on this in a later post). The young man noticed I was taping and began to follow our motorcycle. You can actually hear him in the video. Once we arrived at… -
Kiva Fellows’ Blog Quarter 2 in Review
30 Jun 2009 | 4:55 pmBy Kiva Fellows Program Team Kiva’s launch in the United States on June 10th generated a huge amount of media attention for Kiva, and an equally-large number of hits for the Kiva Fellows Blog. Kudos goes to John Briggs KF8, currently on his second Kiva placement with KADET in Kenya, for his #1 in Q2 post in response to the “Pissed Off Kiva Lenders” lending team with 1,712 views to date. The top 5 blogs in Q2 were: 1. Pissed Off Kiva Lenders, John Briggs KF8, Kenya 2. A Rose From Florence, Stephanie Koczela KF7, Uganda 3. M-Banking!, Brett Dobbs KF7, Kenya 4. I Am Living In… -
Micro-Universal Health Care
30 Jun 2009 | 8:13 amBy Cynthia McMurry, KF8 Ecuador Time and cost are enormous disincentives for the working poor when it comes to getting medical treatment. Time spent visiting the doctor is time you’re not at work generating income, and money spent on these visits is money that could otherwise be spent on your children’s education or reinvested in your business. These disincentives are strong enough that relatively minor, treatable ailments often go untreated and eventually develop into much more complicated, serious conditions that require more intensive treatments and can even be incapacitating. To…
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Cluttercast - Connecting through Clutter
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Celebration
3 Jul 2009 | 1:21 amLately I’ve been so busy blogging about birthdays on my other blog, that an important birthday almost slipped by me. Today I was a guest on a radio show, Connecting Women; when I was asked when I had started Cluttercast, I realized I almost missed a milestone. Cluttercast is 6 months old this week! Birthdays are especially important to me since I had cancer—so I’ll make any excuse to eat cake celebrate Cluttercast along with our country’s independence. Another thing slipped by me this week: the first Cluttercast by Kim Moldofsky, who has been a big… -
IQ test?
1 Jul 2009 | 12:49 amI always wondered how people got to be members of Mensa which is an organization of people with high IQ’s. And this week I found out when I saw an ad in our local paper announcing that prospective members can show up and take a test to qualify. I guess it’s like an audition—-only not quite American Idol. I would be curious to be a fly on the wall and see who shows up. Meanwhile as far as I know no one in our house has ever been a member—but if you’re interested, you might want to start with this home kit before showing up at tryouts. (Mensa… -
Courage
29 Jun 2009 | 12:39 amThese bracelets by Stella Pace were really popular awhile back—each bracelet is made of beads that are believed to carry special significance. I was recovering from cancer treatment and I bought all the bracelets I thought I could use and I wore all of them. All the time. I thought I needed all the help I could get. This one, Courage, is made of tiger’s eye beads. At the time, courage was so important to me that I bought an extra one. Just in case mine broke. But mine held up just fine—both the bracelet and my courage. Maybe someone else can use… -
This week’s catchers
28 Jun 2009 | 1:08 amJune is the most popular month for weddings, and appropriately,this week is all-white: White scarf: Ruth When I received the e-mail and I saw this scarf, I fell in love with it. I wear scarfs all the time and they are my signature piece of clothing . Even though I am well past the bride stage of life I would love to receive and own this scarf. White top: Vicki The only thing I REALLY miss (having moved from Carmel to Ashland 5 years ago) is the summer drives down to Big Sur in my little blue convertible with the top down and Reggae blasting on the cassette player…. I was on pins… -
Kids love clutter too!
26 Jun 2009 | 12:54 amThe creepy crawlers are happily ensconsced in the classroom with Akemi’s twin boys and their pre-school teacher. Boys will be boys. Girls are happier with this kind of clutter: Minnie’s granddaughter very happily adopted Flounder. And the whole family is happy with their new picture frame —-showing Wendy Brewer’s children. Special appreciation and thanks to everyone who sends pictures!!!
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Changed by Design
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Three mobile solutions to development challenges
30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amTwo thirds of the world’s 3.3 billion mobile phones are owned in developing countries. Social changemakers recognize this opportunity to reach those in need with information, tips, and resources that would otherwise be inaccessible at large scale. Here, we profile three innovative uses of mobile technology to combat developing world challenges. A Twitter tip informed me of Project Masiluleke in South Africa. Due to the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, individuals avoid getting tested and 90% of those infected are not getting treatment. In the KwaZulu Natal province, >40%… -
The Great Darfur Smokeout
1 May 2009 | 1:52 amThe Acumen Fund blog this week posted a call for solutions to the energy challenges posed by wood-burning stoves responsible for much of the black carbon causing 18 percent of global warming, according to the New York Times. Much of the third world uses wood as fuel because it is widely available and free, but the stoves they use to burn the wood are inefficient and produce large amounts of smoke and soot, causing major health and pollution problems. Acumen Fund’s main criticisms of alternative stoves like rocket stoves and solar cookers are as follows: There are lots of stove… -
Ashton’s anti-malaria fundraising saves more than lives
20 Apr 2009 | 8:41 amThis week, Ashton Kutcher triumphed over CNN in a race to amass one million followers on Twitter, winning the privilege to donate 10,000 anti-mosquito bed nets to combat malaria. The choice of prize may sound bizarre, but it is perfectly timed for the upcoming World Malaria Day on Friday, April 25. Malaria kills one child every 30 seconds, and more than 80 percent of infections occur in Africa. At $10 per net, the 10,000-net pledge amounted to a $100,000 donation from Ashton to charity Malaria No More, headquartered in New York City. In addition, Ashton has garnered similar pledges from other… -
Hippo Roller announces $25 x 200 campaign
17 Apr 2009 | 1:33 amThe Hippo Roller team has just shared great news about their redesign project. With the Hippo Water Roller, an individual can transport 24 gallons (200 pounds) of water as if pushing a 22-pound weight. This is enough to provide water for a family of five people for a day, with a single trip. However, the biggest obstacle to distributing these life-changing devices broadly was its $100 price tag, including shipping the cumbersome Hippos. Hippo Roller brought the challenge to Project H Design and Engineers Without Borders, resulting in a two-part, nesting, stackable version of the Hippo which… -
Stanford d.prize: How do you capture a monsoon?
10 Apr 2009 | 10:32 amStanford’s d.school design institute has just published the winners of their quarterly d.prize competition, recognizing the top 4 student projects of the term. The best aspect of the submission process is that teams must write their entries in haiku form. capture a monsoon, don’t only collect water, build an “extreme” team. A project called “The Deathstar” won this year’s monsoon challenge from the Design for Extreme Affordability class. This challenge gives teams 48 hours and $20 to design and build a device to maximize the capture of rainwater…
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ItStartsWith.Us
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People Who Rock
1 Jul 2009 | 10:01 pmThis site has been up and running for close to three months now, and I’ve met a ton of interesting and friendly people. Today, however, I want to take some time out to thank five of them that have meant a great deal to me in this endeavor. Each of these folks has gone above and beyond casual interaction to truly help me expand my thinking, learn, and grow as a person. Interestingly, I met them all on Twitter, which has become my platform of choice for meeting and engaging with new people. If you haven’t given it a try yet, I strongly urge you to do so. If you’re looking for… -
Social Media For Good: 12for12k
28 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmI’ve been hearing the name Danny Brown for a while now, but I never really knew what he did. Well, this weekend I finally figured it out, and I now wish I would have done it earlier. Danny is the man behind the 12for12k Challenge you may have been hearing about this year. It’s a really cool concept, and I could wax all poetic about it (as is my wont), but instead I think I’ll just let Danny tell you about it himself. This is from the “About” page of the site. The 12for12k Challenge is the combination of social media and fund-raising that aims to change the lives… -
I’m Not Your Mama Or Your Daddy
24 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmI’m really excited today, because this is the first-ever guest author on ItStartsWith.Us. Mike Summers is a Chicago attorney who I previously featured on the site — you can find my original story on him here. I’d like to thank Mike very much for taking the time to contribute, and I hope you all enjoy the article. A seed is an amazing thing. When you look at a seed, it may not look like much. When you put a seed in the palm of your hand or touch it with your finger, it may not seem all that special. A seed is fragile; easily damaged. It must be watered and nurtured. It needs… -
Paying It Forward: Jan Carroll
21 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmI was bumming around Twitter a couple weeks ago when someone I didn’t really know (he goes by the handle @DocNasty) said that he had someone he’d like me to meet. Doc told me that he runs an internet radio station, and that I should get in touch with one of his DJs, because she does something pretty cool at her local Starbucks. So I messaged @TheBluesLady on Twitter, and that was my first contact with Jan Carroll. She gave me her phone number and I gave her a call last weekend. We spoke for about 40 minutes and it went amazingly well, considering I’m not a very talkative… -
A Note To New Readers
17 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmIf you’re reading this post right now, it’s probably because you read Monday’s article and decided to stick around to see what comes next. First of all, I’d like to say thank you all very much for taking the time to read what I know was a very long post. Secondly, I really appreciate all the comments and emails . . . hearing your thoughts on this stuff helps me learn more every day. Since there have been tens of thousands of new visitors and nearly a thousand new subscribers in the last few days, I wanted to take a quick break from the regular writing routine and help…
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United Nations Good Works
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Nasty Nematodes Beware!
1 Jul 2009 | 1:26 pmCan you imagine never seeing the sun rise? How about never seeing the smile on your child’s face? Thanks to a new drug called Moxidectin, some 100 million people across the African continent will be saved from such a dire reality. These individuals currently suffer from river blindness, a debilitating disease caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus. Transmitted by the bite of the Black Fly, which breeds in fast-flowing rivers, these nasty parasites spread rapidly and can survive for up to fifteen years in the human body.At present, the drug ivormectin is used to control river blindness… -
Women, Work, and Family: Lessons from Latin America
29 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pmIt’s normal thing in the United States for husbands help their wives with cleaning the house, cooking, or doing the laundry. This is especially true in cases when wives, along with their husbands, work and make their own contribution to the family budget. However, in Latin America, the situation is completely different – such behavior on the part of men would be ridiculed and considered challenging the traditional “machist” perception of manhood. Today, when more than 100 million (!) women throughout Latin America and the Caribbean work, a traditional Latin American perception of… -
Emergency? Dial 9-1-Camel
26 Jun 2009 | 6:37 amWhen someone is seriously injured here in the US, they’re whisked away in a fast-moving ambulance. But try to drive that ambulance in a rural desert with no roads, and you’ve got yourself a problem. To solve this predicament, the UNDP in Ethiopia is turning camels into emergency transport vehicles.Ok, so they don’t have sirens or flashing lights. But these humped, spitting beasts of burden are ideally suited to transport seriously ill patients across the deserts of rural Ethiopia to hospitals. The UNDP has also trained men and women in basic healthcare to ride along with the camels, and… -
Picture This: Environmental Sustainability in Pictures!
23 Jun 2009 | 9:05 amLast week, UNDP, Olympus and AFP partnered to launch Picturethis, an Africa based photo competition designed to highlight the work of African natives to negate and reverse the effects of climate change. The competition aims to demonstrate the people of Africa as ‘stewards of their natural environment’. The contest is inspired by the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which will bring together over 15,000 officials from 200 countries to address climate change and explore options to extend the Kyoto Protocol’s treaty’s into the future. The contest is exclusively for… -
Sneaky Sands Threaten Livelihoods Around the World
17 Jun 2009 | 1:55 pmWith the majority of news broadcasts covering incidents of death, disease, and destruction, the major threat of desertification to the lives of millions around the world is often overlooked. However, on June 17—officially marked World Day to Combat Desertification—Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon made it his personal mission to emphasize the danger of encroaching deserts, especially to populations already marginalized by poverty. A process that is accelerating rapidly as a result of climate change, desertification is an issue that, like many others, will disproportionately affect the poor.
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United Nations Good Works
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Nasty Nematodes Beware!
1 Jul 2009 | 1:26 pmCan you imagine never seeing the sun rise? How about never seeing the smile on your child’s face? Thanks to a new drug called Moxidectin, some 100 million people across the African continent will be saved from such a dire reality. These individuals currently suffer from river blindness, a debilitating disease caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus. Transmitted by the bite of the Black Fly, which breeds in fast-flowing rivers, these nasty parasites spread rapidly and can survive for up to fifteen years in the human body.At present, the drug ivormectin is used to control river blindness… -
Women, Work, and Family: Lessons from Latin America
29 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pmIt’s normal thing in the United States for husbands help their wives with cleaning the house, cooking, or doing the laundry. This is especially true in cases when wives, along with their husbands, work and make their own contribution to the family budget. However, in Latin America, the situation is completely different – such behavior on the part of men would be ridiculed and considered challenging the traditional “machist” perception of manhood. Today, when more than 100 million (!) women throughout Latin America and the Caribbean work, a traditional Latin American perception of… -
Emergency? Dial 9-1-Camel
26 Jun 2009 | 6:37 amWhen someone is seriously injured here in the US, they’re whisked away in a fast-moving ambulance. But try to drive that ambulance in a rural desert with no roads, and you’ve got yourself a problem. To solve this predicament, the UNDP in Ethiopia is turning camels into emergency transport vehicles.Ok, so they don’t have sirens or flashing lights. But these humped, spitting beasts of burden are ideally suited to transport seriously ill patients across the deserts of rural Ethiopia to hospitals. The UNDP has also trained men and women in basic healthcare to ride along with the camels, and… -
Picture This: Environmental Sustainability in Pictures!
23 Jun 2009 | 9:05 amLast week, UNDP, Olympus and AFP partnered to launch Picturethis, an Africa based photo competition designed to highlight the work of African natives to negate and reverse the effects of climate change. The competition aims to demonstrate the people of Africa as ‘stewards of their natural environment’. The contest is inspired by the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which will bring together over 15,000 officials from 200 countries to address climate change and explore options to extend the Kyoto Protocol’s treaty’s into the future. The contest is exclusively for… -
Sneaky Sands Threaten Livelihoods Around the World
17 Jun 2009 | 1:55 pmWith the majority of news broadcasts covering incidents of death, disease, and destruction, the major threat of desertification to the lives of millions around the world is often overlooked. However, on June 17—officially marked World Day to Combat Desertification—Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon made it his personal mission to emphasize the danger of encroaching deserts, especially to populations already marginalized by poverty. A process that is accelerating rapidly as a result of climate change, desertification is an issue that, like many others, will disproportionately affect the poor.
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The GiveWell Blog
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2008-2009 international aid recommendations
1 Jul 2009 | 4:26 pmOur 2008-2009 recommendations for international aid are now available. Report homepage Recommended and top-rated charities Highlights: We believe that health is the best area for an individual donor looking to accomplish concrete good. Many programs have strong and proven track records of success in international aid. This is largely not true of other areas. More at our cause overviews. The Stop Tuberculosis Partnership and VillageReach are the strongest options we’ve seen for an individual donor seeking a proven, cost-effective, scalable vehicle in international aid. Other recommended… -
A conversation with a donor interested in obstetric fistula
17 Jun 2009 | 3:10 pmJeremy, a teacher, recently emailed us because he was interested in supporting charities that work on the problem of obstetric fistula. Fistula is a cause that I’ve written about before and is one that, emotionally, is extremely compelling. I thought the email exchange with Jeremy was informative, so (with his permission) we’ve posted it here. In brief, I think it provides: A reasonable template for a donor thinking about supporting an organization that provides surgical care An example of how a donor can care deeply about a specific cause and have an initial feeling about the… -
Donating to Gates - against its will
9 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pmWith all the people and organizations out there who would like more money, there’s something remarkable about the fact that the Gates Foundation is specifically asking people NOT to give to it (PDF) - and still couldn’t keep away over $10 million in donations in 2008. Why the Gates Foundation doesn’t want your money First off, I have a lot of trouble understanding the Foundation’s stated reasoning (PDF): From time to time, people generously offer to contribute money to the foundation. We prefer that people give directly to our grantee organizations rather than to the… -
The challenge of local ownership
4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 amOne of the consistent refrains we’ve seen in aid literature is the importance of local participation/enthusiasm/ownership for aid projects. Many programs have been criticized for being too “top-down” (i.e., imposing outsiders’ designs on local communities), with the implication that more “bottom-up” programs (i.e., getting local people to participate in the design of execution of programs) would be more likely toi create real and lasting change. For an example of this reasoning, see this USAID review of Integrated Rural Development programs (PDF). The basic… -
November conference sponsored by Social Solutions
4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 amI’ll be speaking on a panel, “Improving How we Give,” at this November conference. Should be interesting.
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What Do You Stand For?
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Brand Power Essential: Say What You Do
30 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmWant to build a brand relevant to your supporters? Then say what you do in a crisp and clear way. The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 found that organizations who clearly state their issue focus in their brand names are perceived by consumers as more familiar and personally relevant. For example, the National Cancer Coalition captured higher consumer relevancy ratings than organizations whose names were more ambiguous. Clever or creative branding is good, but clarity makes communication easy - donors, volunteers, clients and potential advocates can easily understand who you are and what… -
Chronicles 2009 Corporate Giving Survey
29 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmCorporate giving in 2009 may not be quite as dire as anticipated. According to a new survey from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, about half of responding companies said they would maintain roughly the same giving levels in 2009 as they did last year. The Chronicle study (premium login required) on the state of corporate philanthropy is composed of corporate giving data from 108 of Americas largest companies. Its chock full of useful data and information that address some of the most common questions among cause marketers and those interested in corporate giving trends. A few key… -
For Top 10 Nonprofit Power Brands, Engagement is Key
24 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmSince yesterdays launch of The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, weve had many great discussions about the research. Every conversation starts with the same question. What is it about the Top 10 that makes them the Top 10? The answer, in a word, is ENGAGEMENT.Whether 100+ years old, or newer kids on the block, these nonprofits are experts at leveraging multiple points of consumer engagement. Many have bricks-and-mortar facilities (YMCA, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Goodwill, Boys & Girls Clubs) or in-your-face marketing (Habitat, American Cancer Society) that keep them… -
Judging the PR Lions at Cannes: Reflections
24 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmIn a career one gets few once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Being a judge for the 1st PR Lions is certainly one of them. While I looked forward to Cannes, my vision was an over-the-top glam week of parties, parties and more parties ending with awards, the global advertising businesses gushing self congratulations think unrelenting double-cheek kissing (its France naturally), fist pumping in the air Gold Lion in hand, and all night carousing. (One of the agency winners even brought his dog on stage4 times! Talented agency. Lucky dog?) Perhaps that is true. Yet with digital media… -
What Organizations are Missing From The Cone 100?
23 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmThe Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 is officially in the marketplace, and not surprisingly, amid all the chatter about who is ON the list, there is some about who is NOT. So, how did we choose the 100 leading organizations to evaluate? The answer is quite simple- we used Forbes 200 Largest Nonprofits list to give us a starting point. Check out additional info on the filter criteria. We looked at 100 impressive organizations, but in the end thats a fraction of the 1.5 million total nonprofits in the U.S., so there are bound to be some favorites that arent on the list. To the right, on our…
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A Volunteer's Guide to Changing the World
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Happy 4th - be safe
2 Jul 2009 | 4:51 pmI'll be offline over the long weekend - have a wonderful extended weekend, and a happy 4th of July.For my international readers - enjoy having one less blog to read for a few days :)Best!-Mark -
Change the world one (blank) at a time
1 Jul 2009 | 9:56 amChange the world one (blank) at a time.The (blank) is up to you. It can be:The way your share your love for coffeeThe blog you update regularlyThe challenge you startWhatever the (blank) is... remember these 3 guidelines.Share knowledge and educate people. It can only benefit you.Help others, and you help yourself. Doing well by doing good.Passion and beliefs can change the world.Guidelines courtesy of www.findsubstance.com - THANKS! -
Fundraising declines
30 Jun 2009 | 2:58 pmWe all knew it was coming. We knew that this economic downturn would negatively affect our fundraising efforts. This chart shows that everybody is being affected.But now that you know it, get over it. This is not an excuse for your fundraising being under goal. It might by why you fell under goal, but its not an excuse. Now that you know for certain that the economic conditions are affecting your current fundraising techniques, you have to evolve. You have to recruit more people. And you have to work on year round engagement.Starting with online might help - here are some tips you can follow. -
Nurturing creativity
29 Jun 2009 | 10:47 amI write about creativity a lot - its very important to continued success and growth (personal and organizational).Some people talk about nurturing creativity, and they do it a lot better then me. This video by Amy Tan provides some great insight into how to be more creative, and empower others to do that same.Some of my favorites:Rehearse, but act spontaneousWrongful birth principle: You were not born who you thought you would beNurture principle: Childhood "trauma" can be real good materialUncertainty principle: I'm not good enough... (hint: ignore this one!)Watch out for the observer… -
Are you announcing your improvements?
25 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pmDo you have new committee members? New computers? New iphone application? What about a Facebook page or application? LinkedIn group? Twitter? Blog? If so, it is worth announcing.There are lots of ways of announcing your improvements and growth.You can do it yourself, like Google did here.orYou can influence others to do it for you, like Microsoft did, here.Please don't ask which one is better - because there is no answer to that. You need both. Be excited about your organization, and make sure other people are excited about it, too.
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How I changed the world today.
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Nourish International
28 Jun 2009 | 10:07 amA friend of mine pointed out that this great project needs to raise a few more dollars by a few more people in 2 days, in order to stay on Global Giving.So I donated today to Nourish International. Nourish is a student movement to eradicate global poverty. During the school year, undergraduate students organize as Nourish Chapters where they raise money through small businesses called "Ventures." Using the money they've earned, they select a sustainable development project to fund. Over the summer, they travel abroad to work alongside members of the community to implement the project. -
Kiva loans to Honduras
26 Jun 2009 | 5:03 pmI made 5 kiva loans today to Honduras.POR UN FUTURO MEJOR Group in Honduras (Activity: Retail) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reina Pricila Centeno Gomez in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ana Baudilia Escoto in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anita Sorto in Honduras (Activity: General Store) Y-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Henry Daniel… -
kiva loan to Lydia
25 Jun 2009 | 4:56 pmI made a loan today to Lydia Kwakye-Boateng in Wiawso, Ghana. Lydia is my sister's name.Lydia Kwakye-Boateng is thirty-eight years old. She is divorced and has given birth to one child, a girl, who is currently in the primary school. She lives with her daughter in a rented apartment in a commercial town called Dwenase in the Western Region. Dwenase is a suburb of Sefwi-Wiawso, the district capital. Lydia is a food vendor. She prepares and sells rice and stew. She sells on a table at the lorry (truck) station in the mornings. She buys her goods from nearby communities and wants a loan to buy… -
Bogo light
24 Jun 2009 | 7:24 pmI just bought another BOGO light, they are on sale. They are the best flashlights. My friend has even dropped his from a roof and it still works. These are worth it, even if you're not interested in helping Africans.BoGo means Buy one, Give one. We want our lights to benefit the less fortunate; therefore, with each light purchased in the developed world, a second identical light will be donated to an organization that will distribute it in the developing world with our direct financial support. Give the Gift of Light, and Help Us Change the World! -
Kiva loans with Kiva Credit
22 Jun 2009 | 4:56 pmI made a few loans today to use up some Kiva credit - monies that have been repaid to me.anzragch Sereeter in Mongolia (Activity: Cloth & Dressmaking Supplies) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Esteban Ramirez in Honduras (Activity: Clothing Sales)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Margarito Amador in Honduras (Activity: General Store) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Georgina del Socorro Mendiola Meneses in Nicaragua (Activity: Retail)…
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Kiva Stories from the Field
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The power of your loan
2 Jul 2009 | 11:29 pmBy Drew Loizeaux, KF8 Philippines The last 4 months working as a Kiva Fellow have allowed me an up close look at many different sides of microfinance. It has been fascinating for me to see and made me look at the loans I make through Kiva in a different way. As Kiva Lenders, our money not only goes to the borrowers themselves, but through our interest free loans we are also directly supporting each Kiva Partner that we lend through. Each Kiva Partner is different, and no matter what your reason is for believing in the power of microfinance, there is an organization that will fit your… -
You are in Mongolia… really?
1 Jul 2009 | 9:04 pmBy Tamara Sanderson – KF8 Mongolia When I started telling my friends and family that I was headed to Mongolia for the summer, it quickly became apparent that few people know much about the country. Comments ranged from: “So, where in Africa is Mongolia?” to “I remember that Genghis Kahn fellow from history class.” Every day, I am realizing the uniqueness of this beautiful country and would like to share a few fun facts with other Kivans. Large and Landlocked Mongolia, the second largest landlocked country in the world, is sandwiched between China and Russia. It is one of the… -
My Run-in with the Congolese Police
1 Jul 2009 | 8:35 amBy John Soleanicov, KF8 DRC I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my face. Sitting in a makeshift police station under a tent, I was surrounded by three Congolese policemen and my accuser, a young man that could not have been past his mid twenties. My crime: videotaping in public. As I was returning from a group visit with Hope’s Kiva Coordinator, Robert, I wanted to capture the infrastructure realities of Kinshasa (more on this in a later post). The young man noticed I was taping and began to follow our motorcycle. You can actually hear him in the video. Once we arrived at… -
Kiva Fellows’ Blog Quarter 2 in Review
30 Jun 2009 | 4:55 pmBy Kiva Fellows Program Team Kiva’s launch in the United States on June 10th generated a huge amount of media attention for Kiva, and an equally-large number of hits for the Kiva Fellows Blog. Kudos goes to John Briggs KF8, currently on his second Kiva placement with KADET in Kenya, for his #1 in Q2 post in response to the “Pissed Off Kiva Lenders” lending team with 1,712 views to date. The top 5 blogs in Q2 were: 1. Pissed Off Kiva Lenders, John Briggs KF8, Kenya 2. A Rose From Florence, Stephanie Koczela KF7, Uganda 3. M-Banking!, Brett Dobbs KF7, Kenya 4. I Am Living In… -
Micro-Universal Health Care
30 Jun 2009 | 8:13 amBy Cynthia McMurry, KF8 Ecuador Time and cost are enormous disincentives for the working poor when it comes to getting medical treatment. Time spent visiting the doctor is time you’re not at work generating income, and money spent on these visits is money that could otherwise be spent on your children’s education or reinvested in your business. These disincentives are strong enough that relatively minor, treatable ailments often go untreated and eventually develop into much more complicated, serious conditions that require more intensive treatments and can even be incapacitating. To…
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Blog for Change
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Family Values Hypocrisy; Homeless Parking Meters; Kids Killing Animals
26 Jun 2009 | 8:42 amHere’s a quiz of the week: what do Mark Sanford, Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, and Rudy Giuliani have in common? You guessed it – each are prominent GOP members who tout family values and an opposition to same-sex marriage because of its supposed threat to the sanctity of marriage while they simultaneously cheat on their spouses. [...] -
Weekly Update: Lies about Guantanamo; Falsely Excusing Prostitution; Military Going Green?
31 May 2009 | 9:16 pmHey Changemakers, The big news that shook the political world this week was that the Supreme Court may be getting an extra shot of diversity with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice. First Latina. Third Woman. One of the most experienced candidates in the past several [...] -
Weekly Update: Chuck Norris vs. Tolerance; Global Warming Underestimated; Why Rats Matter
22 May 2009 | 4:20 amOne of the most exciting recent developments in social change is the growth of innovative approaches to long-standing problems. We at Change.org hear from a lot of the social entrepreneurs behind these efforts, and there is one in particular that we’re big supporters of which launched this week: HopePhones.org. Every day, more than 450,000 mobile [...] -
Change.org Launches “Jobs for Change”
15 May 2009 | 5:23 pmHey Changemakers, I’m excited to announce the launch of a major new initiative called Jobs for Change, which aims to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the common good. Over the past few months President Obama has inspired a renewed interest in public service, providing a historic opportunity to mobilize a new generation of Americans to [...] -
Canada vs. America; Demanding Equal Pay; Debating Prostitution
1 May 2009 | 12:04 pmThe media hoopla surrounding President Obama’s first “100 days” milestone this week showed that Obamamania still rules the country. But how is the president handling issues of importance that may not get as much attention as his top priorities or the number of days he’s been in office? Pretty good, in fact. Our team [...]
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So what can I do?
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Change the world.
6 Oct 2014 | 3:52 pmHow will you make our world a better place?* Health and education* Economics, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance* Food and water* Energy and technology* Women, children, and family* Environment, land, and sustainability* FaithAnd don’t forget to visit the So What Can I Do Bookstore. Your efforts can change the world.”Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mohandas GandhiPlease visit http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com to offer your comments and suggestions, forward this post, and peruse the archives. Thanks for reading "So what can I do", the public service weblog promoting… -
Join the So What Can I Do blood donation team.
20 Jun 2009 | 8:40 pmI went to the Red Cross blood center today and gave a pint. Regular readers and regular donors know that blood donation is a fast and easy way to save up to three lives. You never know when you or someone you know will need blood. So please consider donating blood, platelets, or red cells. And if you do, you’re invited to join the So What Can I Do Red Cross Racing Team. Here’s how:• Visit redcrossracing.com .• After you register scroll to the bottom and click “Team Competition.”• Enter the So What Can I Do team code: O?67SO .• Remember to log your donations to win points and… -
Celebrate World Free Your Mind Day – June 19th.
18 Jun 2009 | 9:07 pmI spent this Juneteenth thinking about what my family would have been like if my great-great-granddaddy Griffin Henry Belk hadn’t walked off that plantation when he did. I expect it would have made a huge difference, because when Griffin Henry Belk left, he was able to travel (searching for his parents), purchase land (160 acres for $11 in Ozan, Arkansas), and generally prepare to provide for his wife and five children to come. So I woke up Juneteenth morning and told my daughter about her great-great-great-granddaddy. Even though she’s only two, I expect it resonated with her, or will… -
Make Kiva microloans in the US.
11 Jun 2009 | 9:04 pmI’ve written frequently about microloans - how the concept spread as a tool for economic development, how to lend and get your money back – sometimes with with interest, making a loan a no cost to you, etc. But my most popular post on the topic discusses microloans in the US. I’m pleased to report that there is now another option for those interested in making microloans in the US. Kiva now offers the opportunity to make microloans in the US. If you’re in the US, this is a great way to help your neighbors move ahead through entrepreneurship. And if you need a microloan, this means… -
Be the match: Join the Marrow Registry for free June 8-22.
25 May 2009 | 7:58 pmEarlier today when I wanted to forward my post on cord blood donation, I realized that most of the links had gone dead. While updating them, I was pleased to learn about the upcoming Marrowthon from the National Marrow Donor Program. NMDP has set a goal of adding 46,000 new members to the marrow registry during this drive. Each new member increases the odds that someone with a life threatening blood disease will live, and live well – disease free.Joining is easy: just take the eligibility quiz, fill out a form, and swab your cheeks for a cell sample. (I had to give a bit of blood for…
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Skip A Lunch
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15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans
29 Jun 2009 | 12:15 pmHi folks, thanks to Laurie for letting us know about Post Foods “Bowls of Hope” program. Post Foods, in partnership with Feeding America, will donate up to 15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans. For each purchase of a specially-marked cereal — including Post Shredded Wheat Original, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Original, Post Shredded Wheat and Bran, Post Shredded Wheat Lightly Frosted, and Post Shredded Wheat Honey Nut — Post Foods will donate one balanced breakfast. Get more info at the Post Shredded Wheat website (turn off pop-up blockers). -
HelpPoint for Kids and the Zurich Golf Classic
28 Apr 2009 | 7:05 pmFor the past five years the Zurich Classic Golf Tournament has been raising money for children’s charities, $18 million to date. This year, Zurich Financial Services is contributing $95,000 to two kids’ charities, Fore!Kids Foundation and Practical Action via an online golf relay game at HelpPoint for Kids. Go to the HelpPoint for Kids site and create a golfer. Tee off a message to up to five friends, and each one can, in turn, tee off messages to their friends. Every time players tee off a round of 18 the two charities will receive donations from Zurich. Sounds like alot of fun,… -
World Malaria Day
24 Apr 2009 | 1:02 pmImage courtesy of www.malariafreefuture.org Hi Everyone, tomorrow (April 25th) is World Malaria Day. Lots of organizations are taking part this year and you can help too. Check out Voices For A Malaria-Free Future for some great information on the fight against malaria in Rwanda, as well as other advocacy projects VOICES does in Ghana, Kenya, Mail, and Mozambique. They have some great information available, including the following: Along with basic information and how to take action, you’ll also find included at the site: - Background on the successful Rwandan program via… -
Learning Lift off in Legoland - Students in Need in Waianae
8 Apr 2009 | 10:22 amWe received a message yesterday from the teacher, Ms. K., thanking us for our donation to the “Learning Lift Off in Legoland“. She needs lego sets for her students whom face extreme poverty out in Waianae. Unfortunately she still needs $417 to fully fund this project. Some stats from Ms. K. Nine-year-olds growing up in low-income communities are already three grade levels behind their peers in high-income communities. Half of them won’t graduate from high school by the time they’re 18. I’m hoping we can gather enough people to each donate just a small amount,… -
100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World
2 Apr 2009 | 10:42 amWe’ve been featured in a list of “100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World“ on the www.bestuniversities.com blog. We’re #14 in the “General” list, yay! Hopefully our idea on making small “lunch-money” sacrifices to change the world is being heard, adopted, and done by folks like you and me. Thanks for the continued support!
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Have Fun • Do Good
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Did I Like The Philanthropist? Not So Much.
26 Jun 2009 | 2:08 pmI wanted to like NBC's new show, The Philanthropist, but I didn't.What I did like is that The Philanthropist's website has a resource page with links to organizations like the Nigerian Red Cross, CARE, and the International Crisis Group. That's about all I liked.The show's premise is that a wealthy businessman, Teddy Rist, has a transformational experience during a business trip to Nigeria and helps save a young boy during a flood. (We later learn that his own young son is dead). Although his company has a foundation, giving money doesn't feel like enough now for Teddy, and he returns to… -
How You Can Participate in United We Serve This Summer
25 Jun 2009 | 11:21 amAs I mentioned in my Monday post, First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve, June 22nd was the first day of United We Serve, the Obama Administration's nationwide summer of service initiative that will run until September 11th, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance.While I was at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service this week, I went to a session about United We Serve with Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, and Carlos Monje, Senior Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Counsel.Wicks and Monje outlined the 3… -
Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges
24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amI've been hearing a lot about the Social Innovation Fund lately, an element of the Serve America Act. A May 6th White House blog post by Jesse Lee, What is the Social Innovation Fund? says that the Fund will, "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country."To learn more about the Fund, I attended a panel called Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.The discussion focused less on what the Fund will do, and more on best… -
First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve
22 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm"It's been said that our true calling in life is where our heart's greatest gladness meets the world's deepest need."--First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.It was pretty darn exciting to be a member of the press for the opening plenary of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service where First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address today.Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the September 11th Presidential Forum on Serviceduring the Service Nation conference in New York City. During the conference, Senator… -
Empowering Refugees: Interview with Kjerstin Erickson of FORGE
19 Jun 2009 | 6:45 amKjerstin Erickson is one of those "shiny" people who lights up a room. After meeting her at the Global Engagement Summer last spring, I knew I wanted to grab her for an interview before she became too famous.Erickson founded FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) in 2003 when she was a 20 year-old junior studying public policy at Stanford University. FORGE serves 60,000 refugees in three different refugee camps in Southern Africa, and is an official operating partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).Now 26, Erickson is still FORGE's Executive…
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Have Fun • Do Good
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Did I Like The Philanthropist? Not So Much.
26 Jun 2009 | 2:08 pmI wanted to like NBC's new show, The Philanthropist, but I didn't.What I did like is that The Philanthropist's website has a resource page with links to organizations like the Nigerian Red Cross, CARE, and the International Crisis Group. That's about all I liked.The show's premise is that a wealthy businessman, Teddy Rist, has a transformational experience during a business trip to Nigeria and helps save a young boy during a flood. (We later learn that his own young son is dead). Although his company has a foundation, giving money doesn't feel like enough now for Teddy, and he returns to… -
How You Can Participate in United We Serve This Summer
25 Jun 2009 | 11:21 amAs I mentioned in my Monday post, First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve, June 22nd was the first day of United We Serve, the Obama Administration's nationwide summer of service initiative that will run until September 11th, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance.While I was at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service this week, I went to a session about United We Serve with Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, and Carlos Monje, Senior Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Counsel.Wicks and Monje outlined the 3… -
Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges
24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 amI've been hearing a lot about the Social Innovation Fund lately, an element of the Serve America Act. A May 6th White House blog post by Jesse Lee, What is the Social Innovation Fund? says that the Fund will, "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country."To learn more about the Fund, I attended a panel called Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.The discussion focused less on what the Fund will do, and more on best… -
First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve
22 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm"It's been said that our true calling in life is where our heart's greatest gladness meets the world's deepest need."--First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.It was pretty darn exciting to be a member of the press for the opening plenary of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service where First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address today.Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the September 11th Presidential Forum on Serviceduring the Service Nation conference in New York City. During the conference, Senator… -
Empowering Refugees: Interview with Kjerstin Erickson of FORGE
19 Jun 2009 | 6:45 amKjerstin Erickson is one of those "shiny" people who lights up a room. After meeting her at the Global Engagement Summer last spring, I knew I wanted to grab her for an interview before she became too famous.Erickson founded FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) in 2003 when she was a 20 year-old junior studying public policy at Stanford University. FORGE serves 60,000 refugees in three different refugee camps in Southern Africa, and is an official operating partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).Now 26, Erickson is still FORGE's Executive…
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Worldchanging: Bright Green
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Breaking News: Husk Power Systems Wins $250K Venture Competition
3 Jul 2009 | 3:16 pmHusk Power Systems, a company we profiled here on NextBillion back in October, was announced today as the winner of the Global Business Plan competition sponsored by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Cisco Systems. As the winning entrant, Husk Power walks away with $250,000 in seed funding, which they will use to build and operate more power plants in rural areas of Bihar, India's poorest state. Congratulations to Chip Ransler, Manoj Sinha and the rest of the Husk Power Systems team on this big win. They have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and FOX Business. … -
Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist Show
3 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmUnique visionary activist and astrologer Caroline Casey recently interviewed Alex Steffen on The Visionary Activist radio show, a live weekly radio program broadcast by KPFA in Berkeley, California. Also featured is Carolyn Raffensperger of the Science and Environmental Health Network. The show originally aired July 2, and will be available in the audio archive until Thursday, July 16. Visit the site to download or play. Help us change the world - DONATE NOW! (Posted by WorldChanging Team in About Worldchanging at 1:37 PM) -
Carbon Tax Shift Gaining Favor Across Canada?
3 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pmPosted by Anna Fahey As British Columbia acknowledges the one year anniversary of the landmark carbon tax shift policy, the revenue-neutral tax recently bumped prices at the pump from 2.4 cents to 3.6 cents a litre. But the price change at the pump hasn't drastically altered public opinion one way or another. In fact, as reported in Sightline Daily today, carbon tax shifting appears to be gaining favor across Canada. A quick refresher on carbon tax shifts: The plan literally shifts taxes, it doesn't add taxes. All revenue generated by the carbon tax in BC are returned to individuals and… -
Pioneer City 2030: What the Energy System of the Future Looks Like
3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amThe energy system of the future is being founded now. New energy systems and technologies are growing on an accelerating curve: • Buildings that are green, super-efficient and fully managed by digital technologies have become economically competitive. • Hybrid vehicles partly propelled by electricity have emerged in the market, with plug-in vehicles coming over the next several years. • Smart electric grids that employ digital technology to manage power supply and demand are spreading through long distance transmission and local power distribution. • Renewable energy in the form of… -
Insider Voices: Human Dimensions of Low Carbon Technology
3 Jul 2009 | 8:16 amThis is a really smart project discussing how cutting-edge climate-friendly business ventures have begun and succeeded or failed. Though it's not casual reading, it'll be fascinating to those wrestling with these questions, because it focuses on the element most often left out of innovative plans: people. "When people talk about reducing carbon emissions," the report's authors say, "they usually talk about technologies or economics. But the five year Lowcarbonworks research project reveals that’s not enough. Unless we understand the wider systemic context of low carbon initiatives and the…
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Green Tech
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Fisker's good Karma
2 Jul 2009 | 2:03 pmThe Karma is a plug-in hybrid with four doors and a GT-style body.(Credit: CNET) Among the different alternative-fuel strategies playing out, Henrik Fisker is betting big on plug-in hybrids. At a recent dinner speech, he said plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, will be the dominant type of car for the ... Originally posted at The Car Tech blog -
Cleantech Group: Green investing sees uptick
2 Jul 2009 | 5:59 amClean-technology investing could be seeing a rebound. Cleantech Group, a research firm backed by Deloitte, released a preliminary report on Thursday showing a slight uptick in clean-tech funding during the second quarter of 2009 in North America, Europe, China, and India. After two quarterly declines, the increase is good news, ... -
Greenpeace guide frowns on HP, still loves Nokia
1 Jul 2009 | 8:45 amGreenpeace released its latest Guide to Greener Electronics on Wednesday, revealing that promises aren't always kept. The Greenpeace guide, which started in 2006, ranks the top 17 PC, cell phone, TV, and gaming console manufacturers based on their policies regarding e-waste, climate change, and use of toxic chemicals. Hewlett-Packard, ... -
U.S. government maps solar energy future
1 Jul 2009 | 7:34 amThe U.S. Bureau of Land Management, in conjunction with the Department of Energy, this week released six maps that could help determine the location of the next big push in solar energy. The BLM maps cover areas within the six U.S. states most suitable for solar energy generation ... -
Yahoo redesigns data center, ditches carbon offsets
30 Jun 2009 | 12:28 pmYahoo thinks its plan for a new data center could eventually help the company achieve carbon-neutral status without having to resort to the purchase of carbon offsets.Yahoo's David Dibble discusses the company's plans for a Buffalo-area data center with New York Senator Charles Schumer (right, ...
