tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62719747196665715092024-03-13T12:30:54.070-04:00Work FreelyWork Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-35188189303584808752012-10-16T01:30:00.000-04:002012-10-16T02:00:16.383-04:00Blog Action Day 2012: It starts again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I suppose if there is an appropriate time to breathe life
back into this blog, there’s no better time to do it than on Blog Action Day 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been four years since H
and I started this blog, and more than two years since our last post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say both our personal and
professional lives have radically changed since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>H is now a proud owner of a neat little piece
of paper that certifies her academic prowess in mastering the science of
forensics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have bid farewell to my first
work “home”; the five year tenure over both London and New York offices
nurtured a loyalty, unbeknownst to me, that lingers with faded sadness a year
onward still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also turned down an
opportunity to move back to my beloved UK, a decision that leaves me in awe
when I think about it, so I don’t (because my defense mechanism says so). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since my declaration of commitment to New York a year ago, I
have become more active in exploring the pockets of social goodness so
prevalent in this majestic city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick
search on </span><a href="http://www.meetup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meetup</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> can fill your calendar in no time with corporate social responsibility
panels, microfinance happy hours, or eco fashion conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was at a meetup event on the future of eco
fashion, where the panelists (most, if not all, were younger than me) took
turns sharing their challenging but impactful journeys as social entrepreneurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One panelist, Dave of </span><a href="http://www.holstee.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Holstee</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, empathically
stressed that while they are in the business of selling products (</span><a href="http://youtu.be/S27rFAoLiQM" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">see line of wallets made from recycled plastic bags from New Delhi</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">), it is also equally
important to challenge their customers about consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much so that they have incorporated the
following message to pop up as online customers are about to make their
purchases: <em>Do you really need what you are about to buy?</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exuberance of such passionate convictions
was infectious, and to someone whose entire spending habit was centered on the
thrills on scoring good bargains, to say I left the event overwhelmed would be
an understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so begun the shift
on my values on consumption, which I look to revisit in future blog posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On that note, I will leave you with the Holstee
Manifesto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34414313?title=1&byline=1&portrait=1" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-9537138361242336532010-07-12T23:01:00.003-04:002010-07-12T23:24:36.144-04:00Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)While researching for a project on social competitiveness indices, I came across an article that emphasized the importance of transparency in fighting corruption. The article specifically cites the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and below is their introductory video: <br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3333864&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3333864&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/3333864">EITI - Making resources work for people</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/eiti">EITI International</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />It is encouraging to see that a simple governance process such as independent reconciliation between company records and government records builds the necessary infrastructure to reduce corruption.EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-48213890818508481472009-12-06T18:59:00.013-05:002009-12-16T01:26:06.465-05:00Party for a Change<span style="font-style:italic;">About three weeks ago, my dear friend Jackie emailed me to spread the word about Party for a Change, a non profit recently started by her friend Michelle. The idea behind Party for a Change is to combine networking events and charitable causes. Its kick off event was happy hour to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Unfortunately I had a clash that night but I replied to Jackie and asked her to put me in touch with Michelle for an interview. Jackie did just that and a couple of emails with Michelle later, we have the interview below. Let me just note that I have yet to speak to Michelle, but her enthusiasm for Party for a Change is definitely evident in our emails. It's quite infectious and I am excited to share the interview below! <br /></span><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1PIhuvPC_6E/SxxF6UEizEI/AAAAAAAACqA/-V-lY2hVE4c/s1600-h/DOVE_DIGI.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin: 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1PIhuvPC_6E/SxxF6UEizEI/AAAAAAAACqA/-V-lY2hVE4c/s200/DOVE_DIGI.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412277720314989634" align="top"></a><b>Hi Michelle, thank you for agreeing to do this. So let's start off with you. what is your education and work background?</b><br />In 2006, I graduated from Manhattanville College with an International Management degree and Sociology minor. During my four years there, my peers and I were constantly surrounded by the concept of volunteerism and giving back to the community. Most of my time was devoted to all the clubs and activities I became a part of. After graduating, I still loved and cherished the wonderful things my peers and I had accomplished and I wanted to keep at it. So I ultimately decided to go to the New School University and obtain my Masters in Non Profit Management. <br /><br />During the time between graduating from undergrad to graduating from graduate school, I was able to get a real grip of the non-profit sector - from small nonprofits to large foundations. I had an internship at a youth exchange program where high school students from Muslim countries got to study abroad in the US for a whole year to help break down the cultural barriers and stereotypes. I also wanted to gain a sense of what a larger organization's work would be like. I received an opportunity to intern at President William J. Clinton's Foundation where I was able to learn about the massive amount of work an organization takes on an international scale. Also how much time, effort and constant devotion it will take to accomplish that. I also had the chance to work at various part-time positions at different organizations just so I could gain experience and get a better sense of day to day operations. <br /><br />The day I graduated from the New School, I got a call from the Michael J. Fox Foundation and was offered a position in their Research department. In July, I was then offered a position on their Development team where I am still currently working and absolutely love my job!<br /> <br /><b>What timing! So Party for a Change, what is is all about?</b><br />Party for a Change is to enhance young professionals' ability to network and expand their professional circles while promoting awareness to various charitable causes. Through social networking events, young professionals seeking to network with others in various fields can also begin to build their foundation for individual giving. Proceeds from these social events go directly to the selected charity/non-profit organization of the evening. We network and give back - the fun way!<br /> <br /><b>What inspired you to start Party for a Change?</b> <br />During the beginning of this year which was also my last semester of graduate school, I found it be a very tricky time as were a lot of other people. I was constantly applying to different positions to get my foot in the door. By the time May rolled around, I was tired of trying but still stayed hopeful. I stopped applying the week of my graduation and then told myself that I should just start my own non-profit. With the economic climate in an uneasy state, I had some time to truly reflect on my future aspirations and that is when the light bulb went off and Party for a Change was created. <br /><br />When thinking of what type of non-profit I wanted to create, I really couldn't decide. I had some many different interests and I just wanted to help them all. I wanted to create something different. Something fun and not the typical organization. So I thought to myself -- what do people like to do thats fun? Well, going to parties for sure. And since I was so indecisive about what type of cause I wanted to support I thought to myself - why not support them all? Why not have parties and support all different types of organizations?! Why not? I didn't understand why this wasn't the next best thing. So I passed the idea along to a few of my friends to see if they would actually ever go to an event like this. They all gave me positive feedback which truly inspired to actually get the ball rolling.<br /> <br /><b>What was the hardest part about starting Party for a Change?</b> <br />The hardest part is building the foundation. Getting all the small pieces together to lay out that ground work. All the planning and the reaching out to people and contacts. <br /><br /><b>Tell us a little more about Michael J. Fox foundation as your first selected charity.</b><br />I currently work at MJFF and since all the resources I needed were at my fingertips, it would have been a shame not to take advantage of it. Since it was our first event, we wanted to make it as simple and basic as possible. We wanted Party for a Change's mission to get across to those who attended and had some interest of what we are trying to do. Using MJFF as our first donation is also really special to me because even if I did not work there, it is an excellent organization that can and will do great things.<br /> <br /><b>How did the first event go?</b><br />The first event went very well. It was very intimate and it was a great chance for us to meet new people, gain positive and negative feedback and build our contact list. Also, sending out invites and e-mails to attend the event gained more interest for future events. It was overall a great time and we raffled off some great prizes which everyone seemed to really like a lot!<br /> <br /><b>What can we expect from Party for a Change in the upcoming months?</b> <br />Currently, we already have December lined up with a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198390613609&ref=mf" target="_blank">Toys for Tots</a> event the week before Christmas and in January and February are in the works of supporting two great organizations! Stay posted! 2010 will be a great time and we can't wait! <br /><br />For future organizations that are interested in having Party for a Change be one of their selected organizations, please feel free to contact us. As of now, we have already been approached by peers and colleagues that have suggested their favorite causes and we think that is really important because people who have a connection to organizations make events like these all the more worthy and meaningful.<br /> <br /><b>What advice do you have for someone that is interested in starting their own non profit?</b> <br />Spend a lot of time differentiating yourself from other similar organizations. Create a nonprofit that is different - that people will remember. Patience is very important and this will not be an overnight success. It takes a lot of time and energy but definitely worth your efforts. Don't be afraid to ask for help/advice. Lean on your friends/contacts. Keep learning about the whole non profit sector. Read Read Read!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thanks again Michelle! Looking forward to more updates from you on Party for a Change!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198390613609&ref=mf" target="_blank">Party for a Change: Toys for Tots</a>, Thursday Dec 17th, 2009, 6 to 10pm<br />@ <a href="http://www.sidebarny.com" target="_blank">Sidebar</a>, 120 East 15th Street, NY, NY 10003<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Party-for-a-Change/196195771384?ref=sgm" target="_blank">Become a fan of Party for a Change on Facebook</a>.EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-14289387306577625032009-11-15T23:45:00.014-05:002009-11-16T00:56:42.875-05:00EVENT: Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty, Dec 2nd 2009While researching on corporate social responsibility some months ago, I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.businessfightspoverty.com" target="_blank">Business Fights Poverty</a>, a free network for professionals to exchange ideas on how to fight poverty through good business. Since joining the network, I have received many invites for events that I would love to attend. Unfortunately the majority of events are based in London. I am definitely entertaining the thought of coinciding my next trip to London with an upcoming event. <br /><br />For those of you that live in London or happen to be in town on December 2nd, do take the opportunity to check out the following: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com/events/business-innovation-to-fight" target="_blank"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px;" src="http://api.ning.com/files/HDvDnKKXtCA*jaq*YoMScXOHIMru1lOH6diq3VyT9P6lQH0gFCn4bGiYwUD1rlWYjFP57aMaBc8URS6Yn-*i6qwK4i5H9ekH/EventHeaderImage.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><p><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Location:</span> Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Time:</span> December 2, 2009 from 5pm to 6:30pm<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Repost from <a href="http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com/events/business-innovation-to-fight" target="_blank">events section</a>:</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">"The event will showcase leading climate-change impacting organizations that work in the global South such as Toyola (<span style="font-weight:bold;">a manufacturer of carbon-efficient cookstoves in urban and rural Ghana</span>) and Selco (<span style="font-weight:bold;">a solar panel manufacturer for the rural poor in India</span>). Climate-change innovations by leading businesses will be highlighted, such as Allianz whose <span style="font-weight:bold;">micro-insurance products in health and life insurance have been proven to provide better post-emergency outcomes for the poor</span> (such as post-tsunami and post-cyclone in India). Leading foundations, such as the Shell Foundation, will also share their climate-change practices in the global South that finance <span style="font-weight:bold;">emerging environmentally-friendly businesses ranging from biofuels to carbon-efficient transport</span>."</span><br /><br />I am most interested in the microinsurance products and how effective they are in lifting <span style="font-style:italic;">and </span>keeping the poor out of poverty. Though the other topics are just as interesting and I am curious to see how these products have impacted the business models. I would love to hear feedback if you attend. And if you cannot attend, do check out the website and sign up to be a member. You have nothing to lose and all the ideas to gain.EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-71440474745679701352009-06-19T21:31:00.004-04:002009-06-19T21:45:29.709-04:00WEBSITE: United We ServePresident Obama is asking people across America to get involve in giving back to their communities. This website provides volunteer opportunities according to the location and type of work. It also has tools and a wealth of information for those who would like to start their own service project and/or event. <br /><br />Check it out here: <a href="http://www.serve.gov/" target="_blank">Serve.gov</a>HChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12413413702350447371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-15709559982984702472009-06-19T21:07:00.003-04:002009-06-19T21:46:35.661-04:00WEBSITE: MIT OPEN COURSE WAREFree course materials for a variety of topics from the Art of Rock Climbing to Information and Communication Technology in Africa. This is a great site for people who don't have the time or money to take courses, but wouldn't mind just learning on their own and at their own pace.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Having free access to learning materials that are typically taught in the undergraduate and graduate levels of universities would give others, who may not be able to afford to attend college to still learn on their own. This is also a great way to have an open discourse on course materials being taught among academia to improve and fine tune theirs.<br /><br />Check it out here: <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm" target="_blank">MIT OPEN COURSEWARE</a><br /></span>Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-77580511860691922822009-06-06T01:13:00.002-04:002009-06-06T01:45:37.869-04:00PROFILE: WokaiI found out about Wokai from one of the volunteer coordinators at work. I mentioned my interest in microfinance and she said there is an up and coming organization that is similar to Kiva but with a focus on rural China. That was a couple of months ago and my involvement with Wokai has not progressed much other than joining their Facebook group. A couple of days ago I got an email from the group asking the members to blog about Wokai as part of a campaign called <a href="http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/" target="_blank">"Blogging For A Cause" by Zementa.</a> So please check out Wokai, which translates to "I start" in Chinese, and its mission statement below: <br /><br /><object height="369" width="437" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="id" value="viddler" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="src" value="http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/1e38c34c" /><embed height="369" width="437" src="http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/1e38c34c" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" id="viddler" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /></object><br /><b>What is Wokai?</b><br />Wokai delivers an internet <a href="http://www.wokai.org">microfinance</a> platform that allows individuals to provide Chinese microentrepreneurs with loan capital. Our organization acts as an intermediary in this process, transferring funds from contributors abroad to microentrepreneurs in China through our field partners.<br /><br /><b>Who does Wokai support?</b><br />A typical Wokai microentrepeneur is a female rural inhabitant, living on less than $1/day. Her <a href="http://www.wokai.org">microfinance</a> loan, ranging from $150-$300 dollars, provides her with the capital to start a small business. Her business varies by location, raising sheep in a rural grassland or operating a small fruit stand in a city center.<br /><br />With her income, she accumulates savings, which allows her to allocate money towards long-term investments like education and health. By the end of her loan cycle, she has experienced increased financial independence, bolstered self-confidence, and a strengthened sense of community.<br /><br /><b>Learn more and contribute today at <a href="http://www.wokai.org">http://www.wokai.org</a>.</b><br /><br /><i>This blog post is part of Zemanta's "<a href="http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/">Blogging For a Cause</a>" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.</i>EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-5005239210439589882009-06-05T00:24:00.009-04:002009-06-05T01:21:06.055-04:00EVENT: Kiva and ACCION - June 15th, 2009<a href="http://www.kiva.org" target="_blank"><img style="width: 170px; height: 90px;" src="http://level3cdn.kiva.org/r14911/images/logoLeafy3.gif" border="0" alt=""/></a><a href="http://www.accionusa.org/" target="_blank"><img style="align: left; width: 135px; height: 70px;" src="http://www.pbs.org/now/enterprisingideas/images/accionlogo.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://kivanews.blogspot.com/2009/06/blender-in-nyc-on-june-15th.html" target="_blank">Repost from Kiva.org Blog</a>:<br /><br />"For those in New York City, join Kiva and ACCION on Monday, June 15th, for a bLENDer! <br /><br />Please help us spread the word and don't forget to RSVP by emailing: bLENDer2009Invite@gmail.com"<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lmm2AGJ0CFs/SicriE9cWOI/AAAAAAAAAD4/f8FMDg5Ypl8/s1600-h/image001.gif" target="_blank">Click here to see the flyer</a>. <br /><br />I've been to networking events with speakers from both Kiva and ACCION and they are always engaging. Kiva has been particularly successful in generating media awareness with its mission and is probably one of the more well known players in microfinance. ACCION USA is a strong local presence in the NYC area so the pairing of these organizations should make for an interesting and informative night.EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-85613887825322759172009-06-02T23:47:00.021-04:002009-06-04T23:44:13.927-04:00WEBSITE: Microfinance Gateway<a href="http://www.microfinancegateway.org/" target="_blank"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 71px;" src="http://www.microfinancegateway.org/i/mfg_header_logo.gif" border="0"></a> <br />Microfinance Gateway is one of the most comprehensive online resources relating to microfinance. The section that I check out most frequently is the Library. You can search for published reports on various microfinance topics and the reports can be downloaded free of charge. <br /><br />Currently I am in the middle of reading <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6271974719666571509" target="_blank">Community Investment Fund: A Study in Andhra Pradesh</a>. This report is of particular interest to me because the microhealth insurance NGO that I volunteered for is in Hyderabad, which happens to be A.P.'s capital. If you are the least bit curious about microfinance, I have no doubt that you will find something of interests in Microfinance Gateway.EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-91446493984009519612009-04-02T13:10:00.005-04:002009-06-05T00:08:47.658-04:00EDUCATION: Free online course on Microfinance<a href="http://www.mfc.org.pl/" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 374px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px" alt="" src="http://www.inaise.org/images/logo%20membres/mfc2.gif" border="0" /></a> <br />My corporate volunteering project is coming to an end in Hyderabad, India. You always feel like you have all the time in the world to explore when you've arrived to some place new. And just when you start to scratch the surface, it is already time to say goodbye. During my very brief stay, I have been fortunate enough to meet a wide range of people that inspires. I am working to share their stories soon.<br /><br />During my first week here, I was doing general research on microfinance and stumbled upon this great online course for microfinance. It is hosted by the Microfinance Centre for Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States. The entire course is called "<a href="http://www.mfc.org.pl/elearning/aps/en.htm" target="_blank">Foundations of Sustainable Microfinance</a>", and it breaks down into 6 modules. I've completed the first three modules and found that they are very substantial compared to other microfinance online learning websites. If you are interested in microfinance, I highly recommend checking out the modules.</p>EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-27759477659045767852008-12-30T10:28:00.013-05:002009-06-05T00:09:13.362-04:00EVENT: Boston Marathon Runner: Jess Res!<a href="http://www.bostonmarathon.org/" target="_blank"><img style="width: 379px; height: 82px;" src="http://www.bostonmarathon.org/images/Revised2004/CommonImages/logo.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />My friend Jess will be running the Boston Marathon comes April 2009. This super athletic friend of mine has completed triathlons and half marathons in the past. So it's only natural progression that she moves onto a marathon!<br /><br />Not only is she challenging herself, but she is also helping the community by raising money for <a href="http://goodsports.org/">Good Sports</a>, which is a community based non-profit that aims to promote healthy and active lifestyle by distributing sports equipments to disadvantaged children. What better way to exemplify the mission of Good Sports by running marathon! Check our some of the statistics that Jess has put together on her<a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/jessicaresnick"> fundraising page</a>. And while you're at it, please <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/jessicaresnick">make a donation</a> to help Jess meet her $3000 goal!<br /><br />If you're in the Boston area on April 20th, do join me along the route to cheer Jess on!<br /><br />P.S. Don't forget to take advantage of corporate matching!EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-50572110073738561932008-11-13T00:37:00.010-05:002009-06-05T00:09:56.907-04:00WEBSITE: DonorsChoose.org<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html" target="_blank"><img style="width: 323px; height: 65px;" src="http://www.donorschoose.org/images/logo_trans.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Calling all public school teachers!<br /><br />H and I are both proud products of the NYC public school system. So a site like <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/">DonorsChoose.org</a> is near and dear to our hearts. Public school teachers go on the website with donation requests for equipments and/or materials not covered by the existing budget.<br /><br />You can search through the different proposals by subject, grade level, and even school location. Each proposal page details its objective and clearly breaks down how much has been raised and how much more is needed. Very straightforward, and of course tax-deductible for you lovely donors.<br /><br />Another interesting tidbit is that DonorsChoose hosts a competition called <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/motherboard.html?motherboardId=1">Blogger Challenge</a>. Bloggers are invited to customize a "giving page" on the website that features their favorite projects. The "giving page" is then shared and their readers are encouraged to donate. Since October 2008, over $250,000 has been raised by readers alone! Quite impressive considering shape of the economy right now.<br /><br />And while we are small potatoes compared to the heavy hitters (<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/01/support-schools-dire.html">boingboing</a> anyone?) of the blogosphere, H and I decided it might be fun to get some practice in for 2009. So watch out for Work Freely's "giving page"!EPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05927822844317538555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-45869740038455869052008-10-02T00:36:00.018-04:002009-11-28T00:26:50.086-05:00ARTICLE: Green Musician<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23768534/">Rocker Tankian is spreading a green message</a><br /><br />System of a Down was one of my favorite bands back in college. As a Communication Studies major, I was able to combine my love of music and academic requirement to write a paper on the symbolism of SOAD's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdRd3k4CIAg">Choy Suey!</a> video. It was then that I discovered the band's fierce political passion. SOAD's most noted efforts were to raise the awareness of Armenian Genocide and fight for its official recognition by governments worldwide.<br /><br />Former lead singer Serj Tankian is still very much an activist since the infinite hiatus of the band in 2006. This article takes a look at his current work, specifically with the promotion of green issues.<br /><br />As a sidenote, he has also formed a non-profit organization with Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine fame) called <a href="http://axisofjustice.net/" target="_blank">Axis of Justice</a>. No doubt a cheeky take on President Bush's Axis of Evil. The organization's focus is on social justice and you can check out the site by clicking the logo below.<br /><br /><a href="http://axisofjustice.net/" target="_blank"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://axisofjustice.net/wp-content/themes/gazette/images/logo_AOJ_02.gif" border="0" /></a>Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-76334703047668316372008-10-01T00:58:00.005-04:002009-06-05T00:11:19.155-04:00EVENT: GuluWalk NYC, Sat - October 25th 2008<a href="http://annualeventpost.com/files/images/gulupic.png"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://annualeventpost.com/files/images/gulupic.png" border="0" /></a> From <a href="http://www.guluwalk.com/newyork/">GuluWalk NYC</a>:<br /><br />GuluWalk is back in New York for 2008! To date, New York participants have not only provided a voice for peace in northern Uganda, but their fundraising results have also helped towards raising over $1-million for children's programs on the ground in the war-torn region. GuluWalk New York is looking to provide even bigger and better support in 2008. Join in the push for peace!<br /><br /><a href="http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?Lang=en-CA&TSID=207787">Please Join or Donate to the New York Team Here. </a><br /><br /><strong>Start Location:</strong> Washington Square Park (W 4th and Washington Sq. East)<br /><br /><strong>Registration Begins:</strong> 12pm<br /><br /><strong>GuluWalk Start Time: </strong>1pm<br /><br /><strong>Distance:</strong> 3.0 miles<br /><br /><strong>End Location:</strong> Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (2nd Ave. and 47th St.)<br /><br />For more info, contact Rachael Joy and Ada Leung at <a href="mailto:guluwalknyc@gmail.com">guluwalknyc@gmail.com</a>Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-7334130433490940412008-10-01T00:46:00.006-04:002009-06-05T00:11:39.380-04:00RESEARCH: Microfinance<a href="http://library.financialaccess.org/pdf/gatesconceptnote_april8.pdf">Psychology and Economics: What It Means For Microfinance</a><br /><br />The paper is published in April 2008 by <a href="http://www.financialaccess.org">Financial Access Initiative</a>, "a consortium of leading development economists focused on substantially expanding access to quality financial services for low-income individuals." <br /><br />If you are interested in reading more, <a href="http://www.financialaccess.org/research/index.html">click here</a> for a list of their current and past projects.Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-71723386381479953472008-10-01T00:17:00.009-04:002009-06-05T00:11:58.994-04:00ARTICLE: Red Cross<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLR9941._CH_.2400">Red Cross launches cutting-edge family search game</a><br /><br />An innovative way of raising awareness by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game">Alternate Reality Game (ARG)</a>. This is the first time that ARG is created by a charity. It will be interesting to keep in an eye on this one to see how effective it is in motivating the people to take action.<br /><br />Register to play here: <a href="http://www.tracesofhope.com">Traces of Hope</a>Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271974719666571509.post-62337022249957873892008-04-21T21:56:00.017-04:002009-06-05T00:12:32.016-04:00Professionals for Active Learning (PAL)<h4><strong>Interview with Tommy T. F. Liu, Managing Director of Outreach</strong></h4><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f-5njGfSjzU/SBIGugJqvPI/AAAAAAAAAAU/0OcaBq-Tn8A/s1600-h/TommyLiu.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f-5njGfSjzU/SBIGugJqvPI/AAAAAAAAAAU/0OcaBq-Tn8A/s200/TommyLiu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193220716285836530" /></a>Tommy has been involved with the non-profit organization, Professionals for Active Learning (PAL) for a few years now, reaching out to peers, friends, colleagues and other organizations in the community. PAL professionals engage the students in hands-on workshops involving real world examples, focusing mainly in the sciences.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What is the purpose of your non-profit organization?</strong><br /><br />A. Our mission is to establish a network of educators, professionals, and students. Our main goal is to encourage students to understand there is a purpose for education by giving 'real world' examples that they can apply.<br /><br />Volunteers are professionals exhibiting certain expertise in career, hobbies, or general interests. We bring professionals to the classroom, implementing a win-win-win strategy.<br /><ul><br /><li>The students win because they have an actual role model for potential career paths using education.</li><br /><li>Teachers win because they have additional resource that they would not normally have access to by having unique expertise entering the classroom.</li><br /><li>Professionals win because they share knowledge with youths of tomorrow and improving community in both present and future.</li><br /></ul><br />In regards to the general structure of how we establish networks, we work with host organizations to run hands-on active learning workshops in which all parties can participate, which is why we’re called Professionals for Active Learning (PAL).<br />We are a grassroots organization in that groups of volunteers just want to make a difference in the community.<br /><br /><strong>Q. How did you come up with the idea?</strong><br /><br />A. The founders of PAL felt a connection to the community, with our focus on the Lower East Side, New York. Some of us grew up there, went to school there, and/or work there.<br /><br />Personally, I started to recognize a need in this community for the youth to develop more of an interest in pursuing education further. At the time PAL was founded, I worked at a non-profit organization that dealt with assisting workers that were economically affected by the events of 9/11. Speaking with many of these workers in the Lower East Side many were curious if any services were available for their children.<br /><br />In the spring of 2004, a few colleagues and I discussed possibilities for impacting the community by addressing these needs. We knew that friends, colleagues, and peers wanted to give back to the community as well, and so we provided the opportunity to connect with educators and students by having these active- learning workshops.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What is an active learning workshop?</strong><br /><br />A. Active-learning workshops involve an overview of a certain topic to students - generally in the sciences - and a team - building, hands-on activity component. For example, if students were interested in the topic of healthy eating, then we would ideally be able to bring a professional or expert in related fields, such as nutritionist, or doctor. In this example, the workshop facilitators (or, as we call them "Catalysts") would talk about concepts such as food groups, important nutrients and a balanced diet. Then teams of students would work together on a group activity, perhaps constructing their own food pyramids.<br /><br />However, the format of our workshops are fluid, so that we can adapt the structure to accommodate any parties involved.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Why the sciences?</strong><br /><br />A. There are a few main reasons for concentrating on the sciences:<br />We saw that the sciences were of topic in which NYC students had a lot of room for improvement.<br /><br />As an overall trend in America, we see that this nation is producing fewer professionals in the fields of the sciences.<br /><br />And also, we recognized that the language of science is universal, so with a large immigrant population on the LES, students that may be intimidated by the English language barrier can build confidence in gaining expertise in science.<br /><br /><strong>Q. How did you get information on the fact that there are fewer professionals in fields of science and mathematics?</strong><br /><br />A. Generally from what we hear in the news media (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/opinion/25thu4.html?scp=5&sq=education+engineers+in+America&st=nyt" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/opinion/25thu4.html?scp=5&sq=education+engineers+in+America&st=nyt</a>), recalling officials in the education arena pointing to this need in building stronger foundations in scientific learning, and from personal observation and noticing that science is not really a favorite subject anymore.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Q. Do you see a specific need for the Chinese community?</strong><br /><br />A. Actually, we are not limiting ourselves to a specific ethnicity. Our students-teachers-professionals come from diverse background. This reflects the diversity of the LES. And is one reason why LES is such a special place and why it is very rewarding for those involved is that they are able to enrich such a diverse community.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What is your favorite moment pertaining to your involvement in PAL? What moments stood out for you?</strong><br /><br />A. Most satisfying reward comes from the students themselves when they are eager to find out more about topics discussed. It really shows how a few moments of connection between professionals and students can make such a difference in their pursuit of knowledge.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What were the biggest obstacles you encountered when trying to implement this?</strong><br /><br />A. The biggest obstacles involved were gaining the trust of the community itself. Some people in the community found it strange that working professionals wanted to volunteer their free time to run these types of workshops without the desire for material compensation; after all, we were just a group of friends that wanted to make a difference.<br /><br />However after being given the chance to show the educators and students that we had their best interest in mind by running effective workshops where we were able to establish strong relationships that enabled us to eventually work directly with the NY Public Library and the NY Public School system. We were also able to obtain grants to funds our projects.<br /><br />We were able to obtain grants from New York Universtiy via their Office of Community Service as well as a grant from the Milken Family Foundation's Festivals for Youth Program. (<a href="http://www.mff.org/ffy/ffysites.taf?page=festivalsite&siteID=33885736" target="_blank">http://www.mff.org/ffy/ffysites.taf?page=festivalsite&siteID=33885736</a>)<br /><br /><strong>Q. How did you decide on which schools to execute your workshops in?</strong><br /><br />A. This goes back to overcoming those obstacles I was talking about. A lot of it had to do with establishing relationships so that more and more organizations and educational institutions would be comfortable with us. Once we showed that we were providing an effective educational experience with roots in the community, we were able to collaborate with public schools in the area to act as hosts for our PAL’s workshops.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What advice would you give to people interested in starting a non-profit organization?</strong><br /><br />A. First, think about the need that you want to address. Try to find out if it’s even a need at all, and if so, if someone else is addressing it. If someone else is addressing the need you may wish to join those groups or establish relationships with the organizations that are already improving the community. Or, you may find that you can spend your time and energy dealing with other more pertinent needs in the community.<br /><br />Once you have that figured out, then ask yourself if starting a non-profit is really what you want to do. With this, I mean that a lot of time, effort, energy and resources will be devoted to the administration of the non-profit organization itself. So be prepared to take this on.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Do you see your workshops expanding to different grade levels?</strong><br /><br />A. In truth, we are flexible enough to have workshops, involving different grade levels already. We are very glad to be able to improve the education of students of all different levels.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What upcoming events/workshops are you holding?</strong><br /><br />A. In the immediate future, we have workshops that are being hosted at PS 124 and PS 42 in the months of April and May. We are still looking for interested volunteers to assist with these workshops.<br /><br />Please contact us if you wish to become a workshop Catalyst (a Catalyst is our term for a workshop facilitator, but we see these facilitators as having the special role: to “catalyze” and germinate ideas in the youth of tomorrow). (<a href="http://prosforactivelearning.org/" target="_blank">Click here for more information about PAL</a>)<br />Work Freelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06839061277755522227noreply@blogger.com0