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so, why me at ignite? My passions:
– Words: read, written and spoken
– Pictures: capture imagination and make memories timeless
– The world: our role in, & responsibility to, it
context Fortunate to have my
employer’s support (time & money) to pursue international volunteer efforts
Pitched these opportunities as strategic personal development initiatives, with value added for Western
context Employers increasingly see
value in, and support, international experiences
Stories cover philosophies/lessons learned from four trips to six countries, and what I did to ‘bring them home’
malaysia, 2006 Recently developed nation status One of worst for GINI index (gap
between rich and poor) Restricted media freedoms and
freedom of assembly Vowed to not censor the Internet as
government is reliant technology for development
malaysia, 2006 Opportunities for new media to
express political dissent Participated in Aliran National
Roundtable on Internet Media Is technology really a panacea
for all that ails the world?
bringing it home Gave me a taste for global
political, economic and social issues
Paper published in Canadian Journal of Development Studies, June 2010
Role of new media in development and political engagement
kenya/tanzania, 2007 Nearly three weeks with
Western Heads East probiotic yogurt, HIV/AIDS project
17-25 per cent HIV/AIDS infection rate
Coke - seven times cheaper than water
36 per cent live below basic needs poverty line, on .79 cents/day
kenya/tanzania, 2007 $5 covers all medical
examinations – but many hospitals don’t even have generators and power is often out
Hospitals cannot afford surgical gloves
Our society is often numbed to statistics, and they don’t tell the whole story
bringing it home Biggest difference is lack of
opportunity; at the core, we share many common values and interests
Despite very real challenges, Tanzania is one of the happiest societies I’ve seen
Does our pursuit of ‘things’ make us ‘unhappy’?
rwanda/dr congo, 2009 Seven weeks helping establish
the Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management
Most densely populated country in Africa (more than 250/sq. km)
Teaches nature conservation for tourism & development, creates jobs
rwanda/dr congo, 2009 Can’t seem to move past
images of 800,000 dead in 100 days. That was 16 years ago
And yet, general apathy about ongoing war in DR Congo (the world’s second-poorest), killing more than five million. Why?
bringing it home Umuganda – mandatory
community work day each month
If Rwanda can move toward conciliation, how can we not?
How can we allow “Never Again” to happen? Again…and again?
peru, 2010 Alternative Spring Break
program, which teaches service learning to students
Team of 20 to Urubamba, Peru, where we helped build the second floor of a school
First time off the continent for many, and to the developing world for most
peru, 2010 Overcoming language and cultural
differences through commonalities, like sport, games and crafts
Importance of reflection Week timeframe may be too short,
but opens eyes to develop interest at an impressionable age
bringing it home Many were surprised at what
they had been able to accomplish
A changed impression of what the trip was all about (no longer just about getting away/résumé building)
Ongoing communication through pictures, partnership with local elementary school
the big finish We can make change, even if
it’s in one person’s life, in our community or around the world
James Brooks from London created 1,000 Classrooms initiative to save apes, environment and people in Central Africa. He was 11
the big finish Regardless of life’s challenges,
we are extremely fortunate The world is bigger than us –
and we owe a responsibility to it
Lessons from the greater world can change who we are at home. And vice versa
the big finish Change begins within our
communities, but at the individual, then communal level
How can we motivate others to see the importance of effectuating change - in our personal lives, our communities and globally?
final thought I have come to believe that if
everyone has the opportunity to see the greater world firsthand, we can potentially begin to live in a more peaceful, tolerant, understanding and empathetic society