Need some inspiration to go outside and be active? Check out this video by Juan Rayos of the Longboard Girls Crew. It’s one of the four-video series. Need to get a longboard - STAT.
Check out my full post with all four videos of the series on my travel blog, summerinsea.com
Monday Inspiration: Never, Ever Give Up.
From YouTube:
Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.
He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to give it a try — he couldn’t do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA and sent an email to Dallas telling him his story.
Dallas was so moved by his story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with Arthur throughout his journey - he encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible. Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going.
Arthur was getting stronger rapidly, and he was losing weight at an incredible rate! Because of DDP’s specialized workout, he gained tremendous balance and flexibility — which gave him hope that maybe someday, he’d be able to walk again.
His story is proof, that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. Niether Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish, but this video speaks for itself. In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of, 15 years earlier.
Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck - you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you might think.
Hopefully this story can inspire you to follow your dreams - whatever they may be.
Anything is Possible!
The Final Meal.
The Last Supper.
What would be your final meal?
“My long term hopes of the project are that we stop having capital punishments and that I stop painting plates.”
Read more of Julie Green’s art project here.
Details are what makes things unique and beautiful. I love details, which is why this video is absolutely stunning. Check out more of Charles Bergquist’s Highspeed Collection here.
Yes, this still happens today. It’s called Modern Day Slavery.
“Over 20,000 Cambodians are trafficked to Thailand every year and forced into modern-day slavery. The poor and the disabled are particularly vulnerable to being exploited. This is the true story of one family’s harrowing experience.”
Video by SHISHA, Anti-Human Trafficking and Exploitation Organisation.
May 12th is World #FairTrade Day. Check out this event in Boston!
Who? Fair Trade Scavenger Hunt is hosted by Fair Trade Boston in collaboration with SCVNGR, sponsors and supporters include Ben & Jerry’s Boston, Equal Exchange, Ten Thousand Villages, Haley House, City Feed & Supply, and Autonomy Project.
What? A scavenger hunt using the SCVNGR app. Participants sign up via the Eventbrite page to receive instructions and download the SCVNGR app on their phones where the event will go live on the day of. There are 10 locations where participants visit to answer questions, take photos and receive prizes. Once completed, individuals who with the highest number of points will receive grand prizes from the sponsors.
Where? The event is held throughout Boston, Cambridge and Brookline (the Greater Boston area) and held in individual sponsors’ shops. Immediately following the end of the Scavenger Hunt, there will be an after party at the Equal Exchange Cafe (226 Causeway Street, Boston).
When? World Fair Trade day, May 12th, 2012. 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Scavenger Hunt) & 3 p.m. (After party)
Why? It’s an amazing way to learn about Fair Trade and some of the products that are sold in Boston. The event introduces participants to some of the stores in the Boston area that allows them to learn about the impact that Fair Trade has on farmers and their families in developing countries. It’s also a fun event to explore the city, have fun with friends, mingle and win amazing prizes.
It’ll be a fun event and a great way to explore Boston on a Saturday! Also, it’s just in time for Mother’s Day (May 13th) so why not find out about these awesome Fair Trade stores in Boston and get your mother (or win her) a gorgeous gift? :)
Event page: http://fairtradescavengerhunt.eventbrite.com/
Social entrepreneurs are not content to merely give a man a fish, or even teach him how to fish; these entrepreneurs won’t stop until they have revolutionized the entire fishing industry.
Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, the association for social entrepreneurs.
(via Social Entrepreneurship)
This is why those of us who are privileged enough to do so must think bigger. Fishing 2.0 or whichever industry may be your calling may not have even been invented yet. The world is changing and with our help may change for the better. We just have to gather the skills and experiences which are going to help us until we realize where we’re meant to be.
(via nettra)
(via nettra)
Source: nonprofit.about.com
“Best Job” A video by @ProcterGamble linking in #MothersDay & #London2012 #Olympics. Touching, inspiring, loving, all at the same time. It’s timely relevant and full of emotions - genius.
Nike’s FuelBand commercial by Casey Neistat and his friend Max Joseph. Inspires you to really travel the world and #MakeItCount.
Apparently Nike had no idea what Casey had in store for the third video of the series but needless to say, it worked.
Also posted on: http://summerinsea.com/2012/04/17/video-makeitcount/
@nettra “Good intentions are not enough.” Do your research. This just adds on to what I posted yesterday.
What the Invisible Children’s Viral Video can Teach Us and What it Cannot
For many, this 30-minute video will be a great introduction to the horrific events in Uganda lead by the LRA. The amount of work which went into this for me to even be able to write this blog post in response is astounding. Aside from being a great example of how to mobilize people through storytelling and social media, it presents a wonderful story about how we can all make a difference, how, if we really try, we can change the minds of the most powerful people on the planet. Because we can today. We can shape history.
I was really moved. How can I begin to describe my reaction?
But if you really care about this issue, you might consider taking one or two more steps, before throwing your support behind Invisible Children.
It is an American non-profit that is advocating for intervention in Uganda. That is its goal and everything it produces will be to support that goal. Unfortunately, no professional 30-minute video has been created for us to easily learn about the realities of the situation. The pathos ends here.
What you can do, however, is check out the following links:
- This short post by The Educated Field Negro: We Got Trouble is a good place to start.
- Securing Rights also has a few thoughts on what is missing from the video - namely the other organizations and local efforts to combat the LRA (via @hayesbrown).
- UN Dispatch’s piece: Invisible Children: Saviors or Sensationalists? provides two good perpectives and points out an important point: “There are no Ugandans on the board of directors or the US staff.”
- Joshua Keating’s FP Blog Post: Joseph Kony is not in Uganda (and other complicated things) (thank you @kalsoom82)
- Siena Anstis’s post (thanks @kasmoie)
- Ryan Linstrom: 5 (and counting) Essential Reads on Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 Campaign (thanks @aliciasully)
I also recommend these links:
- Why Dev has a great “Reader’s Digest” - a collection of articles, comments and tweets about Kony 2012 (via @danatgu)
- Foreign Affairs: Obama Takes on the LRA November 15, 2011
- Charity Navigator Rating on Invisible Children (2 our of 4 stars)
- International Crisis Group’s November 2011 report (thanks @danatgu)
- Discover the Journey is an organization of video journalists which document injustices children face around the world. Here is their short video on the LRA.
- Dining With Dictators: another interesting attempt to raise awareness about dictators and international criminals
- ThinkProgress: A Partial Defense Of Invisible Children’s Kony2012 Campaign (thanks @coconutsurfing)
- A humorous response in the form of a drinking game to #Kony2012 from Wronging Rights
If after all the reading, you are inspired to make a change. You should know that it is possible, and you can do it, as Natalie Warne of Invisible Children did (TEDxTeen Video) (via @NiamhHughes).
But it’s a complex issue, and we are more intelligent than the adorable Gavin. It’s not a good guys vs. bad guys situation. Please read into the organizations and causes you are supporting.
I try to stay informed through this list of various hodgepodge of security, political, economic news sources on Twitter. (See also Foreign Policy Twitterati and Women Who Tweet + Are Crucial to Foreign Policy).
Good Intentions Are Not Enough. We should share and act responsibly (thinking before linking), but most importantly, now that the conversaion’s started, let’s keep it going.
Source: nettra
Angkor… What Replica? There will always be only one Angkor Wat and it’s in #Cambodia.
I just came across an article by Camboguide that talked about an Angkor Wat replica being built in India. According to the article, “officials in eastern India announced their plan to build a replica of Cambodia’s spellbinding 12th-century temple, Angkor Wat, on the banks of the Ganges in the state of Bihar.”
I don’t know what you think but I personally think this is silly. Cambodian officials are worried that actual tourist traffic will decrease in Cambodia because of this but I think a replica will always be just a replica. Just because they are building this doesn’t mean that Angkor Wat’s value decreases in any way.
Angkor Wat is appreciated for not just its beautiful structure but more valued because of the history and the time that comes with it - because of the story that it tells. There is no way human can make the same ‘effects’ nature has made on the building over centuries, shaping it into what it is today. Yes, it may increase tourism traffic to India but the level of appreciation will be different. After-all, it’s a completely different awe and inspiration having a group of people and machines building something that looks like Angkor Wat versus people in the 12th century crafting the building solely by hand. Angkor Wat is beautiful because of what it is and this brand new ‘biggest Hindu temple’ should not devalue the name of Angkor Wat.
“The Indian Angkor will have five storeys and five “shikhars” or pinnacles, like the Cambodian original. It is estimated that work on the main structure, which will sit on a 16ha site in Vaishali district, will take up to five years, while completing the project could take a decade.” Apparently it will cost about $25 million dollars. Silly effort.
Not opposed to them building a new temple but don’t label it as an ‘Angkor Wat Replica’ and have the word Angkor Wat in the name. Whatever happens, Angkor Wat will be Angkor Wat and Virat Angkor Wat Ram Mandir will be Virat Angkor Wat Ram Mandir NOT Angkor Wat. (I said Angkor Wat one too many times there.)
Check out the story on BBC and The Guardian. In about ten years, I assume the conversation will be “I’m going to visit Angkor Wat!” “Oh, which one?”
There’s only one. Silly.
My conflicting thoughts on #Kony2012: Solution is more complicated than it seems.
As you have all probably seen by now, Kony 2012 video has gone viral. I’ve seen it come up several times on both of my Facebook and Twitter feed. Surprisingly, I’ve seen tweets in other countries and languages - including Korea - which was a bit unusual for me to see since in my opinion, Koreans aren’t usually taking the lead in advocacy and rather focus more on disaster relief, volunteering and aid (my opinion.. don’t quote me on this).
I first came across the Invisible Children (IC) organization and the issue surrounding the LRA and Joseph Kony in 2008. When I was a freshman in college, Invisible Children was starting to spread across the world to young advocates, and I was interested - mainly because the transition from growing up in a developing country to living in a developed country had a huge impact on me. The idea that the power of social media and awareness can have an impact on countries that need the aid and on issues that need the spotlight, fascinated me. So I went along with a friend to the Rescue - which happened all over the world and generated great publicity. Everything was great, since that was the main goal. The goal was to create publicity and put spotlight on this criminal known as Joseph Kony.
This goal/aim of Invisible Children (IC) has not changed.
This recent Kony 2012 campaign and the video that has gone viral leaves me with lots of different emotions - mostly confusion. I am struggling with this inner conflict that I can’t seem to really solve. I don’t oppose it but don’t support it either. The idea that so many people have jumped on the Kony-wagon after watching a 30 minute video does bother me. And reading criticisms from blogs like visiblechildren.tumblr.com makes me even more uncomfortable. As someone who has now been following the movement for 4 years, I have mixed feelings about this campaign and the praises and criticisms it’s receiving.
There are different perspectives when it comes to this issue. One of the many controversies that has been brought up is that out of all the donations collected, barely any goes toward solving the issue and supporting the military against Joseph Kony.First of all, if people think that all the money that they donate to any organization goes straight to saving the World, think again. The donation you make doesn’t only go into feeding the children and buying them books - it would be great if it did - but some amount has to go into costs like staff salary, buying supplies, photocopying, printing, calling, paying bills, etc. Like any other organizations, 501 (c) 3s cannot run without paying for all those necessities. This includes executives salaries - which we hope they are being sensible about. This is why nonprofits usually disclose their financial information to the public. Also, there is no ‘profit’ in nonprofits so the salary is not based on how much money is collected. So, with the controversy towards money, I think it’s the donor’s responsibility to know where their money is going and you should be aware that not 100% of what you donate goes toward saving the World directly.
One of the main controversies that bothers me is whether or not this conflict and issue with Joseph Kony is as big as Invisible Children is making it seem. But, once again, I understand that with nonprofit marketing, it’s almost inevitable and somewhat necessary. With no tangible products to sell, you need to make the story compelling and attractive. With the lacking amount of information on Joseph Kony and the LRA, it’s hard to get straight facts. I’ve heard that Kony is now weak and the issue is not as big as it is portrayed. BUT, there’s no way of us KNOWING that. Which is why it’s important that there’s some attention brought to this issue.Yes, the issue might not be big, but it’s happening.
Invisible Children say: “We use the power of media to inspire young people to help end the longest-running armed conflict in Africa. We make documentaries, tour them around the world, and lobby our nation’s leaders to make ending this conflict a priority.”
This is their mission statement and it clearly states what they are here to do. Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s your choice. They started and will carry on making films. If you are supporting Invisible Children, you should know that the donations go toward raising awareness, which is what the IC has decided to do since they can’t go in and kill Kony themselves with the money. They state in their videos that they are lobbying and raising awareness so that powerful people can see it and make something happen. So, the funding goes into raising awareness - which is film making. Hence, if you are donating, the money is going towards making the films.
It’s your money, it’s your choice. It’s completely up to you to give and support if you want to and NOT to do so, if you don’t want to. What I’m trying to say is - the IC is here to raise awareness, which is what they are doing through documentaries and doing a great job of. If you don’t believe that funding should go into making videos and raising awareness, than you aren’t really supporting the IC (You are just against what Kony is doing. It’s two different things). Don’t donate and complain. Make a conscious choice and accept that your money is going toward paying for films and printing posters. No one’s forcing you to give money.
As for the solution to the issue, and whether or not the IC is providing a solid solution, I’m going to sit on this a little more. I need to think about whether foreign intervention is the best for this issue. I’m not opposed to them raising awareness at all but I think the solution should be more than sending troops to Africa and capturing Joseph Kony. There’s also a bigger issue of what will happen afterwards. No one’s really thinking about the aftermath. As someone who strongly believes in sustainable solutions to foreign aid, I think I need more time to look at the bigger picture.There’s more to solving this issue than to just intervene and capture Kony.
As for raising awareness within the developed nations, I think IC is doing a pretty good job - at least now, people know it is going on despite the fact that it may be exaggerated or not.
