p.s. Check today's first post, too!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
It takes a Woman to save a country? A Lovely Dream.
It seems like hope for Africa is along the way, at least for Liberia. And the hope, of course, comes in the hands of a woman =]. I found this article about Ellen Sirleaf, the first female president in Africa (with an incredible background), and the changes she has made to her country: apparently the woman represents hope to many Africans (and westerners!). It looks like she has been fighting corruption pretty accurately, stating that women have less reasons to be corrupt and therefore make better presidents. Statements aside, it seems to be working: she just got $4.6 billion worth of debt relief through the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Plus, of course, women work harder (her words, not mine…). She also got an enormous loan for Liberian businesses, which should improve the overall economy of the country.
The writer of the article seems highly skeptical about it, but I believe the woman has come for the good of the country. She seems highly motivated, or maybe I’m just in the mood for hope. Either way, it’s a good investment of time to read the entire article (5 pages) to see things that can be done to help corrupt nations. The writer seems to believe her efforts to be silly in a country that has been destroyed by war, but change comes in the small things, right? Her people seem to mostly like her. Coming from an extremely violent marriage, she seems to understand what it is like to be tied-up to circumstances, and the need for change.
The writer of the article seems highly skeptical about it, but I believe the woman has come for the good of the country. She seems highly motivated, or maybe I’m just in the mood for hope. Either way, it’s a good investment of time to read the entire article (5 pages) to see things that can be done to help corrupt nations. The writer seems to believe her efforts to be silly in a country that has been destroyed by war, but change comes in the small things, right? Her people seem to mostly like her. Coming from an extremely violent marriage, she seems to understand what it is like to be tied-up to circumstances, and the need for change.
p.s. There is also some cool info on Liberia's history.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Wonders of...Facebook.
For those of you who think Facebook is a waste of time, think again. This article shows that we can put to use things we (I) never thought could be useful.
Graduate student Ailie Tam recently moved to Madagascar to volunteer for an HIV prevention program there. She then entered a program that pays for the winners to work on charitable project abroad, and thanks to her 4000 votes on (surprise!) Facebook, she won $45,000 for her project in Madagascar.
Of course her motivations weren't so pure... she's doing it all to build her resume and apply for a job in international social work (and trying to get her PhD). According to the article, she was rejected by some graduate schools, and went to battle to make her experiences on fundraising matter. And it worked! her past projects won her much respect from "people that matter", and all thanks to her networking skills, such as... yeah, Facebook.
Considering the benefit that her study will bring to Madagascar (the lady will, after all, help fight the spread of AIDS), her motivations don't really matter. What matters is that she's out there, making good use of everyday commodities for us, and planting a little hope for this internet generation to use their addiction for something else =P. The projcet's goal is to "inspire multitudes to volunteer". Facebook rehab, anyone?
Graduate student Ailie Tam recently moved to Madagascar to volunteer for an HIV prevention program there. She then entered a program that pays for the winners to work on charitable project abroad, and thanks to her 4000 votes on (surprise!) Facebook, she won $45,000 for her project in Madagascar.
Of course her motivations weren't so pure... she's doing it all to build her resume and apply for a job in international social work (and trying to get her PhD). According to the article, she was rejected by some graduate schools, and went to battle to make her experiences on fundraising matter. And it worked! her past projects won her much respect from "people that matter", and all thanks to her networking skills, such as... yeah, Facebook.
Considering the benefit that her study will bring to Madagascar (the lady will, after all, help fight the spread of AIDS), her motivations don't really matter. What matters is that she's out there, making good use of everyday commodities for us, and planting a little hope for this internet generation to use their addiction for something else =P. The projcet's goal is to "inspire multitudes to volunteer". Facebook rehab, anyone?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Festival of Colors and a World to be Discovered
The African Cultural Festival (ACF) was founded by Uche Ozoh, Nigerian born Film Producer and Director, and Shabbir Jiwa, Kenyan born President and CEO TFLSafari.Com, to “create an unprecedented experience that will promote our various cultural heritages and to bring all of us together from our different diasporas as one voice”. They also promote international business trade. Space is given to local businesses, crafts, restaurants, and African tourism. They provide charity services, give away scholarships, and promote classes to teach children African languages, such as Yoruba and Swahili.
The festival provides a way for people of all parts of Africa (and outside of Africa, too) to discuss and come up with possible solutions to the biggest issues being faced by African countries today. Some of the issues they discuss are economic development, education, technology, politics, and cultural matters. The festival is put together by Africans or people who have lived in Africa for a long time. Most of all, they promote the unification of the peoples of Africa, and their theme song is “Africa Unite”.
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