Image source: Guardian.co.uk
In the news this week, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Thomas Lubanga, accused of war crimes including the recruitment of child soldiers, was found guilty in The International Criminal Court. This is a victory not only for the victims of Lubanga’s crimes but for victims of similar crimes the world over.
Image source: Oprah.com
One of the exciting things about voluntourism is how it can be so easily incorporated into people’s lives. It piggy-backs on that yearly family vacation, transforming something you would do anyway into something unique and memorable. It recognizes that the easiest way to involve people in a project is to make it easy for them to participate. This is what makes Pack for a Purpose so compelling: it takes advantage of something unused that has always been there, transforming emptiness into usefulness… literally.
Image source: Thejovshow.wordpress.com
Dave Eggers is one of my favorite authors. He is wry, observant, and brilliant with language. Until about a year ago, all I had read by him were works of fiction. Then I stumbled upon What is the What, an autobiography of a young Sudanese man name Valentino Achak Deng, one of the lost boys of Sudan.
Image source: Floridasportsman.com
Coral reefs are some of our most precious ecosystems. They are often referred to as the rain forests of the sea because they are home to such a wide variety of plants and animals—creatures crucial to the survival and health of the world’s oceans. Over the past few decades, coral reefs have been dying around the world. As crucial keystone species go extinct, the health of our ocean creatures and, by direct extension, our terrestrial ones, are in great danger. Enter: Ken Nedimyer.
Image source: Creativityfuse.com
In the U.S. we are so accustomed to using email, video chat, social networks, and Google to navigate our everyday lives. In Sub-Saharan Africa however, these technologies are still unfamiliar to many, and inaccessible to most. In some ways, it’s hard to imagine how simple online communication can make a difference in people’s lives. At first I was skeptical—how does talking make someone less hungry or healthier? But the more I read about Amy Stokes and her organization, Infinite Family, the more I realized how critically important simple communication can be.