Kiva.org

You know that I really want to start a non-profit someday. I think the most sustainable way to run a non-profit is to run it in connection with a business–or social venture. That way the non-profit isn’t dependent on donations, charity, drives, etc. The social venture also makes jobs, training and education more accessible to those you’re trying to help so that it becomes a situation where everyone–those who have AND those who don’t–is working together to create something rather than the organization being built around a bureaucracy of people who are separated from those they’re trying to help. I think you eventually lose the heart and passion for the cause that way.  

The organization is Kiva (www.kiva.org). It’s the world’s first person-to-person microfinance organization. I’m not economist, but I think microfinance has done a lot and I hope more businesses contribute or adopt microfinance organizations into their social work portfolio (I also hope more companies adopt social work standards and do more. It’s been proven to help a companies’ reputations far better than beating people over the head with marketing). Kiva allows you to lend directly to families in need. You can lend as little as $25. You can also join a team and give with your team. Team Obama has lent the most with $116,150.00 in loans! You get the return plus interest and if the venture fails, another lender takes the hit, not you. I think it’s a win-win for everybody, especially for those who normally wouldn’t be interested in ”giving away” money for whatever reason…And those of us who would like to see our money go directly to people who would do something with it, rather than having it filtered through the bureaucracy of non-profits. This allows everybody to contribute, not just those with money to spare. Because you always get the money back, even the most cast-strapped person can give a little. I’m excited.. I hope this catches on!

The Lottery of Life

You guys, we won the lottery of life.

I just ran across this article in the NYTimes, from a Canadian refugee.  Its a personal and insightful piece about life – about change, moving on, and opportunity.  I never cease to be amazed by the optimism and insight from those who’ve experienced the worst.

Ignorance is not bliss: ‘just because a problem doesn’t affect you personally doesn’t mean it ceases to exist’ – lets be the change

Check it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/opinion/31manji.html?ref=opinion

How far have we really come?

I have been arguing with people on facebook for the past week about this…and I finally convinced a friend of mine how his opinion actually impacts real people. As an African-American, it hurts to know that we really haven’t come as far as we’d like to think…and yet it’s obvious why.

1. The religious claim ownership over the term “marraige”

First, a “friend” on facebook got a discussion going about how disappointed he was in that prop 2 was passed in Florida. It was truly disgusting and I agree that that these votes are indicative of how we took a step forward, but a few backward. Proposition 2 banned gay marraige. Floridians voted to “define marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union is valid or recognized.” As such, the more than 1,000 rights afforded to heterosexual couples will not be afforded homosexual couples.

Several people involved in this discussion (who were actually Muslim) argued that a) marraige was a religious term and non-heterosexuals could have the same rights, just not the same name. If you think if kind of sounds like the Jim Crow days, you’re right. But ’separate but equal’ didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now. Whether it’s on a bench, water fountain or paper, separate never means equal. One group, the majority that defines the collective thinking, will always be held higher than the minority.

Furthermore, “marraige” is not now nor has it even been solely a religious term– not Jewish, not Catholic, not Muslim. Marraige was in the English language long before it was brought into religion. If you read the bible, marraige is not initially used to define the relationship between a man and woman. It was not until the 1600s that the term was instituted into Catholic doctrine. And even then, it was not set in stone. Words are letters put together that can be defined and redefined and it is up to us to do so.

Another person argued that redefining the term after it had already been established to define the relationship between a man and woman would mean pushing our views on others. HA! Doesn’t passing a proposition banning your fellow Americans from being able to enjoy the same rights you have been privileged enough to enjoy constitute pushing your views onto others?!?!

2. We never recognize our own privileges

It is always difficult for any individual or group to recognize its own privileges…or discriminatory practices. A close friend tried for an hour to convince me that their personal opinion that homosexuality was wrong had absolutely no bearing or impact on other people. It was his personal opinion and he was not passing judgment…BUT as far as my friend was concerned, people that “choose” to be homosexual give up their right to have children and so, shouldn’t be allowed to marry or adopt. My friend argued that this view was not based on religion and that he was not against any particular sexual acts…if they were between a woman and a man. “It’s biology,” they argued. Men and women can procreate and homosexual couples cannot. But my friend openly admitted that had he lived in California, he would have noted no on prop 8. It may be clear to the rest of us how blatantly contradictory my friend’s statements are, but these things are not always easy to recognize in ourselves. To ban someone from exercising the same rights that you have is a blatant judgment….and one that has a far-reaching impact.

People continually say “it’s different” when it comes to a comparison of Jim Crow racism and the discrimination against the LGBT community today, but it’s not and it will never be. It is easy to champion your own struggle while downplaying that of another group. But rights are rights and when we deny one group the same rights we have– for whatever reason (excuse) we can come up with– the outcome is still the same…one group still exercises power/control/dominance over another.

And this is even more of a concern for Blacks Latinos. Our support of these propositions is a symptom of a larger problem. And one that is really hurting our communities. Because of pervasive homophobia and avoidance of such issues, AIDS is extremely high in our communities.

As a court advocate for D.C.’s foster care system, my focus is also on the impact of children. Banning a particular group from adopting will directly impact hundreds of needy children. Who will explain to them why loving couples were turned away when they needed a home, love and attention?

1 step forward, 2 steps back

I celebrate this.

YES!  YES WE CAN!  Barack Obama had won, and as I sat in the family room with my parents watching his acceptance speech, I noticed from the corner of my eye that even my Republican father had tears glistening on his cheeks.  I felt the thrill of watching history being made.   While I headed to bed last night in a general state of elation, there was a small knot of dread gnawing at the edges of my triumph.  As of this morning, I now know, Prop 8 has passed by a 4% margin.  A prop that AMENDS the CA constitution to say that only marriage between one man and one woman will be recognized by the state, written on the ballot as “Ban Gay Marriage”.  Generally, I am appalled by the presentation of props and measures on ballots with their unnecessary and confusing jargon- and truly believe that a sincere effort at rhetoric ballot reform is necessary.  But, unfortunately, this time, I cannot blame the ballot.  I truly doubt anyone voting did not understand that YES meant banning gay marriage, and no did not.  It’s a sad state of affairs as we all know it is always easier to have a prop rejected rather than passed.  All the odds were in favor of the failure of this proposition, barring people’s own ignorance and intolerance.  Clearly we know which prevailed.  This issue is THE one issue, unlike any other, that I cannot reconcile.  How can people not see the fundamental problem with this issue is denying individuals their basic fundamental rights?  It’s plain and blatant discrimination.  And while we may have taken 1 step forward with the election of Obama,  I can’t help but feel that we have taken two steps backwards with the passing of prop 8.  I try to remind myself that less than 50 years ago, interracial marriages were illegal in many states.  ( A fact that evidently 52% of voting Californians still have to learn from, or haven’t actually outgrown.)  As a society we may be overcoming race, or at least we’re very fearful due to social pressure not to be labeled a “racist”, but it is obvious that as a society we have not outgrown hate, discrimination, and inequality.  WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?? We are supposed to have a separation of church and state.  But if it is a god that you fear, leave the judgment to him.  Who are we to tell people they cannot adopt children because their family structure does not mirror our own?  What is tragically ironic is that exit polls showed that while most votes on prop 8 were evenly split for whites, Asians, latinos, and other races, the black polity voted 70% in favor of prop.8.  Now don’t get me wrong, blacks only made up 10% of the votes on this issue, and I am by no means trying to make anyone a scapegoat.  Rather, I think it is representative of the issues, much larger than race that challenge our society today.  I mean how could a population historically marginalized overwhelmingly discriminate on the other population of people most greatly marginalized?  A population that less than 50 years ago, could not marry whoever they wanted in many parts of this country? 

 

I realize I have been inarticulately rambling and venting, so I’ll just cut to my last thought, which is, how disgusted I am by the dishonesty of campaigns.  To be honest, my one hope, in light of prop 8 is the fact that perhaps deception guided the passage of this prop more then pure intolerance.  Somehow, along the line, prop 8 advocates ran their campaign primarily on the argument that gay marriage would be taught in schools.  What this has to do with anything, I do not know.  But evidence suggests that the usage of that campaign line corresponds with the headway prop.8 began to make.  My question is what happened to responsible media?  Where were they to correct  this blatant deception?  Why was all the coverage of the propositions on the news the night before the election about all the misconceptions people had, without ever correcting those misconceptions? 

I’m trying to remind myself that it’s all baby steps.  That change doesn’t come in a sweep.  That one failure does not discount another triumph.  But, I am disheartened, and disillusioned by the pervasive narrow mindedness of individuals today, and how easily people permit themselves to be herded like sheep over a cliff. 

Bucket List

I’ve been running more and more in the past few months. Recently I set a short-term goal of running a 5k (3.1 miles) in 30 min. I’ve made some great strides in the last few months. I’ve cut my 5k down to 37 min. I’m hoping to get down to 30 by Jan. 1 but I’m not putting a deadline on myself. I’ve also decided to set a goal of being able to do 15 traditional push ups. I can barely do two in a row now. Sad, I know. Long story short…this goal setting got me to thinking about creating a Bucket List. So here are a few things on my very short list thus far:

–Start a non-profit that uses media for change
–get my Ph.D
–Become fluent in Spanish and Portuguese
–Run a 24 min. 5k
–film a documentary
–live a debt-free/credit-less life

What’s on your list?!

venting

I have been reading a lot about the violence and the impunity currently so characteristic of the ongoing conflicts in many parts of Colombia. After reading about all of the impunity currently surrounding the extradition of paramilitary leaders and the murders of community organizers, human rights defenders, journalists, unionist, etc…I just need to vent a bit.

There is this part in Isabelle Allende’s La Suma de los Dias where she talks about 3 things that she tried to teach her children but has never been able to learn herself…1. the world is not fair 2. nothing is personal and 3. you cannot control other people’s emotions. I really felt like I relate to this. I feel sometimes desperate to control people’s emotions; for me, everything is personal; and I do not think that I will ever accept that the word is not fair… But sometimes, I feel like I just do not know how to exist in this world…how to live a life with inner peace, but to continue to fight for another more just, peaceful, equitable world where people reach their full potential as human beings. I would love to talk with all of you more about this…about worldviews and how to live life in peace, but to not accept that the world is not fair and to continue to be connected and let things be personal. Sometimes I feel so incredibly sad, but I’m also starting to feel a lot of anger, frustration and even rage…I’m ok with this and really do believe that at times it is justified, but that it needs to coincide with hope and be anchored in constructive and positive outlets..

There are just so many structures that are conducive to advancing corporate interests (or other interests) at the expense of individuals, increased inequality (often linked to historical discrimination and marginalization), loss of cultural diversity, etc… There are enormous costs and social consequences (alienation, social conflict and violence among others) for not dealings with these problems and their underlying causes. More than just theories and statistics, this means something in terms of lives, of human beings like you and me…it is personal and vast changes are needed now. Sometimes I feel like I go so crazy because I truly believe with every ounce of my being that another world is possible, a just world where people live in dignity, peace and have options. Unfortunately, this other world is not inevitable. Fortunately, we can participate in the construction of this world, we can change even the most frightening and appalling of structures. We can reconstruct reality…

Do something that matters.  For yourself.  For others.

Kindred Spirits

I have spent the better part of today reflecting on how lucky I am to know such incredible individuals.  And  at this particular moment, I am not referencing my general friends and family, but rather a few specific individuals- people I regard as my kindred spirits.  You girls know who you are.  Thank you for inspiring me. 

Adventures with Benefits

From a fellow traveler, I learned about LINK Community Development.  LINK is a small UK based charity that concentrates on educational development in five African states.  I had never heard of them before, but they do some really important work, including financial support, curriculum and teacher development, and international exchanges for schools.

However, what is really so striking about LINK is not what they do – its how they fundraise.

In addition to the traditional fundraising channels such as ‘walk-a-thons’ and marathon pledges, they support a ‘hitch-a-thon’.  Participants, acting on their own, raise money and hitchhike across Europe.  LINK pledges to offer assistance and help, records their current stats, and offers tips on how to hitch safely – in return for a handsome donation.

While still shocked by this campaign – I mean, hitching is rather dangerous – I actually think this is both cool, innovative, and unique.  It gets people engaged and active in a journey of their own.  Instead of being passive ‘consumers’ of charitible giving (think buying unicef christmas cards) – their supporters are ‘producing’ their own experiences.  And its a win-win situation: LINK gets money and word-of-mouth buzz, and the particpant gets a journey of a lifetime.

LINK also advocates for other ‘challenging’ fundraising events, like skydiving or moutain climbing.

I really thought this was a fantastically cool idea, and one that would serve our generation well: it gets us engaged, active, involved,  yet (since we’re really quite selfish) provides its own rewards and incentives (a trip!).  This idea really should be taken to the next level: our generation would have so much to give – and to gain.

Check it out:

http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/

Food for Thought

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for– in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
  – Ellen Goodman