Girls in the World: Malala Yousafzai
Posted on October 17, 2013.
By Mark Olmstead
This past Friday the Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), though in the running for the prize was 16-year old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai.
Malala is the youngest nominee for the Peace Prize, and has been working hard to promote girl’s education around the world. She received international acclaim in 2012 when the Taliban in Pakistan targeted her for her activism. One day on her way to school armed men stopped her school bus and shot her. Fortunately she survived, and is now thriving and using this tragedy to work even harder for the right to an education. She has become an international emblem for the struggle against oppression and giving girls around the world a voice. Continue Reading
Political Gridlock Is No Reason to Give Up
Posted on October 11, 2013.
By Sam Daley-Harris
Brinksmanship over the federal budget, the debt ceiling and the Affordable Care Act has offered an especially harsh backdrop to my recent conversations on reclaiming democracy. Whenever an interviewer asks about my work to create the political will to end poverty or ensure a stable climate, I am always sensitive to the audience’s despair about making a difference on these issues and their deep cynicism about the political process. As a result, I constantly begin by describing my own journey from hopelessness to action.
When I started that journey more than 35 years ago I was a musician and, like most people, I was pretty ignorant about environmental issues and problems like hunger and poverty. But the death of a friend in 1964 and the death of Robert Kennedy four years later got me to asking questions of purpose. Why am I here? What am I here to do? Mark Twain wrote, “The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Those two deaths put me on the quest to answer that “why?”
Continue Reading
Focus on Land in Africa
Posted on October 10, 2013.
By Landesa
GlobalWA member, Landesa, fully refreshed a new resource on land and natural resource rights in Africa: Focus on Land in Africa (FOLA). FOLA is an educational resource for development practitioners and policy makers that explores how land and natural resource rights affect, and are effected by, development in Africa. Through raising awareness of these issues, FOLA aims to elevate land and natural resource rights as an urgent priority for development in Africa. The following highlights specific examples of what elevating these rights can mean for people living in rural Africa.
In Rivercress County, Liberia, women are planting life trees—rubber and plantain—that will bring needed income and add value to their farms (Ali Kaba, Talking Land). Just one year ago, such investments seemed impossible. But in the interim, the Liberian government developed a land policy that promises to grant secure land rights to rural people, and, today, change is underway. Continue Reading
GlobalWA Member Organization Featured in the Huffington Post
Posted on October 8, 2013.
Tim Hanstad, Landesa’s President and CEO, recently had a blog post entitled, “What We Can Learn from the Last Case of Polio” published in the Huffington Post on women and girls, land, and the interconnectedness of the global development sector.
To hear more about this topic, register to attend the GlobalWA screening of the film Girl Rising at Intiman Theater on the 17th of November. A Landesa representative will be seated on the panel after the film to answer questions and explore how land rights can help to positively affect women and girls in the developing world.
Benefits to Women through the Affordable Care Act
Posted on October 8, 2013.
By Mark Olmstead
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been highlighting the national news recently when the government shutdown over whether or not to fund it with the continuing resolution stalled in Congress. In honor of the upcoming International Day of the Girl this October 11th; GlobalWA would like to highlight many benefits that the Affordable Care Act provides to women in the United States.
In the past, insurance companies reserved the ability to raise premiums on women based on gender or a pre-existing condition. More than half of women report delaying care for treatable medical conditions because of balancing finances of paying for treatment and normal cost of living expenses. Under the ACA women can no longer be denied coverage, and places a cap on what insurance companies can charge women out of pocket, thus taking the burden off women on affording medical treatment. If an insurance company does increase premiums they are required to submit justification as to why premiums have raised allowing consumer’s access to changes in their coverage. Continue Reading
October 2013 Newsletter
Posted on October 8, 2013.
Welcome to the October 2013 issue of the Global Washington newsletter. If you would like to contact us directly, please email us.
IN THIS ISSUE
Note from our Executive Director
Greetings,
It is with feelings of pride, gratitude, anticipation and some sadness that I’m sharing with all of you today the news of my departure as executive director of GlobalWA. It’s sometimes hard to know when it’s time for a transition, but I believe I and GlobalWA are ready for the next stage. I feel very confident that over the last five and a half years I along with the staff, board, members and donors of GlobalWA, have created a strong foundation for GlobalWA to enter the next phase of growth.
In 2008, I was recruited by Bill Clapp to help realize a vision—to create an organization that would unite the global development community in Washington, from the largest corporations to the smallest NGOs. That vision became GlobalWA.
Together, we built a dynamic, inclusive organization that amplified the voices of the pacific northwest region, and put a spotlight on the incredible contributions to critical global issues that are born from this corner of our country. From health innovations such as new vaccines, to clean water delivery, to education for girls, to cutting edge technologies, Washington State is changing lives in 144 countries.
Thanks to all of you, GlobalWA is now a strong organization that convenes, strengthens and advocates on behalf of the global development sector in our state. Washington is not only home to the world’s largest nonprofit, World Vision, and the world’s largest foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, of course—there are over 300 NGOs working to address some of the world’s most challenging problems and 119 companies improving the environment, increasing health and decreasing poverty worldwide through their operations.
I am proud of the successes of the organization over the last 5 years, and feel confident that GlobalWA has the solid foundation it needs for its next phase of growth. Most notably, I am proud of:
- Our robust membership which represents the diversity of the global development community; We grew from a small handful to 160 member organizations within the first four years.
- Creating a significant presence and becoming a trusted and visible partner within the global development arena.
- Partnering with so many of you to establish an annual conference that, over the past five years, has become the largest convening of global development on the West Coast.
As I leave to begin the next chapter of my career goals, with the support of the Board of Directors, I am confident that this is the right moment to pass the baton to the next leader of this great organization.
With a transition plan in place, I will stay with GlobalWA through the end of the year to ensure that we have our most fantastic conference yet, and to ensure a smooth transition. I look forward to an opportunity to connect with you before my departure and to remain in contact as I transition into the next phase of my career.
Thank you for being a part of GlobalWA, and for inspiring me each and every day.
In unity,
Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director
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The Global State
If You Care About Women and Girls, You Live in the Right State
Global Washington is continuing to showcase our members work and the international efforts to make global poverty a thing of the past. We are striving to ignite a movement of Washingtonians who are more educated about and more engaged in global issues than ever before.
The international buzz around October 11,the UN International Day of the Girl Child, presents an excellent opportunity for Global Washington to highlight women and girls’ issues globally.
Women make up 70 percent of the world’s poorest people and face seemingly insurmountable barriers such as unequal pay and opportunities, lack of or limited access to education and healthcare, poor representation in government, and a lowered social status in comparison to men.
However, in case after case, women and girls who are educated and supported are able to break the cycle of poverty faster than their male counterparts. In addition, once the cycle is broken for a woman, she is more likely to invest 90 percent of her wealth into the wellbeing of her family, as opposed to men who tend to invest less – closer 30 percent. In other words, when a woman succeeds, her community succeeds.
Multiply this by every woman and girl on the planet, and that equals world-changing progress.
To demonstrate the inherent power of education to transform women and girls’ lives and women’s power to change the world, Global Washington is hosting a film series in partnership with Wells Fargo and Vulcan Inc., screening the groundbreaking film Girl Rising. This film follows the stories of nine extraordinary girls in nine different areas of the world who face extreme hardship to get an education, and their stories showcase the power and determination of the human spirit.
The Girl Rising screenings, presented by the Wells Fargo Washington Women’s Roundtable, will be held in cities throughout Washington State and be open to everyone. Go to http://bit.ly/15Wkhea to register to attend a screening near you in October and November.
In conjunction with the screenings, GlobalWA has recruited Washington women leaders to champion investment in education and empowerment for women and girls worldwide through social media outreach.
To join us in this movement:
- On October 11, let’s help women and girls’ issues take over social media in conjunction with the We Are Girl Rising movement. Post this photo (courtesy of 10x10act.org) as your status update on Facebook, and tweet the following message: [@GlobalWA believes if you educate girls, you change the world. #WeAreGirlRising] to your Twitter followers, and watch women and girls take over social media.
- Attend a screening and bring your friends. Each one, TEACH one!
- Join the excitement! If you are not already a Global Washington member through your organization, check out our new ‘Friends of GlobalWA’ individual membership option.
The world has ignored women for long enough. Stand with the women and girls of the world who say, “I will speak. I will not be silenced.” – Girl Rising
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Global Washington Announcements
Howard G. Buffett: 40 Chances to Make a Difference
Please join Global Washington and Town Hall on Monday, November 4, 2013, 7:30 – 9:00pm in an event with Howard G. Buffett: 40 Chances to Make a Difference.
Buffett, co-author of 40 Chances and son of legendary investor Warren Buffett, shares a way of thinking about philanthropy that speaks to every person who wants to make a difference.
Date:
Monday, November 4, 2013
Time:
7:30 PM
Location:
Seattle Town Hall
1119 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Click here to purchase your ticket: http://townhall.strangertickets.com/events/8235523/howard-buffett-40-chances-to-make-a-difference
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Upcoming Member Events
Global Partnerships // Business of Hope Luncheon
Meet this year’s featured borrower: Florinda Salinas
If you can’t attend the Luncheon, please consider making a contribution towards GP’s work. Your gift will empower women like Florinda Salinas to create a better life for themselves and their families.
For questions about registration, corporate partnerships, or general information, please contact:
Elise Ricci, Corporate Relations & Events Officer
ericci@globalpartnerships.org
206.456.783
Date:
October 8, 2013, 11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Location:
Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom, Seattle, WA
Washington Women’s Foundation // The Future of Foster Care
There are nearly 10,000 children in foster care in Washington State. Join us to learn more about this vital topic from two experts in the foster care nonprofit sector: Janis Avery, Executive Director of Treehouse and Jim Theofelis, Executive Director of Mockingbird Society. Introductory remarks from WWF members Zan Brookshire and Connie Ballmer. For more information, click here.
Date:
Tue Oct 8, 2013 9:30am – 11am
Location:
2100 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Earthcorps: REVIVE – Celebrating 20 Years of Local Restoration and Global Leadership
Earthcorps is are transforming Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park into a rustic-chic venue for its second annual REVIVE fundraiser to celebrate and expand the impact of EarthCorps’ leadership program.
For more information, click here.
Date:
Sat, October 12, 6pm – 10pm
Location:
The Historic Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park
Mercy Corps and the World Affairs Council // Syria: Up Close on a Crisis
Join the World Affairs Council and Mercy Corps for an evening of conversation and panel discussion on the crisis in Syria. The panel will include Resat Kasaba, Director of the Jackson School at the University of Washington; Cassandra Nelson, Mercy Corps Director of Syria Response and Communications; and Ҫengiz Candar, a Turkish journalist considered one of the most influential in the Middle East. For more information, click here.
Purchase tickets here: http://www.world-affairs.org/ai1ec_event/syria-close-up-of-a-crisis/?instance_id=1209
Cost:
Students/Members: $10, General Public (Non-Members): $15, VIP (includes reserved seating+ Access to reception): $35
Date:
October 16, 2013 @ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location:
Town Hall, Great Hall; enter on Eighth Avenue
1119 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
West Africa Live! A Festival of Music, Food, and Dance
Presented by Gambia HELP
For more information, click here.
Date:
Sat, October 19, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Location:
Townhall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA
Sister Schools // 9th Annual Gala Dinner & Auction
Save Saturday, October 19 for our biggest party of the year-Sister Schools’ 9th annual Gala Dinner & Auction, starting at 6:00 pm at the Museum of Flight. Enjoy a delicious dinner catered by McCormick & Schmick’s, hear an update of the work you support in the US and Uganda, and bid on exciting vacations, tasty treats, and unique African art and artifacts.
For more information, please contact: info@sisterschools.org
Date:
Sat, October 19, 6pm – 10pm
Location:
The Museum of Flight
India: A Defining Choice for Your Business
A presentation by Ravi Venkatesan, former Chairman, Microsoft India, Author of “Conquering the Chaos – Win in India, Win Everywhere”
Ravi Venkatesan, the former Chairman of Microsoft India, offers inside advice on how your firm can overcome the unique challenges of the Indian market. He argues that chaotic India is in fact an archetype for most emerging markets, many of which present similar challenges but not the same potential. Succeeding in India therefore becomes a litmus test for your ability to succeed in other emerging markets. If you can win in India, you can win everywhere.
Date:
Tuesday, October 22 at 7pm
Location:
Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.
No charge, open to all.
A Reception Honoring Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Please join Committee for Children in honoring Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles for her long-standing dedication to protecting Washington children by working to prevent human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and child sexual abuse.
Learn more about her work here.
Date:
October 30,
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location:
Committee for Children
2815 Second Ave, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98121
Please RSVP by October 23
To RSVP or for questions call 206.438.6427 or email us at kbesserman@cfchildren.org.
Celebrate the Cloud People and Water for Human’s Oaxaca Cookstove Program
Come see an indoor slideshow of all the work that has been accomplished. See how the Cloud people live. Their old style of stove is a three stone open fire in their home. Tickets $20 /person, $30/ couple. For more information, click here.
Date
November 2; Open house 1-7pm
Location
NE Seattle
Address provided when you get your ticket.
Tickets
$20/person $30/couple
Sign up here
Engaging Communities in Needs Assessment & Project Planning:
Exploring the Challenges & Sharing Our Experiences
How can international development organizations support communities to develop solutions to their most pressing challenges?
One Equal Heart Foundation’s special guests from Chiapas, México will share information about their experiences in developing a methodology to equip indigenous communities with capacities to conduct their own needs assessment studies and identify sustainable solutions to development challenges by marshalling available resources.
One Equal Heart Foundation, Seattle International Foundation and Global Washington invite you to a roundtable discussion. Bring your field experiences to share.
Please bring your own sack lunch.
Date
Wednesday, November 6, Noon-1:30 PM
Location
Seattle International Foundation
500 Union Street, #801
Seattle, WA 98195
iLEAP Open House
Learn more about iLEAP and our work with grassroots leaders and social innovators.
Meet iLEAP’s inspiring group of 2013 International Fellows from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Win some cool prizes and celebrate global community!
Date:
October 9
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Location:
Good Shepherd Center/iLEAP Space
4649 Sunnyside Ave N
Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98103
Register Now!
Visit Our New Website
Empowering Women Exhibit
Artisan cooperatives that transform communities
June 12 – October 27
From Africa to Asia to the Americas, female artisans are creating grassroots cooperatives to reach new markets, raise living standards, and transform lives.
Empowering Women provides an intimate view of the work of ten artisan enterprises in ten countries. This exhibition illustrates the power of grassroots collaborations to transform women’s lives, through inspiring personal stories, stellar photographs and stunning examples of the cooperatives’ handmade traditional arts. Learn more: http://www.burkemuseum.org/empowering
The Burke is offering up five special opportunities to see Empowering Women with your favorite group of 5 to 20 people on select dates July through October. These are perfect opportunities for your board, a group of colleagues, your book club, or a special group of friends or neighbors to get together to see the show.
Learn more here: http://www.burkemuseum.org/empowering/hour
To reserve a date, email useburke@uw.edu
Date
June 12 – October 27
Location
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Empowering Women Fall Programs Explore Global Development Issues from a Local Perspective
Lecture Series: Empowering Women through Art & Action
Discover the challenges and opportunities facing women around the world in a special lecture series at the Burke Museum. Topics include microfinance, women’s land rights, building fair trade networks, women-supported companies, and global health. Lectures led by Empowering Women Community Partners PATH, Global Partnerships, Ten Thousand Villages, and more.
Lineup of talks:
Macro on Micro
Her Land
Wednesday, October 9, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Women’s land rights activists, participants in Landesa’s Visiting Professionals Program, give us an inside look at advocating for women’s land rights in India and Africa. These international development practitioners will discuss their current projects and experiences working on the front lines, helping women obtain rights to land.
Building Fair Trade Networks
Wednesday, October 16, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Ten Thousand Villages’ director Doug Dirks shares stories about the establishment of artisan cooperatives around the world. As one of the country’s oldest and largest Fair Trade merchandisers, they’ve seen countless lives transformed by fair wages.
Giving Back, Moving Forward
Thursday, October 24, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder of the skin-care company Alaffia, explains how a comprehensive fair trade approach preserves traditional resources and cultural knowledge. Tchala won Washington’s 2013 Jefferson Award in recognition of his mission to advance gender equality and alleviate poverty.
Festival and Exhibit Closing
ISIS: Women Arts Festival
Sunday, October 27, 1 pm, Burke Museum
Landesa & Global Partnerships // Her Land
Landesa’s visiting professional lawyers give us an inside take on advocating on an international stage for women’s lands rights in India and Africa.
$5 at the door; FREE for Burke members and UW students, staff, and faculty with UW ID
For more information, click here.
Date:
Wed, October 9, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Location:
Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, Univ. of WA
17 Ave NE and NE 45th St
Seattle, WA
The 3rd Annual Seattle Anniversary Dinner for Schools for Salone is coming up on October 26th!
Please join us to celebrate the past year of our work to support education in Sierra Leone. We would love to have you with us for our dinner gala, where you will enjoy complimentary wine from Chateau Ste Michelle and Idle Cellars, treats from Fran’s Chocolates, Margaret Larson from KING 5 TV as Emcee, a Key Note speech from the Seattle Sounders’ Steve Zakuani, and a raffle for a week at a vacation house at the Sea Ranch in California. Various items from Sierra Leone will be available for sale, and there will also be a cash bar for beer and mixed drinks during the cocktail hour.
Please click on the link below by Friday, October 18th to register.
Register Now!
I can’t make it
If you have any questions about the event or about registering, you can contact Cindy Nofziger, Executive Director of Schools for Salone.
Burkitt’s Lymphoma Fund for Africa
What do Felix Hernandez, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Theirry Rautureau have in common?
They have each contributed a recipe to the Seattle Global Potluck Cookbook! ….and so did you!
We have been working all summer curating a collection of international recipes from chefs, local, national and international celebrities and our friends who are talented cooks. We are thrilled to release the book for purchase at this event. The Seattle Global Potluck Cookbook will raise money to further the mission of BLFA:
The mission of BLFA is to save the lives of East African children stricken with cancer. We fund comprehensive cancer care to save young lives now, and work to strengthen our African partners’ ability to treat and cure future generations of children.
To reserve a copy of the cookbook today, please email Molly Hasson.
Please plan to join Burkitt’s Lymphoma Fund for Africa for our cookbook release party:
Date:
November 18th 5:30-8:30 PM
Location:
Pan Pacific Condominium
Terry & Lenora – Seattle, WA
Partners Asia // Bike in Burma
10 days of Adventure and Beauty
Experience a journey of a lifetime on Partners Asia 3rd Annual Donor Bike Trip in Burma.
Take an unhurried cycling adventure through the countryside of Burma-Myanmar. Meet local people and experience rural culture while cycling through heritage sites.
For more information, click here.
Date:
Feb 4 – 14, 2014
Location:
Burma
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Announcements
ISIS 10th Anniversary Packathon
Please join ISIS’10th annual Packathon to sort, count and pack critical medical equipment & supplies to ship to Kiwoko Hospital in Uganda to help care for babies and mothers. To register, please contact Kara Russell at kara.russell@isisgroup.org.
Date:
Tue Oct 8, 2013 9am – 4pm
Location:
Courtyard Hall,
720 238th Street SE,
Suite H Bothell, WA 98021
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Career Center
Highlighted Paid Positions
Consultant/ Writing USAID cooperative agreement for project in Central America, Seattle International Foundation
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/-52/
Development Manager, Global Visionaries
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/development-manager-4/
Regional Program Manager, South Asia, Vittana
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/regional-program-manager-south-asia/
Highlighted Volunteer Positions
FOLA Volunteer, Landesa
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/fola-volunteer/
Outreach Research Volunteer, Facing the Future
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/outreach-research-volunteer/
Highlighted Internship Positions
Career Center Intern, Global Washington
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/career-center-team/
Program and Communications Intern, Seattle International Foundation
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/-53/
Journalism Internship, Borgen Project
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/journalism-internship/
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/
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GlobalWA Events
October 17
Monthly Roundtable for Executive Directors, Board Members & Program Directors of small NGOs
October 24
Monthly Change-Up Happy Hour with friends of GlobalWA & Humanosphere
November 6
New Member Orientation
November13
Register for GlobalWA’s 5th Annual Conference!
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Syrian Refugees at Disadvantage as Lebanese Schools Reach Capacity
There is more to focus on than just the US and EU vs. Syria debate these days. As political military issues rise, so has the issue of providing adequate education to the next generation of Syrians. Let's not forget the civilians affected within Syria and outside.
Posted on September 19, 2013.
By Sandy Lam
Being a good neighbor is beginning to take a toll on Syrian’s neighboring countries and limited public resources, including impact on some of the most crucial parts of society: education. Countries such as Lebanon are facing unprecedented problems this school year as the number of Syrian refugees now outnumber the Lebanese students in public schools, causing a shift not only in educational resources, but the quality of education as well.
The increasing conflicts in Syria have forced the amount of fleeing Syrians to double in the last six months to over two million registered refugees, according to the European Union. Over 700,000 have been displaced in Lebanon, the smallest neighboring country which holds the most refugees than any other bordering country. Dana Suleiman, media official at the United Nations Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) reports 300,000 of those registered refugees are students who fled to Lebanon. The United Nations Children’s Fund believes that the amount of displaced Syrian students will reach half a million in Lebanon alone by the end of 2013. Continue Reading
September 2013 Newsletter
Posted on September 19, 2013.
Welcome to the September 2013 issue of the Global Washington newsletter. If you would like to contact us directly, please email us.
IN THIS ISSUE
Note from our Executive Director
Greetings!
I hope you all enjoyed the summer months and beautiful weather as much as we did at Global Washington! We are looking forward to the busy months ahead, filled with exciting events and culminating in our 5th Annual Conference: Catalyzing Collective Impact.
In the next few months much of our work will be to highlight the issues affecting women and girls and the organizations that are working on addressing these issues. We are hosting several film screenings of Girl Rising around the state in partnership with local businesses and universities and running a social media campaign working with women leaders to bring awareness to the global issues relevant to women and girls and the organizations that work to generate more equitable situations around the world. Stay tuned for the details!
If you haven’t already registered for the Conference, do so here. We have exciting speakers, engaging and interactive sessions, as well as some great networking opportunities planned and we look forward to seeing all of you there!
In unity,
Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director
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Global Washington Announcements
Howard G. Buffett: 40 Chances to Make a Difference
Please join Global Washington and Town Hall on Monday, November 4, 2013, 7:30 – 9:00pm in an event with Howard G. Buffett: 40 Chances to Make a Difference.
Buffett, co-author of 40 Chances and son of legendary investor Warren Buffett, shares a way of thinking about philanthropy that speaks to every person who wants to make a difference.
Click here to purchase your ticket: http://townhall.strangertickets.com/events/8235523/howard-buffett-40-chances-to-make-a-difference
Group Broadcast Schedule on KUOW 94.9 FM Public Radio for Global Washington Members
Global Washington members have the opportunity to buy underwriting messages on KUOW 94.9FM Public Radio (NPR News and Information) for a significant discount.
This is a group schedule where each organization can purchase on air messages (spots) to builds an efficient and effective broadcast schedule to raise awareness about Global Washington and its members among KUOW’s affluent, highly educated and philanthropic minded audience.
KUOW 94.9FM performs extremely well in the market place—ranking #1 for AM Drive time weekend listening. KUOW is the largest public radio station and ranks among the top 3 of all radio stations in the market.
Please contact KUOW account manager Courtney Miller at cmiller@kuow.org if you’d like to learn more and/or participate in this program.
Congratulations!
World Educator Award
Global Washington would like to extend our congratulations to Noah Zeichner, winner of this year’s World Affairs Council’s World Educator Award! The award is given to an outstanding K-12 teacher who promotes international understanding in the classroom and contributes to the development of resources so that other educators and community members are better prepared to meet a major challenge of our time: to educate youth about world affairs.
For more information on Zeichner and the Chief Sealth International High School, see Global Washington’s feature in our September Global Education and Policy Update.
Globalist of the Year
Global Washington would also like to extend their congratulations to Rita Zawaideh, the Seattle Globalist’s 2013 Globalist of the Year!
Congratulations Rita!
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GlobalWA will ask you a question every month and synthesize the responses and make available to our member organizations. Please take a moment to respond to the question for this month:
Which Global WA event(s) did you find most fun/ useful so far in 2013?
Please click here to respond.
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Featured Organization
Halosource: Clean Water Solutions
By Malena Harrang
Halosource is a for-profit global clean water technology company that has created the innovations to return water to a purer state – whether you drink it, play in it or put it back into the environment. Its line of products to treat drinking water, pools and hot tubs and environmental water all has one thing in common – it takes ‘the bad stuff’ out. “’Making Water Better’ is what we are about,” said Martin Coles, CEO. “Taking things out of water better enables sustainability– you don’t have to drain your pool or hot tub and waste all that water when you have removed what was causing that need in the first place.”
In 2009, the company’s HaloPure® became the first drinking water disinfection technology to be approved and registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency in thirty years. Approval by the Chinese Ministry of Health followed in 2010, along with several other key certifications around the world. HaloSource partners with companies around the world who put its technology into their devices for consumers. There are currently over five million people in India drinking water that has been purified with HaloPure.
HaloSource’s environmental and recreational water businesses are built on a different technology, which is often considered a greener alternative to traditional, petroleum-based chemicals. The key ingredient is chitosan, a naturally occurring and biodegradable biopolymer made from recycled crustacean shells. In its early days, Halosource developed chitosan for the US Navy to clarify the water in underwater photography without harming wildlife. Pool and hot tub solutions were developed, and eventually they discovered that it was also very effective in large bodies of water. Recently they worked with Tiller Corp., a frac-sand mine in Minnesota, to help clean up sediment filled streams as a result of their mining. Tiller Corp intentionally turned to HaloSource because of their superior performance while being more environmentally sound.
HaloSource develops and commercializes its innovations in its extensive labs and pilot plant in Bothell, and has labs and manufacturing facilities in Bangalore India and Shanghai China. In the past few years, Halosource has expanded into Latin America and throughout Asia. Both Martin Coles and Kate Bovey, head of public affairs, both having worked at Starbucks International, came to Halosource with a global-brand mindset. Yet beyond expanding their market, the company finds ways to give back to the communities with whom they engage.
They have created partnerships with both nonprofits and corporations to bring water solutions to those who need it most. Last year they began a partnership with A Barefoot Mile Foundation to donate water purification devices to a community in the Mdolo region of Malawi.
In addition to drinking water solutions, Halosource is committed to other good deeds related to water quality. For example, last year they joined the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. “Cloudy pool water is a leading cause of drowning, and since the company pioneered the technology to clarify cloudy pool water, it only makes sense that we would want to be involved in this arena,” said Bovey.
By joining Global WA, they hope to find more ways to expand their hometown presence and their partnerships. To find out more about Halosource go to their website at halosource.com.
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Featured Organization
After Decades of Success, buildOn Looking Next at Seattle Area Expansion
By Mark Olmstead
As we get closer to October 11, International Day of the Girl Child, Global Washington will be focusing on member’s work in girls’ education. buildOn’s innovative program integrates both building schools for students abroad while empowering American urban youth through local and global service. This is an excellent model for making a real difference in education abroad and for changing hearts and minds at home. buildOn constructs schools in Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal and Senegal with the mission to “break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.”
Randi Hedin, buildOn National Board Member and President of the buildOn Seattle Chapter, traveled earlier this year to construct a new school in Senegal. The communities former school was not only unsafe and inadequate, but was made of millet – a food source for not only the community, but also for their livestock. One morning, Randi awoke to find a cow literally eating the school! The village was fortunate to have a new buildOn school to replace it.
Founded in 1991, by Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn has grown exponentially in the last two decades. Currently buildOn has constructed 550 schools that are providing access to education for more than 85,000 children, parents and grandparents. In buildOn’s afterschool programs, American urban youth contribute intensive local service – helping the homeless, seniors and children in their communities – to confront urban struggles with passion and optimism. These same students travel to construct schools in buildOn project countries. Over 1.2 million hours of service have been contributed by buildOn youth and 94% of buildOn students not only high school graduation, but go on to college.
buildOn also works extensively to promote the importance of education for girls. From the beginning of each school construction project buildOn champions the rights of women, emphasizing gender balance in both the Project Leadership Committee and in the school’s attendance. The Project Leadership Committee is responsible for organizing and leading the school’s construction. Members are elected from within the community, and the committee is comprised of equal numbers of men and women. Additionally, as a condition of partnering with buildOn, each village makes a promise to send their daughters to school in equal numbers with their sons. Through this effort buildOn has given women and girls in many rural villages their first opportunity to become educated and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Currently, 49% of students in buildOn schools are female.
For nine years now, buildOn has received one of the highest ratings from Charity Navigator, which gives a grade for accountability and transparency of finances and resources. buildOn is looking to expand into the Seattle area. Currently it has one high school chapter at Renton High School, which has already done a community service trip to Nicaragua. In the upcoming months buildOn will be sponsoring and attending events in hopes of creating a larger presence in Washington State. On September 18, founder, Jim Ziolkowski, released his book Walk in their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World? He will also be speaking at buildOn’s Seattle Dinner on November 8th in Woodinville to discuss his book and the organization. This dinner is open to the public.
For more information about buildOn, ways to donate, and details about the event visit their website at buildon.org or email Randi Hedin at randi.hedin@gmail.com
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Welcome new members
Please welcome our newest Global Washington members. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with their work and consider opportunities for support and collaboration!
Champion Members
FSG: FSG is a nonprofit consulting firm specializing in strategy, evaluation, and research. It was founded in 2000 as Foundation Strategy Group and have completed more than 600 consulting engagements with many of the world’s leading corporations, nonprofit organizations, and charitable foundations. www.fsg.org
Advocate Members
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID): CCID is a purpose driven non-profit international membership organization committed to expanding local access to global opportunities through relationship building, education, and development. www.ccidinc.org
Knowledge for People: Knowledge for People works with families and communities around the world to promote greater awareness and acceptance of autism through outreach, education and advocacy. http://knowledgeforpeople.org
Spreeha Foundation: Spreeha Foundation engages deeply within urban slum communities to establish an atmosphere where the community feels enabled to exercise their rights and responsibilities. http://spreeha.org
New Individual Members
Anisha Prasad
Ann Hedreen
Myung Lae
Omar Mumin
Rana Amini
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Upcoming Member Events
Macro on Micro
Microfinance has been promoted as one of the most successful economic innovations for global financial inclusion for people living in poverty. Yet, reports from the MIT Poverty Action Lab and others have come out questioning the value of traditional microfinance institutions to permanently lift people out of poverty. The hard data measuring the permanent effectiveness of traditional microfinance remains elusive but evidence does suggest that microfinance organizations need to play to their strengths in delivering services beyond access to capital. Nathalia Rodriguez Vega, economic & financial analyst at Global Partnerships, will share our perspective on why we need to think differently about microfinance, why we have evolved its strategy to go beyond what traditional microfinance has to offer, why our is not a microfinance organization and why its investment funds are not “microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs).” Click here for more details and to RSVP.
Date:
September 25, 2013 | 7:00 pm
Location:
Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, Univ. of WA | Seattle, WA
Global Visionaries // Vision Night
Featuring Paul Shoemaker of Social Venture Partners Unleashing the potential of youth to become global leaders
RSVP here.
Date:
September 26, 6pm – 8pm
Location:
Winston-Wachter Art Gallery 203 Dexter Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109
Afghan Girls: Their Time is Now!
Ayni Education International is pleased to announce its 2013 Seattle breakfast fundraiser, “A Place to Learn: Sustaining Girls’ Education in Afghanistan, Post 2014.” Reserve your seat or table today at 206-331-3786 or info@aynieducation.org. For more information, please see http://aynieducation.org/take-action/events-and-giving-opportunities/
Date:
Thu, September 26, 7:00am – 8:45am
Location:
Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St, Seattle
Seattle BioMed // Community Event: Harambee Dan Zak, Ph.D
One third of the world’s population has latent tuberculosis (TB). Dan Zak, Ph.D., is working on a study with the University of Capetown to find out who is getting TB and why, and how to use that information to predict whether someone will transition from latent to active TB years before symptoms ever emerge. The program includes light appetizers, beer and wine. For more details, please contact Brooke Longacre.
Date:
Thu, September 26, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Location:
Seattle BioMed Discovery Conference Room 307 Westlake Avenue N Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98109
Antioch University // Women’s Leadership Summit
The Women’s Leadership Summit is the culmination of the Project, Developing Women’s Leadership ~ Around the Globe. It brings women together to reflect on the ways women lead and to explore ways to support development of women’s leadership around the globe. It honors and amplifies the vision and energy of communities, the grass-roots local level of change that creates global change. A great deal of work has already been completed and the decisions made at the Summit will influence a broad range of further actions. This will be a celebration – marking significant progress, learning, relationships, and development. Being at this point in any journey enables breadth of vision and clarity around other peaks yet to be attained. http://www.antiochseattle.edu/ai1ec_event/womens-leadership-summit/?instance_id=565
Date:
Sat and Sun, September 28 and 29, 8am-5pm
Location:
Antioch University-Seattle, 2326 6th Ave, Seattle, WA
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center
Family Day: Kids Can
Are you and your family inspired to create positive change, but not sure where to start? The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center invites you to join them for Family Day: Kids Can, a day for families and kids age 5yrs. and above where you can enjoy:
- Hands-on Activities: Play games that allow you to create change in real time
- Youth Presentations: Listen to inspiring stories of kids making positive changes locally and globally
- Volunteer Marketplace: Learn about family-friendly volunteer opportunities
RSVP: Click here!
Date:
Saturday, September 28th // 10:00am-3:00pm
Location:
Gates Foundation Visitor Center // 440 Fifth Ave North // Seattle, WA
Women in Control
Washington Global Health Alliance, PATH, and Open Arms will lead a frank discussion on how the ability to control family size and experience safe childbirth enables women to dream, create, and work together to improve their own lives and that of their families and communities. For more information, click here.
Date:
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Location:
Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, Univ. of WA | Seattle, WA
Woodland Park Zoo // Brew at the Zoo
The fabulous tasting event features microbrews and ciders at this adults-only evening. Held in the zoo’s Rain Forest Food Pavilion and Zoomazium, the event also features food and entertainment to “top off” your evening. Must be 21 and over to attend. Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the zoo. For more information, click here or contact: zooinfo@zoo.org
Date:
Thu, October 3, 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Location:
Woodland Park Zoo
11th Annual Business of Hope Luncheon
Around the world, nearly 1.3 billion people lack access to affordable and reliable sources of electricity. This means that roughly 1 in 5 people do not have light to work and study at night, which greatly reduces their economic and educational opportunities. Green technologies like solar lights allow households to improve: economic and educational opportunities, living conditions, and reduce damage to the environment all while saving money. The microfinance institutions, cooperatives, and other social enterprises with whom Global Partnerships works play a unique role as trusted intermediaries who bring these technologies to millions of households. Your support helps catalyze solutions to empower men and women like our Luncheon speaker Florinda Salinas to improve her family’s quality of life by providing her access to affordable solar light. Click here for more details and to RSVP.
Date:
October 8, 2013 | 11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Location:
Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom| Seattle, WA
World Bicycle Relief // Africa Rides
Africa Rides offers an exclusive opportunity to connect with World Bicycle Relief recipients while experiencing the spirit of ingenuity and hope that comes with a bicycle. During this nine-day adventure you will partner with assemblers to build your own bike which you will then ride alongside entrepreneurs, healthcare workers, and students as you learn their stories and see the profound impact two wheels can make in rural Zambia. This unparalleled access paired with a world class safari excursion provides a truly life changing experience you will cherish forever. For more information, click here.
Date:
Sat, October 5, 12am – Mon, October 14, 12am
Location:
Zambia
Mercy Corps and the World Affairs Council // Syria: Up Close on a Crisis
Join the World Affairs Council and Mercy Corps for an evening of conversation and panel discussion on the crisis in Syria. The panel will include Resat Kasaba, Director of the Jackson School at the University of Washington; Cassandra Nelson, Mercy Corps Director of Syria Response and Communications; and Ҫengiz Candar, a Turkish journalist considered one of the most influential in the Middle East. The evening will provide insight into the historical context of the current Syrian crisis, perspectives from a humanitarian aid worker on what it’s like on the ground in the conflict, and the implications of the crisis for the region and the United States.
Purchase tickets here: http://www.world-affairs.org/ai1ec_event/syria-close-up-of-a-crisis/?instance_id=1209
Cost:
Students/Members: $10, General Public (Non-Members): $15, VIP (includes reserved seating+ Access to reception): $35
Date:
October 16, 2013 @ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location:
Town Hall, Great Hall; enter on Eighth Avenue
1119 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
West Africa Live! A Festival of Music, Food, and Dance
Presented by Gambia HELP
For more information, click here.
Date:
Sat, October 19, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Location:
Townhall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA
Join Water for Humans in Celebration with a Fundraiser for Water and Stoves!
November 2nd is, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and is celebrated throughout Latin America. It’s an especially significant holiday to the people in Oaxaca, Mexico, where WFH has been concentrating efforts to provide clean water and sustainable technologies to the underserved. Join us to celebrate and learn about the clean cookstove project we’re implementing in Oaxaca.
So, you might ask, what do stoves have to do with water? Well, it still all about water and preserving the rainforest land of northern Oaxaca. By providing more efficient sustainable ways to cook and tend the land, fewer trees are cut, preserving the watersheds that provide precious water.
What’s special about our stoves? To preserve the watersheds we have designed a cookstove that burns gathered twigs, not harvested trees. These stoves heat the water quickly and efficiently while accommodating 3 pots and a Comal (a flat steel pan for cooking tortillas). In addition to reducing the harvesting of trees, the stoves vent smoke-pollutants outside of the home, greatly reducing the devastating effects of respiratory illness so common when using their existing stoves.
After introducing a few of the stoves in Northern Oaxaca, the local Mazateca families who call these remote mountains their home, value them so much they asked us to help them build an additional 90 stoves. Thanks to the generous donations of WFH’s supporters, we’ve answered their call and are now planning the next phase of our project.
What’s next? We’d love to tell you what’s next! So why don’t you come see the stove in action yourself (our stove is outside in a garden) and enjoy some fresh cooked Mazateca food while we tell you about our plans for the future. Tents and tarps will keep you dry and fresh Oaxacan drinks will keep you warm.
- Come to our celebration party and enjoy local Mazateca food and coffee cooked on one of our stoves (specialty drinks by donation)
- Celebrate and acknowledge our students, 20 trained stove builders, one-third of whom are women!!!
- Learn about our new “Generation 2” cookstove program.
Date
Open House Saturday Nov. 2nd, 1-7pm
Location
NE Seattle
Tickets
$20 /person $30/ couple, address provided when you get your ticket.
Sign up here
Seattle International Foundation now accepting applications for the 2013 Global Program, Round 2 (Focus on Women/Girls)
Applications must be submitted via SIF’s online portal no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. The second round grant recipients will be announced at SIF’s 4th annual Women in the World breakfast on November 15, 2013.
To learn more about this opportunity and apply, please click here.
Engaging Communities in Needs Assessment & Project Planning:
Exploring the Challenges & Sharing Our Experiences
How can international development organizations support communities to develop solutions to their most pressing challenges?
One Equal Heart Foundation’s special guests from Chiapas, México will share information about their experiences in developing a methodology to equip indigenous communities with capacities to conduct their own needs assessment studies and identify sustainable solutions to development challenges by marshalling available resources.
One Equal Heart Foundation, Seattle International Foundation and Global Washington invite you to a roundtable discussion. Bring your field experiences to share.
Please bring your own sack lunch.
Date
Wednesday, November 6, Noon-1:30 PM
Location
Seattle International Foundation
500 Union Street, #801
Seattle, WA 98195
iLEAP Open House
We are so excited about our brand new website and the arrival of our 2013 International Fellows that we have decided to throw a party!
Join us at iLEAP for a fun evening of food, drinks, and globally inspired mingling and activities.
- Learn more about iLEAP and our work with grassroots leaders and social innovators.
- Meet our inspiring group of 2013 International Fellows from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Win some cool prizes and celebrate global community!
This event is FREE and open to the public. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Register Now!
Visit Our New Website
Empowering Women Exhibit
Artisan cooperatives that transform communities
June 12 – October 27
From Africa to Asia to the Americas, female artisans are creating grassroots cooperatives to reach new markets, raise living standards, and transform lives.
Empowering Women provides an intimate view of the work of ten artisan enterprises in ten countries. This exhibition illustrates the power of grassroots collaborations to transform women’s lives, through inspiring personal stories, stellar photographs and stunning examples of the cooperatives’ handmade traditional arts. Learn more: http://www.burkemuseum.org/empowering
The Burke is offering up five special opportunities to see Empowering Women with your favorite group of 5 to 20 people on select dates July through October. These are perfect opportunities for your board, a group of colleagues, your book club, or a special group of friends or neighbors to get together to see the show.
Learn more here: http://www.burkemuseum.org/empowering/hour
To reserve a date, email useburke@uw.edu
Date
June 12 – October 27
Location
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Empowering Women Fall Programs Explore Global Development Issues from a Local Perspective
Lecture Series: Empowering Women through Art & Action
Discover the challenges and opportunities facing women around the world in a special lecture series at the Burke Museum. Topics include microfinance, women’s land rights, building fair trade networks, women-supported companies, and global health. Lectures led by Empowering Women Community Partners PATH, Global Partnerships, Ten Thousand Villages, and more.
Lineup of talks:
Macro on Micro
Wednesday, September 25, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Microfinance is touted as “one of the most successful economic innovations for people living in poverty.” But is it? Global Partnerships asks us to think differently about microfinance and explains how their funding strategy is evolving.
Women in Control
Wednesday, October 2, 6 pm, Burke Museum
Washington Global Health Alliance, PATH, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Open Arms will lead a frank discussion on how the ability to control family size and experience safe childbirth enables women to dream, create, and work together to improve their own lives and that of their families and communities.
Her Land
Wednesday, October 9, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Women’s land rights activists, participants in Landesa’s Visiting Professionals Program, give us an inside look at advocating for women’s land rights in India and Africa. These international development practitioners will discuss their current projects and experiences working on the front lines, helping women obtain rights to land.
Building Fair Trade Networks
Wednesday, October 16, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Ten Thousand Villages’ director Doug Dirks shares stories about the establishment of artisan cooperatives around the world. As one of the country’s oldest and largest Fair Trade merchandisers, they’ve seen countless lives transformed by fair wages.
Giving Back, Moving Forward
Thursday, October 24, 7 pm, Burke Museum
Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder of the skin-care company Alaffia, explains how a comprehensive fair trade approach preserves traditional resources and cultural knowledge. Tchala won Washington’s 2013 Jefferson Award in recognition of his mission to advance gender equality and alleviate poverty.
Festival and Exhibit Closing
ISIS: Women Arts Festival
Sunday, October 27, 1 pm, Burke Museum
The 3rd Annual Seattle Anniversary Dinner for Schools for Salone is coming up on October 26th!
Please join us to celebrate the past year of our work to support education in Sierra Leone. We would love to have you with us for our dinner gala, where you will enjoy complimentary wine from Chateau Ste Michelle and Idle Cellars, treats from Fran’s Chocolates, Margaret Larson from KING 5 TV as Emcee, a Key Note speech from the Seattle Sounders’ Steve Zakuani, and a raffle for a week at a vacation house at the Sea Ranch in California. Various items from Sierra Leone will be available for sale, and there will also be a cash bar for beer and mixed drinks during the cocktail hour.
Please click on the link below by Friday, October 18th to register.
Register Now!
I can’t make it
If you have any questions about the event or about registering, you can contact Cindy Nofziger, Executive Director of Schools for Salone.
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Announcements
Student Advocacy Training
In response to the tragic shooting of young Pakistani education advocate Malala Yousafzaid, students in classes across the US have been given a specific example of the importance of ensuring that all young people globally have access to a quality education. That 57 million elementary school-aged young people are out of school is a serious global issue in which students in the US are now taking an interest and working to address.
As part of this effort, the Global Campaign for Education-US launched a “Student Advocacy Training” program for students in the US aged 18-25 to provide them with information and skills on how to advocate for education internationally. Based on the successful April 2013 training workshop, a second training is scheduled for November 1-5, 2013 in Washington, D.C. GCE-US covers travel (to and from D.C.), lodging and food during the training. The training culminates in visits with members of Congress and a Capitol Hill briefing and reception.
Candidates need to be interested in education’s role in development and be willing to bring the information back to his/her community.
If you know someone who is interested in applying for the advocacy training, share this link: http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/student-advocacy-training/ .
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Career Center
Highlighted Paid Positions
Executive Director, Washington State China Relations Council
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/-50/
Development Research Strategist, Splash
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/development-research-strategist/
Web Applications Developer, Global Impact
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/web-applications-developer/
Assistant Director of Development, The Northwest School
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/assistant-director-of-development/
Highlighted Volunteer Positions
Photo Assistant, Facing the Future
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/photo-assistant-2/
French-English Translator, Ashoka
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/french-english-translator-2/
Highlighted Internship Positions
Career Center Intern, Global Washington
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/career-center-team/
Research and Scholarship Fall 2013 Internship, World Justice Project
https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/jobs/view/research-and-scholarship-fall-2013-internship/
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/
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GlobalWA Events
September 18
New Member Orientation
September 19
Monthly Roundtable for Executive Directors, Board Members & Program Directors of small NGOs
Monthly Change-Up Happy Hour with friends of GlobalWA & Humanosphere
September 20
Catalyzing Collective Impact for Spokane’s Global Development Community
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Contributors: Malena Harrang
99 Great Organizations Confronting Hunger and Poverty
Posted on September 18, 2013.
Global Washington applauds the efforts of organizations working to better the lives of those living in poverty all over the world – at home and abroad. To help those living in the US find resources for assistance, tools for advocating for social justice, and other ways to get involved, check out this post by Carrie Watson, writer for MSWonlineprograms.com: http://mswonlineprograms.org/poverty-hunger
Congressman Smith, Senator Murray Warn Against Military Action in Syria
With the debate surrounding a US Strike against the current regime in Syria, Washington’s globally-minded political leaders advocate for extreme caution in making decisions that hold the “possibility of entangling our nation in a long, drawn-out conflict.”
Posted on August 29, 2013.
By Mark Olmstead
Yesterday, Washington Representative and top Democrat of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith [WA-9] issued a press release on United States involvement in Syria. Along with other congressional Democrats including Washington Senator Patty Murray, Smith warns of United States entering Syria militarily in any sense should not be approached hastily, “Military action could have significant consequences and there is no guarantee that it would improve the situation or promote a positive outcome.”
Next week the United Nations will release its report on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government and from that any type of decision will be based. Senator Patty Murray joins the views of Congressman Smith in calling for no immediate actions, she said “The use of chemical weapons, as well as conventional weapons, on innocent civilians in Syria is abhorrent and must end, however, as the recent past has taught us, we must be exceedingly cautious in making any decision that holds the possibility of entangling our nation in a long, drawn-out conflict.” Continue Reading