A compelling and comprehensive new report released last month by Global Washington, a coalition of companies, nonprofits, and universities in Washington state, recommends major improvements to international education to support Washington’s increasingly diverse and global economy.

The report’s overarching conclusion is that Washington presently does not have the international education capacity that it needs to feed its highly internationalized economy with globally educated talent. More than 1,000 parents, educators, and business leaders from across Washington contributed to, Global Education in Washington State, which produced six major recommendations for building international education in Washington.

“It’s a two-way street: global economies are driving global education, but global education is needed to continue to drive those global economies,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. “This report is inspiring in that there is an acute awareness across the state and across industries that there is room for development in the state’s global education initiatives.”

The report reflects the shared recognition between NAFSA and groups such as Global Washington that international education is an essential component of 21st century globalization and competitiveness. NAFSA seeks to encourage and support state initiatives to increase global competitiveness for students and regional economies through improvements in international education.

Report: International Education is Essential to Washington State’s Global Economy
http://www.nafsa.org/

By Juliana Thong

On February 6, 2013, Congressman Larry Bucshon of Indiana’s 8^th district introduced the Invest in America First Act, H.R. 528. This bill will prohibit foreign aid from being given to countries with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over $1.5 trillion. An exception in the bill states that the Act will not apply to military assistance, security assistance, or humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian assistance is defined as means assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of natural and manmade disasters, provided on terms and conditions determined by the President. This, however, does not include direct financial assistance.

The Invest in America First Act has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and has two cosponsors: Representative Lou Barletta (R-PA) and Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX). An Invest in America First Act, H.R. 3488, was previously introduced in December 2011 but not passed.

On Congressman Bucshon’s website, he states, “Our nation’s debt has surpassed the $16 trillion mark and we now borrow 42 cents on every dollar we spend… The United States currently provides billions of dollars in foreign aid while we struggle to find the financial resources to live up to the commitments made to our own citizens.” He goes on to say that, “It simply does not make sense for the United States to continue providing foreign aid to nations with large GDPs that often run budget surpluses and hold billions of our U.S. Treasury securities. We are giving them money, only to then borrow it back with interest.”

If the Invest in America First Act is passed, it would prohibit Congress and the President from giving nonmilitary foreign aid to countries that have a GDP over $1.5 trillion. There are exemptions for humanitarian and security aid, but aid is limited to the form of supplies and materials, not just a lump sum of money. Security aid could be given to countries for security threats that are deemed dangerous to our national security. An example Congressman Bucshon gives is in Fiscal Year 2010, the U.S. gave China $27.2 million in foreign aid, though they hold over $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasury securities. The countries that would lose foreign aid are China, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico. All four also hold U.S. Treasury securities.

Global Washington recently launched the Global Education Initiative, which seeks to bring together independent efforts to promote global education throughout the state. More than 1,000 parents, educators and advocates have contributed to the Initiative, proving that all the people working to bring the world into the classroom could achieve more if their efforts are centrally harnessed.

Expanding educational focus to make students more international in their thinking and scope will help to put the state’s economy on a surer footing going forward, says the organization. Even today, a large number of industries that make their home in Washington State, rely on international trade both for sustaining and growing themselves.

Over 40% of jobs in the state rely on markets outside the United States, making Washington one of the most connected for any state in the country.

Global Washington Launches Worldwide Education Initiative
http://www.educationnews.org/ |  Julia Lawrence | February 18, 2013

In Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, girls from poor families have little or no opportunity for education

Edmonds couple Bill and Pat Taylor weren’t expecting a holiday to Bali in 2005 to lead to saving the futures of hundreds of children.

They visited an orphanage of 65 girls in Indonesia and ended up sponsoring two of them.

After a return trip a year later, the Taylors sought out sponsors for the other children, calling on friends to get involved.

A few years and 23 sponsors later, the two realized there was still more they could do and founded the Bill & Pat Bali Fund with a mission to break the cycle of poverty in Indonesia.

Their latest and largest initiative, the SE Asia Children’s Foundation, was created in 2010 to fund even more orphanages throughout the region. They currently have seven ongoing projects in Thailand, with plans to expand to Cambodia.

The SE Asia Children’s Foundation works to eliminate poverty in Southeast Asia by empowering women, children, and especially girls.

Celebrating International Women’s Day with a local non-profit
http://edmondsbeacon.villagesoup.com/ |  Juliana Thong, Global Washington | February 17, 2013

A simple, fast and inexpensive new test for leprosy offers hope that, even in the poorest countries, victims can be found and cured before they become permanently disabled or disfigured like the shunned lepers of yore.

American researchers developed the test, and Brazil’s drug-regulatory agency registered it last month. A Brazilian diagnostics company, OrangeLife, will manufacture it on the understanding that the price will be $1 or less.

“This will bring leprosy management out of the Dark Ages,” said Dr. William Levis, who has treated leprosy patients at a Bellevue Hospital outpatient clinic for 30 years.

Many consider leprosy, formally called Hansen’s disease, a relic of the past, but annually about 250,000 people worldwide get it; Brazil is among the hardest-hit countries, as are India, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United States has 150 to 250 new diagnoses each year, mostly in immigrants. Leprosy is curable, so better detection may mean that someday it could join the short list of ailments, like polio and Guinea worm disease, on the brink of eradication, experts say.

Fast New Test Could Find Leprosy Before Damage Is Lasting
http://www.nytimes.com/ |  Donald G. Mcneil Jr. | February 19, 2013

Global Washington member organization the Infectious Disease Research Institute’s (IDRI) President and Founder Steve Reed was named the 13^th most influential person in the field of vaccines by Vaccine Nation.

Welcome to the February 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
• Featured Organization: A Right to Assistance in Times of Emergency: Save the Children’s Disaster Relief Programming and the Ongoing Importance of Collective Action
• Changemaker: Theresa Schulz Norris: Women and water tanks turn potential into opportunity
• Welcome New Members
• GlobalWA Announcements
• Announcements
• Career Center
• Upcoming Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings and happy February!

On Valentine’s Day, many of us celebrated and showed appreciation for our loved ones. At Global Washington, we encouraged our supporters to show some love to organizations that they care about—particularly those doing meaningful work to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.

We’ll be continuing this theme into the month of March, which is women’s history month with March 9th as International Women’s Day.  Global Washington’s members know that development work that benefits girls, in turn, benefits entire families and communities. We hope you will celebrate and support this work in the month of March!

You may have noticed that Global Washington is hiring for several new positions and we are excited to grow and increase our impact in the upcoming months. We are happy to introduce our newest staff member Becky Anderson, who is taking over for Megan Boucher as Global Washington’s Office Manager. Those of you who are actively involved will certainly be hearing from Becky as she will be supporting our membership, events, and general office functions. Take a moment to welcome her next time you are in the office!

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

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A Right to Assistance in Times of Emergency:

Save the Children’s Disaster Relief Programming and the Ongoing Importance of Collective Action

By Anna Jensen-Clem

“Everyone has a right to life and a right to assistance” in the event of a disaster. Robert Laprade, Associate Vice President for Humanitarian Response at Save the Children, articulated this late in our conversation, but it is a consistent thread running through Save the Children’s programs across the globe.

Emergency and humanitarian relief programs play a key role in international development; they provide immediate relief from natural disasters, help to stabilize disaster-prone communities, and build resilience to the long-term effects of a humanitarian emergency. Washington, D.C.-based Save the Children runs country- and region-specific programs in about 100 developing countries and operates across all three spheres. This network, aided by regional and worldwide offices, acts as a frontline defense against the immediate effects of a disaster, and serves as a conduit through which supplies, support, and aid can be transferred to the affected area most efficiently.

In addition to providing services and aid in instances of flood, drought, earthquake, and other natural disasters, Save the Children also hosts public health workshops, educational programs, and agricultural trainings to mitigate the devastating effects of a longer-term disaster. Save the Children’s programs draw their strength from this mix of local and international resources; by employing aid workers from the host countries, the organization has a built-in understanding of the local language and customs. Coupled with the financial backing of the larger international network, Laprade says, Save the Children’s emergency relief programs can provide rapid, country-specific response across a broad spectrum of issues.

Children are the primary targets of these programs, but of course, ensuring children’s security also means making sure their families have  food, potable water, quality medical care, and the resources to send children to school. Access to education is one of Save the Children’s primary foci, and this extends to training teachers and using an “acceptance approach” in working with community leaders to protect schools and students even in the event of a security crisis.

In northern Mali, for example, Save the Children’s Gao office was ransacked, as were the offices of many other organizations in the area. However, staff returned to their work and tried to maintain basic security for themselves and for the children they served. Clearly, staff in a conflict zone cannot do their jobs if they themselves aren’t safe, so security procedures are updated on a regular basis. Laprade emphasized throughout our conversation that the organization as a whole is politically neutral and in situations of armed conflict, it works with community members to serve its mission despite ongoing political impediments.

Independence is another key focus of Save the Children’s programming; Laprade noted that the organization exercises extreme caution in allocating funding, especially in “highly charged political environments” where U.S. government funding might be unwelcome. Essentially, by maintaining political neutrality, the organization can provide relief programs to all victims of an emergency or disaster rather than being limited to the allies of one particular party or faction. By forging local ties and providing jobs in the community, Save the Children builds alliances in communities that supersede political alliances or disputes. As discussed in the example above, the organization works with local leaders throughout northern Mali to make sure children can still attend school (either in school buildings or at home), and Laprade noted that in some cases, local leaders have come together to make sure program staff can continue their work despite the conflict.

Save the Children works across a wide variety of issue areas, and focuses its international and domestic programs on the following sectors: nutrition and health; newborn and infant care; child protection (identifying children in emergencies and helping with reunification); prevention of child soldier recruitment and assisting in reintegration; anti-trafficking; ending gender-based violence; and providing access to education in emergencies. Save the Children and UNICEF partner to coordinate global educational practices in times of conflict and emergency, as in northern Mali.

Since Global Washington is focusing its work this year around collective impact (it was the main topic of discussion in last December’s annual conference and GlobalWA is hosting a series of working groups throughout 2013 to find new ways to strengthen our collective impact), Save the Children’s emergency response programs are a natural fit. As we know, many of Global Washington’s members work across a wide variety of regions and issue areas, but natural disasters, famine, drought, and food insecurities intervene. It stands to reason, then, that Global Washington members would be interested in learning more about and perhaps fostering relationships with Save the Children’s program officers throughout the developing and developed world. As we learned during the conference, our impact is far greater if we work together toward the same goals.

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Changemaker

Theresa Schulz Norris: Women and water tanks turn potential into opportunity

By Megan Boucher

Theresa and Gracie

Theresa Schulz Norris spent two memorable weeks in Namibia laying bricks side by side with a Kenyan woman named Gracie. The two became close friends and later partnered in founding Women’s Enterprises International (WEI). Theresa laughs about the fact that she and Gracie were the best brick layers in the group. In fact, WEI’s success is built around the accomplishments that women can achieve when they work together—an idea that Theresa and Gracie modeled even before the organization was founded.

Theresa ‘s personal mission statement is to see “people, women and girls especially, recognize their gifting and capacity and begin to live into their God-given potential.” She also wants to see people “discover a passion for giving, for service, and for touching the life of someone else in a positive way.” This twofold mission also permeates the culture of Women’s Enterprises International.

Theresa began her career in the perhaps unlikely field of technology, working for 16 years as a developer and product manager. “My longest employment was with Microsoft,” she recalls, “and it was my experience at Microsoft that opened the door for my first opportunity to work overseas.” Through her church, Theresa learned of an organization in India seeking someone experienced with the Microsoft Office Suite of products to set up their computer system and train their staff on its use. “The opportunity had my name written all over it,” she says of her decision to spend two and a half months in Agra, India. During her time there, she traveled to the countryside and was exposed for the first time to the extreme poverty, disparity, and lack of opportunity faced by the people of rural India–especially the girls.

Women with a water tank

Born into a family of educators, Theresa grew up believing strongly in the value of education. In rural India, she was particularly struck by the fact that where people were born, who they were born to, and their gender determined their opportunities: “There I was, meeting young girls and women for whom going to school was not a given as it was for me. It wasn’t even a possibility.” The experience made her appreciate her own opportunities and feel a responsibility to find a way to create opportunity for others.

She returned from India convinced that she wanted to do international development work.  “At that time, if you weren’t a nurse, teacher, or doctor, there were very few options, and I was a business person!” Theresa believed that there had to be a way for people like her to contribute their skills to global problems, but for a long time no opportunities presented themselves. Instead, a friend convinced Theresa to join his startup medical technology business. She spent two enjoyable years getting the company off the ground, but at the same time wondered why she was still working in high tech instead of doing development work. However, looking back she calls the opportunity “God’s arrangement” to give her much-needed entrepreneurial experience. “I’m thankful for that time.  Everything I learned in those two years was directly applicable to the starting of Women’s Enterprises.”

During those years, she networked with NGOs, participated on a number of short-term mission trips to the developing world, and gained exposure to the emerging field of microenterprise. In microenterprise and the empowerment it brings, she finally saw an area where business people could contribute to development work in a meaningful way.

It was on a trip to Kenya that Theresa saw an opportunity to bring together her passions for educating girls and empowering women through microenterprise.  She discovered the secret to empowering girls lies in empowering their mothers, because, “if you empower a mother you help the entire family.” Surprisingly, in Kenya, one of the best ways to empower mothers is by equipping them to get clean water.

Earning income

That discovery changed Theresa’s life, and a visit to the Kyakalinga, the village where her friend Gracie grew up, offered a tangible opportunity to put that discovery into action.  For the previous four years, Gracie, a skilled community development leader, had worked to help the women see that “they weren’t as poor as they thought they were. They had hands, they had feet, and they had skills that they could use to bring about positive change in their own lives,” says Theresa. Through a needs assessment the women identified rainwater harvesting as the best way to address their primary need for clean water. They were working to build giant cisterns at each woman’s home—37 in all. Theresa saw the first 7 tanks in action on the first day of the rain. “It was the most beautiful sound–the water running down the roof, through the pipes, and into the tank,” she recalls.

Theresa loved the project and especially the women’s hard work and ownership of it.  She also saw that it would take an incredibly long time to reach their goal of 37 cisterns. She had the idea to provide matching grants for the project, a model that would continue to encourage initiative and ownership, but also reduce the risk, provide a powerful incentive, and help them receive their tanks more quickly.  With the matching grants, Theresa also saw an opportunity to connect women in the U.S. with women in the villages and Gracie agreed.

When she came home, she was barely back in the U.S. for 24 hours when she secured $7,500 from the missions committee of her brother’s church for her new project. Soon after, a friend from University Presbyterian Church (UPC) in Seattle heard about the project and asked to get involved. “Within a week, I had funding, I had a partner to work with, and it just took off,” Theresa remembers.  Today, WEI is working with over 2,000 women in 60 villages.

Girl fetching water

While water is an important aspect of WEI’s work, it is the group-based micro-savings, training, and matching grants that lay the foundation for long-term, ongoing change. “Water is the catalyst that brings the women together. It is the shared need that they work and sacrifice for,” says Theresa. Water is the catalyst for other important goals including creating economic opportunities for women.  For instance, the women have to save enough money for one tank before they can receive a match from WEI, so many women start small businesses in order to meet these goals. And amazingly, water is the foundation for Theresa’s initial passion: girls’ education.  When a family has clean water at home, daughters no longer have to search for water and can go to school.

Women’s empowerment and women working together is a crucial part of the WEI model. One woman’s story epitomizes the mission of WEI and Theresa’s personal goal of seeing women realize their gifts and potential. Agnes was part of WEI’s 7^th women’s group. She lived the life of a typical village woman in Kenya, spending her time fetching water, caring for her children, and struggling to find school fees, but her life was transformed when she saw women in a neighboring community start a water project through WEI. Inspired, Agnes organized women in her village to start their own water project, of which Agnes was elected chairlady. Through this project, Agnes discovered her own leadership skills, increased her financial literacy, learned new skills as a speaker, and became a strong motivator and mentor. Women from nearby communities began looking to her to help them start their own water projects. She is now the regional coordinator for seven groups in the area and travels all over Kenya training new groups.

The women’s groups provide important support, friendship, and accountability. “They’re in a caring, supporting community where it is not only acceptable, but actually required to take a risk,” Theresa explains. “But they are supported in the process.” It is a testament to the strength of these support networks that, although some women receive their water tanks before the others in the group, Theresa is not aware of even one instance where a woman has left the group before everyone in the group has received a tank. The idea of a committed network of women extends to WEI itself, which is guided by Theresa and an all-female board and receives extensive support from a broad community of women in the U.S.

Theresa emphasizes that although WEI is focused on women, men are also important to achieving its mission and many men are some of WEI’s strongest supporters. Theresa was fully involved in WEI when she married her husband, who has become a partner in the work. Their honeymoon was spent in Tanzania, Kenya (visiting WEI groups), and Rwanda (where her husband had been involved in his own development projects). The couple even had a second wedding in Rwanda.

Agnes and her group members

A native Washingtonian herself, Theresa is enthusiastic about WEI’s location in the Pacific Northwest and participating in such strong globally-minded community. “These people and organizations are doing meaningful, significant global development work. It’s really unique to this area,” she says. She cites the opportunities for partnerships and shared learning as invaluable for continuing to do this work and commends Global Washington’s work in leveraging this community to create a greater impact by working together. “It’s just like the women’s groups we work with!” she laughs.

Theresa’s dream in 5 or 10 years is to rent a plane, fly over the communities where WEI works, and see the “black dots” of all the water tanks that represent transformed communities. She would also like to see WEI grow in both breadth and depth, expanding to more communities in Kenya and building on the foundation of water to address other crucial community needs such as food security and economic development. In the future, she looks to transfer the WEI model to new countries and regions. Another important component for Theresa is to see more connections between groups here locally and groups abroad, forming relationships and a stronger global community.

Theresa does not seem at all inclined to slow down in the pursuit of these goals.  Her personal motivation to continue forward is based in her faith and desire to share God’s love that she has experienced with other people in a tangible way. “It’s about love and compassion,” Theresa explains. “I’m motivated by a belief that women (and men) are created in the image of God with abilities and gifts. There is a really beautiful inherent dignity in that.”

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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!

Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University seeks to be a premier Christian University fully committed to engaging the culture and changing the world by graduating people of competence and character, becoming people of wisdom, and modeling grace-filled community. www.spu.edu

Facing the Future
Facing the Future creates tools for educators that equip and motivate students to develop critical thinking skills, build global awareness and engage in positive solutions for a sustainable future. http://www.facingthefuture.org/

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Global Washington Announcements

New Office Manager Becky Anderson

We are pleased to welcome Becky Anderson as the newest member of our staff. Becky started work at Global Washington in mid-February and we are excited for what she will bring to the organization. Say hello to her next time you are in the office or attending one of our events!

As Global Washington’s Office Manager, Becky is responsible for program support, membership tracking, supervising interns and volunteers, and coordinating event logistics. While serving as a Health Education Facilitator in Moldova in the US Peace Corps, she learned first-hand of the importance of sustainable international development. Becky served as a volunteer ESL tutor in the University of Washington’s Language Exchange Program and is active in the Seattle Area Peace Corps Association (SEAPAX). She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Becky is an enthusiastic explorer of Seattle’s culture of art and music and is especially fond of ballet, museums, hot yoga, and discovering new cuisines.

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Announcements

ED Forum by 501 Commons on February 22^nd

Don’t for get to join your fellow executive directors in a selection of roundtable discussions, including how to pick your next board president, facilitated by Janis Avery. Getting together with colleagues and learning something new are great ways to care for yourself and invest in your leadership. So take a quick break for the ED Forum and gather some knowledge you can put into practice right away. GlobalWA members can sign up at the member price!

ED Forum
February 22, 8:30-10:30 am
2100 Building, Seattle
Register here
Members $18; Non-Members $25

Nominate a Development Expert for the New Voices Fellowship

The New Voices Fellowship, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, is raising up a new generation of global development leaders by training and supporting 12 experts in global development, global health, food security, and related issues. This year, the  program is relying on personal recommendations to nominate potential fellows, who should be experts from the developing world with a strong track record of achievement and potential to become high level communicators and public speakers.  To nominate a potential fellow, send a brief note on why the candidate could benefit from the program and his or her current contact information to Andrew.quinn@aspenist.org.  See a press release from the Aspen Institute for more information.

Facing the Future Produces Educational Text on Global Issues

The 24 full-color chapters of Facing the Future’s newest resource, Exploring Global Issues: Social, Economic, and Environmental Interconnections, will motivate high school and undergraduate students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to achieve academically and make informed, positive change in their own lives and the world with guiding questions, essential readings, youth-in-action stories, and career profiles. The corresponding teacher’s guide CD offers activities, instructions, standards correlations, rubrics, and assessments that facilitate effective classroom use of the student text.

Order now and save 50%. Nonprofit Facing the Future is offering the student text at an introductory price of only $37.50. The teacher’s guide CD is also 50% off, at $25.00. Plus, with the EGI Educator’s Package you’ll get the student text and teacher’s guide CD both for a special introductory price of only $49.50. Visit Facing the Future’s website for free and low-cost materials and to download a free chapter from the Exploring Global Issues student text and teacher’s guide on the topic of food.

Communications Internship Opportunity with MercyCorps

MercyCorps is looking for a Communications Intern to support their Seattle Office. The Communications Intern will work closely with Seattle-based Communications Team and with the broader agency to support day-to-day duties as well as execute a range of communications activities and special projects. The Intern will support the Communications Team in media outreach and messaging within the immediate Seattle community and in the greater field of international media. Interested candidates should apply online.

Tasveer hosts First South Asian International Documentary Festival this weekend

Tasveer is sponsoring the 1^st South Asian International Documentary Festival on SIFF Film Center on February 23^rd and 24^th. This festival boasts educational film screenings, Q&A sessions, and a wine and dinner reception. A schedule of films is available from Tasveer and Tickets can be purchased at SIFF (online or by phone 206.324.9996).

Oxfam Seeks Volunteers for Advocacy Training

Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, invites you to join the Oxfam Action Corps, an exciting grassroots effort to stand up to poverty, hunger, and injustice around the world – starting right in your community. The Oxfam Action Corps is a group of dedicated volunteers in fifteen US cities who work alongside other local volunteers in support of our GROW campaign for policies that will save lives, defend the rights of women and farmers, and protect communities worldwide from rising food prices and climate change. It includes a free national advocacy and leadership training for select participants. You will gain leadership skills, have fun, and change the world!

GAPPS Releases “Born in Silence” video about stillbirth

The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS) has recently released a new video called “Born in Silence,” aimed to promote discussion and break the silence about this common tragedy. The short film was made in partnership with local parents who have experienced the pain of a stillbirth. View “Born in Silence “at http://youtu.be/Pg7fp5-aPzk

SeaChar Featured in National Geographic

SeaChar, a GlobalWA member, was featured in National Geographic in January.  SeaChar’s biochar cookstoves were cited as excellent tools for improving health and agriculture. Take a few minutes to read the article and congratulate to SeaChar for this recognition!

Infectious Disease Research Institute gets national recognition

We would like to congratulate our member organization the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) for some recent recognition in the media! President and Founder Steve Reed was named the 13^th most influential person in the field of vaccines by Vaccine Nation.  The Seattle-based orgnaization was also recognized in a New York Times article for its new, inexpensive leprosy test that can catch the debilitating disease before it causes lasting damage. Congratulations to Steve Reed and IDRI for these achievements and the much-deserved recognition!

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Career Center

Highlighted Paid Positions

Manager of Operations – Women’s Enterprises International
The Manager of Operations is responsible for delivery of all administrative and operations activities within the non-profit and for growing WEI operations from its start-up structure to this high-growth phase of the organization’s development. The Manager of Operations is a 30 hour per week position. More

Administrative Program Coordinator – Pacific Northwest Region –Church World Service
This full-time, Seattle-based position carries out administrative and advanced secretarial responsibilities and functions in support of Church World Service Regional community-based fundraising events, other congregational and community fund-raising efforts, and constituent communication activities in the multi-state Pacific Northwest Region and Great West Area. More

Highlighted Volunteer Opportunity

Regional Director – The Borgen Project
Regional Directors operate independently from home and maintain contact with The Borgen Project’s Seattle office. Regional Directors sign a 6-month contract. The position is volunteer and is roughly 4-6 hours per week. Regional Directors attend a conference call every Monday evening. Regional Directors come from many diverse backgrounds, some of which include a news anchor, veteran, banker, teacher, relief worker, political staffer, sales manager, programmer, and college students. More

Highlighted Internship Opportunity

Communications Intern – MercyCorps
The Communications Intern will work closely with Seattle-based Communications Team and with the broader agency to support day-to-day duties as well as execute a range of communications activities and special projects. The Intern will support the Communications Team in media outreach and messaging within the immediate Seattle community and in the greater field of international media. More

Graphic Design Intern – The Borgen Project
The Borgen Project is selecting a graphic designer who will primarily focus on web design. Experience in WordPress is helpful, but not required. More

For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, February 21
WGHA Discovery Series Lecture – Nancy Krebs, MD

Water, Irrigation and Farming Dr. Michael Brady, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Friday, February 22
Executive Director Forum

Wednesday, February 27
Reading the Headlines: Interpreting Turkey – University of Washington

Thursday, February 28
Opportunities and Challenges for Agricultural Development in Africa Brady Walkinshaw and Tuu-Van Nguyen, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA

Friday, March 1
Global Fest – Everett Community College

Friday, March 8
International Women’s Day Breakfast

Thursday, March 14
8th Annual Dinner – Hosted by One by One

Wednesday, March 27
Stronger Together Breakfast

Wednesday, April 24
Third anniversary of the Confucius Institute

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By Juliana Thong

Many steps have been taken during the Obama administration to elevate the issues of global gender equality. Perhaps the most critical thus far occurred on January 30, 2013, when President Obama signed a presidential memorandum focusing on these issues. This is important to Global Washington and our member organizations, as it displays our government’s commitment to global development.

The memorandum focuses to better promote gender equality and to empower women and girls globally. It accomplishes this by strengthening and expanding U.S. government capacity and coordination across all its agencies. President Obama’s strategy is to go forward with a collective impact method to translate commitment to results by making gender equality a priority across the federal government. First, the memorandum acknowledges the need for dedicated professionals with expertise and stature to lead efforts and maintain accountability. It directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to designate an Ambassador at Large to report to the Secretary and lead the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. The mission of this Ambassador is to advise on issues related to advancing the status of women and girls and to coordinate with other countries, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations.

The memorandum maintains the power of the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to advise the USAID Administrator on key priorities for U.S. development assistance. In addition, it establishes an interagency working group on international gender issues, chaired by the National Security Advisor. This working group will provide strategic guidance, promote government-wide coordination, and spur new action across agencies from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the Peace Corps to the Department of Health and Human Services.

In effect, President Obama is institutionalizing the efforts made during the last four years by executive departments and agencies to issue policy and operational guidance on gender equality. For example, former Secretary Clinton—with the assistance of our first-ever Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s issues, Melanne Verveer—has worked hard to launch the issue of gender equality in our diplomacy and ensure this progress for generations to come. President Obama and newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry have both given their commitment to these issues by assuring a future and centralized theme of global equality and development. Kerry has said, “…at my confirmation hearing, I spoke with Sen. Boxer about the importance of maintaining the momentum Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Melanne Verveer have built through their innovative office and laser-like focus.”

President Obama knows that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls around the world is “one of the greatest unmet challenges of our time, and one that is vital to achieving our overall foreign policy objectives.” As we know, empowering women and girls promotes economic growth, improves health, and decreases corruption in communities and nations. This is not only a matter of international morality and citizenship but also national security.

Global Washington and our member organizations are pleased to see the U.S. government affirm the critical linkages between gender equality and broader development goals. This gives our country more power and focus as a force for global development, in the state of Washington.

Welcome to the January 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
• Featured organization: World Justice Project: Collaborating for a stronger rule of law
• Welcome new members
• GlobalWA Announcements
• Announcements
• Career Center
• Global Washington Events
• Other Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings and Happy New Year!

At Global Washington, we are avoiding the cold by staying hard at work in our office to plan our programming for the year! Several gatherings featuring our member organizations are already underway. You can find out more about them and any other upcoming events on our website.  In particular, we hope you can join us next Wednesday at SightLife for “The Intersection of Global Health and Women’s Economic Empowerment.”

One important focus for our year is on the theme of collective impact; you will probably hear us talking about this a lot in the upcoming months. We firmly believe in the power of working together and Global Washington was founded to facilitate connections and collaboration between the many amazing global development institutions located in our state. In 2013, we are committed to learning how to best foster this collaborative spirit and how to gauge the positive impact that our members are collectively making in the world.

This is a big task and one that we certainly cannot do by ourselves! If you are a member of Global Washington, you probably already know that we want your feedback and your participation in this important work. We will soon begin hosting meetings with our members around this topic. If you are not already involved, please consider having a representative from your organization participate. You can learn more by emailing me at Bookda@globalwa.org. For an inspirational look at the power of coming together for the collective good, you can watch a short video clip from our 2012 conference speaker Craig Kielburger as he discusses the concept of “minga.”

Finally, I am happy to report that Global Washington is growing! We have a lot of work to do and we need more staff to do it. We are currently accepting applications for a Development Coordinator and would welcome your referrals. For more information on this position, and to check back for any other opportunities, visit the jobs section of our website.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to improving our world. I am excited to move forward with all of you as we collectively address challenges and discover new ways to make a difference.

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

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World Justice Project

Collaborating for a stronger rule of law

By Megan Boucher

What does an everyday citizen have in common with an award-winning artist, a business, an NGO, or a struggling farmer? All are affected by the rule of law and its enforcement.  The World Justice Project (WJP) works to advance the rule of law—the underlying system that allows societies to function and justice to take root—throughout the world.  The organization believes that the rule of law is foundational to communities of equity and opportunity. WJP also believes that the best way to strengthen the rule of law is through multi-disciplinary collaboration. They bring together businesses, academics, governments, NGOs, and everyday citizens to seek solutions to the problems of injustice in their communities.

What is the rule of law, you may ask? The World Justice Project defines it by the following principles:

1. The government and its agents are accountable under the law.
2. The laws are clear, publicized, stable and fair, and protect fundamental rights. (including the security of persons and property)
3. The process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, efficient, and fair.
4. Justice is delivered by competent, ethical, and independent representatives who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.

These principles are necessary to create healthy communities where individuals are safe, businesses can thrive, and groups are free from unfair discrimination. However, every country in the world falls short of this standard in one way or another, including the U.S. The WJP addresses these shortfalls by empowering people and institutions to find practical solutions to strengthen the rule of law by:

1. Global convenings, such as the World Justice Forum, that bring together diverse leaders from different sectors to work collaboratively to create solutions in their own countries;
2. Impartial data and research, through their Rule of Law Index, which measures how well countries adhere to the rule of law in practice; and
3. Resources to develop innovative, practical programs, such as their Opportunity Fund competition, a justice laboratory to incubate solutions that will strengthen the rule of law.

The World Justice Project was founded in 2006 as an initiative of the American Bar Association (ABA), spearheaded by William H. Neukom, then ABA President. Based in Washington, D.C., the WJP became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2010 and opened a Seattle office in 2012.  Through its programming, WJP has grown to include a global network of over 10,000 people who have engaged in the organization’s work to promote the rule of law—from contributing data for the Index, to participation in WJP events, to incubating and implementing ground-level programs.

Though founded by a legal association, the WJP firmly believes that a multi-disciplinary approach is crucial to success. “What makes the World Justice Project unique,” stated Radha Friedman, WJP’s Director of Programs, “is that we don’t believe that the rule of law is solely the realm of lawyers. We’re reaching beyond the legal sector to advance an understanding that these issues affect everyone, and that everyone can be changemaker.”

One of WJP’s key events is the World Justice Forum, a global gathering of 600 participants from 100 countries who come together to discuss crucial justice issues and create practical solutions. The fourth World Justice Forum will take place in July 2013 in The Hague and will be attended by leaders and changemakers from sectors including engineering, the arts, technology, education, public health, and the military. Panels will include topics such as youth leadership, public health, ethical supply chains, environmental governance, food security, and human trafficking. The goals of the event are extremely practical and outcome-focused: to create an environment of shared learning in order to incubate innovative programs that participants can go home and implement in their communities.

Other key activities of the WJP include convening multidisciplinary workshops in countries undergoing significant transitions, and maintaining an online program library—a searchable database of programs that are underway around the world to improve the rule of law.  As a result of the WJP’s work, more than 75 practical programs have been implemented in five continents.

One example of such a program was implemented by the Public Health Foundation of India, an initiative which sought to create greater awareness of laws that were already on the books but were not being enforced. The Foundation, in collaboration with local NGOs, helped citizens in the slums in New Delhi, India advocate for a right they were guaranteed but not aware of: access to clean water and sanitation. “This program brought together existing resources in the community to raise awareness among the people about the laws that protect and serve them,” explained Nancy Ward, WJP’s Chief Engagement Officer.

Another example is PeaceTones, a program created to address the issue of intellectual property rights in developing countries. Led by the Internet Bar Organization, PeaceTones is a partnership between musicians, businesses, and lawyers to help street musicians—who are particularly vulnerable to having their original work stolen—understand their rights and fairly sell their work. PeaceTones has now helped artists create several successful albums in Haiti, Brazil and Sierra Leone.

Friedman and Ward are particularly excited that WJP’s west coast office is located in Seattle because it already has such a vibrant, international community with a passion for justice. Collaboration is vital to WJP’s work and their Seattle staff are eager to provide opportunities for Washingtonians to engage in rule of law issues. Some opportunities include meetings and events in the Seattle area, online resources like the Rule of Law Index and Program Library, the WJP blog Justice Rising which welcomes new contributors, and the Opportunity Fund competition which provides seed grant funding and support to winning initiatives that strengthen the rule of law.

“A dynamic aspect of being in Seattle is how we can connect with the community here,” emphasized Ward. “We don’t work in a vacuum. We’re here because we intend to be part of this globally-focused community in Washington State. The most interesting part of our work is yet to come…as we continue to develop relationships with organizations here and can be a resource to their work and networks locally and globally.”

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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!

Society for International Development – Seattle Puget Sound Chapter
The Seattle Puget Sound chapter of the Society for International Development is an organization dedicated to changing the global conversation about international development in Seattle, in the Puget Sound region, in Washington State and the world.http://seattlesid.blogspot.com

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Global Washington Announcements

Be a part of the collective impact process at GlobalWA:

GlobalWA will be hosting several Collective Impact Working Groups in 2013.  Many of our members expressed interest in participating in small roundtable discussions after the 2012 Annual Conference. To get the ball rolling, Global Washington is hosting initial meetings to help facilitate potential collaborations and partnerships between our members and identify next steps.

Below you will find a list the offered Collective Impact Working Groups. RSVP to Amanda Bidwell, Amanda@globalwa.org, if you are interested in participating in a specific working group and if you can attend the scheduled meeting. There are a maximum of 20 spots per Working Group.

• February 4^th, 2013 12-1:30pm: Clean tech and environmental NGO and Business working group
• February 12^th, 2013 9:00am-10:30am: To raise the general public’s awareness of (Washington-area) global development activities and their importance
• February 13^th, 2013 11:00am-12:30pm: To increase awareness among Global WA member organizations of one another’s’ work
• February 13^th, 2013 9:00am-10:30am: To develop a clearinghouse for Global WA member assets
• February 13^th, 2013 11:00am-12:30pm: To facilitate Washington-area partnerships between universities and non-profits (in research, internships, etc.)
• February 13^th, 2013 1:00pm-2:30pm: To advocate for U.S. and Washington foreign-aid resources
• February 13^th, 2013 3-4:30pm: Washington-area engagement between businesses and non-profits
• February 14^th, 2013 9-10:30am: To measure the total impact of global development activity by, e.g., Washington-area development organizations, Global WA member organizations, etc.
• February 14^th, 2013 11:00am-12:30pm: To promote development-oriented programs in Washington-area schools
• February 14^th, 2013 1:00-2:30pm: To improve the evaluation of programs run by Global WA members
• Collective impact group for those working and/or interested in working in Vietnam (please email us for the meeting time for this group)

GlobalWA Is Hiring!

It is with a lot of excitement that we have decided to hire someone to support our fundraising strategy and implementation. We have seen a wonderful growth in our membership since we launched GlobalWA. Making this hire will build our capacity to keep our momentum going, sustain the organization, and helps support our members as well. This position is just one part of our recently adopted 3-year Strategic Plan.

The job description available at: https://globalwa.org/who-we-are/jobs/

Global Washington Annual Conference Recap Report

One of our favorite parts of the year is connecting with our friends and colleagues in the global development sector at our annual conference! Our 2012 Conference took place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle and was entitled “Redefining Development: From Silos to Collective Impact.” With this theme in mind, the 2012 conference featured a number of interactive sessions: “speed dating” to get attendees out of their seats and talking to one another, collective impact small group working sessions to develop shared goals, and “The Doctor is In” mini-sessions where small groups met with an expert on a particular topic.

In addition to the interactive mini-sessions, attendees were also inspired and challenged by the two keynote speakers. Dr. Sakena Yacoobi spoke about her work with Afghan women and children and Craig Kielburger detailed his incredible success at empowering and motivating young people to make a difference in the world. Global Hero Award recipient, Therese Caouette, Executive Director of Partners Asia, moved all of us with her insights into our role as community organizers.  More than 50 panelists, facilitators, and session leaders spoke  on a wide range of topics, from engaging diaspora communities, to nonprofit finance, to beginning a career in global development.

If you missed the conference (or just want to relive it!) you can read the recap report, watch videos, and view photos at: https://globalwa.org/convene/recaps-of-landmark-events/annual-conferences/conference-2012/

Global Washington publishes “Global Education in Washington State”

Global Washington’s Global Education Initiative set out to improve global education in the state of Washington, gathering feedback from more than 1,000 parents, educators, and business leaders from all over the state.  Through interviews, community meetings, and a summit on global education in November 2011, the Initiative identified 36 recommendations and ideas to increase global education in Washington State. These ideas were then grouped into six major recommendations to guide the development of a comprehensive approach to global education in Washington State. We hope you will take a few minutes to read the report and learn about this important work for our students. You can read it or learn more at https://globalwa.org/strengthen/global-education-initiative/

We also hope you will help us share this widely with policy leaders, educators, and even your friends and neighbors! Please email megan@globalwa.org if you have ideas for how to broadly distribute the report.

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Announcements

Sign the petition to create a new National Commission on Children

In response to the recent shooting in Newton, Connecticut, Save the Children, Children’s Health Fund, Every Child Matters, First Focus, Harlem Children’s Zone and Share Our Strength are calling on President Obama to create a new National Commission on Children, which will set goals and policies to ensure the safety and well-being of children. If you support this effort please sign the petition.

Let your Congressional Representative know what Americans really think of Foreign Aid

The ONE Campaign asked real Americans for their thoughts on foreign aid and discovered common misconceptions. Once these everyday Americans learned the facts, ONE found widespread support for continuing to fund foreign assistance. Watch the video, then please share with your congressman.

UW Department of Global Health and Washington Global Health Alliance present lecture by Dr. Guy Palmer

Dr. Guy Palmer, Director of the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health at Washington State University will discuss “Global Health Through a Multi-Disciplinary Lens” in an upcoming lecture as part of the WGHI Discover Series on Tuesday, January 29^th.

When: Tuesday, January 29 from 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Where:Foege Auditorium, Genome Sciences Building, UW (3720 15^th Ave NE, Seattle)
Reception:Foege Auditorium Lobby, 5:30- 6:30 PM

Sustainable living course by 21 Acres

Was sustainability one of your New Year resolutions?  Join the 21 Acres Center for Sustainable Living for a six-series course that will guide you through the process of designing a sustainable venture. Plan to Grow: Creating a Sustainable Business will help you plan, design, and launch the business of your dreams. Workshop leader: Tiffany McVeety. Early bird special: through January 29 – $295, After $495. Visit http://www.21Acres.org for more information

Women’s Enterprises International monthly book forum

Join friends of Women’s Enterprises International (WEI) on Thursday, February 7 for an enriching discussion around February’s eye-opening book selection, Nothing to Envy. Written by award-winning journalist Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy is a remarkable view into North Korea as seen through the lives of six ordinary citizens. Demick follows each character over the course of fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive totalitarian regime today, and through meticulous and sensitive reporting we see her subjects fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival. WEI Book Forum meets every first Thursday to broaden our understanding of the issues faced by those living in the developing world. Through the discussion of carefully chosen works of fiction and nonfiction and conversation with guest speakers, the WEI Book Forum seeks to equip us to become knowledgeable and participatory global citizens. The discussion welcomes everyone and meets first Thursdays in the Knox Lounge of University Presbyterian Church at 7pm. We hope you’ll join us!

Learn more about Women’s Enterprises International and the WEI Book Forum on our website! www.womensenterprises.org

Attend the Executive Director Forum in February

The Executive Director Forum is back in 2013 with a great lineup of topics and facilitators. Register now! Get inspired and take some time to network with your colleagues. It will take place February 22, 8:30-10:30 am, at the 2100 Building for the following topics:

• “Use your voice: How you can influence public policy and advance your mission and fundraising goals” – Futurewise executive director, Hilary Franz 
• “Growing success into succession: Professional development for employees… so you can eventually retire with your legacy preserved” – Former CEO, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, Grace Chien
• “I pick you! Taking an active hand in selecting your next board president”  – Janis Avery, executive director of Treehouse

Skagit Valley College celebrates GlobalFest this month

Skagit Valley College GlobalFest 2013 kicks off Monday, January 28 with the annual International Dinner, featuring GlobalFest keynote speaker Raj Patel on the topic “A Sustainable World Food System.” The event takes place at McIntyre Hall Performing Arts Center at the Skagit Valley College campus in Mount Vernon (about one hour drive north from Seattle), dinner at 5:45pm followed by the keynote address. More information (including tickets) is available at www.skagit.edu/globalfest.

Skagit Valley College’s Global Service Fair is on January 30 at the Mount Vernon campus. This Fair is an opportunity for NGOs to promote their development work and engage college students and community members in supporting or participating in that work. To participate, or for more information, contact Ted Maloney, ted.maloney@skagit.edu

Attend “Rise Up Seattle” to help stop violence against women

One Billion Rising began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. On February 14, 2013, you can attend Rise Up Seattle to join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and women and men across the world and demand change. This event is presented by Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking, and Bainbridge Graduate Institute. The evening will featuring music, dancing, film clips, brief remarks from nonprofits, and more!

RISE UP SEATTLE
Chocolate & Champagne
February 14th, 5:30-7:30+
The Center for Impact and Innovation
More information and tickets

Global Health and Innovation Conference to take place at Yale University in April

The Global Health and Innovation Conference is the world’s largest convening for global health and social entrepreneurship with expected attendance of over 2,000 stakeholders. The 2013 conference will take place from April 13^th to April 14^th at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and will feature keynote speakers Jeffrey Sachs, Sonia Ehrlich Sachs, and Al Sommer, along with many other distinguished presenters.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference. Sign up in January to receive the early-bird registration rate. If you are interested in presenting at the conference, social enterprise pitches are still being accepted for consideration.

Global career launch program adds Seattle site

For the past 6 years, Cultural Vistas has been operating the Global Career Launch program in Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta and Honolulu.  In the summer of 2013, this international workplace exchange makes its debut in Seattle!  Cultural Vistas is a non-profit organization that facilitates training programs for international students through the U.S. Department of State Exchange Visitor program.

The Global Career Launch program will welcome Chinese students to Seattle, providing them with an introduction to the global workplace, English work environment and the opportunity to develop the interpersonal skills required to work abroad. Cultural Vistas provides the visa, medical insurance, housing (at UW), transportation and a social program for the participants.  Host employers benefit from extra hands on deck for special projects this summer, diversified staff and language skills that are highly valuable for anyone working in the Asian market.   Cultural Vistas seeks organizations that can host an unpaid intern for 8 weeks starting June 24^th.  For more information or to review resumes, please contact Alyssa Myers at amyers@culturalvistas.org.

Cultural Vistas announces Kizuna Project

The Kizuna Project provides Japanese university students who are either from or volunteered in the regions directly affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake with opportunities to develop new skills and experience American life through an intensive cultural exchange program.  The Project aims to not only strengthen people-to-people ties between the U.S. and Japan, but to empower and create life-changing immersion experiences for those who need it most.

Fellows will come to the U.S. for language immersion followed by a summer internship placement.  Cultural Vistas is currently seeking host organizations who can welcome a Kizuna Project fellow for an unpaid opportunity.  Transportation, housing, insurance, visa fees and a living stipend are all provided by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The program is administered in partnership with The Laurasian Institution, The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Japan International Cooperation Center and Japan-U.S. Educational Commission.  Please contact Alyssa Myers at amyers@culturalvistas.org to learn how you can support this imitative.

Days for Girls International named a 2013 Nike Girl Effect Champion

We would like to congratulate Days for Girls International for recent recognition of their outstanding work to benefit women and girls. Days for Girls was one of 12 organizations worldwide that were selected to receive funding and publicity as a Nike Girl Effect Champion for the year 2013.

The girl effect movement focuses on “the unique potential of adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves, their families, their communities, their countries and the world” and works to promote this idea and empower young women with resources needed to maximize their effect as change-makers. Days for Girls accomplishes this by providing women with access to sustainable feminine hygiene, which increases their health and their ability to attend school.

Congratulations to Senator Richard Lugar, winner of 2012 Commitment to Development Award.

On January 29^th,  Indiana Senator Richard Lugar will be presented with the 2012 Commitment to Development “Ideas in Action” Award, sponsored by the Center for Global Development and the FP Group. The award honors significant work towards “changing the attitudes, policies, and/or practices of the rich world toward the developing world.”

Throughout his career, he has been a longtime champion of U.S. efforts to promote positive global development and end hunger. He has worked across partisan divides on crucial US development strategy, including introducing legislation to promote greater accountability and transparency.  Lugar was the most senior Republican in the Senate until this month when his term ended.

We congratulate Senator Lugar on this well-deserved recognition of his important contributions to global prosperity!

Initiative for Global Development announces new President & CEO

In February, Mark Green will replace Jennifer Potter as CEO of the Initiative for Global Development. Green is a former Ambassador to Tanzania, served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was most recently a Senior Director at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.  The IGD Board is excited for Green to build on Potter’s work and continue to advance the organization. IGD Chairman Robert A. Mosbacher, Jr. calls Green “a perfect fit for the role.”

GlobalWA would like to extend our congratulations to Mark Green and to thank Jennifer Potter for all of her dedicated work. We look forward to see what the future holds for IGD.

For more information, visit: http://www.igdleaders.org/sections/newsmedia/newsmedia_newsreleases_IGD-Announces-New-CEO_1.23.13.asp

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Career Center

Highlighted Paid Positions

Director of Development Pacific Northwest Region – Medical Teams International
This position contributes to the mission of the organization by prospecting, cultivating, and stewarding major donor relationships in the Pacific Northwest and leading the Oregon and Washington development staff in their work in encouraging donors to give major gifts to Medical Teams International. More

Senior Communications Officer – IHME
IHME has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Communications Officer to join our team. This is a senior-level position that requires a highly skilled writer and strategic thinker, capable of creating both written and verbal communication materials for internal and external audiences in a variety of formats (print, electronic, speeches, and multimedia). This role will report to the Director of Communications. More

Director of International Visitor Program – World Affairs Council
The Director of IVP oversees all program operations and leads a staff of three to successfully execute high-quality, high impact programming for visitors from all corners of the world in a wide array of fields. This is a full-time exempt position responsible for leading the growth, innovation, and development of IVP. More

Highlighted Internship Opportunities

Fundraising, Events Marketing, and Graphic Design – Women’s Enterprises International
This volunteer opportunity will provide experience in designing and producing marketing materials for this non-profit client. Print, web, and email marketing materials are included. Women’s Enterprises International seeks a creative and self-motivated individual to design, develop and distribute all print, web and email marketing materials for our annual spring fundraising event, the Walk for Water, and to assist in the design of the winter print newsletter and e-newsletter. More

Database Development Internship – Women’s Enterprises International
Women’s Enterprises International is seeking a self-motivated individual to design and build a web-based database for its community development programs in Kenya. The database will be used to track the rapidly growing projects Women’s Enterprises sponsors in villages in Kenya and will be used by staff in Seattle and Kenya. The Intern will be responsible for building a cloud-based database to store, update and display program and project data for WEI’s Kenya-based programs. Intern will survey and work with staff in Seattle and Kenya (via phone and Skype) to gain an understanding of the overall needs, uses, and services that the database must fulfill. More

For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/strengthen/careers-in-development/

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Global Washington Events

Wednesday, January 30
The Intersection of Global Health and Women’s Economic Empowerment

Friday, February 15
Connecting to the Last Mile: Challenges in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

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Other Events

Monday, January 25
Etta’s Birthday donation event

Tuesday, January 24
City Club’s- “Philanthropy Forward”

Friday, January 25
2013 Breakfast Symposium on the Debt Crisis in the EU

Saturday, January 26
Indian Republic Day Celebration

Frink Park – Volunteer event Earth Corps

Sunday, January 27
Cultural Tours to Indian Information Session – Global Family Travels

Tuesday, January 29
Global Health Through a Multi-Disciplinary Lens

Spanish Conversation Group – World Affairs Council

Wednesday, January 30
Global Classroom: Women Making a Difference in East Africa: A Special Evening Hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

WWF Basics and Coffee – Information Session

Saturday, February 2
St. Thomas School Camp Fair –Exploring Ideas for Summer

Kubota Garden- South Seattle/Rainier Beach – Volunteer event Earth Corps

Monday, February 4
Discussion: “The Weatherman Project” with Kit Bakke

Wednesday, February 6
Sage Fund Accounting and Fundraising 50 Demonstrations – Software demonstrations for Non-Profit financials

World Affairs Council Annual Meeting

Thursday, February 14
Valentine’s Day Taste of Wine and Chocolate – Fundraiser for Healing the Children

Late February – unspecified 
PATH Community Coffee – Staff meet and greet to understand more of the global development work PATH does

Thursday, February 21
WGHA Discovery Series Lecture – Nancy Krebs, MD

Friday, February 22
NIH Grant Training Seminar – University of Washington

Wednesday, February 27
Reading the Headlines: Interpreting Turkey

Friday, March 1
Global Fest – Everett Community College

Friday, March 8
International Women’s Day Breakfast 

Thursday, March 14
8^th Annual Dinner – Hosted by One by One

Wednesday, March 27
Stronger Together Breakfast – Habitat for Humanity

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Welcome to the December 2012 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
• Featured organization: Viva: Creating a better world for children through the power of the network
• Welcome new members
• Announcements
• Global Washington and members in the media
• Career Center

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings,

I hope you are enjoying time with your friends and loved ones during this holiday season and are looking forward to the approaching new year.

We recently hosted our 4^th Annual Conference: Redefining Development—From Silos to Collective Impact.  We were thrilled to hear from some attendees that it was our best conference yet! For this we owe a huge thank you to our volunteers, speakers, sponsors, event staff, and amazing conference planning committee. Perhaps even more importantly, we would like to thank our members and other attendees for their thoughtful participation. As we continue to focus on collective impact, collaborative opportunities like our annual conference will become more and more important. We hope that you keep in mind how much stronger and more effective we can be when we learn from each other work together!

Recap information from the conference is available on our website, including photos, videos, and blogs and I hope you will take some time to review it if you were not able to attend. The entire day was a big success, but several aspects of the conference stood out to me as especially exciting. Dr. Sakena Yacoobi’s morning remarks about her work in Afghanistan to train teachers and to help children get an education really illustrated an idea that many of our members are embracing: investing in women and children is critical if we want to see positive change. As Dr. Yacoobi said, “Afghanistan will have peace when the women of Afghanistan are leaders.” We were honored to have the chance to spend time with such an influential and visionary leader.

Our morning plenary was a dynamic discussion with key leaders about public-private partnerships and how they can create lasting social impact. This was a productive conversation on a complex and often controversial subject and I hope to see more exploration of this topic in the future. One of my favorite parts of the conference was a session called “The Doctor is In,” where experts on various topics—from fundraising, to technology, to jobs in global development—facilitated mini-sessions to help attendees get answers to their questions.  I have wanted to host a session like this for many years and am grateful to our wonderful “doctors” for helping us make it happen!

We closed our day with a keynote address from Craig Kielburger, founder of Free The Children and Me to We. Craig’s work to inspire our youth to give and invest in the world also inspired all of us to continue to what we are doing to make a difference! I appreciated his energy and enthusiasm for this cause and am excited to see the results of Seattle’s first “We Day” celebration for youth in the U.S., coming up in Seattle in March.

In case I don’t say it enough, I really appreciate your engagement with Global Washington over the past year. Your participation is essential for us to promote and support global development in our state and I look forward to continued collaboration in 2013!

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

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Viva

Creating a better world for children through the power of the network

By Megan Boucher

Some of the rescued boys in Nepal at a network project, two days before being reunited with their families.

The police in Bhaktapur, Nepal learned that some local sari-making factories were employing very young children, an illegal but pervasive practice in Nepal. Before executing a raid on the factories, the police contacted the local Viva network and asked for volunteer assistance. The network coordinator contacted several local churches who were part of the network and within 24 hours mobilized 80 volunteers who accompanied the police on the raid. 127 children were rescued from the factories and the network was able to look after all of the children–one project taking three, another taking four, another working to send them home to their families, and so forth.

Viva’s collaborative networks are composed of diverse groups that share one common denominator: all are working to improve the lives of children within their community. Without the Nepalese network, there would have been no way to mobilize so much support so quickly as no one organization or police force would have been able to care for so many children. With a head office in the United Kingdom and a smaller office in Seattle, Viva operates in-country networks in 35 cities around the world, working under an innovative model of collaboration. Their logo states the simple but powerful concept that underlines all of the organization’s work: “Viva: Together for Children”

Viva was founded about 16 years ago by Patrick McDonald, who started the faith-based organization after volunteering with children in Paraguay as a young man. Disheartened by the heartbreaking situations of the children, Patrick experienced what he describes as a vision from God where he pictured a globe with small pinpricks of light, representing hope and people responding to the problems children were facing. The light was dim, but the pinpricks began to join up and get brighter until eventually the light became stronger and took over the whole globe. This inspiration gave Patrick the idea that to really solve these problems, we need work together. In his local community, he quickly discovered that four different churches were feeding children in a local park, unaware of each other, and all running their program on the same night. Consequently, the street children ate well on Monday, but had nothing the rest of the week. The newfound awareness allowed these programs to coordinate and feed children throughout the week. This simple solution represented the beginning of Viva.

The premise is simple: in any given city there are a huge amount of people working to make a difference for children through feeding centers, hospitals, orphanages, anti-trafficking programs, schools, and many others. However, few of them are speaking to each other, even fewer are working together, and most are not even aware of each other’s existence.  When Viva forms a network, they seek to get all of these diverse players in the same place. From the local women trying to feed street children out of her home to the international NGO with extensive projects in the city, Viva provides a platform for collaboration, resource sharing, learning, and collective impact.

Once established, Viva networks operate independently, but are supported by the larger organization. Network coordinators are local, usually indigenous individuals who are able to help lead the networks in a way that is culturally and regionally appropriate. During the earlier stages of a network’s existence, Viva will often see practical results. For instance, a school might need extra space to expand and through the network will connect with a church that has free space during the week. Local businesses might have extra food to donate to a feeding program. A project that provides services only for girls might become aware of a similar project for boys and start referring boys to a place to go for help instead of turning them away.

Viva also creates helpful programs that are designed to run on a network platform, for instance, trainings on topics like child protection or trauma counseling. They also have a program called “Child Friendly Church,” designed to help churches become more welcoming places for children.

However, Viva wants to make a more significant difference beyond strengthening network members in their everyday work.  As networks grow, they are starting to attract more notice and Viva is seeing a new phenomenon: the power of the collective voice. Beth Gaukroger, Communications and Prayer Manager for Viva, described Viva’s presence in Bolivia, where networks in 6 different cities have joined together to become a countrywide voice that is now able to participate in government-level conversations on child protection and child-focused issues. “You’re including projects like the couple who decided to adopt two kids and ended up taking 20,” explained Beth. “When would they ever get to speak to the government? Who is going to listen to them? They are just two ordinary people, probably quite poor themselves. They have got no voice. But now that they’re part of a network, their voice is being heard in that network and in government positions.”

Five-year-old Ingrid, who got a chance to advice the Vice President of Guatemala

Beth described even more exciting developments in Bolivia where the children themselves are now speaking to the government. Called the “Child Ambassadors” program, these children are running a “buen trato” (“good treatment”) campaign by going out on the streets with candy and petitions, grabbing every passing adult, and talking to them about how to treat children well. About 2000 children participated last year and gained around 28,000 signatures, which were presented to the president of the house of parliament in Bolivia. “Something like that has considerably more power than adults telling other adults how to treat children better,” explained Beth.  She described something similar in Guatemala where a 5-year-old-girl had the chance to approach the Vice President and ask him to please treat children well. “How do you say no to that?” Beth laughed. The Child Ambassadors program started in Latin America, but has since been picked up by Viva networks in Africa as well.

Networks exist to strengthen the work of individual members, but also decide what macro issues are important areas of focus. In India, for instance, girls’ education has a lot of attention from the network  because there are so many social and political issues surrounding it. It is extremely powerful for so many diverse groups to come together around these issues. “Working together is so not easy,” Beth explained. “It requires humility, wisdom, insight and tenacity. And it’s not about us as an organization or a project. The most important thing is that children are helped.”

Viva has had tremendous success in its existing networks, but still sees considerable room for growth. The organization is resisting pressure to expand geographically and instead hopes to strengthen and deepen its existing networks. “We want our growth to be quality, not quantity,” said Beth. “We want to continue working in these countries to make our networks more effective and see greater change.” They are looking more towards areas of prevention—for instance preventing child trafficking—rather than just helping children that have already been affected by these issues.

Viva has a strong emphasis on unity and cooperation. “This is where our faith comes into play,” explained Beth. “The Bible talks about unity and working together. We are many parts of one body and we are all vital. This mentality flows into the networks—each part is essential, but they are stronger together.” Viva’s is enthusiastic about being a member of Global Washington as both organizations emphasize a very strong message that diverse entities can work together to make a more powerful impact.

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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!

ChangeStream Media
ChangeStream Media’s mission is to educate, inspire and improve the social welfare of disadvantaged communities worldwide through digital media. The organization will seek knowledge that can unlock brighter futures, and share it with a wide audience using multimedia storytelling. www.changestreammedia.org

International Development Exchange
IDEX identifies, evaluates, and grows the best ideas from local leaders and organizations to alleviate poverty and injustice around the world. IDEX connects a passionate and engaged network of supporters to the visionary leaders and organizations creating lasting solutions to their communities’ most pressing challenges. www.idex.org

Skagit Valley College
Since its founding in 1926, Skagit Valley College has been respected as a leader in providing access to quality higher education, economic development, and cultural enrichment, where diverse learners expand their opportunities and horizons to better themselves and their communities. www.skagit.edu

Ashoka
Ashoka envisions an Everyone A Changemaker™ world: a world that responds quickly and effectively to social challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem and drive change. Ashoka strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers. www.ashoka.org

Russell Investments
Whether you’re an institutional investor, a financial advisor, or an individual guided by an advisor’s personalized advice. We’re a global asset manager and one of only a few firms that offer a true multi-asset approach to investing, combining asset allocation, manager selection and dynamic portfolio management. www.russell.com

Individuals

James Duffus

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Announcements

Lumana: Holiday Giving Campaign

Last week, Lumana launched its holiday giving campaign and invites supporters to come together over the holidays and learn about West African culture. This campaign is a chance to learn about the people and culture of Ghana and to empower villagers with the tools they need to eradicate poverty. The campaign is focused around a cookbook that features the Lumana team’s favorite Ghanaian recipes!

For more information about this campaign, please visit:
http://lumana.geocko.com/campaigns/d9z.

The World Justice Project Launches A Global Contest to Advance the Rule of Law

The World Justice Project is pleased to announce the launch of their Roderick B. Mathews Opportunity Fund Competition—their first online, global competition to identify innovative ideas that advance the rule of law.  The WJP provides seed grants to implement solutions to issues of rule of law on the ground, and acts as a justice laboratory.

“All individuals, organizations, and entities are eligible to enter the competition and may submit multiple entries. In addition to funding, Opportunity Fund winners will receive publicity, research, and networking support from the WJP. Winners may also have the opportunity to present their work at the 2013 World Justice Forum, a global gathering that brings together hundreds of leaders and dignitaries.”

To enter the competition, visit: worldjusticeproject.org/opportunity-fund-competition.

Please send questions or comments to: opportunityfund@wjpnet.org.

GAPPS Announces a Request for Proposals in Preterm and Stillbirth Research

The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS) announced a request for proposals as part of their Preventing Preterm Birth Initiative. This is an opportunity to develop research sites in low- and middle-income countries to examine causes of preterm and stillbirth.

The full request for proposals is here: http://gapps.org/index.php/research/healthy_birth/, and the deadline for letters of inquiry is February 15, 2013.

For more information, please visit: http://gapps.org/index.php/research/healthy_birth/.

PATH Names Amie Batson as Chief Strategy Officer

Late last month, Amie Batson was appointed to the newly-created position of chief strategy officer at PATH. Currently the senior deputy assistant administrator for global health at USAID, Ms. Batson will join PATH in April 2013. She will help to guide PATH’s strategy and strengthen its partnerships and business ties in the global health community. “I look forward to joining PATH, an institution known for its entrepreneurship and innovation in global health,” said Ms. Batson. “With its global footprint and history of advancing valuable technologies, PATH is an important player in helping countries and partners take on new and better approaches to save lives.”

CityClub hosts 2013 Legislative Preview

On Friday, January 11^th , CityClub will host a 2013 Legislative preview and luncheon. The event will feature Rep. Frank Chopp, Speaker of the House (D), 43rd Legislative District;  Senator Ed Murray, Senate Majority Leader (D), 43rd Legislative District; and Senator Mark Schoesler, Republican Floor Leader (R), 9th Legislative District. Don’t miss this special in-person opportunity to speak directly to top leadership from the State House and Senate about the upcoming session and let them know about your priorities for our state!

Location: Sheraton | Grand Ballroom | 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
Doors Open: 11:30 a.m. | Luncheon & Program: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Price: Luncheon – CityClub Members – $40 | Guests & Co-Promoters – $45 | General Public – $50; Coffee & Dessert – CityClub Members – $12 | Guests & Co-Promoters – $15 | General Public – $18

Register now

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Global Washington and Members in the Media

Seattle Times publishes editorial and the importance of foreign aid

As the fiscal cliff looms ahead, the Seattle Times published an editorial last week telling Congress that cuts to foreign aid should be a last resort. Citing the work of Washington’s global health and global development institutions, the Times insists that these programs are life-changing for people in developing nations and are also important to this huge job-creating sector in the state of Washington. Global Washington wholeheartedly agrees that the contributions of Washington’s global development institutions are crucial, both to our community in the state, and to work being done abroad.

Global Washington conference an example of how NGO’s work together

The article “Seattle NGOs asked to do something incredible: work together” appeared in the The Seattle Globalist last week and described Global Washington’s 4th Annual Conference as an opportunity for diverse organizations to come together and find ways to collaborate. “I’m an amateur choir geek and a professional international development wonk. Those things might seem unrelated, but they do have one thing common: when talented and creative people come together, beautiful harmonies are made,” wrote author Joy Portella.

Humanosphere blog discusses Global Washington conference themes

“Seattle pushes women’s rights & private sector to fight poverty” cites the Global Washington conference and the Seattle International Foundation’s Women in the World breakfast as examples of a growing focus in development work on women’s rights and public/private partnerships.

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Career Center

Highlighted Career

Name and Profile
Chris Rivera, President, Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association

How would you describe your job?
Leader of WA’s life science trade association. Mission is to support and grow life science jobs in the state. More.

Highlighted Paid Positions

Program Manager—Global Visionaries
Provide managerial and administrative oversight for leadership program for high-school students. Work directly with participants, parents, and interns in managing all components of the program. Coordinate logistics for events, class nights, retreats, volunteer events. Implement / Deliver curriculum and training on eco-footprint, cross-cultural, and social justice issues. Mentor and support student fundraising; provide support to low-income students. Communicate regularly with parents, and teachers. More.

Market Intelligence Analyst – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The primary purpose of the Market Intelligence Analyst role is to support the design, development, and day-to-day management of market analytics and information for the Life Sciences Partnerships team in its core sectors: multinational pharmaceutical companies, developing country manufacturers, venture capital firms, and biotech companies. The Market Intelligence Analyst will report directly to the Senior Program Officer (SPO) in Life Sciences Partnerships responsible for the multinational pharmaceutical industry strategy.  More.

Highlighted Internship Opportunities

Global Envision Contributor Internship – Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is seeking contributors to its Global Envision program. Global Envision is Mercy Corps’ blog about innovative, market-based solutions to poverty, explored through news, commentary and discussion. The Global Envision contributor internship is ideal for candidates who are self-described ‘news junkies’ and who can boil down complex topics into bite-sized but thoughtful commentary, and connect the dots between global poverty, markets and business. More.

For more jobs and resources, visit www.globalwa.org/resources/careers-in-development/

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