Seattle – Now that the floodwaters in Pakistan are receding, officials from Islamabad to Washington are faced with a great possibility.

This disaster that swept so much away may actually provide an opportunity to sweep away the biggest roadblock to improving Pakistan’s stability, furthering its economic growth, and lessening its threat to global security: the widespread lack of landownership by the rural poor.

The landless poor have no meaningful stake in rural society, and it is often the Taliban who step in to use their grievances as grounds for recruitment.

For the poor, owning at least some land of one’s own is a lifeline to survival – a basic source of nutrition, income, status, and security. Grossly mistreated by landowners, the landless poor in country after country have supported severe civil unrest and outright revolution.

Want Global Security From Terrorists? Give Land To Pakistan’s Poor
The Christian Science Monitor | Roy Prosterman | October 26

Welcome to the October 2010 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: The Max Foundation – Maximizing Life With Cancer
• Featured Story: Attend the Global Washington Conference to learn about the role of Businesses in meeting Development Goals
• Announcements
• Global Washington Events
• General Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings,

Four weeks until the Global Washington second annual conference! We are excited and really busy pulling together the last minutes details of the agenda and program. We hope you will be attending the conference.

Have you submitted a video of your work for the conference?   Have you registered to attend?

The conference will convene top policymakers and thought leaders to explore how our region can best harness our resources to tackle some of today’s most challenging issues. We will be joined by some of the nation’s senior officials and experts to explore the following issues areas on the panels:

• Investing in women and girls – Access to rights and resources
• Ensuring Environmental Sustainability
• Harnessing Commercial Strategies to Achieve Development Goals
• Innovative Uses of   Technology  for Development
• How youth are effecting international Development?
• Successful Partnerships: models and examples
• Trends in International Philanthropy:
• Assessing Our Impact : from strategy to implementation

We are working to create many opportunities for you all to connect at our conference and to share the work of your organization. You are all doing valuable work in the field, and Global Washington aims to provide a space for you to exchange ideas, share best practices, and troubleshoot challenges with other individuals and organizations in the sector doing similar work.

Hope to see you at the conference.

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

The Max Foundation – Maximizing Life With Cancer

This October, in partnership with patient associations in more than 30 countries, The Max Foundation launched a worldwide Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign.  Throughout the entire month, the campaign is featuring 62 Celebration of Life events around the globe. All of these events have one goal – to raise public awareness of the needs of people diagnosed with cancer in low and middle income countries and make cancer control a global health priority! Friends across Washington State will have a chance to contribute to this amazing cause and campaign: by adding your name to the World Cancer Declaration while sending a personal message of support to cancer survivors everywhere.

If one is diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., no doubt that it would be a fearful and devastating experience even with the resources we have available here. Imagine how it would be like for people living in the developing world to be diagnosed with cancer. According to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), “each year, over 12 million people receive a cancer diagnosis and 7.6 million die of the disease.” By 2020, it is projected by the University of Texas that 60 percent of all new cancer cases will occur in the poorest countries. What makes matters worse is that about 72 percent of all cancer deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries but only 5 percent of global resources to fight cancer are spent in the developing world, as estimated by WHO. The Max Foundation has stepped in to alleviate the helplessness people in the developing world are experiencing and to actively provide them with access to resources, the best treatments and the support they need.

The Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign was chosen to be held in October because of Maximiliano (Max) M. Rivarola – who was the inspiration behind The Max Foundation story. Max was born in the month of October. He was a lovable son to his family and a well-liked young man to his many friends in school.  At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). His family brought him to the U.S. from Argentina in the hope of searching for a match for a bone marrow transplant. Two years of search effort unfortunately did not link to any success. He underwent an autologous transplant in 1991, but it was unsuccessful. Max laid down his struggle against CML two months later at the age of 17. Pat Garcia–Gonzalez, the step-mother of Max, co-founded The Max Foundation in honor of his outstanding courage and strength throughout this most difficult battle.

With the mission of improving the lives and survival rates of patients with blood cancer and rare cancers worldwide, The Max Foundation was established to work toward the goal that all cancer patients have access to the best treatments, care, and support available. When Max was fighting cancer, it was a time before the world of internet.  The development of internet has really changed how people approach illness. The Max Foundation has not only seen the internet as a great tool for people to access enormous information about illnesses, it also provides a platform for cancer patients, families, and caregivers to share experiences and support each other. Doctors are no longer the only source of knowledge one has to rely on. Patients are able to understand doctors’ recommendations and are empowered to make decisions on their own treatments. The Max Foundation was born in 1997 out of this idea of a support system. This idea has been deeply rooted in their flagship program, International Patient Helpline, which remains their main program until now.

The International Patient Helpline is staffed by a team of professionally trained advocates, who are based in targeted countries in all regions of the world. At free of charge, the global advocates assess patients’ needs, connect them with local patient support groups, research possible access to solutions, and provide referrals from The Max Foundation’s International Resource Database. What makes the International Patient Helpline program distinctive is its one-on-one system where one patient is assigned to one advocate, ensuring a very personal support for the patients.

In 2009, this one-on-one support has reached 17,000 patient families from more than 110 countries. In order for its services to reach more patients worldwide and for the infrastructure of support system to be more sustainable, The Max Foundation started to organize Patient Groups (or patient associations) in countries where no culture of patient support system exists. In the U.S., we have organizations to provide emotional support.  Such culture is missing in many developing countries, however. The Max Foundation has been playing a big role in filling this gap.  To date, there are official organizations or associations of patients that are affiliated with The Max Foundation in more than 20 countries – for example, Argentina, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Russia. These patient groups can provide patients with positive platforms to interact with physicians, such as through group educational workshops, in addition to acting as a channel for patients to share local resources and personal experiences.

Based in the State of Washington, The Max Foundation has developed close working relationships with organizations like the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.  The Max Foundation believes the future lies in developing a solid diagnostic and evaluation infrastructure in every corner of the world. In some developing countries, there may only be one or two hematologists or one cancer center for the entire country. Without accurate diagnosis, we cannot even talk about appropriate treatments.  Therefore, The Max Foundation is working meticulously with physician leaders around the world, like Dr. Jerald Radich at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who is on their Scientific Board, to increase the capacity and infrastructure of diagnostic around the world, especially in Africa and Central America.

Cancer survival rates can be dramatically improved in all countries. The Max Foundation, along with 300 other UICC member organizations in over 100 countries, is dedicated to collect 1 million signatures to support the World Cancer Declaration. These signatures will be presented to the first ever United Nations high-level summit on Non Communicable Diseases in September 2011. Cancer will be one of the four priorities being discussed at this summit.  As The Max Foundation and the world are working diligently towards improving the lives and the survival rates of cancer patients, let’s join the effort by signing the Maximize Life Tribute Wall today!

To learn more about The Max Foundation, their programs, and the Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign, please visit http://www.themaxfoundation.org.

*Photos courtesy to The Max Foundation.

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Attend the Global Washington Conference to learn about the role of Businesses in meeting Development Goals

One of our goals at Global Washington is to promote cross sector relationships between universities, businesses and NGOs. Many of Washington’s leading businesses, such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing and Weyerhaeuser, are recognized as pioneers in global corporate citizenship.

As the primary engine for global economic growth, business is closely linked to social development and advancement. Increasingly, businesses are seeking ways to contribute to the world and build global markets. Global Washington works with a broad and diverse number of business partners to strengthen and promote the global development sector in the state of Washington, which has become an emerging and vital part of the community, economy, and personality of the region in which we live. As we benefitted from our early ties to Asian markets and our early concentration of high tech, now is the time for us to gain a reputation for leading and making a difference around the world.
Now is the time for all of us to invest in making Washington a recognized leader in global development. This means being good corporate citizens, being proud of Washington as a leader in the nation, and working together to build a better world for everyone. It also requires business to play a critical role by supporting the economic, cultural, and educational future of the State, resulting in a more sustainable and successful business climate. Businesses are a leader in our community and the state of Washington. We are inviting the business sector to step up to a leadership role in taking the global development sector in Washington to the next level.

The following is a list of presentations by businesses at the Global Washington conference on Nov 15th and 16th:

• Trilogy International Partners, Panel topic: Innovative Uses of Technology for Development
• Imaging the World, Panel Topic: Innovative Uses of Technology for Development
• Theo’s Chocolates, Panel Topic: Harnessing Commercial Strategies to Achieve Development Goals
• Carrix / SSA Marin, Panel Topic: Harnessing Commercial Strategies to Achieve Development Goals
• NetHope, Panel Topic: Successful Partnerships
• Rotary International, Panel Topic: Successful Partnerships

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Announcements

Max Foundation Launches Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign

Join our effort to reduce deaths from cancer around the world!  This month, The Max Foundation, in partnership with cancer organizations in over 30 countries, launches a worldwide drive to collect signatures endorsing the World Cancer Declaration.  The foundation’s Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign pledges to collect 10,000 signatures that will contribute to a goal of 1 million signatures to be collected worldwide by all member organizations and presented to the United Nations General Assembly Summit on cancer and other non-communicable diseases in September 2011.  The World Cancer Declaration aims to slow and ultimately reverse the growth rates of deaths from cancer. For information on how to add your name to the World Cancer Declaration, visit www.themaxfoundation.org

Global Visionaries Announces “Theatre of the Oppressed” a Two Day workshop

Are you looking for workshop that will give you creative tools to apply to your work in global development?  Theatre of the Oppressed, developed by Brazilian visionary Augusto Boal, is used all over the world for political and social activism, conflict resolution, community building, therapy, and government legislation.  This workshop features community building games, Image Theatre, and Forum Theatre — the acclaimed audience participatory structure which invites a community to explore solutions to its own problems.  Theatre of the Oppressed will be facilitated by Cheryl Harrison who has been active in anti-oppression and empowerment work with people of all ages since the mid 1980’s, and Marc Weinblatt, founder of the Mandala Center for Change and former Co-Artistic Director of the Seattle Public Theatre. The workshop is open to high-school age students and adults and will be held Saturday and Sunday, November 13-14, from 9:30 am to 6 pm in Seattle.  The cost is $200.  For more information about the program, please contact info@mandalacenterforchange.com.

For logistical information and to register, contact:

Global Visionaries 206-322-9448

DarcyPintado@global-visionaries.org

www.global-visionaries.org

Global Partnerships Closes $20 Million Fund Aimed at “Microfinance Plus”

Out of the 48 million people in Latin America who could benefit from access to microcredit, only an estimated 15 percent, or 9 million, are being reached. Global Partnerships is working to change these statistics and expand opportunity for people living in poverty.  This month, GP has closed its fourth social investment fund (SIF 2010) at $20 million and estimates that over its five-year lifespan, it should fund more than 200,000 microloans.  The fund will provide much-needed loan capital to up to 20 select microfinance institutions in Latin America.

“By investing in microfinance institutions that are having exceptional impact, this fund will help hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty earn a brighter future for their families,” said Rick Beckett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Partnerships.

Like GP’s three previous funds, SIF 2010 will provide affordable loans to a select portfolio of microfinance institutions that are financially sustainable and that reinvest profits in programs that benefit people living in poverty. With this fund, GP seeks to reach people most in need of credit, such as the rural poor, and that provide innovative “microfinance-plus” programs, including preventive health services, business education, and assistance related to rural economic development.

Forty-one investors have contributed to SIF 2010.  Investors cite a range of reasons for their interest in the fund, including the combination of well-managed risk and moderate returns, the excellence of GP’s fund management and the fund’s focus on social impact.

For the full press release, please see: http://www.globalpartnerships.org/sections/newsinfo/newsinfo_nr_GP_sif_2010.htm

Shoreline Community College Hosts Human Migration Symposium

What drives immigration policy in the U.S. and what are its economic, social and political implications?  Do countries in Europe face the same immigration issues as the U.S.?  How is internal migration as important as immigration across borders in countries like China?   Is political asylum part of the larger debate about immigration or a complicated side issue in an era of clashing civilizations?

The Global Affairs Center at Shoreline Community College will host a Symposium on Human Migration beginning Tuesday, October 19, 2010.  The goal of the symposium is to stimulate critical thinking and engagement. The five sessions (on consecutive Tuesdays) begin at 7 p.m, and will be held in the Student Union Building (9000), PUB 9208, on the SCC campus.

Oct. 19…..U.S. Policy: The Good, the Bad and the Confusing

Oct. 26…..An Advocate’s View

Nov. 2……Guest Workers or Job Thieves in Europe?

Nov. 9……China’s Achilles Heel: Internal Migration

Nov. 16….Political Asylum in an Age of Clashing Cultures

Visit http://www.shoreline.edu/gac/ for more information on sessions.

Microfinance Discussion to be held at Seattle University

“Measuring Social Performance: The Challenge to Microcredit’s Bottom Line” will take place on Thursday, October 28^th in Seattle University’s Wyckoff Auditorium.  This event is sponsored by OikoCredit, SeaMo, Seattle University, Global Washington, and the Global Business Center at the UW Foster School of Business and will feature a discussion among European and U.S. experts on social performance metrics in the microfinance sector.  The session aims to answer the question: what tools can be applied to measure the double bottom line of both financial performance and social impact, and what can they tell us about the effectiveness of microfinance in alleviating poverty?  Registration opens at 6:30pm and the program begins at 7:00pm. Admission is free.

Exiled Voices for Justice to Host Screening and Panel Discussion of “The Greatest Silence”

In honor of Congo Week (October 17-23), on Friday, October 22, 7:00-9:30 pm, Exiled Voices for Justice will screen and discuss THE GREATEST SILENCE: Rape in the Congo at the Meaningful Movies at Keystone Church (5019 Keystone Place N., Seattle)

Winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary and inspiration for a U.N. Resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war, “The Greatest Silence” opened the world’s eyes to the epidemic of rape in eastern Congo. Featuring interviews with survivors, activists, peacekeepers, physicians, and – chillingly – soldiers who unabashedly admit to torturing women, this powerful film shattered the silence surrounding the use of rape as a weapon of war while inspiring viewers with examples of resistance, courage, and resilience.

After the screening, three panelists will discuss issues raised by the film and ways in which those issues are being addressed today: Dick Anderson, Executive Director, HEAL Africa (www.healafrica.org); Wemba-koy Okonda, President, OKONGO (www.okongo.org); and Erika Berg, Refugee and Immigrant Children’s Program (www.refugeechildren.net).

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Starting at 6:45, images from the internationally touring photo exhibit, “Congo/Women” (www.congowomen.org), will be previewed. After the screening/panel, nonprofits working in the Congo and on behalf of Congolese refugees will display literature about their programs and opportunities for attendees to get involved.

This free event is co-hosted by Lutheran Community Services NW’s Refugee and Immigrant Children’s Program and Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies. Admittance is free; first come, first served. For details: www.exiledvoicesforjustice.org and www.meaningfulmovies.org To learn more about Congo Week: www.congoweek.org

Other events happening in the Seattle are during Congo Week include:

• Sat, Oct 16, 9am-: Intiman’s “Run for Congo” at Green Lake: http://www.intiman.org/events/run-for-congo-women
• Tue, Oct 19, 4-6pm: UW Seattle’s Screening & Panel Discussion of “Lumo”: http://www.jsis.washington.edu/africa/events.shtml
• Thu, Oct 21, 6-8pm: UW Bothell’s Screening & Panel Discussion of “Lumo” at the Commons
  http://www.uwb.edu/getattachment/visitors/newcampusmap-gs.pdf
• For details, contact Melissa at mksaquic@u.washington.edu
• Fri, Oct 22, 6:45-9:30pm: Exiled Voices for Justice’s Screening & Panel Discussion of “The Greatest Silence”: www.exiledvoicesforjustice.org

United Nations Anniversary Celebration to focus on Millennium Development Goals

The United Nations Association of Greater Seattle will celebrate the 65^th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations on Oct. 24, 2010.

The program, “The United Nations Millennium Development Goals: Engaging America,” will feature as guest speakers Dr. Stephen Gloyd, UW professor of global health and executive director of the Seattle-Based Health Alliance International, and Tim Hanstad, president and CEO of the Rural Development Institute.

A highlight of the evening’s program, the United Nations Association of Greater Seattle will confer its 2010 Humanitarian Award on William H. Gates, Sr. Author, television and radio host of Europe Through the Back Door, Rick Steves, will serve as the guest moderator.  The program and dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Bloedel Hall in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle.

The United Nations Association of the United States of America Greater Seattle Chapter is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports the work of the United Nations and encourages active civic participation in the most important social and economic issues facing the world today.

As the nation’s largest grassroots foreign policy organization and the leading center of policy research on the UN and global issues, UNA-USA offers Americans the opportunity to connect with issues confronted by the UN from global health and human rights to the spread of democracy, equitable development, and international justice. Through the work of the Greater Seattle chapter, UNA educates the community about the work of the United Nations and encourages public support for strong U.S. leadership in the UN.

View the event flyer for more information.

Agros International Hosts Dinner Program to Support Tierras De Vida Program

Agros International is sponsoring a memorable evening benefiting the rural poor of Central America and Mexico. The dinner will take place on Saturday, October 23 the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue (900 Belevue Way NE). The reception begins at 6:30 pm and dinner and the program will start at 7:30 pm.

The program will feature a special presentation from Danubia Orellana, an inspiring Honduran woman who co-founded the Agros village of Brisas del Volcan! Other speakers include Dr. Gary L. Darmstadt , Director, Family Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Hans Theyer, President & CEO of Agros International.

Visit www.agros.org/tierrasdevida for more information or to register. You can also email dedek@agros.org. The event is $100 per person.

Save the Date for the Americans for UNFPA Luncheon for the Health and Dignity of Women

Save the Date to support the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) work on behalf of women’s health and rights in over 150 countries. Join Americans for UNFPA in global efforts to improve the lives of women in low income countries.  UNFPA works to ensure safe pregnancies and deliveries, fistula prevention and repair, curtail sex trafficking and other violence to women, and see that every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. The Luncheon for the Health and Dignity of Women gathers interested individuals and businesses who are at the forefront of this movement. We are honored that Yvette Mulongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, will be with us to share her accomplishments. At a time when so many are in need, investing in women like Yvette has a ripple effect that improves the lives of families, communities and nations.

Details for the event are as follows:

When:  Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 11:30 – 1:15pm
Where:  Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, Seattle , WA
Tickets: $125/person.
Contact Name:  Michelle Grocke, mgrocke@americansforunfpa.org , 440.725.1331

UW Center for Human Rights Welcomes LGBT Activist from El Salvador

The Center for Human Rights welcomes LGBT Rights Activist William Hernandez for the presentation: “Human Rights in the LGBT Community in El Salvador” on Thursday, October 28 at 6 p.m. in Thomson Hall 317. This is a free event and open to the public.

William Hernández is the Director and President of the Asociación Entre Amigos, an organization that works to promote and defend the human rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population and people living with HIV/AIDS in El Salvador.

He also serves as Secretary for Human Rights of the Coalition of Gay Organizations of Central America. In 2000, William was honored with the Felipa de Souza Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in New York. A courageous grassroots activist and leader, over the years William has faced death threats, office raids, and other acts of intimidation aimed at silencing his advocacy for LGBT rights; Amnesty International and other human rights groups have issued Urgent Actions expressing fear for his safety. Although the situation has improved in recent years, members of the Salvadoran LGBT community continue to experience violence and intimidation as part of their daily lives, and Entre Amigos is one of the few organizations that publicly advocates on their behalf.

For more on William’s work, see
http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/support/cocarchives/772.html .

For more information about the UW Center for Human Rights, please see http://jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/ , find our group on Facebook, or email uwchr@u.washington.edu.

This event is co-sponsored by the UW Center for Human Rights, UW Center for Global Studies, The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), UW Q Center, Pride at Work, and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).

Join USAID for an Online Discussion on Broad-Based Economic Growth October 26-28

USAID is hosting an online discussion October 26-28 on broad-based economic growth, a topic that the new U.S. Global Development Policy emphasizes.  USAID is looking for input from the whole development community; they want to know what lessons we have learned from countries that have successfully achieved broad-based economic growth, and how USAID can translate the new policy into reality.  The discussion will include USAID staff, implementing partners, and members of the research and academic community.  All are encouraged to participate.  Click here to register to join in the discussion.

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Global Washington Events:

October 21
Understanding Islam and the Arab World

October 25
Fair Trade: Products that Empower the Poor

October 27
Understanding Islam and the Arab World

October 28
Measuring Social Performance: The Challenge to Microcredit’s Bottom Line (GW co-sponsored event)

Human Rights in the LGBT Community in El Salvador

November 15 & 16
Global Washington’s Second Annual Conference—Bridges to Breakthroughs: How partnerships and innovation are changing the world

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General Events:

October 19
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment
Human Migration Symposium — Shoreline Community College
Congo Week: UW Seattle’s Screening & Panel Discussion of “Lumo”

October 21
Congo Week: UW Bothell’s Screening & Panel Discussion of “Lumo”

October 22
Screening and Panel Discussion of The Greatest Silence

October 23
Commemorate Children’s Peace Day with Adapt International
Agros International, Tierras de Vida

October 24
65th Annual United Nations Day

October 26
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment
Human Migration Symposium

October 28
RESULTS Book Club & Panel: Half the Sky

November 2
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment
Human Migration Symposium

November 9
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment
Human Migration Symposium

November 16
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment
Human Migration Symposium

November 23
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment

November 30
UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment

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Secretary Clinton spoke last Friday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, where she discussed current reforms in U.S. development policy, USAID’s new innovation fund, public private partnerships with the U.S. government, social entrepreneurship, the QDDR (Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review), and the Copenhagen Agreement and clean energy in her remarks. 

The following selection from her remarks includes the parts that are relevant to global development policy.  Click here to read the full speech on the State Department website.

Submitted by Linda Martin

Social and economic factors that restrict or deny access to education include gender bias, lack of schools, lack of trained teachers, demands on children’s time to work, drop-out rates, and fee based education which families cannot afford. Geography also plays a role. Per the Millennium Development Progress Report 2010 “household data from 42 countries also show that rural children are twice as likely to be out of school as children living in urban areas”. What can be done?  

• Abolish primary and secondary school fees. When primary school fees were eliminated in Burundi, enrollment increased threefold (since 1999) and reached 99 per cent in 2008.

• Promote linkages across sectors. Couple functional literacy programs to skills development and income generation. In Malawi, the Ministry of Women and Child Development implemented the Sustainable Social and Economic Empowerment Programme for Poverty Reduction (SSEEP) to tackle the problems of illiteracy, environmental degradation and poverty reduction. The approach combined the participatory REFLECT (Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques) methodology with functional literacy and the development of livelihood activities. In this methodology, participants are central to the implementation of the program, and locally-available materials and resources are adapted, mostly by the participants themselves, as aids in the learning process. 
• Incorporate literacy and education as a keystone in poverty reduction frameworks and as needed, in education reform. Mauritania’s National Strategy for the Eradication of Illiteracy (2006-2015) “reinforces the importance of literacy as a full-fledged component of the revised Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework and as an essential ingredient of sustainable development”. In Sierra Leone, NGOs collaborated to combine literacy provision with conflict resolution and peace-building.  

• Focus efforts on the least developed countries. Per the February, 2010 General Assembly report, this would include landlocked developing countries, nations vulnerable to natural disasters, and areas of conflict or post conflict.
   

Other suggestions include new school construction, teacher training, insuring schools are safe, and developing incentives for youth to stay in school through secondary level.

Washington State Organizations Making a Difference

A few of the many organizations in Washington state that support global literacy and education as a means of poverty alleviation include: All As One, which offers orphaned children in Sierra Leone a loving home, health care and education, Ayni Education International, which has built 18 new schools in Afghanistan and equipped 20 others, serving about 25,000 Afghan students; and Bahia Street, which ”breaks cycles of poverty and violence through quality education for impoverished girls and young women living in Salvador, Brazil”. For information on other Global Washington members, please refer to our directory of organizations.

Related Links

Education and the Millennium Development Goals

Progress for Children – Achieving the MDGs with Equity

Millennium Development Progress Report 2010

The Global Literacy Challenge

MDG Info 2010

MDG Data Wizard

United Nations Girls Education Initiative

UNICEF-Basic education and gender equality resources

UNESCO- The Global Literacy Challenge

UNESCO – Education

The State of the World’s Children 2009

Global Literacy Program, Inc.

Safe Schools – Amnesty International

Center for Global Development

International Reading Association Program

National Institute for Literacy

On the final day of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit yesterday, President Obama announced a new U.S. Global Development Policy.  The global development community has been waiting for this policy for a long time, and it includes many of the elements that Global Washington and the rest of the development community have been pushing for over the past year.  MFAN, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, has led this charge through its cadre of thought-leaders on international development policy.

Here are some elements of development reform that MFAN has pushed for over the past year:

• Elevating development as a central pillar of our national security policy, equal to diplomacy and defense;
• Making a long-term commitment to rebuilding USAID as the U.S. Government’s lead development agency, including “robust policy, budget, planning, and evaluation capabilities” and “leadership in the formulation of country and sector development strategies”;
• Institutionalizing a U.S. Global Development Strategy to be approved by the President every four years that will clarify our development goals and how to achieve them;
• Ensuring that development expertise is represented in the policy- and decision-making process by including the USAID Administrator in relevant NSC meetings;
• Establishing an Interagency Policy Committee on Global Development to set priorities and coordinate policy across the Executive Branch (it is also noteworthy that the White House specifies that the NSC staff will stay involved to coordinate the implementation of the policy directive on development);
• Creating a U.S. Global Development Council representing the private sector and civil society to provide high-level input; and
• Committing to a close working partnership with Congress in establishing a shared vision on global development.

In its blog, MFAN has compiled links to news articles and opinion pieces about the new development policy.   Also check out Larry Nowels’ article about the policy on the ONE blog, President Obama delivers at the UN. Now he needs to deliver in Africa. And read USGLC’s analysis of the new policy.

White House fact sheet on the new policy.

Watch President Obama’s speech announcing the new U.S. Global Development Policy at the UN MDG Summit.

Watch the webcast of President Obama and First Lady at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting.

Welcome to the September 2010 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: All As One
• Changemaker: Marty J. Kooistra –  Building a Better Global Future
• Spotlight: Community Based Education in Afghanistan
• Book Review – Up and Out of Poverty: The Social Marketing Solution
• Announcements
• Global Washington Events
• Other Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings,

Thanks to all of you for your involvement and participation in our summer programs. We were thrilled to have close to 500 of you present for the event with Raj Shah on August 13th. If you missed the event, you can still watch the entire program or read a event recap on our website.

Global Washington is growing. Our diverse and growing membership now represents more than 120 member organizations. Members include some of the world’s most respected companies, NGOs academic institutions, businesses and foundations. By drawing together this community with its unrivalled knowledge networks and hands on experience, Global Washington is raising the profile of Washington State as a vibrant center and respected voice for global development.

Our first annual conference held last December brought together 350 members of the national and local development community. Building on last year’s success, Global Washington will host its 2nd Annual Conference, Bridges to Breakthroughs: How partnerships and innovation are changing the world, on November15th and 16th.

The conference will convene top policymakers and thought leaders to explore how our region can best harness our resources to tackle some of today’s most challenging issues. We will be joined by some of the nation’s senior officials and experts to pursue the following key objectives:

• Explore leading trends and opportunities in global development
• Share best practices in public/private partnerships, social entrepreneurship and resource development
• Explore areas of cooperation and synergy between organizations and across operational sectors
• Build a shared strategy for Washington as a center for global development leadership for 2011 and beyond

We are working to create many opportunities for you all to connect at our conference and to share the work of your organization. You are all doing valuable work in the field, and Global Washington aims to provide a space for you to exchange ideas, share best practices, and troubleshoot challenges with other individuals and organizations in the sector doing similar work.

Hope to see you at the conference.

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

Featured Organization: All As One

On January 18, 2002, the civil war that shattered Sierra Leone for roughly a decade officially came to an end. But the end to such a brutal conflict was not the end of Sierra Leone’s struggle.

With its infrastructure reeling from the war, and its economy struggling to reincorporate the hundreds of thousands of refugees that fled during the conflict, Sierra Leone was faced with a daunting task of reconstructing the nation. However, in its plan for reconstruction, the government overlooked the weakest and most vulnerable of humans: children.

With very limited access to healthcare and nutrition, one in every four children born in Sierra Leone dies of preventable causes before reaching the age of five. One in eight pregnancies result in the death of the mother, leaving the child infinitely more vulnerable to the harsh realities of life in an impoverished community. As of 2007, UNICEF estimates that 350,000 children in Sierra Leone live as orphans, after having lost one or both parents.

Such statistics illustrate the dire situation children face in Sierra Leone on a daily basis. As such, it is hard to imagine a future where these children live without fear of going unfed, unsheltered, or un-nurtured. Thankfully, All as One has stepped in to ensure a future of education, good health, and gainful employment.

Founded in 1997, All As One was initially created to serve the needs of orphans of AIDS victims in Zimbabwe, and later the Gambia. It was in the Gambia that Deanna Wallace, founder and Executive Director of All As One, met refugees from the Sierra Leone civil war whose depiction of the situation led Ms. Wallace to visit Sierra Leone. That first visit in 2000 quickly evolved into a much longer stay, ultimately resulting in a shift in focus from Zimbabwe and the Gambia, to concentrate on the children of Sierra Leone.

All as One primarily concentrates on meeting the needs of the orphaned and abandoned children of Sierra Leone. To create an environment that will facilitate the positive growth and development of the children under its care, All As One engages in three mutually reinforcing strategies.

To provide shelter, stability, and nutrition to orphaned and abandoned children, All As One operates an orphanage called the All As One Children’s Center. Currently 50-70 orphans are cared for at the Freetown-based compound. While at the Children’s Center, children are provided food, clothing, shelter, and loving, personal care.

All As One also runs a school for both orphans living at the Children’s Center, and children living in the surrounding area. Instructing children in pre-school through eighth grade, the school’s curriculum includes traditional subjects such as Math, Social Studies, Science, and Literature. In addition to this traditional curriculum, children under All As One’s care have had access to lessons in music, computers, and art.

All As One’s third strategy to facilitate a future for the children of Sierra Leone is healthcare. At All As One’s health clinic, children from the Children’s Center, local staff, and members of the local community have access to medical treatment. Professional health-care providers staff the clinic and the registered nurses on duty 24 hours a day ensure the children have readily accessible health care any hour of the day.

Upon leaving the care of All As One, the children embark on a path of their own choosing. Some leave for higher education, some leave for formal vocational training, and some for jobs. But just as in any loving family, support for the children does not end when they leave All As One’s care. All As One works tirelessly to ensure the children are equipped with the best tools possible so that they can be self-sufficient, contributing members of society.

In the future, All as One plans to construct a compound in which all components of All as One’s mission are housed. Plans for the compound include a medical center with a much larger capacity to better serve the children and families of the surrounding community, a larger school with plans to include secondary education in the curriculum, an expanded Children’s Center, as well as a dining hall and playground. The idea is construct this compound as a model for replication across Sierra Leone.

But in order to build such an important project, All As One needs funding. Currently, All as One primarily relies on the charitable donations from individuals all over the world, with some assistance from businesses and NGOs. All As One offers many ways to become involved and contribute to their work including donations, child sponsorship, volunteer opportunities, and the use of websites such as iGive.com and GoodSearch.com. But perhaps the most essential way to contribute to the growth and development of the children of Sierra Leone is through corporate or organization sponsorship of shipping certain necessities such as baby bottles, children’s clothing, household items, educational equipment, and other items on the All As One wish list.

Ultimately, anyone and everyone can have an impact and make a lasting contribution to the well-being of children in Sierra Leone. Thanks to the passionate, dedicated work of organizations like All As One and their donors, the children of Sierra Leone, once destined to a short life of malnutrition and suffering on an unimaginable scale, now have a future.

For the full wish list and a complete listing of ways one can support the activities of All As One, visit their website at www.allasone.org.

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Changemaker: Marty J. Kooistra – Building a Better Global Future

Marty Kooistra, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County, has contributed to housing and human settlement throughout his career.  While running a diversified construction business, Kooistra returned to college as a non-traditional student planning to study architectural engineering.  The professor in his first sociology course, however, altered that forever by illuminating the connections between housing and all aspects of livelihood.  Kooistra’s bachelor’s degree in social work allowed him to merge his passion for the built environment with his deep-seated commitment to social justice and poverty alleviation.   This, in turn, led him directly to the affordable housing sector and a career of more than 20 years with Habitat for Humanity, including serving as senior director of global program design and implementation for the organization’s international headquarters.

When asked to define his personal mission in life, Kooistra described an ongoing commitment to service.  In everyone’s life, he noted, there are points of discovery of both personal vulnerabilities and personal strengths. This kind of outlook, he said, has driven his lifelong sense of responsibility to share his assets and gifts and to be “awake and alert” for ways to learn from those of others.  To the extent that this shared perspective exists, Kooistra says, challenges can be recognized and solutions formulated in ways that contribute to community and global transformation.

The extent of the relationship between Habitat for Humanity and global development surprised me; the organization actually serves more people outside the U.S. than within.  Being in Washington, one of the most diverse states, our lives are often tightly knitted with things happening in other parts of the world.  Kooistra affirmed that global work has been core to the mission of both Habitat for Humanity International (the organizational headquarters, which actually started in Africa in the mid- 1970s) and to its Seattle/South King County affiliate. Habitat’s direct service provision focuses on creating truly affordable and sustainable housing and on preventing homelessness worldwide.  But their mission also has an explicit mandate to serve as a partner and catalyst for global development in ways that go far beyond home construction and financing.

Kooistra said, “When there are disasters such as those in Chile, Haiti, and China, we tend to see people unify around the notion that vulnerability requires us to think about global responses.  So, it’s important for us as an organization to be a global partner and to encourage the public to become sustained global citizens.  One of the strengths of Habitat is its capacity to garner public participation.   We think that our greatest responsibility is helping people move not just from curious individual to casual volunteer, but to committed advocates for a robust housing continuum and revitalized sustainable communities around the world.  And truly, the original model for Habitat was the result of the founders seeking an engaging way for people to broaden their understanding and think more deeply about being global citizens.”  In addition to their local programs, Kooistra pointed out that 10 percent of the funds raised by all of Habitat’s U.S. affiliates go to support programs outside the U.S.; in this way, the Seattle/South King County affiliate supports the work of Habitat national programs in Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and Tajikistan.

The Philippines

Let us look at a couple of examples of Habitat’s work in these target countries.  This year alone, Habitat has helped 5,329 families in the Philippines.  They note that “due to urbanization, 30 percent of the poor currently live in urban areas, but, by 2025, more than half of the urban dwellers will be poor.  The government estimates that between 2005 and 2010, the country needs some 3.8 million new homes.”  Through its urban renewal program, HFH Philippines builds efficient and affordable medium-rise condominium-type structures in areas where land is scarce and expensive.  In addition, Habitat developed a comprehensive Housing Resource Center, a large and multifaceted volunteer program,  and a “Peace Builds” program in the Philippines.

Kenya

The many challenges Kenyans face – 60 percent of people living in poverty, ethnic violence, rising urbanization, and periodic drought and flooding – include very poor living conditions.   Inadequate, overcrowded homes, typically with only one room and no windows –breeding grounds for many life-threatening diseases—are commonplace.   Since 1982, Habitat for Humanity has built over 2900 homes in partnership with families and over 70 local communities.  Habitat’s appropriate technologies strategies tailor construction to local conditions.  Houses in Kenya utilize concrete foundations and floors, corrugated galvanized iron roofs and durable walls made of locally-produced brick, stone, rammed earth or stabilized soil block.  This kind of simple, durable construction also supports family health.

Habitat’s community-based programs recognize that housing and shelter solutions are sustainable only when considered as part of holistic poverty alleviation efforts.  Their projects are accomplished in full partnership with families, local government entities and local and international NGOs.  Kooistra is a strong believer in leveraging partnerships and alliances to obtain the efficiency and holistic outcomes that support sustained success.  He speaks from experience:  while he was in India preparing land for a large-scale project, Hurricane Katrina hit.  He was asked to serve as Vice President of Collaborations and Strategic Partnerships and in that role, convened two powerful Gulf recovery coalitions involving Enterprise Community Partners, Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, HFHI, LISC, NeighborWorks, RALLY, Tulane University, and World Vision.   The gulf response actually served as a kind of controlled test environment for Habitat’s new global strategic focus on advocacy, collaboration and systemic change.  Lessons learned from those recovery efforts laid the groundwork for an enterprise focus on serving as catalysts for transforming the systems that limit access to secure housing and livelihood.

Marty Kooistra certainly has dedicated his life to building for a better global future.

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Spotlight: Community based education in Afghanistan

Did you have a chance to read the article in the New York Times about the impact of education and schools in Afghanistan?

Global Washington Member organization, Ayni Education International, will be presenting at the Global Washington conference about their work.  Here is a bit more about their approach:

Week after week, headlines are filled with stories of terrorism and extremism. Al Qaeda operatives brutally murder 10 foreign aid workers in Afghanistan, including an eye doctor and dentist; an suicide bomber blows himself up at the gates of the presidential palace in Mogadishu; a road-side bomb kills another U.S. soldier. What’s the best way to reduce threats of terrorism? More soldiers? More security cameras? Full body scans? As in past years, we’ll pour millions of dollars into new gadgets and military build-up. But, threats will continue largely undiminished, because we continue to put our monies and energies far downstream from the source of the problem, which is rooted in poverty, hopelessness, and growing economic disparity.

We actually know what works to reduce these problems.  Educating and empowering girls, in particular, may well be the highest rate of return in the developing world. Having now built or repaired 40 schools for approximately 25,000 kids in Afghanistan over the past 8.5 years, I can verify that it is a building block to eliminating poverty, oppression and extremism.  Come learn more about the importance of investing in women and girls, as well as effective strategies and solutions, at Global Washington’s annual conference in November.

When Julia Bolz and her American colleagues first started working in north-central Afghanistan in January 2002, Afghanistan led the world in child and maternal mortality, homelessness, and landmine victims. Life expectancy was 43 years of age. And, in north-central Afghanistan, the literacy rate was 6.5%. Responding to the call “Build us schools!” from communities visited, government and religious leaders, Julia began work. To date, Ayni staff and supporters have equipped and built or repaired some 40 schools, serving some 25,000 students. Additional projects focus on teacher training, community development, and strengthening the Afghan education system.

Before joining the grassroots movement for gender equality, Julia worked at one of Seattle’s most prestigious law firms, Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland as a successful business immigration lawyer, representing Fortune 500 companies worldwide. . She received Seattle’s Tom C. Wales Citizenship Award for her combined humanitarian efforts.  Bolz graduated from Smith College.

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Book Review

Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

By Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

2009 Alfred A Knopf Publisher

“Women hold up half the sky”, Chinese Proverb

Development experts from Kofi Annan to PATH’s Chris Elias have stated that the most important thing we can do to bring about positive change in this world is to empower women. Half the Sky is a call to action to do just that. The authors clearly show that the worldwide struggle for women’s equality is “the paramount moral challenge” of our time. It is a powerful and gripping collection of true stories of the outrageous treatment of women around the world – some so brutal that they are difficult to read. And yet it is also an illustration of women overcoming unfathomable hardships. Half the Sky was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist, and his wife, distinguished journalist and editor Sheryl WuDunn. Their aim is to “recruit” us all to support women around the world in their struggle for real freedom and gender equality. There are stories of the harsh reality of sex trafficking and slavery in Asia and Eastern Europe, honor killings in India, and female genital mutilation. They also talk about rape being used as a weapon in many conflicts such as the current fighting in the “world capital of rape … eastern Congo”.

In the opening pages of this call to conscience, the authors talk about 60 to 100 million “missing” women and assert more girls and women die from preventable causes in any given decade “than all the genocides of the 20^th century.” They tell of Prudence Lemokouno, from Cameroon. Her sad story is repeated countless times in rural villages around the world. She received no prenatal care and after three days of difficult labor, a well-meaning birth attendant jumped up and down on her belly, rupturing her uterus. Prudence’s family paid a man to take her 75 miles to the nearest hospital, where the doctor demanded more money. An operation was finally performed, but several days too late, neither the mother nor baby survived.

Half the Sky tackles real life atrocities by giving poignant portraits of survivors, imparting factual information and showing the capacity of ordinary citizens, including Americans, to bring about change. They tell the story of an Ethiopian girl suffering from fistula who was able to have corrective surgery at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. Having finally been cured of this debilitating condition, she stayed on at the hospital making beds and assisting the surgeons. Eventually, she learned to perform fistula operations herself. Though she is still learning to read and write, she now teaches others to perform this surgery.

Kristof and WuDunn note the analogy between women’s status today and the evolution of the abolitionist movement. They point out the overwhelming struggle to create the profound social change that ended slavery and what is needed today to eradicate the pervasive worldwide mistreatment and degradation of women. One of many shocking facts – female slavery is more pervasive today than it was in the 18^th century.

Government programs and large charities – with the exception of CARE, which has recently made the empowerment of girls and women a priority – get little coverage. The authors do highlight a few individual Westerners, whom they describe as “social entrepreneurs”, who are doing extraordinary work. They include Zach Hunter, a twelve year old from Atlanta tackling forced labor and child slavery, Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea”, who is building schools throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Harper McConnell who works with rape victims in a HEAL Africa hospital in eastern Congo.

Kristof and WuDunn demonstrate through these women’s stories that it is possible to “turn oppression into opportunity.” Half the Sky closes with a call to arms. The authors suggest steps that each of us can take to end the brutal treatment of women and provide a roadmap to empower all women.

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Announcements

Check out Humanosphere–KPLU-NPR’s New Global Development Blog

Interested in our region’s growing leadership role in global development? Take a look at KPLU-NPR’s new blog Humanosphere. Hosted by long-time Seattle journalist Tom Paulson, Humanosphere aims to be your go-to online site for news, dialogue and maybe even humor about matters of global health and development. Take a look. Follow Tom on Twitter (@tompaulson). The site is still taking shape and he wants your ideas, thoughts and critiques.

Social Innovation and Collaborative Leadership in Global Community: iLeap International Fellows Panel Discussion

Global Issues & Perspectives is a free lecture/discussion series sponsored by the Center for Creative Change to address the question: What do we need to know to become effective global citizens? The series is an enriching opportunity to hear, learn from and be inspired by individuals — many of whom are from other cultures and countries — who are invited to Antioch to share their values and vision.

iLeap: The Center for Critical Service is an international nonprofit organization with an intention to cultivate and inspire a new generation of global citizens. iLeap conducts hands-on, educational and professional training programs in Seattle and innovative international travel programs in partnership with communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All of our programs incorporate academic experiential learning, and leadership principles designed to support personal and professional development. Our carefully crafted programs prepare participants with the practical skills, critical thinking, and global community of support necessary to create sustainable social change in the world.

When: September 29^th at 7 p.m.
Where: Antioch University Campus, Room 100, 2326 Sixth Avenue
Who: Britt Yamamoto, iLeap executive director, is C3 core faculty.
More info:  contact Shelley Dove at 206-268-4908.

To find out more about the Center for Creative Change, visit this page. To see more events in the Global Issues & Perspectives series, visit here.

Share Social Enterprise Growth Stories with the SEEP Network and Beyond Profit

Want to share a story about a sustainable international social enterprise improving income and benefits of many low-income people? Want to tell others about the amazing growth of a social enterprise? The SEEP Network, Beyond Profit and other partners need your stories about growth, scale, and transition to highlight both organizational successes and challenges.  The SEEP Network is a U.S. NGO that works with associations and organizations to create opportunity for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Intellecap’s Beyond Profit is the leading publication on social enterprise and development innovation in the developing world.

We need stories about:

• Sustainable social enterprises (non-profit, for-profit, and hybrid)
• Enterprises that create jobs, financial sufficiency and benefits to poor communities
• Rapid growth, scaling up (and its process)
• A challenging transition
• From developing countries and the Global South

The SEEP Network will post stories online at www.seepnetwork.org reaching thousands of social development practitioners. Beyond Profit will publish the best three stories reaching more than 10,000 people in over 75 countries. The authors of the top three submissions will present at the Social Enterprise Learning Symposium at The SEEP Network Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., Nov. 1-5, 2010. The winner will receive a travel stipend.

Deadline for submissions is September 24. Email socentstory@intellecap.com.

Click here for a template to write your stories. The best stories will have a narrative shape, and will use photographs, graphics and images to convey the organization’s value. The questions under each section are suggestions for documentation. Please contact us if you have any questions. Thank you for your contribution!

Volunteer Opportunities in Seattle Schools with Bridges to Understanding

Bridges to Understanding is currently recruiting volunteers for our Seattle fall school programs. We have some exciting new projects and participants this fall, and hope that both new and returning volunteers will join us in helping make these projects successful. They’re definitely going to be fun!

Bridges volunteers will work alongside Bridges teachers and staff to apply digital storytelling tools to the classroom curriculum. As a classroom volunteer, you will generally work with a small group of students in a middle or high school classroom from week to week, to help them create digital stories. Activities will include reading and discussing articles relevant to digital story topics, photo shoots and media management, reading and discussing messages on the Bridges website, composing and posting messages to the Bridges website, writing scripts, recording narrations, and editing a multimedia story.

In some cases there may also be all-day field trips and/or special events that we would love to have volunteers be involved with.

These positions are ideal for volunteers who enjoy working with youth ages 12-18, are comfortable with technology, would describe themselves as very patient, and are excited about being part of a dynamic learning environment.

Click here for more information about volunteering, including requirements, orientation sessions, and contact information.

RESULTS Book Club & Panel– Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

SAVE THE DATE & START READING!
When: Thursday, Oct 28, 2010, 6:30-8:30PM
Where: Life Enrichment Bookstore, Columbia
City, 5023 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118-1926 – 206-650-8791

Join RESULTS Seattle for a book club open to the public. There will be a panel discussion on the book and the issues raised by the authors of forced prostitution, trafficking in women, gender violence and maternal mortality and how the most effective way to fight global poverty is to unleash the potential of women. The book features the stories of courageous women and their supporters around the world who have successfully overcome extreme oppression.

The book: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.
Vintage Books, NY, NY, 2010. By Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The Panel of Speakers on areas covered in the book:

• Anisa Mohamed Ibrahim , a 2nd year medical student at UW and volunteer with the medical student run Al Shifa clinic serving low income people without health insurance, will provide a brief synopsis of the book.
• Dr. Laura Hart, is a RESULTS activist, past President of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility and a Seattle urologist who travels the globe training and assisting physicians to do surgery on women with fistulas from child birth injuries in developing countries
• LueRachelle Brim-Atkins works with Cultural Reconnection Mission (CRM) based in the NW African-American community. She travels to Africa each year as a member of the Vision & Planning Team of CRM. This group of African American women has several sustainable joint ventures in Kenya, East Africa and in Ethiopia, including libraries, water projects and women’s economic development projects. One project is in Kogelo, ancestral home of President Obama.
• Someireh Amirfaiz is Executive Director of Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), a Seattle nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive services for refugee and immigrant women and their families, including programs to assist refugee and immigrants impacted by domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault.

The book is available in paperback. Copies will be available at Life Enrichment Bookstore. For more

information about the book club, contact Ellie Graham at gramgary@earthlink.netor 206-721-0141.

Apply now for the University of Washington Foster School of Business’s 7^th Annual Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition

GSEC seeks student-generated innovative social business ideas that target poverty alleviation in developing economies. GSEC provides cross-cultural, transformational practical learning experiences for student participants to hone their business skills, expand their networks, and access new resources.

Each year, GSEC brings the world to the University of Washington: a select group of semi-finalist student teams attend GSEC Week in Seattle where they visit regional companies, present their business ideas to judges, and compete for at least US$30,000 in prizes, including an ICT and two global health prizes.

Watch the 2010 GSEC video for an overview or take a look at the GSEC banquet photo album featuring keynote speaker Bill Gates Sr.

Application deadline November 4, 2010
Contact gsec@uw.edu with questions.
Visit GSEC online for more information.

Development Associate Position Available at Prosthetics Outreach Foundation

Seattle based Prosthetics Outreach Foundation is seeking a talented, highly organized and self-motivated Development Associate to support a broad range of development activities.  Responsibilities include supporting special events, grants, individual gifts, and communications and marketing.  For a full position description, visit www.pofsea.org.  E-mail cover letter with salary expectations, resume and references to hr@pofsea.org by September 30^th.

World Affairs Council’s Global Leadership Series Features Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayake

The World Affairs Council presents Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki as a part of our 2010-2011 Global Leadership Series. Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki of the Republic of Niger is the head of NEPAD’s Planning and Coordinating Agency, headquartered in Midrand, South Africa. He worked as a Professor of Public Administration in Niger and Venezuela from 1976 to 1987 before joining the Uranium industry in Niger as a Senior Executive. During 1996 and 1997 he was successively appointed Minister in charge of African Integration and Cooperation and Minister of Foreign Affairs. In November 1997, he was appointed Prime Minister, a function he held until January 2000. In August 2000, he set up the Analysis Centre for Public Policy. From 2000 to 2004 he was a guest Professor at the University of Paris XI, where he lectured on International Relations and Organizations; he also led research at the Research Center on Europe and the Contemporary World within that University. In 2004 he was appointed as the Executive Director of the Rural Hub, a multilateral think-tank based in Dakar, Senegal, from where he was recruited as Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD. Dr Mayaki is the author of the book, “La caravane passe…” focused on his political career.

Thursday, October 7, 2010, 6:30pm
Africa Connected Series
Global Leadership Series: 
Leadership and Development in Africa with Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki

For more information and registration, please visit http://www.world-affairs.org/event_gls_mayaki.htm

Bridges to Understanding Receives Top Recognition for K-12 Education Program
We would like to congratulate Bridges to Understanding!  Their citizen diplomacy program, The Bridges Collaborative: Supporting 21^st Century Education Worldwide, was selected as a Top Program by the K-12 Task Force of the U.S. Center for citizen Diplomacy (USCCD).  The program is a joint project with the CREATE Lab, a division of Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. It uses cutting-edge digital and robotic technology to connect teachers and students in middle and high classrooms in Seattle, Peru, Guatemala, India, South Africa and other countries around the world. As a Top Program, The Bridges Collaborative will be highlighted as a key component of the upcoming U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy, to be held November 16-19, 2010 in Washington, DC.

“We are honored to be selected for this recognition on the eve of our tenth anniversary of connecting youth around the world to explore how they can be active, responsible global citizens,” said Joyce McClure, Executive Director of Seattle-based Bridges to Understanding. “The vision of our founder, Mercer Island resident and renowned humanitarian photographer Phil Borges, of a harmonious, interconnected world in which youth are actively engaged as global citizens, has inspired Bridges to become what it is today.”

A complete listing of the selected Top Program organizations, and detailed information about the U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy may be found at: www.usc4cd.org/summit. For more information about Bridges to Understanding, please visit www.bridges2understanding.org.

Veterans for Smart Power–Petition for Diplomacy and Humanitarian Development

Next week, the US Global Leadership Coalition will have a big opportunity to move their agenda forward at our annual conference by introducing their Veterans for Smart Power program.

Veterans from across the country have been signing a petition over the past few weeks to urge Congress to elevate diplomacy and humanitarian development alongside a strong defense.  In just under a month, there are already 8,300 dedicated supporters.

We all know veterans, and it would be a tremendous help if you simply forwarded this to your friends who are veterans or military families and ask them to sign up at www.vetsforsmartpower.org.  You can also click here to join us on Facebook and ask your network to stand with veterans and military families.

submit your events to our calendar!

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Global Washington Events:

November 15 & 16

Global Washington’s Second Annual Conference—Bridges to Breakthroughs: How partnerships and innovation are changing the world

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Other Events:

September 22

University of Washington School of Social Work’s 3rd Annual Practicum Kickoff

September 25

Bridges to Understanding presents: “Bring the Power of Digital Storytelling into Your Classroom”

Bo M Karlsson Foundation’s Third Annual ‘Mahilaa Night’

September 29

SeaMo September Microfinance & Microbrews: Learn About Jolkona – Your Choice. Your Impact. Your World

Social Innovation and Collaborative Leadership in Global Community: iLeap International Fellows Panel Discussion

October 5 – November 30 (Tuesdays)

UW Lecture Series – Food: Eating Your Environment

October 7
World Affairs Council: Leadership and Development in Africa with Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki

October 14

Mercy Corps: Redefining Emergency Response

October 28

RESULTS Book Club & Panel: Half the Sky

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The UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals kicked off in New York today, and will continue through Wednesday, Sept 22^nd.    World leaders are gathering to discuss the progress made and work to be done toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  On Wednesday, the event will culminate with an address by President Barack Obama.

If you are looking for background and general information on the MDGs and the Summit, take a look at some of Global Washington’s previous blog entries on the MDGs.  Bono also wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times on the importance of the MDGs, which serves as a primer for New Yorkers who are fed up with the Summit-related traffic jams on the upper east side.  The UK newspaper The Guardian has a whole page devoted to live MDG Summit updates and news.  Finally, the Brookings Institute has a page full of links with research and commentary on the MDGs.

This morning, the Gates Foundation sponsored a TEDxChange event, featuring a live broadcast from New York City coinciding with the Summit kickoff.  Speakers at this event included Melinda Gates, Hans Rosling (“the most entertaining statistician in the world” according to Tom Paulson on the Humanosphere), India’s own “Mr. Condom,” (a family planning and AIDS activist), and Graca Machel (Nelson Mandela’s wife).  You can view a recording of this highly engaging webcast here.

You can also view the actual Summit live on the UN Webcast, which features 6 different channels- you can watch each world leader’s statement with English translation or in the original language, if you want to practice your French or Croatian.  The UN News Center also has rather comprehensive live Summit news.

MFAN puts the spotlight on the prognosis for US foreign aid reform, and tells us what to watch out for at the Summit.  If you are interested in US policy, you should also take a look at a new bill introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (CA-9) last week, which is a resolution supporting the ideals and objectives of the UN Millennium Declaration and related MDGs and calling on the President to ensure the United States contributes meaningfully to the achievement of the MDGs by the year 2015.

The Center for Global Development offers a different perspective in What’s Not to Like about the MDGs? – a critical look at the MDGs.

Submitted by Linda Martin

On September 8, the world focused its eyes on education, in honor of International Literacy Day 2010. Yet as millions celebrated, results from the Millennium Development Progress Report 2010 concluded “Hope dims for universal education by 2015, even as many poor countries make tremendous strides.” Is it possible to mobilize the resources and political support necessary to turn the tide? Can a more integrated approach help accelerate progress in reaching all the MDG goals?

“A quality inclusive education for all is the key to achieving each and every one of the Millennium Development Goals, from reducing poverty to improving health, empowering women and ensuring environmental sustainability,”

Irina Bokova,
Director-General, UNESCO

UNESCO’s new Web site Education and the Millennium Development Goals illustrates ways in which education acts as a potent catalyst for human development. Examples include:

MDG Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases – A study covering thirty-two countries, “found that women with post-primary education were five times more likely than illiterate women to know about HIV/AIDS”.

MDG Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger – According to UNESCO, “Doubling primary school-age attendance rates for rural populations is associated with an average 20 to 25 per cent decrease in food insecurity”.

MDG Goal 4: Reduce child mortality – Examples of the impact of primary education include “Having a mother with primary education reduces child death rates by almost half in the Philippines and around one third in Bolivia”.

What does it mean to be literate?
A “bare bones” definition of literacy is the ability to read and write. UNESCO provides a definition more applicable to our increasingly complex and inter-connected world. Literacy is the “ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”

Monitoring adult and youth literacy, and global trends.
UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (UIS) monitors international literacy targets associated with the MDGs. Adult and Youth Literary: Global Trends in Gender Parity-UIS Fact Sheet, September 2010, states that in 2008, 796 million adults worldwide (15 years and older) reported not being able to read and write, of which 64% were female. The overall adult literacy rate was 83%. Adults who lived in Southern Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa comprised three quarters of adults worldwide, who did not read or write. Gender disparity was greatest in Southern Asia, where almost three quarters of all men but only half of the women had the ability to read and write. The literacy rate in Southern Asia was 62%, and in sub-Saharan Africa, 63%.

In comparison, the global youth literacy rate was 89% (92% for males and 86% for females), with 131 million youth worldwide lacking basic reading and writing skills, of which 61% were female (3% less than adult female rates).  Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were home to 86% of all youths unable to read and write worldwide.

According UNICEF’s report, State of the World’s Children 2009, “although improving, the educational status of young women is still low in several developing regions”.

“Literacy programs, especially when linked to life and livelihood skills, empowerment and peace-building initiatives, have the potential to improve human security, promote reconciliation and prevent future conflict.”

The Global Literacy Challenge

Female net secondary school attendance

• World 44%
• Sub-Saharan Africa 22%
• South Asia 43%

Female youth (15-25 years) literacy rate

• World 85%
• Sub-Saharan Africa 68%
• South Asia 74%

*http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/docs/SOWC09-Figure-2.2-EN.pdf

At the primary level, the newly published report, Progress for Children – Achieving the MDGs with Equity (Sept. 2010), notes that 100 million children of primary school age were out of school in 2008, 52% of them girls. South Asia had 33 million children out-of-school, followed by West and Central Africa (25 million), and Eastern and Southern Africa (19 million).Learn more about Monitoring and Evaluation studies from UNESCO’s monitoring Web site.

MDG  Summit in New York, September 20-22
Leaders in the international community will have an opportunity to suggest ways to accelerate progress at a High-Level MDG Summit being held in New York, September 20-22. This is an opportunity to share information about successful cross-sector programs, best practices learned from experienced INGOs and other innovative players, and to forge ahead in partnership to address unreached goals.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article, Barriers to Education and Bridges to Achieving MDG Goals.

Related Links

Education and the Millennium Development Goals

UNESCO – Education

Progress for Children: Achieving MDGs with Equity
Millennium Development Progress Report 2010

The Global Literacy Challenge

MDG Info 2010 and MDG Data Wizard

United Nations Girls Education Initiative

UNICEF- education and gender equality resources
UNESCO- The Global Literacy Challenge
The State of the World’s Children 2009
Global Literacy Program, Inc.

Safe Schools – Amnesty International

Center for Global Development

National Institute for Literacy

On Tuesday, September 8^th, a standing room-only crowd gathered at the Montlake Library to hear Congressman Jim McDermott and Kimberly Ann Elliott of the Center for Global Development discuss opening markets for the poor by reforming and expanding trade preferences.

The United States currently provides special access to its markets to products from developing countries through a few different trade preference programs.  The program that reaches the most countries is called the Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP, and this program covers the fewest products and has the most restrictions.  It has been in place since the 1970s and needs to be renewed by Congress every few years- in fact, it expires at the end of 2010, so if Congress doesn’t act, many countries will lose their special access to the U.S. market.  Other trade preference programs are for specific geographic regions, which are the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI).  There are also special trade preferences for Haiti. 

Under AGOA, African least developed countries (LDCs) get the most product coverage and the most flexible rules of origin of any U.S. trade preference program.  As Kim Elliott pointed out in her presentation, AGOA covers about 98% of products for African LDCs, and includes flexible rules of origin on apparel items, which is where AGOA has had the greatest economic impact.  She noted that the main omission from AGOA is in the area of agricultural goods, where African countries are still subject to U.S. quotas in a number of key products, not to mention competition from subsidized U.S. cotton.  Agriculture is very important to African economies, with about 60-70% of the workforce directly involved in agricultural production.  AGOA was initially passed in 2000, and is set to expire in 2015 unless Congress renews it.

Kim Elliott’s presentation included the recommendations and findings of the CGD Working Group on Trade Preference Reform.  They have five main recommendations:

1. Expand coverage to all products from all least developed countries.  The reason for expanding coverage to all products is that even when only 3% of products are excluded (as in the current Doha agreement), countries have room to leave out all of the products in which an LDC is most competitive.  The Working Group found that allowing 100% product access to all LDCs would have a minimal effect on competing producers in rich countries – LDCs account for less than 1% of non-oil imports in rich countries.
2. Relax restrictive rules of origin.  Rules of origin can prevent developing countries from taking advantage of preferential market access, because they are often vague and opaque, and commonly stipulate that all inputs must come from one country.  Poor countries must be able to source inputs globally, as they do not have the capacity (or the market size) to vertically integrate their industries.  They also do not have the resources to wade through heavily bureaucratized processes to prove origin.
3. Make trade preferences permanent and predictable.  Investors need to know that the market access will last long enough for them to get a return on their investment.  Without this guarantee, they will not invest in a country.  Most poor countries need foreign investment to spur growth.
4. Promote cooperation between countries giving and receiving preferences.  This includes trade capacity building to help countries improve their infrastructure to promote export growth, and identifying other non trade barriers to exports, such as difficulty meeting technical standards for imports.  Kim Elliott pointed out that African agriculture is a good example of this- African agricultural exporters have a difficult time meeting U.S. sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards, so they export very little to the United States.  These same exporters are able to meet European standards, which are no less strict than U.S. standards from a safety perspective, but for some reason they are easier for Africans to meet.  18% of European agricultural imports come from Africa, where less than 2% of U.S. agricultural imports do.
5. Encourage advanced developing countries to implement trade preference programs that adopt the above principles.  Advanced developing countries such as Brazil, China, Turkey, and India have recently announced trade preference programs for LDCs.  These programs would have greater impact if they adopted the above principles.

Congressman McDermott added his thoughts on why better market access for LDCs is important- and what else is needed to make market access work.  He said that it is important to help poor people from all developing countries, not just those from a certain geographic region.  During the question & answer session, he remarked that trade and development are complex, and when large projects or policy changes are undertaken without an appreciation of the complexity involved, unintended consequences may arise.  He offered the example of building dams in developing countries without regard for the potential consequences- something that was problematic in Ghana and elsewhere.  Congressman McDermott has been working on trade preferences for developing countries for many years- he is the author of AGOA, which he first introduced in 1995 and it took five years to pass Congress and get signed into law.  He has since introduced the New Partnership for Trade Development Act of 2009, which includes some provisions similar to the CDG working group’s recommendations.

“Like many who call the Rainier Valley home, I feel as if I live in two communities: The one where I wake up each morning and the one where my web of cultural and personal connections links me to. Nothing represents this as clearly as my work with the Blue Nile Children’s Organization.”

Local Diversity Drives Global Impact (OP-ED)
Rainier Valley Post |  Selamawit Kifle, Blue Nile Children’s Organization | September 2, 2010