October 2012 Newsletter

Posted on October 24, 2012

Welcome to the October 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: The Marine Stewardship Council: Harnessing market forces to preserve our oceans
Changemaker: Dave Richter
Welcome New Members
Career Center
Announcements
Global Washington Events
Other Events

Note from our Executive Director

Bookda Gheisar Greetings,

Our staff and planning committee are keeping busy putting together final details for our 2012 Annual Conference, Redefining Development: From Silos to Collective Impact. We are focusing in on the most important elements of the conference to make the time spent this year as valuable as possible—2012’s Conference has a lower price for one full day of sessions and networking. We hope this will make it easier for many more of you to participate than ever before!

We are excited about so many elements of the conference this year, but to name a few: 1) Our new Seattle location at Bell Harbor. 2) More opportunities to connect and network with your peers. 3) A “future leader’s scholarship” so more students can attend and 4) Mini breakout sessions with experts offering advice on specific topics like finances, fundraising, social media and more. We are also offering a special group discount for organizations that register five or more employees! Email admin@globalwa.org to learn more about these opportunities, or visit the conference page of our website.

If you can’t wait until December to connect with Global Washington and your global development friends and colleagues, we have two wonderful salons in our GlobalWA//Gather series coming up in November. The first event will take place on November 1^st, 2012 and features Deo Niyizonkiza, founder of Village Health Works and subject of the New York Times best seller Strength in What Remains. The second will be on November 13^th and will feature Lama Tenzin, Buddhist Monk who founded an orphanage called the Children’s Educational Development Society.

We hope to see you at one or both of these great salon events, as well as our Annual Conference in December!

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

The Marine Stewardship Council

Harnessing market forces to preserve our oceans

By Megan Boucher

Photo credit: ESA/NASA
Dutch astronaut André Kuipers onboard the International Space Station (ISS) posted this photo of a floating can of MSC certified Alaska salmon to Flickr.com with the message: “Lots of ocean, but there’s still overfishing and destruction of marine life. Sustainable fish is an alternative. Even in space we eat MSC-certified fish”.

The common ground between industry, environmental groups, government, and consumers is not ground at all, but rather water. The wellbeing of our oceans, particularly the preservation of ocean resources and seafood stocks, is a topic that diverse groups agree is crucially important. It is in this space—between environmental preservation and sustainable business—that the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) exists.

In many sectors, big business and conservationists are at odds with each other, but through MSC they work harmoniously together. In fact, MSC was born out of a joint effort between the consumer goods giant Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund, two disparate entities that realized that the depletion of ocean resources was detrimental to both business and the planet.

MSC is harnessing market forces to transform the seafood market to a sustainable one. Its objectives are fourfold: protect ocean resources by transforming the market to a sustainable one; reverse declining fish stocks; preserve the livelihoods of the half a billion people globally who depend on seafood for survival; and contribute to food security by ensuring fish, which is a critical source of protein for much of the world, is a renewable food resource. MSC accomplishes this through a rigorous certification program for fisheries. The MSC sustainability standard is the most trusted in the world, developed with the help of hundreds of scientists, industry members, and conservation organizations. Additionally, MSC has created a traceability standard, which ensures that any product carrying the MSC label can be traced back to a certified, sustainable fishery. This high level of accountability increases consumer confidence in the food they purchase with the MSC label.

The process starts when a fishery decides to pursue MSC certification. In order to keep MSC, as the standard setter, neutral in the process, fisheries select from independent accredited assessors to ascertain who evaluates them against the MSC standard. The fishery works with a certifier and assessment team to evaluate three main areas: health of stock, impact on marine ecosystem, and management.

Catching Oregon Dungeness crab.

The process is thorough and transparent, taking an estimated 12-15 months. The assessor identifies stakeholders in a fishery, who are invited to participate and comment on the process. The initial report goes out for public comment and is reviewed by independent scientists. Comments and feedback are incorporated into the final report, which is held for 15 working days in case anyone wants to file final objections. At the end of the process, if the fishery meets the MSC standard, it is certified and can put the MSC label on its seafood–a label that consumers increasingly know to look for and trust.

Although consumer assurance is important, the industry itself is really the driving force behind the sustainability effort. “When I first got engaged in the MSC program, I thought it would already be consumer driven,” said Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director for MSC Americas and Russian Far East. “But it is really the industry that has been the start—they have really stepped up and felt the need to preserve the resource. They’ve embraced sustainability, even if their consumers weren’t as educated about it.”

MSC has seen huge successes in the number certified fisheries and those that are moving towards certification, with 288 fisheries worldwide engaged in the process. About 50% of the seafood harvested in the United States is MSC certified. Large retailers like McDonald’s and Walmart are pushing the movement forward, making public commitments to sustainability that will require their suppliers to either get certified or lose business. The momentum is contagious.

The first fully tribally managed fishery in the MSC program is the Annette Islands salmon fishery in SE Alaska managed by the Metlakatla.

However, MSC’s work goes beyond big business and the environment and closely impacts the lives and livelihoods of people in the developing world. Marine-based food is a crucial source of nutrition for many and fishing an important source of income. Without sustainable fish stocks, many would lose their jobs and many more would lose a key food source. For this reason, the MSC model is strongly embraced in the developing world and entire communities are impacted by preservation efforts.

The first fishery in the developing world that became MSC certified was subsequently studied by a Harvard graduate student who looked at MSC certification’s impact on that community. The study found surprising results that were not even directly related to fish. The certification elevated the status of the fishery, making it a more viable player in the global marketplace. As a result, the government paid more attention to the community, which soon acquired more resources like health clinics, better sanitation, and paved roads. The MSC recognizes the developing world as an important market for sustainability certification and has already worked with many local industries, including a hand-gathered clam fishery in Vietnam, and fisheries in Africa and South America.

MSC’s Developing World Program is growing but is also a particular challenge. The MSC standard is harder to meet in the developing world, as these fisheries often lack the resources and level of organization or data necessary to make improvements or even provide the data necessary for the certification process. Nevertheless, MSC recognizes that sustainability in these fisheries is an important component of global sustainability and global livelihoods. MSC is currently exploring how to tap into existing financing and investment strategies to help these interested fisheries complete the certification process.

The MSC ecolabel helps consumers recognize MSC certified seafood when they shop.

MSC’s work requires close collaboration with nonprofits, governments, and businesses to achieve its mission, and believes strongly in marketplace solutions to achieve results. One of Coughlin’s favorite examples of this model in action involves the Patagonian toothfish (also known as Chilean Seabass). Just a few years ago, due to excessive illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, the toothfish’s survival was in danger and there was extreme conservation pressure to pull the fish off of menus and retail shelves. One fishery came forward and decided to become MSC certified. Undaunted by the certifier’s initial assessment of their numerous problems, they set about to make the necessary improvement to become sustainable. They eventually achieved certification to the rigorous MSC standard and earned their way back into the tenuous marketplace. In order to compete, other fisheries followed their example. Now, just a few years later, 50% of the toothfish industry worldwide is certified or on the path to sustainability. “Those kinds of results,” said Coughlin, “Would be hard to accomplish through regulation and advocacy alone.”

A box of MSC certified seafood

With its headquarters for North and Latin America and the Russian Far East in Seattle, the Marine Stewardship Council recently joined Global Washington and is looking forward to connecting with members of Washington’s global development community. “Our work is all about the environment” said Coughlin, “But going along with that we are working to preserve economies and livelihoods, and increase food security. We’re very interested in our many partnerships and what together we are doing in those types of programs and learning from them.” They are particularly interested in how other organizations approach marketplace solutions– taking private or public capital and turning it into economic development. “We can’t support our base without it but there’s not enough philanthropy n the world to do what we’re all trying to do,” Coughlin insisted. “You have to have organizations harnessing these forces and working on these issues. But as far as actually making it happen, you have to get market forces and get the market place engaged to bring about sustainable change.” MSC is a wonderful example of using partnerships to achieve a shared goal—NGOs, businesses, governments, and consumers can all help preserve critical ocean resources. Coughlin was adamant that this is a joint effort: “We’re turning around the trend lines on world fisheries. And by we, I mean all of us together.”

Changemaker

Dave Richter

By Anna Jensen-Clem

“As you look for solutions for one problem, you come up against the next challenge.” This is perhaps the most succinct way to explain Dave Richter’s varied, trans-continental professional career. As a child, Richter spent his days tracking his father’s travels across the globe. A Project Evaluator, and later Deputy Director in Kenya for the Peace Corps, Richter’s father traveled frequently, and his children were quickly instilled with a sense of a world outside their own front door. This awareness has guided Richter’s professional life ever since. From his elementary education in Kenya to his post-collegiate study of Chinese in China and Taiwan, Richter has sought solutions to puzzles, answers to difficult questions, and acknowledgement of a common human purpose for all of us.

As an undergraduate student at Swarthmore College, Richter immersed himself in the study of Chinese history and language, and in 1980, he traveled to China to study. On returning home, he received an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He then embarked to work in China for the next few years, shuttling back and forth with the US-China Business Council in Beijing and Washington, DC. In 1992, he began working for Asia Emergency Assistance in Beijing, managing medical evacuations and coordinating the logistics of transport, equipment, and people. Building a clinic in Beijing and making sure that foreign visitors and expatriates got the medical assistance they needed was, in Richter’s view, a way to do business and help people at the same time. This merger of ideas “resonated” with him and helped to set him on his current humanitarian path. In 2002, he founded Richter International Consulting, based in Issaquah, WA, and helps large companies coordinate the specifics of their insurance and medical and security assistance programs. Helping clients draft comprehensive insurance programs that provide the highest quality care is another in a long string of puzzles Richter has set out to solve.

Dave Richter

When asked about the benefits of being based in Washington State, Richter listed the innumerable organizations working in global health, the broad client base, and the multiple sources of volunteers as only a few reasons why he chose to remain in the area when starting his own business. He joined Global Washington in 2011, and has since attended a number of events and discussions; the “confluence of speakers” at last year’s conference was one of the most impressive parts of the organization, he says.

Tabitha Foundation:

Dave Richter Richter first became involved with the Tabitha Foundation in 2004, and described his first experience building houses in Cambodia as “like coming home.” The work, he says, is what he “was meant to do.” Richter has led building trips to Cambodia each year since then, and his children have traveled to Cambodia four times each. Tabitha has several different projects, and each has developed as an organic offshoot of an earlier project. Initially, the founders began Tabitha as a savings program; one of the most devastating outcomes of the Pol Pot regime was that ordinary Cambodians lost their sense of a future. Few people saved money or even held out hope that they would live to see the next day. This “lingering trauma of disbelief of the future” has prevented many Cambodians from rebuilding their lives even after the Khmer Rouge’s downfall. One of Tabitha’s initial goals was to reinstate that sense of hope and trust in the future through a microsavings program. Rather than save up to buy land or even a television, people in remote villages set aside a few cents per week to buy dishes, fishing nets, or cooking pots. Janne Ritskes, Tabitha’s founder, also set up a cottage industry for Cambodian women, reviving a traditional art in producing silk and giving them an outlet to sell their products. Since many women have small children and cannot always afford to leave the house all day, and because employment opportunities for women in Cambodia are frequently limited, job training for women in remote villages is crucial to their survival. Women employed in the cottage industry support themselves and their families through their skills.

Perhaps one of Tabitha’s most long-term successes is that it has helped people in remote villages to learn that others outside of their country value the human connection, and that despite years of oppression under the Khmer Rouge, Cambodians are now learning that they are still deserving of kindness and compassion. “You can’t put a value on that,” Richter says.

Hamomi Children’s Centre:

Dave Richter Richter also serves on the Board of Directors of the Hamomi Children’s Centre in Kenya, an organization that provides comprehensive care for orphaned and vulnerable children living in the slums of Nairobi. Through their primary school and scholarship program, they provide education for those children who would otherwise not have access to it. By providing food, medical care and job opportunities, they take into account outside influences which interfere with impoverished students’ education. This means their students receive immediate benefits from attending school, are better able to concentrate in class, have stronger immune systems and as a result score higher on tests. Although the organization is still young, it is already proving invaluable to the more than 140 children it serves.

Of his work with Tabitha and Hamomi, Richter lists three goals; they move from specific to general, and this progression is perhaps a microcosm for his professional life so far. First, he wanted to build houses. Second, he wanted those living in other countries to meet “normal Americans and judge us for who we are,” and third, he wanted young Americans to have the opportunity to travel abroad and see, as he did as a child, that there exists a big, wide world outside their doorstep. “The ripple in their pond,” he says, will create many more ripples in the future, and the more chances young people have to travel and encounter new perspectives, the more we value our connections to each other.

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!

Marine Stewardship Council
Our mission is to use our ecolabel and fishery certification programme to contribute to the health of the world’s oceans by recognising and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood, and working with our partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis. http://www.msc.org

University of Washington Bothell
Holds the student-faculty relationship to be paramount. We provide access to excellence in higher education through innovative and creative curricula, interdisciplinary teaching and research, and a dynamic community of multicultural learning. www.uwb.edu

Sou Digna / I Am Worthy
Mission: Sou Digna expands the rights of impoverished women and girls living in Salvador, Brazil, through job training, community development, and education. www.soudigna.org

Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives www.savethechildren.org

World Justice Project
The World Justice Project, an independent, non-profit organization, develops communities of opportunity and equity by advancing the rule of law worldwide. http://worldjusticeproject.org/

Massai Children’s Initiative
The Maasai Children’s Initiative (MCI) advocates for social empowerment and economic development for Maasai girls through education, leadership development and technology training. While we support the education of all Maasai children, our vision is that Maasai girls become empowered to determine their own futures, make wise life decisions and positively impact their communities. http://maasaichildrensinitiative.org/

Global Weeks: Vicki Weeks, Independent Consultant in Global Experiential Education.

Career Center

Highlighted Paid Positions:

Development and Communications Coordinator – iLEAP
iLEAP seeks a creative, mission-driven individual to serve as its new full-time Development and Communications Coordinator. This person will work closely with iLEAP’s leadership team to expand iLEAP’s community of donors and partners and to strengthen the overall fundraising program. In addition, this person will play a key role in implementing iLEAP’s communication strategy to reach diverse audiences and build awareness of iLEAP’s mission and impact. More.

Vice President of Programs – World Affairs Council
The Vice President of Programs is a full-time position and plays a key leadership role within the World Affairs Council and our community as it relates to international affairs. This position oversees all program development and implementation for the World Affairs Council. It leads program staff across the three main programs of the Council — Community Programs, International Visitor Program, and Global Classroom — to develop events and implement an integrated program strategy that achieves the Council’s vision of a greater Seattle community that is connected, engaged, and inspired to create change in the world. More.

Community Health Promoter (Global to Local Initiative) – University of Washington Global Health Resource Center (GHRC)
The Community Health Promoter (CHP) will play a key role in educating community members on health promotion and disease prevention activities. This will be accomplished in part by conducting community outreach and working closely with community shareholders to identify and address community health barriers and priorities through the development of Community Action Plans. More.

Highlighted Internship Opportunities:

Marketing Internship – Prosthetics Outreach Foundation
POF is seeking Marketing Interns for the Fall 2012, Winter 2013 and Spring 2013 Quarters! Interns will assist in creating web pages that effectively promote and publicize POF’s services, activities, events, and fundraising; write press releases and public service announcements; and Generate articles for the website, promote articles via social media, and assist with the newsletter.More.

Highlighted Volunteer Opportunities:

International Environmental Organizations Volunteer – EarthCorps
The international corpsmember position is a 6-month service learning experience with EarthCorps in Seattle, WA, USA. Young environmental leaders from countries outside the United States will join US AmeriCorps members to develop skills in environmental service, community building and leadership. This is not a classroom or workshop. Corpsmembers spend 80% of their time in the field engaged in environmental restoration projects throughout the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Restoration is very physically demanding and takes place outdoors in all weather conditions.

Participants take part in environmental restoration projects, such as tree-planting, trail construction, stream restoration, and invasive plant removal. Projects are located throughout Washington State. More.

International Corpsmember Volunteer (June – December 2013) – EarthCorps
The international corpsmember position is a 6-month service learning experience with EarthCorps in Seattle, WA, USA. Young environmental leaders from countries outside the United States will join US AmeriCorps members to develop skills in environmental service, community building and leadership. International corpsmembers are sponsored by EarthCorps on a J-1 Trainee visa. This is not a classroom or workshop. Corpsmembers spend 80% of their time in the field engaged in environmental restoration projects throughout the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Restoration is physically demanding and takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. More.

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

Announcements

HUB Seattle grand opening

HUB Seattle is celebrating its grand opening this Friday, October 26th from 6pm to midnight! This is a great chance to see the new space and enjoy appetizers, live music, speakers, and more. HUB Seattle describes itself as “a coworking and events space for inspiring people. With a focus on supporting entrepreneurs bent on changing the world for good, the Hub is both network and nexus—equal parts office, clubhouse, and café combined in a comfortable community for making connections while progressing toward individual goals. Join us and enjoy blazing connectivity, inspiring meeting/work spaces, and a full-time hosting staff on hand to help you find the resources, partners, investors, and education that your venture needs.”

Schools for Salone 2nd annual Seattle anniversary dinner

Schools for Salone is gearing up for its second annual anniversary dinner on November 17th. Doors open at 5:30 at the Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle. Your $100 ticket includes dinner and complementary wine from IdleCellars.com and Chateau Ste Michelle. Margaret Larson of KING 5 TV will be the Emcee again this year and Black Nature of the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars will be sharing his story and beautiful music. Tickets are available at SchoolsforSalone.org. The organization is also excited to announce a $10,000 matching grant from the Shultz Family Foundation

Schools for Salone was started by Sierra Leone RPCV’s who make up the majority of the board and efforts on this side of the Atlantic. Their partners on the ground in Sierra Leone, who make the work possible, are long time friends and colleagues from the Peace Corps days. The organization continues to be connected with and work with Seattle area schools and groups to help them learn about Peace Corps and life in Sierra Leone. Schools for Salone work hard to live up to the third goal of Peace Corps. Find out more at SchoolsforSalone.org.

Washington State: Collaborating to end poverty

Global Washington’s guest blog on Interaction’s website highlights Washington’s collaborative global development community as a special innovation in the global fight against poverty. We are thrilled to be putting the state of Washington on the map a premier hub for effective global development work!

The World Affairs Council presents “Global Warming Gridlock”

On October 25, 2012, The World Affairs Council presents a conversation with David Victor, professor at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego and director of the School’s new Laboratory on International Law and Regulation. Victor will discuss how to make international law on global warming more effective by encouraging bottom-up initiatives at national, regional and global levels, leveraging national self-interest rather than wishful thinking.

Global Warming Gridlock will take place from 5:30 to 7:20pm at Washington Hall (153 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122) and the price is $10 for students and members and $15 for non-members.

Nominate your hero for our “Global Hero Award”

Global Washington’s 4^th Annual Conference will feature a special presentation of The Global Hero Award. This award honors an outstanding leader from the state of Washington who has contributed significantly to global issues and made a great impact in the world. Learn more or nominate your hero.

Foreign policy debate questions

Global Washington joined numerous national global development organizations in endorsing the following debate questions for our presidential candidates:

Previous presidents on both sides of the aisle have supported assistance programs to help stabilize countries, open markets and show compassion for those in need. Many people don’t realize that less than one percent of the federal budget goes to foreign assistance, which covers anything from life-saving vaccinations to girls’ education.

Governor, you’ve said before that the United States must exercise greater “soft power.” You described foreign assistance as humanitarian, in our strategic interests, and important for encouraging economic opportunity. How important will this kind of “soft power” be in a Romney administration?

Your predecessor, President George W. Bush, championed programs to tackle AIDS and malaria, resulting in huge gains in both areas. If you are reelected, what will be the lasting legacy of the Obama administration to help those in extreme poverty around the world?

MFAN releases open letter to USAID Administrator

The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network has released an open letter to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, demonstrating support for USAID’s Implementation and Procurement Reform Initiative, which is designed to strengthen local capacity in our partner countries and increase the sustainability of development by raising the amount of development assistance administered through country governments and local organizations and businesses. Dozens of premier global development organizations and leaders have endorsed the letter, including Global Washington and many of its members.

Please take a moment to read the letter MFAN’s accompanying statement and share with your networks.

Support Bahia Street Brasil through Party for a Passion

Join Sou Digna and Bahia Street Brasil on Saturday ,November 17 from 7 to 10pm at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 South Alaska Street, Seattle) at Party for a Passion! Bahia Street Brasil provides pathways from poverty to opportunity for girls and young women in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. 100% of funds raised at this event will be directed to Bahia Street Brasil. The party will feature music by Eduardo Mendonça of Show Brazil, homemade Brazilian desserts, drinks, and Guarana donated by Kitanda. There is a $15 suggested donation at the door. Bahia Street Brasil’s is supported by Sou Digna/ I Am Worthy. Donations can be made outside of the event through Sou Digna’s website.

Pacific Northwest Africa Donors Forum

As part of its mission to strengthen American giving to Africa, the African Women’s Development Fund USA (AWDF USA) and its Pacific Northwest Organizing Committee are pleased to announce the first-ever Pacific Northwest Africa Donors Forum. The forum will take place on Thursday October 25, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the West 8th Building (2001 8th Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Room, Seattle). Cost is $40.

On display now at SAM: Art by Burmese refugees

On display at the Seattle Art Museum until November 4^th, Forced to Flee: Visual Stories by Refugee Youth from Burma is a special art exhibition by Refugee Youth Empowered. Burmese refugees are the fastest growing refugee community in the country. These paintings tell the story of refugee youth from Burma who were forced to flee their home country.

Jet City Stoveworks seeking partners

Seattle based Jet City StoveWorks (JCS) has a new kind of cook stove. This Jiko Safi (clean burning stove in Swahili) is fueled by the oil rich seeds of the Jatropha curcas, a common tropical hedge row shrub. To learn more about the cook stove and what it could mean to village women and children, please read this introduction at http://www.jetcitystoveworks.com/announcement-for-jiko-safi.

JCS will fund one or two start-up programs to introduce the Jiko Safi. We are inviting organizations that work in agriculture, women’s economic development, village finance and related areas to apply. If your organization or one that you work with is interested, the application and the instructions are at http://www.jetcitystoveworks.com/initiative-2013. The completed application is due on January 31, 2013.

For additional information, contact David Otto at 206 325-6765 or jetcitystoveworks@gmail.com

Seattle Chapter, Society for International Development (SID) Monthly Meeting

The next meeting is on November 12 and will feature Caroline Clark, from the Inter-American Development Bank.

For Whom: Anyone with a background or interest in International Development
Where: 221 Yale Avenue North, Suite 450 (SightLife offices, across from REI)
When: Second Monday of each month, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Cost: First meeting is free; membership is $45

Growing Health Soils workshops

Global Washington member organization SeaChar is partnering with several other organizations for special 2-day workshops offered in both the fall and the spring. Growing Health Soils and Communities with Biochar will take place on November 17^th and 18^th or April 27^th and 28^th at Sammamish Valley Farm. Participants will learn about biochar, engage in harvesting biomass, and participate in hands on activites that help incorporate the biochar product into the soil at the farm.

PeaceTrees Vietnam announces new Executive Director

PeaceTrees Vietnam has recently hired Michael G. Auch as its new Executive Director. Auch has extensive NGO leadership experience and has previously worked with organizations like Communities in Schools and the Center for Independence. He has served as the PeaceTrees interim director since April and his position became permanent on October 1st. Congratulations to Michael G. Auch and PeaceTrees!

InterConnection announces new drop-of location in Tukwila

InterConnection is a computer reuse and recycling center that works to make information technology available to underserved communities around the world. InterConnection is partnering with Batteries Plus in Tukwila to begin accepting donations at a new location: 17065 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, WA 98188. Don’t forget to donate your old computers, cell phones, and monitors so that they can be put to good use!

Startup Red Lotus Technologies uses smartphones to detect landmines.

Landmines kill thousands of people each year, over half of whom are children. Over one hundred million landmines scatter the globe, and it is estimated that it will take over 100 years to clear these landmines at the current rate of removal.

A Seattle-based start-up, Red Lotus Technologies, has a new solution to this problem that uses a widely-available and affordable technology: a smartphone. By using smartphones to aid in the detection of landmines, the company’s research has shown that they will increase the speed of landmine removal and increase deminer safety.

Red Lotus Technologies is currently running a fundraising campaign to get its product to Cambodia – to support this project or spread the word, click here.

Exhibit at the NCSS Annual Conference

National Council for the Social Studies Annual Confernce will take place on November 16-18 and exhibit space is available! Exhibiting at the 2012 NCSS Annual Conference will put you in touch with thousands of classroom teachers, leaders, and other decision makers in social studies education. They will come to learn, gather ideas, and shop. Many will cite the exhibit hall among the conference highlights—creating a prime opportunity for exhibitors to make strong impressions. The first NCSS conference in the Pacific Northwest in 45 years will draw educators from both sides of the border, including many attending their first conference, providing exhibiting organizations an important opportunity to develop lasting, personal relationships with potential new customers. http://www.socialstudies.org/conference/exhibitors