March 2011 Newsletter

Posted on March 22, 2011

Welcome to the March 2011 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 Story: Ways to be involved with Global Washington
Featured Organization: Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas – A Holistic View Of Asia
Changemaker: Dan O’Neill, Founder of Mercy Corps
Welcome New Members
Announcements
Global Washington Events
Other Events

Note from our Executive Director

Greetings,

Happy spring. My family and I celebrated Iranian New Year, Norooz, this Sunday with the arrival of spring. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful time of the year as well.

Global Washington is continuing to move forward with our framework for convening, strengthen, and advocating on behalf of the development sector in Washington. We are in the process of hiring a Membership and Program Coordinator who will support the deepening of our work byconvening members around their issue areas and expertise. We see this as an important opportunity to bring our members together on a regular basis, serving our core purpose of being a catalyst for greater partnership and innovation in the Washington State international development community. In this newsletter you will find a list of groups you can join to engage in this dialogue. Please feel free to contact me if you are interestedin contributing to this effort and helping us create opportunities this year that will provide you with the greatest benefit.

Last month, after announcing our plans with the education sector, I received 50 emails from people who wanted to help by working on these committees. We are thrilled with this response and look forward to providing all of you with opportunities to connect with one another in the coming months.

In unity,

Bookda Gheisar, Executive Director

Ways to be involved with Global Washington

Here are four ways that you can get more involved with Global Washington:

1. Global Washington is starting Affinity Groups in the following areas to support our members’ work:
  - Economic Development and Poverty Alleviation Affinity Group
  - Environmental Sustainability Affinity Group: Climate, Water, Environment and Agriculture
  - Global Health Affinity Group
  - Education and Global Engagement Affinity Group

Each Affinity Group will be chaired by two Global Washington member organizations and staffed by Global Washington (staff, volunteers, or interns). If you are a member organization and interested in chairing or joining an Affinity Group please let us know by contacting Bookda@globalwa.org

1. The Education and Global Engagement Affinity Group will be dividing into three Working Groups in 2011:
  - World Languages: Identify language priorities, teaching and learning pedagogies, and curriculum and program design.
  - Building a Global Classroom in the U.S. and Abroad: Identify pedagogy and desired learning outcomes, technology and infrastructure for supporting student interactions, and program design to facilitate global student interactions.
  - Pedagogy and Competency Building: Identify effective pedagogies for teaching students and training teachers, promoting specific goals, evaluation metrics, and a vision for global education in Washington schools.

To get involved with one of these working groups please contact Bookda@globalwa.org

Other working groups: Global Washington also recognizes the importance of our members working together around common themes, challenges, and trends in their fields. We are in the process of bringing together a few other working groups, which will also be chaired by member organizations and staffed by the staff, volunteers, and interns of Global Washington. If you are a member organization and interested in chairing or joining any of these working groups please let us know by contacting Bookda@globalwa.org
- Working Group for small NGO’s
- Working group on disaster preparedness
- Working group on fundraising and fund development
Conference Planning Committee 2011: Please join us in the planning process! This year’s conference will be on Oct 31^st and Nov 1^st. A planning committee will meet on a monthly basis from April until November. To join the committee contact Bookda@globalwa.org

Featured Organization: Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas – A Holistic View Of Asia

When entering the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in the historic art-moderne building in Volunteer Park, you will step into the tranquility of the Garden Court, embraced by a thoughtfully displayed collection of ancient Indian sculptures. To your left, you will find a room that houses an assortment of Chinese art treasures, from bronze vessels crafted in the Shang Dynasty from almost 4000 years ago to porcelain pillows from the last several centuries. The wing to the right of the Garden Court is where you will experience ancient and contemporary Japanese aesthetic, including a Kakiemon bowl from the Edo period in the late 17^th century along with sculptures and paintings by today’s Japanese American artists. SAAM brings world-renowned collections of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Southeast Asian and Himalayan art to Washington, allowing Washingtonians to taste the Asian culture without traveling across the Pacific Ocean. For people who are curious about Asia, SAAM is definitely the place that would fascinate them.

Besides the enjoyment of Asian art, many people were calling for additional ways to stretch their curiosity of Asian culture to another level. Mimi Gardner Gates, an Asian art historian, answered their call! As many people here are already familiar with the Asian culture in one way or another, Gates thought one more way to advance their and the region’s engagement with Asia is to provide them with a “holistic view.” Gates achieved this goal by founding the Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas, offering “dynamic public programs that provide multi-faceted perspectives on Asia, past and present.”

During her time at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) as Director, Gates focused her efforts on growing SAM, including the giant projects of creating the Sculpture Park as well as renovating and expanding the current SAM’s downtown location. At her retirement, Gates thought this is the perfect chance for her to rewire her deep ties with Asian art and culture, after missing them for so long. Before SAM, Gates was the curator of Asian art and then director of the Yale University Art Gallery. Her solid academic background, from bachelor to Ph.D., was built around her passion in art history and Asian language and culture. In July, 2009, Gates founded the Gardner Center and asked Sarah Loudon to work with her in creating these programs.

The inaugural program of the Gardner Center– the Saturday University Lecture Series – remains their flagship program, with two to three series offered between October and May. The eight- to ten-week-long series pull together academic and field experts to “explore all facets of Asia, both past and present from art and culture, literature, music and film to agriculture, health, population control and politics.” For their very first series, “Asia in Focus”, they invited professors from different departments of the University of Washington to provides an overview of each country’s rich history, intriguing contemporary politics and society, and distinctive art and culture. Sarah acknowledged that partnering with the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington was what made Saturday University Lecture Series possible in the first place.

Being in Washington State, the home to many world-leading global organizations and international businesses, how could it be possible not for the Gardner Center to leverage this rich resources? Since its first successful partnership with the University of Washington, the Gardner Center also quickly took on the role as a “convening place” of many other Asian-affiliated organizations in the region. Its strategic partnerships with them have not only enriched Gardner Center’s programs, but have also provided a platform for these organizations to showcase their phenomenal work in Asia to the public. For example, the current series, “World Little Known: Central Asia, Its Histories and Place in Today’s World,” draws specialists from Landesa, the Snow Leopard Trust, the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, and other organizations to provide the public with interdisciplinary perspectives on Central Asia.

The Gardner Center has been very mindful of incorporating interesting, special programs as avenues to broaden audience’s knowledge and deepen their understanding of Asian culture. For instance, before participating in the lecture discussion on Saturday morning, you may choose to start off your day with a yoga class in the Garden Court at SAAM. After the intriguing lecture, you may also bring home related materials, hand-picked by the Elliott Bay Books, to continue with your exploration of Asian culture from the lectures. That way, your experience with Asian culture will be stretched, through both mind and body.

Being an independent and flexible program initiative, the Gardner Center has the advantage to be very experimental with a wide variety of programs in addition to the Saturday University Lecture Series. That includes unique musical recitals, such as the recent performance by Gamelan Pacifica, which drew an overflowing audience. On March 6, this Seattle’s orchestra from Indonesia performed dramatic gong-chime percussion resonancing the Indian sculpture at SAAM’s Garden Court.

Special visual performances, film showings and book reviews are also built into Gardner Center’s upcoming schedule. On March 25-27, the Gardner Center will house the Aaina Festival presented by Tasveer. Highlighting issues relevant to South Asian women, the festival will feature film, visual and performance art, such as Yoni Ki Baat, an adaptation of The Vagina Monologues, sharing unique, true stories from local South Asian women.

A documentary film, “Desert of Forbidden Art,” will be shown on April 7. Described by the New York Times as “one of the most remarkable collections of 20^th century Russian art,” the film tells the incredible story of how Igor Savitsky risked his life to rescue over 40,000 works of art by his fellow Russian artists, many of them had been executed, during the oppressed era of Stalin. This film also follows how he created a museum in Uzbekistan allowing all of these almost extinguished artworks to be uncovered to the world again.

Also, on April 14, the Gardner Center will present a book review from the former executive editor of the New York Times, Joseph Lelyveld on his new book, “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his Struggle with India.” This coming summer, fans of Asia can also expect a very exciting outdoor film series in Volunteer Park, introduced by one of the best-known Bollywood actresses!

The next time when your curiosity of Asian culture calls, be sure to check out the Gardner Center’s schedule before you step into SAAM. You are sure to have a holistic Asian experience.

For more information on the Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas and its program schedule, please visit:http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/GardnerCenter/default.asp

Changemaker: Dan O’Neill, Founder of Mercy Corps

Dan O’Neill

“For over three decades we have helped people grappling with the toughest hardships survive — and then thrive,” says, Dan O’Neill, the founder of one of America’s most effective and efficient charitable organizations, Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps provides support to communities living in the world’s toughest places and has been successful in bringing about positive change in the lives of 19 million people.

Dan O’ Neill’s commitment to serving the world’s vulnerable and oppressed through Mercy Corps dates back to the tumultuous period of the Vietnam War. In the early 1970s, as a UW student working as a political cartoonist and graphic artist, Dan went through what he called “spiritual renewal.” He realized that he wanted to be more globally engaged, give something back to the society, and make a difference in the world.

He went overseas and worked as a volunteer in South and East Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Appalled by the poverty, hunger, misery, distress, and persecution, in these war-ravaged regions, Dan became more determined to do humanitarian work. The Cambodia crisis, marked by mass killing and a huge refugee migration following the Vietnam War, gave Dan the opportunity to be more involved. In 1979, he co-founded Save the Refugees Fund, an emergency relief task force to assist Cambodian refugees. That year was also significant as it was the same year that Mother Teresa–one of Dan’s heroes–received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Photo Credit: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps

Dan had been aware of Mother Teresa’s work in Calcutta and was greatly influenced by her dedicated service. The thought of a small, elderly Eastern European woman—“just one person,” emphasized Dan—being so committed in reaching out to “the poorest of the poor” and addressing the issues of radical poverty was deeply inspiring to him. He realized that she was living out what he called back then “the moral imperative” to make a positive difference in the lives of the disadvantaged people and also see them as partners in their own improvement. Save The Refugees Fund led Dan to found Mercy Corps in 1981, which works to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

Mercy Corps first earned a name for itself during to the famines, refugee crises and conflicts in Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Zaire, Ethiopia and Eritrea. The organization’s first major achievement was the grant they received from USAID in 1985-86. Mercy Corps transported food in 100 diesel trucks from Sudan into the areas of famine and poverty, oftentimes in combat situations, losing some of their vehicles to Ethiopian MIGs. They were also selected to be the recipient of funds under the “Project SOS” program, (Seattle’s Outreach to Sudan led by the mayor, public officials and NGOs). Despite being a small organization at the time, Mercy Corps made a significant impact from the beginning.

Dan in Rwanda (1994), after the mass killing crisis, helping to feed a child at the Kigali hospital

Photo Credit: Mercy Corps

According to Dan, every situation and region warrants different relief and development strategies. The Global Emergency Operations (GEO) Team of Mercy Corps, created in the year 2000, makes needs assessments and lays foundations for emergency operations. The assessment includes communicating with the local players to plan operations, how to best engage, and what partners to work with. They also decide on the method of funding and if they should immediately start working on applications for the grants. Mercy Corps provides immediate emergency relief while identifying early recovery opportunities to help survivors build a better future. Since 2000, members of the GEO team have deployed in more than 30 international emergencies and have provided technical support and coordinated emergency responses in many more.

Mercy Corps has always been a strong advocate of human rights. Dan was ideologically influenced by Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., who both took peaceful but assertive stances on human rights. In 1972, Dan personally witnessed the abuses of Apartheid in South Africa and white rule in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). From the time of Mercy Corps inception, the agency has made the connection between poverty and human rights – speaking out for human rights during the war in Nicaragua, the killings in Guatemala and El Salvador in the 1980s and also in South Africa and Middle East.

For more than thirty years, Mercy Corps programs have addressed humanitarian needs, created economic opportunities, offered leadership programs to youth and promoted good governance. When asked about the safety and security concerns in carrying out relief and development operations, Dan said “political unrest strategically makes the execution of programs difficult but it also offers the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives.” In their attempt to bring positive change through non-violent means, Mercy Corps staff often find themselves on the front lines of violent conflict. Some of them have lost their lives, the most recent being the abduction and execution of one of their longtime Pakistani staff in June 2010. “We reflect on their bravery and sacrifice,” says Dan, “and in their honor and memory continue to work towards positively affecting lives.”

Photo Credit: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps

Another one of the important missions of Mercy Corps, according to Dan, is to involve youth in finding out meaningful ways to build peace. Their international GCC (Global Citizen Corps) program gives young people the tools, the fellowship, and the inspiration to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian causes. So far GCC’S face-to-face leadership summits occur only in the US, but there are Global Citizen Corps groups and training workshops in several countries, including Scotland, Lebanon, Jordan, the Gaza Strip and Iraq. Through video conferencing, Mercy Corps’s plan is to engage more and more teenagers in a meaningful dialogue and help globally conscious and energetic young people share ideas in such virtual gatherings for positive change in the world. According to Dan, with the globalization of communication, the consequences of the decisions that countries are making have a wide impact. It is important for individuals to become engaged global citizens, to educate themselves, and to take action towards ensuring peaceful change across the world.

The state of Washington holds tremendous potential to improve global humanitarian work. Dan emphasizes the value of partnerships and hopes that Global Washington as a membership association can serve as a powerful forum for exchange of ideas, collaborative processes, and inspiration. In his words, “Global Washington should define ways to engage people in the state to have a global vision and inspire Washingtonians to make a positive difference.”

Welcome New Members

Global Washington would like to welcome everyone who has become a member since January! Please take some time to familiarize yourself with these organizations that are doing wonderful work in the state of Washington. Consider what opportunities there might be for collaboration and support. Together we are creating a unified voice for the development sector in the state and are working to build a equitable and prosperous world.

Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA)

The Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School explores the design, use, and effects of information and communication technologies in communities facing social and economic challenges. With experience in 50 countries, TASCHA brings together a multidisciplinary network of social scientists, engineers, and development practitioners to conduct research, advance knowledge, create public resources, and improve policy and program design.

Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Island Association (BOSIA)

The purpose of the Bainbridge-Ometepe Sister Islands Association is to encourage mutual understanding, education, friendship, cultural and peaceful exchanges between the people of Bainbridge Island and Ometepe Island, and between the peoples of the United States and Nicaragua

Global Team for Local Initiatives

GTLI is dedicated to helping indigenous people lead healthy lives. Working closely with tribal elders, we help implement sustainable development projects for long-term survival and income generating activities for immediate relief.

Global Women’s Philanthropy Project

Quixote Associates

Quixote Associates is a management consulting company founded to help non-profit, socially-responsible organizations and small, diverse businesses create sustainable strategies and improve operations. Quixote Associates helps build capability and capacity by assessing and facilitating strategic planning, operations management, project management, measurement & evaluation, communications, process improvement, training.

One Equal Heart Foundation

One Equal Heart Foundation accompanies the poor in Chiapas, Mexico as they work to promote nonviolence, build sustainable communities, steward natural resources, and preserve the cultural identity of the Tseltal Maya People.

Individuals:

Anne Sheeran
Paula Rowland
Mark West

Announcements

Washington Organizations Respond to Japan Earthquake

The state of Washington is home to an active global development community, consisting of many organizations, businesses, and individuals that have been moved to respond in some way to the recent disaster in Japan. Global Washington is compiling information about Washington State’s relief efforts, including details about the work that some of our members are doing. Please visit our website for up-to-date information and resources.

We are also co-hosting an event with Seattle Greendrinks on April 12^th, which will gather the Seattle community to learn about the disaster. Proceeds will be donated to Mercy Corps. Click here to learn more or register.

Global Washington Events

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming workshops:

Developing a Communication Plan for Your Organization, Wednesday, April 13
In this three hour training session, Claudia Ender will guide you through the different components of communication planning, and will give you an opportunity to start your own plan with hands-on exercises. At the end of the training, you will have developed a first draft for your organization, and you will be confident about finalizing it with your respective stakeholders.
Evaluation Workshop with Innovations for Poverty Action, May 16^th & 17^th
This two-day workshop will present how rigorous evaluations can show whether an intervention actually has a positive impact on the beneficiaries it is supposed to serve. We will make the case for evidence-based decision making, introduce the ideas of evaluation and impact assessment, and outline some poverty interventions that have been proven to work through rigorous experimentation in the real world.

Technology solutions for nonprofits

Software Guide from Idealware. Idealware’s 2011 Field Guide to Software for Nonprofits is now available at Lulu.com for $19.95. The Field Guide provides an overview of over 50 different types of software to help you determine how you can best use technology to meet the specific needs of your organization. This is a great tool to increase your efficiency and stay on the cutting edge of the latest trends!

Looking for a database or e-marketing tool? Global Washington uses an affordable online database tool called eTapestry to keep track of our contacts and to generate our emails (like this one). If you are interested in learning more, consider allowing us to refer you—you’ll get good information about whether eTapestry could meet your needs, and we will get a discount if you end up purchasing services! Email admin@globalwa.org.

Guiding Lights Weekend

The theme of Guiding Lights Weekend 2011 is “Great Citizenship,” and the two-day event will focus not just on lobbying, but also on community organizing and engagement. This conference will take place on March 25 and 26^th at the Fisher Pavilion in the Seattle Center. Speakers will include Van Jones, a green economy pioneer, environmentalist and author, Bill McKibben, Dan Savage, an author and founder of the It Gets Better Project. To learn more, see the full schedule, or register please visit the conference webpage.

Conference Explores Business Contribution to Ending Global Poverty

On April 1^st and 2^nd, Seattle Pacific University is hosting “Bottom Billions/Bottom Line,” a conference focused on the role of business in ending global poverty. The conference will be relevant to business leaders and employees, consumers, social entrepreneurs, and anyone else interested good global citizenship and corporate social responsibility. Speakers will include Gregg Nebel, head of social and environmental affairs at the adidas Group; Bonnie Nixon, director environmental sustainability and Hewlett-Packard; and Rob Smith, CEO of Earthwise Ventures. For a complete list of speakers, more information about the conference, and registration, visit the conference website.

iLEAP Dinner at FareStart

iLEAP: The Center for Critical Service is hosting “i4 2011:iNSPIRING iDEAS, iGNITING iNNOVATION” on April 13^th, 2011 from 6pm-8pm at FareStart Restaurant in Seattle. This informational dinner will feature, Mabilia Joj, a graduate of iLEAP’s 2010 fellowship. Mabilia will talk about her iLEAP experience and how it is informing her work in Guatemala with women and indigenous communities. iLEAP is a nonprofit organization that seeks “to cultivate and inspire a new generation of global citizens.” They accomplish this through “hands-on, educational and professional training programs in Seattle and innovative international travel programs in partnership with communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.”

To learn more about this event, visit www.iLEAP.org/i4-2011 or buy tickets online from Brown Paper Tickets.

To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America film & campaign

On March 31, the Sundance documentary To Catch a Dollar premieres in theaters nationwide. This one night only event will spotlight the promise of microfinance in America through stories of brave women entrepreneurs. Following the film will be a special simulcast panel moderated by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo and featuring Nobel Laureate Professor Yunus, Kiva President Premal Shah and special guest, financial powerhouse Suze Orman. This event will kick off a long-term campaign to reframe perceptions of poverty and to extend the reach of financial services in America.

For more information and to spread the word, visit:

SeaMo and Fortunato Vega are also hosting a VIP Reception in conjunction with the movie premier. All VIP Reception attendees will enjoy appetizers and networking opportunities in advance of the film premiere, as well as VIP reserved seating at the theatre. The reception will take place at the Bombay Grill in Seattle and the movie is on the same block at the Landmark Metro Theater. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at http://tcadvip.eventbrite.com/.

Seattle Public Schools Celebrate World Water Day

Students at Chief Sealth International High School have organized a week-long festival to draw awareness to both local and global water issues. They are inviting the public to attend a free public lecture by Robert Glennon on Monday, March 21 at 7:00 pm in the Chief Sealth International Auditorium. Glennon is a professor of law and public policy at the University of Arizona and is the author of the bestselling book, Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to do about it.

Before the keynote lecture, there will be a water resource fair with tables from local government and non-profit organizations. There will also be live jazz music and refreshments. For more information, download the flyer: http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/chiefsealth/h2o.html. For questions about this event, please contact Noah Zeichner: nczeichner@seattleschools.org

Teacher Partnership Dinner with Global Visionaries

Global Visionaries (GV) is inviting new and previous trip leaders and other teachers interested in Global Education to attend a dinner with GV staff on April 7^th. This will be a great opportunity to network and to learn more about the mission of Global Visionaries: “To empower young people to become global leaders in creating a just and sustainable future.” The dinner will take place at Yanni’s Greek Restaurant in Seattle at 5:00pm. If you are interested in attending, please contact Reagan Jackson by Monday, March 28 at reaganjackson@global-visionaries.org.

Seattle International Foundation Announces Call for Applications under its 2011 Global Program

The Seattle International Foundation (SIF) is now accepting applications under its Global Program. The Global Program (small grants for local organizations) supports and fosters local organizations working internationally. SIF is interested in development projects in all regions of the world.

The Global Program is open to 501(c)3 organizations, or those with fiscal sponsorship, with an annual organizational or project budget of less than $2 million (USD). Preference will be given to organizations based in the greater Puget Sound region; organizations based outside of Washington State are not eligible. The program seeks to support organizations launching new projects, or working to establish or expand an international project or program.

For more information on how to apply: please visit www.seaif.org, or contact Michele Frix (Program Officer) at mfrix@seaif.org.