Monday, October 17, 2005
My Actions for Africa
Some of you may know that in 1993 I was in training to work in Western Africa with a group called the Society of African Missions, a Catholic aid organization. Unfortunately, after 5 months of state-side training and a few weeks shy of leaving for a job in Liberia during a raging civil war, I decided to drop out of the group. I didn't fit in - reasons for which warrant another blogging on misogyny and Catholicism, but I digress.
I'd graduated college a year early in 1991, and took some time to figure out what I specifically wanted to do with my life besides the vague notion of SAVING THE WORLD. I knew I wanted to work with political and social justice issues, but didn't have the confidence in my talents and lacked direction. I probably shouldn't have graduated a year early, as I really did need that extra year to build my confidence, figure things out and find my purpose. But financially I couldn't manage another year of studies at American University, had the credits to graduate, and so I did - off into the "real world" I floundered.
Thoughts of Africa have lingered on.
Eventually I found my way to professional politics, spending most of the last ten years on the campaign trail. Yet, I haven't quite shaken the idea that I should be doing something good for Africa too.
I've listened to lots of Afro-Pop music, daydreamed about camping and trekking through the Ngorongoro Crater, walking through the markets of Morocco, or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and learning from Nelson Mandela.
Celebrity involvement in Africa has increased in recent years, as stars use their press coverage for good works, and I've paid attention. It's easy to be inspired by Oprah's Christmas Kindness efforts in South Africa, as she shows what little it takes on the part of westerners to make a difference and care about those suffering from extreme poverty and preventable disease.
It reminds me of all I'd learned years ago. Americans have lots of misperceive of Africa, and my SMA training helped me ditch those. SMA systematically changed my thinking about the continent, the effects of western colonialism, and the broad and diverse cultures that shouldn't be reduced to negative stereotypes of some primitive civilization who can't fix their own problems.
I've been volunteering with the DC One Campaign, signed the declaration, attended Live8, wrote my Senators and Congresswoman, and recently began lobby visits to the offices of Congressmen I know, including Representatives Mike Ross (AR-04) and Ben Chandler (KY-06). I'll post the successes here on the blog as they happen.
I urge you to go to the One Campaign website and sign the pledge.
As I get more involved with the One Campaign and do these lobby visits, I am trying to get up to speed on all the policy lingo and specifics. Here are a few resources I've come across:
I'd graduated college a year early in 1991, and took some time to figure out what I specifically wanted to do with my life besides the vague notion of SAVING THE WORLD. I knew I wanted to work with political and social justice issues, but didn't have the confidence in my talents and lacked direction. I probably shouldn't have graduated a year early, as I really did need that extra year to build my confidence, figure things out and find my purpose. But financially I couldn't manage another year of studies at American University, had the credits to graduate, and so I did - off into the "real world" I floundered.
Thoughts of Africa have lingered on.
Eventually I found my way to professional politics, spending most of the last ten years on the campaign trail. Yet, I haven't quite shaken the idea that I should be doing something good for Africa too.
I've listened to lots of Afro-Pop music, daydreamed about camping and trekking through the Ngorongoro Crater, walking through the markets of Morocco, or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and learning from Nelson Mandela.
Celebrity involvement in Africa has increased in recent years, as stars use their press coverage for good works, and I've paid attention. It's easy to be inspired by Oprah's Christmas Kindness efforts in South Africa, as she shows what little it takes on the part of westerners to make a difference and care about those suffering from extreme poverty and preventable disease.
It reminds me of all I'd learned years ago. Americans have lots of misperceive of Africa, and my SMA training helped me ditch those. SMA systematically changed my thinking about the continent, the effects of western colonialism, and the broad and diverse cultures that shouldn't be reduced to negative stereotypes of some primitive civilization who can't fix their own problems.
Africa is a huge continent. Americans seem to think of Africa as one big country, yet the enormity of Africa is lost in such references, as the United States, China, and most of Europe could fit inside Africa easily.
The ONE Campaign
The ONE Campaign
After last year's polls closed, I gave up full time on the ground campaign trail action for the more subdued consulting gig in DC. I did so deliberately to find a balance in my life with work, health, finances, friendships, etc. I deliberately wanted to pick one social justice cause and donate some time and money to helping it. Then what really moved me into action - of all things - was an interview of Brad Pitt by Diane Sawyer, showing clearly how I could combine my political work with my love for African culture and desire to donate time and money to a social cause - the One Campaign! It's what Oprah calls an "A-ha Moment."
The One Campaign is the citizen lobby effort that is asking our political leaders to make a bigger commitment to ending extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa:
The ONE Campaign seeks to give Americans a voice, to ring church bells and cell
phones, on campuses and in coffee shops, for an historic pact to fight the
global AIDS emergency and end extreme poverty. We believe that allocating an
additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like
health, education, clean water and food, would transform the futures and
hopes of an entire generation of the poorest countries. (http://www.one.org/)
I've been volunteering with the DC One Campaign, signed the declaration, attended Live8, wrote my Senators and Congresswoman, and recently began lobby visits to the offices of Congressmen I know, including Representatives Mike Ross (AR-04) and Ben Chandler (KY-06). I'll post the successes here on the blog as they happen.
I urge you to go to the One Campaign website and sign the pledge.
As I get more involved with the One Campaign and do these lobby visits, I am trying to get up to speed on all the policy lingo and specifics. Here are a few resources I've come across:
- For those in Washington, DC, The National Geographic Live series is hosting a variety of events on Africa, including this interesting lecture called War and innocence in Central Africa Tuesday, October 18 at their 17th and M facility. I am hoping to go, if anyone wants to join me.
- NRP Report: Africa's Hunger Crisis Complicates AIDS Response (10/16/05).
- Yahoo is sponsoring Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone, as he tours the world and reports on various conflicts. Currently he's in Uganda, where hundreds of thousands of refugees are on the move to escape danger. His coverage is tailored to those of us who aren't used to keeping up with Africa and world news. I highly recommend it.
- Jeffrey Sachs' book about the End of Poverty.
- Open CRS is a clearing house for links to the Congressional Research Service reports that Members of Congress use to make laws and learn about the issues, such as Africa, G8 and the Blair Initiative.
- Here's the CRS Intro to Foreign Aid, which is helpful when understanding Senator Mitch McConnell's importance as chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies which dolls out foreign aid.
- The UN's Millennium Development Goals is one of the best websites on the One Campaign goals from a worldwide perspective.
- GW Bush's U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and Millennium Challenge Account websites.
- The Brookings Institute on the Millennium Challenge Account.
