Real Impact with Saeed Wame
This article originally appeared on how-matters.org, a blogsite aimed at raising the level of human dignity within international aid. Its creator, Jennifer Lentfer, has worked with over 300 grassroots organizations in east and southern Africa over the past decade. Having served with various international organizations in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, and the U.S., today she works to advance the efforts of aid workers, grantmakers, and social entrepreneurs to make international aid more locally responsive.
All of the rest of the entries for a Day Without Dignity 2012 – Local Champions can be found here.
—–
I always walk away from a conversation with Saeed Wame, founder and director of Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) of Malawi, with a new understanding. Whether he be blowing my concept of “capacity” wide open, or offering a completely new definition of volunteer, Saeed is the sort of community leader whose wisdom and…
Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Mama Lucy on Poverty – Local Champions
The following is cross-posted with permission from The Epic Change Blog. It was originally written by Mama Lucy for Blog Action Day 2008. I’ve cross-posted it here as part of A Day Without Dignity 2012.
—–
What is Poverty?
- Lack of something which otherwise could be of great importance for you. For example: basic human needs, good sources of income, or ability to think well.
- Not having enough to meet basic needs.
- Having something but not in a good quality which is supposed to be.
According to my first and last definition, I don’t consider myself as a poor person. I’ve no good sources of income but I’ve the ability to think and utilise the little I’m having so as to bring change to my community.
When talking about poor people, others’ minds go straight to not having money, shelter, food…
Posted on April 12, 2012 at 11:39 am
A Day Without Dignity 2012 – Local Champions
A Day Without Dignity was started last year as a counter-campaign to TOMs Shoes One Day Without Shoes event. With so many Whites in Shining Armor projects making the news we decided this year to focus on local champions instead.
We’re asking aid workers, the diaspora, and people from areas that receive charity to speak up in blogs, on twitter, or at school about the contributions and needs of local champions. More details on this event can be found here.
Remember to send curriculum suggestions/ideas to Tom at Murph[at]aviewfromthecave.com and send t-shirt entries to TMS Ruge at Teddy[at]projectdiaspora.org
Please use the hashtag #LocalChampions when discussing this event on twitter.
As posts or videos are submitted they will be linked to below with the most recent posts at the top.
—–
46. Burkas to tracksuits – IRIN – Suggested by Tom Murphy “Three great stories of Somali women taking on equity…
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 2:36 pm
A Closer Look at TOMS Shoes
Tomorrow is TOMS shoes annual One Day Without Shoes publicity event. I thought it would be a good time to highlight this podcast by Tiny Spark which takes a critical look at the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie, as well as how TOMS shoes operates.
There were several things I didn’t know about TOMS shoes that Amy Costello highlights in her podcast. One of the things I found enlightening is that Blake got his start in reality television competing in both the second season of Amazing Race and in The Sexiest Bachelor in America. For me this goes a long way in explaining why TOMS shoes uses the Whites in Shining Armor model. The podcast also looks at the very close ties that TOMS shoe drops have with religious activities.
Tiny Spark’s 20 minute podcast called “TOMS Shoes: A Closer…
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 9:20 am
Announcing A Day Without Dignity 2012 – Local Champions
We are happy to announce that A Day Without Dignity, 2012 will be held on Monday, April 16th.
A Day Without Dignity was originally launched as a counter-protest to TOMS One Day Without Shoes event. Last year we received over 70 blog post and articles related to problems with donated goods, especially shoes. The Day Without Dignity video created after the event has been viewed over 28,000 times (I know it’s nothing compared with KONY 2012, but still pretty good) and is used by professors and college clubs to introduce the problems with donated goods.
This year’s event will focus on Local Champions. The theme was chosen to show an alternative to awareness raising events that often focus on Whites in Shining Armor at the expense of the dignity of the people they’re trying to help.
For this year’s event, we are seeking…
Posted on April 7, 2012 at 5:29 am
Let’s just stone the whores
We have decided that you should not be having sex and to stop this we will prevent you from getting birth control. We will remove birth control from insurance policies and shut down Planned Parenthood office across the country. If you have the audacity to question this, we’ll have filthy public discussions where we all hypothesize about your sex life.
If you do happen to get pregnant, we’ll prevent you from getting a legal abortion. We’ll shut down abortion clinics through over-regulation or force you to submit to a vaginal probe and description of the fetus. If that doesn’t work we’ll bomb the clinics and hunt down abortion providers. Your only choice will be risking your life with a backstreet abortion, giving your child away – but NOT to a gay couple, or raising the unwanted child yourself.
If you do decide to keep the…
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:31 pm
The Anniversary of A Day Without Dignity
Today is the one year anniversary of A Day Without Dignity – a counter campaign to TOMS Shoes One Day Without Shoes.
The campaign was a bigger success than we could have hoped for with over 70 posts and three videos created for the event. The Day Without Dignity video has been viewed over 28,000 times (I know it’s nothing compared with KONY 2012, but still pretty good I think) and is used by professors and college clubs to discuss the issue of donated goods. The video and compilation post are regularly linked to by bloggers and student newspapers trying to help their readers understand how good intentions do not necessarily equal good aid.
For those of you wondering if we’ll have another Day Without Dignity this year, do not fear plans are in the works and will be announced soon. But for a sneak peek, this year’s…
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 3:31 am
Interesting posts and arcticles
I am still in Utah caring for my mother as well as preparing for my upcoming wedding. The following were the articles I found interesting in what little time I’ve spent on the web. Many of these articles are KONY related.
—–
Port-au-Prince’s Aid Economy - Reason.com – How foreign aid to Haiti can pressure the local economy, compound inflation problems, and maybe do more harm than good in the end
Kony screening provokes anger in Uganda – AlJazeeraEnglish
So what if 90% of money donated goes to the program? – whydev
“Kony 2012” and Our Capacity to Evaluate Public Charities – Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) - Discusses how little the average person knows about evaluating the work of charities.
The Road to Hell Is Paved with Viral Videos – Foreign Policy
Not giving money – Blood and Milk
THE KONY 2012 PARTY CRASHER – Hope Wanders
Posted on March 26, 2012 at 7:35 am
KONY 2012
I have to admit, I haven’t been following the KONY debate raging online. I’m in Utah caring for my mother and didn’t even know the debate was happening until I got 5,000 + hits to my blog in one day from people linking to my blog from their own KONY posts.
Now that I’m aware of the controversy, I’m still not following it. I just don’t have the energy or interest right now. However, there are plenty of other people that are tracking the debate. Two websites I recommend for those wanting to read a variety of opinions are:
A reader’s digest of KONY 2012 – by whydev – which provides and extensive list of posts and articles in chronological order.
Stopping Kony, or stopping video activism? - Dochas Network’s Blog - Lists posts by type/viewpoint
Although I’ve not written anything regarding this debate, here are my posts that…
Posted on March 12, 2012 at 10:59 am
Interesting articles and posts
Once again, I’ve waited far too long to put this together. Here are many of the articles and posts I’ve found interesting over the last month or so.
—–
Learning the Lesson Is Not Enough – Admitting Failure
What do the poor deserve? – AidSpeak
Haitian farmers undermined by food aid - iWatch News
NEW USAID RULE: BUY CHEAP, NOT ‘AMERICAN’ – devex
The charity disparity: can corporate benevolence be free of self-interest? - Poverty Matters Blog
Why I’m Thrilled the United States Has Stopped Excluding Haitians from Temporary Work Visas – Global Development Views from the Center
Lies, damned lies, and ranking lists: The Top 100 Best NGOs – Find What Works
Africa Needs You! Return of the Live Aid Legacy – Uncharted Territories
Oprah Winfrey’s expensive South African education – Africa is a Country
Update: IRS Levies Fine on Food for the Hungry Over Drug Valuations – The Chronicle…
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:25 am
