Make Social Change A Reality

After its debut over a decade ago on PBS , David Sutherland’s documentary for Frontline, The Farmer’s Wife , remains a unique and compelling glimpse of an American family struggling to survive. Juanita and Darrel Buschkotter are Nebraska farmers caught in a cycle of debt and never-ending work, that leaves them exhausted, on the brink of financial collapse and both dreaming of a better life for themselves and their three young daughters. The debt and lack of revenue from the farm force both Darrel and Juanita to find jobs “off the farm.” In addition to their responsibilities on the farm, Juanita cleans upper middle class homes while Darrel works on an assembly line. Not surprisingly, this leaves both husband and wife no time for relaxation, but gives them much time for reflection. The Buschkotter’s story is all the more relatable 11 years later at a time when many Americans are caught in a financial struggle. The current U.S. unemployment rate hovers around 9.5% and presidential eco...

I just finished watching the 2008 documentary Addicted To Plastic by filmmaker Ian Connacher. The film documents a three-year journey that explores the environmental consequences of the irresponsible use of plastic materials. Connacher travels to 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. This extraordinary film details the history of plastic over the last 100 years, provides a wealth of expert interviews, and cutting-edge solutions for recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants – provide a new perspective about the future of plastic. As an environmentally-savvy activist, I was aware of the negative impacts of the use of plastic materials, but I didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem. According to the film, only 5% of plastic materials are recycled in America and the rest ends up in dumps, landfills and, very commonly, in the middle of the ocean . ...

How do we work to empower, rather than oppress, women and girls worldwide? The answer to that question, and its impact on addressing global poverty, is the basis of a new book, “ Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide ”. Did you know … … girls between 1-5 years old in India are twice as likely to die than boys? … women account for only 1% percent of the world’s landowners ? … that approximately 1 million children are currently in the sex trade in Asia? Access to and emphasis on education and health care can work to change these conditions. “ The Women’s Crusade ” essay by the book’s authors in the Sunday New York Times Magazine told a powerful story about a Zimbabwean woman named Tererai Trent who was drawn to education at an early age. Her father would send her “indifferent” brother to school, but would not send her, the child with a thirst for knowledge. Married off at a young age, her husband also thwarted her efforts to practice her self-taught read...

I must start this, my first blog entry, with an admission. I am far from an expert in adult literacy. I came across Literacy ‘n' Poverty Project on Idealist.org while searching for volunteer opportunities where I could contribute my law degree and graduate-level career counseling experience. My goal is to help adults in underserved communities through the use of my research skills and career training. I intend to become more knowledgeable about literacy programs and resources around the country and to share this information here. To that end, I have begun researching and learning of new and existing literacy programs in our communities. One website I am exploring that I think you should check out if you have not already is the National Institute for Literacy . According to the site, its goals are to support, disseminate, and provide access to research, resources and information related to adult and youth literacy to families, educators and administrators . With a sigh of relief ...

Knowledge Elementary to college Become scholars Not just for the dollars But for the life that follows Blue or white collars Or those without them Be the one with so much knowledge No one can doubt him World leaders wanna know about him Can he be the next Barack Or can she bring her nonprofit to the top Never stop learning Keep yearning The passion for knowledge is burning Deep within everyone soul So take hold To what's in front of u God has a plan for every last one of u U just don't know it yet So dive into the sea of information Get soak and wet Tell me these words don't got u open yet Most be hoping that school will flow by But what example will u have For your life to go by So many books for research and info All u need is to listen Grab some paper and a pencil We even got the web for media Along with a thesaurus, dictionary and encyclopedia Now that I named all these sources I'm giving u the guidelines to be bosses No matter what it is u wanna do Just pursue till...

According to a 2002 study conducted in Texas, “having a high quality teacher throughout elementary school can substantially offset or even eliminate the disadvantage of low socio-economic background” (Rivkin, Hanushek and Kain, 2002). Parents, friends, and the community impact a student’s performance, but his or her teacher is directly connected to their achievement. That is why it is imperative that we work to ensure that students in poor and underserved communities have highly qualified and motivated teachers like their counterparts in more socially-economically advantaged communities. That is what I have been working to ensure for the past year. Many urban cities face teacher shortages every year. Schools are poorly funded and hard to staff. The students who attend these schools suffer the greatest. Alternative certification programs like the teaching fellows programs started by The New Teacher Project and Teach For America aim to fill those shortages with highly qualified an...

Author Ellen Ruppel Shell, after spending years researching the cost of stuff, has recently published a thrilling book entitled Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture . Her book examines not only the impact of cost on the direct consumer — high debt, low incomes, job losses and a whole slew of other troubles — but also the price for the people that produce the goods. This is particularly interesting to me today as her book outlines specific examples in which the exploitation of both human labor and the environment is clear. One example given in a New York Times review , explains the surge in the shrimp market from the 1970s to today. The impact on the change in shrimp farming and our subsequent shrimp consuming has triggered loads of troubles. The article explains: “for a while, there were some newly affluent shrimp-farmers along the coast of Thailand as traditional operations were transformed into gigantic factories with the help of international lenders and investors. Massive onsla...

It has already been eight months since Barack Obama won the Presidential election. On that November evening the enormous crowd that had gathered at Grant Park in Chicago listened with anticipation to hear the victory speech of the President Elect. One of the most noteworthy lines of his speech was when he exclaimed: “Tonight, because of what we did on this day in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.” This is exactly what his fervent supporters wanted to hear. Candidate Obama had promised this many times during the campaign. He promised to bring about real change – social and economic. He promised that there would be a “new kind of government”- open and transparent. A government that would be accessible by and accountable to all the people. Has our new President kept his campaign promises? The answer could be a simple mouse click away by going to the official website of the White House www.whitehouse.gov . This website provides information to the public re...