Team Box Activities in Action: Food Fight

New Global Citizens went to Arizona State University to meet 105 students in the Barrett Summer Scholars program. This awesome group of students was happy to participate in an activity about global wealth distribution from NGC’s Team Box called “Food Fight.”

The students were numbered and split up into 6 groups, each representing a region of the world (Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, USA & Canada, and Oceania & Australia). Each group was proportional to both the land mass and population of the region. The groups were also each given a paper bag containing a number of pieces of candy, proportional to the region’s GDP as a percentage in relation to the rest of the world. Students were instructed to look at the contents of their bag and, discuss within their own group whether they were comfortable with what they had. Once individual discussions were finished, we shifted to a larger group discussion. After everyone was able to see what every group had in their paper bags, they discussed the real world applications of this exercise.

BSS Students from the Asia group give a thumbs down for their overcrowding and lower GDP

When asked to describe how they felt after discovering the “GDP” of each region, there were mixed thoughts among the group. The USA & Canada and Europe groups said that before seeing what others had, they felt comfortable with what they had, and felt that they had more than enough. Once they saw other groups’ bags, they felt guilty. Students also discussed the effects of land mass and population. One student observed that in a region like Asia that is heavily and densely populated, overcrowding leads to pollution. And in Africa, where land area is abundant, students noted that even though there is space to grow in the region, they don’t have the technology to develop and take advantage of their resources. Many students in the discussion quickly realized how much more the U.S. and Europe have than other regions, and in doing so, increased their understanding of the world and the inequities seen in the activity. One student stated that even within the U.S., wealth distribution is extremely uneven, and that should be considered as well.

The discussion shifted to the question of what we as global citizens can and should do in the face of these inequities. One participant said that “Just giving them stuff isn’t enough; you have to teach them how to make and build things themselves.” Students discussed the importance of acting as global citizens to help alleviate global issues, and not just throw money and less developed countries as wealthy countries like the U.S. tend to do. Through further discussion, they grasped many of NGC’s foundational ideals, concluding that, as quoted by a student, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This post was written by NGC Intern Kirstyn Rowen.

Living On a Dollar Review

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

“Small changes make big impacts.”

Who should watch: There topics covered are appropriate for audiences in middle school and up. If elementary-aged students were to watch, it’s important to preface the viewing with a brief overview of poverty around the world. We also suggest following up with ways for students to make an impact and support locally-led solutions.

Why it’s important: This gives viewers from the developed world a great perspective of what it’s like for a peer to go to a country where locals deal with issues like extreme poverty and economic sustainability every day.

What Maggie thought: I think this is a great conversation starter regarding what poverty looks like locally and globally, as well as how it is directly connected to other issues like healthcare and education. The documentary follows four college-aged males as they live on $1 a day for 56 days in a rural mountain village of Peña Blanca, Guatemala. In a short time period they connect with the local community and experience their undeniable generosity and challenging financial situations. The four students are welcomed with open arms, and learn from their neighbors about the struggle to provide basic necessities for their families (food, shelter, healthcare, education, etc.).

We learn that the locals are hardworking, supportive, and creative individuals who with small changes (like microfinance loans) are able to slow the cycle of poverty and perhaps even change the course of the younger generation’s lives. My own experience traveling in El Salvador mirrored that of Living On a Dollar, which is why I would recommend it. The one hour film gives insight to the struggles and resilience of other global citizens living on one dollar a day. Next step: take action! Learn more about NGC’s partnerships with 45 grassroots partners around the world here.

Maggie Broderick, NGC Development & Operations Manager, reviewed Living On a Dollar. To learn more about her, click here.

Cutting for Stone Book Review

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

Cutting for Stone, set in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, spans the course of a century in the lives of the denizens of Missing Hospital, centered on conjoined (and separated upon birth) twins Shiva and Marion Stone. The twins, sons of two of the hospital’s healthcare providers, grow up in the upheaval of 1960’s Ethiopia, in the midst of military coups and resistance movements. Growing up in the hospital, the boys experience the challenges that come with healthcare in the developing world.

Most importantly for New Global Citizens, one of the primary foci of the novel is the importance and paucity of maternal healthcare services in the developing world. Missing Hospital encounters women with obstructed labor, botched abortions, fetal death, and vaginal fistula. Fistula, or the abnormal connection between two organs or vessels, most often refers to the damage sustained by obstructed labor and forced delivery. When a birth is obstructed, the pressure in the birth canal often causes a tear in the vaginal wall passing through to either the anus or the urethra. This tear, if not repaired, will leak excrement almost constantly, rendering the woman unable to control her bowel or bladder activity.

The novel’s portrayal of rural health, fistula, and cultural challenges surrounding women and health in Ethiopia is accurate without causing the reader to pity the cast of characters. For a great read about one of the most complex Millenium Development Goals, I would highly recommend Cutting for Stone.

Fistula is still one of the leading challenges faced by mothers in many areas of the world. For current information on work being done to ensure safe births, check out the work of Edna Adan at Edna Adan University Hospital in Somaliland (commonly known as Somalia, bordering Ethiopia). If your team is interested in sponsoring a Global Project directly involved in treating fistula and providing high-quality maternal healthcare, check out the work of SEWA Rural.

Lisa Glenn, NGC Director of Programs, reviewed Cutting for Stone. To learn more about her, click here.

Invest in the Future with Innovation and Sustainability Training

Source: http://www.worldmalariaday.org/

 

Fever, chills, headache, sweats, fatigue, nausea, vomiting. To most people, this collection of symptoms sounds like the flu. And yet for the 3.2 billion people at risk, this could also mean a much deadlier diagnosis: malaria. For this reason, among many others, malaria is one of the most difficult subjects to address in terms of public health crises. Most people in malaria affected areas expect to wind up with the disease at some point in their lives. Additionally, many of the solutions posed to rural communities for fighting the disease have been short-sighted, unsustainable, and ridden with financial challenges. As we educate the next generation of new global citizens, how do we guide our students to seek out and support sustainable, innovative solutions malaria and other public health crises?

A Brief History of Malaria Solutions

Many are not aware that malaria was once a major threat in the swamp-ridden, southeast United States. In a land that is humid and warm for over half of the year, mosquitoes carrying malaria posed a major threat to the average American. The United States was able to eradicate malaria through a comprehensive pesticide program centered around now-infamous DDT. Talk about an unsustainable solution!

Now, Malaria is found in far fewer places in the world, with its primary area of impact on the African continent. Solutions offered thus far focus on three primary methods of prevention: systematic indoor pesticide treatments, anti-malarial medications and insecticide-treated bed nets. Unfortunately, none of these solutions are without their challenges. Pesticide treatments (like DDT) often have unwanted environmental or health challenges. Anti-malarial medications can be poor in quality in unregulated countries, and in many cases, counterfeit medications are passed off as the real thing. Finally, bed nets have become more widely used as fishing nets to alleviate the more pressing challenge of hunger rather than used as intended to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Clearly, the lack of economic development in many countries can be one of the greatest factors affecting malaria eradication. Solutions must be cost-effective, require a low level of education for the average participant, last long-term, and include an innovative public health campaign element to educate through print and non-print media. Solutions developed so far have reduced the rate of infection and death, but have not eradicated malaria. This is where our students come in.

Teaching Innovation and Sustainability

In an education system that focuses more and more on standardized testing and student compliance, we have a commitment as educators and as citizens of the world to prepare our future leaders to tackle this kind of challenge.  With that being said, teaching innovation and sustainability requires a very different pedagogical style than the drill and kill approach of multiple choice testing. In order to defeat global challenges like malaria, we must invest in the future of our students’ educational experience. So, how do we teach innovation and sustainability? We recommend these 5 tips for teachers to focus on:

1. Encourage students to question the process. In order for students to question the existing solutions to complex problems (and therefore develop better ones), they must first feel comfortable questioning processes in the classroom. Questions in the classroom should not be seen as a lack of compliance, but as a quest for understanding–encourage them!
2. Teach and brainstorm with the end in mind. Encourage students to use systems-thinking practices such as effects chains, mind maps, and flowcharts. By mapping out all possible outcomes of a potential solution, students are more likely to find the flaws in their thinking.
3. Think like a collaborator, not like a problem-solver. This may seem counter-intuitive, but no one should walk into a community with solutions in hand. Sustainable problem-solving requires collaboration across areas of expertise, cultural affiliations, political stances, and much more. Students must learn to think like collaborators in order to create the best possible solutions to global challenges.
4. Always ask a local. Connected to tip #3, solutions are most often unsustainable when they don’t take into account the daily experience of those living with the challenge. Students should get in the habit of collaborating with those closest to the issues and taking their ideas, solutions, and lives into account.
5. Research the Solutions You Support! It’s possible that you will at some point stumble upon a really great solution being carried out by an existing organization. If this is the case, you should support their work–after asking a few questions. When they support a global solution, students should always ask about the sustainability of the organization’s financial model, implementation model, and more.

For more thoughts on how to teach innovation and sustainability, join us this Thursday, April 23 at 5PST for #globaledchat. For more information on malaria, join the conversation on Twitter by following @WorldMalariaDay2015.

Opportunity in Education

Image Source: Villanova University Office of Education Abroad

As a student who has loved school and learning from a very young age, it was always difficult for me to fathom why someone would hate school. It seemed so sad to me – school is the best! However, starting in high school and continuing through college, I began to gain awareness of the challenges that face students and schools within many, many communities across the United States and the world. I began to find out the reasons why someone might not like school, and why some schools are not always able to provide the quality of education that all students deserve.

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights includes access to education as a listed human right. Although students in the United States do have access to public education, not all students have access to the same quality of education. Many districts lack funding for the support that students need to achieve at their highest level, not to mention other challenges many students face outside the classroom. My hope is to help recognize and take down some of the barriers that inhibit children in our country from accessing quality education, a fundamental human right.

In preparation for graduate work in education policy, working with New Global Citizens has helped me expand my understanding of how we can best serve our students. I hope that all students will someday be able to connect with people and cultures throughout the world, and work together towards solutions to improve our world. Empowering them to do that is my goal and path.

This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Merry Farrier.

Tolleson’s Social Media Campaign for GWWI

The New Global Citizens team at Tolleson Union High School is continuing to actively advocate for the Global Women’s Water Initiative (GWWI). Team leaders Aneyssa, Malak, and Ronae, have worked hard to educate their campus and community about their project. They have held many successful fundraising and educational events, including an Awareness Week, a Documentary Night, and a Poetry Night. For the remainder of the school year, the team has come up with a new, creative idea to continue to educate their peers: an Instagram campaign!

Tolleson NGC is taking advantage of social media to educate more people about their sponsored project, the Global Women’s Water Initiative. The campaign, currently underway, encourages students to learn about GWWI through sharing pictures on Instagram. In the campaign, titled with the hashtag “#wateryoudoing,” participants are to take a picture with the NGC Instagram frame provided at the team’s lunchtime table, or with something New Global Citizens related. Then, participants are to post that picture on Instagram, captioned with a fact about the Tolleson team’s project, GWWI. Only photos tagging the Tolleson NGC Instagram (@tollesonngc) and including the hashtag #wateryoudoing are eligible for the contest. The participants must also challenge a friends to make a post for the contest, and the top 3 posts, determined by the number of likes, will win! The winners will be announces on Tuesday, March 31^st, and will be awarded with awesome prizes.

This campaign is effective because it does two key things. First, it allows the team to extend their advocacy beyond their surrounding community, giving the potential to educate many more people through the power and reach of social media. Second, it not only encourages students to learn about GWWI, but it encourages them to take it upon themselves to spread information to their peers, giving every participant the agency to be a part of educating a community.

This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Kirstyn Rowen.

A Path Appears: Violence and Solutions (Part III) Review

Photo: Kennedy and Jessica Odede (http://apathappears.org/)

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

“It’s not about one person who receives the abuse, but everyone else around them.”

Who should watch: High school students (with parental consent) and adults

Why it’s important: The third installment of the A Path Appears series highlights the connection between poverty and gender-based violence that is faced by countless across the globe.

What Maggie thought: A Path Appears: Violence and Solutions is a must-see and worthy follow-up to WuDunn and Kristof’s Half the Sky (documentary and film). In this final episode, viewers learn about gender-based violence in Atlanta, Georgia and Kibera, Kenya, as well as organizations in these places that are working to solve this problem at a local level.

Though Atlanta and Kibera are quite different in government infrastructure, financial opportunity, and education systems, gender-based violence (domestic abuse and rape) exist in both communities. Women from all backgrounds face these threats, especially those of marginalized, impoverished populations. However, organizations like Men Stopping Violence and Shining Hope (founded by Kennedy and Jessica Odede) are proof that local leaders can make change one individual at a time. Education, public health campaigns, and counseling support this change which will slowly transform a community. By bringing this issue to the forefront of public conversation, gender-based violence can be eliminated from our culture.

After finishing this series, my only complaint is the lack of examples from Asia. Half the Sky shared stories from this region, but I think this film would have also benefitted from this focus.

With that being said, I believe the individuals and organizations highlighted were prime examples of how to attack the root causes of a problem in order to find sustainable, locally-led solutions. I look forward to the next film and book written by WuDunn and Kristoff.

Did you get the chance to see this episode? If so, what did you think?

Maggie Broderick, NGC Development & Operations Manager, reviewed A Path Appears to learn more about her click here.

A Path Appears: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty (Part II) Review

Photo: Madame Rea (http://apathappears.org/)

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

“Talent is universal, opportunity is not.”

Who should watch: High school students (with parental consent) and adults

Why it’s important: The second installment of the A Path Appears series explores the connections between poverty and other barriers (education, healthcare, etc.) that are faced by countless across the globe.

What Maggie thought: A Path Appears: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty is a must-see and worthy follow-up to WuDunn and Kristof’s Half the Sky (documentary and film). This episode sheds light on the challenges faced by individuals living in extreme poverty in the U.S. (specifically West Virginia), Haiti, and Colombia.

The first location for this installment is in West Virginia, which is one of the poorest regions of the United States because of coal mines closing, manufacturing plants moving, and an overall lack of available jobs. As Jennifer Garner (native to the area) explains, “Poverty is not about not having money, but it’s about not having hope.” Kristof and Garner introduce us to Lynn, a young mother who is doing all she can to stop the cycle of poverty with her daughter by making education a priority. This part of the episode will be eyeopening for most who have not seen such extreme poverty in the United States.

Next, Kristof is off to Haiti to explore the history of aid and its impact on the country’s economic opportunities. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but the presence of countless development organizations has not changed its course. Kristof meets Madame Rea, a woman who runs a school for every child, no matter their financial situation. (In Haiti there is no public school system.) Madame Rea is an advocate for her students, which viewers see when she fights for the safety of a student who is a restavek (child slave). Madame Rea and her fellow Haitians prove that locally-led solutions are the best solutions.

Kristof wraps up this episode in Colombia to share how the Fundación Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar is providing opportunities for teen mothers. Young women in the program have access to job training, counseling, healthcare, and more. Fundación Juanfe is working to empower young women with children while also educating girls on how to stop the cycle of teenage pregnancy (and extreme poverty) in their community. This organization is a great example of a holistic approach to tackling a complicated problem.

Did you get the chance to see this episode? If so, what did you think?

Maggie Broderick, NGC Development & Operations Manager, reviewed A Path Appears to learn more about her click here.

A Path Appears: Sex Trafficking in the USA (Part I) Review

Photo: Shana a.k.a Shelley Money (http://apathappears.org/film/)

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

“If that (prostitution) is your choice, then what are your options?”

Who should watch: High school students (with parental consent) and adults

Why it’s important: The first installment of the A Path Appears series explains the landscape of sex trafficking in the United States by sharing stories of survivors, government officials, and nonprofit organizations.

What Maggie thought: A Path Appears: Sex Trafficking in the USA is a must-see and worthy follow-up to WuDunn and Kristof’s Half the Sky (documentary and film). As in the previous documentary, A Path Appears highlights gender equality issues around the world, but in this episode, Kristof and WuDunn shed light on a prevalent problem in many viewers’ backyards: sex trafficking in the United States.

As discussed in the film, Westerners often assume that this crime is not committed in their own country. Nevertheless, Sex Trafficking in the USA shares facts that directly disprove that belief. For example, it is stated that an estimated 300,000 individuals are trafficked within the United States every year. An interviewee and survivor, Shana (formerly “Shelley Money”), is the ideal person to teach viewers. She succinctly explains the complexity of the problem by describing how her experience was connected to child abuse, addiction, and poverty. Through these personal accounts, it is easier to identify with the survivors rather than view them as part of a large problem that cannot and/or should not be solved.

The facts and stories shared in this film can be overwhelming, but watching Sex Trafficking in the USA is the first step in understanding the issue and identifying how each person can support its eradication.

Did you get the chance to see this episode? If so, what did you think?

Maggie Broderick, NGC Development & Operations Manager, reviewed A Path Appears to learn more about her click here.

A Critical Issue: Gender Inequality Across the World

One of the most pressing issues of today is gender inequality. Across the world, women have far fewer economic opportunities than men, less access to education, greater health and safety risks, and significantly less political representation. This presents an immense issue that needs to be addressed. As a result of this inequality, two thirds of the world’s illiterate are women, women’s participation in the labor market falls far behind men regardless of education and skills, and one in three women worldwide will experience sexual assault in her lifetime.

Achieving gender equality is crucial to creating a better functioning world. Ideally, achieving gender equality would mean that men and women have equal power and opportunities, and are equally capable of achieving financial independence, personal development, and attaining a quality education. This goal necessitates empowering and guaranteeing basic rights for women worldwide.

Gender Inequality
                c/o http://www.hertalk.com

Across the world, countless women are incapable of reaching their full potential because of obstacles created by the prejudices of gender inequalities. This starts from the moment they are born, keeping them at a disadvantage consistently throughout their lives. Empowering women and breaking down these obstacles has a beneficial ripple effect that ultimately benefits the world as a whole. Once empowered, women and girls positively contribute to the well-being of their families, communities, countries, and so on.

The most effective way for students to combat this issue is simply advocacy and education. Raising awareness amongst peers and communities about the issue of gender equality is a great start. As citizens of the United States, we are at a great advantage that few others in the world have. We have a much wider range of resources at our disposal; thus, we have a responsibility to take advantage of our privileged standpoint to advocate for and raise awareness about pressing global issues such as gender inequalities. The inequalities experienced globally tower in size compared to those faced in the U.S., which needs to be brought to light. Advocating, educating, and motivating people to make a change is an extremely effective and easy way to work towards solving pressing global issues such as gender inequality.

This post was written by NGC Team Mentor Kirstyn Rowen.