Haitian student holds a What About Peace? drawing from the United States.

For six years What About Peace? has attracted youth ages 14 -20 years old to creatively answer the question, ‘What About Peace?”. It has attracted submissions from all over the United States and a few from the rest of the world.

As the artwork collected over the years we thought it could do more for peace out in the world than stacked in the office.

This October, a Global Exchange Reality Tour was headed to Haiti and graciously agreed to bring five of our favorite What About Peace? paintings to a school in Haiti. We had our message of peace translated into Kreyol;

We are sending you this small gift from young people in the United States who are thinking about how to answer the question “What About Peace?” using art or creative writing. Peace and justice must be understood internationally or it can not exist. We stand with you as you work for peace and justice in your own country and we hope we can learn from you about what you think about peace.

Please receive this gift as a gesture of solidarity and connection – that people-to-people ties can build the world we want.

Zanmi Ayisyen, N ap voye pou nou yon ti kado ke yon gwoup jen ki fe aktivite kom atis ak ekriven pou brase lide sou repons keksyon “Sa Kap Fet Pou Lape?”. Toupatou sou late moun fet pou pran konsyans sou koze jistis ak lape sinon sa pap rive fet. Nou kanpe avek nou kap travay pou lape ak jistis lan peyi pa nou e nou espere aprann sa nou panse sou koze lape a.

Tanpri resevwa kado sa kom yon senbol solidarite lan mache tet ansanm – moun toupatou men lan men kapab bati mond nou vle a.

SOPUDEP students greeted Global Exchange Reality Tour participants.

The Reality Tour was welcomed by Rea Dol, the Director and Co-Founder of SOPUDEP, the Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Petionville, which runs education projects in the outskirts of Port au Prince. The Reality Tour participants all agreed that Rea Dol represents the best of Haiti – tenacity, hope, and the indomitable spirit of the women and children to learn no matter what the physical circumstances are. The schools are still recovering after the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed Port-au-Prince and killed more than 300,000 people.

Many of the students in schools run by SOPUDEP come from the street. They are “restaveks” – child domestic slave laborers – who were sexually and physically abused and so prefer street life to adoptive parents. They find shelter and community in SOPUDEP

Andrea Broad reported back from the visit to the SOPUDEP school: “The kids really marveled at the whole concept and responded to the paintings, sketches and photos. I read them each of the artists’ names and where they were from. They asked several questions, but were otherwise shy about saying much…. Two days later we went back to the SOPUDEP school, and one young man already had completed an entry.”

TAKE ACTION:

Tell teachers, students and community workers about What About Peace? They can get involved here.

Help us send more messages of peace to schools around the world by making a donation to Global Exchange’s What About Peace? contest. For $10 we’ll send you beautiful blank note cards with images from previous entrants. Order a set for yourself and your friends.

In this post, we thank Lea Murray, Reality Tours traveler extraordinaire! To read about others we’re thankful for, click here.

Lea Murray, Reality Tours Traveler Extraordinaire

Lea (left) with fellow Reality Tours travelers

Reality Tours travelers aren’t tourists.

They’re travelers on a mission.

What makes Reality Tours travelers so awesome is what they do when they get home.  They don’t just unpack their suitcases, they unpack a life changing experience.  Speaking to family and friends.  Hosting film screenings.  And in a few instances, starting their own volunteer efforts to address the issues raised on their journeys.

Lea Murray traveled with Global Exchange on a Reality Tour to Venezuela in June of 2012, and her life hasn’t been the same since.

“Now that I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears, what will I do?  I will re-think my life.  I have a new vision.  I want to see how other people live and experience life.  I want to travel to even more places where black Africans were dispersed during the slave trade.  I will travel to Haiti and Cuba and examine the plight of my black brothers and sisters in these small island countries.  I will re-think my business…I will open my eyes — see the vision — and do something to make a difference.  I will participate,” said Murray.

All of us at Global Exchange are grateful for Lea’s efforts to inspire and educate others about what she’s seen, and for the work done by the hundreds of other Reality Tours participants each year.

Every traveler makes a difference.

So to Lea and all Reality Tours travelers, we say…

Thank You.

Know that wherever your journey takes you, we are honored to have joined you.

P.S. Have you watched our new Thank You video yet?

My guess is you have a much better chance of winning something in the Global Exchange Prize Drawing happening later this week than I did when I called that radio station way back when.

What’s this about a Prize Drawing? The prize drawing is taking place during our annual Open House happening this Thursday, Oct. 6th at the Global Exchange main office in San Francisco, but the deadline to purchase prize drawing tickets online is Oct. 5th. You don’t have to attend the event to enter (and win!) the prize drawing.

The prizes we’re giving away are super cool, so I’m encouraging you and all your friends to grab your prize drawing tickets NOW for a chance to become a winner.

Here’s a rundown of some of the prizes being offered:

Harbin Hot Springs. Picture yourself there!

• Grand Prize: $1000 toward a Reality Tour of your choice – our destinations include upcoming trips to Cuba and Egypt. $1,000 bucks?! That’s right. One thousand dollars.
• Weekend Stay for two at Big Sur Getaways. Your opportunity to take that long overdue vacation with a special friend.
• Dinner with GX co-founder Kevin Danaher at Gracias Madre. Dine on fancy Mexican organic food with a true champion of the green economy. 
• Camping weekend for two at Harbin Hot Springs. Wow, this place is amazing. I’m more relaxed just thinking about it.
• Two all access VIP passes to the Arab Film Festival (tickets to 46 films + the VIP opening night gala). Cutting edge films and the opportunity to network with like-minded community members.
• Signed print by Oakland based artist Favianna Rodriguez. This is the #1 Top prize pick for many Global Exchange staffers…too bad we’re not qualified to win!
• Child’s Sakuut Kids Balance Bicycle from Noe Valley Cyclery. A bike? Yes, a bike from a prominent local bike shop! Get a jump on your holiday shopping and surprise one lucky child.
• Two-tickets for cocktails and fun at the Celebrity Pool Toss of  Tenderloin Neighborhood Development
  Corporation (poolside at the Phoenix Hotel). This event is not something you want to miss. A who’s who of celebrity  do-gooders have shown up in the past, including Robin Wililams. And the Phoenix hotel is one THE coolest, hippest hotels in San Francisco. 
• $100 Gift certificate to Embodies Organic Boutique. Seriously fashion-forward clothing, jewelry, accessories, even shoes! Most wardrobes pale in comparison to their offerings. (I know mine does!)
• $50.00 Gift certificate to Urban Bazaar. Fair Trade + Locally handmade gifts = slam dunk!
• Timbuk2 Messenger Bag. If you’ve never owned a Timbuk2 messenger bag you don’t know what you’re missing. Well constructed, made locally in San Francisco, these bags are built to last without sacrificing style and fashion.
• Organic Make-Up from Dirty Beauty. Lip balm and body crème and soaps, oh my!
• Wine tasting at Cline Cellars in Sonoma, CA. They had me at wine.
• Two-year subscription to Mother Jones Magazine. Not 1 but 2 year subscription…this magazine rocks!

More prizes are still being added. Your chances of winning are very good, so grab your prize drawing tickets online today. They’re $10 each or six for $50.

Proceeds benefit Global Exchange. Your support makes it possible for individuals and communities around the world to resist injustice, envision alternatives, and take action. Speaking of take action…

TAKE ACTION!

Attend the Global Exchange Open House: Stop by the Global Exchange offices in San Francisco for our annual Open House. We are celebrating 23 years of social change and activism on October 6, 6-9:30pm, at 2017 Mission St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA.

It will be a wonderful evening with great food, specialty cocktails and sangria, Típica Cubana music by Los Soneros de Acero, and a chance to meet and mingle with Global Exchange staff.  And of course, we’ll be hosting our annual Prize Drawing.

The Global Exchange Open House is open to you, our members, supporters, and friends.

Get Your Prize Drawing Tickets Here: Remember, you don’t need to attend the GX Open House in order to enter the prize drawing. Simply go online here and grab your prize drawing tickets to enter and (hopefully) win!

Good Luck!

Yours truly,

Brown eyed girl

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the final post in an 8-Part “Giving Thanks” series, a Global Exchange exclusive highlighting individuals (chosen by Global Exchange staff members) who are contributing to our social justice work in some way. This series will culminate with a “Giving Thanks” video to be launched right here on Wednesday, November 24th. So please join us in recognizing those special individuals who are helping to make this world a better place.

Reality Tours Director Malia Everette Thanks Actress Eliza Dushku:

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
-Albert Schweitzer

Rick Fox, Malia and Eliza on Reality Tours delegation in Uganda

Today I have the honor of expressing my heartfelt gratitude to a woman who has rekindled and inspired the flame within me and countless others.  I am thankful that I have been fortunate to know Eliza Dushku as a fellow intrepid traveler, as a compassionate advocate for human rights and my favorite Boston diva friend who over the years has proven that one can effectively use their fan base to educate and advocate!

While many people know Eliza’s beauty, her well known role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and countless movies, what I have come to appreciate is her ability to be gracious and fearless in letting the world know what she cares deeply about. While there are a few courageous voices in Hollywood that speak out and use their clout, I often think of what a different world ours would be if those with such fame, access to media outlets and the public used it for social good.

Eliza has traveled with Global Exchange Reality Tours on many occasions and I know through her travel she continues the vibrant legacy of her mother (another strong woman, educator, advocate and mentor that I also have been blessed to know and work with for years customizing educational tours for her classes), and continues to engage in a multitude of ways on her own.

I met Eliza personally years ago on a Citizen Diplomacy delegation in Iran and then we journeyed together on an intensive delegation to Uganda that explored the issues of human trafficking, child soldiers, and sexual exploitation of youth.  Eliza as a participant is consistently engaged, honestly inquisitive and incredibly empathetic with our hosts. Upon returning back home, she shares her experiences with others as a spokesperson for many significant human rights issues.

A few weeks ago, Eliza mentioned coming on another tour soon and “changing the world one Reality Tour at a time” and I felt so pleased because she knows the incredible connective, transformational and educational power of travel.  While I believe that Reality Tours are a source for meaningful experiences that truly benefit not just the traveler but the hosts, it is also our intention that our travelers return home and share their experiences with others.

Eliza, thank you for sharing your experiences with us to your fans, for amplifying the voices of those you hear and for not just talking the words, but for walking the talk!

Who are YOU thankful for? Add your own thank you message in the Comments section to recognize someone you think is doing great social justice work. And if you feel so inspired, Retweet and Share this post to help spread the recognition all of our ‘Thankees’ deserve. Thank YOU.

This is Part 4 in an 8-Part

Today, Global Exchange’s Zarah Patriana thanks two past Reality Tours participants, Anne Kelly and Mark Van Wormer.

I met Anne and Mark on a Reality Tour delegation to Nicaragua in 2008. The delegation focused on Fair Trade and Alternatives to Neo-Liberalism and everyone on the trip was interested in the issue of Fair Trade just like myself, so I knew I would find common ground with my fellow travelers. Little did I know that I would also make some long lasting friendships with fellow social justice activists.

On the delegation we shared an incredible experience of meeting with different human rights activists, indigenous groups, labor unionists and even got to slide down a volcano. However, I think the most eye opening part of the delegation was our stay at La Corona, a Fair Trade coffee cooperative where we met with Fair Trade farmers and were able to see first hand the positive benefits of the Fair Trade system. For Fair Trade advocates, this experience really contextualized our work as activists, and gave us fuel to energize the movement back home.

Anne and Mark have since strengthened their work as Fair Trade activists at home in New York, even going on another Reality Tour delegation to Guatemala, connecting with more Fair Trade activists and women’s cooperatives. Anne is currently working at the the Labor-Religion Coalition of NY State where she is the Fair Trade Coordinator and working with teachers who are engaging a new generation of activists. She has even made strong connections with Global Exchange’s Fair Trade cocoa campaign being participating organizations in both the Give Fair Trade and Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaigns.

I just love that kids are learning what solidarity means – that we are all connected and that injustice in one part of the world impacts us all. That, of course, is central to my work with labor unions too. Social justice and human rights issues – the dignity of the worker, living wage, working against oppression, the right to organize – are union issues too and Fair Trade embodies all these concerns.

Our delegation at La Corona Cooperative in Nicaragua.

Mark is a photographer and teaches photo, video and digital imaging at Emma Willard, a private independent school for girls. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Mark has produced volumes of novels. Mark has been able to use his photography to share his Fair Trade stories, even having some of his (and Anne’s) photos featured in the 2011 Fair Trade calendar by the Fair Trade Resource Network. See those photos and more at Mark’s photography website.

Together, both Anne and Mark have been able to make an impact by engaging the students at Emma Willard to make it the first Fair Trade high school in all of US. A tremendous feat for the Fair Trade Universities movement!

And it is these stories from Anne and Mark that I am extending a very warm thank you from me and Global Exchange for being exceptional Reality Tours participants and being a great example of global citizens amongst the Global Exchange community and beyond. They have been able to take their experience on two delegations of meeting the people, learning the facts and then making a real difference. As Anne shares:

I am grateful, so much, for the doors that have been opened to me through my connection with Global Exchange. I continue to be inspired, every day, by the people and places we connected with on our trips. You know about how wonderful our Nicaragua experience was. To be welcomed, deeply, into peoples’ lives and their struggles is humbling beyond words and enriches my life. Our trip to Guatemala has also connected us. We’re now on the board of Mayan Hands, an absolutely wonderful FT organization that works with Mayan weavers in the highlands of Guatemala. We’ve been back (me to learn Spanish!) and folks from Mayan Hands have even come to visit us. It was exciting to bring them to classrooms and to see FT stores here in the US.

I feel very lucky to have met Anne and Mark and am absolutely thrilled to be able to share their stories with you. Thank you!

Make your own long lasting connections and go on a Reality Tour delegation.

Who are YOU thankful for? Add your own thank you message in the Comments section to recognize someone you think is doing great social justice work. And if you feel so inspired, Retweet and Share this post to help spread the recognition all of our ‘Thankees’ deserve. Thank YOU.

]]> http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/2010/11/18/giving-thanks-part-4-making-long-lasting-connections-with-anne-kelly-mark-van-wormer/feed/ 2 http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/2010/10/04/join-us-at-our-2010-global-exchange-open-house/ http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/2010/10/04/join-us-at-our-2010-global-exchange-open-house/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:44:07 +0000 Ashley Cline http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/peopletopeople/?p=1731 Looking for something fun and inspiring to do Friday night (October 8th)? Come out to Global Exchange’s Open House. From 6PM to 10PM on October 8th at our office at 16th and Mission in San Francisco we will be opening our doors to our supporters and friends. It will be a wonderful evening with great food and drink, music, and a chance to meet and mingle with Global Exchange staff. And of course, we’ll be hosting our annual Prize Drawing. Don’t miss out on your chance to win a Reality Tour and to support our work. Tickets are just $10.]]>

Looking for something fun and inspiring to do Friday night (October 8th)?  Come out to Global Exchange’s Open House.  From 6PM to 10PM on October 8th at our office at 16th and Mission in San Francisco we will be opening our doors to our supporters and friends.  It will be a wonderful evening with great food and drink, music, and a chance to meet and mingle with Global Exchange staff.  And of course, we’ll be hosting our annual Prize Drawing.  Don’t miss out on your chance to win a Reality Tour and to support our work.  Tickets are just $10.

We host our Open House to celebrate you, our supporters and to thank you for your work and dedication to build a better world.  Being involved in the planning has given me an inside view on how this year’s Open House is shaping up, and all I can say is, I am expecting it to be an uplifting evening.

At the Open House you’ll have a chance to learn about our latest work; meet our founders, board members, and staff; and enjoy delicious food and wine.  This year we will have a live performance by Fely, a talented singer-songwriter from West Africa.

Every year as part of our Open House celebration we also hold a prize drawing with some really REALLY great prizes. The chances of winning are high, as the pool of folks who buy them are usually limited to the people who attend, which is about 200 people. BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE TO BE THERE TO WIN. This year’s FABULOUS prizes include:

• Grand Prize: Reality Tour to Nicaragua OR Chiapas, Mexico OR $1000 toward a Tour of your choice.
• Sir Francis Drake Hotel Stay
• Apron Strings, Cooking Class for 4 with GX Founder, Kevin Danaher
• Thanksgiving Coffee for One Year
• 2 coupons for one month unlimited yoga at Funky Door Yoga
• $50 Gift Certificate to Berkeley Global Exchange Fair Trade Store
• $50 From San Francisco Global Exchange Fair Trade Store

Tickets are $10 each and 6 for $50.  Click here to buy your tickets today!

What’s more, the money you contribute will go to directly support Global Exchange and our work for human rights, economic justice and environmental sustainability.

I look forward to seeing you on October 8th, and good luck in the Prize Drawing. May your ticket be the lucky winner!!