Viajando a México!

After my wonderful experience in Antigua, Guatemala, I've been anticipating a return to Latin America, which I have now decided will commence on September 22nd. At the suggestion of a friend, I'm heading down to a relatively small colonial city called Guanajuato, birthlplace of famed artist Diego Rivera and to critical struggles in the fight for Mexican independence. I will be living with a local family and participating in some group language classes in the mornings. During the afternoons and evenings, I will be attending all sorts of events at the huge multicultural Cervantes International Festival for the first few weeks in October.

At some point before mid-November, I will take the 4-hour bus ride over to Guadalajara, the second-largest city in Mexico and birthplace of the mariachi, tequila, the sombrero, rodeos, and the Mexican Hat Dance. I may head over in late October to catch the end of their annual, month-long cultural festival as well. This will also give me time to explore Guadalajara more before I begin a month-long, intensive TEFL certification course there beginning in mid-November.

During the course I will be communicating with a potential employer at a university in Cali, Colombia for a position beginning in January. If not, I will probably look for work in Mexico or South America. I hope to teach part time to leave time for volunteering and immersing myself in the culture and language. In addition to gaining a heightened awareness of myself, various aspects of Latin Cultures, and the world, I hope to become conversational at a relatively high level of Spanish to aid in my social work in the future.

For those of you who are interested, I have some ideas about possible volunteer projects in various parts of Latin America in the future, ranging from environmental sustainability to working with orphans. If you're interested in joining me for a project or have an idea of your own, or if you just want to meet up with me somewhere sometime, let me know and we'll work something out! :)

As for the US, I'll be back for the winter holidays and will take it from there! :)

Ben (from Ben & Jerry) Plays with Oreos and BBs

The oreos make this cartoon entertaining. At the same time Ben shows you visually how much we spend on the military versus food and schools for poverty-stricken kids.

And in this 2-minute video, Ben gives visually demonstrates the ridiculous amount of money the US uses just to build nuclear weapons.

What is "The Meatrix"?

This cartoon movie is sure to give you laughs and shudders...check it out!

NJ Student Loan Forgiveness Program

This is a loan forgiveness program for social workers who work in government or government contracted agencies. You can have up to $5,000 in loans forgiven for each year of work. Find out more info and thank Governor Codey with the link above!

A View of the US from the Outside

Bully Tactics Not Serving U.S. Well
By: Jesse Jackson - Chicago Sun-Times
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela -- To get a good sense of America in the world, it helps to look from the outside in. This week, I traveled to Venezuela to meet with President Hugo Chavez and address the National Assembly. Here's how America appears to many of its neighbors to the South.

Chavez has been elected twice by large majorities. He is a populist champion of the poor in Venezuela. Riding the oil boom -- Venezuela sits on the largest oil reserves of any nation in the hemisphere -- he's seeking to gain a higher percentage of oil profits for his country. He is an ardent nationalist, challenging what he considers U.S. domination of the hemisphere. He has even embraced Fidel Castro, who has made U.S. presidents froth for over 45 years.

Chavez's brash independence irritates the Bush administration. Don Rumsfeld recently traveled through Latin America proclaiming Chavez a threat to stability, suggesting that he was working to destabilize Bolivia. The defense secretary offered no evidence for the charge. Last week on TV, Pat Robertson, the zealous right-wing minister who is a key political ally of President Bush, said if Rumsfeld is right, the United States should "assassinate" Chavez, which would be cheaper than waging another $200 billion war to overthrow him, as in the Iraq fiasco.

Robertson's chilling words echoed across the world. Bush did not rebuke him. The FCC, so quick to react to a bared breast in a Super Bowl halftime, did not open an investigation. Rumsfeld dismissed Robertson's statement, noting that assassination is against the law. Robertson later apologized, sort of, suggesting that kidnapping would do just as well as murder.

Most Americans would dismiss these words as the loony ravings of a right-wing zealot. But consider how this looks from Caracas, or Santiago, or Managua. The Bush administration denounces Chavez as a threat to stability. The same administration proclaims it will act preemptively with military force, covertly or overtly, to eliminate potential threats "before they have formed," in Bush's words. It has unleashed the CIA, used high-tech weaponry to "take out" suspected terrorists, and demonstrated, in Guantanamo and elsewhere, that its agents are prepared to trample laws and treaties.

Throughout the hemisphere, decades of U.S. intervention -- the gunboat "diplomacy" of the early 20th century, the CIA's notorious wars against elected presidents in Guatemala, Chile and Nicaragua, the assassination plots against Castro -- ensure Robertson and Rumsfeld's words are taken very seriously.

In Venezuela, the Bush administration is already seen as implicated in the 2002 coup attempt against Chavez. The Bush White House rushed to recognize the coup leaders one day after they announced Chavez had been deposed, only to discover that the Venezuelan people would defend the democracy that the U.S. administration scorned. Prudence alone makes Chavez take the threat of the president's close political ally very seriously.

America cannot change its history in the hemisphere nor erase the well-founded suspicions that history creates. But it can change the future. Venezuela is our neighbor and should be our friend. Chavez is elected by his people. Venezuela is our fourth-largest source of crude oil. It borders on Colombia and is vital to the ongoing war on drugs.

We need to move from a big stick to a good neighbor policy. Over the past two decades, democracy has spread across Latin America, but so have poverty and inequality. The policies that we've enforced -- the "Washington consensus" -- have failed to work for most poor and working people in the region. Bolivia is unstable not because of Chavez, but because of the policies pursued by Washington and the International Monetary Fund.

Chavez announced a proposal to provide low-cost heating oil to poor communities, schools and hospitals in the United States. With oil prices reaching $70 a barrel, and gas prices exceeding $3 a gallon, and winter on the horizon, this is a plan that I and the whole world can endure.

Americans have to choose -- assassination or engagement, the big stick or the good neighbor. Too many people looking at America from the outside think that choice has already been made the wrong way. It is up to us to prove them wrong.

Original source / relevant link:
Chicago Sun-Times

How much do you know about diversity in education?

Take the Multicultural Education and Equity Awareness Quiz and find out!

Coldplay Supports Fair Trade!

Coldplay Creates Big Noise Over Unfair Trade
27 July, 2005

British rock group Coldplay and Oxfam America are working together to promote awareness of trade rules that keep millions of farmers in poverty.

Coldplay is championing the Make Trade Fair campaign during their "Twisted Logic" tour in August and September. The concerts feature music from their long-awaited third release—"X&Y"—and a call to sign the Big Noise petition. This petition calls on world leaders to change trade rules that keep millions of farmers across the world in poverty.

Coldplay’s 36-date US tour, which began August 4th in Hartford, Connecticut, marks a new level of advocacy for both Coldplay and Oxfam America. In 2003, Oxfam gathered 10,000 Big Noise signatures during Coldplay’s 14-date US tour. This year, Oxfam hopes to get 50,000 signatures.

Before each concert, Coldplay shows a brief video on the suffering caused by bad trade policies and the potential for trade reform to lift millions out of poverty. The video calls on concert-goers to sign the Big Noise petition by using their cell phones to send a text message. Sun Microsystems is providing the technology and support for thousands of anticipated text messages. Oxfam volunteers will also collect petition signatures by hand.

The Big Noise petition has been signed by 7.7 million people globally. Oxfam will deliver the Big Noise to world trade ministers this December at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong.

Coldplay front man Chris Martin has seen firsthand the crippling effects of bad trade rules on small farmers after traveling to both Ghana and Haiti with Oxfam.

"How on earth could anybody stand in a field with these people and say that it's the right thing to do to dump their excess produce cheaply on a third world country? It's beyond me. But the truth is, the people responsible haven't talked to the farmers in the areas affected."

In July, Coldplay teamed up with prodigious A-list music stars at London’s Live 8 concert to insist that politicians take steps to end extreme global poverty. And following the Live 8 performance, Coldplay began a series of European shows where they teamed up with Oxfam Great Britain to promote the movement against unfair trade.

© 2005 Oxfam America.
Oxfam America is a member of Oxfam International.

Take the Social Justice Quiz!

Try to guess the answers to the questions before looking!
Also, check out the full 20 Question Social Justice Quiz.

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Sample Questions
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Q1: Of the 6.2 billion people in the world today, how many live on less than $1 per day, and how many live on less than $2 per day?

Q2: Americans give how much per day in government assistance to poor countries?

Q3: Americans spend how much on soft drinks each day?


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Answers
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A1: 1.2 billion live on less than $1/day, 2.8 billion live on less than $2/day
A2: 15 cents
A3: 60 cents

Take a look at 17 other social justice questions here.

Myths and Realities of Immigration

The full document has a few bulleted points about each myth and includes citations. Below are just the plain myth/fact statements (about 20 of them).

Immigration and Economics

Myth: Immigrants take jobs from United States citizens.
Reality: Most studies agree that immigrants create more jobs than they fill.

Myth: Immigrants drain the United States economy and are partly responsible for our current economic woes.
Reality: The contributions of immigrant workers, taxpayers, and business-owners are vital to economic growth.

Myth: Immigrants make such heavy use of social services that they are a burden on the United States treasury.
Reality: Immigrants are a net gain for the national treasury, because they pay significantly more in taxes each year than they receive in services.

Immigration and Population

Myth: The United States today has a higher percentage of immigrants than ever before.
Reality: The percentage of immigrants among United States residents was higher at the beginning of the 20th century than it is now.

Myth: The United States has a higher percentage of immigrants than any other country.
Reality: Although the United States numerically has the largest immigrant population of any country in the world, it takes in only 1% of the world’s immigrants, and the U.S. is not even among the top ten countries when immigrant population is counted as a percentage of total population.

Myth: Immigrants bring huge extended families to the United States through “chain migration.”
Reality: So-called “chain migration” is not a real legal loophole, and studies show it doesn’t really happen.

Myth: The United States has too many people and too few economic resources to accommodate more immigrants.
Reality: The United States is still very wealthy and relatively uncrowded.

Immigration and Culture

Myth: Immigrants have nothing to contribute to American society.
Reality: In addition to making major economic contributions, immigrants contribute to society as workers in diverse fields and as responsible community members.

Myth: Immigrants fragment the culture of the United States by refusing to assimilate to an American way of life.
Reality: There is no one American way of life. Immigrants coming to the United States are changed by the experience and simultaneously help to change the United States; this process has built and shaped the country for as long as it has existed.

Myth: These days, immigrants to the United States will not learn English unless forced to by “English Only” laws.
Reality: Already, more immigrants already want to learn English than can find space in English classes. “English Only” laws simply make life more difficult for those who are still learning English.

Immigration & Fear

Myth: Many immigrants are dangerous criminals.
Reality: Most immigrants are responsible, law-abiding people seeking a better life in a new country.

Myth: Immigrants hurt the environment when crossing the borders to enter the country.
Reality: There is no correlation between immigration and environmental degradation. Borders themselves have negative environmental impacts through the border guards and factories that cluster near them.

Myth: Immigrants bring disease.
Reality: Recent immigrants and babies born to immigrants are actually slightly healthier, on the average, than people born in the U.S. and babies born to U.S.-born mothers.

Immigration and U.S. Policy

Myth: The U.S. Constitution doesn’t apply to immigrants.
Reality: The Supreme Court has ruled that every person in the United States-- regardless of immigration status-- is entitled to fundamental constitutional rights. However, the executive and legislative branches of the federal government sometimes fail to uphold these essential legal principles.

Myth: It is not the fault of the United States that people want to leave other countries.
Reality: United States policies, designed with United States interests in mind, have a long history of hurting the peoples and economies of other countries.

Myth: Most immigrants come to the United States illegally.
Reality: Most immigrants are documented under strict legal requirements. Fairly few people enter the country illegally.

Myth: United States immigration policy is fair and just.
Reality: The laws governing immigration to the United States tend to favor people likely to be white and wealthy over those likely to be poor or people of color. Such policies run counter to the fundamental ideals of equality upon which the United States is based.

Myth: Americans oppose immigration.
Reality: Americans, most of whom are descended from immigrants themselves, generally favor laws that would offer the same opportunities their ancestors enjoyed to people from all over the world, regardless of country of origin.

Free Credit Reports are now available!

For a copy of your free credit report, go here:
www.annualcreditreport.com

You don't actually get a free "credit score," which is the number used by many lending agencies. Rather, you are getting a copy of your current and closed credit accounts (e.g. credit cards, loans). You can purchase your score for around $5 from most of the agencies I believe.

You are allowed to receive one report from each of the 3 credit reporting agencies each year (some people just pick one every 4 months so they can essentially receive a free service all year). Equifax is the one most often used to compute your credit score.

To view some common questions about the process, check out this Washington Post article.

Get and give free stuff in your area!

Need to get rid of something? Don't just throw it out, try giving it away to someone who could use it. Post it on Freecycle and someone will probably take it from you. You can also get free stuff as well!

Mission
Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.

Hurricane Katrina Relief

i got these links from an Oxfam email. 
you can donate, or at least send the email and letter to bush!

Hurricane Katrina Relief and Recovery
http://ga0.org/ct/w1arGg518mnY/

Hundreds of thousands of families are attempting to recover from
the storm that left massive devastation in its wake. Together
with our local partners, we are now assessing the situation to
determine where our help is needed most. Coastal flooding may
have caused severe damage to farmers fields and fisheries, for
example, jeopardizing the livelihoods of the communities with
which our partners work.

Please make a contribution to help with our response and
recovery efforts.
http://ga0.org/ct/xdarGg518mnZ/

Ask President Bush to support increased funding to the United
Nations Emergency Reserve Fund
http://ga0.org/ct/N7arGg518mnl/

Work for Social and Environmental Justice

Want to work to better people's lives or the environment? The jobs are out there, you just have to look! It doesn't matter what field you are in, your skills are needed!

There are many ways to find these jobs. Perhaps the best way is just to search for organizations whose missions and visions you like. Then look for job postings or contact the administration to inquire about possible openings.

However, as a good starter, there are some job search databases out there that specifically focus on socially just jobs. You can start here:

Action without Borders
Moving Ideas
Socially Conscious Job Directory Sites (compiled by Skidmore College)

Also, you can always go to Monster or other job search sites and look in categories such as non-profit, social services, health and human services, etc.

Where to Buy Socially Conscious Products

Most of our possessions are produced by people struggling to meet their basic needs, and unfortunately, they are often exploited in the process.

Thankfully, there are a number of emerging stores seeking to change the trend, and you can help them with just a single purchase.

Every dollar you spend is like a donation to a better world, but you get a product in return. :)

Fair Trade and Environmentally Friendly Products
Transfair USA Directory (for stores near you).
Fair Trade Federation Directories (lots of online stores).

Sweatshop-Free Clothing
American Apparel
No Sweat Apparel
Clean Clothes

Environmentally Friendly Prodcuts
Green Pages Directory

Educate Yourself!

Ever wonder where your underwear, napkin holder, or engagement diamond was made? Ever think of your own daily impact on the environment and on people across the world?

Insight into these questions and more can be found all over the web. Here are two wonderful places to start. It can feel overwhelming at first, so just read at your own pace and process it! The first step to helping is understanding. :)

Global Exchange
Co-op America

Alternative News Sources

For US and international news, try these:

The BBC is mainstream, but a nice alternative to the views on CNN.

Alternet and the Independent Media Center are independent of corporate donations and try to provide accurate information that is not often reported in more mainstream sources. These are excellent sources for information you may otherwise never see.