The GlobalTribe Network

PHOTO: Uganda Sudan Border Project

2006-08-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

The border between Uganda and Sudan is now home to more than one million refugees - fleeing civil war on the Sudan side and rebel insurgency on the Uganda side. Most seek protection in camps like the one above, though life in such camps is anything but easy.

Photographer Stephen Alavarez has spent four years documenting the tragedy unfolding in the region. Check out his photographs.

BOOK: John Wood and Room to Read

2006-07-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

John Wood, the founder of Room to Read, is about to publish his memoir - detailing how he left Microsoft to promote literacy and education by setting up libraries in the developing world.

The book - aptly called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - is due out August 31.

John would like to enlist 5000 "buzz agents" to help him promote this book, which I suspect will become essential reading for all "social entrepreneurs."

If you'd like to help out, send an email to book@roomtoread.org

Global Youth Fund Blog

2006-02-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

Just want everyone to know that we've launched a new blog and a new podcast over at The Global Youth Fund, our sister project. :)

Please check it out.

Joyeux Noel!

2005-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

It sounds too good to be true but at the beginning of World War One in 1914, hundreds of British, French and German soldiers fighting each other in front line trenches laid down their weapons for a cease fire and even shared chocolates and champagne! The reason: it was Christmas Eve.

A new French film Joyeux Noel tells the story of this remarkable event that marks a point in history where soildiers stop shooting at an enemy and recognise each other as people, people who share the same interests and in civillian life may even have been friends.

It brings to light the de-humanising aspects of war and soldiers which not only happens between enemies but also by onlookers such as ourselves. These men who were teachers, bakers, plumbers, students and shop-keepers in their 'real lives' showed what can be achieved when people understand each other.

They were fighting someone else's war and had the sense of mind to be able to recognise that and suspend the fighting for a short time of peace.

Keep an eye open for the film and consider the reality of the hundreds of children fighting in the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda and all over the world, who haven't got the chance to take a break from the bullets and the killings for Christmas.

Child Soldiers: Is a child a rebel?

2005-12-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

'It is tempting to think that if they had been stealing oil rather than children, the rest of the world would have paid more attention'

(Callum Macare BBC News April 2004- Filmmaker and Journalist)

As soon as the child becomes a soldier, the tables have turned and the reality is that they are now a rebel! They are the enemy, they are a Maoists or the LRA who will be fought against accordingly. The question is, how can a government justify a 'military victory' over the slaughter of an army of children?

Callum Macrare witnesses 'Ugandas Fallen Child Rebels' here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3608003.stm

The World's Greatest Silent Battle

2005-12-01T05:07:00.000-08:00

It's World AIDS Day today which means that it's a day to consider what the global implications of this syndrome are and what role we play in the whole scheme of things.

Today 40.3 million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS:

25.8 million of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa
2.3 million of which are under the age of 15

Awareness and education are the key issues yet millions of people around the world don't know how HIV is contracted.

Don't be left in the dark, be aware and educate yourself!

http://www.worldaidsday.org/default.asp

Child Soldiers: A Difficult Concept

2005-11-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

I find it hard work getting to grips with scenarios such as child soldiers, especially living in an area of non-violence. I'm sure child soldiers themselves find it hard to understand their own situations.

After being told about a situation I always find myself asking questions such as: Why are there child soldiers involved in violent conflict? Why isn't it being stopped? How many child soldiers are there? Where does it happen?

It is estimated that some 300,000 children - boys and girls under the age of 18 - are today involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide. Children are used as combatants, messengers, porters and cooks and for forced sexual services. Some are abducted or forcibly recruited, others are driven to join by poverty, abuse and discrimination, or to seek revenge for violence enacted against them or their families. Unicef

Why is this allowed to happen?

There are measures in place to stop the use or children in warfare yet they are extremely difficult to regulate. It is illegal in most countries to allow armed forces to use child soldiers but not all countries follow these international laws. One of the main problems with international law is that it is not at all recognized by non-state armed groups eg. the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.

Using child soldiers is actually encouraged by many groups in conflict. As horrific as it may be, there are benefits to using child soldiers above adult combatants and until the benefits to an army of using child soldiers are outweighed by the negative effects such as international pressure, it will continue to happen.

Why are children used as soldiers?

they can be trained easily either by force, brainwashing, fear or all three
they can be physically or mentally controlled more easily than adult soldiers
they cost less to feed
they can be fiercely loyal
they don't realize the potential dangers and abuses they face

Have a look at UNICEF's user friendly website for more info and some opinions from children around the world:

http://www.unicef.org/voy/explore/sowc/explore_1654.html

CHILD SOLDIERS

2005-11-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

You are woken up from your family home by a stranger handing you a gun or machete with instructions to kill your parents. Kidnapped from your home and taken to a rebel army where you now have strict orders to fight and kill or you will be killed. A thought perhaps too horrifying to have to think about? To date, 30,000 children as young as 5 have been kidnapped under similar conditions by the Lords Resistance Army in Northern Uganda. Global Tribe is Launching the Name Campaign this week! See 'Whats new' to find out more about the campaign. How many armies in the world involve children? A critical debate about child soldiers can be read here http://www.forward.com/articles/3128

Hi!

2005-11-13T04:54:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I'm GlobalTribe Network's newest blogger.

I'd like to introduce myself as Linz, a student reading Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, UK. I'm in my 6^th year and now specialising in Humanitarianism, Human Rights and Development Practice - something of a mouthful but basically it's about understanding people, particularly those who are vulnerable: What makes them vulnerable? What can be done to stop them being so vulnerable? And how can we play a role?

I often get asked the question 'What do Human Rights have to do with Architecture?' And my common reply is 'It's my soul and my career all rolled into one: Anyone can be a human rights activist from a nurse to a lawyer to a student to an architect. Activism isn't just about protest marches and chaining yourself to trees, some of the most powerful activism takes place in offices, schools and even your own bedroom....!

I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya and now split my time between studying in England and seeing my family in Nairobi. Before starting uni I worked as an Environmental Volunteer in Nepal, building community toilets and smokeless stoves in a rural community in the Mt. Everest region.

During my studies I spent a year travelling overland with three friends from London through Europe, the Middle East and the length of Africa. We traversed 35 countries, visited 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, crossed 5 deserts and had 35 flat tyres, 5 of those all on the same day!

At the moment I'm designing a small community centre to be built in a deprived area of Oxford. I'm working with a friend and together we have just held a workshop to hear what members of the community want and need. The workshop was great fun and involved people of all ages, lots of colourful suggestion boards and plenty of stickers. It's great spending time with a community group that is beginning to realise architecture can be fun and involves everyone.

Just a bit of food for thought: have a look at this huge bench built in Barcelona by an architect called Antoni Gaudi. He really believed in community architecture and designing places where people could spend time with each other. The whole bench is covered in ceramic tiles and is really comfy to sit on. It is built as part of a huge public park high up on a hill in Barcelona with beautiful views over the city so people go there to read, sit, chat or just eat their lunch.

So that's me! It's great to be a member of GlobalTribe Network and I'm really looking forward to sharing some of my thoughts and experiences as the newest member to the blog.

It's great to be here!

Kids Oxford and Capoeira

2005-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I promised to report from London I know...but Oxford came into focus this weekend when I traveled up to visit the wonderful capoeira group ABOLICAO. As many of you know the incredible Brazilian dance/martial art which involves singing, community spirit and ofcourse the game itself is becoming bigger by the minute in the West. I can see why...almost every aspect of it makes the individual feel alive with energy!
The group Abolicao in Oxford is has taken Capeoira that one step further and is using it as a tool to aid socially excluded and under priviledged children around the world! It's a fantastic and powerful trust which is changing lives. Have a browse through the webiste - www.abolicaotrust.org and try capoeira out....go on...you'll love it!

Gardens of Glass

2005-11-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

" Be gentle with the earth"
(Dalai Lama)

I travelled to Kew Gardens in London to see the famous glass artist Chihuly's exhibition.
A lake filled with swan sized colourfilled glass bubbles floated amongst the ducks whilst hundreds of elegant purple tubes imitated the cactus's. The work, a message to show us the beauty and fragility of the nature it copies! The time now is crucial, our earth is crying and as delicate and potentially shattering as Chihuly's glass. Take a peek, go see and be gentle: www.rbgkew.org.uk/chihuly/

No one cares in London?

2005-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in 'The Big Smoke'! Today I encountered three bold statements, they all said something similar to...

'No one cares in London'

Therefore, once a week my time spent in this vast city will be seeking out and reporting those small little pockets of people, societies, events, creativities and weird ways of folk who do care!

Watch this space........

50 Years of World Press Photo

2005-10-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

World Press Photo of the Year celebrates 50 years of the competition. A student stands in the line of tanks at the Tiananmen Square demonstrations (1989). Have a browse through the entries below:

http://www.worldpressphoto.nl/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=blogsection&id=15&Itemid=115&bandwidth=high

Pakistan!

2005-10-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

A tragedy in Northern Pakistan! I spent time there photographing and living with some of the most friendly, content and caring people on this planet! Much of the world will be blind to the suffering in time...if you feel strongly about this click www.worldvision.org

Have a look at the faces and scenery i captured before the earthquake:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4286307811&idx=1

Signing in!

2005-10-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hi I am the newest member to the blog!

It's so great to be a part of the The Global Tribe Network! I'll give you a quick bio of myself and for more snippets, you can read it on my personal profile.

I was born and grew up in Kenya and then spent the later years of my education in the UK. I took a 'gap year' before University to live in a remote village for 8 months with the Thangmi people in Nepal as an environmental volunteer. (Check out SPW - www.spw.org it's the volunteer charity that changed my life!) My experiences in the Himalayas led me to major in anthroplogy at Oxford Brookes. For a long time I have been passionate about photography/film and struck lucky when I got the job on Survivor realtiy TV show coordinating a team of production assistants. I traveled for over a year with the company for 4 series to remote and wonderful places starting in Kenya and moving onto the Marquesas, Tahiti, Thailand and Guatemala. This cemented a wanderlust in me where I then took off independently to complete the silk route and travelled to many different countries in between. On completion of my degree I directed and produced a short film entitled 'Journey: On the Path of Shamanism in Britain'. We are currently submitting it to film festivals and future hopes are to make a much larger film looking at Shamanism on a global scale.

Thanks for having me Global Tribe!

M.I.A.

2005-09-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

It'd be a mistake to call M.I.A. a rising star. With an already established fan base and several nods from top magazines - i.e. The New Yorker and the ultra-hip FADER - the Sri Lankan Tamil singer/artist/activist is doing it all.

One visit to her website and you'll see that she packs an unconventional punch: her funky-fab dance songs are brimming with political messages and her artwork - reminiscent of BloPen nostalgia - is gritty and politically menacing.

If you haven't had the chance to hear her, listen here.

Banksy Strikes Again

2005-09-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Banksy, the anonymous U.K.-born graffiti artist, doesn't seem to run out of controversial schemes... or spray paint. His latest target is Israel's "separation wall," on which he has added a series of paintings that both mock the structure and peaceably encourage its removal.

In the past, Banksy has used billboards, buildings, museums, and even animals to display his work, questioning everything from the artistic establishment to mass-media culture.

Photos from his new project available are on Protein's and Banksy's websites.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4748063.stm
Also visit www.stopthewall.org.

In my opinion...

2005-07-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

A concert four continents wide, an audience of over 1 million people, and a world cry against poverty.

"Amazing" is barely the word that can describe the tremendous feat of the Live 8 concerts; yet, a simple online search of reactions to Live 8 show that many are worried the concerts aren't enough or do nothing more than hand celebrities a double-dose of fame.

I think we need to take a step back, here. Music is, indeed, for our listening pleasure and is not meant to cure social issues. But it is also one heck of a catalyst when it comes to banding comrades, cultures, and nations together. What better way is there to start an uprising than with song? What is more inspiring than finding solace in thought-provoking lyrics and a moving tune?

Solcom's website tracks the history of music during times of great human strife, from Beatles to Bob Marley, and Run DMC to Live8. After glancing through this site, you can't help but feel that music does, in fact, help bring change to the world.

Other artists of interest:
Mos Def
Common
The Roots
Subliminal
SHI 360
Sarah McLachlan

Feel free to leave your artist recommendations :)

Join this discussion.

LIVE 8 - The Long Walk to Justice

2005-07-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

You probably are watching or listening to the Live 8 concerts already.

Just want to encourage everyone to sign the Live 8 List before the day is over.

LIVE 8 - The Long Walk to Justice

Ten Steps to Reduce Global Warming

2005-06-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

Rest assured, we will create a section of this website to house tips like this - Ten Steps to Reduce Your Global Warming Impact.

For now, forward this list to 10 of your closest friends. Send the actual link, not this post.

1. Buy the right car.
2. Choose clean power.
3. Look for Energy Star.
4. Unplug a freezer.
5. Get a home energy audit.
6. Use energy-saving bulbs.
7. Drive less.
8. Buy good wood.
9. Plant a tree.
10. Let policymakers know you are concerned about global warming.

Looking at Tip #6 by itself, you will learn that if every household in the U.S. replaced one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one, we could reduce global warming pollution by 90 billion pounds!!!

Ten Personal Solutions

Don't Live Someone Else's Life

2005-06-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, gave an awesome speech to Stanford University graduates in which he related some personal stories from his life - from being given up for adoption to dropping out of college and being fired from Apple, the company he founded. Looking back, he's able to see how everything makes sense (only in hindsight), why it's important to do what you love, and how thinking about Death can help you live Life.

One paragraph in particular is worth quoting in full:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Text of Commencement address by Steve Jobs

Jamesons Journalists Collect Shoes for Kenya

2005-06-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

Our Texas chapter, Jamesons's Journalists, helped a former classmate collect 1,000 pairs of shoes for those in need in Kenya.

How did the shoes come about? They were part of a display that educated the public about child abuse in Galveston County, Texas.

Ms. Jamesons's students connected the two causes and gave those shoes a new lease on life. In "journalese," we say "those shoes have legs!" :)

"I can't believe that all I had to do was make a phone call and then 927 people who need shoes get shoes," Rawya Jabari said. "I love the fact that I was able to help, it was easy and so many people will benefit."

Creek Students Change Tragedy to Charity

Being Conscious-Cool

2005-06-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to smarter living, forget Martha. Think OSSA - the Outstanding Sustainable Style Achievement Awards. Given out annually by the Sustainable Style Foundation, the OSSA awards promote a lifestyle that is sharp, cool, and conscious. Consumerism never looked better.

In the Fasion & Beauty category, for example, the award was given to Loomstate, an organic brand of Rogan Jeans. What's the big deal?

An acre of conventially-grown cotton typically requires 5.8 pounds of pesticides, and cotton accounts for just one percent of crop production in the U.S. but 10 percent of pesticide use. These are some of the hippest green jeans around, from the uniquely colored pockets to the 'Nature Calls' stitched behind the fly.

Here are some of the other categories and winners:

Communication/Communication Design: BP
Designed Environments: IKEA
Entertainment: Sarah McLachlan's 'World on Fire' music video
Food/Restaurant: Frito Lay's Natural snacks
Industrial Design: Call2Recycle
Mobility: Toyota Prius
Non-Profit: Global Green's 'Red Carpet-Green Cars' campaign
Sports: Lance Armstrong 'LiveSTRONG' campaign
Travel: Aspen Skiing Company

Link: The OSSA's awards.

Brad Pitt focuses on Daniel Pearl

2005-06-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Now here's a bit of Brad Pitt hooplah that was not mentioned in "In Touch" magazine: Plan B, Pitt's production company, recently acquired the rights to "A Mighty Heart"- a captivating memoir by Mariane Pearl, widow of slain journalist Danny Pearl, which exposes readers to the passionate life of Danny and the raw, and often treacherous, realities of international journalism; it will be interesting to see how Pitt and team translate this poignant story onto the big screen. Keep your eyes and ears open for a movie release date set sometime in 2006.

Full story: Hollywood to tell slain Pearl's story
Related link: DanielPearl.org

World AIDS Orphans Day

2005-05-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 7, The GlobalTribe Network, along with eight other youth organizations, hosted an international videoconference to mark World AIDS/HIV Orphans Day 2005. An estimated 1,000 young people participated on four continents, including inner city youth groups from Los Angeles, and London and AIDS orphans from Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. The aim of the video-conference was to mobilize young people to work together across borders to combat AIDS/HIV using the Internet and new technologies as their platform.

GlobalTribe's Outreach Director, Alison Fast, produced and moderated the event from Los Angeles. She said the event exceeded her expectations and demonstrated the power of technology to bring people together.

Alison: "What was most rewarding for us was to see the energy and sense of community that almost immediately developed between young people who are literally worlds apart. It reinforces our dedication to using media and technology to create an international community among young people and to engage them in global issues."

Artists and youth orphaned by or living with AID/HIV were able to connect from four locations (Los Angeles, London, Johannesburg and Cape Town). They exchanged presentations about HIV/AIDS – in the form of poetry slams, art, music and stories.

Participants included Avenues/MongrelX (www.mongrelx.org) in London ; Peace Jam (www.peacejam.org) and CRED (www.cred.org.za/organisation.htm) in Cape Town; AFXB (www.afxb.org) and Youth4Life in Johannesburg; GlobalTribe Network (www.globaltribenet.org), PEP-LA (www.pepla.org), ReachLA (www.reachla.org) and Kaos Network. Elsewhere, Transformarte (www.transformarte.org.br), a group of peer-to-peer educators from the slums of Rio de Janeiro connected to the live broadcast and contributed solidarity actions on that day. PLAN USA (www.planusa.org), an organization dedicated to children's rights with alliances in 60 countries, and Access Granted (www.accessgranted.com), a multimedia facility and consulting firm in Asheville, North Carolina, also participated in the event.

Prior to the video-conference, some of the participants watched the film BEAT THE DRUM (www.beatthedrumthemovie.com), winner of more than 25 awards from international film festivals, and the documentary NKOSI: A VOICE OF AFRICA'S AIDS ORPHANS.

The project was funded by AFXB (www.afxb.org), a Swiss-based organization that works with AIDS/HIV in 17 countries, including South Africa.

With just 10% of the world's population, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 60% of people living with AIDS/HIV-some 25.4 million. The most visible consequence has been the rising number of AIDS/HIV orphans. In 2003, there were 43 million orphans in the region according to the United Nations. By 2010, an estimated 50 million children will be orphaned in Sub-Saharan Africa, one every 14 seconds.

Bilge Bassani, CEO of AFXB commented, "We believe that young people have the power to change the course of the disease through knowledge and action. This event on the fourth World AIDS Orphans Day, started by Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of AFXB, was the first step to connect youth in regions around the world affected by HIV/AIDS in a spirit of solidarity and to support them in taking positive action in their lives and in their communities."

GTN is now encouraging youth to work collaboratively on art and media projects across borders to raise awareness and funds for orphans of AIDS/HIV in South Africa and other parts of the world. GTN is broadening the campaign to include other organizations and youth groups dedicated to AIDS/HIV awareness. Video clips and a documentary video of the event will be available shortly at GTN and AFXB web sites.