Education and Thought

Believe it or not, Chris Hedges wrote this in 2011, when our current political climate was nowhere on the horizon. When you think about education and what it should do, contemplate this afresh: The truly educated become conscious. They become self-aware. They do not lie to themselves. They do not pretend that fraud is moral or that corporate greed is good. They do not claim that the demands of the marketplace can morally justify the hunger of children or denial of medical care to the sick. They do not throw 6 million families from their homes as the cost of…

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Delhi Metro: GBV Conversations and Theater

In Delhi, change initiatives are going straight to the people! And what better place to start than the metro? Volunteer students from Delhi University, all men, are taking up posts at ten metro stations and talking to commuters about gender equality, patriarchy, and violence. Organised by the Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ), it's a small but necessary start to raising awareness. Volunteers are also helping individual victims by providing a toll-free support line for help and more information. And, near and dear to my own heart, the CHSJ is releasing a book of four plays about gender-based violence…

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Film Festival Update!

Through Women's Eyes Film Festival is here! This is a wonderful opportunity to see films not available elsewhere - and it's our biggest UN Women-USNC Chapter Fundraiser. See the full line up on our site (link below). Best deal: the weekend package! TWE Film Festival - April 1 and 2

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Perspective

Perspective: so easy to lose, so important to keep in mind. Here are three reality checks for today to help you put things in perspective. 1 I frequently evaluate grant proposals, especially from small groups looking for modest funding to change harmful, deep-seated cultural practices. Sigh. Good luck with that one. Reality check: sometimes large and unexpected changes come from small and humble origins. 2 Margaret Mead. An iconic American cultural anthropologist well worth study, especially by those who think they have no need for 'cultural anthropology.' Her insights will help you see everything differently. Plus she was the mother…

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October 26: Human Rights

Gulf Coast UN Women/USNC Co-Sponsors: “Gender Rights as Human Rights: Where are We in 2016?” Gender Rights as Human Rights - both locally and globally - was the topic of a panel discussion October 26 at the University of South Florida Sarasota- Manatee. Five panelists shared their experiences and expertise regarding women’s issues in our own local communities and in villages as far away as India and Africa. The Gulf Coast Chapter co-sponsored this event. Scott Osborne, Esq., President of the UN Women/USNC, Gulf Coast Chapter, discussed women in India and how cultural influences can be at odds with the…

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Go Togo RPCVs!

Togo - a tiny country in West Africa - doesn't make it into Western news very often, but it's getting some good press today thanks to fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Jenny Schechter and Kevin Fiori. They are the recipients of the 2016 Sargeant Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service in recognition of their work founding Hope Through Health (HTH) a non-profit dedicated to improving health care in underserved northern Togo. Since 2004 Hope Through Health has focused on expanding health care for the community living with HIV/AIDS. Recently, much needed Maternal and Child Health services have been added to their work. The work of HTH is…

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Take a look at Sarasota and Cities for CEDAW!

Here's a perfect collaboration: one of my favorite schools - New Gate Montessori IB in Sarasota, Florida - and one of my favorite causes - Cities for CEDAW. What a team! The New Gate students created a PSA about our local CEDAW initiative. They did a brilliant job explaining exactly how this global topic applies directly to Sarasota residents. Take a look and stay tuned for more on the Cities for CEDAW initiative. And thanks to all these 11th-year students who donated time to help the local Chapter of UN Women-USNC.

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Progress? Progress!

Way back in November 2014  (wait, a year and a half ago; is that possible?) I wrote about the shame of menstruation, the last worst taboo. (See that post here. If you haven't read it, go back and do that now. I'll wait.) I have also spoken about the fact that sanitary hygiene products are taxed as luxury items in 40 states - unlike nearly all medications, Rogaine for men and, of course, viagra, all of which are untaxed 'necessities.' (See The Power of Love: Violence Against Women and What We Can Do About It.) So it is utterly delightful when…

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