Global Voices is ...

Thanks to David Sasaki for this video about a great online mob, Global Voices.

Global Voices is ... from David Sasaki on Vimeo.

Blogging for Bolivia

My latest Th!nk3: Developing World post:

"We Bolivians think that in the future we can help other countries who may need our support. That's our vision!"
Ruben Hilari

Watch the video at:
Blogging for Bolivia: Ruben’s Vision

Good News on Child Mortality

At a time when the tabloids and the conservative politicians are launching a new offensive against overseas aid, some good news (complete with an Australian connection):

Dramatic Drop in Child Mortality

Sarah Scandal: Setback for Celeb Charity?

My Th!nk3: Developing World post Bob Geldof Rouses Australia’s Rich was written yesterday:

The role of celebrities in promoting developing world issues is controversial, to say the least. Entertainers, actors, royalty and sports stars frequently act as ambassadors, spokespeople or lobbyists. Many have their own foundations or charities. Bono, Bob Geldof, Princess Diana and more recently the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, and former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh are just a few of them.

It was posted before the news broke about Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York's public relations disaster. Just a bit of paid lobbying?

Her "charity" The Sarah Ferguson Foundation may well suffer, as may other efforts to help the developing world.

Ceasefire Liberia: Rising African Voices

Nat Bayjay is the Project Manager of Ceasefire Liberia:

Ceasefire Liberia is a multimedia project to put Liberian Diaspora in touch with what is happening at home. Liberia is recovering from 14 years of Civil War.

Ceasefire is trying to bridge the gap between Liberians across the world and those who are still at home.
from Muhammad Karim - GV Citizen Media Summit

It is a Rising Voices initiative of Global Voices:

Ceasefire Liberia ... aims to document the Liberian experience on both sides of the ocean. It includes a book, documentary film work, and now a blog. The goal of the blog is to connect the Liberian community in Liberia with the rest of the Diaspora in order to create a dialogue between those who fled during the war and those who remained.
About Ceasefire Liberia

My video of Nat's presentation to the recent Global Voices Citizen Media Summit in Santiago, Chile is available at Th!nk3: Developing World. It was an inspiring moment. In Nat's words, it's "beyond the ordinary"!

Global Voices en Chile

A bi-lingual video from the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit:

Bloggers from around the world, and representatives of the Daily Citizen, Vote Smart, the Observatory of Digital Communications, Google, Youtube, Yahoo, Knight Foundation, Open Society Institute, among others, gathered in Santiago for the most important event of its type in the world.
Biblioteca del Congreso de Chile BCN

More Summit video coming soon. To find out more click the GV link above.

Oxfam Australia: More Aid Now

Oxfam Australia is campaigning to raise the country's overseas aid commitment to 0.7% of GDP, the UN target for 2015. This follows a modest increase in the Australian Budget last week.

More on Th!nk3: Developing World

Th!nk3: Two-Edged Tourism

From my latest post for Th!nk3:

...tourism is often a two-edged sword in the developing world. It can help to maintain aspects of culture that might otherwise be threatened, such as traditional art and crafts, language and lifestyle. It can provide a source of income for many who are economically marginalised.

However, the quest for exotic memorabilia and multi-media memories is fraught with dangers. The here-today/forgotten-tomorrow tourism merry-go-round can be demeaning of the local people and degrading of their culture. Souvenir hunting is a blood sport at times. Haggling becomes a game to get the lowest price. In places like Bali's Kuta Beach or Kathmandu's temples, mothers make a below cost sale to feed their children.

Cut-throat competition spurs distrust on both sides. Aggressive touting and deceptive practices can become commonplace.
Tourism’s Two-Edged Sword

Global Voices Friends in Santiago

Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2010

You didn't have to be there to share a world of great ideas and experiences.

Go Global Voices

The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2010 has concluded after four vibrant days in Santiago, Chile. If you're looking for something beyond the MSM, Facebook and Twitter, join us at the global conversation: Global Voices.

Th!nk3: Mapuche - The Other Patagonians

My latest post for Th!nk3: Developing World

Mapuche: The Other Patagonians