Category Archives: international development

Building a barefoot movement

Here is another one of my favorite TED talks that I recently watched. Bunker Roy speaks about the Barefoot College he has helped create to train the poor for practical jobs including engineering, architecture, solar installation, and even dentistry! What is most impressive about Bunker Roy is his emphasis on *really* listening to the poor and…

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Gayle Tzemach Lemmon on Women Entrepreneurs

I absolutely love this TED Talk by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon on women entrepreneurs. She writes about all the entrepreneurs she’s met in her travels to Afghanistan and Rwanda – women who are seeking real investment, not microfinance. Who want to open factories, export their products, and hire hundreds of people. Who want $500,000 investments, not…

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NGOs, international aid, and the need to be critical

This honest and damning post by Ilaria Allegrozzi about her reflections on the aid industry is an absolute must read. I admire her ability to speak out about something that many are afraid to address. I agree with her outrage and her sentiments about how NGOs are essentially mushrooming in conflict zones and the developing…

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A vision to end torture

I’m incredibly excited that one of my favorite organizations – International Bridges to Justice – has launched a TED talk by Founder & CEO, Karen Tse. IBJ is also featured as #3 on Huffington Post’s “Best of TED 2011 Countdown.” Take a few minutes to watch Karen’s talk below — and to join us in…

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Who are we really working for?

Rosetta Thurman’s blog post, “Who do you really work for?” got me thinking. Rosetta writes that those of us who work for non-profits are ultimately working for the people our organization serves. That’s a nice idea, but sadly I feel is a bit too idealistic and optimistic. And from what I have seen, it doesn’t…

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Shooting Water

Recently, I read a beautiful book called “Shooting Water” by Devyani Saltzman. Shooting Water is about the process of filming a documentary called Water, which focused on the lives of three widows in an ashram in Varanasi, India. Saltzman is the daughter of Deepa Mehta, who wrote and directed the film. Surprisingly, there was a…

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