A Different Kind of Rap

What would I do without my friends who are currently studying International Studies. My friend showed me this and I think its amazing. Definitely not your average rap song.

There is so much to talk about in this that I can't even begin to cover everything. Baloji's poetic rap covers everything from colonialism to religion to skin whitening and flaws in NGOs. The chorus is extremely powerful, full of pride and is a call to action, for the people not to take on Western ideals and take the Republic of Congo back. Even the visuals are powerful, especially the traditionally dressed African in the super market. The juxtaposing of New and Old World clashing in everyday activities is a constant in the lives of Africans.

People have to be motivated and mobilized in the country to have a successful outcome, this song seems to do a good job of that. His words are blunt and beautiful and they come together perfectly for a strong message.

From The Ground Up

It's been an adventure working with Project Education Sudan for a year now. I joined as an intern and have stayed on to volunteer. When I started there they had made amazing progress since the organization was founded in 2005 but things were starting to move slower. They needed new ideas and new ways to get money to Southern Sudan.

As the expiration of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement came closer, international eyes were focused on Sudan. People who barely knew where the country was were now advocates for the independence of the South from the North and celebrities like George Clooney stationed themselves in Sudan during the elections. Project Education Sudan was right in the mix of things and work finally started to speed up.

No matter how personable you are or how creative you can be, timing is a major factor in Public Relations and Communications, especially when you are attempting to gain exposure. Current events are the easiest way to get media sources to pay attention to your pitches. Suddenly, the small NGO was inundated with requests for interviews, articles and members to speak at events. The motto "the more the merrier" was never so prevalent for Co-Founder Carol Rinehart. She needed all the help she could get.

With everything taking off, so did the push for the huge fundraiser that is in the works. The idea for Climb For Sudan was created by Joe Rogers and his fellow climbing friends. I can't explain his reasoning behind it better than what he has said in his own words:

“People sometimes search their entire lives for a purpose or direction.  The search can lead down a path to material success, spiritual awakening or even a road less traveled in which you choose to look beyond yourself and discover the value in helping to better the lives of the world’s less fortunate.  Climb for Sudan is our road less traveled.”

The climbers will take on all 54 mountains in Colorado that are 14,000ft or higher in a two month period this summer. On the easier 14ers, volunteers and advocates are welcome to climb beside not only Rogers and his friends, but some of the Lost Boys themselves. 

This fundraiser has taken off and the timing could not be more perfect. Southern Sudan is ready for change and they need a means to do so. PES has already done so much for the people of Southern Sudan, but there is so much more to be done. In order to reach our goal of $100,000, PES has been working on sponsorships for the climb ranging from $15,000 donations to $500 for sponsoring a peak. Companies such as Larabar have jumped to sponsor and many more are to come. 

Aside from Climb For Sudan, PES has made partnerships with companies such as Ears To Our World (ETOW) who build shortwave radios and distribute them to the most remote areas of the world. Project Education Sudan brought the radios to Sudan in a very successful pilot program and will be bringing more this years' trip in March. 

Project Education Sudan has also gained a great amount of exposure through Nike's The Girl Effect, CNN and Colorado Public Radio! 

Big things are happening for PES and I am happy to be a part of and helping a great organization that actually fulfills its promises to the indigenous people and gives them what they truly need.

(All pictures compliments of projecteducationsudan.org)

The Positive Impact of an "Untidy Namaste"

My friend John got his Master's in Library Technology. You would think that studying something like that would be boring and mundane, but he shared an article, or obituary, with me that was published in The Economist that was not only relevant to both our vested interest in Tibetans, but also an interesting perspective of Library Technology.

Gene Smith, librarian and Tibetologist dies on December 16th, Age 74

I had never heard of Gene Smith unfortunately until after his death. He was devoted to the Tibetan cause from the beginning. He traveled to India in search of rare and sacred Tibetan texts. In his endeavors, he found it a challenge to be successful. Tibetan libraries were destroyed and ransacked by the Chinese occupiers starting in 1959- even the carved wood blocks to print the books were destroyed. For more than 50 years, Gene Smith devoted himself to rebuilding Tibetan literature by not only reprinting the books monasteries coveted, but electronically organizing them. Because of him, you can see Tibetan Monks with flash drives around their necks opening the appropriate passages faster than ever.

Many people look down on introducing the modern world to ancient cultures like the Tibetan one. People have a certain idea of what Tibetan Buddhism is and what it should always be, when in reality, the Dalai Lama encourages entering the modern world. He practices what he preaches by being on Twitter and Facebook. Tibetan Buddhists have always struggled with entering the modern world and maintaining tradition. Many religions and cultures have struggled with this over the years, but some would say that the only way to grow and to survive is to keep up with the rest of the world.

What Smith really did was help Tibetans keep up with the times and allow them to access their texts more easily, giving them a more efficient means to promote and practice their sacred religion.  To the outsider this seems so basic, but it makes the biggest difference for a group of people that have lost almost everything.

It's outsiders like Smith who make a difference in struggling people's lives- giving them the opportunity to communicate more easily with followers and even larger publics.  

I Have to Start Somewhere

I'm always up for learning something new and today, I decided to start a blog about things that catch my attention or ideas and thoughts that have been on my mind. I hope this will force me to keep more up to date on current events and become more savvy in the social media realm. Communications was my field of study and I am ready to fully explore and develop that through my interests and passions. I'm all over the place when it comes down to it but ever since my trip to India my priorities have shifted, it was an amazing experience that opened my eyes to so many different perspectives.

Tibet. Sudan. Music.

It's a weird combination, I know. I have always loved to travel, so when my friend told me about a University of Denver program called Project Dharamsala I was ready to give up my last 6-week break of college. Although I was in India, I was working with Tibetans. Hearing their stories felt unreal and gave a face to Tibet and their struggle.

I've never been to Africa, but I have every intention of finding a way to go as soon as possible- I have been working as an Intern and Volunteer for Project Education Sudan for over a year though. Meeting some of the "Lost Boys" has been one of the more powerful moments in my life.

Live music was never as accessible to me as it has been in Denver. I fell in love instantly. Everything from Dispatch to Yonder Mountain String Band to Pretty Lights to The String Cheese Incident. If you are in the mood for a certain genre, you can most likely find a band playing between Denver and Boulder that night. This seems unrelated and superficial in relation to struggling people in developing countries, but I have to say my interest in that sprouted from a very special band to me. Dispatch is a band that promotes their activism through music. Music unifies and is a pleasure that anyone can enjoy, whether they create it or are the observers- it's a form of communication that has a concept and a message to send to the receivers. Dispatch, or the individuals of the band, have a general human rights focus but they put on benefit concert for Zimbabwe, Chad Stokes has a song "Sudan" with his other band and most of the songs that come from the original band have a focus on Africa.

All these points of focus are related in some way and they also can be studied in the field of Communication. As I said before, I'm hoping to develop some sort of cohesiveness between them through this blog... with the occasional random thought, rant or link that I can't stop thinking about.