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Holidays Around thje World
AGung Hay Fat Choy! Ring in the "Year of the Dog." They say every dog will have his day, but in 2006, every dog will have his year! According to the Chinese calendar, this is the Year of the Dog. Starting on Sunday, Jan. 29, Chinese New Year is a holiday celebrated by Asians the world over with colorful dragon dances, family feasts and good luck cash. Read more about this annual celebration. Read more about this annual celebration. |
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Media Raises Ralities of Culture of Poverty in Appalachia
Tragedy in two coal mines has once again focused the eyes of the nation on poverty in West Virginia's rural counties, reminding us of the "developing communities" right here in the U.S. Today, fully half of West Virginia's counties are designated "distressed" by federal standards. Even with vast natural resources, this scenic state remains one of the nation's poorest and oldest (in average age of residents), with more than 15 percent age 65 or older. West Virginia also suffers the highest population loss per capita of any state, as thousands of young people leave each year in search of job opportunities. Over 40 years since the Johnson administration announced a program to fight poverty in Appalachia, many people throughout the region struggle to afford basic food and shelter. Only eight of the 410 counties in Appalachia are equal to or better than the national average on indicators like per-capita income, poverty, and unemployment rates, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission, founded in 1985.
Global Volunteers established a development partnership with the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) in 1999 to lend a hand on projects to help improve the futures of families living in poverty in W. Virginia. Direct financial support has provided building materials, and enables volunteer teams to work hand-in-hand with local people who are helping to hold back the tides of homelessness and unemployment in Fayette County. Read an account of recent accomplishments by Country Manager Artie Mullins. "The collaboration between Global Volunteers and SALS has developed into an extraordinary adventure," said Global Volunteers' host John David. "Global Volunteers has helped build homes and rebuild lives as SALS 'constructs change from the ground up' and young people seek a new direction in life." Learn how you can contribute to this effort.
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"Encore" Program Spawns Volunteer Groups Nationwide
Since Global Volunteers Encore Manager Ivy Kaminsky Zupka began mobilizing former volunteers last spring to help increase the number of volunteers "waging peace", response has been great nationwide. If you are one of the many people who have already talked to others about your Global Volunteers experience, thank you, and please read on for more details.
As you know personally, Global Volunteers' programs benefit local people and communities on many levels. One of the most important, especially of late, is the powerful opportunity to demonstrate the positive qualitities of the American character.
You can help multiply these positive effects by becoming a member of Global Volunteers' Encore Team. We have known for a long time that volunteers are inspired to spread the word about Global Volunteers when they return home, so this program enables volunteers to represent us at presentations, trade shows, career fairs and similar events. Continue here
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Rockville Student Extends Helping Hand to Chinese Youths
Our generous, creative volunteers always amaze us! As part of the character-building preparations for her December 2005 bat mitzvah, Meah Nisenson, a 13-year-old from Rockville, Md.was required to come up with a mitzvah project. (A mitzvah is an obligatory good deed.) Meah decided to raise money to benefit children in An Shang village, China, through Global Volunteers' Child Sponsorship Program.
This decision was not randomly made. Meah has special ties to China, as she is Chinese by birth and was adopted as a toddler by Rich Nisenson and Susannah Challis of Rockville. Her parents have nurtured their daughter's cultural ties to her homeland by taking her to China twice via Global Volunteers service programs - once in 1998 when she was 5 and again in 2004. On both of these programs, the entire family - including Meah - volunteered in classrooms of An Shang and Baoji, China, helping students with their English-language speaking skills. Read more about Meah.
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"Irish" is More Than Erin Go Braugh!
The popular phrases "Erin go Bragh" or "Erin go Braugh" mean "Ireland forever." It's the anglicised version of the Gaelic phrase which would be known to some Irish Americans (although its English spelling is quite meaningless). Unfortunately, that might be all most Americans know about this ancient language. In fact, Irish Gaelic - or Irish as it's called in most places - is stilll the native tongue of some 55,000 people of Ireland. But, "speakers" are dying away, and the language is in danger of becoming lost. The European Union gave Irish a symbolic boost when it recognized it as an official language last year. Road signs in the scattered Irish-speaking towns and islands - known collectively as the Gaeltacht - have posted place names exclusively in Irish since April, 2005. Irish has been declining for centuries, as school children are no longer required to learn the language. The nation's founders made Irish the primary language and a core school subject after independence from Britain in 1921. Yet today, (according to the Christian Science Monitor) just 43 percent of Irish citizens say they can speak the language, and only 1.4 percent are native speakers. The popularity of Irish-language schools, or "gaelscoileanna" , has lifted hopes for the language's survival. Want to hear Irish first-hand by native speakers? Join a team to Ireland!
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Readers Requests Answered
On this year's Make a Difference Day, co-sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, some 100 Global Volunteers will unite in community service in Brazil, China, the Cook Islands, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, and Tanzania. If you are not one of these team members, we encourage you to join the movement in your own community. When everyone gives a little, the effort accomplishes a lot.
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"We're links in a long chain of those who have come before
and will follow to help improve the lives of people around the world."
~ Bud Philbrook, Global Volunteers co-founder and president
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YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US
Do you have specific topics you'd like to see in a future issue: Send us your ideas. Since 1984, we've worked alongside local people in every corner of the globe -- laying a foundation for peace through mutual international understanding. In mobilizing thousands of short-term volunteers, we've learned valuable lessons about honoring local customs, methods and perspectives. We hope to share what we've learned with you.
Please e-mail us: linkeditor@globalvolunteers.org
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