A woman in Santiago surveys damage after the quake. Photo: todosnuestrosmuertos

One of the stories we’ve been working on since the Haiti earthquake is how social media platforms are being used in disaster to improve rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts.

In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and text messaging, a new and powerful app has been unleashed by Google: the Google Person Finder.

The Google blog explains:

“After hearing of the devastatingly powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile overnight, we began to mobilize several teams to see what Google resources could help with disaster response. For those concerned about loved ones in Chile, the Person Finder tool, initially created in the wake of the Haiti earthquake, can be used to submit or search for information about individuals who may have been affected. The Person Finder tool has been translated into Spanish and is currently available at http://chilepersonfinder.appspot.com/, as well as several media sites and the US Department of State website.”

As a community of travelers and expats, Matadorians are in a unique position to use this app for massive information diffusion. Do you know someone in Chile? Have you heard from them since the quake? Add their name and update their status using the Person Finder tool.

The other app Google’s making available is Google Map Maker.

Again, from the Google blog:

“Google Map Maker is currently available in Chile, and we are making this map data available for download by relief and aid organizations. Visit http://mapmaker.google.com/datadownload for more information and to access the data. If you have familiarity with the region, please help these efforts by contributing data about Chile on Google Map Maker. We will be refreshing the download data frequently to reflect the latest set of contributions.

How are you using social media and online tools to respond to the quake and the resulting tsunami? Share your experiences in the comments.

Photos courtesy of author.

It’s 7:20 on a Saturday morning.

Three couples huddle under the Louisville clinic’s awning, waiting for the doors to open. Across the property line, several protesters implore the clients to change their minds. “We love you.” “This is murder.” “There’s a heartbeat.” “Come with us, get a free ultrasound, look at your baby.”

Four escorts block the protesters, trying to shield the clients from camera phones and harassment. “Leave them alone.” “No one wants to listen to you.”

More protesters line the sidewalk, reciting the rosary. I wait across from the entrance, an orange-vested clinic escort in a wall of bowed heads. Praying men stand guard on either side of me, one holding a five-foot crucifix. I watch for clients.

At 7:20 two years ago, I would have just finished my morning run on Togo’s national highway. I was working on my English and health clubs, spending mornings at the local hospital and organizing a girls soccer tournament for International Women’s Day. For this last event, I had a committee of three women and three female students helping me.

This is how I met Zenabou.

In committee meetings, Zenabou spoke up, unhesitant about disagreeing with the older women. She regularly attended my clubs, including my Saturday morning running club. She showed the most promise on the soccer field. After we lost our first and only away game, she led the singing as we had consolation sodas with our victors. I hoped she would pass her middle school finishing exams and leave the village for high school, an accomplishment for any Togolese girl. For now, I was happy to have at least one strong player on the team.

It’s 7:35 and the clinic has finally opened. A group crosses the street, coming towards me. It’s a knot of orange vests, escorts and protesters posing as escorts surround the client, who blindly steers the group as she dodges unsolicited salvation through pamphlets thrust at her. I try to make eye contact, waving and smiling.

She heads left, unaware that I will move at the last moment to let her by, then do my best to shield her until she crosses the clinic’s property line. Flanked by praying protesters, my body creates too narrow a tunnel to provide much protection. This usually smooth operation devolves into a chaotic dance – the client goes one way, the escorts signal another, the protesters push, I step aside. The client gets in, but not without a lot of sidestepping and yelling.

Today, I feel weak.

A praying man who’s been inching into my space angrily tells my fellow escort to stop pushing him. A scuffle ensues, the praying man falls – a little too easily – and two older protesters stare down a female escort, trying to intimidate her with their height and masculinity. Intimidation is the game here, and I’m losing.

I fight with my face, and after the next client-escort-protester group has to force its way onto the sidewalk, I grab a replacement. There is nowhere to go to hide my tears of frustration, so I walk to the corner and stare up at the bare tree branches and gray sky, willing the tears behind my eyes.

Tears in Togo are for children and the desperate, so I was happy to have a room to retreat to when my counterpart gave me the news. We were at an in-service training, and he approached me before breakfast.

“They brought Zenabou to the hospital last night, and she died.”

The news sent me back to my room, sobbing. When he told me later she’d swallowed pills to abort, I had to return to my room. Malaria, I could handle. Unknown causes. Meningitis. But self-induced abortion?

I should have known better.

Too late, I returned to my village and refocused my efforts on reproductive health education. I spoke to Zenabou’s father, who denied what I’d been told, probably because the imam had refused to say prayers for the man’s daughter. I spoke to a village elder, who said it was up to me to address the students. Others told me, “C’est la vie.”

That’s life.

Back on the corner, I take deep breaths and collect myself, then return to the sidewalk. The Hail Marys are winding down and most of the clients are inside the clinic. It’s 8:30, and I’m shaken, but I’ll be back next Saturday. And the following Saturday. There are many reasons I wake up at 5:30 each week. But at least one of them is the memory of a laughing sixteen-year-old girl with her friends, kicking a soccer ball at dusk on a Togolese savannah.

Community Connection:

How has travel changed the way you engage in your community at home? Send your stories to julie[at]matadornetwork[dot]com.

Photos: itzafineday

Parks Canada

Parks Canada controls Canada’s many national parks (including a number of UNESCO sites); they also own and operate many other historic sites all over the country. This means that not only will you be able to find volunteer opportunities all over the country, but you will be able to find positions from environmental preservation to tour guiding to clerical work.

As a bonus, non-Canadian residents can apply for volunteer positions via an online questionnaire so that they can secure volunteer positions before they land in the country. Most volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age. Different positions require different skills and commitments. Accommodations are provided in some cases.

Parks Canada recommends that Canadian residents apply directly to the parks/historic sites where they wish to volunteer, but they are welcome to fill out the same questionnaire if they are looking for opportunities far from home. More information and the questionnaire can be found on the Parks Canada website.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is “the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada.” It operates numerous facilities across the country, including emergency relief shelters, addiction services, nursing homes, and summer camps. Volunteer positions are easy to come by in most Canadian cities.

The duration of your commitment depends on what project you will be working on. The Salvation Army is the perfect place to volunteer if you want to test the waters of fields like addiction treatment or palliative care, and positions generally require little to no experience.

Volunteers are also welcome to apply at any age.

To fill out the online form and to see what’s available near you, visit The Salvation Army’s website.

Immigrant Settlement Services

Immigration is a large part of Canadian culture, and the YMCA offers immigrant settlement services in major cities across the country. These programs include orientations, befriending programs, work support, and translation services.

Volunteers are matched to new immigrants for 4-6 months, with minimum weekly contact for conversations and general social interaction.

New volunteers are needed all the time, but volunteers for the befriending programs must commit to four months minimum. Volunteers for the other programs have a significant advantage if they speak other languages, but there is no language requirement for most positions.

Unfortunately, there is no online application available for volunteers; apply in person at your local YMCA. Check out YMCA Canada’s website for more details.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada

The WWF-Canada works mainly towards fighting climate change and preserving Canada’s oceans and freshwater resources. With multiple locations and opportunities all over Canada, it’s easy to get involved. Much of the WWF’s administrative staff is made up of volunteers, who keep the organization running smoothly.

Other hands-on opportunities vary regionally and depend on which projects are currently prioritized. Check out your nearest WWF office, which will usually have more opportunities than advertised on the website.

If you want to get involved or find out more information, check out the WWF-Canada’s website.

The Portland Hotel Society

The Portland Hotel Society operates out of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, otherwise known as “Canada’s poorest postal code.” This area is known for its high rates of homelessness, drug addiction and general poverty, as well as mental illness.

The PHS owns and operates numerous services in this neighborhood, including supportive housing, cafes, kitchens and even its own credit union. The PHS is most famous for its tandem operation of Insite, North America’s only (and highly controversial) safe injection site.

To get involved, physically visit one or all of the operations and talk to managers directly. For more information on the Portland Hotel Society, check out the website.

And if you’re interested in getting involved with homelessness and addiction but aren’t in Vancouver, just check around town to see what’s available. Many cities operate similar systems, such as Renascent in Toronto, which is always actively seeking volunteers.

And finally… do your research!

The options listed above are national programs to help you find out what is available and get your feet wet. If you really want a close local community connection, get online or check out the bulletin boards in local city centers. Remember, Canada is a large and diverse country, so opportunities will vary significantly based on your location. Good luck!

Community Connection:

Whether you’re interested in volunteering at home or abroad, our Volunteering Focus Page has numerous resources to get you started.

Feature photo: Author/Above Photo: coral11

I used to think pit bulls were born mean.

I had never met one, but I accepted the opinions of my parents and the adults around me. I didn’t question the prejudice, despite a lack of evidence.

Looking back, I recognize my prejudice originated no differently than other types of bigotry. Last week, Matador raised similar prejudice and stereotype issues in Leigh Shulman’s article “On the Front Porch with a Gun, Waiting for the Black People to Come” and Ricardo Arthur’s “Barraku: Black Culture in Japan”.

My attitude towards pit bulls didn’t change until I met my now-husband.

In a discussion about possible future pets, my husband said the only dog he would consider adopting was a pit bull. I questioned his reasoning, only to grow ashamed when he described all the positive, loving experiences he had with the breed.

Bigotry checked, I began researching the breed.

I fell in love.

I learned that violent acts attributed to pit bulls are not innate to the breed; violence is a manifestation of the way pit bulls are treated and raised. Despite the media’s portrayal of the breed as inherently aggressive dogs with a proclivity towards fighting, pit bulls will not act more aggressively than any other dog if not abused.

The real pit bull

Pit bulls do have three characteristics easily exploited for dog fighting. It’s no surprise that with these characteristics, bull breeds can be trained to harm:

Zoey-Photo by Author

1) Very high intelligence.

2) Strong desire and determination to please their owner.

3) Physical strength and stamina.

Cosmic intervention brought our pit bull, Zoey, to us. A vet technician acquaintance told us about a really sweet dog about to be euthanized. Zoey had been abused, neglected, and left to die in the street after being run over by a car.

Despite her cruel beginning and months of physical rehab, she is the sweetest, happiest dog I’ve ever known. Check out the recent “Meet Matador Pets” article for an example.

Since adopting Zoey 18 months ago, I’ve spent even more time researching the breed and connecting to other pit bull owners and rescue organizations.

I’m saddened when pit bulls are associated solely with hardcore gangsta rap, Sarah Palin, and Michael Vick. I cringe whenever someone uses the term “pit bull” as a descriptor for aggressive tenacity; it’s not only ignorant, but that bad word in writing: cliche.

Pit bulls in the news

Historically, the pit bull was championed as a family dog. Petey from the Little Rascals was a pit bull and Helen Keller’s dog was believed to be a pit bull. Understand-a-bull.com keeps a list of heroic pit bull stories and Cesar Milan published a list of celebrity pit bulls.

Karen Delise, founder and director of research at the National Canine Research Council, has been researching fatal dog attacks for 20 years.

She obtained official documents and data from as far back as the 19th century and interviewed animal control officers, police, and medical examiners to complete two books on dog attacks and pit bulls, “Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics” and “The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression”.

According to Delise’s results, the overwhelming majority of dog attacks were by dogs who were treated inhumanely and interacted negatively with humans. There was no evidence of a particular breed or type of dog behind the majority of dog attacks.

In temperament tests conducted by the American Temperament Test Society, pit bulls received a passing rate of 82% or better- compared to only 77% of the general dog population.

Michael Vick’s former dogs

Even pit bulls that have been fought are still not permanently aggressive. After the football star Michael Vick pleaded guilty to conspiring to run a dog fighting operation, officials confiscated 50 pit bulls on his Virginia property.

The dogs had been chained to car axles. The ones that didn’t fight were beaten, shot, hanged, electrocuted, and drowned. Many people, including animal rights groups, called for the animals to be euthanized because of their alleged vicious nature.

Instead, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated individually, not by breed stereotype, and required Vick to contribute one million dollars to the dogs’ lifelong care.

Typical pit bull- coral11

Only one dog was found to be too aggressive to save and had to be euthanized. Another was too injured to keep alive.

The other 48 dogs were placed in foster homes and animal sanctuaries, with a handful being adopted.

Despite their past, the dogs recovered from the torture. According to a St. Petersburg Times article about Michael Vick’s former dogs:

More than a year after being confiscated from Vick’s property, Leo, a tan, muscular pit bull, visits cancer patients as a certified therapy dog in California. Hector, who bears deep scars on his chest and legs, recently was adopted and is about to start training for national flying disc competitions in Minnesota. Teddles takes orders from a 2-year-old. Gracie is a couch potato in Richmond, Virginia, who lives with cats and sleeps with four other dogs.”

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

Prejudice isn’t just affecting public perception. Throughout the nation and world, breed specific legislation is building momentum in policy debates. Breed specific legislation bans or restricts pit bulls and other “aggressive” breeds.

Denver, Colorado banned pit bulls in 2005. As of March 2009, the city of Denver euthanized at least 1,667 pit bulls in gas chambers. Pit bull owners had two choices when they enacted the ban: inhumanely euthanize their family dogs or send them away.

Denver is not the only place that’s passed BSL.

Cities and regions across the US, Canada, and 14 other countries have banned, restricted or are considering breed specific legislation. Air France, Continental Airlines, and British Airways also embargo pit bull type dogs on their flights due to safety concerns.

Reasons BSL doesn’t work

The laws may originate out of concern for public safety, but BSL hasn’t worked and doesn’t work for six reasons

1) Dog attacks aren’t disproportionately pit bulls; it only seems that way because of media portrayal.

2) The laws don’t fix the real issue: encouraging responsible pet ownership and punishing abusive and irresponsible owners.

3) Banning pit bulls creates a black market of mis-bred and abused dogs.

Pit bull at the pound- meagan

4) Defining breeds is problematic. A dog can still be defined as a pit bull or other banned breed if they carry certain physical characteristics, even if the dog is a mixed breed. The pit bull breed, for example, can encompass the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, dogs with mixes of these breeds, even the American Bulldog and Bull Terrier.

5) It’s more expensive. According to Prince George County’s assessment of BSL, it costs $68,000 to confiscate and euthanize a single pit bull. Gas chambers, like those in Denver, lessen the economic blow, but millions of dollars are still spent enforcing the ban. Those dollars could be allocated to promoting responsible pet ownership, punishing abusive owners, and contributing to other important issues like education and health care.

6) 4 million dogs are euthanized per year in the United States. With BSL, dogs are confiscated that actually have homes, adding to the number of dog deaths per year.

Outlawing and discriminating against pit bulls and other breeds is shallow and harmful. Negative group think and propaganda is no reason to hold a prejudice based on race, gender, religion, nationality…or breed.

What you can do:

Support your local pit bull rescue through donating, fostering, and volunteering.

Adopt a pit bull if you believe the breed works for your lifestyle.

Follow these tips to see if BSL is being proposed in your area.

Write your congressman about the issue.

Visit these websites and blogs for more information:

Dog Politics, Stop BSL, Anti-BSL, Understand A Bull, Pitbull Lovers, Molosos y Terriers, KC Dog Blog

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

How do you feel about BSL and pit bulls? What associations do you have with pit bulls?
Are you considering bringing a dog into your family? Read “So You Think You Want a Dog? Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Dog.”

Photo by The U.S. Army

There is a saying about how well-behaved women seldom make history.

Though women don’t have to be criminals to make the news, many would probably agree they do have to do extraordinarily outstanding things to receive the attention and kudos they deserve.

For example, we usually think about men when it comes to playing sports like football, baseball, soccer, and hockey.

Still, we’re starting to hear more about women making sports history: Mia Hamm in soccer, the Williams sisters in tennis, and, more recently, American mogul skier Hannah Kearney.

But even if women aren’t winning gold medals or climbing the world’s highest mountains, that doesn’t make them any less worthy of the attention and support they deserve for taking a risk and trying something new.

With that in mind, Vanessa Pierce and Lynsey Dyer co-founded SheJumps, a non-profit organization that supports women who want to take the “jump” and do something courageous. This may mean putting on a pair of skis for the first time or working up the courage to travel solo.

The jump may be different for each girl or woman, but SheJumps feels that every one of them deserves the support she needs to follow through on her goals while feeling part of a larger movement of women that are achieving great things in ordinary ways.

In a culture where cut-throat competition dominates, it was important to the founders of SheJumps simply to empower.

Explains Dyer:

“We really felt like we needed to create a community where not only were women supported but where women could come together to show that they were part of a whole. We also wanted to acknowledge what women were doing that was so incredible on a daily basis.”

The organization is 100% volunteer based and still relatively new, but it’s already got an active Twitter account, which it’s using to highlight stories about women in the 2010 Olympics, such as the participation of Marjan Kahlor, Iran’s first female Winter Olympian.

Photo by iwona_kellie

SheJumps’ website is fairly dominated with sporting news, but don’t be mistaken about its purpose. Dyer says that while athletics is one area where women are empowered to try something new and personally gratifying, it is certainly not the only kind of jump that the organization supports.

“Our vision is to represent anything that involves taking a risk. That may be a physical risk or on a philosophical basis. We want women to take a risk to better themselves, whether that’s getting out of a bad relationship or following your passion. We want to represent things that society doesn’t necessarily applaud,” Dyer says.

The organization has many initiatives. It hopes to organize programs that encourage women to get outdoors and try new sports, collect gear and lend it to women interested in pursuing outdoor adventure. It also intends to develop awareness about women’s athletics, promote and encourage responsible outdoor education, and offer an online forum for women interested in taking part in outdoor activities.

In addition to all that, though, SheJumps is collecting stories and working to build a community of women who can support each other whatever their goals and dreams may be. Thinking about selling everything you own to take a road trip to who-knows-where? SheJumps hopes the organization’s community will be able to give up a couch for you to sleep on wherever you might stop. Interested in taking up snowboarding? Somewhere in the SheJumps community could be a woman who wants to help you learn.

SheJumps is also building a collection of resources for women who hope to become more active outdoors. Among the highlights are a page showcasing “jumpers” (inspiring women who serve as role models to other women) and a list of events for aspiring or active women athletes.

For those ready to take the jump, SheJumps offers a grant program that matches women with the gear they need to get started in exchange for three blog posts about their experience.

Community Connection:

Women who have taken their own jump are encouraged to share their stories by emailing Dyer at lynsey (at) shejumps (dot) com. The organization is also looking for sponsorships and is interested in getting in contact with women who would like to help the organization grow.

Snowboarder Shaun White. Photo: hypergene

Philanthropy among athletes has achieved a certain de rigeur status.

Though we’ve questioned his extra-marital dalliances, Tiger Woods has helped more than 10 million children through his Tiger Woods Foundation, which focuses on youth development.

Magic Johnson has used his celebrity athlete status–and the considerable fortune it brought him–to establish the Magic Johnson Foundation, which supports community-based organizations in urban neighborhoods around the United States.

Tennis great Billie Jean King is another philanthropist, responsible for establishing multiple foundations, including the Women’s Sports Foundation, which advocates for women’s equality in sports.

And Olympic athletes have long been involved in philanthropic work, too.

Soccer superstar Mia Hamm started her own foundation. In addition to promoting opportunities for girls and women in sports, the Mia Hamm Foundation is also involved in raising awareness and money for bone marrow disease research, and to support families involved in the marrow transplant process.

Ice skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation works to provide funding for existing programs providing services to children.

This year’s Olympians are no exception.

Snowboarding favorite Shaun White, popular for his youth, cheerful attitude, and his shock of red hair, has also been spotlighted for his charitable work with the Tony Hawk Foundation, Heartgift, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Summit on the Summit.

Hannah Teter, the 2006 women’s gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding, also has a foundation, Hannah’s Gold, which sponsors the town of Kirindon, Kenya, providing residents with clean water, health services, and educational opportunities.

What other stories have you heard about Olympians doing good? Share your favorite in the comments!

Community Connection:

If you haven’t had a chance to catch any Olympic action, MatadorSports has a round up of the first week of events.

Working on the compost toilet. All photos courtesy of author.

Together we studied the Humanure Compost Toilet Manual. It read, “There are two types of people in this world. Those that sh*t in their drinking water and those that don’t.”

We were about to experience how the other half lived.

The toilet was a yellow bucket with sawdust, placed under a wooden toilet seat frame. For 10 days we followed a routine of eat-excrete-sawdust-repeat. We bonded each time we had to collect another wheelbarrow load of sawdust or shovel the contents of the toilet bucket onto the humanure compost heap.

As a city girl travelling with my farm girl friend, the compost toilet was the source of many discussions as we sat around in our mobile home after a day’s work. And while no television, mobile coverage or WiFi will do that to a girl, the compost toilet was the first of many opportunities WWOOFing in Ireland provided to learn about healthy, sustainable living.

There were other lessons we learned about life in rural Ireland. Our involvement in local life included set-dancing lessons, trad music sessions, and a community harvest supper, all of which allowed us to share and exchange ideas with those interested in the organic movement and alternative lifestyles.

After three months of research and trip planning, I spent seven weeks in 2009 WWOOFing around Ireland with a friend. Following are my favorite places and suggested WWOOFing stays.

To view the full contact details for WWOOF hosts you will need to become a subscribing member of WWOOF Ireland.

1. Kinramer, Rathlin Island, County Antrim

Located on an offshore island, the owners of Kinramer keep a beef suckler herd and a sheep flock. WWOOFing with this family you will experience island activities involving wildlife conservation, community events, and fishing; the seafood is plentiful.

WWOOFers may stay in a caravan, dorm, tent, or house. The hosts describe “adaptability and patience” as key requirements, as work is dependent on tides and weather. Rathlin Island is a small community of approximately 100; therefore, services are limited and WWOOFers need to come prepared.

2. Green Hill Farm, County Donegal

Back on the mainland, Green Hill Farm is a small organic holding situated in the north of Ireland. Owners John and Mary grow their own vegetables, which are sold locally at markets, and they are keen to educate others on organic farming.

WWOOFers are welcomed from June to August. Accommodation is provided in a caravan/mobile home, and stays of two weeks are preferred. Bikes are available for volunteers to explore the area. WWOOFer feedback sings their praises as “There’s no end to the charm on Green Hill Farm.”

3. Beechlawn Organic Farm, County Galway

For those looking for a longer term WWOOFing position, Beechlawn Organic Farm provides placements for a minimum of four weeks. This young family welcomes help all year round, especially from those with experience in horticulture or market stalls.

WWOOFing here includes everything from sowing to harvesting – expect to work 8 hours per day. In your time off, hosts can provide you with bikes and travel information on Ireland.

4. Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat, County Leitrim

Accommodation at Ard Nahoo is in a self-contained mobile home and there is no television or Internet access. Work for WWOOFers varies; on our stay, we prepared for a weekend retreat by cleaning and restocking guest cabins. Other tasks include picking fruit, harvesting potatoes, weeding, and composting.

Spend your free time exploring the surrounding Sligo Way and Creevelea Abbey; bikes and walking maps are available to borrow. WWOOFers should embrace the idea of a compost toilet because holding on for the 40 minute walk to the pub each night is tough!

Basic breakfast and lunch supplies are provided, and communal family dinners are served each evening. The kids are eager to help you brush up on your Gaelic.

5. Snee Farm, County Sligo

At the foot of the Ox Mountains lies Snee Farm. There are a range of animals on this small holding, but they specialize in pigs and bees.

The fruit of our efforts.

This host takes a hands-on approach, explaining “We grow our own vegetables, cut our own turf… kill our own animals.” Snee doesn’t cater to vegetarians, but that’s not surprising for a pig farm. They make their own wine and during the winter, make cheese and butter.

A normal work day is described as “hectic” and these busy farm folk request that once you’ve registered as a WWOOFer, you contact them by email or phone directly.

6. Moyleabbey Organic Farm, County Kildare

Work on the 13.5 acres began in 2003 and Moyleabbey reached certified organic status in 2006.

This family-run organic fruit farm is managed by Liam and Yuki, who will educate WWOOFers about macrobiotic lifestyles and bio-dynamic farming. They sell most of their produce direct but also sell at farmers’ markets, restaurants, and with other organic growers locally.

The diverse nature of the work here allows the hosts to open their doors to WWOOFers all year round. Accommodation is provided in a self-contained mobile home. Minimum stay is one month.

7. Carraig Dúlra, County Wicklow

Carraig Dúlra is a farm situated on the east coast of Ireland run by experienced WWOOFers Mike and Suzie. Volunteers assist with courses and events, organic growing, beekeeping, farm projects, and water systems.

Accommodation is in a campsite, with vegetarian meals provided. There is no electricity or hot water. WWOOFers will need to boil water for their washing, dishes, and laundry, as the hosts emphasize establishing a “connection with the natural world.”

8. Mill Little Farm, County Cork

If you want to immerse yourself in Irish culture, head to Mill Little in West Cork. During our stay, we participated in excursions that saw us set-dancing with locals, listening to trad music sessions, and meditating at a Buddhist center on the rugged Beara Peninsula.

Christine & Sheeba.

Host Christine will have you helping with veggie and flower beds, goats and poultry while she runs her English classes over the summer. WWOOFing accommodation is provided in clean, bright rooms in a house, and meals are cooked communally using the fresh produce from Mill Little.

9. Milbeg Arts, County Cork

This 250 year old farm house is situated on five acres, comprising woodland and a veggie garden. Milbeg’s host, Annie, is also an administrator of WWOOF Ireland.

Farming methods used here include crop rotation, bio-dynamic permaculture, and raised beds. WWOOFers stay in caravans. One WWOOFer noted that WWOOFers not only eat well here, but “most nights there’s a group of people gathered around to chat, take a hike up Priest’s Leap, or maybe hitch down to a pub.”

10. Peter and Amanda’s Place, County Cork

Peter and Amanda’s Place is a two acre site with polytunnels, raised beds, ponds, and gardens. They prefer stays of two weeks and volunteers all comment on being welcomed as a member of their family.

Working in the polytunnel.

Work here over summer to meet other WWOOFers and experience the beautiful Sheep’s Head Peninsula. Places are limited, so check their online calendar for availability.

Before You Go

Getting registered: Check visa and entry requirements; then, apply online at WWOOF Ireland.

Getting insurance: A special insurance policy for WWOOFers is available through OV Europa.

Getting around: Traveling around Ireland by bus and train will not only benefit the environment, but your travel budget, too. See Bus Eireann and Irish Rail (Iarnrod Eireann) for the Republic of Ireland, and Translink and NI Railways for Northern Ireland.

Community Connection:

If it’s your first time WWOOFing, be sure to check out “A First-Timer’s Guide to WWOOFing,” one of the many articles in our Volunteering Abroad Focus Page.

Screenshot from “Reporter” trailer.

In his twice-weekly column, on his blog, and in his books, Nicholas Kristof takes a social problem and trains his focus as close-in as someone can get to find the single story that will make the rest of us care about what’s going on in other parts of the world.

It’s a method that’s been both criticized and praised, and which compelled filmmaker Eric Metzgar to make a documentary about Kristof.

That documentary, “Reporter,” debuts tonight on HBO. Full details about the documentary and airing time are available on HBO’s website.

Here’s the trailer:

Community Connection:

Who do you read and what sources do you consult to find out about what’s going on in other parts of the world? Let us know by leaving a comment.

William Kamkwamba, one of the TED presenters. Photo: whiteafrican

Here are six of our favorite TED Talks about the environment:

1. Yann Arthus-Bertrand captures fragile Earth in wide-angle.

“You know the problem [is that] we don’t want to believe what we know,” Arthus-Bertrand says at the beginning of this 15 minute talk, in which he presents large-format photos he’s shot that show exactly how we’re damaging the planet. The statistics he superimposes on the photos of Kilimanjaro, the North Pole, and the New Caledonia coral reef are given weight by the fact that those images illustrate numbers that remain abstract unless we see the damage with our own eyes.

I first saw Arthus-Bertrand’s photos in Puerto Rico a couple years ago and recall thinking, “This is important. It’s only by presenting familiar information in a new way that we’ll take action.”

Though Arthus-Bertrand’s photos might leave you feeling desperate, the other part of his talk provides reason for hope. He presents his other projects, an Internet-based multi-media documentary called “6 Billion Others,” and a film, “Home,” both of which aim to collect and disseminate people’s stories about their own lives.

These two projects complement his large-format photos of destruction in an important way: they put a human face on the problems we’ve caused and show just how much is at stake. “It’s too late to be pessimistic,” Arthus-Bertrand concludes. “We can all be part of the solution.”

By showing us the problems, Arthus-Bertrand helps point us toward solutions.

2. James Balog on time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

I learned about James Balog’s work in the NOVA special, “Extreme Ice.” Balog, a photographer like Arthus-Bertrand, is also director of the Extreme Ice Survey, and it’s through this research project that Balog documents the rapid recession of glaciers in time-lapse photography. “Ice,” Balog says, “is the canary in the global coal mine.”

Photos and film of receding ice can help reshape our understanding of why glacial melt is important.

You can argue all you want about climate change, but once you see Balog’s work, you’ve got to concede that the planet is heating up… and that the consequences are likely to be devastating.

3. Edward Burtynsky photographs the landscape of oil

Do you really know where your oil comes from? Burtynsky shows you where it comes from–and where it goes–in this super-short but profoundly powerful talk. To me, Burtynsky’s photos of the landscapes of oil–the places where oil comes from and the places where oil-powered and oil-based objects end up– are evocative of Chris Jordan’s photographs of mass consumption, and they have the same effect: that of making us more conscious about our consumption.

4. John Francis walks the Earth

The fact that John Francis even gave a TED Talk is fairly remarkable: the man spent 17 years in silence. That’s just one of the unconventional commitments he made in his personal campaign to improve environmental awareness.

That campaign began in 1971, when Francis watched two oil tankers collide in the San Francisco Bay, spilling 1/2 million gallons of oil. He immediately decided to stop driving, choosing to walk everywhere instead.

It’s an unusual journey, he acknowledges in this TED Talk, but one that can serve as a means of reflection for all of us on our own journeys.

If you think environmentalism is for boring people, then bump Francis’s talk to the top of this list.

5. Nalini Nadkarny on conserving the canopy

Nadkarny’s verbal intensity can be a bit much, especially by the end of this 16 minute talk, but it matches her passion for her subject: the importance of the canopy in forests around the world.

Nadkarny believes that the life of the tops of forests can tell us a lot about the health and future of these vital areas. But she also believes that most people could care less about the forest because they have little experience with it.

Rather than simply try to convince listeners by presenting them with scientific facts, she conveys this information through creative approaches, including distribution of TreeTop Barbies and scientist-artist collaborations she refers to as canopy confluences. These have resulted in dances, art installations, and urban youth rap.

I’m a big fan of making academic information accessible and engaging, so Nadkarny’s talk was inspiring.

You’ve got to sit through seven minutes of no-nonsense, fast-talking fact-dropping before you get to that, but the wait is worth it.

6. William Kamkwamba on harnessing the wind

I just love the absolute honesty and transparency of Kamkwamba as he talks about what it was like for him to be invited to give his first TED Talk in Tanzania. Kamkwamba, of Malawi, said: “Before that time, I had never been away from my home. I had never used a computer. I had never seen an internet. My English lost,” he says. “I wanted to vomit. I’d never been surrounded by so many azungu (white people).”

One of seven children, Kamkwamba was forced to drop out of school in the midst of a famine. Looking at his father and seeing the dry fields was “a future I couldn’t accept,” he said. So he changed it.

He taught himself English by looking at graphs and diagrams in physics books he borrowed from a library. And then he built a windmill, which generated both electric and water power. “People started queuing up at my house,” he explained, “to charge their mobile phone. I could not get rid of them. And the reporters came too, and the bloggers, which led to something called TED.”

And why did he agree to give a TED talk?

“Because maybe one day, you’ll watch this on the Internet” and will be inspired to “not give up on your dreams.”

Community Connection:

For some home-grown Matador inspiration, check out Ian MacKenzie’s Interview with Casey Kochmer on Taoist Travel.

All photos by author.

From memorials peppering the city, to the always-present flowers on folksinger and folk hero Victor Jara’s grave, to the fact that one of the main streets is called September 11th, the date on which the golpe militar, or military coup, started in 1973.

Augusto Pinochet held power for 17 years during a period of Chilean history many Chileans would prefer to put behind them, and many choose never to talk about. As a foreigner, I often feel it’s not my place to say a word with respect to the dictatorship.

The dictatorship is everywhere, and it’s nowhere.

There are demonstrations every September 11th, and March 29th (for Day of the Young Combatant, which remembers two brothers active in the leftist resistance movement who were shot and killed by the police during a demonstration) but the rest of the year there is a whole lot of silence.

You might ask someone where they picked up such flawless French, or ask how their family in Sweden is doing, but never ask the underlying questions: Were you in exile, too? Were you one of the 30,000 people imprisoned or tortured? Is one of your family among the 3,197 people killed or disappeared?

With the inauguration of the $22 million Museo de La Memoria y Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights), this quiet is lifting, giving way to dialogue. A conversation in which the older generation comes to watch the news footage of the era, reminding themselves of time and place, and the younger generation congregates, surprised to see that in Europe, protests were held against the dictatorship. Parents take children born into democracy on a history ride through their own family tree, pointing and explaining, and answering questions the children are just now learning to ask.

The museum is a stark, glassed-in building in a giant sloped plaza, opposite the Quinta Normal Metro stop on the green line (Linea 5) in Barrio Yungay, one of Santiago Centro’s working-to-middle class neighborhoods.

The permanent exhibit is three floors of documentation, multimedia, memorabilia, news clippings, poetry, art, and stark reminders of torture. The first floor looks at human rights as a universal challenge, with a rough map of the world laid out in photos that show efforts to maintain human rights.

Below, are a series of plaques representing the truth commissions established to document what happened in each country’s dictatorship. Alongside Chile are Serbia, Bosnia, Uganda, Chad, El Salvador, East Timor, and dozens of others.

Further upstairs, the events of September 11th, 1973 are shown, aged black and white footage showing the attack on the presidential palace, the moving in of troops among civilians, the falling of curfew. Further exhibition spaces show international newspapers condemning the dictatorship, repression, and torture, and stark black panels where children’s drawings and letters are posted, asking where their parents have gone.

Up further still, under strong sunlight let in by the museum’s glass walls, the demand for truth and justice is documented, along with footage of families of the disappeared talking about the future. Mementos of the era are under a large glass display, an open time capsule with vinyl records and food packages of the day. The displays take the visitor through the demand for justice, and the plebiscite vote that returned Chile to democracy, proclaiming “Nunca Más” (Never Again).

All the while, a backdrop of black and white photos of more than a thousand of the disappeared, many taken as enlarged photocopies of their national ID cards, are framed against a pale green wall that stretches along the height of the museum, with empty frames interspersed among them.

The museum was inaugurated by President of the Republic Michelle Bachelet in January 2010. Ms. Bachelet had been detained, tortured, and ultimately lived in exile during the dictatorship. The museum calls itself an “invitation to reflect on attacks made on life and dignity from September 11, 1973 to March 10, 1990 in Chile.”

I’m hoping it’s an invitation for people to talk about what’s been unsaid, and for me to listen, and ask the questions for which I’ve wondered the answers for the five years I’ve called Chile home.

Community Connection:

Eileen Smith, a regular contributor to Matador and one of our community ambassadors, is also Matador’s destination expert on Chile. Don’t hesitate to connect with her if you have questions about Chile, and check out her blog.