Archive for the ‘Intl. Affairs’ Category

*Thailand Update*

Are you canceling your travel plans to Thailand?

Many governments are recommending that people cancel all
non-essential travel to Thailand. However, Vietnam is a great
alternative to experience the wonder and beauty of South East Asia.

Read the US Department of State travel warning on Thailand here:
www.bit.ly/USgovtThailandWarning

Global Leadership Adventures offers a unique service-learning
experience in Vietnam.  This program takes students to Hanoi, Halong
Bay, Saigon and the charming colonial town of Hoi An. We also spend
time volunteering with the Hill Tribes in the mountainous Sapa
region. Read more here: www.experienceGLA.com/vietnam

You will have the rare opportunity of being immersed in the culture
by learning some of the local language, connecting directly with
farmers while wading through the rice paddies, and visiting ancient
ruins.

Although the entire program is a journey through markets, pagodas,
beaches, and towns, we will do day trips to explore the country up
close throughout this 14 day experience.

To learn more visit: www.experienceGLA.com/vietnam

By Jessica Dudoff

The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti was first shown to the world through tools like Twitter, YouTube, and facebook and passed on further by TV networks around the globe.Radio was crucial to coordinating relief efforts when local landlines were decimated.This initial awareness coverage and medium for communication allowed for one of the world’s most dramatic and worldwide natural disaster relief efforts in world history!

Soon after the heart-wrenching coverage of Haiti’s situation, donations started flowing in from all directions.In addition, nearly every able country in the world has sent either financial or physical aid, in the form of relief workers, supplies, and many forms of transportation vehicles, to the devastated country that was already the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.An unprecedented amount and percentage of the aid money has come via txting donations to funds such as the Red Cross and the Yele Haiti Foundation created by Haitian native and celebrity WyclefJean.

Celebrity and corporate involvement has flourished through, and because of the media awareness.For example:

·The telethon on Jan. 22^nd, featuring hosts such as George Clooney and CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

·Wyclef Jean has raised over $2 million through $5 texts alone.

·Larry King Live’s telethon raised almost $9 million.

·Google has pledged $1 million to the cause

·Microsoft has donated $1.25 million and offered free technical support for relief groups in Haiti.

·General Electric has pledged $2.5 million and will match any donation by it’s employees

US companies have pledged more the $48 million to Haiti relief funds.While it is very difficult to estimate the global contribution philanthropists are sure that much more money needs to be raised.Timothy Ogden, editor in chief of online journal Philanthropy Action, estimates that initial relief efforts will cost approximately $3 billion alone, let alone the rebuilding phase.

Continued media coverage is essential to the success of Haiti’s continued relief and rebuild.While it has long been assumed that media coverage increases monetary donations, professors at the University of Michigan finally did a case study on this correlation after the 2004 tsunami.They studied U.S. citizens and published their findings December 2006; here are some of the highlights.

·One minute of nightly news coverage translates to 13.2% increase in the daily donations

·One 700 word article in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal results in an 18.2% increase

This reflects the profound effect of just some of the media coverage upon relief donations towards a natural disaster on foreign soil – a case very similar to Haiti’s current situation.

As of January 25^th donations to the American Red Cross had decreased by over 50%.While fluctuations are typical in charitable donations, 50% is an alarming rate just weeks after the incident.Continued media coverage is crucial, but ultimately the media covers what will sell ratings.It is up to us, the public, to remain interested and concerned with the condition and reconstruction of Haiti.

sources:

·http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/13/technology/twitter_haiti_donations/index.htm

·http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/13/technology/twitter_haiti_donations/index.htm

·http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1629828/20100115/index.jhtml

·http://www.wdi.umich.edu/files/Publications/WorkingPapers/wp855.pdf

·http://www.cnbc.com/id/34872428

·http://bx.businessweek.com/mtv-networks/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fc.moreover.com%2Fclick%2Fhere.pl%3Fr2495383256%26f%3D9791

Very interesting report issued this week by the Family Travel Forum Consulting (FTFc) about trends in teen travel.

You can read the report here.

The survey of 5,700 teens showed that:

– 48% of teen applicants have traveled outside the United States by their 18th birthday.

– 29% of teens who vacationed with family traveled outside the U.S. and Canada

– 8 out of 10 teens seeking cultural enrichment joined study abroad programs while nearly 20% studied U.S. history and culture within their own country.

– Africa-Middle East saw the largest increase in outbound teen travel — 48% — as 4.3% of the 2009 applicants wrote about the region compared with just 2.9% in 2007.

This is extremely encouraging, especially considering that approximately 85% of Americans do not even have passports.

Not only has the drop in airfare (since deregulation in the 80′s) made international travel, but the choice of destinations is trending toward non-traditional destinations.

We interpret the rise in travel to Africa and volunteering as part of a much larger mega-trend of students caring more about international issues such as poverty and public health as well as a reduction in fear of traveling to unknown parts of the world.

Global Leadership Adventures has re-doubled its commitment to teen volunteer summer programs in Africa by offering programs in Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa.

Let’s hope this trend continues!

Since the Australian outback is pretty remote, there’s a chronic problem with providing its residents access to services.  There’s a cool program called “School of the Air” that offers classes to remote communities by broadcasting classes over the radio.  On the Global Leadership Adventures program in Australia, we’ll visit the School of the Air and other innovative social programs serving isolated communities.

This article about a wind power project in Australia’s  Northern Territory is really encouraging. Not only with this wind turbine replace an old polluting diesel generator, it will save $80,000 a year in fuel costs and should also provide a model that can be replicated throughout remote parts of the country.

The Global Leadership Adventures summer program in the Galapagos is focused on learning about the conservation efforts in the Galapagos Island.  This archipelago where Darwin formulated his theory of natural selection is a living classroom and one of the most unique places on earth.

However, its fame is also bringing massive tourism and foreign currency and is creating an economic boom attracting migrants from the mainland.  This is putting development up against conservation.

This slideshow and narrative from the New York Times perfectly captures the situation.  It’s a beautiful slideshow that is totally worth watching!