Tag Archives: ONE.org

May28

The REAL Reason Ben Affleck Received An Honorary Doctorate Degree From Brown University; The Eastern Congo Initiative

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The REAL Reason Ben Affleck Received An Honorary Doctorate Degree From Brown University; The Eastern Congo Initiative

Photos by Elizabeth Atalay

Not long after I returned home the afternoon of the Brown University Graduation, where I proudly watched  my husband  receive an honorary Masters Degree, I went to check my e-mail. One of the first headlines on Yahoo to grab my attention was that Ben Affleck had received an honorary Doctorate Degree from Brown University that same day. Of course I had been sitting only a few rows away from where Ben and my husband sat up on the stage, so I knew that.  What caught my attention in that brief blurb was that the reason they gave for him receiving the honor was simply that he had won an Oscar for Argo, and his work in film. I looked for other articles online about his Doctorate and there were plenty, but NONE of them mentioned one of the real reasons that ben Affleck was honored that day.  This made me mad.  Not only has he achieved a level of great success in the film industry, but even more admirable to me, and the reason he truly deserves his honorary Doctorate Degree, is that he has taken his celebrity, and used it for a higher global purpose.  Ben Affleck is a passionate  humanitarian who traveled to Tanzania with ONE in 2007,  has written for the ONE.org blog, participated in the Live Below The Line campaign, most significantly he founded  The Eastern Congo Initiative in 2010. That is a huge part of why he was honored by such a prestigious University, and I feel needs to be highlighted. This excerpt is from the Brown university Commencement program:

“In addition to his successful film career, Afleck is a passionate advocate and philanthropist.  In March 2010, he founded the Eastern Congo initiative, the first U.S.-based advocacy and grant-making initiative wholly focused on the mission of helping people of eastern Congo support local community-based approaches that create a sustainable and successful society in the long-troubled region.  Affleck is also a long time political activist, as well as a strong supporter of many charitable organizations, including Feeding America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, A-T Children’s Project and the Jimmy Fund.” – The Two Hundred and Forty-Fifth Brown University Commencement Program 2013

I had no intention of writing about Ben Affleck receiving his honorary doctorate Degree from Brown University on my blog. It’s not that I am not a fan of his work, I am a huge fan. I am also a proud Bostonian, but I’m not exactly a celebrity gossip blogger.  However; I am a humanitarian and global awareness blogger, so was angered that the media missed out on this valuable opportunity to highlight an important cause, and the positive impact on humanity that this celebrity supports.   Back when I travelled through that area of the world, what is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo was then called Zaire.  When people ask me where my favorite place that I have ever travelled of the over 50 countries I’ve been to, I will often choose the DRC.  It took us a month to travel through on the main “highway’ that often turned to mud by heavy rains, but I loved the strength of nature, and the great attitude of the people we met along the way.  I was devastated several years after my amazing experience falling in love with that region, when the violence began to rip the area apart.

Photos by Elizabeth Atalay

The Eastern Congo Initiative aims to increase investments to support community-based and sustainable programs in the eastern Congo, increase public awareness, and involvement in advocacy, and to drive policy changes, and U.S engagement in Congo.  That is an additionally important reason why Ben Affleck received an honorary Doctorate Degree from Brown University.  To find out more about The Eastern Congo Initiative visit the website, Like the Facebook page, follow ECI on twitter , donate funds to the programs supported by the initiative or you can even buy TOM’s shoes in partnership with the ECI. To find out why Ben Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative you can watch the below video.

Congratulations Ben, you deserve to be recognized for the great work you are doing both in film and for humanity.

Apr4

ONEMoms and FashionABLE Mother’s Day Scarf

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ONEMoms and FashionABLE Mother’s Day Scarf

I’m sure that you remember the gorgeous fashionABLE scarves in the Documama holiday gifts that give back guide.  Each style is more beautiful than the next, but the best part is that each scarf also helps to employ a woman working towards a better life for herself and her family in Ethiopia.  A few months ago in December and January there was a ONE | fashionABLE | ALT challenge / contest held where the Alt community was challenged to design a scarf to be voted on by conference attendees.  The scarf was then handmade in Ethiopia for an exclusive ONE | fashionABLE Mother’s Day Scarf.  The Altitude Summit Community meets up for an annual conference in Utah geared towards design-oriented bloggers, lifestyle brands and companies that want to connect with them to discuss theory, and the love of all things design.  More than 60 designs were submitted to the contest, 12 of which were produced by FashionABLE in Ethiopia.  Four of the twelve were voted on by the ALT community, and the winning scarf is being produced now and will be available on April 15.

As a ONEMoms community partner, today, Thursday, April 4 we are able to offer our documama readers a pre-sale of the chosen design and both ONE.org and FashionABLE are offering two full days of free shipping.  After April 5th the pre-sale will continue with regular shipping. All scarves ordered will be shipped on April 17 in time for Mother’s Day. The scarf is gorgeous, and each handmade scarf takes three days to make.  The chosen scarf is named The Genet,  after one of the amazing women who helped produce it, and is available for purchase through the ONE Store  and fashionABLE websites.

Read Genet’s story to get an idea for the opportunities you are supporting by purchasing a FashionABLE scarf:

Photo of Genet and her daughter provided by ONE.org

“I don’t remember my birth mother, and I don’t know my birthday or actual age, so the timeline of my story is based on my best guess . I was brought from the countryside into the city of Addis at age 3 by an aunt who promised my family I would be sent to school and have a “better life .” Instead, I was groomed to be a housemaid and given so many responsibilities that the load of work become impossible and overwhelming . By age 12, I ran away and began living on  the street . I felt lost and I was continually raped . Eventually, I became pregnant . With a baby at 15, I learned to have sex for money so I could support her. I coped with life through drinking, drugs and smoking . I recently learned about this program and am enrolled in counseling to work through my addictions, my childhood trauma, and learn ways to reconnect with my now 6-year-old daughter.  I am also working at fashionABLE and grateful  to have a job that provides dignity. “

 

This scarf  is definitely on my Mother’s Day wish list!

 

Dec10

Mindful Giving Guide: Gifts That Give Back

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Mindful Giving Guide: Gifts That Give Back

GIVE:

10 Gifts That Give Back:

1.FashionABLE  Scarves: The scarf pictured here was exclusively made for ONE by fashionABLE out of 100% light weight African cotton. The Feleku scarf was created when the ONEMoms (Including my amazing sister-in-law Jeannine Harvey) were on their recent trip to Ethiopia. ONE has partnered with FashionABLE, a company that works to create economic opportunities for women in Ethiopia by creating handmade scarves.  Each style is named after the woman that designed it and includes a tag describing what she is able to do as a result of having a job. This scarf is named after Feleku, who is now ABLE to face new challenges.

2.Lollie Beads Bracelets are created from fair trade recycled glass beads made in Uganda. So they are not only gorgeous (the glass beads look and feel like sea glass) but they are good for the environment AND help support sustainable livings in a developing country.

 

 

3.I first heard of The Anchal Project at the Rhode Island School of Design Student and Alumni Art sale where I bought a small moleskin notebook to support it.  Since then they have branched out into an incredible array of crafts including these beautiful quilts to support  their mission: “Anchal merges design, business, and education to empower marginalized and exploited women living in India.”-Anchal Mission Statement

4.These Tom’s wedges are at the top of my teenage daughter’s wish list, so you know they are cool! Tom’s keeps its designs fresh while still managing to provide shoes and glasses to those who need them. I know I’ve said this before, but I love their One for One business model (and pledge to support it with as many shoes as I can get away with!)

5.Whenever I carry my FEED bag I get compliments and inquiries about it, and I love promoting their wonderful program.  Products from

FEED Project make perfect gifts that give back, each product tells you how many kids you are feeding by purchasing it, and you can choose the product based on what efforts you wish to support.  This season I’m lusting after the DKNY collaboration Survival Tote and  NYC  hoodie sweatshirt that supports relief efforts for hurricane sandy victims.

6.Sari Bari  Sari Bari is a safe place of employment where women who have been exploited in the sex trade or who are vulnerable to trafficking can experience a new life in the making. Gorgeous Indian textiles are woven into clothing, accessories and home goods. Tee-shirts, bags and jewelry all help these women live free lives of restoration and hope.

 

Alex & Ani jewelry is a favorite gift of mine to give, not only is it made from recycled materials, locally owned and founded by a woman, but has a Charity By Design division where a percentage of proceeds from each Charity By Design bracelet goes to a specific cause.You can also customize your gift to the recipients personality or interests with their amazing selection of charm bracelets and charm necklaces.

 

 

7.1000 ShillingsUgandan Paper bead necklaces.  The women artisans earn capital for their own small businesses by making limited-edition products for 1000 Shillings. Each product sold through 1000 Shillings helps a woman establish a small business, which enables her to support her family. We also aim to tell the in-depth story behind each artisan.  The company works with six single mothers in the Namatala slum, Uganda.

 

A Gift As A Gesture:

Sometimes it is hard to find the perfect gift for someone who has every material thing they desire.  Still you want to give something as a token of your appreciation to them and the below gifts are the perfect solution that everyone can feel good about.

Photo by Elizabeth Atalay

8. Heifer International :

“Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth.  It all started with a cow.  Moved by the plight of orphans and refugees of the Spanish Civil War as he ladled out meager rations of powdered milk, Dan West, an Indiana farmer, volunteer relief worker and Church of the Brethren member, grasped that the people needed “a cow, not a cup”—cows that could produce milk so families would not have to depend on temporary aid. From that simple idea, Heifer International was born.” – From the Heifer International Website

9. Save A Life This Christmas with Maternity Worldwide :  “No mother should die while giving birth. By ordering a Safe Birth Certificate you will enable a mother in a developing country to safely give birth to her baby.  Long after the bubble bath has been used and the Christmas hampers have been eaten you will have given a lasting gift which will save a mother’s life and enable her baby to grow up with their mum.”- From the Maternity Worldwide Website

10. UNICEF Child survival Food Pack: “One amazing gift, that does it all. The Child Survival Food Pack has everything needed to save a severely malnourished child, from the time they are brought into an emergency feeding center on the brink of death, till when they are healthy again.  Therapeutic Milk and Therapeutic Food are the miracle supplies that treat severe acute malnutrition. Water Purification Tablets provide clean and safe water and prevent water-borne diseases. Multiple Micronutrient Powder and High-Energy Biscuits give a child the vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy.  Your precious gift can bring a child back from the brink of malnutrition, with enough supplies to nurture them to good health for several months.”- UNICEFUSA.org

 

I am a proud member of The Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health. Some of the suggestions for this post came from the Global Team of 200.   Our Motto: Individually we are all powerful. Together we can change the world. We believe in the power of collective action to help others and believe in ourselves to make this world a better place for our children and the world’s children.  Follow along with us here on Tumblr, on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook for the latest Global Team of 200 news.

Dec7

It’s Your Latke Day!

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It’s Your Latke Day!

It’s your Latke Day because Chanukah begins tomorrow at sundown, and I have two delicious Latke recipes to share! The best part is that these bite sized potato treats are good enough to serve as side dishes or appetizers all year round.

 

If you want to get fancy:

 Then go with the Sweet Potato Latke recipe that I submitted as a ONE.org Community Partner to the ONE.org Digital Cookbook for their Sweet potato Nutrition campaign.  These are a dressed up version of the traditional Chanukah treat.

PANCAKES:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
 and shredded

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 ¼ teaspoon Cumin

4  eggs

6 tablespoons  flour

Pinch of salt & pepper to taste

canola oil for frying

TOPPING:

8 oz. crème fraiche

1teaspoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Caramelized Pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Mix shredded sweet potatoes with eggs, flour, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt & pepper

Place a tablespoon of the batter in a frying pan with oil and fry until light brown and crispy on both sides.

Place on a paper towel before putting it on the plate.

Mix crème fraiche with cayenne pepper and cumin and place a dollop on top of each pancake.

Top with caramelized pecan and serve.

To make traditional Potato Latkes:

4 potatoes peeled & shredded

2 Eggs

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl

Heat oil in a pan and drop in spoonfuls of the batter  and press flat with a spatula. (beware of hot oil splattering, I like to use an oil screen as shown here):

Fry until crispy and golden brown on each side.

Serve with optional toppings of sour cream and applesauce.

 

Oct10

Twitterpated About The ONEMoms In Ethiopia

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Twitterpated About The ONEMoms In Ethiopia

Photo by Gabrielle Blair

Photo by Rana DiOrio

Photo by Liz Gumbinner

Photo by Alice Currah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot tear myself away from my twitter feed these days! I am pretty much a twitter neophyte, (usually I tweet out random things with misspellings to my thousands of followers that I immediately regret), but with the ONEMoms/ONEMums in Ethiopia this week, I am completely hooked on twitter. It has been so much fun to be able to truly follow along with them on their trip to Ethiopia, and to get real time photos and stories from the field.

 

FashionABLE scarf

From their arrival in Addis Ababa, to a visit to Mary Joy Center,  where ONEMom, Supermodel, and Activist Maya Haile and her husband celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster sponsor ten children. To the FashionABLE factory, where gorgeous scarves are literally saving the lives of the women who make them, giving them an alternative to exploitation and providing a sustainable  business, and education. Those of us following along got a peek at the visit to the Hamlin Fistula Hospital where 90% of the women who are seen and treated are cured.  Each new place bringing photos and stories of hope flying home to us to share. The stories are all bursting with hope brought on by visiting these amazing facilities that are changing lives, saving lives.   The ONE Moms & ONEMums, are part of ONE.org,  “a movement of moms everywhere using their extraordinary power to spread awareness for the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. These moms are leading a movement to promote education, engagement and activism on behalf of the world’s poorest”.- ONEMoms  ONE.org does not ask for money but for voices.

ONEMoms in Ethiopia

Voices for those without the ability to amplify their own voices. The children, the oppressed women, the ones with no outlet for their grievances but acceptance.  The twelve moms on this trip to Ethiopia are all women with strong voices in media and in their fields, a Publisher, a Pig Farmer, a Lawyer, a Scientist, Food Bloggers, Mom Bloggers, a Supermodel/Activist, and a designer, their diverse backgrounds coming together to send a shared message.  These programs are working, look at the progress, and the possibilities.  You too can add your voice by joining ONEMom.

 

 

 

 

 

You too can follow their amazing journey  and share it with others via SoundCloud, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, ONE Moms blog and the members individual blogs listed below. But I warn you; you may not be able to tear yourself away!

Gabrielle Blair, DesignMom @designmom
Alice Currah, Savory Sweet Life @SavorySweetLife
Rana DiOrio, Little Pickle Press @LPP_Media @RanaDiOrio
Asha Dornfest, Parent Hacks, @parenthacks
Cathleen Falsani, Sojourners @godgrrl
Liz Gumbinner, Cool Mom Picks and Mom101 @coolmompicks @mom101
Jennifer Howze, BritMums @jhowze
Christine Koh, Boston Mamas @bostonmamas
Michelle Pannell, Mummy from the Heart @michelletwinmum
Diana Prichard, Righteous Bacon @Diana_Prichard
Maya Haile Samuelsson, MarcusSamuelsson @GateHaileMaya
Kelly Wickham, Mocha Momma @mochamomma
Karen Walrond, Chookooloonks @Chookooloonks (the trip photographer)