To take the risk?
Or not.
What an awful position for a bad decision maker such as I. I can't even decide where to eat dinner tonight. Sighhhhh.
ISU should offer its alumni a free course in Job Hunting 101. & some free therapy.
Showing posts with label ISU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ISU. Show all posts
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Powershift 2009
Think about what you were doing a year ago.
I was loading myself into a ISU van with 10 others for a 17 hour car ride to Washington DC for Powershift 2009. It was raining and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Powershift is 4 day summit put on by the Energy Action Coalition that gathers youth from around the country to sit in on panels, listen to speakers, attend workshops, visit a career fair, and most importantly - engage in lobbying; all focused on ending global warming and working towards a future of clean & sustainable energy.
I loved it. The panels and workshops were so varied that you could attend lectures that fit your specific interests. Most memorable for me was one on indigenous peoples and climate change (you know the old man from Babe? "That'll do Pig, that'll do", he was the speaker!). Aly and I also really enjoyed a panel on Gender equality, poverty, and the millennium development goals ... the summit is a wealth of information.
More than anything though, there was a powerful sense of change. Of hope. Of motivation. Of creativity. Thousands of youth came to DC for this event. Thousands of young people who came to learn. Who came to share ideas and goals. Thousands of young people gathered together to demand change from our government. To eliminate dirty energy and work towards a clean future.
The last day is spent lobbying with representatives and rallying on the Capital lawn. & then, I took part in my first mass civil disobedience. Although it wasn't directly affiliated with Powershift, the march was to protest the coal-fired power plant that powers most of Congress with dirty energy. It was wet/cold, but simply amazing. It was so beautiful and fun to be a part of something so passionate.
& I guess thats what me writing about this is all about. Sometimes I forget about the things I've done. Can you believe I had to dig in the depths of my brain to remember protesting? Only a year ago! But it happens all the time, I forget the things I've taken a part of, and the things that I, as a young individual can do and have done.
Heres to not forgetting about my voice nor my experiences. Heres to taking action into your own hands & the power of youth.
Somethings to chant today: "Clean Coal is a Dirty Lie" & "Ain't No Power Like the Power of the People and the Power of the People Don't Stop"
Photo Credit to Paul Nemeth, Thanks!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Is this Sweet?
I feel like we have been in Africa for weeks.
Every time I blink there is something new to see, to hear, to smell. There are always more people smiling, saying hello, more thumbs up, and more waving. We are constantly meeting new people, and eating new foods. As a group, we are continuously growing closer. To pack so many experiences/emotions/sights etc into one day is extremely tiring, and sometimes hard (not to mention like six flags, inside jokes already...), but I cannot imagine having it go any other way.
Its after 1 am already, so I feel as if I am all over the place. Tired. Unable to type/spell well. And wondering how on Earth my mind and my heart are going to find more room for Rwanda. It has been 2 days here, and already I cannot imagine my life without this experience.
Today we meet our driver/guide Aloys. Although, it must be noted he is also our translator, our friend, our door opener, our window opener, our teacher, our question taker, our lunch/dinner mate, our business man, and most importantly he is the man who saves us from the most dangerous threat in Rwanda... traffic.
Aloys took us on a tour of the city and showed us both the affluent and poor communities, he somehow got us into the soccer stadium, and showed us important hospitals, schools, and government buildings.
I had seen a sign for a Women's Organization and made a comment about wanting to work there. Before I knew it there were not only jokes of me picking up an application, but a big Land Rover being turned around and driven down what was called a road in Rwanda, a washed out hiking path in the states. With a little broken French and the amazing Aloys we were granted permission to have a tour of the Rwandan Women's Network. It was AMAZING. It is a program designed to help women who lost their husbands to the genocide (to prison or death), have HIV AIDS, or cannot afford fees for school. I could talk about their program for pages, but I won't. They were beautiful. The program amazed me, and I am completely in awe over the measures Rwanda is taking to empower its women.
Another wonderful man we have been so lucky to meet is John Musemakweri, an ISU alum and Rwandan native. He currently works for the UN as the head of sustainable livelihoods. He has been a great help to us, and a wonderful dinner/lunch mate. He has one of the most amazing smiles you will ever see, and a great sense of humor. Today after our lunch together (which was at Bourbon Coffee- ran by a random American we meet in the airport) John took us to the UN where were able to meet some of his cowokers and talk to the head of UNV (UN Volunteers). He also took us to a local resturant that he enjoys where we gorged on goat, chicken, chips (french fries), and fried bananas. We drank a plethora of coke and Primus: a Rwandan beer *Parents: I swear, they told us it was illegal to only drink coke at the resturant. It was a dinner with plently of food, conversation, and laughter.
One of the most moving parts of today was when we went to the Genocide Museum. Home of 15 mass graves holding about 258,000 bodies, only 200,000 have been identified. (Note that each body has its own casket) the museum also has artifacts, stories, pictures, videos, and imformation galore. I only wish that I could write in words the emotions I felt. It is truely impossible to relay back to you the things I felt, and my reactions to the words, the pictures, the remains, the gardens, ... It was a great learning experience. I am amazed at the growth of Rwanda in the last 14 years. The strength the country's people have.
It was a quite drive home. But alas, we were able to see true beauty afterwards. When we meet Dominick (for the second time) and went with him to the Gisimba Orphanage where we will be doing our work. We were able to meet some of the children, their "mother", and the patron. They were amazing children, and so excited to see us. I cannot wait to go back tomorrow. Dominick too, is an amazing person who we have been working with since the start of our trip. He is a student, preparing to go to University, to study Computer Engineering. Although, he already has a job with one of the greatest IT companies in Rwanda. He has been great at answering all of our questions, and very fun to be around.
I only wish that I could send everyone my memories.
My words and my pictures do not even begin to describe this experience. Already I feel like I am traveling with a group of my greatest friends, and meeting Rwandans I would to stay in contact with forever. I am overwhelmed with the kindness that I constantly surrounded by.
All the Love,
Jeanna
Every time I blink there is something new to see, to hear, to smell. There are always more people smiling, saying hello, more thumbs up, and more waving. We are constantly meeting new people, and eating new foods. As a group, we are continuously growing closer. To pack so many experiences/emotions/sights etc into one day is extremely tiring, and sometimes hard (not to mention like six flags, inside jokes already...), but I cannot imagine having it go any other way.
Its after 1 am already, so I feel as if I am all over the place. Tired. Unable to type/spell well. And wondering how on Earth my mind and my heart are going to find more room for Rwanda. It has been 2 days here, and already I cannot imagine my life without this experience.
Today we meet our driver/guide Aloys. Although, it must be noted he is also our translator, our friend, our door opener, our window opener, our teacher, our question taker, our lunch/dinner mate, our business man, and most importantly he is the man who saves us from the most dangerous threat in Rwanda... traffic.
Aloys took us on a tour of the city and showed us both the affluent and poor communities, he somehow got us into the soccer stadium, and showed us important hospitals, schools, and government buildings.
I had seen a sign for a Women's Organization and made a comment about wanting to work there. Before I knew it there were not only jokes of me picking up an application, but a big Land Rover being turned around and driven down what was called a road in Rwanda, a washed out hiking path in the states. With a little broken French and the amazing Aloys we were granted permission to have a tour of the Rwandan Women's Network. It was AMAZING. It is a program designed to help women who lost their husbands to the genocide (to prison or death), have HIV AIDS, or cannot afford fees for school. I could talk about their program for pages, but I won't. They were beautiful. The program amazed me, and I am completely in awe over the measures Rwanda is taking to empower its women.
Another wonderful man we have been so lucky to meet is John Musemakweri, an ISU alum and Rwandan native. He currently works for the UN as the head of sustainable livelihoods. He has been a great help to us, and a wonderful dinner/lunch mate. He has one of the most amazing smiles you will ever see, and a great sense of humor. Today after our lunch together (which was at Bourbon Coffee- ran by a random American we meet in the airport) John took us to the UN where were able to meet some of his cowokers and talk to the head of UNV (UN Volunteers). He also took us to a local resturant that he enjoys where we gorged on goat, chicken, chips (french fries), and fried bananas. We drank a plethora of coke and Primus: a Rwandan beer *Parents: I swear, they told us it was illegal to only drink coke at the resturant. It was a dinner with plently of food, conversation, and laughter.
One of the most moving parts of today was when we went to the Genocide Museum. Home of 15 mass graves holding about 258,000 bodies, only 200,000 have been identified. (Note that each body has its own casket) the museum also has artifacts, stories, pictures, videos, and imformation galore. I only wish that I could write in words the emotions I felt. It is truely impossible to relay back to you the things I felt, and my reactions to the words, the pictures, the remains, the gardens, ... It was a great learning experience. I am amazed at the growth of Rwanda in the last 14 years. The strength the country's people have.
It was a quite drive home. But alas, we were able to see true beauty afterwards. When we meet Dominick (for the second time) and went with him to the Gisimba Orphanage where we will be doing our work. We were able to meet some of the children, their "mother", and the patron. They were amazing children, and so excited to see us. I cannot wait to go back tomorrow. Dominick too, is an amazing person who we have been working with since the start of our trip. He is a student, preparing to go to University, to study Computer Engineering. Although, he already has a job with one of the greatest IT companies in Rwanda. He has been great at answering all of our questions, and very fun to be around.
I only wish that I could send everyone my memories.
My words and my pictures do not even begin to describe this experience. Already I feel like I am traveling with a group of my greatest friends, and meeting Rwandans I would to stay in contact with forever. I am overwhelmed with the kindness that I constantly surrounded by.
All the Love,
Jeanna
Monday, April 28, 2008
Not this Saturday, but the next.
I am already in love with Rwanda, and we haven't left yet.
As a group we have been so fortunate to be able to speak with a variety of people who have travelled to Rwanda, for a wide range of reasons (tourism, working for the ape trust, promoting forest conservation, they are natives to the country, a 'son's' wedding, ... ). It has to be mentioned that each and every one of the individuals who has taken time to speak to our group, has been extremely wonderful, helpful, and kind. I have yet to meet one person has hasn't had both a glimmer in their eye, and a grin on their face when they spoke of their experience(s) with Rwanda, and the country's people. Normally, I'd just say 'there must be something in the water', but maybe instead when in Africa, 'there is something in the Malaria pills'.
Or even more likely, the 'glimmer' and 'grin' are instead products of this 'contagious optimism' that we've been told covers Rwanda. I cannot comprehend but at the same time am simply amazed that a country who saw horrific hardship just 14 years ago, can now have have 8 Millennium Goals that focus on improving areas such as, women's rights, education, healthcare, poverty, the environment, etc. ... and are succeeding at them! I am curious about the dedication, leadership, forgiveness, hard-work (...) I am utterly thrilled to go and immerse myself. To:
experience.
help.
observe.
touch.
taste.
smell.
hear.
see.
listen.
learn.
Its an interesting/confusing feeling knowing that you are going to have a life changing experience. Its a mixture of fear, expectations (positive and negative), excitement, anticipation, hesitation... [insert all other contradictory emotions here]. Slowly I'm attempting to prepare myself in basic ways, such as worrying about my packing, clothing, medications ... Soon I'll have to start doing my 'mind opening' exercises, because I have no doubt Rwanda, Africa is going to take up a lot of room in this small little world/head of mine.
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