Growing Power

Founded: 1993
Mission: Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities. Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

Founder and CEO Will Allen, former professional basketball player, believes, “If people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food, if they have access to land and clean water, this is transformative on every level in a community.” Allen has been in the forefront of urban agriculture since Growing Power’s founding in 1993 and has since acquired prestigious recognition and awards like membership in the Clinton Global Initiative, an invitation to the White House to join Michelle Obama in launching her initiative “Let’s Move!” to end childhood obesity, and in May 2010 he was named by Time as one of the World’s Most Influential People. In order to promote his initiative, Growing Power is releasing their documentary FRESH, which showcases their organization in action. Check out the website at www.FRESHthemovie.com.

Find the Food!

Here’s an easy way to map the accessibility of fresh, healthy food in your area. Walk around and count the food providers: How many fast food places, convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets, cafes, are there? Are there more McDonald’s than grocery stores? Is there a Starbucks on every corner?

Once you’ve got your data, think about what that might mean for the nutrition and overall health of your neighborhood. As yourself questions like:

• What are the price differences of purchasing food in these different venues?
• How convenient is one place over another?
• How easy is it to find fresh food?
• Are whole fruits and vegetables easily available?

Then work with local organization to advocate for what your neighborhood needs to promote healthy eating and living. If you want to get a broader picture, check out the Food Environment Atlas provided by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Atlas

The Costs of Cheap Food

Everyone should have access to food that is both affordable and healthy, but sometimes the two qualities don’t go hand-in-hand. Although one apple may be cheaper than a burger from a fast food restaurant, one healthy meal – one free of processed foods – usually costs more in ingredients (and time) than an unhealthy alternative.

It makes sense that food that is cheap to produce is subsequently cheap to buy, but

Voluntourism

What does sun bathing on the beach have in common with building a house?

More and more, people are combining the two, but spending less time at the beach and taking some of that vacation time to give back. Commonly known as ‘voluntourism,’ this growing phenomenon is characterized by combing “tourism” and “volunteering.” The Travel Association of America has found that over 55 million Americans have participated in “voluntourism,” and over 100 million people say they would be interested in such an opportunity.

But the question is why?

Alumni Profile: Grace Park

For Grace Park, it all started with CLI Baltimore. Since then, she has been busy making an impact in the US and overseas. Her resume reads of a seasoned traveler and seeker of social justice, not of a college undergraduate.

“After the program, I volunteered with at-risk youth. I interned at a community development non-profit organization and I have been doing news at Columbia’s radio station for four years,” Park says. “Our news department has always had a bent toward topics of social justice, and I personally choose to do my stories on public health, environ- mental, and housing issues.”

With an eye towards changing public policy and a special interest in addressing sustainability issues,

Citizenship in a Global Age

The world is getting smaller. You’ve heard it before, but it’s true. Products we buy each day are made all around the world. A person across the globe is just one Skype call away. Social networks have enabled us to stay in touch with friends, no matter what time zone they’re in.

As technology increases our ability to stay connected, we can no longer focus only on issues in our own communities. We must accept our position in the world and become global citizens.

Global citizenship is the acknowledgement of the shared qualities held by all members of the global population (University of Michigan Center for Global Health, p. 24). Global citizens want to learn how the world’s populations are impacted by globalization and how to alleviate hardship in the most effective way possible.

So, where do we start?

Amnesty International

Founded: 1961

Mission: Dedicated to preventing human rights abuses around the world, Amnesty International has been working to establish international standards for human rights. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 and has been a prominent voice on human rights issues ever since.

With more than 2.2 million members in over 150 countries, Amnesty International is one of the largest non-governmental organizations. The organization mobilizes members to take action by exerting pressure on public figures to end human rights violations and amend government laws by sending emails, faxes, and letters. Through the organization’s efforts, more than 40,000 political prisoners have been released.

Amnesty International also encourages the public to learn the facts about human rights issues. The organization sponsors training for new volunteers and publishes educational material.

Amnesty International USA is the American branch of Amnesty International. Members can act locally by connecting with letter-writing campaigns, demonstrations, and other activities in their communities. The website features an Activist Toolkit, which serves as an introductory course in everything Amnesty International.

If you are interested in getting involved, check out their website at www.AmnestyUSA.org to become a member, donate, or learn more.

Going Global

Globalization is one of the most popular and talked about words in our society today, so we thought we would take this month to examine what a global world might mean for us as individuals. Yes its true that globalization has literally changed the whole world, but for something so important and far-reaching it is incredibly personal as well. Thomas Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times ‘Foreign Affairs’ columnist and best selling author of several books including, Hot, Flat, and Crowded and the World is Flat– both of which explore the history and consequences of globalization. Take a look at Author Thomas Friedman’s speech at United Way in Detroit for his take on how globalization has evolved to empower the individual.

We found this clip particularly interesting because in some ways it acts as a call to action. Individuals hold the power in this world and it is up to us to make the changes we would like to see happen. It’s never been easier for one person to cause an impact in the world. Stay tuned this month for more on taking action in a global society and remember that as the smart, engaged, global citizen that you are, your potential impact is endless!

A Summer of Change

Students often tell us that CLI changes their lives—here is one story of how.

I never had to face many urban issues growing up – well, perhaps I did, but in an altered sense of the word. I am from a small, rural, and conservative town in Michigan where although there was homelessness, poverty, racial and wealth gaps, it was never to an extent seen in large cities and it was something I didn’t really comprehend. As I started to get older, I began to realize the importance of civic education and became specifically interested in how communities differed from my own. I decided to attend the Civic Leadership Institute the summer of 2008, the summer after my freshman year of high school. I grew that summer in ways that, had I not attended, my understanding of the world would have been stalled. CLI catalyzed the formation of how I viewed the world and the place I sought after within it. I have many memories from my experience in Chicago, but there is one that guided me through high school and especially now, as a student at Yale University.

Learning From Others in Education

In recent years, the US education system has been under the microscope and criticized by media outlets. Government officials have been hounded with stories of statistically lower tests scores in the US compared to European and Asian countries, and of the poor funding for schools in low-income districts, all with little to no success in creating change.

Last March, the United States invited officials from other countries around the globe to New York City to discuss the best practices in education. The International Summit on Teaching hosted 16 nations in total.

Many countries represented shared highly funded progressive plans already in practice in their nations. For example,