Charity of the Month: Illuminate International

“Young people are capable of doing widely extraordinary work, their voices should be heard.”

If you’re one of those people who think you can’t make a difference in the world, I hope this Charity of the Month changes your mind.

Mike Kang was a freshman in high school when he started a youth activism campaign, which sprouted from a documentary made by Invisible Children. After his fellow students saw the documentary, Mike noticed there was a large response from students who were interested in the cause, but did not have an avenue or system on how they could get involved.

Most high school students would probably shrug their shoulders, and move on to their next class. But Mike decided to actually create the means through which his fellow students could be active participants for these causes, straight from school. So he created Generation Against Global Injustice (GAGI). One thing Mike really liked about this organization was that it was breaking the stereotype that young people can’t do much, or that young people can’t make a difference in the world. They can, and they did. In four and a half years, GAGI raised over $10,000 for partner organizations like Invisible Children, Just One, and One Day’s Wages (to name a few).

So what does GAGI have to do with Illuminate International? After Mike graduated from high school, he decided he wanted to focus on education, so it would be aligned with his career path in education and educational policy. So GAGI became Illuminate International. Why “Illuminate International”? Because their mission is to light the fire so that students can get an education, and because their purpose is to shine light on the issue of education, and lack of education in developing countries.

The plan is that Illuminate International will have one year partnerships with organizations that are working on education in developing countries, and Illuminate International will raise money for that partner organization throughout the year. The plan is also to use their growing network and social networks, such as YouTube, to bring awareness to education issues in developing countries, to people here in the United States.

Mike was inspired to act by his own childhood: growing up in Palos Verdes, he had access to everything he needed to succeed in life. After watching the documentary by Invisible Children, he realized that not everyone has this privilege: people have no access to the same things he had. Mike decided it was his responsibility to use these privileges for the public good, and to lend a helping hand were he could.

And he is doing just that.

Illuminate International wants to help schools become the central hubs of communities in developing countries, so that individuals realize that education is the only way for upward mobility for themselves and their families, and for the community to make education their main focus.

Mike hopes that years down the road, Illuminate International will be a political voice, a voice that can influence policy and the educational community, to make a political impact. In discussing who the lack of public education in developing countries can be attacked, Mike said “the governments have to take action, they have to setup quality public schools, have their own infrastructure instead of relying on nonprofits: individual governments have to take action and invest in their education.” I have no doubt that Illuminate International will try to make this a reality.

Similar to Haiti Scholarships, Illuminate International is run by volunteers, volunteers who also have other priorities, like graduating from college! This is where you can help. Sign up for Illuminate International’s newsletter, and sign up to volunteer at their events, where they are often short handed. Be the difference.

Updates on The Merry Ministers

I think I've come a long way since Shirley's wedding last Summer. I've performed four wedding ceremonies since her's, and have about 6 or 7 booked so far for this Summer. Not bad for something I didn't even have in mind around this time last year.

The real exciting thing is that it's becoming a little more than I initially planned. My mother-in-law stated that I missed my calling to be an event planner. I think there's some truth in that. I really enjoy planning the shit out of things. Maybe those things are weddings.

I'm thinking that The Merry Ministers can become a one stop shop for a lot of things: officiant, photographer (Jeff), wedding coordinator (Erika is thinking of jumping on board), and list some reputable local vendors for rentals, flowers, and venues.

I love going through wedding blogs and seeing so many great ideas for stuff. I love the thought of sitting down with someone and helping them not only with their ceremony, but their wedding in general.

It's a long way down the road, but who knows?

Related Post:

Wedding Shenanigans and Possible Career Change

Blogging and Lent

I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged. Jeff told me recently that I really need to keep writing, regardless of how busy I get with other things. It's funny how this started as something to keep me busy while I was unemployed, and it's become a creature of it's own. Sometimes I wonder why I keep writing, since it's hard to really know whether it makes a difference to anyone else whether I blog or not. Does anyone really care if I keep finding new charities to share? Does anyone care if I go to the gym or not? Are my discussions on development interesting to anyone other than myself? As I get busier with weddings, clients for my firm, and the other bajillion miscellaneous activities that I fill my days with, I can't help but wonder if I'm being smart about the time I spend writing on here.

But I think Jeff is right. Jeff points out that my writing has improved significantly since I started, so that's a reason right there to keep going. It also forces me to look for and find out about other great nonprofits out there. Something I probably wouldn't do if I didn't have to write my monthly entry. And it's an avenue to share what I think are important social issues.

So, I just need to become more efficient with my time management :) Which leads me to...lent! A few years ago I started debating whether I wanted to give up something, or the modern alternative of trying to improve something about myself (stop cussing, don't talk smack about people [as much], be a better daughter, etc.). I'm gonna try to do a combination this year: I gave up chocolate (Jeff's mom made brownies the other day....they look so so so good), and I've decided to give up laziness as well. This means being showered and dressed before Jeff goes to work, no more morning coffee-internet-hulu-Reader sessions. I need to "go to work" on time, even if that means putting on jeans instead of pj's, and sitting at the desk instead of the bed. My goal is to actually make it through my "to do" list, instead of just writing it every day.

Here's to increased productivity, and chocolate withdrawals!

Recent Source of Inspiration

Upon a recent viewing of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I was inspired by this line:

"I am not going to sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to defend it. Right or wrong, I'm going to defend it."

I feel like this is the year to really live this line. I don't think I've ever been so in control of my future. It really IS up to me to determine the course of my life: am I going to rise to the challenge of starting my firm, and make it a success? Am I going to do a half-ass job (like I did with law school and college) and be content with mediocrity? Or will I strive for perfection? It's all up to me.

The Other Day...

I went to Grower's Direct the other day to pick up some delicious raspberries and blueberries (yes, I specifically went to the store to get just that). As I was checking out, I happened to look up and saw one of the employees who was stocking grapes....he seemed to be chewing something, very very slowly.

Huh.

His mind seemed to be anywhere but in the job that was unfolding before him: he was standing and slowly, ever so slowly, zipping up a bag of grapes that he was about to stock, with his gaze looking off to God knows where. He placed the bag with all the other bags of grapes already on display.

Then, again, very slowly, as if he was trying to drag out this task as long as he possibly could, he grabbed another bag of grapes from the box on his cart, he opened it, took one grape, put it in his mouth, and repeated the above scene, sloooooooowly zipping up the bag again, and placing it on the display area.

I realized he was taking out exactly one grape from every bag, right before he placed it on the display area. He had a smile on his face, and I couldn't help but be happy for him: I doubt this job is his ideal job, or one that he thoroughly enjoys, but if sneaking in a grape every now and then can make you happy, more power to you!

The more grapes he sneaks in, the less I'll have to pay for that bag of grapes.

Adventures in Starting My Own Firm: Websites

Yes, websites.

From what I've researched, it's your most basic marketing tool, and if you are serious about your firm, it's a must have.

So, I've been trying to figure all of that out the last couple weeks: style, formatting, what are the different pages I'll have on it, etc. I have a general idea of what I want, so the content isn't too difficult to figure out. I do have to work on stocking up some blog entries before publishing it, so I don't have a blog section...with no blog content.

But...before I get to that, I have to actually create a website where all of this stuff is going. I'm not completely foreign to this stuff, since I help manage the website for Haiti Scholarships, and set up and manage the website for The Merry Ministers. The Merry Ministers is kind of a simple and straightforward site, and I know my firm site has to be a notch more professional than that one. So, I did some research and talked to my tech source, and found out that I need to: 1) purchase the domain from one place, 2) link my domain to wordpress (I'm being kind of stubborn about this--I figure if I already use this format for two other websites, I don't want to learn a whole different UI--hehe, I'm trying to use techy terms, but I have no idea if I'm using it in the right context or not--to manage another website), then 3) host it through another place, and finally 4) figure out what theme I want to purchase--since I'm not gonna build this thing myself.

Step One was frustrating as all hell. Apparently my first AND last name are pretty common on the website domain area, and anything generic about law, law firms, and Southern California has been taken long ago. The other thing about my full name is that it is l-o-n-g. Maybe not the greatest for marketing purposes. After a frustrating evening, and intense help from Busta and Jeff, I finally decided on a domain, and was ready for Step Two.

Step Two. Not too bad until I had to authenticate the domain that I had just registered in Step One. I had to go through the "DNS" to add something on the original domain site so that it would link to my wordpress page. I was able to figure that out, but it took about a day for wordpress to recognize it and update it. But still, not too bad for someone who had no idea what she was doing.

Step Three. Shit kinda hit the fan. Not really, since there isn't any crazy urgency, but at this point I couldn't figure it out on my own anymore, which was frustrating. I registered with a host (hmm, not sure if that's the correct terminology), and again had to prove that I was the owner of the domain I had originally registered for. So I tried to input whatever information it asked me for...then I tried to look at the website to see what showed up...and it was saying something about too many re-routing loops or whatever. BUT, I just tried it now...and it seems to be working! So, maybe I'm not as technologically disabled as I thought I was.

I'm still using my tech genius friend to make sure it's all done the right way, and then it's off to figure out themes and content, yay!

Owning It.

I've realized that I'm not quite used to the idea of having my own "business." "Self-employed." "Solo-practitioner." "MY firm." "MY business." Tese are all words and phrases I can't quite pronounce yet without wincing.

Weird, right? Most people would probably thrive on this, and love introducing themselves as an entrepreneur, or their own boss. I still feel really uncomfortable with these titles. Then again, I still feel uncomfortable with the title "attorney," and it's been a little over two years since I acquired that title.

I think part of it is that I never envisioned myself as the self-employed type. I always saw myself working for a nonprofit, an NGO, or a government agency. The idea of working for myself never crossed my mind. I mean...NEVER. Not until about a year ago.

So what I've come to realize, as Jeff has encouraged me to do multiple times, is that I just have to own it. I have to believe in myself. I have to believe in myself as a business owner, as my own boss, as the solo-attorney of my firm. That's what I am: I meet with clients, I send out invoices, I talk to opposing counsel, I draft strongly worded letters, I put files together, I go to court, I pay bills, and maybe most importantly, I have my own letterhead!

On the other hand, I love the idea of being my own boss. I love that I can cater my services to low-income clients, because I don't have to charge a $5,000 retainer, or a $400 an hour rate. I can charge what I want, and cater my services to those I think may need my services the most. I know I wouldn't be able to do this is many places, so I know I'm lucky to have the opportunity to pursue this on my own.

So, 2012 is the year of rising to the occasion, and owning it.

Discussions on Development: Shock by Ana Tijoux

I posted an article on Facebook a while back on the protests in Chile by university students, that are demanding free education. It's an impressive system in that it's been going on for months. You can check out this NPR article for some background info.

Today on NPR I heard a song that was born from this movement, and I think it's powerful. And addicting. See below for translation.

Translation:

Venom: your monologues

Your colorless discourses

You don't see that we aren't alone

Millions from pole to pole!

To the beat of a single chorus

We will march with the tone

With the conviction STOP THE STEALING

Your state of control

Your corrupt throne of gold

Your politics and your wealth

And your treasure, no.

The time has come, the time has come.

We will allow no more, no more of your shock doctrine

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

No nations, only corporations

Who has more, more stocks

Fat cats, powerful decisions for very little.

Pinochetan constitution

Opus dei rights, fascist book

Guerilla disguised as a pardoned elitist

The drop falls, the stocks fall, the occupation takes the broken machine

The street doesn't keep silent, the street scratches

The street doesn't keep silent, as wide as it is

They take everything, sell everything

Make a profit from everything, life, death

It's all business

I eat you all, seed, pascuala, methods and choruses

Venom: your monologues

Your colorless speeches

You don't see that we aren't alone

Millions from pole to pole!

To the beat of a single chorus

We will march with the tone

With the conviction STOP THE STEALING!

Your state of control

Your corrupt throne of gold

Your politics and your wealth

And your treasure, no.

The hour has truck, the hour has truck

We will allow no more, no more of your shock doctrine

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come

[Students talking]

Hit for hit, kiss for kiss

With wishes and nourishment

With ashes, with the fire of the present, remembering

With certainty and ripping, with the clear objective

With memory and with the history of the future, it's NOW

Everything: this trial tube,

Everything: this daily laboratory,

Everything: this failure,

Everything: this condemned economic model from dinosaur times

Everything is criminalized

Everything is justified in the news

They get rid of everything, walk all over everything

Open a file on everything and classify it

But...your politics and your tactics,

Your typical smile and ethics

Your manipulated communique

How many of them were silenced?

Copes, hoses, and lumas

Cops, hoses and tunas

Cops, hoses, don't add up

How many were those who stole the fortunes?

Venom: your monologues

Your colorless speeches

You don't see that we aren't alone

Millions from pole to pole

To the sound of a single chorus

We will march with the tone

With the conviction that the stealing stops

Your state of control

Your corrupt throne of gold

Your politics and your wealth

And your treasure, no.

The time is now, the time is now.

We will allow no more, no more of your shock doctrine

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come (shock doctrine)

The time has come, the time has come

Most of the translation obtained here.

Guatemala: The Beautiful

I don't think it's fair to only tell you about the terrible things that happen in Guatemala: the crime rate, gangs, drugs, violence, insecurity, lack of safety, etc.

These are things that I vent about because they make me angry and upset, and they make me feel impotent. But they only make me so upset because I see the potential that Guatemala has: it's a beautiful country, with amazing people, great food, and a fascinating culture. So, I thought I'd share some of that stuff too.

Guatemala is featured in National Geographic's Best of the World 2012

It's also called "El Pais de la eterna Primavera," or the Land of Eternal Spring

It's home to over 800 varieties of orchids.

Guatemala has 14 eco-regions ranging from mangrove forests to both ocean littorals (no idea what this word is) with 5 different ecosystems. It has about 1246 known species of animals. It has 37 volcanoes, 4 of which are active (one of which Jeff and I have hiked!). There are 21 mayan languages in Guatemala. (This is all according to Wikipedia, so it may or may not be true.)

It has two main mountain chains, with 9 smaller mountain chains (click here for some pictures).

As far as food goes, Dali mentioned a long list of delicious items today, which made me truly homesick:

• chuchitos
• enchiladas
• rellenitos
• tostadas con salsa, frijol, y guacamol
• garnachas
• empanadas
• dobladas
• pepian
• caldo de pollo
• dulces tipicos
• atol de elote
• mango verde con pepita, limon y sal
• horchata
• queso seco
• granizadas
• tortillas frescas

so much more...

If you want to try any of these out, check out Guatemalteca in Van Nuys...it's Guatemalan food paradise!

There's a music video coming out early next week by two great Guatemalan artists, and the shot the video all over Guatemala. Here's a little behind the scenes, where you can appreciate some of the great beauties of Guatemala :)

Obviously this is a small sample of what the country has to offer....I'm sure there are more insightful articles out there on the beauties in Guatemala. I just wanted you to see the tip of the iceberg...or at least know that such iceberg exists :)

Discussions on Development: Gangs, Violence, and...Culture?

A few weeks ago I had to write a legal brief for a client who applied for asylum. Part of the brief involved researching “country conditions,” to explain why the applicant wasn’t willing to return to his country of origin.

In this case, my client is from Guatemala, and left the country fleeing from gang members. So I started doing research on gangs in Guatemala, including crime rates, prosecution rates, etc. I’ve written about violence in Guatemala before, so parts of this weren’t too shocking. Others were.

In my research, it was interesting to learn how a couple of the main gangs started, mainly Mara Salvatrucha. They began in the streets of Los Angeles, and spread to Mexico and Central America after immigration legislation allowed illegal aliens with a criminal history to be deported. This meant that thousands of gang members began to be deported to their country of origin, and they began spreading gangs in those territories, frequently coming back to the United States, or establishing connections on both sides. These gangs have now created loose affiliations with “narco-traficantes,” aka drug dealers. Small Central-American countries with little police enforcement, and absolute corruption and impunity, create great corridors for drugs that are making their way from South America into the United States: bring drugs into El Salvador and Guatemala, where you can bribe the local police, and smuggle them in to Mexico, and onward to the U.S. (You can check out organizations like International Crisis Groups for more info on this situation.)

Here in South Orange County, we seem to be having a gang problem of our own. It won’t be a huge shocker to know that gangs are made up of Hispanic men, mainly from Mexico and Central America. A news article was published early this year in a local paper of San Clemente, commenting on the “racial backlash” resulting after a gang-related shooting. As I tend to do, I started reading the comments, and as always, was pretty blown away by some of them. For example:

• “Screw Mexican gangs. Stupid kids would not join a gang if they had decent parents. Send these fools back yonTJ.. Take your drugs and violence back to your filthy Mexico.”
• “And what is the likelihood these gang-banging scum are either illegal invaders or the byproduct thereof! How much more is America going to tolerate? It's past time for "backlash" against these criminals and this illegal invasion we are being subjected to and injured by!”
• “The dereliction of duty, bordering on treason, on the part of those we pay and entrust to uphold our laws is turning this country into a clone of the lawless, violent, and corrupt third world countries the illegal aliens left behind before invading ours.”
• “As long as we turn a blind eye to the truth lies will be passed on to our children. This is our town a white town with waves and sunsets not gangs and guns what happend to slinging fists instead of bullets to bad we don't call it what it is a problem that needs to be dealt with what is rascism but a excuse for the deeds done by scum it will never change til we stand up as a people a community and change it unit and take back what's yours or it will be gone tommorow. Los Angeles was once a nice place to live. Stop being afraid of being called a racist it's called realist because it's what's really going on. Pray for peace but prepare for war” (I decided to leave grammar mistakes in. Their mistake, not mine!)

These are but a few examples, obviously there are tons of “insightful” comments.

But these comments got me thinking. Is it racism to want to live safely? These gang members are Hispanic, and although I don’t have the facts to back it up, most of them are probably here illegally. What’s the right answer? Community understanding, or protection of your home and neighborhood? People have a right to be upset when their communities are no longer safe, through no fault of their own.

What is it about our Hispanic community that makes our young men vulnerable to gang recruitment? Is it parenting? Lack of quality jobs? Lack of education? Is it social? Economic? Political? Cultural?

Probably a little bit of everything.

The point I want to make with this post is that this problem is real. It is real in Mexico, it is real in small Central American countries like Guatemala and El Salvador. Those lands are foreign to many, and maybe that’s why there has been little interest in finding and fighting the root causes of these gang problems. Why should we care? But as we can see from recent news, these issues are affecting cities here, in our home, that used to be safe havens from crime.

So what do we do? Do we put the blame on a whole ethnic community and tell them to leave? I think the more reasonable solution, but by no means easier, is to work towards combating the root causes that have created this crisis. Given the current financial situation, I know we can’t go out there and find jobs for everyone, but perhaps supporting small local community organizations that are trying to provide these men with educational and technical skills, even the self esteem to believe they can be more than a gang thug. If you’re asking, why should I support someone who’s here illegally, living off of my tax dollars, I’d say: why not? We’re all human beings. We all deserve a right to earn an honest living. National borders are becoming more porous, not less. Why should we care less about an individual simply because of political boundary lines? I'm not saying we should financially support gang members, I am saying we should help them figure out how to earn a decent living so they don't think joining a gang is their only option.

I think I’ve gone off topic...but the reality is that they’re all interrelated, and it’s difficult not to lump all of these issues together, because you can’t have one without the other.

What are your thoughts on this issue?