Doing Good!
Typhoon Haiyan Response
I find myself half way around the world, supporting the response to the horrific devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines two weeks ago. I’ll be based in Manila during my time here, managing donor and coordination meetings and proposals for response and recovery activities. So when I see the news daily on TV,…
Read MoreAlchemical Vessels
I was fortunate enough to attend a wonderful benefit event at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. The Smith Center is a fabulous neighborhood resource that I am quite fond of. I discovered the place when I first learned that I had melanoma and have been to many great community functions that they put…
Read MoreWith my own Two Hands
I have been a big fan of Ben Harper for the last fifteen plus years. I like the fact that his lyrics still inspire me to think after listening o them time and time again. On my flight to Somaliland, it was With My Two Hands that was food for thought. I strive to make…
Read MoreMedia Attention to Congo
The last several weeks of media attention to eastern Congo came as a bit of a surprise. After twenty years of documented use of rape as a weapon of war in these parts – unfortunately in many other places as well – I never anticipated the attention that would come from our recent response in…
Read MoreTragedy in Paradise
It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Simply breathtaking. It is also the site of horrific abuses of human rights. The short story is that there have been attacks on a village that I visited back in June, where at least 4,000 people have fled into the forest, and at least 156…
Read MoreSay No to Conflict Minerals
HI Folks, As I’ve shared many times over, conflict minerals (i.e. your cell phone/laptop/ipod, etc) are fueling conflict here in the DRC. Please do your part by telling electronics companies that you aren’t interested in fueling wars and sexual violence. Peace, Miel
Read MoreToughest Job You’ll Ever Love
I remember the commercials. Shots of beautiful and distant lands flashed on the screen. At the end it read: The toughest job you’ll ever love. I asked my mom, “What does that mean?” She told me that in the Peace Corps you volunteer your skills to go to another country and help. My response at…
Read More