In an office set away from the large NGOs and government buildings of downtown Washington, D.C., a group of committed advocates are working to empower human rights activists around the world.

Since establishing itself as a charity in 2001, the Advocacy Project (AP) has been working for social justice and raising awareness on critical human rights issues. It first made its mark when it was hired to write the online newsletter for the NGO Coalition for an International Criminal Court (CICC) at the Rome Conference in 1998. The newsletter, entitled On the Record provided critical coverage for activists around the world pressing for an international court of justice.

Ten years on, the Advocacy Project now works in partnership with over 45 networks and organizations on five continents.

Fellows for Peace

One of its most sought-after programs is its Advocacy Project Fellows for Peace. Graduate students interested in education, human rights and development are posted around the world to provide field support for grassroots organizations.

Last year, 30 Fellows from North American universities volunteered in over twenty countries as disparate as Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Peru, Kenya, Israel, Palestine, Bosnia and Malaysia. Blogging for Peace, their online dispatches from remote regions around the world, has been picked up by media outlets across the US and internationally.

Former AP Peace Fellow Stephanie Salazar used her skills in finance, technology and marketing to work with an AP partner, eHomemakers, in Malaysia, After graduating from John Hopkins University with a MA in International Relations in Washington, DC, she was driven to use what she had learned to work in the public sector.

She brought advanced skills to AP partner eHomemakers which helps women outside Kuala Lumpur become economically independent through technology, training and small business initiatives.

“If not for the Advocacy Project,” says Stephanie,” I would not have been able to find such a worthwhile organization to work with. My time with eHomemakers gave me valuable experience in the development field, and I was able to develop a strong connection with them that continues to this day.”

Partnerships

From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., AP gives support to groups and media attention to issues often overlooked in the mainstream press.

It works to empower activists by providing information support (such as press releases and news bulletins), information dissemination (website postings and online petitions), trainings (ICT and peace-building), financial services (grant-writing and fundraising) and in-country support, including partnerships. Some of the dynamic groups AP works with includes:

- Pro-democracy and human rights groups in Nepal (Collective Campaign for Peace , Jagaran Media Center )

- Nigerian women and girls who are trafficked into prostitution into Italy (Women’s Consortium of Nigeria and TAMPEP )

- Youth in the slums of Rio de Janeiro who are vulnerable to drugs, gangs, violence and guns (Children Against Organized Armed Violence)

- The Indians of the Ecuadoran Amazon, who assets are threatened by foreign oil companies (Center for Social and Economic Rights)

- Afghan women rights (Afghan Women’s Network, Oruj Learning Center )

- Palestinian and Israeli peace groups seeking to build bridges between the two communities and protect the rights of Palestinians to self-determination (Alternative Information Center)

The impact of the Advocacy Project’s work has been indicative of its value to grassroots civil society groups around the world. Working on a small budget of less than $400,000 a year, the Advocacy Project has raised over $950,000 for partners since 2002.

Ultimately, what drives the Advocacy Project is its belief in the power of the people to transform themselves, their community, and their world. AP makes no distinctions of political, geographical or religious borders and makes every effort to take on organizations in need. It stands out in the field of social justice and human rights, not only for its commitment to its partners in the field, but in its determination to help the tens of thousands of people around the world whose voices go unheard.

AP’s message is clear: “These days it’s commonplace: we live in an information age. What perhaps we don’t see as clearly is the way that information can empower a newly emerging civil society. Launching a campaign, building partnerships, advocating for a cause, reaching an audience—all these have enormous capacity to make change happen.”

As the world is struggling to make sense of mass-scale atrocities, environmental damage and geo-economic inequalities, the Advocacy Project is using the power of information and technology to connect, inform, advocate and inspire people to affect change.

Operating on a minimal budget with a modest staff, the successes of AP are that much more noteworthy. The Advocacy Project was recently featured in the Washington Post for its coverage of land evictions in the UK, and has been at the frontlines for many groups involved in policy-making.

Fighting for social justice may appear to be a never-ending battle, but the Advocacy Project plans to stay in it for the long-haul. In the words of US anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

For more information on the Advocacy Project and its partners, go to: http://www.advocacynet.org/.

To find out about the Advocacy Project Fellows for Peace Program, go to: www.advocacynet.org/page/fellows

To make a donation to the Advocacy Project or its partners visit: here.

Photo by N. Chrystine Olson

Ever want to wrangle a rhino? Go to Swaziland and volunteer at the Mkhaya Game Reserve.

In the Mountain Kingdom of Swaziland you’ll find the Mkhaya Game Reserve. It is one of the few places in Africa where you are practically guaranteed to see a rare black rhino in the wild.

The park is sanctioned by the World Wildlife Fund and, for a very reasonable price, an ecologically minded traveler can assist with the important work of rhino conservation.

Getting to Swaziland

Ecovolunteers are expected to book their own travel. Once in Johannesburg there are frequent short commuter flights to Manzini, Swaziland. Once there you will be picked up, most likely by Carrie Reilly, the wife of the park’s manager.

It’s an hour ride to Mkhaya, located between Manzini and Big Bend, in the center of Swaziland. An eco-camp is set up near the park’s guest lodge, where you are shuttled upon arrival.

For at least the next two weeks your home will be a roomy, canvas tent pitched by the dry river bed, just below a common cooking and dining area.

Straight Into Action

photo by N. Chrystine Olson

When I arrived there was no time to unload my gear before a radio call had Carrie taking us out into the low veld to assist her husband in doctoring a sick eland.

It was several hours past dusk before I was able to catch my breath, but I loved the fact we were out on the ground immediately.

It was an intense and bittersweet start. A mother eland, who’s ears had been eaten away by a tick born disease, was successfully transported to a corral and released back into the wild a few weeks later, her four month old calf, however, did not survive Mr Toad’s Wild Ride from the field to the boma.

The routine ranges from intense physical labor - eradicating noxious weeds, fence maintenance and haying duties - to more relaxed days patrolling different sections of the park.

The experience is very intimate; there are usually only one or two volunteers at a time unless you book as a group.

Mick Reilly, the third generation of Swaziland’s first family of conservation, will make certain you are on hand for any important wildlife translocation or captures.

I helped set traps for hippos on a nearby sugar plantation, transfer sable antelopes to new pastures for breeding purposes, and wrangle a three year old male white rhino for relocation to a new game park in South Africa.

What You Need To Know

Participants need to be in good physical condition, speak English and be able to handle the heat if they are coming during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer (December through March).

While in camp all cooking, cleaning and domestic chores are the sole responsibility of the ecovolunteers. There is no hot water, no use of mind altering substances while in the park, and no wandering without a guide or ranger.

The costs are reasonable and structured to encourage people to stay more than the minimum two weeks. The longer you are in Mkhaya the less they charge, throwing in the fifth week for free.

Including airfare from the States, my bill for a one month stay came to $2600. If you are coming from Europe the travel expenses will be less.

Find Out More

The project can be found through www.ecovolunteer.org. Search under either location or species, and you will find a full description of “Rhinos in Swaziland”, including costs, requirements, background on Swaziland, rhinoceros basics, and information on how to book. For more information on Mkhaya go to www.biggameparks.org.

photo by N. Chrystine Olson

Lasting Gratitude

For me, working on the Mkhaya Game Reserve fulfilled a childhood dream to travel in Africa and interact with the wildlife.

What was more amazing were the relationships I made and have kept with the Swazi people. As a rangeland ecologist I enjoyed an intimate connection with others committed to ecological goals. I even returned briefly three months later.

Turns out Swaziland and I are siblings of a sort; the country declared it’s independence from Britain on September 6th, the day I became the fourth member of my own clan. Nothing better than having a date with a black rhino named Shaka on your birthday.

The rangers gave me a siSwati name: “Bongiwe” - which means “grateful” in their language.

Opportunity Overview: Less well-known is Kiva’s year-old Fellows program, a natural extension of Kiva’s mission.

Organization: Kiva.org

Opportunity: Fellows Program

Organization Overview: The U.S. based microlending organization, Kiva, has generated major buzz, enthusiastically supported by President Clinton and featured in The New York Times Magazine and a documentary produced by Frontline/World, all of which have praised the organization for its novel approach to linking social entrepreneurs and lenders through the Internet. With a 99.9% loan repayment rate, Kiva is popular with both lenders and loan-seekers, and is positioned to continue attracting attention.

Opportunity Overview: Less well-known is Kiva’s year-old Fellows program, a natural extension of Kiva’s mission. Anyone over 21 can apply for the Fellows program, the purpose of which is to strengthen Kiva’s relationship with its microfinance institutions (MFIs) by placing skilled volunteers on the ground in communities where the work that’s being funded is performed. The Fellows are a vital link between Kiva staff, lenders, and loan recipients, sharing information among the stakeholders, increasing exposure and awareness, and providing technical support to loan recipients.

Ideal Volunteer Profile:

-21+ years of age (current volunteers range in age from 21-60)

-Proficient with photography and blogging

-Strong travel history, especially independent travel

-Language skills: Fluency in French, Spanish, and Asian languages are particularly needed for West Africa, Asia, and Latin America placements

Expectations of Volunteers:

Volunteers are matched to regions, organizations, and tasks based on their experiences, skills, and interests. All volunteers are expected to photograph members of the microfinance institution and post blog entries to Kiva’s site; the blogs are intended to chronicle the lives of the working poor and provide first-hand accounts of how microlending is impacting people’s lives. Volunteers also work in the microfinance institution’s office 2-3 days per week, providing assistance with a variety of tasks, which may include data entry, accounting, document creation, training, and other forms of technical support.

Bonus Points for the Fellows Program!

-Couples can apply.

-The volunteer positions are largely autonomous (no supervisor on site) while also highly collaborative (working closely with the members of the MFI).

-Beyond the required 10 week commitment, the terms of service are flexible. Some Fellows have been in the field for more than a year, and have rotated through more than one organization… or country!

Details: For full details about the Fellows Program and to download an application and instructions, please visit http://www.kiva.org/about/fellows-program/.

Feel Good Story:

Anushka Ratnayake, Fellows Program Manager, shared the following story:

“One of my favorite Fellows stories is about Liz Vilette from Houston who went to Azerbaijan. She was finishing her MBA and wanted to see what she’d heard about in theory in practice. She’s a former soldier and was really gung ho to try anything. We really wanted a fellow in Azerbaijan because it has a really strong microfinance industry and we were sending lots of funds there. Liz was incredibly resourceful. [Even before she left] Liz found out that Houston is a sister city with a city in Azerbaijan and she found an expat community in Houston and got them really excited about Kiva and helped them connect to people at home. They helped her find a homestay and she went to Azerbaijan for over three months and ended up working with three of our partners there. She trained staff and provided English language classes, which really added value to the MFI, and helped improve staff retention. She was making Kiva real to them.”

photo courtesy of Mei-Ling McNamara

Traveling is a calculated risk. Undoubtedly, the 21st century has allowed us to travel with greater ease, awareness and the miracle of modern medicine, but there are still unforeseen perils that can systematically sap the best of travelers.

Traveling is a calculated risk. Undoubtedly, the 21st century has allowed us to travel with greater ease, awareness and the miracle of modern medicine, but there are still unforeseen perils that can systematically sap the best of travelers. You might count yourself among the lucky ones: protected by a combination of street smarts, good fortune and some strong genes. But heed this warning: do not underestimate the debilitating power of bacteria, bush taxis or non-pasteurized milk.

You might call me a fatalist, but I prefer to think of myself as a realist. After a significant amount of time traversing a handful of continents, it would probably be the honorable thing for me to do to turn my body over to science. I have picked up my fair share of mysterious rashes, bone breaks, village viruses and abrupt fevers. I have more parasites and incalculable bacteria swimming in my bloodstream and floating through my digestive tract that I care to mention. However, I like to think that this is part of the risk of traveling, and it is a trade-off that I am prepared to make every time.

So, in that spirit, a few pieces of advice that might help you before you take that trip:

Before You Go

You cannot always prevent bad things from happening, but you can take measures to lessen the pain.

1. Visit the Doctor or Dentist …or Wish You Had – Get a check-up before you go, and take care of any minor aches and pains that may only become worse by intense travel. This comes from someone who received a root canal without anesthesia, was evacuated for rabies exposure, and contracted falcipirum – the early stages of virulent cerebral malaria. You cannot always prevent bad things from happening, but you can take measures to lessen the pain. Rushing to a local hospital or dentist, where you may run into language trouble, dubious medical instruments and a possible mis-diagnosis can be a nightmare. Though it may make for a colorful retelling later, trust me, it’s really not funny at the time. To make sure you have all of your injections before you go to and an update on the health situation in the country you are planning to visit, go to the World Health Organization travel site at: http://www.who.int/ith/en/

2. Real Risk-Takers Get Travel Insurance – Ranging from the most basic of coverage to the most extensive, buying travel insurance is one of the wisest things you can do before you leave. Unforeseen illnesses, tropical diseases, fractures, or worse…if you are in the hospital for any length of time, or if you need to be repatriated back to your home country for surgery, the small fee you pay per month can save you a massive medical bill later. If you are still unconvinced, consider this story that happened to a close friend: she was in a serious vehicle accident on a well-paved road in Madagascar, and had to be evacuated via helicopter for emergency surgery. The price tag for the 30-minute trip: $10,000 – not including treatment. A good travel insurance organization to check out is http://www.worldnomads.com that gives decent coverage for any type of traveler.

3. Stock Up Your Medical Kit – You don’t have to take the entire Red Cross disaster kit with you, but bringing along some basic supplies can stop minor injuries from becoming bigger problems. Look for things you might be hard-pressed to find in your visiting country. I am not necessarily talking about sutures here (unless you are prepared to sew up your own arm, or somebody else’s), but I do recommend bringing along extra needles, syringes, malaria medication (in tropical environs), hydrogen peroxide, a course of antibiotics for stomach bugs, re-hydration sachets and Band-Aids (plasters). There are many travel sites that give comprehensive and informative lists on what to pack in your medical kit.

A good site to check out is: http://goafrica.about.com/od/healthandsafety/a/firstaid.htm. A note: I have been to many hospitals in Africa where they have no needles. You heard me correctly. They have no needles. I’ve single-handedly stocked a hospital with my own needles. Bring your own as a precautionary measure, so as to ensure that they have not been re-used.

In-Country

If you are not a professional health care worker, it is best not pretending.

4. Do Not Self-Diagnose or Self-Medicate – If you are not a professional health care worker, it is best not pretending. If you buy medicine at a local clinic, only do so with the full knowledge of your illness and a prescription from a qualified physician. It is a lot easier to get serious pharmaceutical drugs over the counter in developing countries, so be warned before knocking back some drug you are unfamiliar with. For one, you may not know the correct dosage, and one misread word in the instructions could have serious consequences. Closely monitor fevers or any strange, new pains. If they get worse, tell someone. “Toughing it out” in the field when you could have something serious is just not clever in any situation. Come clean with any medical problems you might have with friends or doctors, whether pre-existing or newly formed. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Green Monkey, Senegal

5. Location, Location, Location – A big city may give you access to immediate medical care, but the situation is altogether different in the remote countryside. If you plan to be gone for more than a few weeks, consider taking a basic first-aid course before you leave, and bring along a medical kit for treatable wounds. One of my favorite travel medical books I like to take along is Expedition Medicine by David Warrell, which gives medical advice when traveling in any extreme environment in the world. It also has excellent tips on preparation and preventative measures to take before heading into remote zones.

Another book that is a favorite among the US Peace Corps is Where There Is No Doctor by David Werner. Informative, mildly paranoid-inducing, but excellent in charting fevers, explaining illnesses and breaking down the contents of certain medicines. However, please see the Don’t Self-Diagnose tip as a reminder to use this as a guide only, or you might convince yourself you have a rare tropical disease when it is really just a reaction to bad eggs.

The Buddy System - There’s a good chance if you travel for any length of time that you’ll end up in a clinic or hospital somewhere. That’s life, but it is a good idea to bring along a friend. They can help you make sure to take all relevant information with you to the hospital, including your passport, credit card, local currency, list of injections and medical history. They can also help serve as translator, evaluator of hygienic practices, moral support or general comic relief.

If I hadn’t had my friend Gerry with me in a Madagascar hospital, I might have never recognized that the guy giving me my rabies injection was the same man who fried donuts in the market. If I didn’t bring my friend Owen along with me for my root canal, the dentist may have never known the anesthesia wasn’t working. It’s all par for the course I guess, but if you can take the proper precautions, you may save yourself a little less pain, and a few more days, out on the road.

Happy travels.

photo courtesy of Barbara Hicks

Lisa Lubin explains how to enjoy a week of good wine and great conversation in the heart of Spain - for free.

Habla Ingles??

For the duration of the week, they are forbidden to speak Spanish and must converse in and listen to English at all hours of the day…easy for me, not so much for them.

What if I told you that I just had a whole week’s vacation in a four-star villa in a small, beautiful village near Salamanca, Spain and it included three full meals a day with wine and it came with about forty new best friends …all for free? I know what you’re thinking, ‘Yeah, right, Lisa, what’s the catch?’

Well, there was one catch — all I had to do was speak English. And considering it is my native language…it wasn’t all that difficult (OK, maybe it was difficult late at night after sampling a few too many Spanish wines).

Que?

Pueblo Inglés is not exactly a school for English—it’s more like an intense English ‘experience. It’s a unique opportunity for native English speakers to immerse themselves in Spain’s culture and people firsthand in exchange for simply chatting with Spaniards.

And for the Spanish folks, it’s like an intensive week-long English ‘sleep-away camp’ which gives them the opportunity to improve and practice their English-speaking skills the best way—by force of course.

For the duration of the week, they are forbidden to speak Spanish and must converse in and listen to English at all hours of the day…easy for me, not so much for them.

I was trawling the web one day looking for a job or volunteer work in Spain when the website for Pueblo Inglés popped up.

The idea scared and intrigued me at the same time—not only would I be able to travel for one week without spending a dime (that’s 15 cents in Euro), it would enable me to meet and connect with real Spaniards who mostly come from the professional business world—something often hard to do when you are a tourist on a budget (or globetrotting vagabond like me).

I applied on a whim, not knowing if I truly wanted to commit to this week of constant jibber-jabber. I figured they probably wouldn’t accept me on such short notice or I could always say ‘no.’ Exactly one day later I received an email: “Welcome! You’ve been accepted to Pueblo Ingles!”

Oh, and it was starting in two days. Time to high-tail it to Madrid.

Donde?

The morning of the eight-day program we all gathered in a plaza in Madrid and were herded onto a bus. We rode for three hours west of the capital city to a tiny rural town called La Alberca full of winding cobblestone lanes. The countryside was dotted with clusters of trees, all dropping acorns and chestnuts onto the hilly green backdrop.

Our hotel was in a bucolic setting with shady paths and ponds and was more like a group of several chalets. I was joined by about 20 English-speaking volunteers from Canada, the US, England, Australia, and Ireland and 20 Spaniards from all over Spain with ages ranging from early twenties to sixty plus.

English Spoken Here

The program directors, Pablo from Spain and Akemi from California, laid down the law at the get-go: The most important rule of Pueblo Ingles–NO Spanish allowed. They really wanted this to be a true and hardcore immersion experience for the Spaniards—basically forcing them to drink, eat, sleep, and possibly dream in English.

The Agenda

Each morning after pants-splitting buffet breakfast we paired off into ‘couples’ for ‘one to one’ conversations that would last about 50 minutes. After a ten minute break, we would then swap and grab another Spaniard for the next hour and so on.

It was a bit like a speed dating scene—everyone gabbing at once, getting to know each other.Everyone was unique, friendly and fun. Despite my initial fears, we never once ran out of things to talk about.

photo courtesy of Alfredo Avila

Everyday I was paired with different people and we constantly did different activities. It certainly was an odd and funny sight to see all these coupled pairs of people wandering around the grounds, sitting in chairs, and strolling down the street.

If someone didn’t know better, it probably looked like some kind of psychiatric institution or rehab center at which we were all getting over our drug, alcohol, or other addictions. Of course, if they saw our parties every night, they would probably think it wasn’t a very good program.

We would usually have a break sometime in the morning and also other activities like games, conference calls, and presentations—during which lucky Spaniards got to tell us all about their jobs, or Anglos entertained us with some kind of unique skill they have (singing, dancing, and other random embarrassing behavior).

A tasty three-course lunch with plenty of vino (nothing gets conversations going like some cheap wine) was at two o’clock, followed by the very crucial Spanish siesta (nap time) which I really think we should instate here in America.

At five o’clock we continued with more talking, fun group discussions about anything and everything and hilarious skits.

It reminded me of some university days doing role playing and brainstorming to come up with the most entertaining performance. It was fun to just be silly and what I really remember most is laughing almost all the time.

One day we toured the lovely nearby medieval village for a bit of a break. A three-course dinner with more wine, of course, was at nine (a little late for the Anglos and too early for the Spaniards) and then their Inglés would really get tested as many of us hung out at the bar until the wee hours of the morning.

The Spanish really know how to party.

Jesus and David made me laugh my ass off. Vicente made me feel like the queen of the dance floor. Cecilia was a sweetheart who invited me to stay in her home in Madrid after the program.

I can’t say enough about the new friends I made here. Yes, the program was free and that was my initial draw to it, but I realized later that the experience was ‘worth’ so much more.

The Easy Life

The beauty of this program is that your entire schedule is laid out for you. There is really nothing to worry about. I had my own small ‘villa’ that I shared with Potola, a boisterous and hilarious flight attendant from Madrid.

Our ‘casa’ was just steps from the lobby and bar so it was so easy to stumble to bed before sunrise, and get up the next morning (even if it was only a few hours later) and just walk over to my next session of speaking English. There was no commute, no metro, no taxi. You just walked home in two minutes. Life was simple and good.

It was easy for me, but much harder and more tiring for the Spaniards who had to do everything in their second language. Imagine being constantly forced to speak Spanish all day. Your brain would be so tired. And even when they were ‘enjoying the fruits of the vine” (read: drunk) and dancing they were still speaking English.

After a week of fun, we all ‘graduated’ and received our certificates for completing not only a week long English ‘course’ but one of the most fun weeks I’ve had in a long time.

All in all, the 8 days spent at Pueblo Inglés was like an intense microcosm of life—a condensed, easy version and having to say goodbye after our amazing week together was hard for me.

Hopefully the Spaniards improved their English and I know I have made some amazing new friends in Spain that will remain in my heart and hopefully in my life forever.

To find out how you can have a free week in Spain, check out: www.puebloingles.com.