So I realise that I already wrote one post about what I did this past weekend. But I guess my life must be so darn exciting that I still have more to say. It was a big weekend for Washington in general...what with the anti-war march, a national book fair and a green conference among other things. Like I said, I was at a training session that ran from Thursday night until Saturday at noon. At the training I met another girl my age who is part of the Jewish Volunteer Corps here in Washington and she invited me to come along with her to the anti-war rally. So needing to make some new friends, I decided to go along. I also figured there would be some pretty good action at the march. So with my new friend Ilana and 4 of her housemates we headed off to the march. We missed the rally (which had begun at 10:30) so just joined the march at some random point. I have never been surrounded by so many people. It was sooo cool (hands down beat any protest I've ever partaken in in Regina - which, by the way, is one). You may have heard that they estimate ~100,000+ people took part. Yeah, so lots of people and lots of police (even mounted police!!). People were advocating for different issues, not just against the Iraq war. At one point in the route we passed by a group of people who were demonstrating in favour of the war. It was really quite sad to visually see the deep division that exists here regarding the war and realise the complexities of the issue (whether it is the American duty to support the troops no matter what, or whether being against the war means you don't support the troops, etc.). Anyways, it was an experience. An interesting mix of people of all ages. Although predominantly white which is interesting in a city that has a significant black population. Food for thought.
Hmmm, this may be a longish post. On Saturday night my housemates and I went to a party being put on by some of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps people. Cool moment, I ran into my friend Carolina there - the one person I know in Washington. It really is a small world. Anyways, I am totally flabbergasted at the amount of Volunteer Corps there are in the US (I am here as part of the Westmoreland Volunteer Corps which is run by a congregation of the United Church of Christ - they are service organisations). This past Tuesday my housemate Marissa and I went to a potluck for all the volunteer corps in the city. There were volunteers from the Jesuit group, the Franciscan group, the Mennonite group, and some from some smaller groups like our own. Many of these service corps are national which amazes me. I would really like to see something similar develop in Canada (unless there already is and I'm unaware of it). It just seems like a really great opportunity. Back to the potluck, it was really great to get to meet some people your own age who share similar views and values and who are doing the same thing you are.
Ok. Last story. I figure I should talk about work at least a little. I just have one cool story and then I'm finished. Part of my job at Bethesda Cares is to go with the outreach social worker when she does her walks around the neighbourhood to check and see who is on the streets. Either to check up on people she is already familiar with and to also see if there is anyone new. Which I think is really cool because often people need that personal contact before seeking out help (which is true for any of us). Anyways, a new fellow appeared a couple of weeks ago and we'd seen him out a couple of times. Each time the social worker would ask him if he needed any assistance, if he was homeless, etc...and he would always say no. And there's not much you can do at that point. It has to be up to the individual to seek out help. The social worker always introduces herself anyways and lets the person know where we can be found should they decide they would like some help. Anyways, guess who shows up at work today but this man. We didn't even recognise him. He had shaved and had a hair cut and had a shower. It was just a neat moment. I still have no idea what he is up to or where he is staying but it was so nice to see him not sleeping on a park bench. Hopefully he'll be back again.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Community Organising
This past weekend in Baltimore I attended a 3 day training session for work put on by the Industrial Areas Foundation (http://www.industrialareasfoundation.org) which is a broad-based organisation whose primary goal is to build power. Some very interesting and relevant ideas. A lot of time was spent defining, discussing and cleaning up the word power. The argument was made that power is necessary in order to effect change within a community. So, if we want power (and we do) then we must organise people and organise money. What I found most interesting is that the IAF does not organise people around an issue. Instead, they network people within a community who are concerned for the well-being of their community. In other words, organise first, pick issues later. It's all about picking out and developing leaders within a community. The organising process is very much based upon face-to-face meetings with people and developing personal yet public relationships. The IAF argues that people are self-interested (I won't deny it) and therefore people usually do not get involved unless their self-interests are involved (also true I would argue). That is why the IAF is about helping people see that their self-interests are shared by others and that our self-interests, although personal, are often public as well. In sum, it's about connecting concerned citizens together so that they can build power and then make change in their community. Very thought provoking and concrete ideas. I'm obviously still trying to sift through them. The IAF has affiliates across the United States (eg. WIN in Washington, DC, BUILD in Baltimore, and AIM in Montgomery County - that's me!), the UK and Canada (Edmonton!). I actually get to go to my first AIM meeting this Wednesday and I'm looking forward to seeing these ideas in practise. They definitely have longevity in their favour (the IAF was started in Chicago in the 1940s) and they've made some real differences in some communities. Anyways, it was an exciting weekend for me. It helped me see a positive and concrete way to stream my anger about social injustices into action and not merely criticism. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome.
On a similar note, a notice for all you concerned Reginans:
Committee for a Citizen Friendly ReginaDear Citizen of Regina,
Many people in Regina are concerned about the direction in which the current city government is leading us. Even more frustrating is the lack of opportunities for citizens to have a say in many significant issues including:
1. Urban and commercial sprawl;
2. No plan for creating sustainable neighborhoods including social housing, recreation, and libraries;
3. Lack of a long-term plan to deal with racism and its results, such as the disappearance of Aboriginal women;
4. No commitment to publicly financed, publicly controlled, and publicly delivered services.
Some citizens organized a meeting of city residents on May 1, 2005, to see if groups and individuals were interested in trying to revive democracy in city governance. As a result of decisions made at that gathering, a meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 7:00 p.m., Holy Rosary Cathedral Hall, 2104 Garnet Street, to formally create a citizens’ organization to work for a citizens’ voice in city government. This founding meeting will discuss a statement of principles, basic operating procedures, and name, and will begin to discuss the role this new organization can play in the 2006 civic election. Please consider this your invitation to attend and have a voice at this founding meeting. Also enclosed for your further information is the organization’s draft set of principles. We encourage you to share this invitation with other concerned citizens and with any community organizations you belong to.
On a similar note, a notice for all you concerned Reginans:
Committee for a Citizen Friendly ReginaDear Citizen of Regina,
Many people in Regina are concerned about the direction in which the current city government is leading us. Even more frustrating is the lack of opportunities for citizens to have a say in many significant issues including:
1. Urban and commercial sprawl;
2. No plan for creating sustainable neighborhoods including social housing, recreation, and libraries;
3. Lack of a long-term plan to deal with racism and its results, such as the disappearance of Aboriginal women;
4. No commitment to publicly financed, publicly controlled, and publicly delivered services.
Some citizens organized a meeting of city residents on May 1, 2005, to see if groups and individuals were interested in trying to revive democracy in city governance. As a result of decisions made at that gathering, a meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 7:00 p.m., Holy Rosary Cathedral Hall, 2104 Garnet Street, to formally create a citizens’ organization to work for a citizens’ voice in city government. This founding meeting will discuss a statement of principles, basic operating procedures, and name, and will begin to discuss the role this new organization can play in the 2006 civic election. Please consider this your invitation to attend and have a voice at this founding meeting. Also enclosed for your further information is the organization’s draft set of principles. We encourage you to share this invitation with other concerned citizens and with any community organizations you belong to.
Monday, September 19, 2005
First Impressions
September 18, 2005
Another beautiful Sunday afternoon in Washington, DC. Apparently thishas been unseasonably warm weather for September but I'm notcomplaining. I'm enjoying the summer that we didn't really get inSaskatchewan this year or the last. It still hasn't rained since I'vearrived here but fortunately the humidity is tapering off. There werea few days this past week when I don't think I've ever been moregrateful for air conditioning. This prairie girl is definitelymissing the drier Saskatchewan climate. Work continues to go well.Still learning the ropes and carving out my place but my co-workersare great as are the majority of the clients. I'm looking forward tothe coming weekend when I will be attending a retreat/training sessiondesigned to teach clergy and lay people how to be effective inadvocacy. I've been spending time this weekend seeing some of theimportant sights in and around Washington. Like last night, I wentwith two of my housemates to a local pub that had a 10 page beer list,divided by country. Pretty awesome. I did Slovakia and theNetherlands. Can't wait to go back ;) I also went hiking yesterdaywith one of the board members for the Volunteer Corps. A 20 minutedrive takes you to some incredible trails. Reminiscent of theCanadian Shield, the first trail comprised of scrambling over rock andfollowed the Potomac River upstream. The water is pretty low at themoment since it's been so dry but it was beautiful. There wereseveral kayakers playing around in some the bigger waves. Anyways, sofar I'm really enjoying my time here. Washington seems like a reallyfun city. Lots of young people, lots of smart young people. And themajority of people are very comfortable speaking up about theirdislike of the current administration. I've definitely seen a lot ofKerry/Edwards bumper stickers driving around. I hope that you are alldoing well. I look forward to hearing from you and will try my bestto send some personalised emails as well. Also, if anyone is lookingfor a fun trip, I'm more than open to having guests come and visit ;)
September 11, 2005
Well, we finally have internet access at our house!! So I decided it would be a good time for an update. I started work at my agency (Bethesda Cares - an outreach shelter for the homeless in Bethesda, MD) last Tuesday. It's a smaller agency so I've been doing quite a few different things - from admin type stuff to meetings to assisting the full-time social worker and so forth. This week I get to go for a ride along with the local bike police! I will likely be given/create a project for the year which will help give a little more structure to my position. I've been able to ride my bike to work which is great. It's a 20 minute commute and the majority of the trip is on a beautiful bike trail. The weather has also been amazing, although a little too humid for my prairies bones. I am however really looking forward to a shorter, milder winter. My roomates are really great - 4 other girls, recently graduated from uni as well. A lot of fun, I think we'll have a good year together. I've been trying to take in a few of the Washington sites. On Saturday I went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History with two of my roomies. Highlights include Bill Clinton's saxophone, Seinfeld's puffy shirt, Dorothy's red slippers and the Fonz's leather jacket. We also saw Julia Child's kitchen and an informative exhibit on America's First Ladies. Today I took part in an interfaith walk of unity for September 11th. It began at a Jewish synagogue and continued along Massachusetts Ave (also known as Embassy Row). I didn't see the Canadian Embassy but there were a lot. It was really neat seeing all the different flags and beautiful buildings. We also passed by Dick Cheney's house. It still feels strange being surrounded by all of this. Anyways, the march ended at the Ghandi memorial after a brief stop at a mosque. It was a beautiful walk and wonderful to see so many different people of all ages taking part in a demonstration of unity and peace. And a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Well it's hard to believe the weekend's over already. I guess a lot of you (or ya'll - as my roomate from North Carolina would say) are feeling the same way. But I can say that I'm looking forward to going back to work again tomorrow. There's always something new happening and if nothing else, that bike ride is incredible. Take care and hope to hear from ya'll soon.
September 4, 2005
Well I made it safely to Washington, DC on Friday after only a couple of snags. I missed my connecting flight in Toronto and ended up having to sit around the airport for a few extra hours but was otherwise uneventful. Customs was no problem, I have my visa and I'm good to go for the next year. Since arriving it's been busy getting to know the other girls in the house, getting to know the area and getting to know my responsibilities. I start work at Bethesda Cares (and outreach shelter for the homeless) on Tuesday. Today and tomorrow will be spent settling in some more and relaxing (hopefully). The house is really nice (I have my own room) and the girls are even better (one more to arrive tomorrow and then our community will be complete). This will be short, just wanted to let you know that I made it here in one piece. I would love to hear from each and everyone of you. And if you'd like to know more about what I'm actually doing in Washington, drop me a line. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.
Another beautiful Sunday afternoon in Washington, DC. Apparently thishas been unseasonably warm weather for September but I'm notcomplaining. I'm enjoying the summer that we didn't really get inSaskatchewan this year or the last. It still hasn't rained since I'vearrived here but fortunately the humidity is tapering off. There werea few days this past week when I don't think I've ever been moregrateful for air conditioning. This prairie girl is definitelymissing the drier Saskatchewan climate. Work continues to go well.Still learning the ropes and carving out my place but my co-workersare great as are the majority of the clients. I'm looking forward tothe coming weekend when I will be attending a retreat/training sessiondesigned to teach clergy and lay people how to be effective inadvocacy. I've been spending time this weekend seeing some of theimportant sights in and around Washington. Like last night, I wentwith two of my housemates to a local pub that had a 10 page beer list,divided by country. Pretty awesome. I did Slovakia and theNetherlands. Can't wait to go back ;) I also went hiking yesterdaywith one of the board members for the Volunteer Corps. A 20 minutedrive takes you to some incredible trails. Reminiscent of theCanadian Shield, the first trail comprised of scrambling over rock andfollowed the Potomac River upstream. The water is pretty low at themoment since it's been so dry but it was beautiful. There wereseveral kayakers playing around in some the bigger waves. Anyways, sofar I'm really enjoying my time here. Washington seems like a reallyfun city. Lots of young people, lots of smart young people. And themajority of people are very comfortable speaking up about theirdislike of the current administration. I've definitely seen a lot ofKerry/Edwards bumper stickers driving around. I hope that you are alldoing well. I look forward to hearing from you and will try my bestto send some personalised emails as well. Also, if anyone is lookingfor a fun trip, I'm more than open to having guests come and visit ;)
September 11, 2005
Well, we finally have internet access at our house!! So I decided it would be a good time for an update. I started work at my agency (Bethesda Cares - an outreach shelter for the homeless in Bethesda, MD) last Tuesday. It's a smaller agency so I've been doing quite a few different things - from admin type stuff to meetings to assisting the full-time social worker and so forth. This week I get to go for a ride along with the local bike police! I will likely be given/create a project for the year which will help give a little more structure to my position. I've been able to ride my bike to work which is great. It's a 20 minute commute and the majority of the trip is on a beautiful bike trail. The weather has also been amazing, although a little too humid for my prairies bones. I am however really looking forward to a shorter, milder winter. My roomates are really great - 4 other girls, recently graduated from uni as well. A lot of fun, I think we'll have a good year together. I've been trying to take in a few of the Washington sites. On Saturday I went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History with two of my roomies. Highlights include Bill Clinton's saxophone, Seinfeld's puffy shirt, Dorothy's red slippers and the Fonz's leather jacket. We also saw Julia Child's kitchen and an informative exhibit on America's First Ladies. Today I took part in an interfaith walk of unity for September 11th. It began at a Jewish synagogue and continued along Massachusetts Ave (also known as Embassy Row). I didn't see the Canadian Embassy but there were a lot. It was really neat seeing all the different flags and beautiful buildings. We also passed by Dick Cheney's house. It still feels strange being surrounded by all of this. Anyways, the march ended at the Ghandi memorial after a brief stop at a mosque. It was a beautiful walk and wonderful to see so many different people of all ages taking part in a demonstration of unity and peace. And a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Well it's hard to believe the weekend's over already. I guess a lot of you (or ya'll - as my roomate from North Carolina would say) are feeling the same way. But I can say that I'm looking forward to going back to work again tomorrow. There's always something new happening and if nothing else, that bike ride is incredible. Take care and hope to hear from ya'll soon.
September 4, 2005
Well I made it safely to Washington, DC on Friday after only a couple of snags. I missed my connecting flight in Toronto and ended up having to sit around the airport for a few extra hours but was otherwise uneventful. Customs was no problem, I have my visa and I'm good to go for the next year. Since arriving it's been busy getting to know the other girls in the house, getting to know the area and getting to know my responsibilities. I start work at Bethesda Cares (and outreach shelter for the homeless) on Tuesday. Today and tomorrow will be spent settling in some more and relaxing (hopefully). The house is really nice (I have my own room) and the girls are even better (one more to arrive tomorrow and then our community will be complete). This will be short, just wanted to let you know that I made it here in one piece. I would love to hear from each and everyone of you. And if you'd like to know more about what I'm actually doing in Washington, drop me a line. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.
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