Oh, The Things We Can Accomplish Together!

Well, what do you know? Stephanie has taken the time again to help me log into the Soci 273 Blog. I am sure that it comes as know surprise to those of you who know Stephanie that she took the time again to help me log into the blog and this brings me to the point that I would like to make about the course, volunteer opportunities and the people that we come in contact with throughout the course of our lives. It is not possible for us to live our lives without each other. We both need and rely on one another in more ways than we can possibly imagine.

I began my volunteer experience with the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County (FVPCOC or FVPC) during the their Fall 2005 volunteer training. The training period at that time consisted of about 35 hours with a couple of shadowing shifts to complete the training period. At that time, the volunteer opportunities at FVPC were hotline advocates, child care providers, court advocates, community educators, support group facilitators and office assistants. The training took place on evenings and weekends and I think that made it possible for those who worked and those who attended classes during the day to attend trainings. Since the center is located in the college town of Chapel Hill, it is my understanding that it is a bit challenging to attract volunteers who are not students. I was not a student at UNC at the time I began the training. Although University of North Carolina at Chapel students and interns provide invaluable time and service to the agency, it is important for the agency to recruit volunteers who are not students as the agency must remain operational during the times of year when students are on holiday breaks.

The Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County provides "free and confidential services in English and Spanish to adults and children who may be experiencing emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in their personal relationships" (http://fvpcoc.org/whoweare.shtml.
Their mission is to prevent and end domestic violence through direct services and community education. They could not do this work without the help of volunteers and interns like us. The services provided are:

24-Hour Toll Free Hotline
Emotional Support
Crisis counseling (in office and on hotline)
Safety Planning
Emergency Shelter Placement
Support Groups (English and Spanish) with free childcare
911 cell phones and voicemail boxes
Help with Domestic Violence Protective Orders
Civil and criminal court accompaniment and advocacy
Community advocacy and resource referrals

It would not be possible for the agency to provide the free and confidential services that it provides without the help and support of the volunteers that it trains and supports throughout the volunteer experience. Much like Dr. Blau and Rafael do when teaching and supporting students in Soci 273 and Soci 290 courses, FVPC is able to carry out its mission to prevent and end family violence through direct services and community education by recruiting, teaching and training new volunteers each semester.

I began co-facilitating support groups at FVPC in December 2007. I continued to co-facilitate the weekly drop-in support group for my Soci 273 apples service. I began co-facilitating the weekly drop-in group after a number of months completing day time hotline advocate shifts. For me, the work is extremely rewarding and powerful. When I engage with a client at FVPC or when I practice effective listening in general, all that is left in the interaction is our common humanity. Being there, witnessing and being present for someone who has experienced any kind of abuse based on who they are validates them as human beings and provides a safe space for them to share their negative and hurtful experiences. It is meaningful to me to take the steps that I can take to make the world a safer place for women and children. Soci 273 and FVPC create and provide opportunities that make it possible for me to do that.

I work full-time here at UNC and I did not get to spend time at the Humans Rights Center or in the space Dr. Blau and the rest of the class created for the Latino/a children who live at Abbey Court. Although it did not happen this semester, I am so completely inspired by the creation of the space and the work that you all did there that I plan to sort out a way to spend time in Abbey Court on an on-going basis. I will continue to volunteer at FVPC as a support group co-facilitator and perhaps there will be a way to take my love of spending time in that manner to Abbey Court.

Abbey Court Learning Center

During my time in Sociology 273, I have learned a lot about cultural identity and how important it is for immigrants to not completely assimilate into American culture. I feel that it is absolutely tragic for an immigrant to enter the United States and completely forget who they are and where they came from. People should continue to practice their own traditions and adhere to the customs of their own people. While working for the Abbey Court Learning Center, I have learned a lot about the importance of diversity and how important it is for people to continue to observe their cultures. That is why I am so excited for participating in Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a nine day Spanish holiday tradition that celebrates Mary and Joseph’s trek around Bethlehem searching for a place to rest and give birth to Jesus Christ. At Abbey Court, we will be having an end of semester get together to celebrate the completion of the course, and most importantly, to see the kids one last time before the holidays. While tutoring at Abbey Court I have built a connection with the children and have looked forward to seeing them every Thursday when I volunteer. They have taught me a lot about their own cultures. After their math homework is finished, I often ask them to teach me some something about them, most often in the form of a brief Spanish lesson. My goal is to reduce the size of the table that separates our cultures from interacting at a deeper level.

What I take away from my experience in Sociology 273 is that human rights include more than just the right to freedom. It includes the right to a proper education, housing, food, and much more. I have learned that it also includes the right to cherish whatever culture it is that people have grown up in. Humans have no right to force people of other cultures to assimilate into the large society and give up their own traditions. Also, as a result of the increase in telecommunications and the World Wide Web, humans are now able to communicate and interact with a much wider scope of people. Therefore it is very important now, more than ever, to respect other peoples cultures and heritages.

Family Center of Northern Durham

For my service-learning project, I volunteered at the Family Center of Northern Durham, which is a bilingual preschool.  The mission of the organization is to “support families and to foster children’s healthy development and learning by partnering with parents to develop leadership support networks, provide services that respond to the changing needs of families and communities, and facilitate collaboration of and access to community resources.”  In sum, their goal is to “meet the needs of the families in the northern part of Durham County.” The preschool’s enrollees have come mostly from the northern part of Durham County and the southern part of Person County.   Some services offered are Friday play mornings and a wide variety of education and fun activities. The Center also partners with a Durham Literacy Center, which holds English teaching classes.

When I began volunteering at the preschool, it was in a state of decline.  Funds were running out, few children were enrolled, and staff members were not getting paid.  It was clear that they needed to make some changes. During the time I spent at the Center I helped to achieve many things.  I reorganized the library, played with the children, developed marketing tools, rewrote a vague mission statement, brainstormed recruitment ideas to attract a diverse clientele, and further defined job descriptions for the staff members.  Moreover, I was able to help reduce their financial risk by searching for grant opportunities. 

As this course was my first real introduction to human rights, the service-learning project, along with the class project, really helped to inform my understanding of the importance and applicability of the concept.  Like those two gentlemen who came in to speak about their experiences of leaving Mexico and starting a life in America, I had encounters with people who were going through very similar situations.  The language barriers were certainly an issue, signifying the importance of the Durham Literacy Center and the educational classes it offers.  I also had the chance to sit on some of the Board meetings, where new ideas and strategies were discussed.  Behind everything that was said was the underlying thought and concern about how the families would be affected.  A place truly for the families, the Center provides people who otherwise would not be involved in the community an awesome opportunity to participate.   Aside from community involvement, there were other rights that the Center helped to achieve for families, including, but not limited to, the right to respect and protection of family, right to adequate standards of living, and right to social assistance.  While I have been a part of many volunteering projects in the past, I have always focused on productivity and sustainability of an organization and never thought in terms of human rights and how those were or were not being met.  Through my service-learning project, I now have a greater understanding and appreciation for these rights that are often taken for granted.  

NCHICA

As an intern at the North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (NCHICA) in Raleigh, NC, I have had the opportunity to take part in a large initiative to promote the adoption of health information technology. Since NHICA is a non-profit, governmental organization, it advocates for policy and legislation changes to improve the quality and access of healthcare through technology. My work with NCHICA encompassed a variety of tasks; however, my primary goal was to present an efficient strategic planning process that could aid NCHICA in their most recent push to promote health information exchange (HIE) systems. Through extensive market research, I was able to aid in the creation of a final strategic planning proposal that NCHICA will use in the following quarter to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its processes. The market research component of the project included over 50 interviews which were conducted with upper-level personnel in similar non-profit, governmental organization. Although my work was business related, I indirectly supported the desired human right of healthcare in the North Carolina. My work was extremely challenging yet rewarding at the same time, and it was most certainly one of the most invaluable experiences I have had in my college career.

If anybody is interested in being a part of NCHICA, you can visit the website at www.nchica.org. The staff at NCHICA is extremely accommodating and enthusiastic!

Next Semester Work to Ratify CEDAW in Chapel Hill

As the semester closes, I want to make sure that a project we discussed this past semester does not get lost or forgotten. We spoke to Donna Bickford with the Carolina Women's Center about getting Chapel Hill to ratify CEDAW. We discussed making this a second semester project, but I think it's important that we don't loose sight of the significance of the movement.

Progress in the US has been seen within the US Senate when, last July, the Senate took action on the treaty. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted the treaty favorably out of committee with bipartisan support. It will go back to the committee for approval before consideration by the full Senate, where approval will require a two-thirds vote.

Just as a background, there are several examples of how CEDAW has made a really significant and tangible impact on women’s lives in countries where it has been ratified. In Turkey, for example, CEDAW was used to rescind a government policy that forced female students to undergo exams for chastity. In Tanzania, the High Court cited CEDAW in striking down a law that prevented women from inheriting land from their fathers. In Colombia, courts have cited CEDAW in their rulings to provide legal recourse to female victims of domestic violence. The state now ensures protection for all such women. India’s ratification of CEDAW was followed by an increase in girls’ education.

Many of the issues we see in these countries don't seem applicable to the issues in the United States, but the significance of getting CEDAW ratified here in the US is essential to taking a stand against atrocities against women worldwide. A strong U.S. voice and influence are essential to help halt sexual trafficking of women, to bring women into the economic mainstream, and to ensure that all girls and women have access to education and health care. The United States has much to offer as new democracies look for guidance on how to bring women’s rights into the 21st century. The United States can work with other countries through the CEDAW Committee to make women full economic and political contributors.

The Carolina Women's Center is looking into taking this project on next semester, along with the help of several student groups, and if you're interested in joining in the efforts, please contact Dr. Donna Bickford at dbickford@unc.edu.

Madres Para Ninos

Madres Para Ninos
○ Help Mom with sense of isolation because survey showed that parents did not have contact if a emergency occurred. This program will develop a social network for the mothers at Abbey Court.
○ Experience at School: There will be 10 sessions that will help the women understand the development of the child. This will show them how to be create learning experiences for the child through being resourceful and not spending money. For example, create a book form pictures at home. The program will also help them set up procedures and standards at home to reinforce the procedures and standards that are learned in the school. The facilitator will start discussion to help them learn form each other's experiences with their children.
○ This is a test trial so for the first session there will only be mothers with children in pre-school. This will start a month before school starts and 6 weeks after.
○ Ideas we discussed: providing child care (maybe doing it on Sat. or Sun. while children are playing soccer or providing childcare in the rear room in the learning center [potential noise problem])

Another Human Rights Experience

Hey yall!

I wanted to share with yall another blog - http://maristsouthafrica.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

One of my friends (sociology major) went to South Africa this past summer. This is their classes amazing blog. If you get a second check it out because it has some incredible pictures that truly captures what it looks like to provide human rights to those that need it the most!

Update on Pittsboro Habitat Community Organizing

Hey guys...wanted to give an update on the Pittsboro Habitat community organizing project Chelsey and I have been working on. A quick summary -- we are rebuilding the East Cornwallis Neighborhood entranceway sign, which was destroyed during a storm over a year ago. We are also planning a kick-off celebration that will include the mayor, press, and refreshments.

A lot of of the design decisions were given to me and Chelsey. For the main portion of the sign that will say "East Cornwallis Neighborhood" we decided to go with a cedar wood slab. It is pictured below:



The wood is a red cedar, that Herman Hart in Bear Creek cut using a chain saw. He cut the last slab used in the previous sign. The wood is stronger and better quality than what was used in the previous sign. Today we had the slab delivered to Dave Pendergrast at Northwood High School. Him and his class will be carving the letters into the slab and assisting with installation.

We are also working on other aesthetically inviting options for the entranceway. This includes a brick buildup around both pillars and shrubbery around the sign. Our goal is to have flower boxes inside the brick pillars. We are currently working to get plant donations from a number of local nurseries.

Last week we worked with some of the neighborhood children in sanding down the usable parts of the old sign (posts and bottom portion). The kids enjoyed helping out with this and are anxious to help with the painting as well.

We are also working on getting the mayor and press to our kickoff event which will be in December. This will be a community celebration with refreshments. That is it for now, but i will keep you posted as to when the sign is completed and the celebration date.

Rights for the Elderly

My apples project is not on the normal class list, but still very applicable to the topics discussed in class. Many of the people that live in the home where I volunteer are unable to stand up for themselves and rely on the honesty and dependability of the staff to care for them. In fact, several of the residents don't have any family at all and their well being is completely dependent on the quality of care at the facility. I have noticed quite a bit of disrespect on the part of the nurses aids, and it really bothers me. I'm not sure what can be done, as I don't want to rub anyone the wrong way or cause trouble. I am quite sure it is frustrating to work somewhere like that, where you are constantly needed to help someone use the restroom or bathe, but I also feel like everyone deserves respect. Regardless of age or physical/mental ability, nobody should be ignored or disrespected, especially when they are in a vulnerable state.

Human Rights Video

I found this pretty cool documentary on YouTube that helps to define 'Human Rights'. It's pretty surprising how hard it is for people to define this. It also gives the history of human rights and how the idea originated. Here's the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot8YGiRtB7U ...check it out and think about it.

Tuesday Volunteer at AC (Needs Help)

Hey everyone! I am a Tuesday volunteer at Abbey Court. I have never been on any other days to tutor, but for some reason Tuesday's at the center are always packed. Last Tuesday we have over ten kids and only three tutors. If any of you all have some time on Tuesdays please try and stop by the center, because we could definitely use the extra help on Tuesdays.

Also I know last class we discussed grants for Abbey Court. I spoke with Mrs. Nancy on Tuesday and she has some great things to add to our list. A white board (great for doing math problems and being able to see the problems easier), light (lamps) for the back rooms, and dictionaries (they have been checking them out from the local library).

CORRECTION: Seoul Train Documentary

I just found out that the documentary will be showing on Tuesday (11/10) at 7:30 in Manning 209, NOT in Murhphey 116. Sorry about that!

--Liz Vigus

Seoul Train Documentary

Hey guys,
I'm pasting in some info I got in an email about a documentary that will be showing this Tuesday (11/10) at 7:30 in Murphey 116. It looks really interesting, and it involves an underground operation to help oppressed people escape from North Korea. Representatives from an NGO LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) are doing this to raise awareness of the human rights and refugee crisis in North Korea. Read below for more info on the organization and the documentary!

--Liz Vigus

A few students have joined together, with the sponsorship of the campus club Invisible Children, to bring representatives of the NGO called LiNK to campus in order to shed light on the human rights and refugee crisis in Northern Korea. On November 10th at 7:30pm in 116 Murphy we are hosting a short screening of a documentary film called Seoul Train to help educate the UNC student body on the growing crisis in North Korea.

Here are a few details about the organization LiNK (Liberty in North Korea)
and the Documentary: LiNK, or Liberty in North Korea, is a U.S. based
international NGO devoted to the North Korean human rights and refugee
crisis. LiNK protects North Koreans where they can be reached, advocating
for their human rights. In the field, LiNK maintains a network of shelters
to protect refugees who are in hiding in China and Southeast Asia. The
organization operates underground, helping to bring refugees to safe
countries. In the US and South Korea the "Liberty House" program assists
newly resettled refugees. Protection officers and staff spend extensive
time meeting with North Korean refugees to document their stories and share
them with the world. LiNK believes in the influence of the grassroots and
realizes that change may only come about through international attention
and the conscious action of global citizens.  More information about LiNK
can be found here: http://www.linkglobal.org/

Seoul Train: With its riveting footage from the secretive Underground
Railroad of Asia, "Seoul Train" is a gripping documentary that exposes the
life and death of North Koreans as they try to escape their homeland and
China. Created in China and inspired by the 19th Century Underground
Railroad that saved over 30,000 slaves, up to 300,000 North Korean refugees
today are trying to escape through a similar network of routes in China and
Southeast Asia. Come and discover how you can take part in the today's
modern Underground Railroad and be responsible for rescuing those who have
been oppressed.

For more information about the documentary please see the official website
here: http://www.seoultrain.com/

I was assigned to follow the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) and how it interacts with Carrboro’s other sectors of government and of course the board’s perception, awareness and stance(s) on human rights. The EAB meets every first Thursday of the month in Carrboro’s Town Hall. The fist available meeting I could have attended ended up being cancelled so I spent that time researching the board’s previous activity through Carrboro’s official town website. It seems that in the past the board has been used as a go-to group when the larger umbrella of the Carrboro government wants to make a decision concerning environmental issues. However, according to most recent meeting minutes it seems the group has been more “proactive” in setting their own agenda especially concerning the newly founded Carrboro open space behind the Spotted Dog on Main Street. Another thing that seemed consistent throughout the minutes was the lack of consistent involvement from members. It is not a judgment just an observation--most minutes have most board members listed as absent. It will be interesting to see how this factor affects the overall group and its agenda as the semester proceeds.

The first meeting I got to attend was interesting. There were few attendees however the meeting was very structured and seemed rather formal (e.g., calling to order, adjourning, handouts, etc.). There was an interesting presentation on the Transition Model. This was a new concept for me. What I learned is that there is apparently an entire model built that communities in the UK are implementing to help themselves better adjust to climate change and other issues such as peak oil. As I am writing this now, I realized that the meeting was fairly specific. That is to say, there were some technical terms used such as peak oil and alternative energies that without my prior background knowledge of environmental science and climate change related issues I would not have been able to follow the discussion as clearly.

A topic that came up in the meeting that seems the most human rights oriented was the overall theme and perspective the group took on understanding how they might implement the Transition Model used in the UK in Carrboro. The general take away of the meeting was that the board’s focus was on empowering the community through the realm of adapting alternative energies and education on climate change. The focus of empowerment and less towards educating is what seemed human rights oriented. According to my interpretation of this, in a perfect world, the board would want everyone in the town’s vicinity to be educated on these topics. Realistically though, I wonder how this might happen. It seems as though the more “privileged” people in Carrboro are the ones able to access this education (e.g, people who go to events at the Carrboro Open Space). Lastly, it seems there is a lot of collaboration with the EBA and other environmental activist groups in surrounding towns such as NC Powerdown and BALLE. It will be interesting to observe how the advisory board chooses to interact with these groups around the emerging idea of using the Transition Model in Carrboro. This thursday is the next environmental group meeting that I will be attending.

Leaf light

So we have moved on from creating a database to creating a survey that we will ask the farmers markets in order to sign them up for accepting the food stamp program. This is a complicated and intense endeavor because we must get certain questions answered that the application calls for, the organization has their own questions they want answered and then we have to make sure we follow all research procedures determined by the IRB. It has taken us about 2 weeks to get to this point.

We are starting to discuss what phone calls will be like and doing practice calls with our script in order to secure effective phone calls. The hardest part of this is working with everyone's schedules (within our group) and fitting the interviewees schedules into our calls. There are a lot of "what if's" but the group is eager to being this new phase. It is also nice when we meet each week for lunch and break bread. It's a nice time to debrief on all the individual work we've done that week

What to do with Teacher Workdays

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to speak about the Teacher Workdays that frequently happen in the Chapel Hill CArrboro School system and during our time in volunteering at A.C.
I noticed that when there is a Teacher Workday we close the center, and are not expected to go to the center and tutor because the kids are not expected to show up. I see this as a potential downfall of our efforts to instill self-determination and motivation in reading and writing. I do believe students should enjoy their day off, but from 3-6pm we should still report to the center. We do not have to work on homework and reading as intensely as we would during the regular school day, but maybe doing a Spelling Bee, or Academic Bowl with math games, or Reading Circle, Story Time. Any activities of that sort, we have to make sure taht we are encouraging reading and writing consistently. We should start teaching them now how to use time off from school effectively, so when breaks such as Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer come around they know that this time is not all FREE time, and they should find productive, yet fun activities to do as well.

So, for future reference: I am not sure when the next Teacher Workday will be but when it comes up we should advertise that the center is indeed still open and we will be doing a special activity. Maybe with snack and drinks provided, so more kids will come up.

Also, what do you all think about going in on Friday afternoons to do some "special activities" (spelling bees, academic bowls, reading circles) for prizes?

Maybe we can do it like the last two weeks of the semester.

Let me know what you think about this so we can start planning.

Danielle Staggers

Re: Mentoring

I completely agree with you about our jobs as supportive mentors. Every time I work with a new student on their homework I have to stop them from insulting their own intelligence, "I can't do this, I'm stupid." Or they don't want to read in front of me because they know they have an accent. I don't know who lets them get away with this kind of talk or how much they actually believe it, but I always address it because I want them all to be confident students.

"Mentoring" at A.C. (not just tutoring)

Last week at AC, after completing all their school work I took my students (Emily and Kelly) out to enjoy some fresh air. There were a few boys playing soccer so I got Emily and Kelly to join in the fun-although they didn't know a lot about the sport they had a great time playing.Half way through Emily got discouraged about her playing abilities but I kept encouraging her to play and would pass her the ball every time so that she didn't feel left out. Although this situation was minor it reminded me how important it is for us to act as mentors and as tutors for these kids...giving them the resources and support they need to believe in themselves and enjoy life will make them do better in school, sports, etc. I'm sure many of us had mentors or people who encouraged us along the way so it is important for us to do the same.

Wireless Internet in Abbey Court Project Update

Technology without Borders (which started an adult computer literacy program for University employees. It matches student volunteers with employees who want to improve their computer skills) is working toward getting wireless internet service in Abbey Court. They finished their first grant for funding (Sea Graves Grant Application). They were very hands on with their committee members, inviting all of their members to take part in creating the best grant possible to ensure that they received the funds. They are now waiting to hear back as far as I know (from the Community Grants Committee). Tech without Borders is also working with Digital Literacy Committee and Project Homeless Connect. They have been invited by SITCH (formerly HOPE through the Campus Y) to join forces.

Tech without Borders Justification:
“Despite the relative affluence of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC area, many of our neighbors remain stuck on the disconnected side of the digital divide, without regular access to a computer in their home, no options for affordable internet service, and a lack of training on how computers can have meaningful use for their individual circumstances. While non-profit and municipal organizations have worked to address different facets of this problem, their efforts have often fallen short of their objectives. The fundamental reason for this is the chicken-and-egg problem of computers, internet access, and digital literacy training: having access to any one or two of these is largely useless without the third. Our project attacks this problem all three fronts, with computer donations to families in need, digital literacy training for those families, and the development of a community wireless network to provide low-cost internet access comprising a holistic, community-based approach of closing the digital divide among low- and no-income groups. We have identified in our area a community that faces these issues acutely, Abbey Court. This apartment complex is home to some of the poorest residents of Carrboro, largely Latino immigrants or Burmese refugees. Unemployment is rife, and all too often the residents face racial discrimination without any real means of recourse. We hope that our project will not only prove instructive to the Internet community’s efforts to close the digital divide, but also serve to ameliorate some of the suffering faced by this community by connecting them—both literally and figuratively—to the opportunities the Internet can provide.”

Objective:
The primary objective of this project is to serve as a pilot project for equipping low-income communities in our area and across the U.S. with internet connectivity, computers, and the necessary training to utilize digital technology. We will be using the ISOC grant to provide free or low-cost internet connectivity for the community of Abbey Court (Carrboro, NC) and build the organizational framework and expertise needed to replicate the project throughout Orange County. The combination of internet connectivity, donated computers, and training preformed by volunteers will allow our clients to more effectively communicate with friends and family, work on homework, and search for jobs, in addition to more easing engagement with local government and access local health services. We also seek to develop a better understanding of usage patterns, attitudes to technology and technology service projects, and best practices for ICT-related projects in low-income communities.

Method:

TWB will solicit donations of used computers from area businesses and individuals. TWB volunteers, many of whom are experienced with refurbishing computers for donation, will ensure the machines work properly, load the appropriate software onto the machine (currently planning to use Ubuntu), and prepare the machines to be used in a client’s living room. Our digital literacy workshop subcommittee will coordinate an application process for distributing these machines, as well as training sessions based on our organization’s standard curriculum for digital literacy workshops.We plan to build a mesh network that uses a three-tiered design that has been utilized in other successful large-scale Open-Mesh deployments.
Connected to our two internet uplinks will be a “backhaul” network consisting of high-power point to point links provided by the EnGenius routers. Connected to the backhaul network will be “supernodes” located in within line of sight of as many other mesh nodes as possible. Finally, mesh nodes in clients’ apartments will connect to these highly-visible “supernodes” and provide service to the clients’ apartment, as well as neighboring apartments. Payment for access will be managed with a RADIUS AAA server, which is supported by the Open-Mesh firmware. We envision payment for access being on a “pay as you can” scale, with community members able to perform volunteer work for the project in lieu of payment; this is described in more detail below. Our network management software will also enable us to track usage statistics on our network, as well as identify and document technical problems.
In conjunction with our community partner, the Human Rights Center, we will distribute a total of four surveys to gauge penetration of and attitudes toward computers and internet in the community; we’ll also use these as a vehicle to improve the quality of service we are able to offer our clients. Finally, towards the end of our project, we will perform a qualitative study of the effects of our project on the residents through interviews with community members. All data acquired in our project will be made public whenever possible to provide lessons for the larger Internet community.





Tech without Borders is encountering the common problem when trying to get cheap wireless internet service in needy neighborhoods: it is regarded as unfair and the competition/other wireless companies do not look favorably upon this, because they see themselves losing business/profits. Many do not agree with supplying communities with affordable (also known as extremely cheap) wireless internet access. In Chicago, some people are using a building near the Sears Tower as a base for the main internet connection and intend on connecting it to nearby disadvantaged communities, in order to supply them with cheap wireless internet service. Although many areas encounter much backlash and opposition in trying to do this, it appears as if in this case in Chicago, the proponents of affordable wireless internet service may win.

Posadas at Abby Court

I think it is important to celebrate Las Posadas at Abby Court because it serves as a new cultural experience for people. The Latino and American community live so close to each other yet sometimes it seems like their so distant. Traditional events such as Posadas allows communities to come together and share in such a fun traditional event. It allows both communities to share their customs and what they mean to them. This is really important because when people learn about other people's culture they may begin to see more clearly and understand people they might not be too familiar with. I think that knowledge opens a lot of doors especially when it comes to learning about other people and their culture because it allows them to view things distinctively and feel comfortable.

The importance of Las Posadas

Why -- in the context of yesterday's discussion of the chapter in Blau and Moncada -- is it important for us to celebrate one day of Las Posadas in Abbey Court?

I agree that our class giving the families a Las Posadas will show them that we value their culture. I have viewed the importance of the children seeing this at Carrboro Elementary School in the dual language program. The dual language teacher had mentioned to me that the Hispanic children will only speak Spanish during the class setting. While having a conversation with a classmate or playing during recess, the children will not use Spanish while at school. She also has said that it is hard for the teachers to get the students to share anything about their culture. I believe this is all due to the children not feeling welcome to share about their culture because they are feeling the pressure from the rest of society to assimilate. The Las Posadas will show the children that their culture is special and the children should continue to value their heritage while in America.

Update: Lutheran Family Services

For the past 3 weeks, a group of us have traveled to Raleigh to volunteer at LFS, an organization that helps refugees not only settle in the USA but also teach them about our culture and find work. We have helped with paperwork, moving furniture into an apartment, and basically just telling our stories about how we ended up there. It has been very rewarding knowing we are helping an organization that literally cannot function without the help of volunteers. We are looking forward to the coming months as we take on more of a leadership role by teaching the refugees about the bus service in Raleigh so they can get to work, the grocery store, and any other place to meet their needs.

The importance of Las Posadas

Like we discussed yesterday it is important to incorporate others native cultural celebrations so that we are not forcing them to adapt to and accept only our culture. It is important to be tolerant of other cultural views and perspectives in the United States considering we are a mesh of people from various backgrounds.

The importance of Las Posadas

Why -- in the context of yesterday's discussion of the chapter in Blau and Moncada -- is it important for us to celebrate one day of Las Posadas in Abbey Court?

It is important for us to celebrate Las Posadas because it shows the immigrant residents of Abbey Court that we are willing to accept their traditions, too. Members of minority groups should not feel like they are unable to carry out elements of their culture simply because they are not in the majority. I hope that our celebration will show these residents that they are accepted and help them feel more comfortable and at home here in North Carolina.

Playing Soccer at Abbey Court

I went to Abbey Court on Sunday afternoon to play soccer. The kid that I tutor has told me a few times that he had a lot of interest in soccer, and I really wanted to take him to play a game with the kids at Abbey Court. Professor Blau was even nice enough to stop by with snacks and water for everyone.

It was a good experience for my kid to be out there with kids that are his age. He tends to shy away from groups, mainly because he is discouraged to talk due to his lack of English. But the pretty stoic child, showed smiles and enthusiasm to do his part of the game. I was really proud to see him be part of his team, and I hope that his interest in soccer will motivate him to continue to get to know his peers.

I really also appreciate the students from our class that go to play soccer with these kids every weekend. Their enthusiasm for the game keeps the kids excited and happy to continue the game. I think its a very positive activity for the kids to engage in, and more than the competitive desire to win, everyone seems to be out there trying to just have a good time.

Controversial Costume

I just found this article on cnn.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/17/illegal.immigrant.costume/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

It seems pretty relevant since we are interacting with so many Hispanic members of the community who often feel rejected or vilified. Any (civil) comments?

Human Rights Internships

I just came across this on the UCS job search engine. You can look at the UCS posting if you have an account with them.

http://www.hrc.org/about_us/internships.asp

Las Posadas at Abbey Court

I went to the Abbey Court Center on Saturday to talk to Dr. Blau, and she and Alfonso had a great idea. There is a Spanish celebration called "Las Posadas" from December 16 to December 24, and we are going to try to facilitate a Las Posadas celebration for the people at Abbey Court. Hopefully this will bring them out together and give them a greater sense of community. I will briefly introduce this idea to the class tomorrow, but I don't know too much about Las Posadas. If there are any Hispanic students that can share knowledge or ideas about how to better facilitate this at Abbey Court, please share tomorrow and in the coming weeks.

My First Day at Abbey Court

On Thursday I went to the Learning Center in Abbey Court. When we arrived at the center there was only three students on the computers, but by the end we had children learning everywhere!
While I was there I got the opportunity to help Kaitlin on her math homework. She was having trouble with rounding to the tens place. The teacher had developed a creative approach to teach the class how to round. Kaitlin showed me how she was supposed to draw a hill with a car on the top. If the number in the ones column was less than 5, the car fell to 0. If the number in the ones column was above 5, then the car fell to the 10. From this point, I showed how the diagram was suppose to help her determine if the tens column number stayed the same or was suppose to go up a number. It was so fulfilling to see the “light bulb” go off and Kaitlin be able to complete the rest of her homework flawlessly. Once Kaitlin finished her math homework, we read 15 pages in a Magician book. During this time she explained to me that a child in her classroom knows how to do magic tricks and she really wanted to learn how to do magic tricks! Once she was done, Kaitlin excitedly logged onto the computer and got to do fun math activities online.
I also got the opportunity to help two other children on their science homework. The children were supposed to read a chapter and fill in blanks on a worksheet. They were having trouble with the concept of kinetic and potential energy, so I demonstrated what the terms meant using a water bottle and a magic marker.

A Afternoon at A.C.

This Wednesday I got the opportunity to help Shannon with her math homework. She was working on multiplying by zero and one. I did not intervene much with her homework because the homework assignment was a review from the previous year and she flew through the work.

After Shannon finished her math homework, I listened to her read a Christmas story. The book was about a mouse and his experience during Christmas. In order to test her reading comprehension skills, I would stop and have her point out the different characters, the setting, and ask her questions that lead to her summarizing the mouse's experience. I also had her put herself in the mouse's shoes and think about how lonely it would be to have Christmas by herself. The book provided a educational game on the back. While we were playing, this helped Shannon see a timeline of the story plot.

I also got the opportunity to help Emely. She is a kindergartner in Scroggs. I am in a kindergarten class for my education class, so I have an idea on what they are doing in school. I know how important it is developmentally for a child to use their creativity and picture walk through the book. I had Emely try to create a story from the pictures that were in the book. She seemed to really enjoy this because we kept going back for more books!

Surprisingly, we did not have as many children this time and they all left by 5:30. So, we left early as well.

Apples - Chatham Habitat for Humanity Community Organizing

Hey guys...wanted to give my weekly update on the community organizing project that me and Chelsey Watson are participating in.

We are working with Anna Schmalz of Chatham's Habitat for Humanity in the East Cornwallis Neighborhood of Pittsboro, NC; which consists of mostly habitat homes. They had an entrance-way sign built a little over a year ago to create unity and a sense of community, but unfortunately the sign was broken when a tree fell on top of it during a bad storm.





This sign means a lot to the community, and me and Chelsey want to help get it rebuilt, and plan a neighborhood celebration. Above is a sketch of what the old sign looked like:

This was the original drawing of the sign. The final product was actually made in two pieces with the top piece containing the word East and the bottom half containing the words Cornwallis Subdivision. The bottom piece is still pretty much intact and can simply be reattached to the posts which aren't damaged.

We are currently working on design possibilities for the top portion and plan to come up with additional ideas for add-ons and ways to make it more aesthetically pleasing. We then are going to organize a neighborhood meeting at the "habitat community house" to collaborate with people living in the area and see which design they like the best, as well as if they have additional ideas, and then implement their ideas.

Chelsey and I will be sanding down and staining the salvageable parts of the sign on Tuesday. The rest of the sign will be done by Mr. Pendergrast (who is a shop teacher at Northwood High School in Pittsboro) and his students. We also want to add some sort of flower bed to each post to make it look even better and will be calling florists for possible donations. If anyone works at a plant nursery or has a local garden center connection and could find us some plants that would be a huge help.

On Thursday November 5th is when we plan on having the community meeting regarding picking the sign design they like the best. Before then we plan on handing out fliers in the area to get as many people to come out as possible. This is the flier that me and Chelsey have made for this event:






During our meetings in Pittsboro with Anna, we usually have the community school children follow us around and we sometimes play with them. When talking about plans for the sign one of the kids asked us if we could rename the sign "The Projects" instead of East Cornwallis, which i found interesting. I wouldn't consider the area a bad neighborhood or a place that would constitute such a label. I think this is another reason this sign is so important to the community, so that this image of "The Projects" can hopefully be eliminated, and people, especially the children can identify with their community in a positive light.

I'll keep the class posted on our progress, and how next week goes.

computer labs at the Carolina Apartments

For about almost a year I have been working closely with a little refugee boy from Carolina Apartments. He fled Burma in an attempt to escape the mass genocide enacted by the Burmese government. As I try to help him adapt to the United States and his elementary school, I realize there are so much challenges up ahead of him. He is a very introverted little boy, and I had a hard time getting him to open up to me. I realized that this boy has very little trust for new people, and I don't blame him after the things that he has been through.

An example of this is when I had once taken him and his little brother to the IMAX theatre in downtown Raleigh for as a special treat and reward on completion of his homework assignments I have been giving him. At the time the boy was 8 years old, and his brother 3. The doorman at the theatre reached out to pet the 3 year old little brother out of adoration, however my boy had instinctively given him an untrusting look and pulled his little brother towards him. This was not only a sign that he was a precocious little individual, but that the harsh conditions in Burma and the refugee camps has caused him to be a bit too cynical for his age.

I noticed that my boy was really excited to start his tutoring sessions in the computer labs. When I went to pick him up the first day, he had his hair gelled back (which is something he seems to rarely do, perhaps an indication that he feels like this is a special day). Everytime I come to tutor him, I always see him peering out the window with his little brother, waiting for my arrival. On this day, he was standing around outside his door, with all his materials in his hand.

I noticed that the use of the computer immediately captivated his attention. He usually does not enjoy working on English and grammar, but on this particular day, he had so much fun using the mouse clicker to choose the correct answer when we played multiple choice games on the computer. He is just like any other kid, in which he finds so much interest in things that are new.

I recently set up an email account for him, so that he could stay in touch with me throughout the week. I told him that I would be emailing him everyday with a short list of questions about his day, that I would like him to answer. I am hoping that this will teach him how to use his Karen-English dictionary as reference whenever he has to write to me, which will ultimately help him build up his ability to structure complete sentences. I am having a hard time however in getting him motivated to go through the trouble of doing this.

I have put him on a reward system, in which whenever he earns 100 stickers, I will take him to the movies. Obviously, I sort of inflated the use of stickers, rewarding him too many stickers as once because I really want to take him to these movies very badly! However, I think I need to regress on doing this, because sometimes he does not always complete his promised work. I hope to see him continually improve, but it can be disappointing when his ambition is lacking in comparison to mine. I am trying to learn the struggles and discouragements that my boy goes through on a daily basis, and I realize that human rights means more than just public education provided for everyone. People like the little boy that I teach does not have enough educational background to get him jumpstarted, and therefore I think thats why he finds a lot of apathy within the public realm.

Leaflight Group

Hello!
I thought I would share with the class what our Leaflight Apples project group is doing. We are in the progress of working with the USDA and 21st Century Farmers Markets to compile a database that includes all of the active farmers markets in North Carolina. From this information, we hope to contact as many markets as possible in order to help them become aware of the option of accepting food stamps as a method of payment at farmers markets across the state. So far, there are very few markets that have taken advantage of this opportunity. It is a significant endeavor due to the high number of NC families that do not have proper food access. With the farmers markets' assistance, not only would food be more available to low income families, but it would also be a healthy food option.
If any of you have any questions, or want further information on what our group is doing, feel free to email me! isabelle418@gmail.com. Or check out the Leaflight website: http://www.leaflight.org/

Thanks! Isabelle Fagan

A Afternoon at A.C.

This Wednesday I was so excited because I got to see Kimberly. We worked on her math homework again. She was learning about number families and subtraction. I am always so shocked by Kimberly's number sense. She flew through doing number families. In order to check and see that Kimberly was grasping the concept of the number families and not just following a pattern, I asked Kimberly to explain to me what she was doing with the numbers. She summarized that if she was given any addition problem, then she could make a number tree. Kimberly understood the commutative property of addition- if you switch the numbers in a addition problem, then they will still get you the same answer. She also understood subtraction- if two numbers add up to be one number (4+3=7), then you know when you subtract one of the numbers that you had added with, the difference will be the other number that you had added with (7-3=4). Kimberly was a little intimidated by the double and triple digit numbers that she had to subtract. We used the number line that Ms. Nancy had suggested, and this really helped her to not miss a number during the subtraction process. Kimberly and I then read a story about a magician.

Through helping Kimberly, I have seen the importance of getting appropriate grade level books. Although the center is blessed with a bookshelf full of books, they are primarily for emergent literary readers and chapter books. The only in between books that I have found are a book on a magician and a book on blood platelets. Believe me, Kimberly was not a fan of reading about the blood platelets, so we were forced to read the same book that she had read to me before. Although rereading stories is a great practice, one of the most important concepts to instill in a child is a desire to read. The children will not be able to experience the excitement of finding out what is on the next page if we are reading about blood platelets! (To be honest, I didn't even want to find out about what was on the next page and I love to read!) The children probably do not have access to many books in their homes and their families may not utilize the library. I think this puts even more of an importance on the center getting books that the children will enjoy!

I realize that the request for a full library of books is a very expensive task so maybe as students we could take a little time and initiative to visit the SILS Library in Manning Hall. While at the center, we could ask the children about their hobbies and interest and search together for books at the SILS Library that they would like to read. During the week, we could run by Manning to pick up the book and bring the book with us the next time we are going to be at the center. I think this would also get the children excited about doing their assigned reading because they would have to wait for the book all week!

If we are interested in doing this, we could get a lesson from the librarian at the SILS library so we could know how to use the site effectively.

Tuesday Volunteer at Abbey Court

I am a Tuesday volunteer at Abbey Court. I did not know what to expect once I finally found the center (as I was lost for a few minutes :0) I did not know any of the kids when I got there but they were so excited to see me. Two of the little girls came up to me and wanted to know my name and how to write. I loved it! When then proceeded to write together and learn various words.

I then helped my Kimberly write a letter to a friend and look up some information about 'Day of the Day.' The kids gets attached very quickly and expect to see you everyday. I really wish I could visit the center more than just one day out of the week, so I could really help the kids and watch them grow. Tuesday when I went to the center there were not a lot of kids there and a lot of them said they either didn't have any homework or had already completed it. Mrs. Nancy from Scrogg's Elementary was also at the center on Tuesday and she had a great suggestion of what to do when the kids finished or didn't have any homework. We made the kids read at least two books to us, so that way we were still doing something constructive.

I am looking forward to going to the center this week! I hope more kids come and that were are able to help them out to the best of our ability.

Learning about gardening at the Board of Aldermen meeting

Last Tuesday, I attended a Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen meeting at the Town Hall. Although there was a lot of conversation around town logistics and plans that I did not have big opinions about, I was struck by one presentation in particular. Two people from the Carrboro Growing Healthy Kids Project explained a new program that has been created to teach children how to garden, and to show them how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle, including our diet. The presenters made this program sound like lots of fun, but what struck me the most was the demographics of it: 70% of the children and families that are involved with this are Latino. In fact, there was a participant of the program that came and spoke about her experience with the gardening program. She was around 9 years old, and her name was Denise. She said that was she enjoys the most is getting dirty working in the garden.
I thought it was interesting that the Latino immigrant community is very involved in this garden. The presenters also mentioned that there is an increasing number of Burmese immigrants getting involved as well. I think this illustrates that the way we often think about immigrants is quite narrow. Immigrant families who live in our city are eager to learn and to get involved in community events, and they are very willing to participate in the programs that our town has to offer. And they are not the only ones to benefit from these types of projects! Through this innovative gardening program, ALL Chapel Hill/Carrboro residents have the opportunity to form crosscultural relationships, build a stronger community, and take part in a healthier lifestyle.

-Cristina Chenlo; Project D

Day Laborers, Abbey Court and UNC

I thought I would share a recent Daily Tar Heel Article regarding the Latino community in Carrboro and the Human Rights Center.

http://www.dailytarheel.com/content/carrboro-police-seek-out-adequate-site-laborers

Excerpts:

"UNC sociology professor Judith Blau founded a human rights center to provide resources to Abbey Court families. She is leading conversations to find a safer location for workers.

With the support of Elsa Ally Dena, new property manager, Abbey Court has hosted two community meetings where locals have worked to solve issues facing residents and neighbors, including the day laborer site.

“In the best of possible worlds, there would be a day laborers’ center for employers to come and register, because there’s a lot of exploitation and wage theft,” Blau said.

Last week, Blau met with Carrboro’s Community and Economic Development Director James Harris and officials at the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity to combine resources toward finding a solution."

APPLES -- first day!

Tuesday was my first day as a School Reading Partner at Scroggs Elementary for APPLES. I expected to go to Scroggs and read and discuss books with one or two students. After reading the books to them, I planned on going over main ideas, letters, and punctuation with the students. Basically, I figured I would be doing most of the talking. Instead, I found out that I would be listening to four children read—two first grade students, Ben and Price, and two second grade ESL students, Mae Ria and Isamar. I feel like the experience will be so much more interesting for me to be the one listening, rather than the one reading. Ultimately, I will be able to see first-hand what they are having trouble with and where they need to improve. All in all, my first day went extremely well. All of the children were so adorable and their faces lit up with excitement when they found out they would be reading with me! I am so excited to see how they progress over the course of the semester.

Re Parents

I have also noticed that the parents enjoy watching us helping their children. Although, I get the sense that they would like to know more of what is being said or what is going on. Even if you cannot speak Spanish directly to them, I think it would be nice if you sent the kids home with something like "make sure you tell your parents how well you did on your....(reading, math hw, etc...)" Kids love bragging like this anyways haha and I think these parents will appreciate any feedback on their children's work from us. I think this will also raise the children's confidence because it takes a "good job" comment made during a tutoring session and lets them know how much we meant it.

I was speaking with a little girl last week and I noticed a woman watching us, and the little girl told me it was her mother and she didn't understand English. So I said hello, and the woman's face LIT UP. I continued to make some small talk with the woman. She did not say much, but she was very receptive to my broken Spanish and I could tell she enjoyed hearing what I had to say.

I'm not suggesting you conference with the parents at the end of everyday, but maybe if you notice a parent lingering you can acknowledge them with a few words.

A day at the Center

I thought I would share a few pictures I was able to take this week at the center - what you see downtime after most the of the kids had already come and gone. Before this, the place was packed with about 7 UNC students, about 10 kids and other teachers. Some chose to play football outside which
then carried into the hallway outside and then into the Center itself!

Something that stuck out to me was the ease that many of the parents had with allowing their children to be there. Some parents actually sat and watched, with Alfonso speaking to them in Spanish. A new addition is the massive library in next to the kitchen table, lots of books for all ages. Also a great surprise was the math games and tools we found, we have yet to really utilize them though as we (that is, the kids and us students) mostly stick to pencil and paper and computer games for now.

All in all, its been a really beautiful experience spending time with the kids and getting to know them and what they are interested in. I am interested in looking more closely at the impact that we are having on them and on the community and what other kinds of things they and their families could use assistance with. As Prof. Blau has mentioned, this is just the beginning!

Abbey Court Project

Last week at Abbey Court, my student Kelly and I worked on her multiplication HW. She was really good at the problems, however she was getting stuck on problems that were multiplied by 9. I taught her the 9 Rule which my 3rd grade teacher had taught me and by the end of our two hours together on Thursday she had completed all her HW and hardly made any mistakes! I think Abbey Court is a great opportunity for students to work on their communication skills because it is a difficult task to be able to digress back in mathematical skills and thought and be able to explain these concepts in the simpliest way possible. In addition, if you are like me and have never had the opportunity to take spanish, the young kids at Abbey Court are more than willing to teach you a few Spanish words! They love the idea that they can teach you something in addition to you teaching them.

We are on our way!!

Greetings all --

This is going to be a wonderful semester. You are going to change a little corner of the world, and there is nothing more rewarding than that.

As you know, I stress egalitarian classes. For one reason, you know things that I do not know such as playing the violin ( as we learned today in class) or playing lacrosse. Another reason is that I learn from our discussions such as the one today on cultural diversity. Today we discovered that diversity can be really "large" or it can be "small" when, for example, someone comes from the US South and another from the US Northeast. Hannah Arendt would have liked both sizes.

Judith