Apropriate Development

I am not only a fan of Deidre, but also a strong champion for this cause as it has affected my family. Help them out today!

Support Deirdre Magnan in the 2007 Walk to Cure Diabetes

Greetings!

I'm writing to you to ask for your support in a very special cause.
This year, I'll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our goal: To raise $90 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people--a large and growing percentage of them children.

Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease.

I recently volunteered with an organization by interviewing two students that want to do a study abroad program. As I was reading through the material on how to make my assessment as to whether or not they were worthy candidates for the program, I saw a mention of Peace Corps. The organization said that there are ten factors for successful intercultural adjustment, and I was to keep these in mind when interviewing. It also said that the Peace Corps used these or nearly identical characteristics. They are open-mindedness, sense of humor, ability to cope with failure, communicativeness, fexibility and adaptability, curiosity, positive and realistic expectations, tolerance for difference, positive regard for others, and a sense of self. At first I was puzzled by the sense of humor one, but then it became my favorite characteristic.

I didn't know my husband went to see Ethan Zuckerman speak recently. I have checked out his blogs occasionally on international development, but didn't know he was speaking at Brown. I thought Mark, the Conscious Geek, (www.consciousgeek.com) was going to another techy kind of thing! But this time, it would have been right up my alley! Mark explains it best, so check out www.consciousgeek.com about Global Voices and the void it fills by providing news content about countries that we tend to forget about here at home.

With everything that's been going on lately, both in the world and locally, I sometimes feel like idealism is impossible. But today, I decided that I will do three good things for other people each day. It's harder than I thought. I was scrambling to do the third this evening, but I think I have it accomplished. They aren't going to be huge things, just recognizing someone's achievements or complimenting someone. You know, the type of thing that gives you a little buzz and makes that person maybe feel better. And then maybe they will go make someone else feel a little better, too. Kind of like Pay it Forward - which has majorly caught on with even some churches and charities starting their own Pay it Forward projects. It's a start anyways and something I can do right here in my little community!

Our condolences go out to Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell's family and friends.