Apropriate Development

Check out this tool from google to look at life expectancy and income distribution throughout the world: http://tools.google.com/gapminder/

Looking over my husband's shoulder as he read through one of his techy magazines, I saw an advertisement for everyclick. At www.everyclick.com, a search engine, you can select a charity to support and every time you do a search and click, you support that charity. They give half of their revenue to charity! Check out this very appropriate form of development at www.everyclick.com and feel good about searching!

I just came across www.thirdgoal.com. The third goal of the Peace Corps is to bring the world back home through sharing your experience so that those back home can gain a better understanding of the rest of the world. www.thirdgoal.com is a web site that were visitors can read PCVs blogs, see photos, and even listen to pod casts. It's a great way for volunteers to achieve the third goal as many returned volunteers don't like or want to make formal presentations to school children or they find others tire of hearing their Peace Corps stories. Well, at www.thirdgoal.com, you can go on and learn about many different countries, what Peace Corps is like, and look at cool pictures. Or if you are a RPCV, you can let out all those stories you have been holding on to! Enjoy!

In today's Providence Journal, I read a story about Photographic Memory. Much like Kids with Cameras, this class gets kids that might be "having a tough time" and gives them an opportunity to develop a skill and use photography as an outlet. The founder, Scott Lapham, started this program after teaching a few classes at the Training School - which is a juvenile prison in Rhode Island - and seeing the effects that photography can have on people. The program gives kids the cameras as well as lessons in how to create, change, and shape images as well as how to develop the professional skill of photography. It's helped at least one student get into the Rhode Island School of Design by helping her develop a strong portfolio. I am glad to see this going on here in Rhode Island and in a city struggling to engage it's low-income students. Another good, and local, program helping to make each life filled with a few more smiles.

Although not quite a development topic, the readjustment to returning home is always quite a struggle for anyone that has spent a period away from their "home." When you return "home" you don't always feel like you fit in again, and you aren't always prepared for that in the way that you are when you go abroad. Who knew that you would have to relearn a culture that you grew up in? But many things can change in the time you are away - especially you! I imagine many of our troops serving in Iraq are going through this as well. Networks are a good way to get through difficult time - you can share your stories with others who feel the same way you might. The Peace Corps has done a good job of this with the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer network. Anyone have any interesting readjustment stories? Can't remember the word for something in English? Feel like hiding in Target or CVS because you can't figure out the soaps anymore? Say the wrong thing at work?