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BY CAROLINE LINDEN

“You’ve got to get there and teach them to read and write and think…and that I think is the biggest job for our society […] and if we keep at it relentlessly, 30, 40, 50 years from now you will have a good part of the work” –Ateed Riaz (The Citizens Foundation)

This quotation from Ateed Riaz of the Citizens Foundation seems, for me, to resonate with the broad ideals of those involved in GES. The Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization which works to bring educational opportunities to children in the slums of Pakistan which they may not have received otherwise. This organization really is a success story: they run 600 programs throughout the country and enroll 80,000 students for a price which equates to 13¢(US)/month/child. In comparison, state-run schools, they argue, are largely a failure and often have empty classrooms with low budgets and frustrated teachers. The Citizens Foundation has worked to complete Pakistan’s school system, closing the gap between these children from the slums and other educated children around the world.  Their website highlights the story of Saqib Shaukat, their first student to be accepted to one of Pakistan’s leading educational institutions on a scholarship. This shows huge strides for an organization which often does not begin educating until the children reach age 10.

Ignoring the great success of the organization, I find it more inspiring to look at the children themselves. These children often work long hours outside of their classes, and many, according to the article accompanying the video, do not even know their true age. Yet, despite their past, they still have great hope for their future. One girl expresses the dream of becoming a doctor, not because of the wage she would earn, but because she would be able to help people feel better.  Going back to Ateed Riaz’s explanation, the most important thing is to teach our future generation the importance of gaining knowledge and using it, as these children want to, in a way that will help others reach the same enlightenment. As a young boy who attends the school says: “I started [school] late because I was working, but [my brothers and sisters] don’t have to.”

For members of the GES community it is reassuring to see such a success story. As Riaz says, if we keep working relentlessly we can make great strides in bettering this world, and motivate others to do so as well, and that’s all any of us ask for.

At GES, we tend to focus on ideas. Big ideas. After all, why not? Big ideas change the world. We tend to focus less on hard numbers, data, and statistics, and more on individual stories and communities. While an understanding on the individual level is key, numbers can also help tell our stories.  But as much as some of us might hate to admit it, data and statistics lie behind these changes.

Hans Rosling presents an engaging way to look at data and statistics about global development. It’s a big idea- with some hard numbers behind it. (Of course, his humor doesn’t hurt the video’s appeal, but think about how much he is telling us- both about numbers and about global development.)

At the heart of Rosling’s work is an idea that we struggle with at GES and in the social sector at large: How do you measure, assess, and present your impact in a way that is tangible?  As GES continues to grow, we endeavor to make statistics and data a tool we can use to our advantage.

At our day and age, Taiwan and China are enjoying the warmest relations in years. It was not always like this. Since the days of the end of the Chinese civil war, China viewed Taiwan as a renegade province. For example, in mid-1990s, Beijing fired missiles towards the island during Taiwan’s election campaign. As a response, the people of Taiwan elected the pro-independence candidate a clear majority.

However, after years of resistance, the Taiwanese government has decided to increase economic ties with China. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou says he had no choice.  “As mainland China is rapidly becoming the second largest economy in the world, obviously, we cannot avoid doing business with the mainland,” Ma said in an interview with American journalists.

The businessmen of the island applaud the shift. For the first time, people can take direct flights from Taiwan to China, instead of transferring in Hong Kong. Furthermore, warmer economic relations also create new business opportunities. Some young people support the new policies because they see their future in China – not Taiwan.

Although support support the new policies, others are concerned about China’s influence. Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the U.S. in 2007, opposes the new policies. “If Taiwan cannot separate itself from the Chinese economy, talking about political separation is going to be hard,” he says. “We hold the same value of freedom and human rights and democracy with the Americans.”  He argues that damage to Taiwan’s democracy as it engages with an authoritarian country should be a concern for the US. Furthermore, some worry that the opening of barriers will cause a flood of mainlanders to compete for the best jobs.

An example of China’s influence: “The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, came to Taiwan earlier this fall to pray for victims of a typhoon. China — which calls the Dalai Lama a separatist — criticized Taiwan for giving him a visa. The Dalai Lama’s visit played out in other, revealing ways as well. When he visited the southern port city of Kaohsiung to comfort typhoon victims, the Chinese government took revenge on local businesses. Beijing prohibited government tour groups from spending the night in the city. “

Although Ma claims that the economic agreements with China won’t affect Taiwan’s autonomy, the Dalai Lama’s visit shows that separating economics and politics is difficult.

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Hakim Belabbes, a Moroccan filmmaker who currently divides his time between Chicago and Morocco.  As I watched his documentaries, it became immediately apparent that his primary interest in filmmaking was showcasing the people whom he filmed.  By virtue of their humanity and their hopes and fears, they were natural stars for Belabbes.  More than once he emphasized his belief that what many perceive as ordinary is actually extraordinary. Through his films he is helping to broaden and liberalize the content of films that can be produced in Morocco. Yet he manages to epitomize the goal of socially conscious media by capturing private moments that evoke common feelings of both love and loss. I was moved to tears at a scene in which he visits his mother.  The bond between mother and child, so universal and profound, was captured in a direct, yet understated way.  Her desires for him to be happy, her concern for his welfare, her jokes and her evident pride surely echoes the sentiments of mothers around the world. Through his direct and real style of film, Belabbes is seeking to bridge the cultural gaps that exist in the world by capturing the inherent similarities of individuals and our common dreams, fears, and frustrations.  One of his most recognized works, “These Hands” tells the story of how one is inextricably bound to one’s work and the result of that labor runs the gamut of the human condition. Nevertheless, it is the inherent and universal human condition that is preserved and witnessed that offers a common point of understanding.

The series profiles “visionaries with an eye on our region’s future,” but also draws connections to the international level. The people profiled run the gamut from a community developer to a cancer researcher to an architect. And, of course, the profiles are done in audio, which is fantastic.

Angela Hurlock, of Claretian Associates, develops affordable green housing in South Chicago.  Hurlock is working to turn things around in one of Chicago’s most neglected areas with an approach to development that emphasizes family. “It’s thinking about what really is affordable for all of our families,” Hurlock says to WBEZ. “It’s not just in the purchase it’s in the upkeep and the usage. And if your utility bill is too high your home is not affordable.”

Rami Nashashibi, who founded the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) “religious beliefs as a springboard for community action.” Nashashibi’s interview covers everything from the Muslim-American community to the connection of hip-hop culture to Islam.

These folks, similar to GES staffers, delegates, facilitators and alumni, are “global visionaries.”

Connected through one continuous song, this video links street performers from around the globe (ranging from South Africa to Venezuela to the United States). The video is a clip from the documentary, “Playing For Change: Peace Through Music,” and offers and excellent example of responsible media. It not only displays the talents and artistry of individuals too-often looked down upon (street musicians), but it also conjures a sense of connectedness and solidarity. Enjoy!

The deadline for submissions for the fall OpenShutter show has passed, and photos have been selected. Guests to the OpenShutter show, which kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, November 13 from 6-8pm, are in for a real treat!  Please join us at Enigma Café!

In the meantime, a fellow GES member brought to our attention a CNN video clip, in which Paula Newton reports on images taken by children at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon as part of Zakira’s ‘Lahza’ participatory photography project. Participatory photography allows people who would otherwise be the subjects of photos to create images that tell their own life stories. Founded by photojournalist Ramzi Haidar, Zakira, or “memory” in Arabic, is “devoted to the promotion of photography in Lebanon as an art form, a means of honest reporting and a professional skill.”

Under the guidance of Haidar, and with the help of just a disposable camera and their creative minds, 500 children were given the opportunity to create something truly unique.