After working for years in youth development internationally (Ethiopia and Kenya), last year I worked with a group of youth in the Rexdale area of Toronto for the first time. As I worked with these youth in this marginalized and impoverished community, I began to ask myself the question, what does “development” mean to youth? Especially youth who are being “developed”.

My job as a Youth Program Manager had me working with youth to understand issues of poverty, racial discrimination, confidence building and mentorship last summer.  The more involved I got with this group of youth, the more resistance I experienced from them, which led me to these questions:

• What does it mean to a young person living in poverty in Canada to be involved in the process of change?
• Do these youth wonder why in a “developed” country they are experiencing “underdevelopment” (poverty)?
• Does this gap between the “rich” and the “poor” make them angry and frustrate them to the point of complete indifference and aloofness?
• Do they feel that since they are a minority locked in the effects of poverty and marginalisation that their efforts would not make meaningful change?

After all, youth in Ethiopia and Kenya live in communities where poverty strikes most and the experience is a communal one – but in Toronto this is clearly not the case. A youth living in Rexdale has to travel 10 minutes before reaching “rich” areas of town. So does this sense of isolation and division have an impact on the average (Rexdale) youth’s motivation for mobilisation? NGOs are raising awareness about the effectiveness of youth activism in underdeveloped countries but what about doing more in the West? Have we decided that we are developed enough? What will it mean for the future of Canada if we have a generation of youth who feel so disillusioned about the underdevelopment they experience that they are not prepared to stand up to oppression?

My somewhat rhetorical questions above have become my daily food for thought.

Ultimately, I believe development is an ongoing process. We are never done. And perhaps by labelling our nation as “developed,” we risk thinking that our job is done, and not mind the “gaps” that live right in our backyards.

February 7-13, 2010.

It’s International Development this week in Canada. Join in Toronto, for lots of Interesting and Challenging discussions, films and of course plenty of benefits for you to go and donate your money to a worthy cause while having a fun time!

FEATURED EVENT:

Join us at CSI for three promising days and listen to world visionaries’ dreams, fears and hopes for the year ahead. TED 2010 features an amazing line up of speakers including Jamie Oliver, Bill Gates, Andrew Bird, David Byrne, Eve Ensler, Ken Robinson and Steward Brand among other.

See the schedule online (all times +3 hours). Wed. Feb. 10, 2 pm to 3:45 pm (Big Screen), and then continuing until Friday Feb. 12, 3:45 pm on the small screen. Free. 4th floor, Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON

Tuesday, February 9

BENEFIT: Eat, Drink & Give (Médecins sans Frontières) An evening of food and wine supports Haiti relief. 6:30 pm. $100, adv $75. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe. eatdrinkandgive.com.

BENEFIT: Humber College International Development Program Haiti benefit (Save the Children Canada) Music by Vicious Guns and Bellevue, raffle, food and more. 7 pm. $10. Swan & Firkin, 2205 Bloor W. 647-993-9025.

BENEFIT: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (Haitian earthquake relief) Music by Northern Primitive, Hue and others plus auctions and a raffle. 9 pm. $5 or pwyc. Supermarket, 268 Augusta. 416-840-0501.

LECTURE: Capital: The Foundations Of Marxist Political Economy Socialist Action group study session on crisis. 7 pm. $4. OISE, 252 Bloor W. 416-535-8779.

LECTURE: Combining Art And Activism Talk by New Orleans-based artist Jackie Sumell. 7:30 pm. $10, stu/srs $7. Prefix, 401 Richmond W. 416-591-0357.

LECTURE: The Global Economy Discussion and post-Keynesian analysis of current events. 7:30 pm. Free. OISE, 252 Bloor W. 416-340-1865.

LECTURE: Live Green Toronto Program Scarborough Garden & Horticultural Soc meeting and talk. 7:30 pm. Free. Scarborough Village Community Centre, 3600 Kingston. gardenonatrio.org.

Wednesday, February 10

LECTURE: Climate Change, Conservation And Distributed Leadership Lecture by energy consultant Peter Love. 4:10 pm. Free. U of T Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks. environment.utoronto.ca.

LECTURE: Transport And Energy Turmoil Seminar. 4:10 pm. Free. U of T Faculty Club Seminar Rm, 41 Willcocks. environment.utoronto.ca.

FILM SCREENING: The Community Arts Practice Certificate invites you to join us for a screening of John Greyson’s acclaimed film FIG TREES on Wednesday February 10th at noon in the Nat Taylor Cinema (Ross N102). This is the second in our screening series “Documenting Community, Art and Activism”.  For more information check out the UP Events Calendar.

LECTURE: Sustainable Buildings Breakfast - Greg Allen HOK from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM (ET). Toronto, Ontario http://sbcbreakfast.eventbrite.com/

Thursday, February 11

LECTURE: Community Responses For Equitable Transition To A Low-Carbon Society Lecture. 4:10 pm. Free. Health Sciences Bldg, rm 108, 155 College. environment.utoronto.ca.

LECTURE: Resilience In The Face Of Climate Change And Peak Oil Seminar. 4:10 pm. Free. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, rm 108, 155 College. environment.utoronto.ca.

FILM SCREENING: Trans Film Event Screening of the documentary She’s A Boy I Knew and discussion. 6 pm. Free. U of T Centre for Women and Trans People, 563 Spadina. 416-978-8201.

Saturday, February 13

BENEFIT: Love Bowl (Toronto People with AIDS Fdn) Valentine-themed team bowl-a-thon with prizes for best and worst bowlers. 1-5 pm. Pledges. Thorncliffe Bowlerama, 45 Overlea. Pre-register lovebowl.org.

BENEFIT: Love Story (Toronto Youth Theatre) Evening of song, dance, striptease and cirque with Les Coquettes and others. 7 and 9:30 pm. $25-$50. The Lot, 100A Ossington. lescoquetteslovestory.eventbrite.com.

FILM SCREENING: Under Rich Earth (Ecuadorian community organizations) Documentary screening, guest speakers and a Q&A. 6:30-9:30 pm. $10. Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor W. 416-516-2331.

BENEFIT: Valentine Ball 2010 (Canadian Red Cross/Youth Day 2010) Haiti relief Valentine ball with dancing, a celebrity auction and more. 9:30 pm-2 am. $25. Westin Harbour Castle, 1 Harbour Sq. 416-813-0909.

Sunday, February 14

BENEFIT: Show The Love Valentine’s Concert For Haiti (Canadian Red Cross) Paul Schillaci, Hank Furman, Brenda Webb and others perform. 2 pm. $20. Royal York United Church, 851 Royal York. 416-231-9401.

I can’t wait!  Don’t really see how they’re linked, (just like I also don’t really get what cupcakes have to do with earthquakes either) but I love a good charity gimick, and I love a good group fitness class!

Running for a Reason is proud to present Black 2 Basics for Haiti. This fun, high energy fitness event will be held at Circa on January 31st. B2B for Haiti will attract health and fitness enthusiasts of all ages. In addition, the event will provide a fun opportunity for us to help those affected by the earthquakes in Haiti.

Who We Are

RUNNING FOR A REASON is a non-profit organization started by Jully Black, Shaun Campbell and Desmona Cole dedicated to enhancing the physical health of adults and promoting children’s fitness education. The proceeds of its initiatives are used to support health organizations making a difference in the fight against issues such as Juvenile Diabetes, Obesity, Eating Disorders and Cancer.

BLACK 2 BASICS is a fun, full-body workout created by Singer/Songwriter Jully Black that will quickly make you sweat and burn those extra unwanted pounds. Just 21 minutes long, Black 2 Basics (B2B) was designed to encourage women and men with busy lifestyles and little time to spare to honour their bodies by being active and doing something positive –with you, for you.

The Event

B2B For Haiti – “Where fitness meets Philanthropy.”
The B2B for Haiti event is geared towards lending our health for those in need. Every hour for 6 hours will be filled with two or three high energy cardio sessions. The first session each hour will be lead by Jully Black, instructing her own Black 2 Basics workout. The hours will be topped off by DJ’s to keep the energy pumping and people moving.

Location and Details:

Where: CiRCA Night Club
Address: 126 John Street, Toronto, ON
Date: January 31, 2010
Time: 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
COVER: $20.00 to benefit the Red Cross Haiti fund

Goal

To raise $20,000 for Red Cross Haiti fund, by bringing people together to get active and have fun as well as provide a healthy and positive way to give back and offer hope to those affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

People are being so generous in supporting the people of Haiti and the relief work going on there. I would encourage individuals interested in providing support to consider becoming monthly donors with charities rather than giving larger one-time gifts.

In a nutshell, sign up to be a monthly donor because:

• it allows charities to provide immediate relief when an emergency occurs
• it helps the charity budget effectively
• the admin fees are as low as possible
• small amounts every month are affordable for the donor

Allow me to explain.

Small monthly gifts provide stable, reliable funding for the organization. With charities having a consistent pool of donors who give humble donations on a monthly basis the charities are able to provide relief immediately following a natural disaster rather than having to send out a call to action to donors who have given one time gifts in the past. We live in such unpredictable times and a charity’s needs and demands are in constant flux. No charity could have predicted this sudden need for humanitarian relief in Haiti but with the consistency of small monthly contributions, the organizations are able to act immediately.

Monthly donations also allow the organization to budget effectively month to month. One time donations are appreciated but they are similar to receiving one pay cheque per year. I cannot imagine trying to allocate the funds effectively for the year. If my cheque came in January, I would be homeless by July!

For me as a donor, the biggest reason to become a monthly contributor is that the administrative fees are as low as they can be. If you give a one-time gift, there is an administrative cost associated with sending you a tax receipt (which is also there with monthly giving) but then the charity invests a lot of money in getting you to hopefully donate again the following year. When it’s done monthly, you they don’t have to harass you with unnecessary and costly mailings.

The thing that’s nice is that small amounts go a long way. The minimum contribution to a monthly giving program is usually around $10/month which I admit I spend in two trips to Second Cup. You can also consider thinking of your donation as equivalent to one or two hours of your wage a month which over the year adds up to a nice donation that you can claim against your taxes! Oh, and don’t be scared because monthly donor programs are not contracts so you only have to give as much as you want for as long as you want (which I hope, is for the rest of your life).

These charities are doing amazing relief work in Haiti and throughout the world:

MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES/DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (MSF)

SAVE THE CHILDREN CANADA

UNICEF

THE CANADIAN RED CROSS

Learning about all the stuff that’s happening around text message donations during the Haiti crisis.  It seems to be getting a lot of press!

This is the first humanitarian disaster where this type of micro-donating is taking a really big roll.  Plan Canada (who I work for blogging at Because I am a Girl) have raised over $3000 using Text to Donate technology so far.  This is nothing compared to the millions that the American Red Cross has managed to raise since Jan 12 using the same technology.

I’m not sure that this is founded in hard data, or if its just an assumption, but one of the cool things about this approach is that the people who are using sms to donate are people that wouldn’t typically donate (like the woman profiled in this article in the Globe and Mail).  And, it is accessible to a younger crowd (who probably don’t end up paying for their phone bills anyway….thanks mom!).

Another aspect of it that I thought was quite interesting was brought up by the head of Canada Helps in the same G&M article.  He was talking about how this approach to fundraising plays on “turning the donor into a fundraiser”.  For example, I send my donation text, and then I also try to get my friends to do it, thereby multiplying my own contribution.

On the other hand some concern that has been brought up about how much the cell phone companies are keeping as administrative fees.  Rumor in the social justice field has it that sometimes they can be quite high, but that other times they have been waived.  Checking in with Plan Canada, their text messages “cost” the organization 5% of the donation (25 cents per $5), which is quite good.

And, with all the hype, sometimes bad things happen.  I got caught up in the excitement of Blackberry Messenger’s alleged commitment to provide 35 cents to Haiti relief each time a particular text message was passed on.  Turns out it was a scam. Sorry to the people in my BBM list who got that message!  Maybe Blackberry should decide to make an honest woman of me and actually make donations based on a viral text message of this type!

Here are some organizations that are currently accepting text message donations:

Partners in Health (through the oneXone Foundation):

Text to Give: Rogers and FIDO wireless customers YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Donate $5 to ONEXONE using your cell phone.  It’s easy and safe. TEXT donate to 1291. Customers will see a $5 charge on their Rogers or FIDO wireless bill each text message sent.

Plan Canada:

You can text a donation for $5 to Plan by texting the word HAITI to 30333. Your donation will go to help Plan’s ongoing relief efforts after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill.  Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply.

Canadian Salvation Army:

When texting HAITI to 45678 via a mobile phone, a micro-donation of $5 will be made to aid the millions of people affected by this tragedy. One-hundred percent of each donation will go to The Salvation Army to serve this vital need. The donation will appear as a charge on a donor’s carrier bill, and standard rates may apply.

World Vision Canada:

Canadians can now donate $5 to World Vision on their cell phones. Simply text “WORLD” to 45678. A one-time donation toward relief efforts in Haiti will be added to your mobile phone bill. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply.  IMPORTANT: Once you text your donation, you’ll receive a confirmation message to which you must reply YES. If you don’t complete this step, your donation will not be made.

Tuesday January 19

FILM: Earth 2100 Film screening and discussion on climate change, peak oil and population growth. 6:30 pm. Free. Annette LIbrary, 145 Annette. green13toronto.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, January 20

LECTURE: Build Social Capital with Robert Campbell. 6:00pm-9:00pm. Centre for Social Innovation, Suite 120.

LECTURE: Allies In Protecting The Environment: First Nations And The Land Lecture by Six Nations Eco Centre manager Paul General. 7:30-9:30 pm. $12. Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence E. nanps.org.

LECTURE: Canada’s Role In The Global Water Crisis Lecture. 4:10 pm. Free. U of T Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks. environment.utoronto.ca.

Thursday, January 21

LECTURE: Building Community Capacity For Environmental Health Promotion Lecture. 4:10 pm. Free. Health Sciences Bldg, rm 108, 155 College. environment.utoronto.ca.

FORUM: Health, Housing And Human Rights Forum with former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Miloon Kothar.  Free. U of T downtown campus. Pre-register elayna.fremes@utoronto.ca.

LECTURE: Sharing Good News About Mars Women’s Canadian Club lecture on the MaRs Discovery District. 2 pm. $10. St Andrew’s United Church, 117 Bloor E. 416-463-3405.

FILM SCREENING: The End Of The Line Film screening and talk on sustainable seafood. 7-8:30 pm. Free. Big Carrot, 348 Danforth. 416-466-2129.

Friday, January 22

FORUM: Health, Housing And Human Rights Forum with former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Miloon Kothar.  Free. U of T downtown campus. Pre-register elayna.fremes@utoronto.ca.

FILM: A World Without Oil - Conversations In Design Symposium with designers including Sheila Kennedy and Fritz Haeg. 9 am-6 pm. $250. Design Exchange, 234 Bay. Pre-register interiordesignshow.com.

FILM: Petropolis: An aerial perspective on the Alberta Tar Sands. The Royal. 608 College Street. 7:00pm. $10/$8 for students. http://www.petropolis-film.com/blog/

Sunday, January 24

LECTURE: The Lowdown On The Meltdown: Global Warming From Space Lecture. 3 pm. Free. MacLeod Auditorium, 1 King’s College Circle. 416-977-2983.

A couple of interesting articles designed to help Canadians deal better with the Haitian tragedy came out this weekend.  It may sound silly - why do we need help to deal with a situation from which we are so far removed?  These articles look at what the best way for us to give is, and also how we can take advantage of this teachable moment for our kids:

The Haiti Talk: How to Discuss Disasters with your Kids

So You Want to Help Haiti…

I decided to support Partners in Health, a health and social justice charity that has been working in Haiti for years, and is one of the largest non-governmental providers of health there.  I’ve written about their founder (Paul Farmer) here before.  When I donated this morning, I made sure to donate with “unrestricted funds” (ie, the money goes where its needed most, not necessarily for Haiti.  If they get enough for Haiti, my donation will be used well elsewhere).

Just before the New Year I signed up at GetInvolved.ca to help them reach their goal of 2,000,000 volunteer hours this year (through the Power of the Hour initiative).  Companies, individuals and organizations can join and set their goals, and then use the GetInvolved.ca platform to keep track of their time spent volunteering over the year.  I’m a huge fan of lists and metrics, so its awesome in that way, and of course the general social engagement of it!  So, I’ve pledged 250 hours for 2010, which might be a challenge because I’ve started to get paid for some of the things I used to do as a volunteer, but it’ll keep me true to my volunteering roots!

I like this site better than some of the other social networking sites for change because it really works at translating online commitments to offline action.  Some of the other sites seem to focus on getting people to commit to certain actions…I find that I always wuss out on these actions because I want it to look good in 140 characters and usually my involvement doesn’t look that pretty on paper (helped with website, wrote meeting minutes, etc).  But GetInvolved.ca highlights the type of action I already take (even if its not really interesting) by focusing on hours instead of actions.  And they push me to do more than I’d usually do.  The other cool thing that they do is let individuals advertise what they have to offer (eg, time, skills, etc) or what they need help with.

As well, they have tons of videos about volunteers, including something called Digital U, a series on how “social media is affecting social change”.  The series seems like its designed for people to get to know about Facebook and Twitter, so if you’ve been working in non-profit/social change web 2.0 for a while, it might not be so useful.  Maybe the future ones will be more challenging?

Around this time of year, everyone is making lists both recapping and looking forward.  Here are a couple of my favourite lists right now:

MSF’s Top Ten Humanitarian Crises of 2009

Doctors without Borders writes this annual ironic top ten list to bring attention to hot spots around the world.

Change.org Top Ten Victories of 2009

This one looks at what members of the social networking site Change.org were able to accomplish in 2009 by mobilizing online.  Its pretty impressive!

So, I’ve got a great new gig: blogging about development issues for young women over at Because I am a Girl.  “The Because I am a Girl movement is a global campaign to claim a brighter, safer future for girls” based on a long-term study by Plan Canada.  I blog about all sorts of stuff, like how to get involved, how different issues relate to women and girls, and profiling girls around the world that are taking action to make a difference.  Come and check it out!