Power for

Good

The Mission:

One of the more sobering aspects of my travel has been to witness the impact of modernization on indigenous cultures. In some cases, it's beneficial: more effective medical care, better access to quality education.

In some cases, not so much. Communities are losing their cultural heritage (language, religious traditions) to the rapid encroachment of cell towers and power lines. As modern amenities render the world's wild spaces more accessible, many people who grew up there are changing their way of life to accommodate tourists and take advantage of the benefits of a modern society.

And then there's the impact of climate change: glaciers lost, more extreme weather, farmers moving down valley, and shepherds moving further up slope in the summer.

As one of the "tourists" who has contributed to this loss, I feel the responsibility to give back, to help preserve the cultural and environmental ecology that add diversity to our world. There seem to be three ways we can use our power for good:

1. Preserving cultural heritage in communities affected by modernization.

2. Aiding communities altered by climate change.

3. Ensuring quality education for children in these areas.

While we'd all like to "live in the present moment" more fully, the truth is that many people around the world could use some support making that present moment healthier and more sustainable.

So I'm asking for help from this community of educators. Below you'll see photos of some of the things I've noticed in my travels, and organizations that support people like the ones I've met. Please let me know of worthwhile charities that benefit similar causes. A portion of all proceeds from Still Teaching will go to these causes.

Preserving Heritage

When I was hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, government workers were carving a road into the remote Himalaya. Until now, this region has only been accessible by foot (or hoof). Aside from limiting the impact of tourism, this has preserved a way of life. What for centuries has been a semi-nomadic way of life centered around religious ritual has now become more commercialized.

In Ladakh, I visited an organization called Local Futures, which works to ensure justice, democracy, and a connection to nature for those living in northern India.

Their Economics of Happiness conferences offer resources (talks, toolkits, etc) on maintaining our social, spiritual and ecological well-being.

Ladakh also happens to be the summer home of the Dalai Lama, and 1000s of Tibetan Buddhists in exile from their homeland.

Climate Change

The glacier I saw at the top of Kilimanjaro will likely be gone within 20 years.

When I hiked by the Matterhorn (not up it!), I heard about chunks of stone falling off the mountain because the ice that had been holding it in place for years was melting.

Ladakh, in northern India, experienced its worst flooding in years shortly after I left, with mudslides wiping away entire villages.

I saw one village in Nepal that had entirely relocated down-valley. Because the snowmelt that sustained them through summer was disappearing, they abandoned the land that had provided for them for centuries.

Quality Education

When I traveled to Tanzania, I was astounded to see the poverty of people who lived in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. While I had read about it before, and even seen pictures, it was something else to experience it in person. A sense of guilt accompanied me up the mountain -- why was I spending $2000 for this hike when that money could help people eat and go to school?

As soon as the hike ended, I volunteered at Mkombozi, a center for homeless boys. The children at this particular home benefited from a heroic art teacher who trained the boys to create masterful work depicting life there. Once I returned to the U.S., I was able to hold an auction at my school to raise money for the boys.

Thiksay Monastery, in Ladakh, was built by Tibetans fleeing their homeland to escape Chinese rule. The monastery is meant to resemble Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Ladakh is the home of the Dalai Lama and 1000s of Tibetan Buddhists in exile.

Traditional labor often involves hauling large loads on your head or back. This woman lives in Yunnan Province, China, near the border of Tibet.

In many mountain villages, electricity is unreliable, and food is often sold at an open-air market like this one.

Perito Moreno Glacier, in Patagonia, is one of only two glaciers in the world that's still growing. I took this photo the moment that a large chunk calved off.

Shepherds rely on cooler temperatures in the mountains to graze their herds during the summer. With warming temperatures, they're having to move higher and higher. Here, sheep huddle in the only patch of shade available in the afternoon sun. (Taken on the Tour d'Oisans, France)

This glacier at the peak of Kilimajaro is projected to be gone within the next 20 years.

I watched these kids happily playing with sticks and rocks for a couple hours before sunset. The sound of their laughter peeling off the mountains was delightful.

Collecting hay with a donkey and rakes in Kyrgyzstan. There's a pickup truck under that huge pile.

This woman is drying yak dung for fuel during the winter in the Annapurnas, Nepal. Because trees don't grow at altitude, yak dung is an important source of fire during the colder months.

This boy was in a painting class at the Mkombozi Centre for Street Children in Tanzania. We were able to sell some of his paintings as part of a fundraiser for the center.

This school is on the lower slopes of the Annapurna range in Nepal.

In parts of India and Nepal, some families still send their first-born son to a monastery for his education and religious training. This boy lives near the village of Pisang in Nepal.

While I was hiking through, government workers were building the first ever road into the eastern side of the Annapurna circuit, previously accessibly only by foot or pack animal. They told me that hundreds of workers have died doing this dangerous work.

With the road comes electricity

And with the road and electricity comes a tourist market, including these "hotels" that were constructed with Western facades.

Power for

Good

The Mission:

Preserving Heritage

Climate Change

Quality Education

Dealing with Difficult Emotions

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