Not being melodramatic

Trying not to be melodramatic this evening. Nomad Son is going off tomorrow to study computer science at a university in southern Germany. Don't know if I should burst with pride at seeing him set off on this new adventure or crumble with grief at reaching this poignant milestone of family history.

Ain't That The Truth? (II)

I've seen this drawing a few times in the last months and every time I see it, I can't help to think, "Ain't that the truth?" At risk of repeating myself... do enjoy.

Spent the weekend harassed by the noise (pollution) of hundred and hundred of Harley-Davidsons driving by slowly and continuously under our living room windows. Visually, it was a hoot to go out our door and see all the rockers and bikers. But, the noise was unstoppable and unsupportable. I really must be getting old.

Making chaos beautiful

Quiet weekend. Friends dropping by. Good food. Find conversations.

Managed to do some cleaning up of the mountains of paperwork that plagues my conscious. Actually, a friend and I decided on Friday that we are now formally giving up hope of becoming good housewives. Instead, we are going to make our chaos more beautiful. As of tonight, the large piles of papers that crowded the bookshelves in my work area, are now all nested inside of decorative boxes.

Just By Starting You Are Halfway There

All of the talk in the last weeks about how the Obama administration has been doing, has been focused on "what have they done" and not allowed for a more broader sweep. This video might be interesting to those of you who want to know how some municipal governments are globally tackling some of the problems due to urbanization.

This might also be good time for all of us to take a look at how we are doing and what we are doing to make the changes we so demonstratively spoke about not four months ago. What are you doing now that you were not doing at the end of last year? How have things changed for you or your community? How are you creating positive and constructive change? I would be really interested to know.

OMG

All I could think when I saw this advertisement of Honda's was, OMG! Talk about savvy...

Can hate be good? Can hate be great?
Can hate be something we don't hate?

We'd like to know... why it is so.
That certain diesels must be slow
and thwack and thrum... and pong
and hum and clatter-clat

Hate something. Change something.
Hate something, change something,
make something better-r-r-r

Oh isn't it just bliss... when a diesel goes like this?

I don't know whether to tip my hat to Honda in praise for their ingenuity, or to indulge in my feelings that this is another creepy "clean coal" spin... but, one thing is certain, the Japanese car companies have not been sitting back twiddling their thumbs like the American car manufactures were these last 10 years.

They obviously read the signs on the wall and realised “green is gold” and not “hummer is the way” when it comes to their new product development. Even if the American auto manufactures receive great sums of money to bail them out of their financial crisis, there is probably no one out there that can jump start their brain dead new product development rut into a moving swiftly off the production line status. Their competitors are moving fast already.

Trying To Chew The News Into Small Pieces

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about the present economical crisis and how I am finding it hard to make any sense of it. Obviously, the situation is dire. It certainly is dire for many of my friends, as well in our own household.

Some friends have thankfully been spared. Not necessarily because they were smarter, but because the companies or institutions they work for or have invested their money in are thankfully (miraculously) solid. Yet, equally, many of the banks and institutions other people invested in (so called no-risk investments) are rapidly dwindling down to nothing.

This has left me with this need to make sense of it all. It is not so much that I want to point fingers at anyone rather I just want to understand what is happening. I am attempting to chew this monstrous disaster down into small pieces that I can swallow.

In this pursuit, I’ve been following a lot of online American news providers. The same news providers I've avidly read these last years while following (almost obsessively) the American election. Whereas the media’s reporting of the election was enthralling, their reporting of the economic crisis is, in my opinion, convoluted, somewhat hysterical, and lacking in insightfulness. Most of what I’m reading leaves my head spinning. Then I listened to this podcast, from This American Life. The podcast titled, Bad Banks, contains the following:

“Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson tackle a very tough subject: trying to explain exactly what a bank is and does. They talk to a number of experts about what has gone wrong in banking, but not before bringing us all up to speed on some banking basics, like understanding a bank balance sheet, and a bank’s assets and liabilities, and the squishy business of what banks say about their balance sheets compared to what they are.”

It was an enlightening presentation of what banks do and what are they’ve been doing differently the last 20 years to what they used to do 50 years ago. I’ve listened to it twice and find following the material in newspaper articles and interviews now easier to follow.

Listening to the podcast made me ask myself why I’ve been seeking advice from the very source/society that poisoned the well in the first place? And so, I’ve decided to take a radical step and shift my eyes somewhat away from American sources of information to other sources of information.

This got me watching The Guardians panel discussion series, “Capitalism in Crisis”. For instance, John Gray gave an interesting talk about the financial collapse. He says, “There can be no return to the status quo – we will now see geopolitical changes, as well as those to banking and economies.” He speaks about two matters that have been mulling around in my mind, but that I haven’t seen addressed explicitly in the articles I’ve read.

First, he speaks about how the attempt of the various types of capitalism to form a global free market was completely unrealistic. The debt-based financed capitalism of the past twenty years, the one practiced by Americans, is over. Listening to him speak about this, I realised that what often bothers me in the articles I read. It is the fact that the American journalists seem to promote only one form of capitalism, a type of capitalism they haven’t practiced in 20 years, as being the only type of capitalism existing, which is so blatantly untrue. Just as there wasn’t one form of communism.

The second item he addresses is the US dependency on China to continue lending them vast amounts of money. If you listen to American politicians, you’d think that it is the American taxpayer who is shouldering all the costs of the stimulus plan. And, that doesn’t make sense, because they and we are all living in a recession. Mr. Gray calmly points out that China is the one who is shouldering the loan, which makes the whole situation quite precarious don’t you think?

So, even though I will continue to read American news on the occasion, I am going to use it as a spice and not a substance for my daily reading.

On the Fly

I'm writing this blog post on the fly (i.e. no spell checker). Our last guest just left this morning and so I've come to a café to establish my freedom from household chores once again.

Our long run of hosting visitors and travelling to various places has come to an end for the moment. Phew. I need a few days to gather my senses again. Balance. Life balance. That is what I need.

Watched a video from Women for Women International the other day. Besides finding the content of discussoins interesting, I was particularly interested in their sponsoring scheme. Their's appears to be a micro-funding practice, which is not quite what our Village Phone Salon project is. Our's is micro-financed-based and not a micro-funding, but sponsorship could still be involved.

Some of our VPSs will be applying for credit at local micro-financing institutes (MFI), but others will have to be financed through, what I am calling, private micro-financing groups. It looks as though each VPS will need a start-up credit between 300 USD and 400 USD. We are in the process of forming small groups of business persons (1-3 per group) who will each lend the start-up credit for a VPS.

I've been thinking that it doesn't matter whether the VPS are financed through local MFIs and Kiva, or through a private group, the lenders might be interested in following the development of the businesses. At the moment, I'm thinking of maybe what we should do is continue the blogs on the VPS site with a monthly report, but a twitter feed in the sidebar. That way the sponsor can follow the daily goings on.

What do you think? would it make it more interesting for sponsors and sponsorees?

And, now what?

This video does well to describe how the present economical crisis occurred in the US . Hopefully, Jonathan Jarvis will make another video soon describing how we can get out of this mess.


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Even though the economic crisis exists globally, I am not sure the spiralling effect occurred in every country the same way. I have a feeling it also occurred through inter dependencies and poor business practices between lending institutions.

New Horizons

Realise that my anxiety about the economic crisis has dripped onto the pages of this blog. So, in celebration to positive constructive activism, you can read this article that talks about the...

Momentum for the Covenant of Mayors is gathering pace and by 10 February 2009, 372 cities from thirty countries had signed up for the Covenant of Mayors and a further 104 cities had expressed an interest.

Glad to note that Hamburg's mayor has made a promise of 40% reduction by 2020. Now this is more of what we need.

Why reinvent the wheel?

Dear Mr. Geithner,

Please take note. Prime Minister Brown in Britain has a few things to say about steps his government has undertaken since last October in respect to dealing with banks for their irresponsible and excessive risk taking. Please watch this video; maybe there are some lessons to be learnt here. If what the American banks and Wall Street are looking for are details about short term and long term dealings, Gordon Brown speaks of 9 short term steps already pursued in assuring "no bonuses for failures" and five long term goals still being looked into. Short, but convincing. How is it that the British government can act within weeks of the crisis, and your government can not?

It can start with a public declaration of "profound and unreserved" apology from the bankers.

signed,

Curious But Puzzled

Same old, same old

During this last week, I find that I am very frustrated reading articles about the haves-or-have-nots of the US stimulus bill.

Actually, I am sure that just three weeks ago, plus one day, on the eve of Obama's inaugural ceremony, in an obvious collective rush of jubilation, studies stated that Americans (including the small folk and the big brass) were willing to "give" Obama a six-month honeymoon to start working out some of the major kinks in the system. Now, three weeks later, to heck with the six months! Let's pout, pose, and position every bloody Republican congressperson, probably every Republican senator (not holding my breath on those three yes-no-maybe-so votes), and a newly voted-in Republican chairperson against the bill.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

All the talk seems to be about the imperfections of the bill and the question whether the spending will produce the right results. Well, you know what, at this late point in time, they might just have to give it a try anyways. If hindsight were really as good a predictor as Dr. Phil says, then we (the whole world!) wouldn't be in the present pickle.

What makes this whole bickering back-and-forth so frustrating, is hearing the politicians speak as if they think they know what they are talking about when it is so obvious they don't, as if the outcome of this stimulus spending is predicable, as if they are voting on principle instead of what they should be doing: voting out of desperation in a fleeting attempt of stem the tides of some very bad wrongs.

I don't know about you, but the American recession isn't coming, it has already arrived. At least in my very humble circle of friends it has. Two friends in New Zealand have lost their jobs because their companies' main offices are in America and the first thing the American companies did was close down their foreign offices, even though these foreign offices both were bringing in money. Two other friends have lost their homes in the States. Five friends in the States were made redundant in the last two weeks. One friend, who was working at the company for the last 18 years, was given one week's severance pay. These facts I have just taken off the top of my head. Give me some time to actually think or research the situation; I'd probably come up with a lot more examples.

So, here is my plea to all you Republican and Democrats politicians out there in Washington, just vote yes. I do not care why you are voting no, so save your breath and explanations. But, if you vote yes, I will read every single article or interview you put out there for me to consume. I’ll even promise to remember your name.

Progressive Education circa 1940

Even though my children were born in the 20th century, they have few or no memories from that century. That is, other than that what they experience in their day-to-day learning at school. This video, from the 1940s, is an idealistic representation of the teaching methods my children experience in their high school today.



Idealistic, because even though the ministry of education encourages the practices shown in the video, in reality my children sit in rows and the teachers use frontal instructional form 90% of the time. They are also learning 80% of their learning material by rote; so let’s throw in some 1920s teaching methods in there. My children are being taught 1920s to 1940s educational methods by teachers raised, in the most part, in the 1960s, and this is suppose to help them prepare for working in the 2020s. Is it any wonder my son believes school is a place to pay penance for having been born in the wrong century, and life outside and online is where you really learn through communication, connectivity, and collaboration.

3 Degrees of Lending: 1st Degree

A while ago, I wrote about how begging is just being asked to give. Next, I’d like to write about various forms of borrowing or lending money, thus this post’s title, Three Degrees of Lending. Today's post is on the first degree, what I call “pass the baton” lending.

To explain what I mean by “pass the baton”, I’d like to present two concrete examples of using this form of lending. The first example is something I have done since finishing my university studies over 25 years ago. I pay a small monthly allowance (automatic bank transfer) to a student throughout his or her university career. Nearly always, these students are foreign scholarship students whose scholarships pay for basic university fees, but do not cover the high costs of living in Germany. (The monthly allowance is humble, but it does perhaps pay for bus fees or a month of coffee) When they finish their studies and are properly employed, they are to pay this “pass the baton” loan to another student. Thus, over the years, more and more students receive this modest relief and recognition for the work they do.

The second example, of “pass the baton” lending is a system I am currently in the process of setting up. This system will be private micro-financing groups consisting of a modest amount of businesspersons (e.g. 4-6), each contributing a modest sum of money (e.g. 100 USD). Each group will lend their capital as credit to a women’s co-op micro-financed business endeavour. I am working with other global community volunteers in four countries (Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Cameroon). These volunteers, both on the ground and online, are setting up Village Phone Salons, whose goal is offering mobile phone services to rural communities.

Some of the Village Phone Salon groups (e.g. women co-ops) are seeking credit to start up their Village Phone Salons, in areas where no micro-financing agencies are available. Thus we are setting up the above-mentioned private micro-financing groups. The estimated credit needed to set up one Village Phone Salon is 500 USD. We plan to work out an agreement with the first ound of women co-op receiving loans; one which stipulates that they will not only pay back their credit over a defined period of time, but they will also agree to offer practical assistance and guidance to the second Village Phone Salon in the future.

It is our hope that this type of lending plan will find success in these local communities. What do you think, does it sound interesting?

Women and Children First

What works as a strategy for abandoning a sinking ship, isn’t necessarily being practiced in these moments of economical disaster. After reading various articles about the 820 billion USD American stimulus plan that thankfully managed to hop over its first hurtle yesterday, I wondered why so little of the dialogue is about the welfare and education of women and children. Despite the childish posturing/pouting of many Republicans in Washington and foreign politicians in Davos (e.g. Putin) this week, I remain hopeful that Mr. Obama’s and Kofi Annan’s will continue to focus on these matters.

“For the roots of this crisis go beyond an abject failure of financial governance and neglect of warnings of the risks being run. Connections between economies have been revealed which were clearly not fully understood, let alone regulated. There may have been endless talk of globalization. But it is very clear there has been a lack of recognition of what this means for us all.

What is needed is a fundamental change of mindset. Solutions to the financial crisis must look beyond the impact on the market, financial institutions and developed countries. They must also focus on jobs, family incomes and the effect of the slowdown on the poorest countries. Market forces are the engine for economic growth. But they need to be well regulated to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all.”

If we have learnt anything over the last six months, it is the urgent need for all of us (little folk) to immediately and earnestly invest more of our time, money, and energy in establishing and practicing our civic obligations. Over the last weeks, it has been interesting to read various articles, videos, and blog posts about the activation of a massive American grassroots pledge for better service. And like much of what happened over the last two years it took to bring Senator Obama through the convoluted US electoral system and, thankfully, into the presidential office, I’m not sure that Americans are aware of how much the rest of the world is looking upon them and waiting to see whether they do the right thing.

Mr. Obama speaks of becoming a leader in the world again. America doesn’t only have to become an exemplary political world leader; Americans have to become world social/civic leaders. But, to do this, they have to look beyond the water leaking in under their doors and think and act globally.

I have been following some of the pledges made on the various plattforms and I must say, I am disappointed. There seem to be three types of pledges being made: 1) pledges to help locally or regionally (e.g. health, animal and environmental, social service, education), 2) those who will continue being active in their community and think they already give enough, 3) those who want to give by being “a better person” (smile more at strangers, yell less at their children, don’t give the finger to idiot drivers). It is not a bad start, as far as starts go, but it just isn’t going to be enough to get us to the exit doors, let alone off this sinking ship. And aspiring to save this sinking ship… well, think again! We have to create a massive movement of millions of people contributing in minuscule ways. Even if we manage to do this, there is no guarantee.

Which leads me back to the women and children... Yesterday, I was watching this video about the Millennium Development Goals program. In the video, two British school children interview the leaders of the three political parties concerning the activities and progression of Britain’s and all the UN nations’ commitment to providing primary school education around the world for at least 90% of children by 2015. Gordon Brown, the prime minister of Britain says at one point, “We need to train teachers, build classrooms, supply educational materials, and make sure girls get a chance of receiving an education”. He wasn’t talking only about government and organizations assistance; he was talking about us individuals and he was referring to helping children in developing nations. Particularly in Africa.

I am working with a wonderful community of people in in Kimilili Kenya. We are presently trying to help build a school, create a nutrition and school garden project, find sponsorship for 250 OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children), assist in getting teaching manuals for 5 teachers, and find funding for school supplies and library books. If you think you can offer information, time, practical assistance, or funding, please let me know (cbsmkenya at gmail dot com). A whole community of women and children would be thankful.

Eat locally, work communally, but think and act globally.

Caught Up In A Wave Of Change

There has been much written and spoken about change in the last two years. Ardent fans and persistent sceptics of modern trends have tried hard to illuminate and obliterate the fact that Old School, Old Boys, and Old Century are all Old Hat. It doesn’t matter whether you are presently running ahead of the “wave of change” or digging in your heals against it, life as we’ve known it has already changed beyond what many of us hoped, and others have feared. Now, we have to learn to embrace this reality.

Much of social and political changes developed through the furtherment of Internet and mobile technology. Levi Felix wrote recently in the Huffington Post,

“Communication is proving that generation, race, demographic and style are merely smoke and mirrors when it comes to who can influence our future. With the ridiculously rapid development of online social networks, mobile applications, modern grassroots movements and the growing urgency of now, we are seduced by change; it's allure insurmountable and implications incredible.”

It seems as though I cannot open my emails or newsletters without being asked to “vote” for some idea, or pledge myself to some active service. Just in the last days there was change.org’s announcement about the winners of their change.org ideas contest, or Michelle Obama's appeal to American’s to become engaged in USAService.org. Or, the following speech Barack Obama gave,



Now, I am not an American citizen, though I did live there for a few years as a child and all my siblings were born there. Yet, in the next days, I would like to live under the illusion that as a global citizen I can rub elbows with all the Americans who are celebrating Mr. Obama’s inauguration and get caught up in the wave of enthusiasm for all of us to “do good” on the pledges we made.

Because, if I am not mistaken, we all, at one point in time in the last two years, made those mad deals, “Please let Mr. Obama be elected and I promise to…” Well, it is time we did good on those promises.

I have been remiss of late at updating this blog. Some of this has to do with health issues, but the major deflector has been my participation in other social platforms and doing online volunteer work. I have been trying to explore different forms of “ community service” that are both meaningful, as well as rewarding. In the next days, I would like to share with you my experiences with these activities. If nothing else, these last two years has convinced me that we all can individually and universally benefit by giving our time, money, creativity, and hard work.