OPPORTUNITY CAFE

At the ripe old age of 28, Aaron Jackson has delivered medicine to cure over 1.7 million Haitian children of the intestinal worms that eat away their bodies, and slow their brains and drive into a nutrient-depleted lethargy.
Long before the Earthquake, Haiti saw its share of tragedies.  The devastation caused by intestinal parasites was one.   And the cure so easy:  one pill that costs less than five cents.   As water systems become tainted, and water lays stagnant, the parasites will increase.   But make no mistake:  the trouble is in …

Post from 2009:
Janet Napolitano is President Obama’s “point person” for Immigration Reform. As the US Department of Homeland Security Secretary and a past governor of the State of Arizona, she is well versed in immigration issues. While she is an advocate of immigration reform and national security, she does not bode fools well. She is famous for her statement “You show me a 50 foot wall and I will show you a 51 foot ladder.” On November 13, 2009 she met with John Podesta, President of the Center for American …

Music is the language of angels.  Sharing the pleasure of Jesse Cook…

The United States is a country that has welcomed those fleeing persecution since the time of the Puritans.  It is a proud American heritage.  It is a heritage grounded in heart.  Throughout the world, people may disagree with the government actions of America and may even view us as “cowboys”- but even the most bitter recognize and appreciate that Americans have a heart.  A terrorist in Iraq once commented that he saw a sign set by the Americans that gave him pause:  It said, “We are building, you are destroying.”  …

Get it.   We are interdependent.   Economically and spiritually, we are a chain.  A world of links, one pulled by the other.  And yes, the USA is the mother link, economically.  Now.  That will not always be the case.  Change is the nature of life.  Today, the USA.  Tomorrow, perhaps, China.  The next day, perhaps, Jamaica.  Or Brazil.  Or Dubai.  Or Cuba.  What is clear without a doubt, is that we are all linked together.  For the well being of one, we must root for and support the well-being of the …

The Ebo tribe in Nigeria frowns upon praising relatives, friends and acquaintances.  Showering someone with verbal sentiments of love, appreciation, respect, etc. occurs less frequently than in many other cultures.  It is thought that such praise will “go to  one’s head.”  Rather, caring is evidenced by action.  It is in the sometimes dull, but constant, loyal and dedicated presence and support of one for another that love is evidenced.  To the Ebo tribe in Nigeria, LOVE IS A VERB.

There is a television show on American T.V. about a man known as “The Dog Whisperer.”   Born in Mexico, his ability to communicate with dogs became apparent when he was young.  The locals called him: “El Perrero”- which is Spanish for “The Dog Man.”   On every television episode of “The dog Whisperer,” Cesar Millan tames and rehabilitates dogs who seem impossible to control.  The ferocious, the biters, the “fraidy-cats,” the “escape-artists”- Cesar Millan can cause them all to become well-behaved and well-adjusted.   But on last night’s episode, it looked like …

Luis is a Taxi Driver from Argentina who has evidenced a keen aptitude for dispute resolution.  On a recent road trip in Baltimore, I appreciated his ability to “be his own boss” and complained about the lack of “human-ness” working in a corporation.   He jumped at the opportunity to share his unhappy experiences in the corporate world, as a manager stuggling to balance work needs and the needs of employees in the midst of office politics and pettiness.  It seems the employees were constantly arguing about the heat.  Some thought …

Throughout the world, millions of people are alone. Some are alone as a result of mistakes made in the past. Some are alone as the result of mistakes made by others. Some are alone because that is their destiny. It is a destiny of opportunity.

America: Opportunity for Immigrants – Immigrants: Opportunity for America
Historically, America has proudly proclaimed its rich heritage as a nation grounded in the entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants. Today, America continues to find strength in this heritage, in the strong family values brought by immigrants, and in the human and economic resources contributed by immigrants. As in every corner of life, there are fear-mongers who cry that the sky will fall if…., attempting to sway the populace to their opinion by inciting fear. When focused on immigration policy, their dire warnings …

Would you? Watch the outstanding video on the “Make a Difference” page above.  It is about an American hero.   It is about hundreds of thousands of children who have been given a new opportunity to live, in Haiti, Guatemala, and other impoverished countries.

We all have gifts and talents and opportunities- even when there are tremendous obstacles in our way.   It is possible for every one to make a difference-  for themselves and for a more beautiful world.  Sometimes that is as simple as a smile to someone.  Sometimes that smile achieves a difference larger than could be imagined.   Enjoy this video about children who have impaired hearing, as they learn the art of mime.  It is a project done by the World Mime Organization and supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs …

In India, and in some parts of the Muslim world, marriage is entered into much like a Business Agreement (contract) is entered into in the United States.  Under US law, in order for a contract to be binding, it must include four components:  An Offer, Acceptance, Competency, and Consideration (the exchange of value.)  An offer must be presented and accepted.  The parties entering into the Agreement must be mentally competent and of an age of accountability.  Something of value must be exchanged.
In seeking marriage:
The process of Sourcing for  the contract …

Praise to President Obama who is remaking the face of government to reflect the face of America. Yesterday, he announced that he will nominate Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. A federal appeals judge in New York, she is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents. Raised in the Bronx, she was educated at Yale University. Her professional background exceeds that of Supreme Court Justices before her, including work as a former prosecutor in NY. Sonia Sotomayor will bring real-world life experience to the decision-making that shapes our nation.

Of course, the politicos and racists are out in number- seeking minutiae to grasp hold of and contort. It seems that statements indicating her Latino background will enable her to be a more well-rounded, culturally aware decision maker are threatening to some. There is contention by some that these types of statements present a reverse discrimination of sorts. Read more….

On The Way to School..
International student exchange offers a fabulous way for our world to share its beautiful cultural differences.   Many countries require students to serve one or two years in the military after school.  Imagine what a beautiful world we could have if instead all countries required its students to travel one or two summers to study in another culture!
There are many different opportunities for students to visit and study in other countries.  Here is some information for American students and students from other countries who are interested in expanding their world horizons.
American …

As she stood churning, her private parts ached in pain from the red hot chili peppers that had been forced into the unspeakable parts of her body that morning as punishment for “talking back.”  On that sun-drenched afternoon in I’satta’s small village in Liberia, West Africa, the women churned cream from goats milk and talked about what life in the United States would be like.   Early that morning, Okie Tall had returned to the village from a coveted trip to New York City.  All in the village were in …

Miguel doesn’t have a dime in his pocket.  Not twenty pesos.  In Mexico, he figures, it takes at least 32 pesos a day to feed a family as big as his.   Fuhrat has five hundred thousand dinars-but it doesn’t mean much since it takes nearly that amount to buy a loaf of bread in Iraq.  That’s if you can find one in the local marketplace, which is most often closed due to threats of violence.  Hanna has a vision, but in Bulgaria, it takes more money than she has to make it real.  Or so she thinks.  …

Watch Naria Inri Magaria (NIM), a group of bulgarian artists who use fire dancing, fire spinning and stiltwalking to create beauty..

Capitalism has a bad rap. Say the word and imagery of gross excess floods the senses. Read the word “capitalism” and picture: People driving gas guzzling SUVs to a mega-store to buy their third wide screen TV, while wearing thousand dollar sunglasses that shield them from noticing that people a world away- or even two city blocks away- are suffering in poverty.
Read more about global opportunity, capitalism and greed..

The United States embargo against Cuba has been in place since 1962.   In international politi-speak, an embargo is the prohibition of commerce and trade with a country.  The purpose is to cause the government of that country to have internal conflict as its economy suffers in consequence of the sanctions.    In “The Cuban Democracy Act” of 1992,  the US formally mandated continuing embargo as long as the Castro regime refuses to progress toward democratization and greater respect for human rights.   In 1996, Congress further restricted US citizens from doing business with Cuba, prohibiting any public or private assistance to the Castro regime and any successor regime, unless certain conditions demonstrating approach to …

When Fabio arrived in the United States in 2003, from France, American sentiment was not friendly to the French, who had refused to support participation in the Iraq war.  Within his first few weeks in the United States, he was beaten up.   Then, a co-worker at his new job tormented him relentlessly, unabashedly telling him “The French are not welcome here.”   Feeling bitter and angry, he alternately felt a desire for vengeance, and considered whether he should return to France.  
One day, as he was at work in the medical lab, his co-worker was …

Do you have a verse you would add to a World Song? Contribute it here, and two years from today we will set aside one hour for the world to sing in unison. Let me know if you would like to be a country organizer for this great event. We all have the power to manifest the beauty of the diversity of our world symphony.

There is a piece of fancy footwork known as the “diplomatic shuffle” to Americans who work overseas. It refers to the fact that in many countries, the circles of personal space that people are comfortable with are much smaller. For example, when someone from an Asian country speaks to an American, they often stand closer to the American than the American is comfortable with. This causes the American to shuffle backwards. The Asian then shuffles forwards, to maintain the circle of personal space that they are comfortable with. The American, personal space violated, shuffles backwards again. This continues until the American’s back hits a wall and s/he begins to perspire with discomfort. Click above to read full article….

A FABULOUS CONTEST OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WORLD!!!
Enter Hyatt’s contest to win 365 hotel nights around the world! If you win you will even receive one million airline miles! Watch the videos below, check out my own entry, then click here to enter yourself!

Throughout the world people hope to win the “Green Card Lottery.”  Officially known as the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” the lottery offers a chance for a new life in the United States.
The lottery randomly selects 50,000 potential immigrants who come from countries that have low rates of immigration to the United States, and offers them a chance to apply for a Green Card which will allow them permanent residence in the USA, along with their spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 .  The visas are not available …

How trivial do the disputes among us seem when suddenly, as a world, we are confronted by forces larger – or in the case of a virus- smaller-  that threaten?  Swine flu may be today’s wake up call, but it is far from the only threat we must confront in unison.
In 2009, the planet is warming.  Species are dying.  Ecosystems are changing.  Impacts on food supplies loom.
In 2009, antibiotics are losing their effectiveness.   Scientists testing the oceans are finding trace levels of medicines in the waters, because people throw their …

We all want opportunity.  In years past, opportunity was hard to come by.  Today, with the internet, opportunity is there for us.  To some degree, it may even assail us, with the seemingly endless promises of overnight wealth to be attained.
In his great work MacBeth, Shakespeare wrote: “Evil lures with trifles of truth.”  And so it does.   When someone buries a wee bit of truth within a proposition that may seem preposterous, but is yet something we would hope for, the tendency is to fixate on the bit of truth …

How much money can you make on the Internet? Who can access internet opportunity? What are the benefits? How important is a solid command of English to internet success?

“Of course Jesus was white,” shouted the white kids.

“He was not!” Shouted the black kids.

All of them heatedly looked to me for the answer. The answer was so easy, and it was so enervating to be able to enlighten them.

If the Ancient Egyptians are right, how will you answer the two questions God will ask when you die?

Read the whole post…

See this great music video that combines music from musicians across the world with words that are true for everyone, everywhere. Let’s stand by each other.

 There are eyes of children looking up from sewer grates in Addis Ababa, the capitol city of Ethiopia.  They are not just street children- they are underground children.  They have made their homes in the sewage piping and filthy underground caverns below the city.  They live in dirty tunnels, sewers, caverns and drain holes for the septic waste system, under city streets where thousands walk over them every day without “seeing” them.  The world needs to know this. 

Who will help them?  Can I?
How can we go about our days eating plenty, choosing more expensive clothes than …

TACTICS OF HOPE
Watch this video to learn how you can become a social entrepreneur and make a difference…

We seek prosperity, better lives for ourselves and for our children.  We access opportunity and measure success by the degree of escalation we have achieved from the point at which we started.   Yet in pursuit of  success,  too many find an endless seeking that is never satisfied.
Is it a disease of America or a disease of Man- this desire for more?  Or is the quest for “more” chiseled into the nature of our existence,  embedded in our DNA- the road map of life?  Ironically, true success and the quenching …

News reports today stated that a law effected in Texas in 2008, eliminating the right of seasonal workers to obtain drivers’ licenses, has been overturned by a judge.   Hallelujah for the democratic process, which most often results in justice.
News reports today also presented an update to the recent serving of justice in the case of an immigrant college student from Florida, originally from Egypt, who was accused of engaging in terrorism, after what may or may not have been pipe bombs were found in the trunk of a car …

Women cry when they want to get angry.  Men get angry when they want to cry.  Is it that way in every culture?  I don’t know.  It is in mine.
Shame is a manifestation of fear.  Fight fear as you would a plague.  It is the opposite of Love.
Take your knocks, shake it off and move on- looking forward, never back.  Continuing to fight the good fight of faith.
It is not what you do for others that sustains life and peace.  It is how you make them feel.  And that is …

When is a deal a deal?  When the words are spoken?  When the hands meet? When the contract is signed?
In contrast to some countries which have a reputation for corruption at the local and country levels- within government and in the private sector, too- the United States, for all its wayward steps and occasional embarrassments, continues to be respected and desired as a business partner.  The United States is known as a country where deals are reliable.   The United States is viewed as a place of safety, opportunity …