Source: connecther.org
Getting Involved: 2012 Women’s & Social Conferences
2012 is shaping up to be a year filled with exciting conferences, symposiums, and conventions for social change and female leaders, bringing together bright minds looking to create a better future. Here are just some of the opportunities that Connecther is looking forward to in the first half of the year:
Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit 2012 - January 19-20, 2012. Held at Columbia University in New York, the 2012 Womensphere Conference, “Create the Future,” seeks to provide programming and resources to empower the next generation of female leadership by bringing together women from premier companies and organizations, leading graduate programs, and top undergraduate institutions to learn from and collaborate with one another.
Dynamic Women in Business Conference - February 25, 2012. The 21st annual Dynamic Women in Business Conference hosted by the Women’s Student Association at Harvard Business School promises to be an exciting event with three keynote presentations and panel sessions throughout the day, bringing together over 1,000 female students, faculty, and business leaders.
Social Enterprise Conference - February 25-26, 2012. With this year’s theme as “Innovation, Inclusion, & Impact,” the 13th annual Social Enterprise Conference hosted in Boston by Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government is a leading forum for engaging in dialogue on some of our world’s foremost social issues and how enterprise is working to solve them.
Washington Nonprofit Conference - March 1-2, 2012. The Washington Nonprofit Conference will provide a keynote presentation and 30 educational sessions covering areas from relationship-building and donor engagement to social media in the nonprofit sector.
Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship - March 28-30, 2012. Held in Oxford, England, the Skoll Forum is an innovative and inspiring gathering of the leading thinkers in the intersection of social change and enterprise. The conference provides ample opportunity to meet in small groups and network with other attendees to encourage collaboration on tackling social problems.
Global Philanthropy Forum - April 16-18, 2012. The GPF Conference in Washington, D.C., connects donors to issues and attempts to create a global network of social investors who are committed to international causes and are informed and enabled participants in their work.
Posted by Kerry Hammond
Support 25@$25 Today
Through January 9th, join Connecther in supporting our 25 @ $25 campaign and make a difference in the lives of women and children all over the world. 25 @ $25 provides the first project that reaches 25 donors at $25 with a $500 grant from Connecther.
Check out all of our projects here. Below are some of the projects you could support and the lives you could make a difference in.
These DiscoverHope Fund recipients were recently given a $2,500 match by one of our (generous) donors! Your donation to MicroCredit PLUS education for women in Peru on Connecther will be matched dollar for dollar through February 1st, 2012 (up to $2500.00).
Give Light’s Project, building durable orphanages in natural disaster-prone communities so that children can be educated in a happy and thriving community. Give Light is currently in first place!
Hope for Senegal, helping marginalized women and girls thrive, serving over 4000 rural girls
Vanavevhu’s Beekeeping Project, allowing child-led households to maintain healthy, productive homes
Shining Hope for Communities - Kibera School for Girls
Posted by Kerry Hammond
Contact Us at Connecther@gmail.com
My Haitian Cab Driver
It was 5:45 am Monday morning and there were only two cab drivers waiting in Harvard Square. The first cab driver accidentally fell asleep in his parked cab. I woke him up and he apologized saying, “I’m sorry, I don’t drive this route.” The only other cab driver happened to be a guy who didn’t take credit cards. I had no cash. Luckily, my son was with me and had $40 cash to give me (as much as I’m sure he did not want to part with the cash :-).
It must have been meant to be for me to get this particular cab driver. I had just previously spoken on a couple of panels, one about social enterprise and the other on emerging markets at the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business’s Intercollegiate Business Convention (HUWIB). The cab driver told me he was from Haiti and we got to talking. He works as a cab driver in Boston, and sends money home to his wife and two daughters in Haiti. He wishes more Haitians shared his beliefs on raising strong, independent girls, and knows that supporting these values is better for their futures. I was happy to learn that one of his daughters is pre-med and the other has a background in finance.
We began talking about the recent earthquake. In a defeated tone, he said that in Haiti they always prepared for hurricanes, not earthquakes. I asked about all of the relief efforts I heard about American nonprofits engaging in. His look at me in the rear view mirror compelled me to stop and wait for him to speak. He said that when the earthquake happened, the Haitians, including himself, were the first ones on the ground setting up medical stations, providing services and helping people cope and survive. “Did you hear about our efforts?” I simply replied, “No.”
He went on to speak of the various instances in which the money from nonprofits are not reaching the actual people in need. As in many cases with foreign aid, although well-intentioned, the money and help does not trickle down to the people. In the case of nonprofit money not reaching the people, it might be because of too much bureaucracy or high consulting and administrative fees.
My Haitian cab driver did mention that there was a nonprofit that was doing great work in Haiti. He asked, “Have you heard of Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health?”. Oddly enough, I had just spoken on a panel with Donella Rapier, current CFO of Partners in Health. He said, “They are really reaching and helping the people of Haiti.” Inspired by this, we asked Partners in Health if they would consider posting a project helping women and children in Haiti on Connecther. Their answer was yes!
I really want to learn more about local people helping in their communities. At Connecther, we post projects that are helping women, girls and children in their quest for self-reliance. We really look for projects where local people become vested in the project. We don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we are one big family, all working together for each other. Are there projects that you know of that you would support on Connecther? Which women’s issues and causes do you think most need our help? Contact us at connecther@gmail.com.
Posted by Lila Igram
Contact Us at Connecther@gmail.com
Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society. For building stable peace we must find ways to provide opportunities for people to live decent lives.
Source: goodreads.com
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Connecther posts quotes, videos and links to stories about women and girls from developing communities who are working to become self-reliant. We also continually spread the word about new ways entrepreneurship is being used to solve world problems. All this on our facebook page - www.facebook.com/connecther - Just like Us!
