Intercultural relations

Transformar Educando brinda educación básica a los indígenas de la comunidad, así como clases de inglés, costura, confección y computación, con el objeto de calificarlos para que puedan tener acceso al mundo laboral en el sector turístico. A través de la promoción comunitaria se busca llegar al mayor número de participantes para que puedan beneficiarse de estos programas.

Transformar Educando planea implementar una estrategia de promoción, donde busca posicionar la marca y difundir los proyectos mediante herramientas de comunicación social. Asimismo, expandirá el proyecto de costura y confección para lograr una producción comunitaria, a través del asesoramiento y creación de microempresas establecidas por las mujeres. Por último, Transformar Educando planea incorporar herramientas tecnológicas que optimicen su administración y operación, fortaleciendo su efectividad y garantizando la calidad de sus servicios.

El gobierno local ayuda en el desarrollo comunitario, protección a la infancia, asesoría jurídica, asistencia social y apoyo económico. Se ha logrado recibir apoyo en difusión y económico, gracias a la ONG española, Ayuda a la Mujer Indígena, a través de subvenciones para la realización de proyectos, proveídos por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación del Gobierno de España. Las empresas privadas han apoyado económicamente, así como en el fomento de las competencias laborales.

Understanding and confronting the cultural and socioeconomic barriers to study abroad noted above, IEF targets Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, community colleges, inner-city schools and other institutions where traditionally under-served youth concentrate. IEF offers information, strategic corporate and nonprofit connections, mentoring, internships and scholarships to encourage talented, motivated youth to explore the transformative personal and career openings that global education alone can provide. IEF works with students, families, teachers, school officials, nonprofits and businesses, serving as a catalyst to identify, synthesize and mobilize extant community resources to actualize its charge to democratize global education and employment.

IEF’s core goal is to develop and test the efficacy of fostering early exposure to global learning and related resources for high-risk youth who might otherwise be able neither to study abroad nor benefit from its known benefits: academic persistence, personal growth and self-confidence, commitment to service, intellectual curiosity about the world at large and enhanced career readiness. To leverage and augment extant resources and school, corporate, and academic-persistence efforts, IEF will catalyze a strong local-regional profile and network before seeking to replicate its programs more broadly. IEF will also foster student interest in State Department-defined “critical languages” (Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi, Turkish, Persian, Korean, Russian) and linked cultures and destinations.

IEF’s prime corporate sponsor is International Studies Abroad (ISA), a national global learning leader. ISA offers generous start-up funding, office space, in-kind support and access to an overseas education network in 18 countries. Learning Programs International (LPI), ISA’s high school division, is a vital partner in IEF’s effort to encourage more talented at-risk youth to study abroad. IEF has partnered with Austin Independent School District to win State Department NSLI-Y funding ($60K) to support this summer’s Shanghai Mandarin-language program at East China Normal University, facilitated at cost by LPI. Austin Community Foundation, Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, Asia Society, Connect All Schools and Groupon G-Team also are supporting and promoting early IEF successes.

Unos de los pilares muy importantes en la realización del proyecto es la falta de inversión que actualmente no poseemos por parte de organismos, bancos, instituciones gubernamentales, etc.
Otra de las barreras que impide en concluir nuestro proyecto es la falta de capacidad y habilidades que existen en las comunidades por lo tanto necesitaremos de dicha inversión para poder asi darles una adecuada capacitación.

Seguir con las visitas a las comunas de nuestro país para así saber sus necesidades, lugares atractivos, costumbres, etc y así poder implantar nuevas estrategias o mejorar las que ya hemos implantado.
Una vez que tengamos la inversión arrancaremos con la operadora de turismo e desarrollo del turismo comunitario.

Nuestro actual proyecto es uno de los ganadores en el cual concursamos de Emprende Ecuador por lo tanto estamos en proceso para dicha premiación y poder seguir con la implementacion de dicho proyecto.

Parc-Extension has one of the highest unemployment rates of the province. We will create 10-12 jobs simply by opening the café.

We will also be giving an imprtant first chance to emerging artists, who often cannot afford the high cost of renting a performance venue and do not know how to manage the logistics of putting on their first shows.

Lastly, we are planning a skillshare program in the café to train community members in specific tades using a peer-based approach.

We hope to add new activities in the future, such as the direct fair-trade importing and roasting of our own coffee beans. We would also like to create a "pole" of socially-responsible businesses and social enterprises in the building, and someday own the building as a cooperative. Lastly, we were inspired in part by another non-profit café, who shared with us many lessons they had learned. We hope to be able to do the same with other non-profit ventures in the neighbourhood.

We have partnered with a small company in Toronto to use their LED lightbuibs and sell them in our eco-boutique. This will help us reduce our carbon footprint while promoting their excellent product. We are also collaborating with a non-profit coffee importer and roaster, who introduced us to an espresso machine refurbisher. We have a beautiful machine from the 70s that works better than ones built today! And the Ministry of Innovation, Importation and Exportation wants to promote the cultural industry in Québec, so they are helping to fund our first year so that we might promote emerging artists in theatre, music, dance, visual arts, circus arts, performance art and new media.

The project is an answer to the deficient housing situation in this ethnic Community located in the urban area. No doubt, the support that is provided to this population group goes against marketing and speculation in terms of housing in our country, against insecurity of owning the land and also against exclusion and discrimination, which are very typical of our cities.
As stated above, with a first project it was possible to improve 60 houses (many of which were rebuilt). However, resources were not sufficient and there are 20 houses pending improvement, and it is pending the construction of floors and interior finishing for more than 50 houses.
Furthermore, at present there are three community bathrooms which are not enough to adequately meet the needs of the whole population.
In this connection, works to improve housing and habitat in general shall be made in different stages. However, the new Project which started in August 2010 focuses the largest portion of its funds to training / technical assistance actions, organizational empowerment and the strengthening of political incidence in order to develop self-management processes to face the problems which affect community in terms of housing, land and habitat. Therefore, it is urgent to have additional funds to improve houses (within the framework of house progressivity) as part of integral processes aiming at harmonizing constructive work with the formation of empowered and strengthened communities with proposal skills and political incidence abilities. This project has great importance due to the possibility of it being replicated by other communities which in their condition of “urban natives” have not achieved improvements in their life quality, even more when from government actions assistance to the indigenous communities is geared specifically to the rural area.

In development and housing projects whilst the intentions are invariably good, in reality mistakes are unfortunately often made that lead to unsafe and/or resource hungry buildings being constructed. This is usually due to either a) the local community being unaware of the technical detailing required for a robust design, or b) the technical experts being unaware of the local environment and social context where the housing is located.
Engage for Development works on the basis of Knowledge Exchange and Hands-on-Work. This means that in any project work group there is a mix of locals, volunteers and representatives from the partner NGO. By carrying out the on-site work together the correct conditions are created for technical and practical skills to be exchanged, whilst also bringing societal and environmental factors to light. In this way the lack of technical or local knowledge that often provides a barrier to the home improvement/progressive housing market is eliminated.

Engage for Development does not currently collaborate with private companies. However we have worked alongside and been supported by companies in the past. This is usually due to the fact that the Directors and Officers of Engage generally work for engineering consultancies. An example of this is the overlap between Engage for Development and Ove Arup & Partners, both of whom are currently involved in housing projects with the same local NGO in El Salvador. Engage facilitates the Imperial College London El Salvador Project, and Arup is providing consulting services for a seismic analysis and improvement program for a housing design. Furthermore one of the directors of Engage is the project manager for the Arup project. Whilst there is no formal collaboration in the project, both organisations inevitably cooperate for a common cause. In the future Engage plans to take a more active role in the funding and facilitating of the housing improvement program designed by Arup. This reflects the fundamental pillar of Engage to facilitate projects organised by students supported by professionals. It is essential to have a professional institution review the designs to be constructed, so that no grave technical mistakes will be made on-site. This is also a further example of how Engage’s activities are based around Knowledge Exchange. Finally, the projects facilitated by Engage often receive a great deal of funding from private companies. These tend to be engineering based, but have in the past also extended to financial consultancies at charitable companies.

Please refer to the answer above. Engage for Development has worked alongside companies with the same NGO for a common cause. In the future we also plan to more actively support and facilitate the Ove Arup & Partner’s housing improvement program. Additionally the projects we facilitate usually receive a great deal of funding from private companies, ranging from engineering consultancies to financial institutions and charitable companies.

Yes. The mindset in the DR and Haiti is fixated on concrete block. We provide all the positive attributes of block, plus we dramatically exceed block on all measurable factors from insulation content to carbon footprint. Again we have the issue of status quo, few want to change from systems that they are accustomed to. However, the key to introducing the new technologies is the price. Ecological benefit does not readily change business behavior on this island. What will make the change is proven money savings. The DR and Haiti are interconnected to the point that once an innovation has proven to actually save money, it can be adopted quickly. Active and direct opposition to implementation of beneficial solutions should not be underestimated. When SSIP construction is clearly demonstrated to save money, reduce construction times and reduce the building’s long term operating costs, the concrete industry will be negatively effected, and they will not be happy. Some projects can be started now with imported materials, but the real changes will come after our DR factory is up and running, and the first buildings directly demonstrate the benefits that the SSIP system provides. SSIP construction is far superior to frame construction as well, but the construction industry in the US has been extremely slow to move from the status quo. For the multiple benefits of SSIP construction and for future innovations including hydrogen fuel options and renewable energy systems, success in small nations so close to the US may eventually provide the leverage to move the US further toward adopting sustainable solutions.

Our list of collaborators includes, the following for-profit companies: Sun Ovens International, Transcon Steel, Grupo Duarte (Legal Services and Business Development in Santo Domingo, DR), Cedano Legal Services, Elfi Wall Systems, Neptun Ultra-Efficiency Lighting, Woodgas Stoves, Architecturalhotwire.com, rebuildhaitibetter.ning.com and 19-Grado Estudio Sostenible (Sustainable Architectural Design Studio); as well as the following non-profit organizations: Grupo Jaragua, Grupo CONACADO, SHE-Inc. Solar Household Energy, Global Exchange, WBEZ – Chicago Public Radio, Solar Cookers International, The University of San Francisco, Faith in Place, Rise International, Bethel UCC Elmhurst, IL, The Zakat Foundation of America, The Natura Park Ecological Foundation, The Annual Higuey Book Fair and The Rotary Club of Higuey, DR.

El Fuego del Sol Geotourism Alliance connects and collaborates with non-profits, corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, innovators and activists toward improving the environment and society. We are a true Hybrid Network: we form close working relationships with for-profits and non-profits to work together to improve ecological and social environments in the DR and Haiti.
El Fuego del Sol is an independent secular triple-bottom-line (focusing on people, planet and profit) company that seeks to work with any entity of any affiliation toward the mutual goals of improving society and the environment. We respect all backgrounds and traditions in our quest to find common ground and move forward together. We follow the cost-plus-fixed-fee model to transparently offer a just price for the products and services we offer. We are working to financially sustainably provide ecological products that provide for all basic human needs. Our partnerships further that goal. MBA programs teach about the concepts of: triple-bottom-line, hybrid social enterprise business networks, cost-plus, and social entrepreneurs, but few examples are actively engaging those concepts and documenting their efforts, but El Fuego del Sol exemplifies all of those concepts, in association with our network partners. Thank you for this networking opportunity to share information about El Fuego del Sol with Changemakers from around the world.

The Global Pedal-Pedes-Power stations and Mass Transit online games system is a holistically inclusive project. All may participate; ideally, those able to afford the expense of installation will donate equipment to financially-challenged sites/regions; every citizen will be welcome to use the equipment, produce/donate power, play the games, aid the environment, and help save the planet. By making urban and rural transit, waiting areas, public zones, eco/tourist sites, etc., more attractive, enjoyable, and productive, it is hoped that infrastructure, local economy (through happier patrons and the prizing/local entrepreneur potential), production of renewable energy, reduction of pollution, local jobs for maintenance and upgrading of the equipment/systems, and other development will all improve.

I am seeking opportunities to collaborate now. I have spoken with the (D.C.) Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority (buses etc), PepCO and Dominion Power (holding) companies, Staybridge and other hotel business owners, some gaming and innovation experts, marketing/branding experts, and a few other specialists, in initial, non-public inquiries, with much positive feedback.

n/a so far

Yes - Project Survival Pacific received financing to take 11 young people from the Pacific Islands to COP15 from the United Nations Global Youth Program and from GetUp. We ran an application process, organised Visas, and travel/accomodation for each canditate.

provide financing and inkind help from Australia to Pacific Islands

Local communities threatened by climate change, Pacific Island governments, Australian -- holiday/volunteering

Increase tourist numbers, preserve culture & natural environment