2010

Oh, the inevitable year in review post! It's New Year's Eve and I find myself (as usual) looking back on the year's blog posts, written letters, and photos, allowing myself that moment's respite. What can I really say about 2010? I think more than anything else, it's been a year of stability. A year of settling into myself. I've gotten into my groove at work and learned that I do really love and enjoy working at the intersection of the non-profit sector and online media. I've mastered this world of undergraduate studies (and am so very ready to move on!). And I've spent many a lovely moments with the people that I love...learning how to balance this trifecta that is my life. After the whirlwind that was my 2009, I think it's safe to say that this year was relatively tame...and thankfully so!

But it's drawing to a close and something tells me that what lies ahead will be anything but tame or stable. 2011 is graduation year and no longer will I be enclosed in the safe shell that I've known all my life, this world of school and academia. I end my 16 year romance with formal education...thrilled and apprehensive at the same time. And what comes next? Who knows? I've no plans and no maps laid out in front of me. I didn't do the whole grad school application thing nor am I planning to do the whole find-a-job-and-jump-into-the-rat-race thing either. Instead, I hope only to satisfy this beast of wanderlust that lies inside of me, travelling to new countries and exploring different cultures. I'll be in this in-between place, a sort of limbo as I figure out what my next move should be. 2011 and beyond is just a whole load of uncertainty. No firm plans of any sort. Terrifying? A tad. Exciting? Beyond.

Alas, it looks like 2010 has been the calm before the storm. And as for 2011? Je ne sais pas! So in the meantime, let's drink to the year that was and welcome the unknown that lies ahead of all of us!

Cheers to you all! Here's to making ourselves and the world better each day...

 xoxo.

Changing the Picture

Get ready for some shameless self-promotion, people! Journalists for Human Rights is throwing its first ever art auction on December 9 at Propeller Art Gallery from 6:30-10:00PM. The event, in support of jhr, will feature the unique work from artists all across the country with each giving their own interpretation on the meaning of hope, empowerment, and change. We want to focus on and celebrate art's very real potential to influence positive change in society.

Proceeds from the event will support jhr’s projects in the DRC, Liberia, and Sierra Leone as well as the Canadian art community.  So on the eve of Human Rights Day, join us in culture, cause, and celebration!

For more information and registration, please visit: http://changingthepicture.eventbrite.com/

Cultivating Culture

In my ongoing mission to foster and cultivate a culture that is more open and embracing of social media at jhr, I held a "Social Media 101" workshop a couple of weeks ago for all of our staff members and interns. I set out initially to demonstrate what exactly this "social media thing" is and how our organization is currently using it to advance our mission. It was a great way to get everyone on the same page because oftentimes, we get so busy and caught up in our own individual departments that we forget to actively involve ourselves and work in synergy (yes, I used that favourite buzz word) with the other departments. Working in social media, I have the pleasure of working with all the various departments on a frequent basis. Synergy, not silos! Rah, rah, rah!

Many non-profit organizations are quickly capitalizing (though many more are still hesitant) on the potential that social media has to offer to expand their donor and volunteer base and to raise awareness for their cause. I follow the work of many charities and NPOs very closely, trying to learn from their successes and yes, more importantly, their failures. I wanted to share these teachings with my colleagues too to show them that social media does work and that it can have an impact. And really, what better way to demonstrate the success and failure of another NPO than to actually hear from another NPO? The lovely Erin Swanson, Communications and New Media Coordinator of water.org, graciously spared her time to tell us about her experiences with water.org and the many lessons she's learned from managing their online media channels. It was such a great learning moment for everyone (myself included!) and I know that our staff and interns left that boardroom feeling more inspired to join the social media bandwagon. In fact, I've been watching my "jhr team" list on Twitter and seeing a lot more activity from them. And in the past few weeks, there's been so much more dialogue on how to really amp up our social media efforts. I know it's geeky but I won't lie, it makes me feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside! ONWARD WE GO!

21 jahre mauerfall

I should be writing an essay right now but then I just tuned into the news for a quick second and realized that today is the 21st anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and as usual, it took me back to the time that I visited that oh-so-historic wall two summers ago. I wrote a blog post about this last year as well and here I am writing about it again. There's something about this moment in history that gets at me every time. Any time I visit a museum, watch TV, or browse a newspaper, if there's something about the Berlin Wall, you can bet that I'll spend time visiting that exhibit, watching that show, or reading that article. There's something infinitely alluring about the history behind it...maybe it's my disbelief in the incredible scope and depth of oppression experienced in East Germany at the time...or the story of the triumph of the human spirit against that very oppression...or perhaps it's that electrifying collective effervescence felt around the world the night and days after the wall fell, and that even I can still feel just by watching videos from that time....

Whatever it is, I'm drawn to this particular moment in history like a magnet...but I won't linger and write more. Last year's post captured my feelings exactly...