There are two kinds of people in the world: those who travel and those who don’t. Before you decide that this statement is pretentious and offensive, hear me out. I…
Sickness and Recovery: Perspectives from a Type A Personality
For all you Type-A personalities out there, not much slows you down. Driven and motivated, we are the self-starters, go-getters, high-functioning doers who succeed at so much and strive for…
The Serendipity of Friendship and New York City
New York City has a lot to offer. Millions of inhabitants, visitors, and even I, can attest to this. But this isn’t a story about NYC and all it has…
No Time to Forget Women in South Sudan
“If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a family.” -African Proverb South Sudan is no stranger to war. Since its successful…
Travel, Activism, Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment? Find it all with Stirring the Fire.
In honor of Women’s History month, I want to highlight a project that is doing transformative work on girls’ and women’s empowerment around the world. Based out of Washington State,…
CEDAW, Women’s Human Rights, and the United States
I am fortunate to be taking an online course on monitoring women’s human rights around the world through the Human Rights Education Association. As with any globally-oriented class having students…
Child Brides & Toddlers and Tiaras: a Reflection
Just having finished the book I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced & a recent National Geographic article on child brides (Too Young to Wed, June 2011), I feel compelled…
Istanbul: Fascinating, Ancient, and Male
Being plagued with a nasty bought of jetlag did not minimize the awe effects of the old city of Istanbul. We arrived bleary-eyed at Atatürk Airport, having bounced through Germany…
The Intersections of Domestic Violence and and the Arms Trade
In my overly-ambitious nature, my enthusiasm to write about violence against women perhaps got the better of me for this topic – one of several for the ’16 Days of…
Violence Against Women and Culture: A Symbiotic Relationship
Culture is the reason why violence against women exists. Unique to ethnic, linguistic or geographical groups, culture defines what is acceptable and what is not. Cultures the world over condone…
Domestic Violence in the Civil Legal System: Quiet Tragedies
What does domestic violence typically bring to mind? An image of a physically battered and bruised woman. While this is an authentic representation of many of the cases, domestic violence…
Not Your Typical Trip to Cambodia
I recently traveled to Cambodia with a unique purpose: to follow two different Cambodian NGOs over a 3 week period. I was a part of a small documentary team and…