CPO progress

assignments 1-2 are done.
im meeting with our CPO adviser on tuesday.
the 3rd workshop will be on wednesday.
new assignment will be due next monday.
help!!!
it's budget. so we NEED your help.

love, pace, cpo, yo.
D.

CPO homework II.

OK so these are the things we have to consider when we write the first assignment (the one I wrote about a minute ago).

1. Clearly state the critical problem or unmet needs your project is addressing.
2. Discuss the economic and social disadvantages experienced by the target population that give rise to this critical problem or unmet need.

3. Cite sources that elaborate on the economic and social disadvantages as well as sources that suggest or support the notion that this critical problem or unmet need should be addressed.

4. Briefly state how your project will attempt to address this critical problem or unmet need.

5. Describe the role of the community in assessing and prioritizing the components your project will utilize in its efforts.

6. Suggest the consequences if this critical problem or unmet need go unaddressed. Make sure to cite sources that support your statements.


fuck it. this is tough. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

CPO homework

Dear All.
So I'm working on the first assignment thats due on Monday for CPO - to get those $10,000 :DDDD SO HELP!!!!!!!!
I have to write a 'Statement of Need' and the main questions are these:
1. Whats the significance of our name?
I thought we can break this down into 3 parts:
a. high school: why is this our target group? what's the importance of reaching high schoolers in particular?
b. activism: we give them info, but more importantly, we give them the basic the tools of activism
c. outreach: we are not limited to work with the UCLA community - contrary to out mother group, DAC -, but we want to reach out to others.
2. Why did your project start?
I feel like Anjana is the right person to answer this, cos she came up w the idea, as far as i know. So Anjana, share your thoughts.
I guess it's something like this: encouraging UCLA folks is hugely important, but reaching out to younger kids is crucial too, cos we show them a path in time. But Anjana, elaborate!
3. Are the conditions that motivate the creation of your project the same as the day your project began?
Well... Are they? I guess... I also thought of incorporating middle schools, I just wish you you were here before this thing is due and we could sit down and talk about it. Boo. :(( So has anything changed? Maybe that we have more people and experience. But the motivation is the same, I guess.
Say something!!!
4. If yes, please elaborate. IF no, what has changed and how has your project been an impetus to that change?
I feel like we could include the middle school experience,
BECAUSE (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) they emphasized it at the workshop that they are SOOOOOOOO happy for any change that takes place between each application. They want innovations!!!!!!
So I asked Vusi, our advisor, and he said it's "great" that we are trying out new things. He said, we should mos def write about this part of HSAOP and keep the name. We should only change the name, if the middle school part becomes very big, which I doubt will happen in the near future.

But anyway.
PLEEEEASE post your ideas!!!!!!!!!!!

Should I just post things here from now on? Is everyone checking it? I check it every day. If everyone does, we can just talk there. lemme know.

Oh and I will post an update about yesterday's hsaop day. so much has happened.... +/- too

love, peace, darfur, kids, CPO, yo.
D.

CPO workshop II.

Dear All.
So we missed the first workshop of CPO. But I went to the second one - THANK GOD! God knows what we would do if we didn't have all this precious information... It was soo useful!!! I took notes.
THE DEADLINE FOR OUR ***PERFECT AND INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE PROPOSAL***
IS AUGUST 14th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was about setting up our
1. goals
2. objectives
3. methodology
We need to do the homework for next Monday 8am, which is to write all these down. It's pretty hard to explain what these are and everything they told us. So I'm really worried. It's basically Erina and I who are here in LA from HSAOP and we really need your help. We're also teaching at the middle school, plus I work, so pleaseeee!!!!
We also have to hand in another assignment that we're late with - it was due this Monday. That's a statement of need, but even I don't know what that is - I have to read all the handouts Vusi gave me.
So Vusi will be our project advisor, he's really great and very helpful. I'm meeting him next Tuesday one on one, so we'll see!
Bottomline. If ANYONE can help me with this, please let me know ASAP!

Until then,
keep your fingers crossed, cos Erina et moi are going to do the 3rd week of the workshop tomorrow. This week is about Burma ... and let me tell you, I worked my ass off on this presentation, so it'd better be good!!!! Erina is preparing for her GRE, but she's still doing it :)

I love youuuuuuuuuu all and I WISH you were here!!!!! (well, cos this is a shit load of work hahaha, but also cos teaching is sooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

So peace, kids, and powerpoints,
Dodo

HSAOP summer Part II.

Dear, beloved, precious, HSAOP people!
Where are you? I miss you!!!! Work is hard and not as much fun without you!!!! :((((((
You should really be here to meet these kids, cos they are amazing!!!!!
So here is what happened on the second week of summer HSAOP @ the Crossroads Middle School ;)

Just like last week, the kids are still adorable, smart, and not at all afraid to talk, ask, or comment, unlike the high school kids! It's amazing how much these kids know - and how much they're willing to share their ideas! I'm beginning to think this might be a new path... for me, and for HSAOP? We should talk about this in September!!! We should reach out to younger kids, too!

I taught with Zohreh, this week - about REFUGEES. I'm happy we are talking more about human rights in general and focusing on other issues besides Darfur. We still talk about Darfur every week, but there is so much more to talk about! Tell me what you think!!!

Erina, Zohreh, and I worked on the presentation for a good while, Zohreh and I ending up rehearsing at 4 am :D

We basically talked about general 'definitions' of refugees and IDPs, we played a quiz, we talked about 'the' refugee experience, and talked a lot about life in the camps. At the end of the class I introduced Zohreh to them in a different way - this time, I told them she came to the US as a refugee, from Iran. They asked tons of questions, which was our goal!!! :) We also gave each kid a card of my refugee kids from Burma: a picture of one of them and their story on the back of the card... Something to take with them... A story. A real story. Of children, like them.

Here are some pics ;)))
the cards


my little girl, Mying Mying San

Yay!!!! Next week, we'll talk about Burma, since some of them already know about it, and many have asked about it, AND the guy who invited us is a big Burma person, so he really wanted us to incorporate it in the curriculum.

If you have any ideas/suggestions, please share them!!!!!!!!!
Peace, love, kids, yay!!!
D.

Hola my dear HSAOP friends,
yesterday Erina et moi went to Crossroads High School in Santa Monica to teach 12 year old middle school kids.

We were soooo impressed how smart they were! We asked them who activists are, what human rights are, and we loved their answers - they are so bright kids!!! We asked the if they heard of Darfur, and they KNEW it's a region and a genocide is going on! I wish you were all there!!!

Still, our favorite was, when an adorable kid raised his hands when we were talking about human rights violations and said he thought Al Quaeda was a place :) It's funny at first, but then think about it.. this is what the media do to us...
But anyway, everything went great!!! We talked about everything we planned to and they were such a great audience and in general, great, smart kids!!!
They were a lot more willing to talk than our high school kids - I guess you are not afraid to say a wrong answer when you're a kid. We loved it!

We have 4 more weeks to go! Since the presentations are 30 minutes each, we have to redesign them. We are also changing many things, since we were asked to talk more about human rights in general, than Darfur in specific. So we want to have a refugee day, a Burma day, a genocide day, a Congo/violence against women day, and maybe another Darfur day on the last week, with Burma and Tibet --> China's responsibility.
If anyone wants to join, pls let me know. I'm doing it alone next week. :S
Go activism!!!!!! Go young generation!!!!!

HSAOP rocks in the summer!

As I said before, I got to know this man who organizes camps for kids. So I got us invited to teach about Darfur, but then he said they need a broader context --> human rights violations. We will go every week. This is a technology camp, so we need to talk about media and internet. I know that the first two weeks will be internet and video making. We only have 30 mins, which sucks, but we'll do our best. Also, we're trying to get the kids active right away, so that they can get Service Points, and be motivated. Right now, Erina and I are working on this. If anyone can help, let us know please. We will go this week together, but for next week I really need someone to come with me.
So this is what we will do.

Week One: Human Rights + Online Actions
- human rights: definition
- the conflict in Darfur: briefly
- ties between Sudan + China
- how to take online action: I made a doc of links and explanations about this.

1. Dream for Darfur
http://www.dreamfordarfur.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=6&Itemid=39
How to get there: www.dreamfordarfur.org >>> Take Action
Petitions you can sign will be sent to
a. the International Olympic Committee
b. the Olympic Sponsors
c. UN Ambassadors of France, Russia, the US, and the UK
d. The UN Special Adviser on sport for Development and Peace

2. Save Darfur
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition
How to get there: www.savedarfur.org >>> Take Action >>> Tell the World Leaders to Act
Petitions you can sign will be sent to
a. President Bush
b. UN SG Ki-moon Ban

3. Jewish World Watch
http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/advocate/30second.html
How to get there: www.jewishworldwatch.org >>> Advocate >>> 30 second actions
Petitions you can sign will be sent to
a. The G8 to make Darfur a Priority
b. President Bush to get troops on the ground in Darfur
You can also call Senators to fund urgent needs in Darfur.
4. Switch over to Darfur
How to get there: http://www.switchovertodarfur.org/ >>> Take Action
Petitions you can sign will be sent to Olympic Sponsors.
You can also pledge to Switch Over to Darfur videos during the Olympics.

5. STAND
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1432/t/6430/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=23750
How to get there: www.standnow.org>>> Act >>> I Vote for Darfur>>> Sign the Petition
Petitions you can sign will be sent to the Presidential Candidates.

6. Human Rights Watch
http://www.kintera.org/c.dhLOK6PGLoF/b.3677843/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx
How to get there: http://humanrightswatch.org/ >>> Take Action>>> Darfur
Petitions you can sign will be sent to UN Ambassadors and the UNSG.

Week Two: Human Rights + Videos
We have two plans, we will incorporate them depending on how much time they give to us.
I. DARFUR
1. Showing them videos of Darfur, campaigns, Mia Farrow, GenGen, etc.
2. Talking about movies on human rights violations. Holocaust, Hotel Rwanda, Darfur Now, etc.
III. BURMA
3. We will switch to Burma - the guy is a dedicated Burma activist
Their task will be to make a mix of music videos with a lot of dancing in it. We will send this to the orphanage I was at on the Thai-Burma border. The kids there spent most of the day dancing and learning the choreography of music videos - Thai pop sucks btw -, so I know that some new 'footage' would mean the world to them!!!!!

PLEASE let us know what you think.
Dodo