Hunger in an Age of Plenty

This semester, I'm taking a class called "The Art of Advocacy: In/Out of Government", which I'm finding absolutely fascinating. The course is particularly interesting because lobbying normally engenders disillusionment, but "advocacy" takes a much broader look. I chose the class because the syllabus was based around 5 issues I thought would be interesting to learn about: hunger/food security, PEPFAR, Israeli War of 1967, BP Horizon oil spill, and the recent wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. The focus of the class is not to argue the issues themselves, but use them as case studies of advocacy, of how change happened or didn't happen. We'll spend two weeks on each issue, discussing as a class during the first week, and in the second week bringing in guest speakers who have played truly substantial roles in the issue.

So this coming week we're starting the first case study on hunger in an age of plenty. Stayed up late last night reading because I couldn't put the book down. First time in this program that I've enjoyed an assignment so much that I'd sacrifice sleep because I'm so fascinated! The book is "Enough: Why the World's Poor Starve in an Age of Plenty" by Thurow & Kilman, and is basically a very well-articulated argument for ending global hunger -- essentially one very long policy briefing! I recommend it.

The thoughts below are some personal thoughts that came up, although they're mostly tangential to the book content:

1) A couple years of bumper crops in Ethiopia were immediately followed by famine, caused mostly because of market failures during the plentiful years. When the production increased, there was no market nor storage facilities for the excess supply, so the glut of crops caused prices to decrease and farmers actually lost money. As a result, farmers didn't plant as much the next growing season, and drought whittled away additional crops, so the years of bounty were followed by scarcity and famine. This story reminded me of Joseph in Egypt with the 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of scarcity. Where was the prophet / the man of God in Ethiopia? Why didn't anyone see into the future and manage the years of plenty to sustain life during scarcity? Someone should have been there, someone able to hear from God and partner with Him to transform that situation.

2) There's so much "technology"/skill behind agriculture, which I'd like to experience first-hand. I don't have any land myself, so it might be interesting to get a plot at a community garden. Even if I only do it for one growing season, I feel that growing some crops/vegetables would provide me with:

a) a small-scale perspective on the struggles of farmers in developing countries;

b) an opportunity to ponder biblical metaphors concerning seed, planting, harvest, etc., particularly since a prophetic word to me was that I have "planter's hands"; and

c) an avenue to relate more with my friends by inviting them to participate, sharing harvested foods, and bringing their children as a babysitting activity. Some of the kids are still too young, but I'm sure the 3-year-old boys would love the experience. What little boy doesn't enjoy digging in dirt? :) Not sure what the costs and time commitment would be, so I'll look into it but maybe won't actually obtain one until after I finish grad school.

3) Finally, one point actually on the topic of advocacy. In many ways it struck me that effective advocacy is a form of empathy. In trying to gain support for your position, you want to put yourself in your listeners' shoes and find the message that appeals to their passion. Lobbying frequently comes across as manipulations for self-interested reasons. However, I'm beginning to see that "advocacy" can be done from an entirely different position, one of uniting people under a common cause based upon values. I don't think I would ever want to work as a lobbyist, but I could potentially see myself "advocating" for an issue, either as a US citizen appealing to Congress, or as an IR professional to foreign governments. In those cases, I picture a role that really is more akin to advising -- researching an issue, asking God "What do you want?", and writing a policy brief in such a way that a government official, or a private client, or a non-profit could act upon that advice.

Looking forward to the class discussion (on Tuesday)!

workaholics

So funny. A symptom of our modern age and a reflection of "communication" skills.

I especially love the physical comedy of it, like when he brushes off the bottom of her hand, or how she rests her head on her opposite hand while he flops her arm around.

Translational and basic science

Just some notes to myself to research. Thoughts came out of Peggy Zelenka's retirement party plus the PI mtg discussion about translational research.

When did scientists say the earth is round? How long was it from then until someone carried that out into trying to sail around the world (get to a location from the opposite direction). Started with basic science and hypotheses, but the practical implications of that science ended up being the “discovery” and colonization of the Americas by Europe.

more links

Hans Rosling in Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 global thinkers

Did You Know? -- a look at our future world
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking#p/u/4/pMcfrLYDm2U
from http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/versions

Gapminder. org

I went to a really good lecture at NIH today by Hans Rosling, creator of Gapminder. I want to remember the link, so I thought putting it here in my blog would be an easy way to access it later.

Basically it's a tool to graph statistical informormation concerning global development indicators and allows non-statisticians to more easily understand trends. His software is actually named Trendalyzer and has been purchased by Google. I really appreciate the ability of these graphs to transform people's worldviews. Many still view the world according to the facts of 1950, when the world was divided into the West and the developing world; between small families with long lives and large families with short lives. But there has been massive change and transformation in the development of nations in the last 50 years, and especially in the last 10, including the rise of Asia. The sequence of progress for these former "developing world" countries has been very different from the West. In the West, wealth was developed first and then health. In emerging countries, health has developed first, which is now allowing wealth to grow astonishingly quickly. This caused a shift in Rosling's perspective, to now believe that disease causes poverty, not the reverse.

So instead of a polar world of West contrasted with developing world, we now live in a world defined by economic level. Rosling sees the world as collapsed/low/middle/high income. Collapsed are countries like Afghanistan -- very few fall into this category. Low income are countries receiving aid, which have less than $1K USD/capita -- about 2 billion people. Middle income are emerging economies, with between $1-10K USD/capita -- about 3 billion people. High income is the West + 20%, with greater than $10K USD/capita -- about 1 billion people. This breakout is not sustainable and won't be with one superpower. For example, China is now accumulating $1B per day! Compare that to Gates Foundation which distributes $3B in aid per year. When the US economy crashed and the government needed money, they couldn't get it from their own population. The countries with money now are Brazil, China, etc.

In terms of health, most of the world now fits into the old picture of the "West" -- small families with long lives. Because of these healthy populations, the middle income countries are having incredible ecomonic growth. In the meantime, these are highly educated people who can get a diagnosis, e.g. cancer, and know of the appropriate treatments but can't afford them. The low income countries do still need help with diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. However, as development continues, they will work themselves out of poverty. Development = school, health, infrastructure, information, freedom & rights, credit, market & employment, security, etc. So the global health goals are two-fold:
1) bring health research to bear on the problems of low income people, e.g. solve TB
2) use populations of the whole world with all genetic variations for studies

Avatar

So after being buried under a pile of snow for a week, I went to the movies this evening and finally saw Avatar. It took a little while for my eyes to adjust to the 3D but once they did the images were really incredible. I loved being carried away into another world and may go see the movie again, just to examine the scenery.

But it also strikes me as ironic -- the movie transports us to another world, yet "there is nothing new under the sun." Human imagination is incredible and beautiful, from curly-que plants to insects with circular overhead wings to hammer-head animals to large blue "humans", and even to macro ideas like day/night and air and religion. But at the end of the day they are still plants, insects, birds, animals, etc. These things were all created by God, and we can't even imagine a world outside of these structures. It's meaningless to us. The other world is beautiful in it's variety and differences to ours, but underneath is actually still the same.
Especially the culture and religion of the "humans" (sorry, I don't remember what they're called) on this other planet is essentially ancient tribal and animist/antheist.
Regardless of the pantheism, I did appreciate the ideas about "joining". The humans have these neurons that can connect to the neurons in other beings, e.g. animals or trees. It's an organic connection, as opposed to the mechanical one of the regular humans from Earth. Examples of the mechanical one: the link into the avatars, the robot machines that a human can be inside of and controlling. I think that organic connection is an element missing in modern life that appeals to the audience. I keep encountering so many stories these days that seem to be successful because they do play on godly principles that people are longing for and don't have: connectedness to other humans beings, true manhood, sacrificial love, etc.

today

I heard today that I didn't get accepted into a work program that I applied for. The program would have let me keep my current job, but go work at an international health program overseas for 3 months next summer. I'm disappointed.... I really thought I would get in and had all these plans in my mind for the next year because of it. And now it's not happening and the future feels blank stretching out before me. Now I need an alternate plan, which I suppose is grad school. But I definitely feel discouraged -- if I couldn't get into this program, why would a grad school want me? blech....

I went and sat in my car for a lunch break and googled "dealing with disappointment". Read some good reminders that even the negatives in life can be used positively if you look at it the right way -- as a growing and learning experience, an experience of life.

loaded language

Over the holidays, my family met up in Tucson, Arizona, where we lived from '91 to '96. I can't remember the topic, but something elicited my brother Seth to say, "That's loaded." Mama was about to object when he clarified, "Loaded with meaning, like all language." I thought it was a really interesting point. Language itself is imbued or saturated with meaning. Every word we say or write has nuances, implications, and distinctions of meaning. Words are so detailed and precise....I wish I used them better.

So I was just reading a blog by a Jewish financial advisor who also happens to live in Tucson: http://larrygellman.blogspot.com/. He's been writing a few posts about Bernard Madoff who has stolen a record $50billion from investors. I've liked Gellman's take on it and on the ramifications for Jewish people. This ties into the language discussion because he also links to an article on the need for proportionality in our metaphors: http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/2009/01/madoff-and-adolf---bernie-hitl.html#preview. There is even a blog entirely dedicated to documenting disproportional uses of the Holocaust/Nazis/Hitler in metaphors: http://worsethanhitler.wordpress.com/. His "Primer" gives a good summary, although not necessarily great examples of alternatives. Interesting stuff, but ultimately, wouldn't you also consider the disproportionality of spending your time documenting this?

Wedding: Nayan & Lynn

I went to Nayan and Lynn's wedding in Atlanta this weekend. Took off work on Friday to drive down. The others in my car were Sando, Gbenga I., and Gbenga A. We arrived at night and the wedding was Saturday morning at 11:30am. I got up early to help set up, then the wedding plus reception, went out to eat for Saturday dinner. Church on Sunday morning with everyone from the wedding and the EC Embassy Atlanta. Went out to lunch after church with big group of people, then back in the car for the drive back, arriving back in DC late. That is the timeline version of the story.

It was really such a great weekend, an astounding wedding, fun drives, laughter, conversation.... The wedding itself was outstanding -- very simple in many ways without elaborate decorations or any sense of overdone expense. What came across most was the clear expression of true relationship. They had written some personal statements of love and commitment which were thought-provoking, poetic, true, and moving. From where I was sitting, I could see Lynn's face, tearing up as she listened to Nayan. My eyes were definitely watering too -- I can't watch such deep emotion without being moved as well. They made some very powerful statements. For example, Nayan talked about providing shade for her, leading her, defining her. I talked with Lynn about it later and I have never considered it that way before. God created a woman for Adam, but Adam was the one who named her. That principle of the man being meant to go to God and find the vision for his family and be able to bring that back and provide that to his wife. That there is some definition and identity that I cannot attain unless my husband speaks it to me.

The other clear expression of relationship was that of the community. We worshipped God at the beginning of the wedding and having so many members of Elijah Centre, we filled the area with praise. The ceremony was actually in a space that was essentially part of the foyer of the hotel, but there was no inhibition, no holding back. The family members who are not saved, or not part of our same worship culture, were standing there and I felt as if the worship must just overwhelm them. They could not help but be taken into our world. We sang "You Are" which exalts God, saying "You are who You are". And then "Together" which sings about our purpose in God, the fulfillment of all of God's will, and our standing together as a community which shall accomplish all God desires. In the context of a wedding, the lyrics were ideal. Nayan and Lynn saying they will walk in purpose together. And all of us as their family and friends, the community supporting them, that we are walking with them and they are walking with us. We are all invested in each other's lives; we have bought into each other. Nayan and Lynn have bought into my life, into the fulfillment of God's purpose in my life, and vice versa, I have bought into them. Individually before and now for them as a couple, as a family.

Another theme that came up over the weekend was my independence as woman. As a single woman, who has left my family (physically and spiritually in many ways), I've learned to be very independent -- I'm not a 'damsel in distress', I can do things for myself. But then to consider what it takes to be married, to submit. And even without that, I realize I need to develop more 'femininity'. Not a weakness of reliance, but that sense of allowing men to be men. It's an internal shift in the heart, although can start to be expressed in external things, whether it's in letting them hold doors open, carry my suitcase, drive the car, etc. That I don't need to do those things to prove that I'm strong. What does it really mean to be womanly? I think of Sis June and her descriptions of grace, prayer, care for your family, etc. I want to develop those skills further -- really the heart position of gracefulness, being constantly prayerful, concerned for the welfare of those around me (unselfish), as well as an external resourcefulness mixed with recognition of true weaknesses, care for physical appearance, etc. I also think of purity of speech and mind, lightness of heart, joy and peace -- those are the things which make a woman beautiful. Especially in this community, where the men are going through this whole Quarry process. I need to give them that space to be Quarry Men.

Another element that fascinates me with weddings is that transformation of identity. I may have an idea of who a certain guy is, but then when you see them in a relationship, you often see their real selves begin to blossom and be exposed. For example, in single life, you wouldn't have the chance to see how poetic Nayan is. I've always known that he is thoughtful, but the practical expressions and outworking of that in a relationship makes it that more evident. It makes me pause to consider how I see the guys in my life. Do I see them accurately? Do I see who they really are in God?

spacial reasoning

Back in 5th grade my teacher had me take one of those tests to see if you're gifted. The test has 3 sections: quantitative (math), verbal, and non-verbal. I scored highest in the non-verbal sections which contains various visual puzzles. Things like, of these 5 images, which one does NOT fit.

To this day, games that play on visual logic are still my favorite. Games like Tetris, Minesweeper (basic game provided by Windows), and Sudoku. I recently came across this game show for Human Tetris which I thought was hilarious. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84_QL1kEmH4

human connections

For me, the first image is reminiscent of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam". I love the juxtaposition of a world map onto the hands and what it says about the identity of each person. I personally feel like a map of many places and ideas all stitched together. I like the lines shooting from each hand, intertwining together....the electricity of touching another human being. That is what's fascinating about meeting and interacting with a new person -- discovering the map of their life, the elements that went into their development -- and the spark of new life you can create together. I want to understand others, not be turned off by our differences, but be able to decifer the true spirit behind the surface. To contribute the life of God inside of me to those I meet.

chocolate books

I love old books and the smell of the pages. I love small compartments for organizing. I love chocolate. This photo of chocolate type letters just thrills my imagination. I can just picture making a book with the pages made from catholic communion wafers and the letters from chocolate pressed onto them. Gives a whole new meaning to "devouring" a book. As well as "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Edible Bible anyone?

And the fragrance! Imagine walking through the old library at the Santo Domingo convent with the smell of a Mexican chocolate shop hovering in the air. Not just the rich scent of chocolate, but the cinnamon, chile, and other spices as well.

coat closet

Catherine and I have been looking for a 2bd/2ba apartment to move into. We're finally down to 2 choices. They are both 2-level townhouses, each with slightly varying pros and cons. One of them has little storage space, and I ran across this picture which gave me an idea for a "coat closet". In the corner of the living room, simply hang several of these wooden bird coat hangers from the ceiling, or maybe create a mobile. When no guests are over, the area will simply look like birds flying; and when guests arrive, it transforms. Unfortunately, the company currently only creates ravens. I would love to see various species: robins, bluebirds, etc. :)

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Left DC yesterday evening (Friday) and arrived in Amsterdam for layover at 7:30am. I'm on the same flight as Catherine and Akin. Since we don't fly out again until 1pm, I want to go into town, but didn't have the time to really research options prior to leaving home. I know there are Rembrandt paintings here though, so that is a priority. Found a museum shop in the airport and a book on Reijksmuseum with directions in the back, so double-checked with the cashier on exactly how to get there and talked Akin into going with me. :) Catherine can't leave the airport without a transit visa. Had to exchange some money into euros, then took the train to Amsterdam Centraal, and then a tram to the museum. Sun finally came up by the time we were taking the tram, so could see more of the city. Very dutch architecture, canals, european stores. Nothing really going on since it's early on a Saturday morning. Arrived at Reijksmuseum at about opening time, and had 1 to 1.5 hours to go through it.
Museum focuses:

• colonial power, especially naval
• dollhouses
• silverwork - gorgeous relief work
• blue & white porcelain: biblical or chinese figures, unique vases
• paintings: landscapes, still life of food, festive groups, portraits
• Rembrandt!: sober colors, stark contrasts of light, fine lines scratched into paint. focus on facial expression, little in background, true to life.
• Van Ruisdale: landscapes - low horizons
• Jan Steen
• Vermeer
• paintings of church building interiors
• Karel du Jardin: bible stories and other allegories

Really enjoyed the museum, particularly the paintings! Hurried back to the airport, picked up delicious pastries on the way. Met back up with Catherine. Turned out the plane to Nigeria was delayed an hour. Flight was another 8 hours, so slept, watched movie Stardust, and talked with the 2 Nigerians next to me. The guy asked me if I'm from New Zealand. Although I know I have a chameleon accent (changes depending on who I'm speaking with), I believe that kiwi association is a first. Quality of the airplane had decreased on this leg of the flight-- a common complaint of Africans. They pay the highest airfares, yet get the lower quality equipment. I believe this is standard across airlines, not just KLM. KLM employees also appear to be purely dutch, not international. Still, international travel is WAY nicer than domestic US flights. That fact alone helped me realize how "close" Africa is. Prior to this trip, Africa was still a very foreign place. Now I see it as simply being a longer flight away, no longer strange or unknown.

Arrived in Lagos on Saturday night. Friend of Sawyerr family (Mr. Clemons) helped us get our baggage and smooth the way through customs. Huge pile of people waiting for arrivals outside - loud and disorderly - have to push your way through, rejecting taxi offers at every turn. The airport isn't huge, but they are redoing the parking lot, so right now there is no parking which probably adds to the mayhem. Although I've been warned that traffic in Lagos is horrendous, it's very clear on the way from the airport to Sawyerr's home since it's Saturday night. The airport is on the mainland, so we cross a bridge (one of 3) to get to Victoria Island. Lagos city encompasses land on the "mainland", Lagos Island, Victoria Island, and one other island.

Arrived at Sawyerr home, ate, and went to bed at 1 or 2 am. Catherine and I are in a room with bunkbeds, AC, and our own bathroom -- wow! Slept straight through until next morning after 10am, so missed church.

Journal from Africa trip

After saving my annual leave for a whole year, I took a 2 week vacation to Nigeria and Kenya. While there, I kept a mini paper journal - something I've never done in everyday life - in order to keep track of what I was doing and document some thoughts. My goal is to now type this up so that it's accessible to me online, and perhaps to share with my family. Although my journal is relatively small, it's still a bit daunting to consider typing it's entirety, plus I'm a chronic procrastinator....thus I find myself in mid-February, a good 6 weeks post-trip, finally typing.... Enjoy.

Some background:
The trip takes place during the last 2 weeks of December 2007. The purpose of the trip is to attend Olabosipo Sawyerr's wedding in Lagos, Nigeria for the first week. My flight is from DC, layover in Amsterdam, to Lagos, along with bride's brother Akin and another friend Catherine. After the wedding, Catherine and I are continuing on to her home in Nairobi, Kenya for 1 week. I then fly home (Nairobi, layover Amsterdam, to DC) alone, while she stays on for another week before returning to DC.

Writing

I've never considered myself a writer or kept a journal. I've simply never really enjoyed writing, although I have been a lifelong lover of books and always got A's on my papers in school. Not withstanding my lack of interest in inscribing my own thoughts, I have been mandated to write. What that means and how that will be manifested is yet to be seen.

I have recently discovered the blogs of several childhood friends in this medium and therefore thought this could be an ideal forum for practice. I have no idea if anyone can see these blogs (and honestly, I rather hope they can't) but I thought I could just begin by occasionally writing my thoughts...no specific agenda, no timeline, no theme. In the film You've Got Mail, Meg Ryan's character emails, "The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings. " My hope is that in the midst of whatever "nothings" I may write about in this blog, something meaningful may be built into ME.

So, in the interest of obedience and faithfulness to God, here goes....