Unused funds are being returned to donating companies.

This announcement was sent through Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon's
Office of Diversity Affairs.   Please direct your questions to the contact
information in the document below.

You can also go to the Mayor's Office of Diversity Affairs Website to see
all diversity events or to add your event to the Diversity calendar.

www.diversity.slco.org <http://www.diversity.slco.org>  (Press CTRL and
click on the link)

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS GOING UNCLAIMED:

Unused funds are being returned to donating companies.

*A large amount of scholarship money that has been set aside by companies
for deserving minority students are either collecting dust of or being
returned to businesses because of a lack of interest.

The following is a list of scholarships and their Web addresses to pass
along to friends and family members with college-bound kids so that this
free money will not go to waste.

      1) Bell Labs Fellowships for under-represented minorities
      http://www.bell-labs.com/

      2) Student Inventors Scholarships
      http://www.invent.org/collegiate/

      3) Student Video Scholarships
      http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html

      4) Coca-Cola Two-Year College Scholarships
      http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html

      5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships
       http://holocaust.hklaw.com/

      6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships
      http://www.aynrand.org/contests/

      7) Brand Essay Competition
    
http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm


      8) Gates Millennium Scholarships
      http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12


      9) Xerox Scholarships for Students
      http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp

      10) Sports Scholarships and Internships
      http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

      11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ)
      http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html

      12) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary)
      http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr/jobs/stw.html

      13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
      http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm

      14) Fin Aid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid Scholarships
      http://www.finaid.org <http://www.finaid.org/>


      15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships
      http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/

      16) Microsoft Scholarship Program
      http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp


      17) Wired Scholar Free Scholarship Search
    
http://www.wiredscholar.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_se

      18) Hope Scholarships & Lifetime Credits
      http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope/

      19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority
Students

      http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm

      20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships
    
http://gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-assistance/Scholarship/black.html

      21) Guaranteed Scholarships
      http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/

      22) BOEING scholarships
      http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships


      23) Easley National Scholarship Program
      http://www.naas.org/senior.htm

      24) Maryland Artists Scholarships
      http://www.maef.org/

      25) Historically Black College & University Scholarships
      http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm

      26) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students
      http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm

      27) International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
      http://www.iefa.org/

      28) College Board Scholarship Search
      http://cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html

      29) Burger King Scholarship Program
      http://www.bkscholars.csfa.org/

      30) Siemens Westinghouse Competition
      http://www.siemens-foundationorg/


      31) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds
      http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html

      32) CollegeNet's S cholarship Database
      http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index

      33) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
      http://www.aflcioorg/scholarships/scholar.htm

      34) Federal Scholarships & Aid Gateways 25 Scholarships
      Excel http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm

      35) Scholarship & Financial Aid Help
      http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm

      36) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group)
      http://www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm

      37) FAFSA On The Web
      http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

      38) Aid & Resources For Re-Entry Students
      http://www.back2college.com/

    

      39) Scholarships and Fellowships
      http://www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.html

      40) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies
      http://www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west.htm

      41) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships
      http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html

      42) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
      http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1.html

      43) INROADS internships
      http://www.inroads.org/

      44) ACT-SO "Olympics of the Mind" Scholarships
      http://www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml

      45) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships
      http://www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp

      46) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing
      http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html

      47) Graduate Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide
    
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES

      48) Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford
      http://www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html

      49) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund
      http://www.roothbertfund.com <http://www.roothbertfund.com/>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This announcement was sent through Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon's
Office of Diversity Affairs.   Please direct your questions to the contact
information in the document above.


Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon's Office of Diversity Affairs sends out
a daily announcement to various community organizations and individuals who
might be interested in announcements relating to our office or events in the
community.  

The announcements sent out meet one of the following criteria: 

- An event /service of a minimum cost that will promote and support diversity within Salt Lake County.

- A minimum cost event that is educational and or cultural

- An educational workshop, seminar or conference that promotes and supports diversity

- A Government sponsored program that promotes and supports diversity.

- A job announcement to reach under-represented communities

- A fundraising event sponsored by a non-profit 501 c-3 organization that provides services and information related to our office's mission.

If you or your organization has an announcement as described above please send it to the Office of Diversity Affairs, OfficeofDiversity@slco.org
 .  Please send your information as early as possible (Please no later than 2 weeks prior to the event!).  Include a contact name, phone number and email address (website is optional)

Any organization or individual that would like to be added to this email list please contact the Office of Diversity Affairs,
OfficeofDiversity@slco.org 


If you would like to be removed from this email list please go to the very
bottom of this email and "unsubscribe"

Rebecca L Sanchez
Office of Mayor Peter Corroon
Diversity Affairs Specialist
2001 South State Street, Ste N-1001
Salt Lake City, UT 84190-1020
801-468-3097
801-330-6083 cell
801-468-3535 fax
RLSanchez@slco.org   

FoST Activities

FoST has been very busy since 2002 in research, development, dissemination, demonstration and promotion of easily adaptable environment-friendly sustainable technologies matched with the rural economy, culture, education, natural resources for improving quality of life as well as empowering rural community in Nepal.

2008 Activities

April 22, 2008 - Proceeding to Pokhara to organize a fuel briquette making training workshop for the 20 workers in 5-star hotel, Fulbari Resort & Spa in Pokhara. FoST team will be there for about a week.

April 9-11, 2008 - Demonstrated fuel briquettes as village fuel in Financing Village-level Energy Development Workshop organized by ADB, GVEP International and FDC in Manila from

March 25-29, 2008 - Organized fuel briquette making training workshop Kabul sponsored by EDC Program of Colorado University in coordinating with Oxus Technical Group in Kabul

March 15-17, 2008 - Organized solar cooking, solar cooker building and solar drying for the 30 students and housewives of Sundarijal and Nayapati VDCs from sponsored by the Rotary Club of Los Altos, CA.

December 28, 2007 - January 26, 2008– Accomplished a month-long assignment for fabricating fuel briquette press and organizing a four-day briquette making training workshop in Cambodia sponsored by Kari Grady Grossman from December 28th, 2007 to January 26th, 2008. Please visit the website, http://www.GradyGrossmanSchool.org.

2007 Activities

December 9-11, 2007 - Organized briquette making training workshop from waste materials at FoST, Thamel for the communities (36) of Nayapati and Sundarijal VDCs in Kathmandu sponsored by the Rotary Club of Los Altos, CA.

August/September, 2007 – Launched stove program in Sundarijal for 100 families under the funding source of Challenge us bvba, Belgium

July 2007 - Mission from One Planet Picture to make a documentary film on FoST activities for the World Challenge 2007 Awards.

June 14-17, 2007– Organized 4-days solar cooking and solar cooker building workshops for the students of Pragya English Boarding Highschool, Galkopakha. Sponsored by Peter Erwin and Brea Thomas of San Francisco, CA.

http://www.fost-nepal.org/activities.html
http://www.fost-nepal.org/

Kathmandu Valley Style

Choegyal, Lisa & Potton, Craig & Rana, Gautam SJB 10 x 10.75", 186 pp., more than 200 color illustrations, cloth, d.j., Chicago, 2008. Nepal is widely acclaimed for its unique art and architectural styles. The ancient palaces, temples, courtyards and streetscapes of Kathmandu Valley are protected as no less than seven World Heritage Sites. Shrines are worshipped daily as part of Nepal’s vibrant living heritage. Recent efforts to preserve the architectural heritage of Kathmandu have carefully and authentically restored many of the Valley’s important public monuments. Lesser known are the recent imaginative and adaptive use of Nepali architecture and decorative styles into new buildings and private homes. Kathmandu Valley Style captures the wealth of the past and illustrates how influences from the Malla Newar, Tibetan and Rana architecture have been incorporated into present-day buildings and lifestyles. Using traditional themes and building techniques in the restored historic and new structures has breathed fresh life into Kathmandu’s rich living cultural heritage, and provided additional attractions for visitors. Kathmandu Valley Style features over 40 historic and new buildings, many of them never before photographed or published. Reinforcing national pride in Nepal’s vernacular architecture, this unique collection demonstrates how traditional art and architecture can be successfully incorporated into homes for today’s changing world. The book will appeal to residents, visitors, tourists, and all who love Nepal, as well as devotees of fine books on art, architecture, and interior design.
	Price $65.00 Item # 35220 ISBN 9781932476347 Serindia Publications

2008 US City Sustainability Rankings

Cities are listed by their 2008 Rankings order.

1. Portland, OR (1)

2. San Francisco, CA (2)

3. Seattle, WA (3)

4. Chicago, IL (4)

5. New York, NY (6)

6. Boston, MA (7)

7. Minneapolis, MN (10)

8. Philadelphia, PA (8)

9. Oakland, CA (5)

10. Baltimore, MD (11)

...http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/overall-rankings

http://www.sustainlane.com/

Creating the future - A Global Vision for Young Tibetans Conference

09th to 14th February, 2009. Asia Plateau, Panchghani

ENVISION is organising "A Global Vision for Young Tibetans Conference" at Asia Plateau, Panchghani from 09th to 14th February 2009.

Opening ceremony & inauguration:

04.00 pm, Feb. 9, 2009: Closing ceremony: 10.30 am, Feb. 14, 2009

Eligibility criteria:

• Age: 18-30:
• Open to university graduates & under-graduates, graduate job seekers & young entrepreneurs.
• A basic knowledge of English is essential.
• Registration fees of Rs.500/- is compulsory to confirm your booking.

Support:

One way travel expenses and conference fees including food and accommodation during the entire programme will be covered by ENVISION.

Application Submission Deadline:

January 05, 2009

Submit your applications:

Send your CV along with PP size photo to:

Empowering the Vision Project
J-50, Jorbagh Lane
B.K. Dutt Colony
New Delhi- 110003
Phone: 011- 24641250/ 24641251
Mobile: 9811070577
Email: envision@empoweringvision.org or evp2008@gmail.com

***

Empowering the Vision Project (ENVISION) is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation based in New Delhi, India. ENVISION aims to support, motivate and empower young Tibetans to take their place in the community with dynamism, specialised skills, good careers and entrepreneurship. ENVISION further aims to provide exposure, build confidence, and provide career guidance and training opportunities for Tibetans in India.

http://www.empoweringvision.org/

SolarWorld Opens in Hillsboro-Beaverton, OR

(sorry, was out this summer so very little updates to the blogsite).

Check out, http://www.solarworld-usa.com/ here in Hillsboro-Beaverton, OR. Also check out, http://www.solarworld-usa.com/Job-Career.173.0.html perhaps you'll find something fun!

Did you also read that Sanyo opened plants in Salem, OR? See,

New SANYO factory breaks ground in Salem, Oregon

16 October 2008 | By Syanne Olson

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. broke ground this week on its new Renewable Energy and Technology Park factory in Salem, Oregon. The factory is scheduled to begin operating in October 2009 with the fabrication of solar ingots and wafers used in the production of solar photovoltaic cells.

“Today we take an important step to accomplish our plan for an annual production capacity of greater than 600MW by FY 2010 as we break ground for the new factory,” said Kazuhiko Suruta, Executive Vice President of SANYO and Head of Solar Business.

The groundbreaking in Oregon comes on the heels of the company announcing yesterday that it aims to more than double its overall output to 600MW by 2010, at its site in Monterrey, Mexico. SANYO hopes to meet the growing demand in America, Europe and Japan for solar power by expanding production and reaching a new global annual capacity of more than 600MW by FY 2010.

By Syanne Olson

Save Energy and Money Today

Did you know that the typical U.S. family spends more than $1,600 a year on home utility bills. Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted. And electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. And as for the road, transportation accounts for 66% of all U.S. oil consumption. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home and in your car. Start making small changes today (see sidebar). To cut your energy use up to 25%, see the Long-Term Savings Tips throughout this booklet.

https://www.oregoncommunitycu.org/Docs/EnergyEfficiency072308.pdf

http://www.greenpoweroregon.com

Forestry Issues Across the Globe [Nepal]

July 30, 2008 Mr. Deepak Tamang

Sustainable Forest and Natural Resource Management: Ensuring Sustainable Livelihoods in Nepal

See the attachment for presentation detail.

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/nepalorego n/files/speaking .pdf

Deepak Tamang
International Fellow - Nepal
World Forest Institute, 4033 SW Canyon Road
Portland, Oregon - 97221, USA.
Office:++ (1-503) 488-2135 ext 135 Cell: 503-754-3064
dtamang@worldforest ry.org www.worldforestry. org/wfi

Deepak Tamang
Search-Nepal
1061 Thir Bam Road, GPO Box 4277
Maharajgung, Kathmandu. Nepal.
Office: ++( 977-1) 4416143; 4438086; 4438087
deepak@search. wlink.com. np www.searchnepal.org

[Portland] Metro offers free guide to Portland-area walks

Walking costs nothing. It burns calories. And it gives you a new perspective on the Portland area.

So says an evangelizing new guidebook, "Walk There!"

Metro, the regional government, makes its first foray into foot travel with 50 excursions. Each walk comes with a slick description, photos, map and difficulty rating -- think Frommer's, not government bylaws.

Treks are assigned to categories: For a power walk, hit the stairs in Alameda. Take a lunchtime stroll in downtown Gresham, enjoy the natural beauty of Fanno Creek or get your urban fix on North Mississippi Avenue.

Metro credits Kaiser Permanente with the idea and funds for the guidebooks, which are free. Governments, nonprofits and outdoor groups helped craft routes. And editing credits go to Laura O. Foster, author of "Portland Hill Walks" and the upcoming "Portland City Walks."

The Oregonian talked walking with two forces behind the book. Their thoughts, edited for brevity:

David Bragdon:
Metro president

This book is very ungovernment-esque. The writing's conversational; the design's kind of hip.
We strive to be a little unconventional and quirky. We want it to be approachable for people, something to pick up on a Saturday morning. You don't feel like you're reading some bureaucratic document....

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1215557706259470.xml&coll=7

How to Live a Long Life

As technology and medicine evolve over time, the life expectancies in most countries are increasing. Here are a few additional ways of increasing the odds that you will make it to that ripe old age of 85 and beyond.

http://www.wikihow.com/Live-a-Long-Life

Mindful Travel in Ladakh and Ladakh Project (Renewable Energy)

For many centuries, Ladakh evolved according to its own values. Then, in 1974, the area was suddenly thrown open to the outside world. At that time the Indian government started a process of planned development, which included tourism and the introduction of Western-style education, agricultural chemicals and dependence on transport and fossil fuels for all vital needs. This has brought many changes to Ladakh - including junk food, plastic consumer goods, toxins such as DDT and asbestos, pollution and unemployment. Along with the mass media, these changes have also fostered the impression that life in the West is infinitely better than in Ladakh.

http://www.isec.org.uk/articles/mindful.pdf


Renewable Energy

ISEC has played a central role in reducing the Ladakhis' dependence on imported and expensive fossil fuels.

Working closely with the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) - an indigenous NGO we founded in 1978 - we have developed and demonstrated numerous small-scale, energy-saving technologies, most of which can be built and maintained locally. These include:

• Hydraulic ram pumps for lifting irrigation and drinking water.
• Solar room-heating systems to combat the freezing winters.
• Solar water heaters and cookers.
• Photovoltaic power for lighting.
• Micro-hydro installations and small wind turbines for electricity production.

http://www.isec.org.uk/pages/ladakh.html

Nepal: A Girl's Life

Making room to read

While trekking in Nepal in 1998, American John Wood saw that many children couldn't afford to go to school and that schools in the poorest rural areas had a chronic shortage of books. For Wood it was a transformational experience that spurred him to start a literacy program called Room to Read. This Rough Cut tells the story of Wood's nonprofit that now helps to educate millions of children in the developing world and visits some of the Nepalese children and communities his program has helped. read more

"Once upon a time there was a girl whose name was Sabina Timilsina..."
So begins "A Girl's Life" in the sing-song broken English of a 9-year-old who lives in a village outside Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It's the voice of a girl narrating her own life. A girl with a mother, a father and a brother. A girl who rises at dawn, brushes her teeth, and goes to school. A girl who likes to play volleyball and badminton, but most of all loves to read.

You can tell right away she's playful and smart, but her story seems rather ordinary -- until you realize that her family is of the lowest caste, the Dalits, or "untouchables," who typically earn their living breaking rocks. In a country where 70 percent of the women are illiterate, Sabina is an exception, an extraordinarily lucky girl who has a scholarship that...

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/06/nepal_a_girls_l.html

India: Hole in the Wall

An Indian scientist embeds a high-speed computer in a wall bordering a slum, turns it on, and watches what happens as children begin to teach themselves to use the machine. [This story was originally broadcast in October of 2002, with an encore broadcast on many PBS stations March 20, 2003.] read more

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/thestory.html

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/

The Tibet Vision Project

The Tibet Vision Project acts as a catalyst for Tibetan ophthalmology programs by transferring the technology and skills of modern eye care to the poorest populations of Tibet at an affordable cost. We aim to establish Tibetan self-sufficiency in providing eye care to their own people. The success of this Project lies in the strong local and regional partnerships that empower Project participants to respond to locally defined problems. Our joint goal is to eliminate preventable blindness throughout Tibet, with local resources only, by the year 2020.

Our vision is that every Tibetan whom we encounter will experience modern eye surgery with Heart: restoring sight, bringing light, allowing Tibetans to see the incomparable beauty of their homeland. None of this work could proceed without the generosity of its supporters and donors — thank you.

http://www.tibetvisionproject.org/

http://www.visioningtibet.com/

Travel Nepal

Thinking to traveling to remote Nepal? Well, Nepal isn’t that remote anymore. With roads and bridges and ropeways, Nepal is opening up to the world. The lush green grassland, vast empty forests and majestic mountains, Nepal has it all. Maybe you want to trek to the Nar and Phu valleys. This grueling trek will take a lot of anyone so its always good to know a little something about it first. How about a first hand account of the valleys and their pristine beauty?

Possibly, you don’t know where to go. If that’s the case then read on. Select a headline that strikes your fancy and see the place through the eyes, and lenses, of someone else. Traveling in Nepal is an experience like no other. You never know what might happen. Take a chance.

http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/special/travel_nepal.php

Breaking barriers: Dalit (from Bihar) sets up software company

Thirty-one-year old Atul Paswan has successfully changed what many may have said was his destiny. A Dalit from Siwan district in Bihar three years ago, the village schoolteacher's son set up a software company in Bangalore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8xOia2MjXU&feature=related

Collected 30 pairs of pretty cool shoes - recycled!

Absolutely forgot to take a few pictures but the shoe bin was pretty much packed with around 30 pairs of well donated shoes from our programs a few weeks ago. We've been told that these shoes are going to be shredded into tiny pieces and use in sporting facilities.

Great turn out...thanks and we'll do it again!

Also, the Everest Peace Project yielded a little over $400 and Lance is very grateful to both the Nepalese and Tibetan communities and most of all, to our American friends, who too could attend our programs. Thuk-che.

Earth day, and we're collecting old shoes (Sat, April 26th program)

We forgot to mention that we'll be serving tea and cookies when we show the documentry on Everest Peace Project. Also, please bring old shoes so we can recyle them!

8 Ways to Green Your Technology

by Trey Granger on April 22nd, 2008

Post a comment

Technology is a HUGE part of our daily lives. We carry around cell phones and media players, work all day on a computer and come home to watch television.

But electronic devices make up 70 percent of the toxic waste in our landfills. Here’s eight ways to make sure your need for information doesn’t compromise the environment.

1. E-cycle

Keep your electronics out of landfills at all cost. If they still work, donate them to a second-hand store for reuse. If not, use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find a place to recycle them. It could be a community event, a retail store or even a manufacturer take back program. All of these are better than your trash can.

2. Provide a Second Life for Electronics

Recycling electronics is important, but only if they no longer work. Consider options that will reuse this technology again and keep it out of the waste stream.

• Trade in video games and movies for credit at stores that sell these items
• Donate your televisions and computer monitors to Goodwill; you can find second-hand store locations using Earth 911’s recycling locator
• Offer your old cell phone to a service provider so it can be refurbished

3. Reach for the Energy Stars

Electronics use up a lot of energy. ENERGY STAR products can cut energy use by 50 percent. If you’re shopping for new electronics, check for an ENERGY STAR label. This covers computers and monitors, televisions and even battery chargers.

Some other energy-related notes for when you’re purchasing:

• Notebook computers use less energy than desktops
• LCD TVs use less energy than plasma TVs

4. Use Rechargeable Batteries

You already charge batteries for cell phones and laptops. So why are you buying disposable AA and AAA batteries for other products? Rechargeable batteries last up to three years longer, and are accepted by more recyclers than other batteries.

5. Power Down Inactive Electronics

Why keep your TV on when no one is in the room? Booting up a computer may take a few minutes, but at the very least turn off the monitor when it’s not used. Also, unplug chargers that aren’t in use. They still use energy even if they aren’t charging anything.

6. Lay Off the Heavy Metal

Deep inside our electronic devices lie potentially hazardous materials like lead and mercury. These metals are not only a health hazard to you, but make proper disposal of electronics a necessity for the environment. Manufacturers are beginning to respond to this by producing devices with less/no hazardous materials, so look for these in the future.

7. Be Responsible With Packaging

Electronics are fragile, so they come with lots of packaging. Whether it’s cardboard boxes, Styrofoam or plastic bags, all this material should be recycled. Cardboard can be recycled with your paper, and all plastic should have a number on it (e.g. Styrofoam is #6) used for recycling. Use Earth 911’s recycling locator to find out where you can recycle all your packaging.

8. Spring for the Warranty

Warranties allow for your electronics to be fixed instead of replaced, meaning they stay out of the waste stream. They also encourage you to keep products for longer, which is better for the environment.

If you are looking for new electronics, consider an upgrade instead of a new purchase.

• Use the same case for your computer, with a new motherboard and more RAM
• Get a digital converter to modernize the picture of your analog TV

Reinterpreting Tea Leaves (in Darjeeling and Assam)

Do you know where your favorite cup of tea comes from? You might imagine rolling hills, exotic climes and colorfully dressed people plucking leaves from well-manicured tea bushes. But that's just partof the picture.

In two of India's most famous tea regions, Darjeeling and Assam, most workers toil long hours for less than $1.50 a day. Houses are overcrowded, sanitation is rudimentary and illiteracy rates hover around 70 percent. What's more, tea workers are hesitant to speak upbecause they fear losing their jobs -- and, since the tea estates own everything within their fences, their homes as well.

Mercy Corps is working to improve life for tea-estate families. We'repartnering with local organizations and estate managers to offer more economic opportunities, better health care and education -- and to empower families to advocate for their own rights.

I traveled with photographer Thatcher Cook to visit some of these families. I invite you to meet those we serve and take a new look at the tea lands.

Roger Burks, Senior Web Writer

http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/india

http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/india/2111

http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/india/2109

Charity event for late Sir Ed and Maya's education fund

The flyer's got all the details. We'll have Lance give a quick talk about his motivation to direct this film and his decision to commit to Maya's education funds!

When: 3 pm, Saturday - April 26, 2008
Where: Tibetan Community Center
6225 NE Stanton St.
(between 63rd & Sandy Blvd.)
Portland, OR 97213
Cost: $5 and tickets at door.

http://www.everestpeaceproject.org/

College in the USA?? here's help...

You've Got to Know How!

You have big plans. Big dreams. You know college is where to start. But a dream is not enough. College doesn’t just happen; you have to work to make it a reality.

You know why to go to college; we're here to tell you how. There are specific steps you need to take and this site can help you along the way. Remember, it's never too early-or too late-to start on the road to college.

http://www.knowhow2go.org/

http://www.knowhow2go.org/main_4steps.php

Everest, A Climb for Peace

The Everest Peace Project is an organization that consists of individuals who have come together to promote peace, teamwork, and cultural understanding. The Everest Peace Project is not a religious organization nor does it have any political agenda. Their mission is to inspire and to show that people from diverse cultural backgrounds and faiths can unite together as friends and accomplish incredible things.

Filmed on location in Nepal, Tibet, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, U.A.E, and the United States, the film chronicles the spectacular journey of 9 'peace climbers' from different faiths and cultures as they climb to the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. The focus is on Palestinian Ali Bushnaq and Israeli's Dudu Yifrah and Micha Yaniv. They come together and set aside their differences to forge a path of teamwork and cooperation to attempt to summit the world’s highest peak. This however, is easier said than done. Their nations have been embroiled in a brutal war for years; each believes they are on the right side of that war and each knows that on Everest the cooperation of your teammate is a matter of life and death.

http://www.everestpeaceproject.org/index.html

Ecotourism and Community Conservation Projects, Sikkim, India

The Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim works with rural communities and government and non-governmental agencies. Our mission is to implement integrated community conservation and tourism-related development projects. These interventions help rural communities to become self reliant, and to plan and manage their resources...http://www.sikkiminfo.net/ecoss/projects.htm

http://www.sikkiminfo.net/ecoss/about_us.htm

Greenhouse in Mongolia by American Himalayan Foundation (AHF)

Mongolia, a Buddhist country, suffered for many years under a repressive regime in which hundreds of monasteries were destroyed and thousands of monks killed. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought religious freedom back to Mongolia, but the transition to a market economy has left many people in poverty. Traditional livestock herding has suffered from economic and environmental changes, and local herders and nomads are looking for better ways to support their families.

Fortunately, "ger" (traditional Mongolian tent-house) camps in the Southern Gobi have become a big draw for tourists who are rediscovering the natural beauty and rich cultural history of Mongolia, and can offer a source of income for the herders and nomads who run them. The tourists who stay in the camps crave fresh vegetables. So, the locals saw a good business opportunity and asked AHF to help.

The solution: Greenhouses! AHF has helped build a greenhouse near the village of Bulgan, an isolated but well-touristed community in the Southern Gobi. The results are impressive: triple the crop yields of open sky farming, a hungry market for the harvest, and the locals are learning important new skills. They even have their own brand of tomato!

AHF is helping to bring a viable new way-of-life to the people of Mongolia. Tomatoes today. Economic independence tomorrow. Would you like to help? Click here.

Read more on similar projects on http://www.himalayan-foundation.org/live/page/about and http://www.himalayan-foundation.org/live/page/projects

Cultural Restoration Tourism Project-Chairro Gompa, Nepal

Restoring a 300 year old Bhuddhist Monastery along with the local community, high in the mountains of Nepal that has been damaged by weather and neglect. It contains significant, centuries old wall paintings that are suffering from decay as well as overall structural damage...http://www.crtp.net/

Watch the video - Tourists Rebuild Temple in Nepal, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVFbzFHCaDg

The Mountain Fund Moving Medical Clinic, Tamang Region, Nepal

A few years ago, when a medical clinic in the remote Tamang district (Karing for Kids) was at risk for losing its funding...http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/5621

http://www.mountainfund.org/ has more details on goals and specifics.

3 Nepali Sisters are Empowering Women through Adventure Tourism!

3 Sisters (and its non-profit EWN) utilizes the positive aspects of tourism to create equity for women in society and to bring revenue to the poorest areas of Nepal, while enhancing and protecting local environment and culture from the negative aspects of tourism.

You can read more...http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/5637

Tibet Foundation in the Land of the Khampas

This documentary follows the director of the British charity Tibet Foundation during his trip to Tibet in winter 2005, five months after a founding trustee of the foundation visited the projects the charity runs.

Directed by Gilles Blaize, edited by Pema Wangye, filmed by Kab in the former region of Kham, a land of yaks, snow-capped mountains and nomadic grasslands, 'In the land of Khampas' presents the situation of Tibetan people who are now living under Chinese rule and what Tibet Foundation has achieved in the past fourteen years.

If you want to help Tibetans, please visit Tibet Foundation website: www.tibet-foundation.org:

Itinary to the land of Khampas, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeUEuf2iJ4k

In the land of Khampas - Part1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1R8CkihOPk

In the land of Khampas - Part2, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XWaYzGfQAw

In the land of Khampas - Part3, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTh09JYNoBM&feature=related

In the land of Khampas - Part4, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_llEp59liAQ&feature=related

FoST-Nepal wins the Shell BBC Challenge 2007

Goals and brief introduction:

The country of Nepal is facing an environmental crisis with wide-spread deforestation, excessive pollution, inadequate mobilization of natural resources, lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and a heavy dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels.

The Foundation for Sustainable Technologies (FoST) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization creating awareness to counter these trends by providing low-cost, low-tech, easily adaptable, locally-built sustainable technologies and education to improve the quality of life of the rural people.


Here's the link to the video and several others at http://www.fost-nepal.org/:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8265929164207306024
http://www.gorpproductions.com/fostvideo.html

Did you know, FoST-Nepal secured $10,000 as the seconds runner-up?