Trends of International Volunteerism in the 21st Century

By on April 5, 2016   /   Center of Development, Education, Empowering Women, Health & Wellness, Natural Resource Management, Reflections   /   Leave a comment

The U.N. Volunteers program defines volunteerism as an action that an individual willingly undertakes, that is not financially compensated, and that generally contributes to the common good. The act or employ of volunteers essentially serves to elevate the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and the larger society; consequently, volunteerism values and promotes solidarity, reciprocity, trust, as well as feelings of belonging and empowerment. In the 21st century, general trends in international volunteerism fall into three categories:

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Reflections of a Citizen of the World

By on October 28, 2015   /   Center of Development, Education, Empowering Women, Life in India, Reflections   /   Leave a comment

Ever since I started my college life, about a year ago, I have always found myself extremely busy. Being very ambitious (to say the least), I decided to take 5.5 credits in school, besides all the extracurricular commitments I had already assigned to myself. I knew I wouldn’t have much time to dedicate to anything else other than studying when classes started. I couldn’t be more wrong. As days of classes and nights of study

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The Lives of Manual Scavengers

By on October 28, 2015   /   Center of Development, Education, Health & Wellness, Life in India, Natural Resource Management, Reflections   /   Leave a comment

Although there is sometimes legislation to prevent it, caste systems are still in place in the 21st century. In some regions of India, such concepts have become ingrained in cultures. The most discriminatory practices victimize manual scavengers, who experience lifestyles that are hard to fathom to citizens of a first-world nation. Scavengers represent the lowest rung of the untouchables in India, a group of lower-class citizens that are legally considered equal citizens but are culturally

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Employment & Empowerment

By on October 28, 2015   /   Center of Development, Education, Empowering Women, Life in India, Reflections, Tailoring Training Program   /   Leave a comment

“It’s not about the money” – once said Jessy J. Even though this is only a pop song, Jessy J definitely had a point: money by itself is less meaningful than the contentment that comes from knowing you worked to earn it. So why not have the best of both worlds? Why not make the money while knowing that it is deserved due to our own hard work? Money turns out to be much more

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Reflections from a Graduate and Lifelong Learner

By on May 26, 2015   /   Center of Development, Children's Club, Education, Empowering Women, English Language School, Reflections, Tailoring Training Program   /   Leave a comment

I have learned a lot from being in college, and I will hold these concepts dear to me for the rest of my life. I have learned that I have agency to enact change and that my voice is worth hearing. I have learned how to listen and that people who are unable to do the same for me are not worth my time. Most importantly, especially through my Sociology major, I have learned to

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