REMAKERS » Sex + Gender

10 Good Things in 2009

Reid — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:58:18 +0000

Here’s a great post from CodePink that will hopefully bump everyone’s cynicism down a touch.

MIT developing clothes for abused women

Reid — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:56:07 +0000

This is a really interesting article about some design work being done at MIT. Though pretty impracticable at this stage, it’s fascinating to see people taking a radically abstract approach to addressing a problem like domestic abuse. We’re certainly not going to solve a problem like domestic abuse with design and technology – but I encourage this kind of thinking.

Global Fund for Women

Reid — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:59:20 +0000

The Global Fund for Women is a grant giving operation that gives moeny to women’s organizations around the world. They’ve granted $71 million dollars to 3,800 women’s groups since 1987. I just read through the bio’s of their board and staff and the depth of their organization is immensely impressive.

Their group focuses on a number of broad issues with a gender analysis; Economic Security, Violence Against Women, Education, Health and Leadership. It’s encouraging to see how many organizations are acknowledging women at the center of their economic development projects. I hope that some day we’ll see this be the rule rather than the exception. It’s a growing belief that women should be the center of economic development when discussing lesser developed countries, but on the flip side – I haven’t heard anyone suggest that the current economic debacle here in the states could be addressed by giving loans to women run ventures.

Check out some of their success stories – truly inspiring. If you’re looking to get educated about how a hi-level grant giving operation works, be sure to check out their publications. Their 08-09 Annual Report outlines each grant they made. I was surprised to see a wide range in the size of grants made. Lesson Learned: Small Organizations shouldn’t be intimidated about approaching larger grant making organizations.

The Lab

reid — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:15:52 +0000

The Lab is fantastic youth arts and empowerment program being run out St. Paul Public Schools. It’s the brainchild of Mary Tinucci, a school social worker that is changing the way that we think about working with youth. The Lab began as The Poetry Lab, a writing program that Tinucci used to encourage students to pick up the pen and experience the power of writing. The program grew to encompass visual arts, music, motion and health issues as well. Now The Lab has a home at Homecroft Elementray in St. Paul. Students come in groups to experience Mary’s inspirational programming, and learn creative activities from the diverse and talented group of volunteers that help support the lab.