Erika Parry's Blog (27)

Manifesto:
1. Get informed
2. Begin anywhere
3. Never back down
4. Start small
5. Don't lose momentum
6. Change someone else's life
7. Change your life
8. Change the world

WHICH great challenges and social problems should the EVOKE Network tackle next?

Social media becoming integrated into government uprisings and spreading news faster than ever.

WHERE in the world should the network try to build up new EVOKE communities?

Smaller communities and with younger audiences so that we can start encouraging our youth to follow the news.

WHO would you encourage to play Season 2?

Friends, family, classmates

HOW would you change the game…

The next pandemic flu has just reached my part of the world and I'm designing an online network where governments safety officials can post to advice and timely warning to the public. This would allow them to notify where certain danger zones are, what curfews have been set in place, where they can seek help, shelter, food, water or medical attention. These officials will help save lives by being available and proactive in providing support and useful information.

It is the year 2020 and I have grown older and wiser over the years. I have seen triumph and tragedy and natural disasters and miracles. But now I must chose one piece of wisdom to pass on to the younger generations that will live and lead after I go. The best piece of information I can pass on is to always remember to study and appreciate history. The year will change, the players will change, the technology will change; but the characteristics and instincts of humans will remain constant.…

Crisis communication is vital during stressful moments in time. I think one of the 5 most important concepts to learn is to "Managing Panic in a Pandemic." Its important for the public to be in the know during times of crisis so that they can react accordingly, so as not to make things worse. The media and government play a hand in what information is dispersed through mediums of communication and therefore need to use this power in a fair, responsible way. The most important thing they can…

I chose to learn about the Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. This area is characterised by high rates of land degradation, low land productivity, proneness to drought, and chronic food insecurity. The importance of educating the people in this area is pivotal in order to preserve the land and help grow the economy. The food aid per capita for this area is one of the highest in Ethiopia, in order to improve this their needs to be education and programs…

I explored the internet to see what urban resiliency plans were in place in Gainesville and learned about an opportunity here at the University of Florida. The UF College of Design, Construction and Planning and the Program for Resource Efficient Communities in IFAS have collaborated to create the the Florida Resilient Communities Initiative (FRCI) which offers communities the technical and capacity building expertise of the faculty, staff, and students of these organizations. They provide…

I live in Gainesville, Florida and although we are landlocked and located in the center of the state, there are still major natural disasters or crises that can transpire at any moment. Most likely to occur would be a hurricane that hits the coast of Florida and moves across the state, devastating communities. This would be a prime opportunity to utilize the Ushahidi communication website. It would be important to communicate to civilians whether it was safe for them to leave their houses,…

Its 2020 and I am telling the story about the women who have benefited from the Global Giving fund for "Women's Health Book In Tamil For Village Women." This funds prints and distributes books that have educated women in Tamil about current health information to treat and prevent common health problems experienced by women, especially in remote areas. These women now have the tools to take control of their health so that they can focus on working and selling goods to raise money to feed…

I enjoyed learning about the different resources and websites available for people to help empower and enable women. I wasn't able to fundraise for any of the websites but I was able to spread the word by sharing the link on my social media sites. I shared Global Giving's link for the "Women's Health Book In Tamil For Village Women" fund. Since many of my friends are females I feel as though they can learn a lot of this site and be inspired to continue telling others about the importance of…

I read the article "Women: Victims of conflict or agents of change?" and it covered the ways in which we can empower and enable women to become agents of change in times or crisis or distress. This was the theme and takeaway message from this year’s Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition (DIHAD). The conference emphasized the importance of giving women decision-making authority and leadership roles in addition to support for gender equality…

While I was on spring break I went to dinner with some of my friends at a food truck and I paid with a 'Square' device that plugs into an iPad to swipe my credit card. I've seen these devices being used more and more often but this was the first time I had used one to make a purchase. The ease and speed of the transaction led me to see why so many business owners are making the switch to these devices from bulky, slower computer cash registers.

The future of money and the exchange of currency is sure to change drastically over the next 10-20 years. With the increasing popularity of smartphones, iPads and other tablet devices, innovators are inventing applications faster than society can keep up with. In the future, I believe money payments will be almost exclusively done through smartphones, giving both parties a virtually instantaneous exchange.

I donated to my friends fundraising project with The Clean Water Project where she is trying to raise $500 to help supply citizens of Rwanda with clean water. I feel it is our duty to give back to those who live in areas that don't have access to clean water because water is crucial to every human's survival.

It is 2020 and I am planning a spectacular event for World Water Day. We are going to have a Reusable Water Bottle Day in downtown Nashville. All of the shops and restaurants downtown within a 2 mile radius of the central part of town have agreed to not serve customers plastic cups. Instead, they will be required to bring cups from home in order to save water and waste. This event will help promote responsible water usage and water crisis awareness.

In the year 2020 I am celebrating the birthday of one of my good friends and co-workers! We are having a party at my house and using energy in an efficient way. First, I planned the cooking so that I would only use the oven and stove once to cook the hot food items. Also, I made sure to only keep appliances plugged in when they were being used. Finally, I told each guest that we would have the house open to use natural light and air so they could dress accordingly and not need to turn the…

In the year 2020, I am eating dinner with my family and friends at my home in Nashville, TN. We have cooked a home-cooked meal that is healthy and tastes great. Food security has become increasingly important to society over the years and more and more people now have access to healthy, nutritious food. My food came from a responsibly sourced farm and it is almost all organically grown, I purchased it from the local grocery store. The dish is a spinach and kale salad with chicken and shrimp.…

In ten years from now I hope to be happy and successful in all aspects of my life; family, work and faith. I also hope to be a positive contributor to society by donating my time, efforts and funds to various charitable organizations. In the next ten years I hope to gain a better understanding of the different cultures and beliefs that coexist in our world so that I can be a better citizen.

There are so many great water projects all around the world and I enjoyed reading about some of them for this mission. One water fund that I have donated to is the Ethos Water Fund at Starbucks Coffee Shops. By purchasing these water bottles, I have helped Starbucks donate over $7.38 million to support water, sanitation, and hygiene education programs in water-stressed countries.

Earlier this week I read in article in The Wall Street Journal about a solar energy plant in California. The $2.2 billion plant uses over 350,000 mirrors to power over 140,000 homes. The plant has recently been getting some heat, pun intended, for killing birds that are drawn to the plant's extremely hot mirror towers. Although this wildlife issue is something we need to monitor and regulate, its really interesting to learn about companies that are making strides in the renewable energy…