http://sites.google.com/site/riversideemergencydark/
Here is the site I designed. I'd like to do more with it. I've actually created networking sites for volunteers after disasters, such as Hurricane Camp for alumni of Hands On Disaster Response in Mississippi after Katrina, and helped…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 17, 2010 at 2:08am —
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I've left this mission till almost last, because traditionally I'm not much of a maker. A doer, yes, but my carpentry, pottery, woodsmithing, and metalworking skills are all sub-par. The best thing I can do is build a computer from component parts, or grow plants.
Building a computer didn't seem like an appropriate way of representing indigenous technology, but maybe growing a plant would. Obviously a plant itself isn't durable, but a pot sure is!
So I took one of our nicer…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 17, 2010 at 1:38am —
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Have any of you ever played the game
3rd World Farmer? Its a little game someone made "to make you think". In it, you play a poor African family with a few bucks, a barren patch of land, and four options for what to grow (not counting livestock). Your goal is to get "educated", buy off a politician, make money, get a cell phone, and buy a bunch of machines and livestock.
And "make you think". Thats why they made the game. Want to know what I…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 15, 2010 at 7:59am —
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The Place:
The Gratitude Gardens will be a global network, so much of the 'place' will be virtual. We have already registered www.gratitudegardens.org, and that will be the location for our online network. This network will be free to use, and will provide mapping functionality for sharing locations, links to resources organized…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 14, 2010 at 9:35pm —
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What are the goals of the network? How does it work?
- The goals are simple: Tackle global problems using the best and brightest young minds. It works because young and old people are willing to participate in exchange for meeting other people around the world interested in similar topics and using a rating system to sort through all the content.
Who are the members? Why do they join?
- The members are people from all countries, all backgrounds, all ages. They join…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 14, 2010 at 8:59pm —
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Setting: The headwaters of the Amazon on the borders of Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil.
A young girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old, paddles a canoe downstream with her grandfather. She sees a harpy eagle overhead.
"Grandpa, whats that?'
Her grandfather replies, "That, my daughter, is the mighty
arpia. It rules the skies and patrols the Madre de Dios river."
Next panel.
Their canoe rounds a bend. They come upon a huge…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 14, 2010 at 8:52pm —
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WHICH great challenges and social problems should the EVOKE Network tackle next?
- Waste disposal, green manufacturing, transportation, nutrition, medicine vs. health, education in an age of distraction
WHERE in the world should the network try to build up new EVOKE communities?
- Schools. Get a version of Evoke in classrooms, on college campuses, and into corporate board rooms as they discuss corporate social…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 11:54pm —
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Its 2011. Our worst fears have been realized, the H1N1 and H5N1 flus have mutated and combined, creating the deadliest outbreak in 100 years. Our global transportation grid has worsened the situation, causing it to spread like wildfire before anyone can stem the tide of infections.
Here in Southern California, a small group of citizens has taken action to mitigate this disaster. Knowing that the biggest danger to those infected is dehydration…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 11:32pm —
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When I read the title, I thought, "Awesome, I got this one!". I've got so much to say about crisis communication, as I experienced firsthand what happens when it is deficient or breaks down after the tsunami in Thailand and Hurricane Katrina.
Then I read the article on the five secrets of crisis communication, and it was both boring and just about how irresponsibly the press inflate the risk of pandemics and cause panics. Which is obvious, and not what I can offer any insight…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 10:49pm —
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Gather around grand-children, I'd like to tell you a story.
Many years ago, when I was your age, the world was very different. We used to think that man and our environment were separate. We glorified mankind, thinking we were chosen by God to hold dominion over the earth. We were right on one count. We dominated the planet.…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 10:25pm —
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From Kivu:
"INDIGENOUS WOMEN HEALERS FORMED GROUPS TO PRACTICE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN OAXACA (MEXICO)
After bitter struggles with official associations of physicians, traditional medicine people, mostly women, finally were able to organize joint meetings in which they shared their experiences and set…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 10:00pm —
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Here is my map of Riverside's Urban Resilience plan for 2020. Fortunately, there is already alot of progress towards this with Riverside's Green Action Plan. With enough partners, there will be Gratitude Gardens and Resourceful Gardens all across…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 9:00pm —
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Well, I checked for a resilience plan, a disaster plan, and a green plan for my city. I already knew we had the last two, but from my searches I was unable to find a resilience plan. The disaster plan is pretty comprehensive:
Riverside Disaster Plan.
Our
Green Action Plan (or Emerald City…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 5:51am —
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- What are the most likely natural disasters, food shortages, power outages, political crises, health outbreaks, or other social disruptions that YOU should be prepared to face with resilience?
Pick one.
I live in Southern California, so the most likely crisis for us to face is an earthquake with the associated transportation, power, and water infrastructure damage.
- What different kinds of data would you track in the crisis?
For disaster relief…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 13, 2010 at 4:52am —
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The shaking of the plane stops as we descend out of a huge bank of clouds, rapidly approaching the tiny runway that is a strip of grey in a sea of green. The tiny airport at Puerto Maldonado doesn’t look any different from when I came here ten years ago, but the jungle surrounding it definitely does. Healthier, more vibrant.
I came here over a dozen years ago to help empower the local youth to reimagine their communities. We also learned about…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 10, 2010 at 10:30pm —
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Of all the projects I saw on Global Giving, the one to
support Nepalese women in rediscovering organic agriculture techniques appeals to me the most. I feel like this is a global issue: in the last 50 years, the so called "Green Revolution" has meant that billions of people have forgotten how to employ locally appropriate, sustainable farming practices.
I posted it to my facebook, and will…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 10, 2010 at 9:32pm —
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I read
an article about UN buying generators for women in Burkina Faso so that they can save dozens of hours a week that they spend pounding rice and other grain by hand.
I have two different opinions on it. On one hand, I totally support freeing women from menial tasks so they can reprioritize and devote their time to other tasks. On the other hand, I wish that it wasn't just introducing fossil fuel…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 10, 2010 at 8:19pm —
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Its January 1st, 2020, and a revolution is quietly happening around the world. Local, reserve currencies, backed by grain and other stored food reserves, have finally been opened in every country on earth. The "Real Money Bank", a not for profit dedicated to starting local reserve currency banks across the globe, has finally realized its goal of providing access to "Real Money" for all the world's peoples.
It wasn't easy. At first, all the national banks and federal reserves opposed…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 10, 2010 at 5:30pm —
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I've heard about micro-finance and admired organizations like Kiva that make it accessible across the globe, but never actually participated in it. When I read about Act 5, my initial desire was to participate in a time bank, but unfortunately none currently exist in my neighborhood. So I figured I should try to do a micro-loan, and see how that goes.
I logged into Kiva and browsed through ten pages of entrepreneurs. Many of them were getting into retail and animal sales, or cosmetics…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 10, 2010 at 5:29pm —
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The sun hangs low above the Pacific. Wisps of clouds begin to take on tinges of orange and red. Silhouettes, lit from behind by the setting sun, dot the horizon for miles in each direction. Each one holds in their hands a different tool, a different toy. Some hold hula hoops, some swords or staves. Some spin nunchaku, some poi, or balls on chains.
All stand in silence, waiting to hear the cue to begin. Then, as the sun touches the water, a song comes from the huge crowd on the beach.…
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Added by Nick Heyming on May 9, 2010 at 6:51am —
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