Jeffrey Smeriglio's Blog (16)

Imagine Charleston in 2020. The city is going to be much larger than it is today. The amount of people moving here is stunning. Year after year more people are drawn here. This is great for the economy and adds strain in the chance of natural disasters. In the year 2020 I am imagining that Charleston will have in the works a mass transit system to move people in and out of the city faster than today. This will increase corporate productivity as well as boost the economies of the surrounding…

The area in which our city is located calls for resilience in regards to hurricanes. Mother nature has hit us before and the city needs the resilience to be able to withstand it again. By creating extra shelters as well as informing many of the evacuation routes that are posted throughout the city we have been adding to the effectiveness. The issue this city has is the population of homeless, the city needs to create a system to get them out of the area as well.

With the world the way it is and globalization increasing so is our interconnectivity. I feel that social media has now become the best way to reach a wide scale audience in regards to making positive changes. Take the ice bucket challenge of last year. This has also been used against war criminals to show what actually is taking place. This helps the world as a wh*** see the truth behind what is going on.

The women in the developing world in 2020 will be an inspiration. Through assisting the mothers around the world the societies in general will improve. It has been proven that when a mothers income increases the household improves. This is because of the nurturing hearts of mothers. Improving their welfare in turn in 2020 has increased the overall welfare of society.

Womenlead is helping raise money for women in Nepal to help the rebuilding process. Our mothers and sisters are so vital to the reconstruction of a society after it has encountered devastation such as Nepal. Through this organization raising money they will be able to assist the women in getting clean water, supplies, blankets and first aid to those in need in Nepal at this very moment. Act fast and donate!

Iceland is a country that is closing the gender gap faster than any other. It is a country to look towards as a leader. Such a positive world impact could be made if more countries followed their plan. The fight for women's equality can be helped with Iceland at the front.

When I am 100 years old the traditional knowledge I would like to be retained would be the different types of martial arts I have learned. I feel that martial arts not only keep the body in great physical shape but when taken seriously and applied to life help one lead a more peaceful life. With the increase in technology many different types of hand to hand combat have been pushed aside. This type of training brings people together.

The case study I found was on the Inuit way of hunting seal. Due to the recent increase in demand for seal fat the market has become increasingly flooded. What was once 100 dollars a pelt is now luck to get 15. The way the Inuit traditionally hunt is considered humane. The way that companies who harvest their pelts conduct hunts offends many animal rights activists. This shows how the indigenous knowledge has worked for years and is now in danger.

I feel that the world will have a healthier outlook on food in 2020. When I sit down for dinner I will be eating mainly vegetables that I have grown in my local garden free of pesticides and GMOs. I will also be eating meat from a sustainable source. The major companies will have less of a grip when it comes to providing food for families. We will make our way towards a healthier more sustainable world.

I have been helping out at the local food bank. This is something that should help those parents who need it save some money and be able to feed their children long term. Having groceries given out on 2 weekends a month helps sustain the local population allowing them to save money for different personal goals.

There is a local food security issue. Many times over the summer children end up going hungry. The reason for this is because during the school year parents can rely on help from the school to provide a lunch and sometimes breakfast. Once the children are home for the summer this makes it more difficult for the parents.

One action that is already in place is from a local church call Faith Remount. This church twice a month runs a local food bank for the citizens in this specific area.…

For my act I gave money to a personal project on Go Fund Me. The woman is from the local area and needs money to get a food truck back and running. This woman also does work at the local food bank and helps out with the homeless downtown.

I think a growing change is the ability to change someones life through random giving. With the new websites people are able to place needs and see them fulfilled daily. This gives rising hope to those seeing the real changes being made through donations. Yes there are some making a mockery of this great idea by collecting thousands of dollars to make a burrito. Overall if this type of organization can get social media coverage and collect money for small community projects I think there…

What will future me be doing 5 years from today? Where will I be and how would I help Tokyo with a food crisis. Future me will be in the USMC. I am not concerned what rank or what unit I am with. I love the fact that the USMC does humanitarian aid missions very often. As a political scientist this allows for real world experience and practice of what I have learned. I would not picture a Tokyo food crisis without the Marine Corps being in the lead. Hopefully my experiences over the time up…

For this mission I have decided to choose IAVA as my social role model. I am choosing this organization because I myself am a veteran. The information through this organization that is available about the current issues of mental health and suicide they are working to defeat is great. I will keep up with them through their website and blog IAVA.org.

So often we fall short of our ultimate goals because we listen to what others think. Yes I understand feedback is important but often people are downplaying the great ideas we have because they are upset they did not come up with the idea. Focus on your goal then place as much emotional labor into it as you are physical labor. This will give what you are doing a human side and your personality will show through.