My experience in Peru has been everything I could have wanted. It will be one of those, “When I was your age” stories that I will tell my children. My only real responsibilities are to Skype my parents on their birthdays and to not get arrested. The people I am meeting and interacting with are [[...]
Archive for the ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ Category
Being Inspired
Sex and Violence Sells: But Please, No Gawking Allowed!
Why do people travel? Personally, I travel to see different landscapes, absorb local culture, photograph natural phenomena, hike beautiful mountains, and eat exotic foreign food. I think many people are in the same boat. Recently, both here in Brazil, and on vacation in Bolivia, I was introduced to [...]
It’s all About the Benjamins, Baby…
Thanks to you, we came a close second in October’s Ideablob competition. But don’t be too down! We didn’t win, but a lot of people learned about our cause. Now we’re in another competition, this time with better odds and a bigger reward. But we need your vote! No donation is needed[...]
Going Green(er) in Guatemala
In my first few months in Guatemala, I winced every time I threw away a plastic yogurt cup or cardboard cereal box. It was extremely frustrating not to be able to recycle all of the things that fit into my cute blue bin in the United States. My trash can filled to the brim with [...][...]
A Race of Olympic Proportions: Blog Action Day 2009
Catalytic Communities is about to embark on a new project called Rio Floresta, a planting and community mobilization project designed to improve the lives of Rio’s approximately six million residents. Currently, the North Zone – home to 2 million people – is 3°C warmer than the famous[...]
Must Read: Strategies to Empower a Community/Organization
Rules for Radicals, by Saul Alinksy: This book is about community organizing by one of, if not the most, famous radicals/idealists of all time. Saul Alinksy began his work in the Chicago stockyards, was a radical icon in the 60’s, and worked towards achieving his ideals until he passed away in[...]
Need Some Cash? 10 Ways to Fundraise
Fundraising is usually a big part of volunteering. Lack of financial resources often require you to get creative, which when done well, can be very successful not to mention fun. If you need some cash for your nonprofit or project but aren’t sure where to begin, here are ten fundraising idea[...]
When Boredom Attacks
One of the images you don’t conjure up when dreaming of a trip to South America is the one of you on your laptop, messing around online for four consecutive hours. In other words, those days when lunchtime is by far the most thrilling part of your day. On Sunday night, I was excited to begin [..[...]
Don’t Stop Talking…Ever!
Networking is hard enough in English. It takes patience and a lot of time, even with all our social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But what about in a language that I have not yet mastered, and in a culture that I might never fully identify with? And how about if the majority [...]
Defining Resources
Each community has a different set of problems and solutions. Although it seems like these communities have very little, they are somehow able to create so much. How do you create something of tremendous value with few or no resources? I decided the answer lies in how you define “resources.” Res[...]



