In this Issue
Global Citizenship
There is so much that we can learn from being a global
citizen. It is important for people to constantly
evaluate themselves in relation to global events. To
this end, Amizade has on ongoing commitment to the
evaluation and assessment of itself and its volunteer
programs.
Amizade staff member, Eric Hartman, along with Richard
Kiely from the University of Georgia recently delivered a
paper at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American
Political Science Association in Chicago, IL. The paper
is titled "Enacting Global Citizenship: Designing,
Implementing, and Testing a Curricular Approach to
Address Students' Uncertain Response to the Notion of
Global Citizenship". In the paper, Eric and Richard
discuss the goals of the Intercultural Service-Learning
Courses at the Amizade Global Service-Learning Center
and whether or not these goals are being met.
Whether you are committed to doing as little harm as
possible through your daily actions, or you consider
yourself an activist, participating in the global
community is important. You can make a difference
through political participation, conscious consumerism,
and increasing your understanding of global issues.
Amizade's Global Service-Learning Center operates with
these ideals in mind.
The issues that our world faces are severe. Many of
them are also solvable. But they will only be solved
when citizens around the world begin to remember that
they are all part of one global community. Being a
global citizen begins with questioning your own
background and assumptions. Global citizenship
becomes real through your actions. Become a volunteer
and learn what issues the people of our world actually
face and what you can do to help.
Visit Amizade's Web Page
Quick Links
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There are so many ways to improve our global
environment, yet so many of us lack the ambition to do
so. Recognizing the growing importance of the role of
global citizenship is central to helping us make crucial
decisions that directly impact our environment and our
world.
Michael Sandy, Executive Director
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Top Ten Reasons to Recycle
As Global Citizens, one of the easiest ways to
contribute to sustaining our resources is to recycle.
1. Recycling saves trees. Half the Earth's forests have
disappeared. 95 percent of the original forest area
in the U.S. has been cut down.......
2. One ton of paper made completely from recycled
scrap saves 7000 gallons of water, 4100 kilowatt-hours
of energy, three cubic yards of landfill space, and 17
trees................
3. Recycling protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
Using recycled materials reduces the need to chop
down, extract, process, refine and transport natural
resources such as timber, crude petroleum and mineral
ores. As a result, destruction of forests, wetlands,
rivers and other places essential to wildlife is also
reduced.
4. Recycling 1 ton of glass saves the equivalent in
energy of 10 gallons of oil.........................
5. Recycling lowers the use of toxic chemicals. Making
products from already refined waste materials reduces
the need for manufacturers to use toxic chemicals,
essential when using virgin
materials..................................................
6. Recycling 1 ton of aluminum saves the equivalent in
energy of 2,350 gallons of gasoline. This is equivalent
to the amount of electricity used by the typical home
over a period of 10 years......................................
7. Recycling reduces the need for landfills. Toxic
pollution from landfills, including cyanide, dioxins,
mercury, methane, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and
lead, escapes into the air and leaches into
groundwater.............................
8. Recycling creates jobs and promotes economic
development. A recycled newsprint mill in the Bronx,
started by NRDC and a local community group, will
create 600 permanent jobs and clean up an industrial
site abandoned for a quarter of a
century..............................
9. Each year, the United States uses 85.5 million tons
of paper, of which we recycle 22%, or 19 million tons.
Of the remaining paper, we could recycle up to 70% or
46 million tons. And those 46 million tons could save
782 million
trees.......................................................
10. During WWII, salvaging metal straps from corsets
saved enough metal to build 2 warships. We can really
accomplish a lot when we all pull together and recycle!
Information used in this story was obtained from
www.nrdc.org and www.lanecc.edu.
How to Recycle »
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Importance of Voting
The election of our representatives is the cornerstones
to democracy. Many people wonder why so many
Americans turn their back on this privilege, this right for
which Americans have fought and died. In 1960, 63
percent of the voting age population voted. In 2000
that number had dropped to 51 percent.
With the presidential election upon us, it is more
important than ever to get out and vote. Voting has
become a privilege that too many Americans take
for granted. At one time, politics was a time-honored
and revered profession that allowed honest,
hard-working and respected individuals the opportunity
to
represent their communities, states and ultimately their
country. While it may be true that today's politicians
don't seem as ethical or honorable as our forefathers,
we still need to let our voices be heard. Each one of us
has the ability to change the world, to change the
focus of politics, to change a process or system that
we disagree with.
We don't need to wait every four years to vote. Every
minute of every day there are issues in which we could
have a say. Participation in politics has become a
matter of convenience. Instead of writing politicians,
holding a sign in protest, or attending a community
meeting, most Americans choose to do nothing, except
complain. For those of us who do believe that the
power of one vote can change history, we should
consider how best to bring others into the political
process. If you care about education, jobs, individual
rights, the military, foreign policy, global warming,
protecting the environment, etc., you owe it to your
country, if not yourself, to vote.
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who,
in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality" -
Dante
Vote Smart! »
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