The President's Volunteer Service Award

Readers of this blog will recall that back in February of 2008 I wrote some posts about my trip to Turkmenistan where I worked with women artisans hoping to sell their goods in Western markets. The organization that sponsored and organized the trip, Winrock International, sent me a packet in the mail this week and in it was a very nice letter (electronically signed by President Obama) and a certificate indicating that I had won the bronze level President's Volunteer Service Award for the time I volunteered in Turkmenistan.

While I certainly wasn't expecting any sort of award or recognition, I have to admit that I thought it was a very nice way to recognize the efforts of volunteers. A total of 99 Winrock volunteers won the award. I particularly like this organization because among other things it has a strong focus on programs that support the establishment and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, which as I've said time and again is what I believe is the key to poverty alleviation.

The other cool thing about the award is that the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation encourages as many "winners" as possible - volunteering is not something that should be exclusive.

Sustainable Communities: The Local and Global Impact of Fair Trade and Responsible Sourcing

Tonight I'll be part of a panel discussing the global impact of fair trade and responsible sourcing.

The event is being hosted by ABC Carpet & Home in NYC and is being presented by New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE)This forum features leading women social entrepreneurs who will share their insights and experience on the guiding principles of fair trade, the pros and cons of certification, and the state of responsible sourcing in the face of an economic downturn.

The event will be facilitated by Marisa Guber, curator/ shop manager ABC Home&Planet and the other p[anelists include:

Patti Carpenter: Carpenter + Co., President and Founder

Amy Chender: ABC Home, VP of Social Responsibility

Rebecca Kousky: Nest, Executive Director and Founder

Should be an interesting evening. Will come back with some highlights.

"What is happening in Congo is the most brutal and rampant violence toward women in the world. "

The above statement was made by Eve Ensler in her poignant article posted on CNN today about what's happening to women not only caught, but specifically targeted in the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo - an enormous central African nation with loads of natural resources and few rules of law.

She not only highlights the brutal facts: "In 12 years, there have been 6 million dead men and women in Congo and 1.4 million people displaced. Hundreds and thousands of women and girls have been raped and tortured. Babies as young as 6 months, women as old as 80, their insides torn apart." But also asks the simple question of "Why?"

Anyone have any answers?