Brittany's post:

This assignment was amazing to me. To see a map filled out with all the organizations around the world, and to see common interests in the organizations was beyond profound. It was difficult for me to even fathom. Reading everyone's different locations and seeing the goals and missions of other organizations really just restored my energy in wanting to work in this field.

My pins:

I pinned Devereux in Mass. in my first post. I have had some contact with this organization. They serve children and adolescents that experience mental illness, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders. It functions below a hospital level, however it is a residential treatment organization. There is such a lack of placements in Vermont currently for adolescents. There is Brattleboro Retreat, which has it's own Bennington school and ARC programs connected, and there are residential homes, but there are few residential treatment facilities. Devereux is across 12 different states and contacts with out of state facilities in order to better transfer and serve adolescents in states like Vermont where there is a lack of services. Further more, they are highly collaborative with other systems such as DCF and disabilities such as seeing and hearing. Having contact with this organization was an amazing experience, and I feel it should get recognition.

On the global perspective I pinned two different organizations in Australia:

The first one is head space, which advertises itself as helping adolescents with "difficult times." I spent a lot of time on their website and reading their services, and I would say they is no better way to phrase what they do. They literally accept all ranges of experiences such as mental health, LBQT, bullying, etc, all served under one organization. The inclusion of this astounded me- that they serve so much of the population with even seemingly small "problems" that don't carry diagnoses. Today there is such a push to have an "extreme" problem or "hit rock bottom" to be able to be served with the small number of providers. I really felt it created a sense of community and creates a model to replicated.

My last link was the International Early Psychosis Association. This is an association of different PhDs and MDs and social workers in Australia that research, treat, and educate about early psychosis. They create a multifaceted model and they really push global collaboration, holding conferences and printing articles in hopes to draw a global discussion. I thought this was unique because often there are cultural beliefs about mental health diagnoses- but they encourage this conversation to take place, to see all the perspectives and then say "where do we go from here?"

Kelsey's Post

I am first off amazed at the number of organizations a relatively small group of students were able to find all over the world.  It just gave me a little reminder that there are so many people and places dedicated to helping others.  This was particularly helpful after a strangely difficult day at work.  It also helped me to realize that although I feel fairly confident that I know a decent amount about a lot of organizations locally, I do not have much knowledge about organizations in other states in the United States, let alone the world.

            The Tsao foundation IN Asia was an organization that was interesting to me.  From what I was able to read, it really seems to be a program that works with an individual where they are and ensures that each person has as much education and help through the aging process.  I have worked with many different populations over the past several years, but have not had much experience with the elderly.  It was nice to read that there are programs in different countries that really seem to focus on the individual even as they age, when our country seems to struggle with this is some ways.  

            The Tantakuna Women’s Artist Cooperative also caught my interest.  Through work and my internship I have learned that art and music can really help bring people together and bond, in ways they were not able to with out the common interest.  The fact that these women are able to join together to support each other while creating beautiful products that support their community is something that I think could be beneficial to many in so many different communities.

Travelogue - Josh

At one point when Michael Reisch spoke with our practice classes earlier this semester, he talked about how in some parts of the world social workers have been among the first to be targeted by repressive political regimes because their work is considered subversive and clearly aligned with social justice activism. I thought about something similar when we read the article Poverty through the lens of economic rights earlier this semester. In that article, the portrayal of Chilean ollas comunes and social workers whose practice is closely bound to social movements was hugely inspiring to me. I felt similarly reading the discussion of participatory action research and moving from charity to solidarity in Cows for campesinos; and reading the vignettes about acting on local knowledge and resisting imposed top-down agendas in Australia in Community development and a postmodernism of resistance.

Okay, so what does this have to do with the mapping project? For me, it comes back to keeping a big-picture perspective about what kinds of change social work is capable of supporting and enacting. My fear is that we limit our sense of what is possible, in part, because of the historical context in which we are becoming social workers. As I have time and time again over the last year, I return to the words of Harry Specht and Mark Courtney in their book Unfaithful Angels. They state: "Today, a significant proportion of social workers are practicing psychotherapy, and doing so privately, with a primarily middle-class, professional, Caucasian clientele...The poor have not gone away; there are more of them than at any time in recent memory...[If these trends continue] the 'social' in social work may be rendered meaningless" (Specht and Courtney, 1994, x-xi).

With all this in mind, it inspires me to no end to read the examples of social workers (broadly defined) internationally who are committed to profound societal change and see their work as connected to larger social movements. I started by mapping two organizations I had the privilege of supporting while I was in Guatemala: UDEFEGUA and ECAP. Both organizations do direct service and psychosocial support work for survivors of violence, and both are intimately bound to powerful social justice movements that strive to end such violence. I loved learning from the map about organizations as diverse as the Self-Employed Women's Association, Mouvman Peyizan Papay, and Abahlali baseMjondolo, all of which combine direct service work with systems-level work.   

I am focusing here on social workers and social work organizations tied to larger social movements not because they are the only ones doing important work. Rather, I want to recognize trends in U.S. social work during what appears to be a very conservative moment in our profession's history, so as to not let those trends limit the kinds of work and change we commit ourselves to. 

Travelogue - Amna

As others have mentioned, I was amazed by the sheer number of organizations that our cohort had pinned on the map. I found this activity a really wonderful conduit for us, and myself in particular, to be able to connect social work movements in general, and also themes of practice around the world.

I started my journey in Pakistan, as both my parents' homeland but also as a place where I have been directly involved with social work efforts.  Pakistanis largely rely on private individuals and organizations for support.  One such individual, Laila Nusrat, is a personal acquaintance of mine and a family friend. She established Bali Memorial Trust with her husband, and privately organizes services such as free medical clinics, orphanages, homes for the elderly, and relief efforts after major disasters, such as the flooding in Sindh in 2011. When I visited a girls' orphanage in Lahore, and a free medical clinic run by Laila and other members of the community, I was struck by the ease by which community members could access services. In all other aspects of Pakistani society, we grew accustomed to paying bribes to get even mundane tasks done, and extra money is expected, albeit nonverbally, at any government agency to process paperwork, get identification cards made, etc.  It was also striking to me, coming from the United States, that the paperwork and sign-in process was so low-maintenance and- seemingly to me- relatively unobtrusive. As a result, medical personnel were able to see and treat several patients in the same time as it might take a doctor to see one or two in a clinic in the United States.

This is all a very lengthy way for me to say that I pinned Bali Memorial Trust because of my personal connection to the place, knowing that the model is not one that I am 100% comfortable with (those with wealth charitably giving to disadvantaged individuals) but also recognizing that Pakistani citizens are mobilizing to help their own, and not just to provide emergency relief, but in ways that can make a difference on an infrastructural level.

I sometimes feel very insulated as a practitioner, because I recognize that some of the values that are precious to me (and informed by my academic and personal background) might not be held universally in ways that are easily recognizable. Still, what I found so heartening about this activity was that so many places pinned on the map seemed to be informed by direct needs from their respective communities. To echo something that Laney mentioned, I really appreciated the diverse, grassroots level community movements that I saw all across the globe.  I guess it still comes as a surprise to me that I can use a social constructionist lens to hold several truths together, and to practice in ways that can be more culturally relevant and reflective of every individuals' experience.  I (sadly) sometimes still struggle with this construct that I created somewhere along the line, that the professionalization of social work means that there is one overarching universal definition of what social work should look like. Seeing all of these efforts working in vastly different ways to serve vastly different needs made something click for me to run counter to that narrative. Here's to more of that.

Travelogue- Paul Hillen

It was cool to see all these organizations all over the globe doing work that seeks to impact change on many different levels. I especially liked reading about organizations that were based on providing services at the individual / community level. For example, HELP (Housing in Emergency of Love and Peace) Asian Women's Shelter in Japan, Dublin Simon Community in Ireland or Espacios de Mujer in Columbia. I find this personally interesting because it really speaks to the hands of feet or front line of social work.

It only makes sense that so many organizations would exist (I understand this only scratches the surface) as social problems seem to be older than Cain and Abel. Luckily for mankind, well at least in my thinking, love is older than the Earth and this exercise seems to be an example of love’s deep permeation. This exercise was encouraging as you see many different organizations doing good deeds, or at least doing deeds with the intention of good.

Similar to others, I have to acknowledge the power of grass roots movements as well as advocacy groups working for change. I believe in the power (literal power) to create miracles and transform people, places and things in ways others may perceive as impossible. I also believe any individual (myself included) has the ability to completely transform the world. I know this is true as history has proven it.

When looking and thinking about what organization, I’d like to post on the map. I just tried to find things in countries that were not already “covered.” Considering our community inquiry for the semester, I posted about Narcotics Anonymous in Iran. Looking back, I should have given some numbers as the number of people in the program is massive. It started with one meeting in 1990. Today, a mere 25 years later there are 18,200 weekly NA meetings in Iran (A literal miracle in my option! How could an organization with Western origins spread so fast there! Think about it.)  Narcotics Anonymous has been voted the top NGO by the Iranian government. There are more meetings in Iran alone than the rest of the world (around 16,000) excluding America, which has around 26,500+ meetings.

Travelogue

FIRST: I am embarrassed that this blog post is showing up under a name that I apparently created many years ago when I dreamed of being a craft blogger when I was 16. Please ignore! (.... this is Valerie)

Like others, I really enjoyed this activity. It was incredible to see all the points on the map! At first I wondered if I would be able to find any additional organizations to contribute, but that was not an issue. What I find even more interesting that browsing through the map is reading my classmates' posts about how they found various organizations. I loved hearing the personal connections between people and places, missions, and populations.

I started my own global journey by researching community agriculture projects. I remembered in past research that Australia has done a good job at bringing together social work and environmental justice. So many organizations popped up, but Northey Street City Farm stuck out to me. Not only does NSCF bring permaculture and fresh food to the community, but provides community classes on sustainable living, play groups, parenting groups, and weekly art/music/play in the dirt sessions. Although none of these provide tradition social services, I feel that they embody systemic change and resistance to "business as usual." 

Next, I searched for rad feminist groups throughout the world. The All Women's Action Society is a really inspiring organization in Malaysia. This autonomous group of fierce women bring gender-violence to the public sphere, providing direct service to survivors and advocating to systemic change. A cool aspect of the organization is their structure. AWAS functions as a collective, with a small staff and lots of volunteers. They meet as a collective regularly and emphasize open participation. Volunteers join working groups of their interest that allow them to work collaboratively and autonomously. I love this model and feel that it is really sustainable!

After being inspired by AWAS's work and collective structure, I was interested to see if there are organizations that support grassroots movements. Fahamu is a pan-African organization that provides movement building tools, education, and awareness raising to support activists and movements. It warmed my heart to see this collective organization doing work throughout Africa since grassroots movements are what brought me into social work. 

Ultimately, this activity showed me once again that I/"we" are not the first (or only) to think of something. I loved that the themes of collective and autonomy are mirrored in organizations and programs around the world. It makes me curious about more ways to get connected and learn from these organizations and more from other areas. Let's figure it out and do it!

Travelogue - Veronica

Similar to Simone and others, the international perspective of this collaborative exercise was enticing for me personally.  My undergraduate work was International Relations with an African concentration and I have always had a deep appreciation for cultures and languages.  While I was deployed to Kosovo, I had the privilege of spending my free time doing humanitarian work with the other multinational military officers.  We put coal stoves in school houses; brought clothes and food to the Romas living in enclaves; and provided school supplies to the Serbian schools that had been devastated by the war.  This experience of collaborating with women and men from Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, Ukraine, and Russia for the benefit of the less fortunate was very rewarding and felt like something I might return to one day.  Reflection on the readings, the map and my understanding of the work we actually did in Kosovo has shed new light on the difference between what charity and solidarity.  I really appreciated in "Cows for Campesinos" how Gerald Debbink reflects on his own growth in understanding of charity verses solidarity.  I also was very moved by Arturo Ornelas' comments about working with the people in order for real participatory action research to take place.  "Manual work is the only real link between an intellectual and the community.  if you do not work alongside the people in the community, they will not believe you.  You create a moral value among the people-a belief in their reality...Work is a source of transformation."   This brings up the difference too, of sustainability of the project or work being done.  The map reflects important work being done all over the world.  It is ambitious work.  The projects I found most compelling were those that put the Client voice at the center.

I was interested to find organizations in parts of the world in which i had some personal connection.  For example, I looked to the Ukraine because I worked with several Ukrainian Soldiers in Kosovo and I know that country has experienced significant political unrest which often significantly impacts marginalized populations in a society.  Presently the number of social workers in Ukraine is critically low and many of those who provide services to people living with disabilities are doing it in a voluntary status or for extremely low wages.  The number of people living with disabilities has increased significantly due to the conflicts in Eastern Europe.  This country is particularly closed off and it is not easy to find non-profit organizations that are supporting work inside this nation.  However, the EU is working to support the efforts to increase the development and efficacy of the social services which will potentially have a very important rippling effect in the lives of people living with disability in this nation.

The second organization I found of interest was Women For Women International in Democratic Republic of Congo.  This country was interesting to me because I knew several students from this country when I was teaching and they speak French.  It was also interesting to me that the project seemed to be focused on the empowerment of women, educating them about earning power, money management, vocational skills, business skills and health management.  There is also a focus on peer to peer support and fundamental rights.  

The third organization I found compelling was Mercy Korps in Kosovo which is doing work to help the lovely people of this region continue to grow their country to a place that has economic opportunities for everyone; refugees are reintegrated into a society that promotes inter-ethnic cooperation and the streets feel safe both day and night.  I appreciated that this organization seemed to be meeting people where they are and the work being done seemed very meaningful and sustainable.  The placement of the streetlights to provide a stronger sense of safety within a community, I think is one example of neighborhoods and communities working with organizations to get what is needed, practical, sustainable and wanted.  However, this brings me back again to the "Cows for Campesinos" reading, and I think you are not going to know the community is "licking the chicken bones" or the streets are scary at night, if you are never on those streets or really "listening between the cracks".  

One of my other take aways from the readings is that it was a little difficult for me to find organizations on the map that are completely post-modernist and it brought me back to the reading by Lane.  It seems as to me that most of the organizations I was looking at referenced some sort of curriculum, programming, management or other component of change.  In reflecting on Lane's article, it seems to me that these all come with some sort of agenda.  Granted, the intention of the organization may be completely supportive and well-meaning, but that does not discount the existence of an agenda.  As soon as we are not living with and keeping the Client voice at the center, no matter how subdued the voice may be, we are not really doing the work for the Client.  

This was a very thought provoking exercise for me and I really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on my past humanitarian efforts and deconstruct them in light of new knowledge.  In a few weeks I will have another opportunity to collaborate internationally, as Mary mentioned, when we go to Finland.  Based on my past experiences, I trust there are going to be some relationships we form that will last for years to come.  As this collaborative map demonstrated, there is a tremendous amount of potential for those of us interested in future international social work and that is very exciting.  On the other hand, it also demonstrated to me, the incredible need for a force of activist-minded individuals who are willing to stay focused in helping to changed the world.  I think this map was a clear indicator that it will be the grassroot organizations and their supporters that continue to change the world and we need to be part of that change.  

Travelogue - Laney

I got so excited when I first opened the completed map up that I read the little blurbs of every item posted, and dug deeper into a few of them. I could talk about many, many awesome organizations that I read about, such as the MPP, which I researched, where peasants are creating their own networks to educate, involve, and empower all peasants of Haiti in solidarity, or the UDEFEGUA that seeks to support and protect those doing human rights work in Guatemala in a dangerous political climate, or the Tanakuna Women's Artist Cooperative, where women have not only come together to support one another, but have learned to be empowered. I could go on, but ultimately, it was no one agency or mission that made a great impact on me, but, rather, the cumulative whole of them all taken together.


When I first did the readings, my initial reaction had some mixed feelings. I have believed strongly in the importance of grassroots movements for many years, that the people themselves who seek change need to be involved in the process of defining that change and making that change happen. But occasionally I get so inundated with stories of suffering, oppression, injustice, and so on that it feels overwhelming and I lose some of that hopefulness. Like these small movements are nice, but how can they change the world? Looking at this map has been inspiring, and helped to reignite my hope. “Small” movements are not small in impact, and they do not happen in isolation. Researching organizations for my own part, I realize how interconnected so many agencies are, seeking change in their communities, while rallying in solidarity with others fighting for justice. Then I look at this entire map and see so, so many other organizations in the same vein, and realize that this map shows just a very small fraction of the movements and organizations that exist to “fight the good fight.”



There is such a common theme in so many of these organizations, as Aya pointed out in her “travelogue,” of advocacy, giving voice, and empowerment. If we could make fighting for social justice and human rights one larger, more connected movement that values the intersectionality of all these movements, think how powerful that could be. I have to believe in the power of collective action, collaboration, and the true will of the people. Sometimes it feels like the will of a the moneyed few is too strong to really push against effectively, but seeing this map reminds me that it is not the battle of few, but of many together.

Travelogue - Bryan

Depending on how the map decides to load I can view different locations and not others, I though mine did not save and when re-adding I guess I duplicated... I searched for social work organizations involved in community and public health that had a person-centered philosophy.  These types of organizations, I was surprised to find, exist all over the world! Similar to a comment made by another classmate, I enjoyed exploring for organizations that offered a wide range of services at a one stop location.  This type of model is developing in the US, a place where a family can go to have a child see the dentist while a parent gets a check-up from their physician.

One place that deviated from this was found in my search for social work organizations in Nepal.  Following the devastating earthquake, I thought it would be appropriate to provide a link to agencies in the country who offer social work services and supports.  What I found was a non-profit that exists to support social work volunteers, people who want to visit Nepal and bring their own expertise to the communities surrounding Kathmandu.  I was interested to see similar organizations around the world that existed as means of bringing volunteers to the country, is this an effective model for serving communities or a response to international desires to volunteer, learn skills, and develop cultural connections?

As others have noted, the amount of pins around the world can seem overwhelming and heartening.  The topic of collaboration is what comes to mind for me, and whether or not so many disparate organizations are even aware of the work being done by one another.  During my experience in field, I was able to witness efforts to limit duplication of work and to incorporate hard work being done elsewhere rather than to spend money and allocate resources to "reinvent the wheel."  If this map existed in a more user-friendly format and one was able to sort by topic area and missions, isolated agencies would be able to reach out and learn from one another on an international scale.

           One thing that struck me after looking over the map was the sheer scope of programs and organizations. From targeted populations to types of programs to organization sponsors/funding sources, there is such a wide range of areas that are covered on the map. Not to mention… I can’t imagine all the others that exist that we did not cover!

            Another point that stood out to me was how broad the goals and about us sections were on these websites, and I’m not stating that as a negative. Specifically regarding my experience researching organizations for the map, I read the general info and thought to myself, “yeah, sure, improving the lives of those in need sounds great, but making that happen will take a lot more than good intentions!” It was at this point that reading about specific programs or initiatives really grounded me. I needed these specific examples to see the tangible aspects and be reminded that the desire to help is not a lost cause. This made me think of a time in practice – I can’t for the life of me remember what we were doing – but Kelly had us each write on sticky notes and she asked us to be specific, to give a concrete example of how we would do or show “this” (whatever we were talking about!) I, and many of my classmates, gave broad goals… not a specific example. Anyways, it was nice to see plans that are already in motion and working hard, with determined and hardworking people pushing forward with them every day!

            One organization that peaked my interest is the Tsao Foundation in Singapore. In one stop, individuals can access medical, social and psycho-emotional care. This makes so much sense to me, to not separate all of these areas like it seems like we do here. Increase accessibility and enable individuals to be involved in directing their own care… having all professionals on the same page (even in the same facility!) will help a lot with person centered and directed planning.

Travelogue - Mary Collett

There is so much in Aya’s post that either took the words right out of my mouth or made me realize something in myself. For example, I realized that I was wearing my own “blinders.” I always partially joked about leaving the U.S. for good because I did not want to deal with capitalism or patriarchy anymore, which I completely realize is ignorant. This map was a good visual reminder that these issues exist in elsewhere in the globe. Also, it was amazing to see the different types of work in the world, such as the work done by Safer Birth in Chad, Gender in Agriculture Partnership, and Headspace. What an incredible variety!

Along with exploring the map, the process of finding my own contributions was a really remarkable experience. Yes, I realized how extensive certain issues were, but I also saw an incredible amount of grassroots organization around these issues to support vulnerable populations, which was incredibly encouraging. I posted aec-tea associacao, World Comics Finland, and Narmada Bachao Andola. I was led to Narmada Bachao Andola because of my a narrative I read for policy class. 

The narrative focused on the harm caused by dams on populations of vulnerable folks (i.e. indigenous people) around the world, and I was particularly interested in one of the stories about Medha Patkar. She fought for the rights of indigenous people in India who were impacted by flooding caused by dams, and after researching her work, I found Friends of Narmada. Although they are not Narmada Bachao Andola, Friends of Narmada is an "international coalition of individuals and organizations (primarily of Indian descent)." I particularly loved this find because it seemed like a great example of social work in a global context. The intention of the website is to host for the Narmada Bachao Andola, and this is possible with the collaborative efforts of people from Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, and more. Really, this website for me really connected what we have been learning about online and/or international communities.

If anything, this activity made me really excited for this upcoming trip to Finland. I am really looking forward to meeting folks with social work interests stemming from social issues all over the world. Also, Stan mentioned in our meetings to prepare for Finland that we'll want to stay in touch with people from this trip, and I hope that this might be possible. The trip is a wonderful opportunity, but I can't help but wonder how sustainable online community connection (and possibly, action) might be. This adventure will certainly be new for me, so I hope I can figure out how this might be possible.

Also, Stan's pieces (Letters from Lapland; Noticing) were really relevant to this activity! For instance, in "Letters from Lapland," Stan wrote, "These kind of experiences also influence the way students think about social work. They begin to realize that many of our most pressing social issues do not stop at the borders of different countries."  It was really exciting for me to read them today (in preparation for the Finland trip), especially since we had this activity. In a way, this activity was a great segue for me to have this mindset or awareness.

My Journey through global communites: Simone

      My passion and interest in social work began when I was living abroad in China. Similar to the experiences of my classmates, this activity again reaffirmed my passions for the future and the work I will engage with as a social worker. When I was living in Taipei, I got the opportunity to volunteer at an organization that works directly with children who are orphaned with HIV/ Aids. It was interesting to see another organization doing similar work in Thailand. I appreciated getting to read about the mission of Baan Gerda and the work they do to empower children orphaned through HIV/ Aids while also trying to provide a stable family home for them. I am confident that social workers could play a larger role through advocacy and education for orphaned children in other parts of the world. It was difficult to see from the website the current involvement of social workers in advocating for the rights of these children. One of the organizations I had posted about due to my involvement with the work they do is: Love without Boundaries. It was interesting how these two organizations had similar connections on trying to take children out of institutional care and move them into family environments.
        Due to my interest in populations with HIV/ Aids and my personal travels to Uganda I was also interested in learning more about the work of The Aids Support Organization (TASO).  The organization seems to engage in the model of using participatory action research to meet the needs of the community they serve. I was amazed to see that they had over 800 volunteers and staff involved in their work. HIV/Aids is still so prevalent in many parts of the world, however as a society there is still so much stigma and lack of knowledge around the disease. It amazed me during my time in Uganda at how many children I met who had lost a parent/ grandparent to HIV/aids. It was encouraging to see that there are movements in place to focus on education and prevention.

        One of the other organizations that stood out to me along my journey was The Centre for Child and Parent Support based out of the UK. My current internship has a similar model to the Family Partnership Model that involves getting the entire family supported and treated in order for the family to feel confident in their skills. I also appreciated how this used very much of a strengths based practice model in order to empower parents and children. One of the things that I appreciated about the organization was how it seemed to be focused on strengthening not only families but community support. My criticism of the organization is that I would have appreciated to hear more from the families it served instead of just solely citing the approaches.

        Overall, I found this activity to remind me of the many reasons I have been so passionate about my future career in social work. Social work is such a diverse field with so many different areas to be involved. Being in Vermont, it is some times easy to neglect the needs of the larger global context and needs of communities throughout the world. As a social worker, regardless of where we live I think it is important to have some level of involvement at an international level. During my time in Beijing, I actually met a Chinese social worker who was actively involved in advocating for the needs of orphaned children with special needs through promoting inter-country adoption. It was through her work, that I realized my dreams about continuing my education in social work so that I can continue to advocate for the needs and human rights of orphaned children.

Travelogue - Luke Zitterkopf

Travelogue - Luke Zitterkopf

This collaborative mapping assignment has to be one my favorite assignments this semester.   The journey that I have experienced learning about how different communities all around the globe have impacted social justice and human rights has definitely been an eye opener as Aya and Stephanie had pointed out.  This has been a rewarding learning experience in that it has exposed me to the impact social workers are making a global change to planet earth!

I was excited to read about the Kidsave program in Russia.  Having children myself, it pains me to read and to see children put into institutions.  I was pleased to read the direction this organization has taken with the children in Russia.  I was glad to see that they are effectively placing children from institution into permanent families.  Their approach seems similar to the adoption agencies in the states.  The biggest difference that I saw was that they had orphaned children spend time with families during the summer, holidays, and weekends.  These visits created fertile ground for the children to experience life in a family and provided the host families with the opportunity to further to get to know the children.

I appreciated reading about the Abuelas program in Argentina that provides the opportunity for displaced families to search privately and confidentially for their lost loved ones.  Unfortunately there are many displaced families around the world.  I love how this organization is helping reunite lost family members.  By reuniting these families, Argentina is building stronger communities of families thus providing a better environment for their future populations to grow.

Travelogue - Stephanie Borts

Since the other section had already done this activity, I opened up the map and was immediately overwhelmed with what was already posted. I started looking through the various countries that people had tagged on the map, and immediately my excitement and passion for travel and international work started bubbling up, reminding me again why I chose this field of work. As Jenny had mentioned in her previous comment, there are social workers literally working to save the world, and this map is a very strong visual representation of that fact.

Being so overwhelmed with a busy-looking map, and my excitement, I tried to figure out a way that would calm my down and best reflect all of my interests. I decided to look at Montreal (it being my home and hope to return), Burlington (because I like it here and would consider staying), and Uganda (because I really want to travel more of the African continent and know a few people who have been there).

Dans La Rue in Montreal is incredibly popular, building over the past 30 years from the small van to the camper and two buildings. Growing up in Montreal, it was always a place that I wanted to volunteer and/or work at, so this activity gave me a little more reason to look into them. Hands Vt. is an organization in Burlington run by a former social worker, that I happened to find online through researching places to donate to during the holidays. I really appreciate the work they are trying to do and will hopefully be volunteering with them this summer. Shanti Uganda is based in a village in Uganda, helping to serve and improve infants and mothers health. I really like their mission and values, and would love to see their work, ideas and strength spread.

I greatly enjoyed looking through the map at what classmates have found and what their interests are. This activity made me realize that social work is needed everywhere. I have always logically known this, but I realized that I too, like Aya mentioned, have had ‘blinders’ on. I have been lucky enough to travel a fair amount in my life, but most of the time I have not noticed any need for social services. Luke posted about AKIM in Israel, and by my having family there, I have visited quite a few times. I can honestly say that I never noticed a need, or a lack of need, for social services of any type. I always just visited family and had my ‘blinders’ on, not really paying attention to my surroundings. This realization makes me want to go back to everywhere I’ve been and really see, to truly experience life everywhere.

I don’t know where I will end up after finishing this program (one more year!!!), but this map has helped me realize that no matter where I go, I will always find something, someone to support or work for.