How to Help Syrian Refugees
As their country enters the third year of a bitter civil war, roughly 4 million Syrians have fled their homes. At least 1 million have crossed into neighboring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey. The rest are displaced within Syria, including a large contingency hiding out in Roman-era caves. And to make the situation … Continue reading
Sticking with Love
I am enjoying the fruits of other people’s labor. 15 years ago my parents collaborated with a woman named Mia Scarlat to start an organization for children in Bucharest who needed a safe place to go. Mia had the expertise, my family had the concerned American donors, and with a very small budget the group … Continue reading
Growing Up Without AIDS
What I remember most about AIDS growing up is the silence. In Memphis, where more than one friend actually went to ex-gay camp, I don’t remember hearing much about the disease that has now killed over 30 million people. To be fair, I also don’t remember any hateful statements about how AIDS cures homosexuality. No, … Continue reading
Tweets Re: North Korean Gulags
Thank you to everyone who followed along yesterday with my live tweets from the Hidden Gulag conference here in DC. It was a really fascinating event, and as you could probably tell I tried to capture as much as possible on Twitter. Before I post any further thoughts and resources, I wanted to give you … Continue reading
Dirty Laundry
I’ve been reading up lately on a scandal in Ireland surrounding the Magdalene laundries/asylums. In case you’re unfamiliar with these crazy horrible places (as I was until just recently), here’s a quick run-through: Protestants and Catholics set up Magdalene laundries in Ireland – and elsewhere on a smaller scale – as a way to reform … Continue reading
Musicals About the Marginalized
There are more musicals on forced migration than can be mentioned in a week. Here is a list of some popular ones we didn’t get to: Oliver! Features child slavery Miss Saigon Lead character an orphaned refugee from the Vietnam War Parade An example of wrongful imprisonment Aida Discusses the slavery of Nubians in Egypt … Continue reading
Where is Love?
This past weekend my husband and I attended opening night of Oliver! at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. Even though it is based on Charles Dickens’ dark tale Oliver Twist, the musical handles a lot of the characters and themes very lightly, especially in the first act. I have never been quite comfortable with upbeat, … Continue reading
Summer Opportunities that Could Change Your Life
Whether you’re a beach bum, a hard worker, an activist or a pacifist, here are two ways your summer could become an even more meaningful one. Go to Haiti! Hope for the Children of Haiti Hope for the Children of Haiti (HFC) is looking for short-term teams to come to Haiti this summer and help … Continue reading
Spotlight on: Mia’s Children
Mia’s Children is an organization reaching out to marginalized youth in Bucharest, Romania. Since 1998, they have provided food, education, counseling, spiritual guidance and much more to over 75 children who have come through their doors, from infants to high school age.The children learn art, music, sports, and language to ensure that they are able … Continue reading
LiNK and Village of Hope
LiNK’s Campaign to Aid Refugees LiNK stands for Liberty in North Korea. Founded in 2004 by two people who started organizing college students to advocate for the North Korean people, the organization has become a “movement of activists empowered by the stories of refugees and motivated by the urgency of the issue.” North Korea is … Continue reading
