PDN and PhotoServe.com are always on the lookout for excellent storytellers and thrilled to offer a package allowing members of SalaamGarage to feature their projects.  Join the most exclusive professional photography community and take advantage of a discounted package which includes a PDN subscription, portfolio on PhotoServe.com and discounts on photography contests and with participating vendors.  PhotoServe actively supports our members through editorial and news pieces written on behalf of our members and included in our monthly newsletter to over 15,000 creatives, industry events, print and direct mail marketing, and through social media outlets. Discounted rate: $635 paid in full / $660 paid in quarterly installments

For more information or to purchase this value-added membership, contact:

Kristie Nilsson - knilsson@pdnonline.com - (646) 654-5812

Interview by: Sabrina Messineo: organizer + SalaamGarage Blurb Books for Good Liaison
(Below are images from Eduardo’s trip to India with SalaamGarage in 2009)

Q: Who is Eduardo Sciammarella?

A: An innovator. My family is from Argentina where there is a strong intellectual tradition. New ideas surrounded me constantly. I am captivated by things that are new while being inspired to preserve the things that are old and real.

I am the founder and CEO of 2 companies: designing better interfaces: www.protohaus.com, designing a better planet: www.gathergreen.com

I am also the leader of SalaamGarage’s upcoming trip to Peru, June 29-July 10

Q: How did you first become involved with SalaamGarage?

A: I met Amanda Koster, founder of SalaamGarage, at a Microsoft conference where she was presenting. I decided to get involved with SalaamGarage because I have always dreamed of being a photojournalist. A few years back I was going through a lot of transitions in my life and I wanted to return to India to document what I had remembered from living there as a child. The SG team, my fellow citizen journalists, and the people at the NGO – all had a profound impact on me – giving me a renewed energy and vigor in my life. I knew then that I wanted to surround myself as much as possible with people doing good.

Q: Having the opportunity to be involved in so many creative projects, how do you decide where to focus your energy and how does that translate into the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: I love photography. I’ve been shooting since I was in high school and it is the first thing that I remember being good at. Before that I was just a kid having fun. Photography is a way of reflecting. Because photographers seek beauty, photography reflects beauty. With regards to citizen journalism, it’s important to see what’s happening in the global village. It’s important to listen to stories told by friends and family rather than getting information from the news. On this trip we collaborate with The Mountain Institute. The SalaamGarage trip to Peru will focus on the story of how climate change is affecting mountain communities.

Q: Why are you excited about the SalaamGarge Peru trip?

A: I’m excited to be leading this trip because the people that are feeling the immediate impact of climate change – like the communities in the Andes – have the knowledge we need to repair our communities and live a more sustainable life. It’s our actions that have put them in danger of loosing their livelihoods and it’s their knowledge that will help us repair the Earth.

Q: How would you describe a good leader and what makes you a good leader for the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: Being a good leader is motivating people to overcome challenges that they see. Overcoming challenges requires resiliency and passion. Without passion you loose direction. People have an easy time finding problems and get stuck. I look at things in a different way. Everyone needs someone to help you see where you can be more productive, someone to help open you up to inspiration. Simple actions can change you as a person.

I am the perfect leader for the Peru trip because I am a good listener – I really take the time to understand people and see where they are coming from. I speak fluent Spanish which will be an important tool as we try and understand the stories of the people in the mountain communities.

Q: Why would you go on this trip?

A: I would go on this trip because it will certainly take you out of your comfort zone you will be amazed by the resilience of people fighting to preserve their communities and way of life. You will meet a whole new family of kindred spirits that will be part of your life-long journey. In short it will shift the path your life is on – aligning it closer to the things you’re truly passionate about.

A few trusted people have told me that you have this uncanny sense that you belong in Peru – that you come from there. It could be the contrast between the colorful textiles and the deep earthy tones of the trees, mountains, and skies or it could be the resilience etched in the faces of the people. Each day of the trip will be a new emotional exploration and visual delight all of which is cast against the fragility of our shared ecosystem.

Q: The mission of The Mountain Institute revolves around sustainability. How would you define sustainability?

A: Sustainability starts with yourself. It starts with the sustainable person. In some sense, it starts with looking at what you’re fearful of (not having things, loosing things, etc.). We look at these things and realize that all fears are an illusion, that we already have everything that we need. From there we can see how our needs impact the people, animals and environment around us. We become more conscious of how we consume and interact. We begin to seek and cultivate balance.

Q: What logistical information should travellers know about the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: There are 5 spaces left for the trip and the deadline to apply is June 1st. Additional information about the trip, including the itinerary, can be found at: http://salaamgarage.com/trips/salaamgarage-peru-may-2011. Angela of SalaamGarage can answer any questions you may have: travel@salaamgarage.com

Thanks for asking!

(from our friends at TBD, note this is not a SalaamGarage project)

Many of us live in a digital world of Tumblr, Twitter, and tons of other means of sharing everything we’re doing at any moment to anyone. It’s easy to forget that most people on the planet lack that voice – and, therefore, that visibility.

The unseen and unheard are about to get their thousand words of recognition. JR, international artist of mystery, routinely creates massive pieces of street art, focusing on those at the center of conflict or those who are overlooked. His images are the faces of Palestinians and Israelis standing together, or black Parisians shouting back at the media’s portrayal of them.

Now, JR is working with TED to put the power of voice in your hands. Through Inside Out, a massive participatory art project, they’re asking everyone (including you) to use black and white photographic portraits to discover and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. These can be sent to project’s co-creators, so that they can exhibit them in their own communities. So get out there, look into someone’s eyes, and let everyone see what you see.

Seattle’s got it covered: Locals pioneer a new wave of international journalism

Thursday, April 07, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PT)

International reporting is a challenge in today’s scaled-back media climate. But as an international city known for innovation, Seattle is taking new approaches to global coverage.

Join the Jackson School of International Studies, the University of Washington’s Department of Communication and the Common Language Project as we invite local journalists, media-makers and news outlets to share the new ways they are bringing international stories home.

Speakers include:

Amanda Koster, founder of SalaamGarage

SalaamGarage turns curious travelers into citizen journalists, mentoring them as they visit NGOs in developing communities and learn to tell people’s stories through writing, photography and social media. SalaamGarage works in Guatemala, India and Ethiopia, to name a few. Amanda is the founder of SalaamGarage and author of book, “Can I Come With You?” The book introduces the reader to several social documentary projects Amanda Koster has worked on throughout the world.

Ethan Casey, author of “Alive and Well in Pakistan”

A self-described “recovering journalist,” Ethan has traveled the world and written two books about Pakistan. His work has appeared in the South China Morning Post, the Boston Globe, The Guardian and The Times of India. His next book, “Bearing the Bruise: A Lifetime in Haiti,” is due out this spring.

Jim Simon, assistant managing editor of The Seattle Times

During his 25 years as an editor and reporter for The Seattle Times, Jim has covered global issues in Southeast Asia and Africa, and worked with a team of journalists to help rebuild the media in Indonesia following the 2005 tsunami. As an overseer of content at the Times, he seeks out a broad base of international coverage to include in the paper’s Sunday edition.

Jessica Partnow, executive director of the Common Language Project

Jessica is a radio journalist whose work has been published by NPR, KUOW, The World and the World Vision Report. Her reporting has led her to countries including Cambodia, Ethiopia, India and Pakistan, and her radio series Life on the Duwamish received the 2008 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for News Series.

If you’re interested in how Seattle-based media outlets cover international stories in this new media climate and want to know what makes our region such a unique base for new models for global reporting, you won’t want to miss this event!

Light refreshments will be served.

MORE INFO: http://seattlereports.eventbrite.com/

Interview by: Sabrina Messineo

Q: Who is Eduardo Sciammarella?

A: An innovator. My family is from Argentina where there is a strong intellectual tradition. New ideas surrounded me constantly. I am captivated by things that are new while being inspired to preserve the things that are old and real.

Q: How did you first become involved with SalaamGarage?

A: I met Amanda Koster, founder of SG, at a Microsoft conference where she was presenting. I decided to get involved with SalaamGarage because I have always dreamed of being a photojournalist. A few years back I was going through a lot of transitions in my life and I wanted to return to India to document what I had remembered from living there as a child. The SG team, my fellow citizen journalists, and the people at the NGO – all had a profound impact on me – giving me a renewed energy and vigor in my life. I knew then that I wanted to surround myself as much as possible with people doing good.

Q: Having the opportunity to be involved in so many creative projects, how do you decide where to focus your energy and how does that translate into the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: I love photography. I’ve been shooting since I was in high school and it is the first thing that I remember being good at. Before that I was just a kid having fun. Photography is a way of reflecting. Because photographers seek beauty, photography reflects beauty. With regards to citizen journalism, it’s important to see what’s happening in the global village. It’s important to listen to stories told by friends and family rather than getting information from the news. The SalaamGarage trip to Peru will focus on the story of how climate change is affecting mountain communities.

Q: Why are you excited about the SalaamGarge Peru trip?

A: I’m excited to be leading this trip because the people that are feeling the immediate impact of climate change – like the communities in the Andes – have the knowledge we need to repair our communities and live a more sustainable life. It’s our actions that have put them in danger of loosing their livelihoods and it’s their knowledge that will help us repair the Earth.

Q: How would you describe a good leader and what makes you a good leader for the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: Being a good leader is motivating people to overcome challenges that they see. Overcoming challenges requires resiliency and passion. Without passion you loose direction. People have an easy time finding problems and get stuck. I look at things in a different way. Everyone needs someone to help you see where you can be more productive, someone to help open you up to inspiration. Simple actions can change you as a person.

I am the perfect leader for the Peru trip because I am a good listener – I really take the time to understand people and see where they are coming from. I speak fluent Spanish which will be an important tool as we try and understand the stories of the people in the mountain communities.

Q: Why would you go on this trip?

A: I would go on this trip because it will certainly take you out of your comfort zone you will be amazed by the resilience of people fighting to preserve their communities and way of life. You will meet a whole new family of kindred spirits that will be part of your life-long journey. In short it will shift the path your life is on – aligning it closer to the things you’re truly passionate about.

Although I have not been to Peru – I have heard from friends and families that it’s a magical place. A few trusted people have told me that you have this uncanny sense that you belong there – that you come from there. It could be the contrast between the colorful textiles and the deep earthy tones of the trees, mountains, and skies or it could be the resilience etched in the faces of the people. Each day of the trip will be a new emotional exploration and visual delight all of which is cast against the fragility of our shared ecosystem.

Q: The mission of The Mountain Institute revolves around sustainability. How would you define sustainability?

A: Sustainability starts with yourself. It starts with the sustainable person. In some sense, it starts with looking at what you’re fearful of (not having things, loosing things, etc.). We look at these things and realize that all fears are an illusion, that we already have everything that we need. From there we can see how our needs impact the people, animals and environment around us. We become more conscious of how we consume and interact. We begin to seek and cultivate balance.

Q: What logistical information should travellers know about the SalaamGarage Peru trip?

A: There are six spaces left for the trip and the deadline to apply is April 15th. Additional information about the trip, including the itinerary, can be found at: http://salaamgarage.com/trips/salaamgarage-peru-may-2011.

Citizen journalists present a photo exhibition depicting the work of Seattle-based NGO Agros International, and their work with indigenous Mayans in Guatemala.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, February 28th 2011 – A 7-person citizen journalism team, facilitated by SalaamGarage and Agros International, two Seattle-based non-profits organizations, will show over 30 photos depicting the lives of indigenous Mayan people in Guatemala throughout March at evo store in Fremont.

Opening reception will be on Friday March 4th 2011, at evo’s Times Infinity Gallery in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood (122 NW 36th St, Seattle WA), as part of Fremont’s First Friday Art Walk. The show will run throughout March. Admission is free. Refreshment will be available, thanks to the donation by local businesses.

The opening reception is from 6:00 – 10:00pm. evo store/gallery hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-8pm, Sun: 11am-7pm

During the reception at 8pm, there will be a short talk by SalaamGarage founder Amanda Koster, Agros Director of Communications, Sean Diamond and a question-and-answer session with the journalists. The journalists will also present their recently published book: “Guatemala + Agros, Stories from Seven Citizen Journalists.”

The journalist team, including 5 Seattle residents, 1 from New York and 1 from California, visited the war-torn Ixil area of Guatemala in the summer of 2010 and interviewed two dozen families in three villages. Through their photos, the team aims to provides an opportunity for Seattleites to better understand and appreciate the lives and the resiliency of the Mayan people.

The visit made a deep impression to all the team members.”I was surprised by how little real poverty I saw. The villagers I met were proud and seemed to want very little. The only desire that was universal was to have enough money to send their children to school,” said Phebe Sorensen, the 83-year old Great Grandma, one of the seven journalists.

The companion book, “Guatemala + Agros, Stories from Seven Citizen Journalists,” is available for purchase, at the reception and online through Blurb (A SalaamGarage partner) at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1959235.

All proceeds from book and photo sales will benefit Agros International and support their work in Central America, empowering the people living in the margin to break the cycle of poverty.

About SalaamGarage
SalaamGarage is a digital storytelling, citizen journalism organization that partners with International Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local non-profits. Participants (amateur and professional photographers, writers, videographers, etc.) connect with international NGOs, create and share independent media projects that raise awareness and cause positive change in their online and offline social communities.

SalaamGarage partners with grass roots, forward thinking organizations. Through the trips, one experiences rare access to the work of social entrepreneurs that would otherwise go unreported, while engaging with local communities on an entirely new level.

About Agros International
Agros International is a Seattle-based, non-profit organization that works with poor, landless farmers in Central America and Mexico. Through a unique, holistic development model, Agros extends loans to purchase farmland and then partners and trains farmers for 7-10 years in applying sustainable agricultural practices, all with the goal of enabling these families to create, develop, and eventually own a sustainable village. Agros has started 40 village projects across five countries.

For further information, please contact Patrick, Guatemalan trip participant
Patrick Wright
PHONE: 206-612-0948
EMAIL: pat@plwp.com
WEB: http://bit.ly/g3TY1t

###

What is the Photocrati Fund?

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a grant through SalaamGarage. Rather, it is offered by the Photocrati folks, we are just reposting it because it is relevant to what SalaamGarage does! Please read the entire post:

MORE INFO: http://www.photocrati.com/photocrati-fund/

The Photocrati Fund offers $5000 grants to pro and emerging photographers to undertake important humanitarian and environmental photography projects. Our goal is to identify outstanding, photographers and to provide the resources necessary to pursue projects that will have a tangible and positive effect on the world.

The 2011 Photocrati Fund competition will begin in November 2010 and will run through April 1, 2011. The 2011 Photocrati Fund award(s) will be announced at the Look3 Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia in June 2011. Awardees become Photocrati Fellows for the calendar year from the announcement of their award until the announcement of the following year’s award.

Award decisions will be made by the Photocrati Fund Board, a prestigious panel that includes some of the world’s best-known environmental and cultural photographers. The 2010 Photocrati Fund Board and judges for the competition included:

Steve McCurry
Michael “Nick” Nichols
Art Wolfe

Photocrati will announce the 2011 judges shortly!

Note: The Photocrati Fund and Photocrati.com are administered by Frontier Digital Media, LLC. Photocrati and the Photocrati Fund are sometimes hereinafter referred to collectively as Photocrati.

Note: The 2010 Photocrati Fund emphasized non-professional photographers. The 2011 grant will focus on pro photographers and emerging photographers who are making a career of photography

Eligibility
Application Submission Guidelines
Selection Criteria
Notification of Award
Disbursement of Funds, Project Report, Photo Essay and Deadline for Completion of Project
Copyright and Use of Images
Other Important Notes
Photocrati Fund Board Member Bios

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2010 Photocrati Fund Winner and Top Finalists

MORE INFO:

http://www.photocrati.com/photocrati-fund/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8th 2011

Citizen journalists present a photo exhibition depicting the work of Seattle-based NGO Agros International, and work with indigenous Mayans in Guatemala.

Photo: Patrick Wright

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, February 8th 2011 – A 7-person citizen journalism team, facilitated by SalaamGarage and Agros International, two Seattle-based non-profits organizations, will show over 30 photos depicting the lives of indigenous Mayan people in Guatemala throughout March at evo store in Fremont.

Opening reception will be on Friday March 4th 2011, at evo’s Times Infinity Gallery in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood (122 NW 36th St, Seattle WA), as part of Fremont’s First Friday Art Walk. The show will run throughout March. Admission is free.  Refreshment will be available, thanks to the donation by local businesses.

The opening reception is from 6:00 – 10:00pm. evo store/gallery  hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-8pm, Sun: 11am-7pm

During the reception at 8pm, there will be a short talk by SalaamGarage founder Amanda Koster, Agros International Director of Communications, Sean Diamond and a question-and-answer session with the journalists.  The journalists will also present their recently published book: “Guatemala + Agros, Stories from Seven Citizen Journalists.”

The journalist team, including 5 Seattle residents, 1 from New York and 1 from California, visited the war-torn Ixil area of Guatemala in the summer of 2010 and interviewed two dozen families in three villages. Through their photos, the team aims to provides an opportunity for Seattleites to better understand and appreciate the lives and the resiliency of the Mayan people.

The visit made a deep impression to all the team members.”I was surprised by how little real poverty I saw. The villagers I met were proud and seemed to want very little. The only desire that was universal was to have enough money to send their children to school,” said Phebe Sorensen, the 83-year old Great Grandma, one of the seven journalists.

The companion book, “Guatemala + Agros, Stories from Seven Citizen Journalists,” is available for purchase, at the reception and online through Blurb (A SalaamGarage partner) at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1959235.

All proceeds from book and photo sales will benefit Agros International and support their work in Central America, empowering the people living in the margin to break the cycle of poverty.

About SalaamGarage
SalaamGarage is a digital storytelling, citizen journalism organization that partners with International Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local non-profits. Participants (amateur and professional photographers, writers, videographers, etc.) connect with international NGOs, create and share independent media projects that raise awareness and cause positive change in their online and offline social communities.

SalaamGarage partners with grass roots, forward thinking organizations. Through the trips, one experiences rare access to the work of social entrepreneurs that would otherwise go unreported, while engaging with local communities on an entirely new level.

About Agros International
Agros International is a Seattle-based, non-profit organization that works with poor, landless farmers in Central America and Mexico. Through a unique, holistic development model, Agros extends loans to purchase farmland and then partners and trains farmers for 7-10 years in applying sustainable agricultural practices, all with the goal of enabling these families to create, develop, and eventually own a sustainable village. Agros has started 40 village projects across five countries.

For further information, please contact:
Patrick Wright
PHONE: 206-612-0948
EMAIL: pat@plwp.com

###

click to download flyer here

Here is a typical moment during a SalaamGarage trip.

This is Sarah Henderson:

http://sirenapictures.com, http://theultimateride.tv.  She lives in Portland, OR and came with us on the SalaamGarage Ethiopia trip 2010. She is awesome. We were working with the Hamlin Fistula Hospital, an absolutely amazing organization.

What is happening here? Fuji donated polaroid-esque cameras to SalaamGarage so that we could give photos back to the women rather than just taking them. Sarah Henderson is photographing patients at the hospital.

Most of Hamlin’s patients are from a remote village in Ethiopia.  We found a woman in physical therapy learning how to walk again.

She had a double fistula, double meaning both her vaginal canal and the rectum lining were torn during labor. These linings are commonly torn during labor because the women are married and pregnant before they are fully developed. Much of this is due to child marriages.

Her baby died in utero. While delivering the dead baby these linings tore. As a result she leaked urine and feces uncontrollably. Her family was ashamed of the way that made her smell and built her a hut in the back of her families hut and she lived in it  for 7 years before making to the hospital. During those years her leg and foot muscles atrophied until she could no longer walk, eventually resorting to a fetal position. Her family threw food out to her as she lay on the dirt floor of her mud hut for those 7 years. She said she ate like a dog, dragging herself up to the pile of food, eating while lying there in the dirt, leaking.

She made it to Hamlin, they performed surgery on her and we are all praying it will heal properly. Currently she has catheters connected to her for drainage.

Sarah was photographing patients at physical therapy and I walked up to see what she was doing. We had extreme restrictions around photography at the hospital, so I opted to walk around and check in with people rather than work on a story.

Sarah had completed photographing women with her regular camera and pulled out the Fuji camera so that she could give her a photo of herself.

She walks with a walker, and slowly made it up against the banister where Sarah was photographing women for their turn with the Fuji.  Her feet were completely crooked. Maybe a toe or a heel touched the ground as she walked. Mangled, I had never seen anything like it. She leaned very hard on the walker avoiding any weight bearing on her atrophied feet and legs to make it up to the banister. Once up against it she motioned for us to take the walker out of the photograph. From there she did her best to slowly stand up on those feet somehow and motioned for Sarah to take the photo, now. Sarah went to take a photo and wouldn’t you know it, the camera was out of film so she had to walk away and reload.  It was sort of a photo time-out and everyone took their eyes off her, except me. I watched her lean back onto the banister with an expression of sheer agony that sent shivers down my spine.  She was in so much pain standing there for us, so that we could take a damn picture.

Sarah came back with a loaded camera. The woman stood up and I knew she was hiding the pain this time. She motioned for us to get the walker out of the way again and then lifted her chin so amazingly high… more shivers down my spine… and Sarah took a few photos.

When Sarah was done the woman took the walker back, leaned up on it again and waited in agony for the photo to develop. Once it did Sarah handed it to her and she slowly, quietly smiled. She looked up at Sarah and whispered ‘amasiganalo’, ‘thank you’ in Amharic. Her language.

She  got back on her walker and slowly limped back, dragging her completely disabled legs and feet back into physical therapy so that she could finish up her session which we interrupted.

***

SalaamGarage is an absolute privilage. We find ourselves in these situations and get to tell you about it. I ask you, reading this, would you help her? Would you donate a few bucks to Hamlin? It will take 5 minutes. Here is how you do it:

http://www.hamlinfistula.org/how-to-help/make-a-donation.html

You WILL change a women’s life forever. I know, because I met her. And now so did you.

And to us, the SalaamGarage team. We are NOT too busy. We are not at all too damn busy to get these stories out and help this woman, help the hospital. I don’t care how crazy our schedule is. We weren’t too busy to spend 2 weeks in Ethiopia. We weren’t too busy to take her photo. This woman stood there for us, in sheer agony so that we could take a photo. And then what? They weren’t too busy to tell us their story, share their lives with us. We have no excuse not to help. Get those stories out there and not for our own glory. Do it for hers.

You can start with a 5 minute presentation about  your experience at a

Ignite in your town: http://ignite.oreilly.com/.

5 Minutes. Can you give her 5 minutes?

-Big Announcement!  Launching our first SalaamGarage Local Grant at this Meetup!  The grants will support writers, reporters, and bloggers to collaborate with photographers and other image-makers to create stories that matter.  SalaamGarage has always facilitated meaningful storytelling, now we are going one step further by supporting local media makers.  Together we are making a positive impact on the social issues effecting New Yorkers.  Anyone will be able to submit proposals and first grant will be awarded sometime in November. Thanks to our friends Spot.us!

-Sign up for the India 2011 trip. We will be in Jaipur during Diwali (festival of lights) and Pushkar during the Pushkar Camel Fair.  Our favorite little NGO, Vatsalya, will have so much to show us.  Watch for the India 2011 itinerary to be announced on the SalaamGarage site Tuesday.

Some of the amazing people who will be in attendance:
-Chat with Mira Zaki who just returned from Guatemala. Mira and SalaamGarage visited remote rural villages where NGO Agros International is empowering Mayan farmers with land ownership and sustainable agriculture practices.

-Meet photographer Omotomi Omalulu Lange who just returned from Uganda where she was working with L.E.A.D Uganda teaching photography to students. Ask her about L.E.A.D Uganda and the work she did last month.

-Matt Pascarella will be available to chat about his role as Bureau Chief at Demotix and his life as a modern journalist, film maker, reporter, photographer.

-We are also hoping Santa Barbara, CA based artist/photographer/blogger Lisa Field Elliot will be there to share her travel stories and blogging tales from Rajasthan, India and Uganda this past year.

-Finally, I am excited to be on hand to talk about the upcoming trip to Ethiopia in November.  Myself and an amazing team will embark on a journey to Ethiopia to create stories about women and obstetric fistula injuries at the Hamlin Fistula Hospital.

Click here to get details and to RSVP for this awesome happy hour get together!

With several successful trips under out belt, lots of content created, travelers repeatedly saying ‘this was the trip of a lifetime,’ we seriously want to vamp up sharing your experiences and the stories you create. Why? Because we know for sure it changes peoples lives.

We envision SalaamGarage participants deeply engaging their communities with their projects and experiences from their trip.  Because we truly believe in the intrinsic value of ‘show and tell,’ we challenge the SalaamGarage travelers. This is an opportunity. We so want to see the amazing content created by SalaamGarage travelers reach far and wide that we rolled out the Engage! Refund. (for you!)

In a nutshell, if you can come up with a plan to get your projects out in a way that will engage your community and have a powerful impact, we will refund your trip $300.

Need some examples of a plan? Write a series of articles for your local newspaper. Give a presentation at (ex.) an Ignite or Slideluck Potshow event or other conference/non-conferences. Present your photos and project from you trip your church or you child’s school, invite their parents, invite the press (they’ll come)! Create a campaign by engaging your local community to support the efforts of the NGOs we visit. A campaign can be to send 50 children from the NGO you visit with us to school for a year through your (ex.) book club or your church- even better, make it an annual goal. Create an online fundraiser to support the construction of a health clinic for the NGO, get credit at your university, work it into your major… there are unlimited possibilities. It’s all possible!

Get out of your comfort zone, reach out, speak up, engage, inspire, cause change and have an impact. Make the most of your SalaamGarage experience by sharing with and engaging your community. It’s all about what you can do, and you can do a lot!

Here are the details:

SalaamGarage accepts 20 applications on a first-come-first-serve basis and awards 7 solid projects per-trip.

Please contact hello@salaamgarage.com to request an application.

Steps:
1) Pay your $500 deposit (via paypal).
2) Choose your project from the website.
3) Email us your request for an application at hello@salaamgarage.com.
4) Receive approval.
4) Book and pay for the trip (go anyway!).
5) Complete your project, reach your goal within your deadline and SalaamGarage will refund you $300.

Projects:
Your project should have realistic goals as to how you plan to make the most powerful impact in your community. Posting a blog entry isn’t enough, Facebook links and photo albums aren’t enough, a few tweets aren’t enough. You will need a solid plan for your project with a timeline, goals, deadlines, collaborates, desired outcome, etc. (and remember: KISS)

sigh.

off the bed, refresh, chewing on some organic energy cliff candy becky left in my car (which i now carry in my purse, subsequently all the way to austin). so, scouring the streets, chewing on a ‘candy’ that would my make my dentist scowl, happy its a warm and balmy, happy to be in sandals… looking for yet another convention center.

found my new crowd, hopped into the mega building, found the non-line, line for ‘presenters.’ that’s me.

i’m here to lead a core conversation called ‘Citizen Journalism and the little NGO that could.’ http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/443

… and its a total honor. this crazy idea i had a few years ago landed me here. tho not really landed, because it’s a continuum. this past week was monumental. something snapped in me and all of the sudden (i know, i say this often, but this is different.. and i say that often cuz it is) a whole new realm opened up. all of the sudden i let go of what could happen if i do these next 5 things to what could happen, and i don’t know what 5 things it takes to get there.

but what if….

… and shazam. i had some conversations this week that catapulted my mind  and salaamgarage into that space. and the next 5 things to get to well, those 5 things seem totally insignificant now.

obscure, i know. but i think one reaches a point in their career, or life where you can either just do the next 5 things and check ‘em off, or imagine what if, and let the 5 -500 things appear eventually, because there was no way to have ever scribbled how to answer what if on the to-do list.

you see, this is the whole deal with our sxsw panel. forget the to-do list. really, sit down and be ok with ‘what if.’ because its that thinking that will expand this planet to a place we’ve never imagined possible.

does this make sense?

stay tuned, from sxsw in austin,
amanda

Janat Horn photographing explosives recently (1/2010) collected by a PeaceTrees Vietnam EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team on a SalaamGarage trip to Vietnam. photo: Amanda Koster

(click to hear audio) SxSW Core Conversation: “Citizen Journalism and the Little NGO that Could.”

It is not a question of who is helped first,
When we attend to ourselves with compassion and mercy,
More healing is made available for others.

And when we serve others
With our open and generous heart,
Great healing comes to us.

As we heal the wounds of the past,
We carry less pain into the world,
Less confusion and anger,
And we bring more charity and peace.

It is no longer simply for personal gain;
It becomes our gift,
Our offering to the earth
And the Divine Spirit within us all.

Mahatma Gandhi

Outside the window of our hotel in Udapiur. Women and little girls were doing there washing in Lake Pichola. The view of the Lake Palace Hotel is great, at night the scene is captivating and romantic:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryRFrkvLQuM

Jaipur Train Station waiting for the Udaipur train:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy16duPoLB0

Crossing the railway tracks in a auto rickshaw:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEBJj5_AbDg

believe me, lots more soon!
amanda

SalaamGarage has been working diligently with Agros International around what stories need to be told, and who would be willing to share. This is a very rare opportunity to work with an NGO and see first hand the people they serve, and to hear about their lives.

SalaamGarage participants will be able to choose from these projects. All people mentioned in these projects are ready and willing to collaborate exclusively with SalaamGarage and you to help tell their story. They are looking forward to meeting you.

click here to see!