Join with Me Today!

The Cause by Shavar Ross
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License

While I'm not much a joiner, there are a few groups and activities that I believe deserve a multitude of participants.

If I do join a group, it's because the cause is educational and worthy in its mission. One of these is the ad hoc affiliation promoting the international blogging day, Ada Lovelace Day, Wednesday, March 24, 2010. It was initiated last year to recognize the aspirations and accomplishments of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Last year was their founding year, and I joined. I selected a young programmer, Tamsin Bowles, to honor on Ada Lovelace Day 2009. Read my Ada Lovelace Day 2009 post.

I'd like to invite you, my readers, to join me and pledge to blog for the Ada Lovelace Day 2010. It's a very simple process:

• Go to the Finding Ada website.
• Complete the simple pledge form.
• Decide who you will blog about on Ada Lovelace Day 2010.
• Blog on Ada Lovelace Day 2010, Wednesday, March 24th.
• Link your blog post to the Finding Ada website.
• Share your blog post on your networks.

Additional Resources:
Who is Ada Lovelace?
Finding Ada Blog
Finding Ada on Twitter
Finding Ada FaceBook Group

Warriors to End Poverty

Photo by carf
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Over the years, many people have influenced the way I think about poverty and react to those in poverty. I think of these people as Warriors to End Poverty, because they must go against the never-ending myths that perpetuate poverty.

One of these myths is that those in poverty deserve their lot. That somehow through their own devices these people have caused their own poverty. One Warrior to End Poverty who fought this myth was Jane Addams, the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. She addressed this myth in her speech entitled, A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil where she discusses the ancient evil of slavery of women through ancient, slave rules of forced marriages, rape and forced prostitution...what we would call HUMAN TRAFFICKING today.

During Jane Addams' lifetime, these evil acts were blamed on the woman and her offspring of these heinous acts were treated with disrespect also. Is this situation any better today? Look around and "...be the change you want to see in the world..." (Ghandi). Help where you can. One of the most important ways to help is to protect women by making sure their privacy and rights are as well protected and respected as those of all other humans.