IR Ryan Gosling
(Source: publichistorianryangosling, via creatingcarrie)
Architectural Density in Hong Kong
With seven million people, Hong Kong is the 4th most densely populated places in the world. However, plain numbers never tell the full story. In his ‘Architecture of Density’ photo series, German photographer Michael Wolf explores the jaw-dropping urban landscapes of Hong Kong. He rids his photographs of any context, removing any sky or horizon line from the frame and flattening the space until it becomes a relentless abstraction of urban expansion, with no escape for the viewer’s eye. Infinite and haunting.
Editor’s Note: Co-signed.
(via call-of-cthulhu)
Sesame Workshop to Bring Hygiene and Sanitation Content to Bangladesh, India and Nigeria
Sesame Workshop has announced a $2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote hygiene and sanitation among children and families in high-need areas of Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria.
I love this Cobble Hill bookstore. Contrary to what you see, there is organization to this chaos.
People gather to fetch water from a huge well in the village of Natwarghad in the western Indian state of Gujarat, India, on June 1, 2003. With the world’s population coming in at a few million more than seven billion, resources like food, water, and energy are at a premium. Will there be enough to go around as the citizens of emerging economies begin to live longer and healthier lives? Maybe, maybe not. Consider this fact: While the world’s poorest live on less than two and a half gallons of water per day, the average American consumes 99 gallons of water per day.
Photo: Amit Dave/Reuters
What I did for World Water Day
Since 1993, March 22nd has been observed as World Water day. The UN and its member nations devote this day to implementing UN recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries regarding the world’s water resources. NGOs and individuals should also use this day as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues of our era.
Last year I wanted to do something in my community to promote awareness of this issue. I noticed that individuals in other countries would host a Walk for Water day in which participants carry gallons of water for at least 3.5 miles, ie. the average distance women and children walk every day to their closest water source. My friend suggested that we contact her roommate who is a 10th grade teacher at Northside Charter High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. After receiving parent approval, we had 15 high schoolers join us on this walk. I used WaterAid lesson plans to turn this awareness walk into a learning experience for these kids and the surrounding community. Walking through downtown Manhattan between the New School campus and NYU campus, carrying buckets of water on our heads, we were definitely a sight for sore eyes.
So many Manhattanites were very interested in what we were doing. I’m glad that I had printed off awareness flyers in advance, so that we could pass them out to curious onlookers.
My Walk for Water Goals:
- To understand how access to clean water and sanitation empowers women.
- To examine the role of women and children in the collection of water.
- To consider what life might be like without easy access to clean water and sanitation.
- To debate how best to use resources.
- To plan local action to raise awareness of these issues in the developing world.
Besides bringing awareness to these kids (my original intention), I also unexpectedly brought awareness to Manhattanites. The UN theme for that year, Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge, seemed very relevant in the context of Manhattan. This years theme is International Year of Water Cooperation. With World Water day approaching in 17 days, what will you do?
Get involved here.
International Development professional in New York City. Blogging about: traveling, international affairs, Nepal, recipes, water & sanitation, India, economic development.
View Keesler Welch's profile
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