I headed off in the morning to the Australian Science and Math School, hosted at Flinders University. The school is only a few years old, and is built with an open concept -- no classrooms, but instead a number of large spaces with desks and chairs that reconfigured in many different ways to foster teamwork and collaboration. We had a large group - about 50 teachers and school leaders, and had a really interesting day -- when I showed the "Are you listening?" video, a whole bunch of students gathered upstairs in the area overlooking where I was speaking to watch - I think they were really curious that so many teachers were learning about their way of using technology!

After a fantastic dinner by the water with a group of curriculum developers, I headed to sleep -- because I had to catch a 6:40am flight to Canberra!

I made it to the nation's capital early in the morning, and it was freezing! 0 degrees but it warmed up as the sun rose... I had a few hours to fit the gym and have lunch before heading to Canberra University -- the group in Canberra decided to have an evening workshop (4-9pm) with dinner. Although everyone had a full day of work before showing up, we still had a lot of active participation, and after wrapping up at 9 and getting back to the hotel around 10, it was time for sleep for another 6:45am flight back to Sydney for the last workshop of the trip!

Arriving in Sydney in the morning, with my 32kg on-the-dot bag faithfully appearing on the carousel, I headed off to Parramatta right on time, and arrived 3 minutes before the workshop was to begin! We had the biggest crowd of any session -- around 60 people, and so a lot of the interactive sections took a lot longer than usual, but they had great ideas and a large group of schools approached me after and wants to deeply engage their entire district with TIGed, which is exciting! After wrapping up and chatting with a bunch of the attendees, I was off to one of my favourite hotels in the world -- the Westin Sydney, to relax, enjoy their great gym, and have dinner with Jenny, who had the whole series of workshops organized, to debrief on the experience (yum, Tasmanian lamb!). After that, I met up with Jarra and Nick, and headed to Micky's for dessert (Banana Pancakes and Ice Cream!) to catch up and for me to celebrate the completion of 10 sessions in 11 days in 5 cities!

I'm writing this now on the flight to Vancouver -- I managed to get right to sleep after lunch on the 10am flight, which will hopefully mean I can work through the North American day and head to sleep at a proper time tonight. Saturday, we head to Quebec City for the World Youth Congress to meet TIG members from all over the world. I've also agreed to head to Brisbane on the 19th to speak at the Queenland Government's e-learning summit, and after that, I'll be ready to just settle down at home and enjoy the rest of the summer in Toronto :)

Now that I've been away a full week, I forced myself to carve out some time to reflect on the intensity of the time so far before kicking off the second stretch.

As always, our summers at TakingITGlobal are quite busy -- generally for the education "industry", most conferences are held during the summer when teachers have school holidays. This summer, as a follow-up to my keynote at last October's ACEL (Australian Counsel of Educational Leaders) conference (which was apparently quite good even though I was quite sick at the time), I was invited to be a "Traveling Scholar" for ACEL, presenting 5 full-day workshops on TakingITGlobal to school leaders and teachers across Australia. In addition, I started off the trip by keynoting a leadership conference at Melbourne Grammar School, and today keynoted the International Middle Years conference in Adelaide... so I've made quite good use of two weeks!

Sunday - Wednesday: Melbourne

After the trek from Toronto to Vancouver to Sydney to Melbourne, I knew the first thing I needed to do to keep my sanity was to spend a good amount of time at the fitness center at the Westin. What a great idea - it helped me refresh, have a fantastic swim in the beautiful infinity pool, and after a brief stroll that was quickly canceled when the rain started, I got to sleep at a reasonable hour.

On Monday, I woke up nice and early and arrived at the charming greened campus of Melbourne Grammar, one of Melbourne's oldest and most respected private schools. To their enormous credit, they had invited students from a broad cross-section of Melbourne to attend the conference, in addition to a grade of their students. I was brilliantly introduced by one of their capable students, and my keynote was well-received - with more questions from students than we had time for. Following the keynote, a panel including a futurist, scientist, and Aboriginal leader Patrick Dodson, who cited my presentation several times as they discussed issues of leadership in the 21st century and challenged students to act on the issues they felt challenged by. In the afternoon, I ran several hours of hands-on workshops guiding a small group of students through the TIG site and beginning the Guide to Action as a tool for action planning.

Tuesday morning, I visited Kilsyth, a suburb of Melbourne, and ran a 3 hour workshop with a group of teachers across that region looking at TIG and especially with an interest in Health education... it was a good challenge because we didn't have Internet except for a very slow 2G connection, so I was able to get well prepared and experiment with some activities for the following days' sessions!

That evening, I traveled to Mooney Valley Racecourse (home of Australia's best race - the Cox plate, worth $3 million!) and presented our work at TIG to about 150 principals, who also had some great questions, and I enjoyed meeting a teacher who grew up in Mississauga and had spent his recent years enjoying and exploring Australia's wilderness.

On Wednesday, I spent from 9 AM to 3:30 PM with an enthusiastic group of teachers and principals learning about TIG, exploring global issues, and understanding how to fit our programs and ideas at TIG into the curriculum and everyday use in their classrooms. I also shared our Best Practices on Global Education resource with them... and then I was off to the airport, heading to my next destination: Tasmania!

Thursday - Saturday: Hobart, Tasmania

On Thursday, I woke up and did it all over again, in a beautiful setting amongst Lemon trees at Lateare Gardens in Hobart with a fire burning to keep us all warm and cozy from the cold outside! I think the goals of what we do at TakingITGlobal really connected closely with some people - one teacher was literally in tears sharing how wonderful she thought what we did was... it's really a special opportunity (as exhausting as it is) to be able to share our work with people that are also dedicating their lives to helping young people develop. I think sometimes we all forget the power and opportunity we have to impact the lives of others - and I feel like a few people really felt reconnected to that opportunity, which is really an amazing opportunity to be able to stimulate.

After a short 2 hour break to refresh and do some e-mail, I headed off to the Hobart Yacht club, where I addressed about 50 high school principals, who weren't able to attend the day's workshop because they were having a leadership retreat. I had to pack 90 minutes into a 30 minute before dinner speech, so I think it was overwhelming, but many of them were quite excited by what we do... and I had delicious local Salmon which was a bonus!

The next day was my main day off. I decided not to head off to my next destination right away, but to stick around in Hobart and see some of the beautiful wildlife Tasmania has to offer. So I signed up for a Tasman Island Eco Cruise - having no idea how much of an adventure it would be! After a scenic bus ride to Port Arthur, one of the main convict colonies from the 1800s, we boarded a powerful boat (675 HP) that they describe as a 4x4 of the sea. Initially the ride was quite smooth - and we discovered some caves and amazing rock formations on the coast. The "swells" were only about 1 meter, and so it was just like jumping waves on a boat at home.

However, once we got out to the Tasman Sea, things got a lot more interesting. The waves and the winds were coming strongly from an unusual direction, and 2-3 meter waves and swells gave us quite a ride! I had chosen to sit in the 4th row (moved from the 2nd) and for close to an hour, we jumped waves and it felt like we were on a roller coaster as we plunged down after riding a wave.... but I stuck with my seat - a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

We arrived at two areas with Australian and New Zealand seals, and at a cove where dolphins chased our boat around until we had to leave - amazing to lean over and watch them at the water and bow of the boat jumping up playfully! A number of albatross with their huge wingspans also provided us with an amazing show - watching them fish and gracefully glide across the sky with nothing around us but huge rock and menacing water... or what looked menacing in my book. In 1998, however, the water was so rough that in the annual Sydney-Hobart race, five boats sank and six sailors were killed.

On Saturday morning, before heading to the airport, I spent a few hours enjoying the Salamanca Market, with hundreds of stalls offering delicious local treats and art and coffee and everything needed to pass a few hours and take in the culture of a place!

Sunday - Monday: Adelaide, South Australia

Now I'm here in Adelaide, where this morning I keynoted the International Middle Years of Schooling conference, and was again introduced by a fantastic student duo! I gave out dozens of bookmarks afterwards, with many many people promising to check out the site and connect their students into TIG. I was also followed by an excellent presentation by Professor Erica, who gave a talk on creativity that linked really perfectly and built on top of many of the themes I covered.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Australian Science and Mathematics School to do another day-long workshop, and then heading to Canberra the next morning... I'll be sure to check in soon with more! And I'll be editing this entry in about 2 hours with photos once they upload.

G'day for now, Mike

"Let the World Know"
Report of a Seminar on Human Rights and Disability
Almåsa Conference Centre (Stockholm, November 5-9, 2000)
Published by the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Disability
of the United Nations Commission for Social Development © 2001
e-mail: un-spec.rapp@telia.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements *

I Introduction *

II Background to the Seminar *

III Timing of the Seminar: An Opportune Moment *

IV Purpose of the International Seminar: From Rhetoric to Reality *

V Organization of the Seminar *

VI General Directions for Mainstreaming the Human Right of Persons with Disabilities *

VII Developing an Overall Structure for Reporting Violations of the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities *

VIII Understanding What Amounts to an Infringement of Human Rights *

IX Building a System for Dealing with Infringements of Human Rights *

X Making it work: Developing Instruments for Documenting Infringements of Human Rights: The Five Working Groups Report *

Documenting Individual Cases *
Documenting Legal Cases/Jurisprudence *
Documenting the Media *
Documenting legislation *
Documenting Programmes, Services and Practices *
XI. Additional General Recommendations to Strengthen the Use of International Instruments on Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities

XII Concluding Remarks: From little acorns great oaks grow *

ANNEX A: List of Participants (including observers, and support staff)

Annex A:
List of Participants (including observers and support staff)
Participants List
Adalsteinsson, Ragnar, Iceland

Attorney at law, chairman of the Icelandic Human Rights Centre
Klapparstigur 25-27, 101 Reyjkavik, Iceland
Phone: 354 511 1206, Fax: 354 511 1207
e-mail: ragnar @ adalsteinsson.is

Aleksandrova, Lyubka, Bulgaria

Teacher, Regional Society for Support of People with Mental Handicaps, branch of Bulgarian Association of People with Intellectual Handicaps
Bulgaria, 3700 Vidin, Sadebna palata, et. 4, st. 53, P.O. Box 118, Information Centre of the Open Society Foundation and the American University in Bulgaria
Phone: 359 94 41913, fax: 359 94 37159
e-mail: osaub_vd @ medianet.bg, lubka @ medianet.bg

Bach-Jensen, Karl, Denmark

Consultant dealing with social development issues and teaching, co-chair of the Danish Association of Users and Ex-users of Psychiatry, LAP (home-page: www.lap.dk)
Langelinie 7, DK 6000 Kolding, Denmark
Phone: +45 7550 2696 or +45 2342 7243
e-mail: karl @ lap.dk

Byrnes, Andrew, Hong Kong

Associate Professor and Director at the Centre for Comparative and Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
Phone: 852 285 92 942, fax: 852-255 93 543
e-mail: abyrnes @ hkusua.hku.hk

Carlsson, Barbro, Sweden

Former secretary-general of SHIA
Åsögatan 77, 6th floor, S-118 29 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 669 1557
e-mail: barbro.cn @ telia.com

Fefoame, Gertrud, Ghana

Special educationist, vice-chair at the women´s wing of the Ghana Association of the Blind, vice chair of the World Blind Union Committee on the status of blind women, and member of her District Parliament in Ghana.
Ghana Association of the Blind, P.O. Box AC-496, Accra, Ghana
Phone: 233-21-22 09 04, fax: 233-21-233 442
e-mail gab @ africaonline.com.gh,

Frieden, Lex, Rehabilitation International – USA

President Rehabilitation International, senior vice president TIRR – The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
TIRR, 1333 Moursund, Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 1-713 797 5283, fax: 1-713 799 7095
e-mail: lfrieden @ bcm.tmc.edu

Ito, Akiko, United Nations (New York)

Social Affairs Officer, programme on disability,
Division for Social Policy and Development
United Nations
2 United Nations Plaza, New York 100 17, NY (USA)
Phone: 1-212 963 1996, fax: 1-212 963 3062
e-mail: ito @ un.org
Homepage: www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable

Kabbara, Nawaf, Lebanon

President of Arab Organization of Disabled People. President of the Human Rights Committee of the SocioEconomic Council in Lebanon. Professor of Political Science in Balamand University, Lebanon.
P.O. Box 113-5157 Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon
Phone/fax: 961 1 738296/7
e-mail: nawafk @ cyberia.net.lb

Kallehauge, Holger, Denmark

High Court Judge, president of the Danish Society of Polio and Accident Victims (PTU)
Fjeldhammervej 8, 2610 Rodovre, Denmark
Phone: 45-36 73 90 00, fax: 45-36 73 90 01
e-mail: ptu @ ptu.dk

Kauppinen, Liisa, World Federation of the Deaf, Finland

President World Federation of the Deaf
P.O. Box 65, SF-00401 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: 358 9 58031, fax: 358 9 580 3770
e-mail: wfd @ kl-deaf.fi

Lachwitz, Klaus, Germany

Past secretary-general of Inclusion International, coordinator of Inclusion International´s task force on human rights, managing director of Lebenshilfe Germany; department of laws, social policy and ethical questions
Bundesverinigung für Menschen mit geistigen Behinderung
Raiffeissenstrasse 18, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
Phone: 49-6421491159, fax: 49-6421491213
e-mail: Recht @ Lebenshilfe.de

Leal Ocampo, Roberto, Nicaragua

Director General, Padre de Familia, Inclusion Interamericana, Secretary-General of Confederacion Centroamericana y Caribe de Padres (Concapad),
P.O. Box J-127, Managua, Nicaragua
Phone: 505 265 1810, fax: 505 265 1694
e-mail: rleal @ nicarao.org.ni

Light, Richard, United Kingdom

Lawyer and director of research at Disability Awareness in Action
Disability Awareness in Action (DAA), 11 Belgrave Road,
London SW1V 1RB, United Kingdom
Phone: 44-20 7834 0477, fax: 44-20 7821 9539, minicom: 44 20 7821 9812
e-mail: research @ daa.org.uk

Lindqvist, Bengt, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, Sweden

P.O. Box 16363, S-103 26 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 453 4022, fax: 46-8 24 88 47
e-mail: un-spec.rapp @ telia.com

Lööw, Lars, Sweden

Lawyer, national disability ombudsman
Handikappombudsmannen, P.O. Box 8009, 104 20 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 20 17 70, fax: 46-8 20 43 53
e-mail: info @ handikappombudsmannen.se

Mac Aodha, Eamonn, Permanent Mission of Ireland, Geneva, Switzerland

Diplomat, responsible for human rights issues at the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations in Geneva
Rue de Moillebeau, 58, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland
Phone: 41-22 9191950, fax: 41-22 9191951/2
e-mail: eamonn.macaodha @ iveagh.irlgov.ie

Malinga, Joshua, Disabled People´s International, Zimbabwe

Chairperson International Disability Alliance, DPI chairperson
P.O. Box 2213, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Phone: 263-9 66764/65392/74133, mobile: 11704104,
fax: 263-9 66764/68023/74398
e-mail: pafod @ telconet.co.zw

Mohit, Anuradha, India

Deputy chief commissioner (for persons with disabilities) at government of India.
e-mail: nabdelhi @ del2.vsnl.net.in

Mukasa, Florence Nightingale, Uganda

Sign Language Coordinator, Uganda National Association of the Deaf
Chairperson of Deaf Women Association (Uganda), treasurer of National Union of women with disabilities of Uganda
P.O. Box 7339, Kampala, Uganda, Fax: 256-041 272 563

Nkeli, Jerry, South Africa

Attorney, national commissioner for disability
South African Human Rights Commission,
Private Bag 2700, Houghton, JOHANNESBURG, 2041
Phone: (011) 484 8300, fax :(011) 484 8403
E-mail: jnkeli @ jhb.sahrc.org.za, smserv @ mweb.co.za

Nordström, Kicki, World Blind Union, Sweden

President World Blind Union
c/o SRF, S-122 88 Enskede, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 39 92 55, fax: 46-8 725 99 20
e-mail: kino @ iris.se

O´Hagan, Mary, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, New Zealand

Mental health commissioner in New Zealand, founder and committe member of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
Mental Health Commission, P.O. Box 12479, Thorndon,
Wellington, New Zealand
Phone: 64-4 474 8900, fax: 64-4 474 8901
e-mail: mohagan @ ihug.co.nz

Rioux, Marcia, Canada

Rapporteur of International Seminar on Human Rights and Disability, research associate Robarts Centre for Policy Studies, York University, advisor on disability policy to the Victoria Government, Australia, co-chair of the National Resource Centre for Inclusive Project, Mumbai, India
York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Phone: +-416 736 5499, fax: 1-416 929 3539
e-mail: mrioux @ interlog.com

Rosenthal, Eric, United States

Founder and executive director of Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI)
MDRI, 1156 15th St. NW, Suite 1001, Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 1-202 296 6550, fax: 1-202 728 3053
e-mail: Eric.rosenthal @ erols.com

Tebourbi, Myriam, United Nations, Geneva

Human Rights Officer – In charge of the issue of disability in the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland,
UNOG-OHCHR, CH-1211 Geneva 10
Phone: 41-22 917 93 30, fax: 41-22 917 90 10
e-mail: mtebourbi.hchr @ unog.ch

Wahlström, Victor, Inclusion International

Past President of Inclusion International, UN and human rights coordinator – Inclusion International
Tantogatan 67, S-118 42 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 84 51 06, fax: 46-8 84 42 33
e-mail: victor.wahlstrom @ swipnet.se

Observers
Aquiline, Carol-lee, Secretary-General, World Federation of the Deaf

P.O. Box 65, 00401 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: 358-9 580 31, fax: 358-9 580 3576
e-mail: Carol-lee.Aquiline @ wfdnews.org

Burdekin, Brian, special advisor to the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland,
UNOG-OHCHR, CH-1211 Geneva 10
Phone: 41-22 917 91 26, fax: 41-22 917 90 21
e-mail: bburdekin.hchr @ unog.ch

Ekman-Aldén, Malin, Secretary-General, SHIA

P.O. Box 4060, S-102 61 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 462 33 60, fax: 46-8 714 5922
e-mail: shia @ shia.se

Granström, Mette, officer in charge, Swedish Committe for Rehabilitation (SVCR)

P.O. Box 510, S-162 15 Vällingby, Sweden
Phone: 46-8 620 17 00, fax: 46-8 739 21 52
e-mail: mette.granstrom @ hi.se

Gussing, Nils, consultant International Disability Foundation

P.O. 3337, CH-1211, Geneve 3, Switzerland
Phone: 41-22 793 9393, fax: 41-22 793 3939
e-mail: gussing @ gussing.ch

Jokinen, Markku, World Federation of the Deaf, Finland

President of the Finnish Association of the Deaf, Vice President of the European Union of the Deaf, Project Coordinator, University of Jyväskylä,
e-mail: markku.jokinen @ kl-deaf.fi, majokine @ edu.jyu.fi

Parker, Susan, board member, International Disability Foundation

Senior adviser in rehabilitation at ILO, Geneva.
120, rte de Ferney, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Phone/fax: 41-22 733 7183
e-mail: sparkerski @ aol.com

Seminar secretariat
Berg, Susanne, Sweden

Frödén, Anne, Sweden

Ohlsson, Erica, Sweden

Staaf, Erik. Sweden

Åkerberg, Annica, Sweden

Personal assistants, interpreters, and support staff
Abou Khalil, Jahda (assistant – Kabbara)

Brodie, Malcolm, (assistant - Frieden)

Malinga, Ronia (assistant - Malinga)

Marjanen, Kati (sign language interpreter – Liisa Kauppinen)

Nantongo, Prossy Suubi (interpreter – Florence Mukasa, Uganda)

Nordquist, Kaj (translation service)

Ruuskanen, Sirpa (sign language interpreter – Liisa Kauppinen)

Sagström, Eva (office of the UN Special Rapporteur)

Sigander, Noemi (assistant – Susanne Berg)

Getting tree seedlings is proving to be a hurdle.Greenbelt have not given any feedback, though they had offered to assist.Will approach Total Eco Challenge to see how they can help...otherwise tree seedlings go for as little as KSH. 40...how about that.

For the last few weeks, we have watched in disbelief as students razed down school buildings which took many years to be put up, all in the name of airing their grievances.Granted that some of their grievances are legitimate, arson, violence and chaos will not solve anything.However, it seems that the students were only imitating what they had observed earlier in the year ,when citizens resulted to violence as the way to express their dissatisfaction with the flawed elections.That being said, the students' actions are still inexcusable.

Many people are calling for the re-introduction of corporal punishment to address the rising cases of student indiscipline. However, I feel that caning will not solve discipline problems in our schools.Caning in itself is a form of violence (inflicting physical pain ) and it does not serve as a good model, because the students learn that it is ok to use violence on those who have done wrong.

Caning does not eliminate the undesired behaviour, but rather suppresses i,t hence the student does not reform.Students may also adopt antisocial behaviors such as lying, so as to avoid being caned.

In the past, when caning was still in use as a behaviour change strategy, teachers were known to abuse corporal punishment, and to even cause physical harm to students.

Students are also human beings and must be treated with respect and dignity.

There should also be dialogue in schools; students should be given a chance to talk about their grievances without being victimized.Let the students be heard and be involved in making their learning experience better, so that they do not result to violence as the sure way to be seen and heard.

There are so many reasons why students should not be caned, especially because there are many other strategies that can be used to modify students' behaviour positively, and all teachers should be trained on how to use such strategies effectively.

If the cane must be used,as sometimes is the case, then there should be clear guidelines on when it should be used.I would suggest that it only be used if it is the most effective method for modifying the behaviour in question i.e. there is no other better method of modifying the behaviour.

So even as we contemplate student indiscipline, let us not get so emotional about it, but let us come up with reasonable guidelines on how to discipline our children without having to result to violence.

Many people don’t realize how much is involved in being an Ambassador or public servant. Many takingitglobal members have questioned me about going into public service or international diplomacy or working for the United Nations. The United Nations has many openings and has several departments and job responsibility depending on the department or agency you work for. You need to sharpen your skills in several areas in management, cultural diversity journalism, literature, writing and communications. The most important instrument you will use is your voice and your ability to persuade many people to your cause or what you are fighting to change to be a change agent. If you are in the government sector you will be working for many people and delivering a product to the government. Change takes sometimes many years to happen and sometimes the change agent does not see the change result he or she started. Sometimes only speech is the ultimate weapon and really not your piece of paper. This will probably give you the clout but ultimately it is what you say that will determine along with your actions which will make you a good or poor leader. Advocates act has a wind of change so try not to fight against the current but ride with it

I am honoured to share a reflection on my experience at the 2008 Silver Bay Leadership Forum in Silver Bay, New York where they are celebrating their 90th Anniversary of a conference that explores the current and emerging state of leadership.

Last night I was one of three recipients of the Inaugural Leadership Forum Awards. As stated in the program “each of this year’s honoured recipients has been selected for his/her demonstrated ability to take bold action, provide solutions to complex leadership dilemmas, and generate tremendous followership. These leaders have also exhibited the rare ability to cross streams and address issues through commercial, governmental, social and economic channels”. We were recognized for our work in solving ‘wicked’ problems and as you might imagine, it was a very humbling and uplifting experience for me.

In accepting the award, we were each asked to make a few remarks and share our perspectives on leadership. I kicked off my comments on how leadership emerges based on your state of mind. I asked the room two questions. The first – ‘how many of you believe that every problem has a solution’? A collection of people put up their hands. I then asked ‘how many of you believe that NOT every problem has a solution’. An even larger group of people raised their hands. I then went on to share a visual diagram that came to mind while travelling to Silver Bay and reflecting on my perspective of leadership.

In the past, my perspective on leadership was somewhat simplistic and singular. Today, I see leadership in the context of trying to solve some of the world’s most complex and interconnected challenges. It is a moving and evolving target that requires constant re-alignment and mobility. In response to my questions that I posed to the room, I shared my realization that problems are interconnected – and YES – there are solutions, though we often need to invent and co-create them.

While preparing for my remarks on leadership on the plane, in addition to my diagram, I also prepared a series of reflections on what I have learned about leadership over the years:


For me, leadership has been about...

- Being aware of problems and taking an active role in being part of creating solutions
- Being called upon to reflect and represent collective and shared experiences
- Asking critical questions in order to better understand realties
- Energizing processes through taking interest, showing appreciation and participating
- Making connections between diverging ideas and different people with diverse backgrounds
- Reflecting on lessons of the past and making decisions that move towards a brighter future
- Having perspective with the ability to both focus in on a situation as well as see a bigger picture
- Taking responsibility for my actions and intentions
- Believing in ideas and possibilities
- Convening conversations across differences and differences
- Resolving conflict through deep listening, understanding and building trust
- Transforming ideas into actions and new realities
- Dancing with life and celebrating beauty in the midst of it all




While at Silver Bay, in addition to connecting with official conference delegates from various corporations and non-profit organizations, I also enjoyed spending time with the children of the delegates. They were truly delightful and took great interest in TakingITGlobal and my experiences with leadership. I enjoyed responding to their questions and learning from their own experiences. A highlight was also being able to go Kayaking & make a necklace at the Craft Shop!

It was so exciting for the TakingITGlobal team to be part of our sixth year at the National Education Computing Conference (NECC) these past few days here in San Antonio, Texas! TakingITGlobal had a great presence across the conference, and I am proud to share the ways in which we were able to reach out and connect with so many educators. To start with, I’ve personally just renewed my commitment to serve on the NECC conference committee for the next two years. I see my role as helping to think about the ways in which we can best engage the next generation of educators.

Before the NECC conference kicks off on opening day (Sunday, June 29th this year), an International Reception is held at the Global Connections Lounge, to welcome attendees from around the world (over 30 countries this year!) and to provide a space to share and discuss opportunities for global connections.

This year, TakingITGlobal was an organizing sponsor of the International Reception, and my co-founder Michael Furdyk along with our US Education Program Manager Emily Kornblut, presented an overview of TakingITGlobal’s recent work and invited the attendees to collaborate with us for greater global awareness. Following the International Reception, the conference’s Opening Reception was held, and provided about a dozen poster sessions for presenters to share their work. TakingITGlobal was one of the organizations provided with this opportunity. We spoke with hundreds of attendees and were able to share our programs with many enthusiastic educators.

On the following afternoon, we had a Spotlight Session, Social Networking for Social Good, held in the Lila Cochrell Auditorium, where we discussed the opportunity for educators to incorporate TakingITGlobal programs into the classroom, and shared many stories of how young people’s use of social web tools have provided them with life-changing opportunities to engage with the issues facing our planet. For the rest of the afternoon, our booth was abuzz with discussions of classroom collaboration and opportunities for partnership with dozens of school districts and organizations.

TakingITGlobal was also featured as an example of positive youth engagement by Education Technology consultant Sara Armstrong in her session Educating Students about Online Safety. The following morning was an exciting one – two educators who have been using our TIGed tools, Mali Bickley and Jim Carleton, were invited by ISTE to give a keynote speech about the collaborations they developed with schools around the world. During their talk, they highlighted TakingITGlobal.org as a social network for social good, and also showed screenshots of the TIG homepage and their TIGed classroom space.

On the final afternoon, Steve Dembo from Discovery Education featured TakingITGlobal as a resource in his session Policies, Safety and Socialm, where he provided our website as an example of well moderated, classroom friendly, safe social networking website. The conference was closed by TakingITGlobal US Advisor Idit Caperton, who provided the conference’s closing keynote, and highlighted TakingITGlobal as a resource for positive student engagement.

We have been so pleased to work with ISTE and engage with the NECC conference on so many fronts! Our partnership with ISTE has also lead to a recent presentation in Dubai and a future event in Singapore, and we were honoured to be mentioned in ISTE’s 2008 Annual Report as one of their key institutional partners!

Special Thanks to our TakingITGlobal staff at NECC !

(below photo: from left to right)

Michael Furdyk
Jennifer Corriero
Emily Kornblut
Kirsten Jordan
Luke Walker

There are times in life when things look bleak and no rays of hope can be seen anywhere. Other times you just feel low, maybe because of unpleasant events that have happened to you. Such are the times when you need something to cheer you up. What you do to lift your spirits could be as simple as the following activities. You could try some, which you’ve never tried before and see how it all works out.

1. Listen to your favourite music.

2. Relax...take deep breaths.

3. Meditate/do yoga.

4. Go on vacation/go away for the weekend.

5. Take a long hot bath.

6. Wear clean clothes.

7. Take a long walk.

8. Bask in the warmth of the sun.

9. Take a cold refreshing shower.

10. Go to the beach.

11. Have a frank and open conversation with a friend.

12. Have coffee/tea/soft drinks... with friends.

13. Smile at somebody.

14. Read a good joke book and laugh out loud.

15. Plan for a trip.

16. Read a story/novel/poetry/plays/newspapers/magazines.

17. Learn something new (a skill/hobby/language...)

18. Pick a task and do it really well.

19. Express your love to somebody.

20. Kiss.

21. Compliment someone.

22. Talk about your favourite sport.

23. Attend a concert.

24. Play your favourite sport.

25. Go shopping.

26. Do some art (paint/draw/sculpt/make a movie..)

27. Go rock climbing/mountaineering/hiking.

28. Read the Bible.

29. Rearrange or redecorate your room/apartment.

30. Attend a sports event.

31. Write songs.

32. Go boating.

33. Watch your favourite TV show/comedies/movies.

34. Play cards/board games (chess/monopoly/scrabble...)

35. Solve puzzles.

36. Have lunch with friends.

37. Take a long drive.

38. Write a story/poem/play/article/blog/novel..

39. Sing.

40. Attend a party.

41. Play a musical instrument.

42. Attend a church function.

43. Go ice-skating/rollerblading.

44. Wear your favourite clothes.

45. Watch a play.

46. Explore new territories.

47. Play pool.

48. Go bowling.

49. Watch wild animals.

50. Wear new clothes.

51. Dance.

52. Ride a motorcycle.

53. Tend to a garden.

54. Go to a fair/circus/carnival/zoo/amusement park...

55. Go on a date.

56. Talk about something that interests you.

57. Visit your friends.

58. Give someone a gift.

59. Take part in a fundraising walk/charity event.

60. Invite your friends over.

61. Get a massage/back rub.

62. Take photos/pose for photos.

63. Collect stamps/rocks/coins...

64. Eat your favourite meal.

65. Go fishing.

66. Go wrestling/boxing.

67. Go to a health club/sauna.

68. Go horseback riding.

69. Go to the movies.

70. Prepare a good meal.

71. Wash your hair.

72. Participate in a social/political/environmental protest for a cause you care about.

73. Go to a restaurant for a meal.

74. Wear your favourite cologne/perfume.

75. Keep a journal.

76. Give someone a massage/back rub.

77. Go swimming.

78. Run/jog around the block.

79. Make love.

80. Go to the barber’s/beautician’s and get a beauty treatment (manicure/pedicure/facial...)

81. Spend time with someone you love.

82. Go cycling.

83. Write letters/cards/notes to someone.

84. Water sports..surf/diving/snorkelling...

85. Travel.

86. Play video games.

87. Go for a medical check-up/have your teeth fixed.

88. Work on a project.

89. Make gift items.

90. Spend time with your pet/walk your dog.

91. Practice your hobby.

92. Attend auctions/garage sales.

93. Dream about the future.

94. Count your blessings...be grateful for all the good things in your life.

95. Recall hilarious/beautiful moments from the past.

96. List your achievements. think about your strengths, skills, talents and capabilities.

97. Go clubbing.

98. Declutter your space.

99. Call a friend on phone.

100. Meet someone new.

101. Go to the gym/do aerobics.

102. Play.

103. Think about something good you expect to happen in future.


104. Celebrate your life.

These are just a few suggestions on activities that may have an uplifting effect on you when you are feeling low. Some may work for you while others may not be your thing. Feel free to add your own suggestions of activities that uplift your mood when you are going through a rough patch in life.

Remember that bad times are temporary and life goes on no matter what is going on around you. Mourn for a sufficient while if you must then pick yourself up and get back on track. Don’t let a temporary bad moment keep you down. Rise above it and enjoy your life no matter the circumstances

I'm speaking tomorrow at PUSH, an interesting conference here in Minneapolis, MN

The first session that just wrapped up was quite interesting - Chandran Nair took us through a look at the world's problems and how many misconceptions there are about what can solve them. What I found striking was the comparison of world problems to spending on trivial/much less meaningful things:

Health & Nutrition ($13B) : Petfood Spending in the USA ($17B)
Water and Sanitation ($9B) : Ice Cream in Europe ($11B)
Education ($6B) : Cosmetics in the USA ($8B)

Jonathan Greenblatt, one of the co-founders of Ethos Water, also gave us a compelling look into the world of Water and how simple and cheap ($25/person) it is to solve. The one thing I don't get - on a $1.79 bottle of water, Starbucks (which acquired Ethos) donates 5 cents (10 cents in Canada oddly). They were founded on the basis of donating 50% of profits... I can't believe profit on that bottle of water is only 10 cents! (considering how much cheaper other bottled water is). Anyway, he now works with a new magazine - GOOD - which has a unique subscription model of giving away the $20 subscription fee to a charity of your choice.

The pure untainted beauty that I see in you
O how amazing, your innocence
I see in you hope for a better future
Your inspiring dreams that know no bounds
Your zest for life that knows no fears
You are a child, a child of promise

Tell me child when I lost the beauty of youth
my innocence, my dreams to be anything
To save the world
when did I lose my zeal for life
And hope for the future
Tell me child when I lost it all
For I was once a child , a child of promise

I'm all grown up now child
I have seen the world
I have become a different one
from when I first began
But you O child of promise
You're still so pure, so untainted
You are still a child, a child of promise

I pray O child that you may guard
That purity, that zest, that hope
That I hold so dear to heart
That I wish I still had
For it is our hope,
the promise of a brighter future for us all
O child of promise,be true to yourself
And be a light upon a dark world.

There are many myths surrounding the Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and it has been the butt of many jokes for a long time.In some instances it has even been labeled as an excuse for women to behave badly.It is my intention to try and demystify PMS so that we can all understand it better hence be more informed regarding the positions we take.If you want to acquaint yourself with some facts, you'll find them outlined below:

PMS is real and medical professionals can attest to this.

PMS comprises of the physical and emotional disturbances that occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle after ovulation and ends with the onset of periods.


Not every woman experiences PMS, only about 80% of women, and even for those who experience it,the symptoms vary from month to month and the intensity of the symptoms may vary from month to month.

PMS may be so severe as to interfere with work, school and relationships.

The cause of PMS is not known but it is attributed to changes in hormone levels at ovulation which affect brain chemicals that bring about mood changes.

Stress as well as too much caffeine, refined sugar, obesity, dairy products and insufficient vitamins and minerals make symptoms worse.

You know that you have PMS if your symptoms follow a monthly pattern i.e. symptoms occur consistently around or after ovulation (mid-cycle) and they last until the menstrual flow begins.

Symptoms may include some of the following: bloating, weight gain, swelling of hands and feet due to fluid retention, swelling and tenderness of breasts, spotty skin, aches and pains, fatigue, food cravings e.g. chocolate, exaggerated mood swings(anxiety,anger, irritability,depression,oversensitivity)poor concentration, lethargy,sleepiness, insomnia and feeling overwhelmed.

Treatment includes: menopause,avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking;cutting down on red meat and salt; managing stress, eating small regular meals,fruits and vegetables, treating yourself well, getting sufficient sleep and exercise( for a feeling of well-being) and above all getting the support and understanding of your family and friends.
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Premenstual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS that is characterised by depression and hopelessness.

For those of you who do not have to go through PMS every month, thank God for it and remember to be supprotive and understanding towards women who go through PMS.

Of course women should take charge of themselves and not use PMS as an excuse for treating other people badly.

PMS is real, I attest to that too.

http://www.osce.org/odihr/item_1_28319.html

I did not know I could play the violin until I tried. One day someone asked me, ''Can you play the violin?''
I wanted to say no,I can't play the violin but I replied," I do not know if I can play the violin, because I've never tried"

And my answer disturbed me so much that I went to my mama and asked her, "Mama, do you think I can play the violin?And she answered,"Where do you get all those crazy questions from?Of course you can't play the violin and you know know that; besides, there are better things to do than sitting around playing a violin, like studying hard so your kids can play the violin.Run along now!

And still I wasn't satisfied so I asked a friend of mine, "Can I play the violin?".She burst out laughing and I thought I had said something wrong.You, play the violin?ha! Girls like you don't play violins, lets go play a proper game."

So I asked my teacher and she said,she didn't think I had any musical ability.

I dared to ask a stranger and he sized me up from head to toe, grunted in disapproval and walked away.

I still didn't know if I could play the violin so I decided to ask the one person I hadn't ask, the very person who could give me a proper answer : me. So I asked myself out loud,right there on the street, Can I play the violin? and the answer was, I'll never know unless I try.And I did try, and now I can play the violin.

I may not be the best violinist in the world, but I play my personal best; and I'm proud of it because at the end of the day, I can play the violin.

Do not say you can't do something until you try, you never know, you might discover one of your hidden capabilities; so go ahead and try something which you think you can't do, and you will be surprised that you actually can.