Culture of Peace Initiative
Peace Practices - Peace Day September 21
The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a UN-designated "Peace Messenger Initiative" with participants in all the world's regions. Its purpose is to unite the strengths of organizations and individuals who are working to make Peace a practical reality. The highlight of the Initiative is International Day of Peace (Peace Day), which is celebrated ...learn more
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Sep 14, 2007
Updated: Nov 27, 2009
Membership: Open
Public
Brenda Thonsgaard
brendatflores
User Info
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Network [List] · [Visualize]
    |
Areas of Focus
About
I have many interests and passions! My interests include
education, social justice, cultures and cultural identities, East
Africa, ethnographic studies, narrative inquiry, adoption, orphans,
reading/language development disorders/problems, gangs/gang behavior,
correlation between reading & behavioral disabilities, and
environmental science. My job titles include teacher, consultant,
mentor, company president, associate director, dyslexia coach,
volunteer, and mother!
I am passionate about many things! One of those things is my work with
nonprofit organizations that work with orphans and people of poverty in
East Africa. At present, I represent Kisumu Project, Inc. as the
Assistant Director. I have found this volunteer position to be both
challenging and invigorating. Not only have I met many new people,
providing assistance and support to some of them, but I have broadened
my understanding of the world and its complex social systems! My
experiences working and planning with individuals who are also
passionate about making the world a better place has been quite
rewarding to say the least!
Teaching, instructional practice, and curriculum development all fit
together into another of my passions! At present, I am a doctoral
student who is trying to finish up a dissertation and a Dyslexia Coach
in school districts in the Houston, Texas, area. My “paycheck earning”
career is education! I love teaching and have found that the US high
schools can be an invigorating place to teach and learn about human
development and behavior! I also enjoy teaching adults/educators how to
use a variety of instructional practices to teach students of all ages!
I volunteer for Kisumu Project, Inc. in addition to my full-time
position as a teacher and Dyslexia Coach. Through Kisumu Project, Inc,
I do public speeches, presentations, and world issues
activities/fundraisers.
Through "Wiser Earth," I hope to share first hand knowledge about
Eastern Africa, its concerns, and potential solutions through the eyes
of those who have had first hand experiences! I plan on using my background
as an educator and life-long student/learner to augment the education
levels in Kenya and awareness levels in the United States.
I fervently believe that education and a spiritual foundation can
overcome most of the things that haunt our world today. I believe in
peace, love, and happiness, in addition to acceptance, support, and
caring.
See some of my websites:
http://www.kisumuprojectinc.org
http://kisumuprojectinc.blogspot.com/
http://www.freewebs.com/1avenueforall/index.htm
http://brendatflores.wordpress.com/
http://groundreport.com/1avenueforall
http://www.groundreport.com/article.php?articleID=2852379
http://groundreport.com/article.php?articleID=2852394&offset=0
Clouds and Waves
Mother, the folk who live up in the clouds call out to me - "We play from the time we wake till the day ends. We play with the golden dawn, we play with the silver moon."
I ask, "But how am I to get up to you ?"
They answer, "Come to the edge of the earth, lift up your hands to the sky, and you will be taken up into the clouds."
"My mother is waiting for me at home," I say, "How can I leave her and come?"
Then they smile and float away.
But I know a nicer game than that, mother.
I shall be the cloud and you the moon.
I shall cover you with both my hands, and our house-top will be the blue sky.
The folk who live in the waves call out to me - "We sing from morning till night; on and on we travel and know not where we pass."
I ask, "But how am I to join you?"
They tell me, "Come to the edge of the shore and stand with your eyes tight shut, and you will be carried out upon the waves."
I say, "My mother always wants me at home in the everything - how can I leave her and go?"
They smile, dance and pass by.
But I know a better game than that.
I will be the waves and you will be a strange shore.
I shall roll on and on and on, and break upon your lap with laughter.
And no one in the world will know where we both are.
~ A poem by Rabindranath Tagore