Two years ago, I was working on a television show about the increasing violence against women around the world for Houston PBS. For years, I had been trying to interview Jody Williams, the 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate who had led the international campaign to ban land mines. As a Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Houston, she conducts lectures here twice a year.

When I finally got a hold of her, she was surprised I had not reached her before. I thought she had avoided my requests because of her celebrity status. I was wrong. She was one of the most kind, authentic, and humble people I had ever met.

I have interviewed admirable people in my lifetime, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Dominique De Menil, Alice Walker, met Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and other lesser-known human rights activists, but Williams truly surprised me. Like all of them, she is dedicated and fearless, but when you are around her, you feel like she could be your next-door neighbor who you can trust with your children. She has no airs whatsoever. She is not afraid to speak her mind, nor does she mince her words. To me She is a modern day grassroots peaceful warrior. What you see is what you get.

When her book “My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girls Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize came out, I quickly got a copy and I was not disappointed. I got to meet Williams at a more personal level in January of 2012. I was invited to be part of her delegation of the
Nobel Women’s Initiative (which she leads with all the women laureates) and Just Associates (JASS) on a fact-finding mission. The goal was to hear from women confronting violence in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. We were to investigate the impact of the war on drugs and increased mining operations on the lives of women.

According to the report released in June of 2012 on that mission.
“The delegation found that violence against women is reaching crisis dimensions in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. In the last decade, femicides have risen by alarming rates – as much as 257% in Honduras. Indigenous women and women human rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to attacks, which include rape, torture, murder, and forced disappearances.”

On that trip, Williams was focused, passionate, quietly driven to get answers and empowering the women we heard. Most had suffered atrocious violence. I believed she helped them find their own voice, with her compassion, knowledge and assurance something would be done.

I didn’t know much about her personal life until I read the book. She was raised in Vermont with a very close and modest Catholic family and early on, discovered her own activist soul by chance.
The turning point came when she was handed a flyer about the Salvadoran war and the US role in it.
The following years, she spent time in Central America for different causes, generally helping the forgotten victims of violence and war.

In her memoir, and with great candor she shares her family’s ordeal with her mentally ill brother, a failed marriage with her high school sweetheart, her frustration with the US Governments’ role in the Vietnam and Central American conflicts and her ultimate as she sees it, “average America girl” response through social justice activism.

In a very easy to read and conversational style we also learn about her rape by a Salvadoran Death Squad member, her roller coaster love life and how she ended up working to ban landmines.

It happened unexpectedly in 1991, when she met executive director Bobby Muller of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation who along with Thomas Gebauer of Medico International, a German Humanitarian organization felt “she was the right person to build a political movement to ban landmines. “They just knew I was going to be able to bring together non governmental organizations to put sustained pressure on governments to make them get rid of the weapons forever.”She said and they were right.

The next few years she would dedicate her life, passion and determination to ban landmines, while learning everything she could about international law and surrounding herself with activists around the world with the same goals and perseverance. She was awarded the Nobel Prize along with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997.

Williams paid a lot of personal prizes for her activism, but she reminds us peace is not something you just imagine, or just talk and sing about. It is something you fight for. To understand peace, she says you must understand the causes of war. “Human security requires directing our resources toward providing for the basic needs of human beings so they are secure in their daily lives.” She reminds us peace is not for the faint of heart.” You have to fight for it! She has certainly proved that in how she has lived her life and how she continues her relentless pursuit of justice wherever she goes.

If you are in New York on April 18th. She speaking about her life at the Paley Center. For more information, here’s the link.

http://www.paleycenter.org/2013-spring-jody-williams

For those of us whose parents are immigrants, the American experience is certainly different than from those who have been here for generations, so when I picked up Matt Kinsella’s book “How To Be Lucky” I could relate to something he mentions a few times in his book. “I don’t live to work, I work to live.” I have always believed that to be my philosophy of life. I want to create enough wealth and abundance to live life, not to spend the lot of it creating wealth for someone else to enjoy!
“How to be Lucky. From Teenage Homeless Hostel to Successful Entrepreneur: A Guide to Making Things Happen.” is a must read for those who want to hear simple lessons about creating your own reality, and your own wealth and happiness. A fine work of literature, it is not, but it is a fast, uncomplicated, simple read, especially for those who need a “kick in the pants.” (That’s my quote)
Matt Kinsella may not be a household name in the USA (He is British) but his story rings true to those of us who have covered homeless people with the most incredible stories.
There is nothing new in this book to help you get off your comfort zone and create your own reality, fulfill your own dreams, and as he says, “create your own luck,” but Kinsella has an authentic voice that motivates you to believe With the right attitude and understanding, you can create your own opportunities.
“How true is that? “Determination grows from an idea and enthusiasm.” He says.
Here is some of Matt Kinsella’s advice: “Ask for help when you need it, but do it graciously, confidently and humbly. People want to help if it does not take too much of their time. And don’t forget to do the same for others. Then, do what you have to do. Opportunities are everywhere so don’t discard them. If you have a brain, anything can be learned. See possibilities. Lose the bad friends who only take but don’t give back”
Be yourself and stand up for who you are. Rely on yourself to make things happen for you. Don’t be scared of failure, but don’t be afraid to call it a day when your business fails. Formula structure and routine are like death and poison to creativity, happiness, enjoyment and ultimately success.”
To understand how the author became a millionaire, and learned all the tips he is sharing with readers, you would have to know he was homeless as a teenager, drinking too much with little schooling, surrounding by illegal activity and doing little until one day, he made a choice to change his life, create his own luck, work hard but most importantly work smartly.
Here is what I like the most about his book. He says he now only works 20 hours a week so he can spend time with his family and friends, which he finds, is of most importance. How nice is that? I find the mindset here in the USA is that you have to work hard, hours on end to achieve wealth and prosperity. Kinsella disagrees. You may have to work very hard at least for a while but making money does not always require hard work. Kinsella reminds us, that is what the masses think you have to do. It is human nature. What does he do? He is always looking for opportunities, and then he does his homework. Entrepreneurs, he says don’t do things from inside an office, they get out into the world, talk to as many people as possible and get new ideas to make things happen. Kinsella also has a moral compass. Help other people, don’t steal their ideas and believe in your own capacity to make things happen.
How did Kinsella make his wealth and how does he advise you do? Buying the right kind of property after extensive homework, investing in good ideas, writing a book, alternative work from home options, make something, do what you love. Confucius, Kinsella wrote, said “If you do what you love for a living, you will never do a day’s work in your life. ”

I believe this book may be too simplistic for some, but I find the lessons valuable. I just produced my own CD called “Simplicity.” Why? I believe most of what happens to us in life has to do with what inside the space between our ears, our heart and our souls. We do create our own reality, our own luck. That does not mean we often fail miserably as I have but that is part of the journey. Yesterday I was having a conversation with a dear friend. We have both been on this planet for many decades. We are not old, but I believe vibrant youthful thinking women. She believes there is a lot of age discrimination going on right now. My answer is that may be a reality, but you and I have to create another reality, our own! In my mind I am still young and I believe like Kinsella does, that we will create our own wealth and any obstacle such as discrimination will be irrelevant because “There are ways one can become lucky.” It is not easy, but I agree you have to focus on what matters, on service, on ideas and most importantly on execution. The world is full of ideas, but we are here to make them come true. Kinsella in his simple book shows us how.

For a few months, I have been reading about a movie based on a true story about a Spanish family with three children that survived the Tsunami in 2004. The natural disaster claimed the lives of 240,000 people.

There were several reasons I wanted to see this movie. I love true stories. As a journalist, I am more of a non fiction gal. I like the truth, raw and real. It is true what they say, the truth shall set you free. Look at how the world has changed because we now have access to information through the web we never had before. We know if someone in the middle of no where gets raped, mutilated or killed. We know which politicians lie (most of them) and why. We know how the world works and who really has the power. We are aware of injustices in our back yard and millions of miles away. Because we know, I believe change happens faster than it ever has.

I have seen just in the past few weeks some major tipping points around the world. Here in the USA, many have said enough is enough. No more semi automatic weapons for whoever wants them! In India, stop the rape of women. We’ve had enough. In Egypt, demonstrators shout, we are done with dictators! I believe all this happened because people now have access to the truth.

The movie is about the true nature of a storm. A real story about a natural disaster this family had no control over. They went to Thailand on vacation and the day after Christmas, a monster tsunami almost took their lives. What I loved about this movie was the message. It was beautifully produced, photographed and acted but for me the most important gift I got from it was hope.

I believe the family that survived and those who helped them are here to teach us a lot of lessons about the human spirit, generosity, family ties and hope.

Was it a miracle this family remained intact? Not one died in the storm. There were a lot of factors that kept at least one member alive. One of the Thai village people carried the mom for hours to get her to a place of safety and then drive her to a hospital. When I say carry, I say walk through the mud in the rubble for hours. The village did what they could for her there. Then at the hospital the villagers insisted she be taken care of before they left. She had so many injuries, she was holding on for dear live so she could see if her children were alive. Once she did, she was about to give up and even said so, when her husband begged her to keep fighting for her life. She spent almost two years in and out of hospitals but in the end she did survive and so did her children.

The movie is based on Maria Belon and her family and she says the movie is very close to the truth, but that it was even worse than what we saw. I can’t imagine. At one point I saw the greatest act of love. Maria and her son Lucas had barely survived and they were trying to climb up a tree before the second wave could come. Instead, Maria insisted they search for the little voice they heard in the rubble. Her son Lucas begged her to let it go so they could save themselves and she answered, what if that child you hear now was your brother or you. Wouldn’t you want to be saved? I say no more.

We have a choice, always. I don’t know how I would act in a situation like that, but I would hope that I would do the right thing, and that ….gives me hope.

This year began with a major change in my life. I left a job I had for 22 years and found myself on a path I had never travelled before. I started my own production company and experimented with more creative tasks such writing a book, engaging in social media, recording a CD and two music videos.

A friend suggested I get The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and it truly came in handy. As a television producer/host and musician/singer I am torn between my so called “art” and every day reality of creating abundance to pay the bills. Many artists struggle with this but Julia Cameron reminds us in her book, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity” that artists can harness their creative talent and skills if can only trust their spiritual connection with God.

As a woman of faith, I can relate. When you work in creative fields, there tends to be less economic stability than say medicine, business, engineering, law etc, but in my case, I have to be highly connected to my higher power to trust the process. What is important to me is that I love, adore and be passionate about what I do. I have several degrees that could lead me to a more comfortable, secure, economically stable lifestyle, but I have chosen to do what I love even if at times, it leaves me with a sense of ambiguity about my future. I do know however, that I can and will find that through my art as well, only because I remind myself every day there is higher power watching over me.

This year I had the honor of teaching young inventors in Medellin Colombia at the International Park of Creativity, spearheaded by my friend and celebrated scientist Raul Cuero PhD. For 12 days, 20 teenagers under 16, under the guidance of mentors in different fields, but primarily scientists and Dr. Cuero, learn the creative process and how to invent. Those who stick with it after the camp and begin to work in a laboratory to engage in scientific inventions, get their work funded, patented and commercialized. Since 2007, the Park has patented the work of 8 of these young inventors. Dr. Cuero is trying to do this worldwide.

I taught a creativity course in communications because the process of producing a television story is indeed a creative process. It requires brainstorming, working as a team, solving problems, interviewing, writing, shooting, editing, and presenting.

What I love about Dr. Cuero’s approach is that he believes these young inventors have to be well rounded in their education and they must also learn with their hands, not so much with theory or books but by DOING. He understands they have to create inventions the can help industry, business and humanity solve problems.

We are here for a very short time in the scheme of things, so being part of this creative process has been utter joy combined with panic at times. I have no regrets for I didn’t come here to innovate, I came here to create and I have to start somewhere!

Tags: global warming
Global Warming
Posted on 29 September 2011 by Ashley Mancha
When do I need to toss out my wool sweaters? While most scientists agree that climate change is particularly due to human activities, it is important for us to remember that scientists are always testing and retesting their hypotheses as the climate changes.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, “there is no doubt that climate will continue to change throughout the 21st century and beyond, but there are still important questions regarding how large and how fast these changes will be, and what effects they will have in different regions.”
Even if not all of us are scientists, we know that the weather is changing. For example, Texas, a state experienced with plenty of rain is now experiencing record breaking weather: droughts, temperatures in the 100s and a breakout of wildfires. The East Coast on the other hand is suffering from too much rain. Recently, Hurricane Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey since 1903. 1903! Well over a century ago!
But let’s go back to Texas. Texas’ governor and running mate for the Republican presidential ticket, Rick Perry, does not believe in global warming. He has made it very clear that we humans are not contributing to global warming. He also thinks that “a substantial number of scientists…have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects.”

Global warming, a scientific phenomenon has become very much a political issue. Ultimately, it will and does affect us all because we live on this planet, breathe the same air and share the same moon and sun.
Here are some basic things you can do to make a difference. Whether you believe global warming is caused by man or not. Something major is happening to our climate and there are things you can do protect the environment. According to Globalwarmingfacts.org here are some things you can do to help:
Change an incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb. CFLs use 60% less energy, which will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year (and our energy bill!)
Cover your pots while cooking. They save a great amount of energy while preparing your meals
Use the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full
Recycle. You can save around 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling.
Purchase a plastic water bottle and reuse it. The packaged water bottles we buy at the stores aren’t any good-plus how purified is their water? If we fill up at home, we know our water is clean
Reuse shopping bags. Many places sell bags at a convenient price. You can tote them from store to store. Some places even give you a discount if you use these bags
Even if you don’t believe in global warming, you can benefit from using these tips- that can also save you some money.
If you are interested in this topic. Here are more articles on the subject.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/aug/22/rick-perry/rick-perry-says-more-and-more-scientists-are-quest/

http://dels-old.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/climate_chawww.pewclimate.org

www.ipcc.ch
www.climatetechnology.gov
nge_2008_final.pdf

http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Global%20Warming/Global%20Warming%20State%20Fact%20Sheets/Texas.ashx

http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/global-warming-2.jpg

Why we should care

I couldn’t help it. Five years ago, I noticed if you didn’t have a blog, a you tube, facebook and twitter account and you didn’t run around with an Ipad or Ipod you were just not very cool and hip. As a senior producer/host for the local PBS station, I felt I needed to be different and start being hip, groovy and connected! I gave in and had my twenty year old interns help me set up all these accounts and TEACH “grandma” (me) at the time, all they could about social media.

Frankly it is never enough. Although I have been blogging for years and I have accounts on almost everything and I just signed up for google plus, I am still not where I need to be so I attended LATISM (Latinos in social media.) I knew Latinos were the most highly digitally connected group in the United States so I wanted to know why and learn from them.

I went to many sessions, some great, some not so but what really inspired me was the Adelante Movement 3 hour presentation. Why? I needed to hear from multimillionaire Latina women, that to succeed and make money you have to have a heart, have a plan (Nell Merlino), be “a grounded perseverer” (Nely Galan) and a “chingona” (Sandra Cisneros.)

I must admit I liked the Chingona part the best. What I found is what I always find when a bunch of women get together in a room. The sacred feminine can not be stopped!

Fortunately for me, I was forced to be an entrepreneur. That’s right. I lost my job after 22 years even though I feel I did everything I was supposed to do. I worked hard, won more awards than anyone in their history and cared deeply for the station and its co workers. What I found is that life isn’t fair and that everything that I felt I had built with the team was suddenly destroyed by a meteorite in one day.

Today I realize things happen for a reason. Sometimes greatness comes from the lowest moments of our lives. The dark night of the soul is necessary to catapult us to bigger and better things. I realize it is a process. It may take time, but I don’t plan just to work hard. I plan to work smart (as Nelly said.)

The Adelante movement helps Latina women achieve their business goals. We may be the most entrepreneurial but most Latinas don’t make more than 50,000 a year with their business. This is about to change. How? The right type of information, mutual support, mentors and reality checks. Here is what they say in their website

The Adelante Dream

That we work because we want to and not because we have to.
That we are heard by politicians.
That we become experts on The View and Nightline—in the mainstream, as well in as in Spanish media.
That we promote each other and watch each other’s backs.
That we buy from one another to create wealth.
That we each teach our children about the heroes in our community every single day.
That we vote! That we encourage and influence everyone in our families and communities to vote, so that we can move mountains as a group.
That we invest in all things Latino, whether it’s a startup business or a church.
That we no longer be afraid to speak up collectively for those who cannot speak for themselves, especially our children.
That we “get our own chips,” which means starting our own companies and owning our own media.

www.theadelantemovement.com

I have no idea yet how this movement will help me in the long run but here’s some very quick wisdom I got in a few hours. Frustration and anger will only block your capacity for greatness.
Help other women and let them help you. We have to support each other and buy each other’s products period.
Follow your bliss and money will follow is a myth. Figure out how to make money and lots of it with the right kind of information and support. Be a “chingona” women who behave never make history is my motto. Be authentic and for geez sake HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN that makes sense!

I will keep writing about my experience with Adelante because I want to be one of those successful millionaire women that can help OTHER WOMEN reach their dreams. I pray and believe this is a long term commitment and not just a three hour seminar sponsored by Coke. I hope we get lifelong mentors to walk with us on the so called path of life.

Dr. Bruce Perry shares his knowledge about childhood development and why caring for our children shouldn’t be a choice but a mandate.

One of the richest states in the nation ranks last in healthcare for children. Texas is the uninsured capital of the United States. More than 6.3 million Texans – including 1.2 million children – lack health insurance. Let’s see who can we blame. Is anyone talking about this? Does anyone care?

Texas also ranks in the bottom third of states—34th nationally—in a state-by-state study of our children’s well-being, according to the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The study reveals that Texas has the third highest teen birth rate in the nation, and a child poverty rate well above the rest of the U.S.

Twenty-three percent of Texas’ children live below the federal poverty level in 2008, compared to 19% nationally. Poverty is especially debilitating for children, affecting nearly every aspect of their lives in key stages of development, and leaving lasting consequences. Children living in low-income families have a higher risk of dropping out of school, poor adolescent and adult health, poor employment outcomes, and experiencing poverty as adults.

Last night I heard Dr. Jeffrey Starke talk about children and poverty in Houston. He shared how some so called third world countries do better than our state in how they take care of their children.

The society that neglects the most vulnerable can’t succeed in the long run, so how is it that such a rich state allows these shameful stats?

If this bothers you. If you want to do something about it. Contact Children at risk or Results.org
Both organizations are working to combat this problem. Ask yourself what else can I do?

Not all is bad news though,
Texas improved on the percentage of children attending preschool, and the percentage of high schoolers graduating on time. The question is. How healthy were they?

Many years ago, I met a man who would become a dear friend. His name is Raul Cuero. He was born in Buenaventura, Colombia and his life can be considered an epic, a Greek drama and Herculean triumph. You can watch his story in this video and find out why. He is today the inventor of several patents and director of creativity camps all around the world. He found success through creativity, hard work, focused dedication and a relentless pursuit of wisdom.

Raul was the first person to ever tell me I was creative. I had no idea what that meant. Yes, I was a television producer and yes I loved to sing and play music, but creative? What exactly does that mean? I realized what he meant when I went to teach a seminar on television production in Colombia. He invited me to share my knowledge with 30 young teens who were attending one of his many creativity camps. I realized as I prepared for the course, how production is a creative process and why.

Raul is an inventor. Creativity can be defined as an invention or origination of something new and valuable, whether it is a story or song in my case, or any type of literary or art work, a product, or a solution.

Everyone can be creative, because it has to do with developing something new for ourselves, not the world, in other words, if it is something new for you, something that never existed before for you, or you are doing something in a different way, or developing a new way of looking at something, Then you are being creative.

There is a creative process, but it is not orderly

First of all the creative process in my field usually requires teamwork. Whenever I produced a story, I consulted with several people, especially my crew (shooter and editor.) I also talked to friends, experts and the subject of the story at length. This of course, known as brainstorming is another aspect of creativity. As we brainstorm, I would ask those involved to think out of the box. How can we tell this story differently? How can we notice things we usually don’t? Is there anything intriguing about the person or the story? Also, I believe creativity requires heart. Remember a story is about how you make your audience feel, so you have to engage in real emotions.

Let’s start with some of the steps I had to take to create, in this case, a story. First, I had to work in my craft, come up with a story idea, read about it, research it and pre interview my subjects. Then I spent some time, connecting the dots, finding the missing links, getting rid of unnecessary information.

Then I would have to get really excited about the story. Was it worth doing? Is the subject interesting enough? Do they offer value? Am I in love with the story?

Finally the most important phase of the creative process is execution. The story idea I have been preparing and incubating is finally going to get shot and produced. In the end, the idea or story may not work out, but the process is still the same.

My students went through the creative process of production. They came up with a story idea, brainstormed it, and as a team decided how they were going to shoot it. They found their subject, interviewed them and together they wrote the story and finally edited it.

Many of the kids I taught years ago are now inventors with patents. What they probably don’t know is that I learned way more from them than they probably did from me. Why? because for the first time in my life, I realized I was engaged in a creative process without knowing so. That was my “eureka” moment!

All my life I have worked to find balance in everything I do, “the Ying and Yang.” Why? Because I believe we need both sides and the tension of the opposites to get the best result. For example we need to balance the masculine and the feminine, work and play, the “left and the right.” I am by nature a moderate and an independent politically. Why? Because I admit I don’t have all the answers. I stand for what I believe but only after extensive factual research and listening to as many sides as possible. (Yes, I admit there is more to one side on any issue.) To me, most issues are not just black and white. They are grey.

When it comes to politics, I have been dismayed at the political dysfunction and extreme partisanship that isn’t leading us anywhere. Our representatives no longer talk to each other. They yell and often insult. They pride themselves in standing their ground and hating the actions of the other party. Sometimes they act like dogs unwilling to let go of their bone.

This is why a few years ago; I did a show on civility. I was tired of the political bickering, the vitriol and the unwillingness to compromise. How did it happen? It took years, but believe it or not, a lot had to do with the price of rent! That’s right. Years ago, politicians could afford to bring their families to Washington and live in the same neighborhoods with members of the opposite party. They would eat together, play sports and hold lively discussions. They were friends with disagreements. Today they are enemies unwilling to let go of their “bone.” They hang out with people of their own party and they can’t be “seen” with members of the opposite party. It is not allowed!

What we have today are extremists on both sides of the aisle, fueled by partisan journalism, proud to trash everything the other party has and celebrating when nothing gets done because a victory is not allowing the other party to pass anything close to a compromise. A victory is not passing a bill. It is not doing something for the nation. It is saying no to the other party. Is this what we want of our representatives? Obviously if we vote for them, this is what we want or is it?

It would take weeks to explain why most Americans don’t really vote in primaries and those we are politically active tend to be more extreme in their views. These voters are not generally driven by compromise, dialogue and civility. They are driven by anger, fear and anxiety.

Our economic situation is challenging. However, to blame one party or the other for the mess we are in is way too simplistic. Both parties and we the people are to take responsibility for what happened and the inability to find solutions every day is hurting us more than we can imagine.

What we need is common sense and representatives who do the right thing because it is the right thing to do whether they win or lose the next election. Yes I know I am being naive, but I believe in ideals.

Are you a representative, a public servant so that you can win the next election or so you can do what is right for your country?

I am not asking you to give up your ideals. I am asking you to compromise for the best, most commonsensible solution. (I forgot, common sense is the least common of the senses.)

When you make a decision, can you please ask yourself? Is this benefitting most people or just a few? What are the long-term effects? Did I read the bill?

Act in the public interest, not yours. If you are there longer than 4 years, don’t become beholden to the Washington establishment. The people, not by your party, party boss or president, voted you.

Remember Congress was to be the places where you “deliberate” discuss, compromise and make laws that help Most Americans not the few that pay for your campaign.

Finally, take a course on civility. It may serve you and the nation well.