Category Archives: Reflection
Peace of Privilege
Yesterday I was devouring the Sunday NYTimes when something occurred to me. Among all the many articles describing the progress, path and motivations for the recent Arab Spring movement there was one common thread; the mission of each protest was simple … Demand dignity! Wrapped within this call for dignity is clearly a desire for equality.
I believe it is human instinct to yearn for respect, acknowledgement, empathy, and opportunity. Read the rest of this entry
Nothing In Life Is Free … but, Should It Be?
In a recent report the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reclassified birth control and other critical health services as a preventive measures. This ‘preventive’ classification includes STI screenings, HIV/AIDS testing, osteoporosis screenings, all FDA approved forms of contraception, and many other vital health care services.
What does this mean? It means that, as preventive, these services have a much higher chance of being covered, at no cost to the patient, by insurance programs under new health care legislation.
In case you might think this is too good to be true, check out the actual report. The IOM states, ”The preventive health care services and screenings specified in the legislation will be fully covered without requiring a patient copayment”(Summary, page 1).
How does this affect you and me? Read the rest of this entry
3.5 Weeks
With only 3.5 weeks left in Tajikistan, reflection has begun. Working and living in Tajikistan has been at once breathtaking and utterly bewildering. I often feel like a fish out of water, unable to orient my mind, my body, and my senses to the culture, the history, the language, the traditions, and the paradigm and religious premise. Tajikistan is possibly the most complicated place I have ever experienced. Having lived here for 3 months I can honestly say, I remain only a visitor; I would assert that the transformation from visitor to local might never happen – Tajikistan is that complex.
In an effort to be brief, I have provided a few highlights of Tajik-goodness over the past 3 months. Below are the ups and downs of living in Tajikistan, both frightening and unforgettable experiences. Read the rest of this entry
Hope Resides in the Future
Hope resides in the future, while perspective and wisdom are almost always found by looking to the past.
- Greg Mortenson, Stones to Schools
Just when you think you’ve lost all hope, the women arrive with new perspective. Today was the first of a five-part seminar series I am facilitating at the local library. Our topic will change each week, but our overall focus will remain Women, Power, Control & Change in Tajikistan. I have literally just stepped away from my first seminar and am delighted to report that these women have already inspired me with their patience and persistence, their desire to progress, and their dreams for the future. Tajikistan can and will change. Most importantly, the women of Tajikistan want to change things. Read the rest of this entry
This Is Not America
This is not America … I know! I know by the way it looks. I know in the way it feels to interact with others. And mostly, I know by the way women are treated. Don’t get me wrong, America is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Women struggle no matter the location. But here, in Tajikistan, women struggle way more than the norm. Read the rest of this entry
