Background

This post is meant to fill you in on the basics of my trip. I am in Chiangmai, in the North of Thailand. I will be here for 2 months. I was placed here by American Jewish World Service. The following is ripped from their website: AJWS is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.

For more check out: AJWS

AJWS selected me as a volunteer and has placed with me with a Thai Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called Sustainable Development Foundation of Thailand (SDF). SDF works to facilitate the sustainable development of marginalized groups within Thailand. Currently SDF is focused on ensuring the human and civil rights of people living in remote mountainous areas in the North of Thailand. SDF is working to empower the villagers and tribes who live in the hills to represent themselves and their interests to the Thai government and to general Thai public. I was sent to aid SDF with a mapping project although the details of what specifically I will be doing while here are still taking shape.

If you are able, it would be fantastic for you to support both the great work of AJWS and my work with SDF by donating some dough. I like to give $18 to the Jew groups. All donations are made directly though AJWS and are 100% tax deductible. Donate here. You will receive a letter from AJWS acknowledging receipt of your donation for tax purposes

I am going to try to post to this blog at least twice a week. Thanks.