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civact6
Your Uncle Wally Has Left You 20 Million U.S. Dollars, and a Problem in Community Development
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G'Day All --
Here's a hypothetical scenario to invite your thoughts and ideas:
Your rich Uncle Wally, whom you've never previously known about, has recently died and left an estate that totals 40 Million U.S. Dollars -- and you have been named the principal beneficiary.
But there is a catch.
Uncle Wally originally came from a city of approximately 100,000 people, which is named "Furahaya," in which you currently live. He always had a soft spot in his heart for his home town, and in his will he has left you with a problem and a challenge, as follows:
"During the five years following my demise, my Nephew (you, that is) is hereby charged to devote 20 Million Dollars of my estate for the purpose of reducing by 50 percent -- which must be verified by competent outside evaluation -- *one or more* of the following dysfunctional conditions in the town of Furahaya: hunger, poverty, ill-health, illiteracy, homelessness, crime, injustice, corruption, racism, religious and/or ethnic intolerance. If my Nephew is successful in fulfilling this task, he is to receive the balance of my estate, consisting of 20 Million Dollars, as my bequest for his personal use and happiness. If success is not achieved with regard to the above work for the betterment of my beloved city of Furahaya, the entire remaining portion of my estate is to be donated to support the "International Home for Retired Bird Watchers," and not one penny will be inherited by my Nephew."
Your challenge:
After taking a little time for careful thought, outline which of the above "dysfunctional conditions" that you would propose to address. What approach(s) would you utilize in your effort to reduce one or more of them by 50 percent during the next five years, with the $20 Million in funding available to you for that purpose ?? What types of organization, strategies, and techniques would you employ ??
Do you think you could be successful in claiming the $20 Million that Uncle Wally has conditionally allocated for your personal inheritance ?? Share your ideas with the rest of us.
Best wishes to all,
Dave Matthews, Facilitator
The Civic Action Free University
http://www.tcafu.net
E-Mail Address: civact6@yahoo.com
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| November 14, 2005 | 2:44 PM |
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Riots in France -- Using Internet Resources to Address Underlying Causes and Conditions
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G'Day All --
The Internet is potentially one of the world's most powerful resources to promote constructive, life-affirming civic action, community service, and development. I hope that Taking IT Global and The Civic Action Free University serve as worthwhile examples of this fact.
It is very disappointing to hear news accounts indicating that rioters in France are using the 'Net as a means of promoting and coordinating their efforts. This, of course, illustrates that the Internet -- similar to any other tool -- can be utilized for purposes that are destructive, as well as constructive.
It must also be noted that -- at least in terms of most news reports I've seen to date -- among the whole range of "official" responses by established institutions of the Government of France, there have been no references to the wide range of ways that the Internet could be effectively used to begin addressing the underlying causes of civil discontent that have given rise to the violence.
Many of the agencies of governments in all nations are continuing to engage in "business as usual," as if the Internet had never been invented. As such these agencies are likely to become increasingly outdated, ineffectual, and ultimately irrelevant.
But for the people and government of France, could I offer the following cordial invitation and challenge: Given your outstanding culture of education, science, and creativity, in how many different ways can you use the Internet as a means of encouraging and implementing positive civic action, community development, reconstruction, and reconciliation in your beautiful nation ??
I'm confident that all facilities and resources of Taking IT Global are available for your use, and I know for certain that this is also true of anything that you find potentially useful at the The Civic Action Free University and its many web components.
For some additional information pertinent to this discussion, the following post of a few days ago may be of interest:
"Combatting the Causes and Conditions of Poverty -- A 'Doctor's Bag' of Tools, Techniques, and Medications"
http://civact6.tigblog.org/post/31534
Best wishes for better days ahead,
Dave Matthews, Facilitator
The Civic Action Free University
http://www.tcafu.net
E-Mail Address: civact6@yahoo.com
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| November 12, 2005 | 12:19 PM |
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Techniques for Effective Studying and Academic Success
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G'Day All --
Quite a few TIG Bloggers express concerns about studying and schoolwork. For those who are attempting to acquire the skills and techniques for academic success, Google currently returns about 10,300,000 hits for the search phrase:
techniques for effective studying
From a quick survey of the ones at the top of the stack, the sites provided below appear to be worth reviewing:
How to Study and Make the Most of Your Time
http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm
Tips for Effective Studying
http://www.gmu.edu/gmu/personal/study.html
Study Guides and Strategies
http://www.studygs.net/
Academictips.org - study tips skills, memory note taking techniques
http://www.academictips.org/
Tips for Effective Study
http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/STUDY.HTM
Psychological Tips for Effective Studying
http://ezinearticles.com/?Psychological-Tips-for-Effective-Studying&id=48055
Links to a Better Education
http://www.chemistrycoach.com/linkstoa.htm
Test Taking Tips - Study skills
http://www.testtakingtips.com/
study skills home page
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/html/studyskills.htm
The bottom line, of course, will be which methods work best for you in your own specific academic situation.
I hope these sites will prove helpful. If they don't, there are about 10,299,991 remaining from which to choose !!
Best wishes, Dave Matthews
Facilitator, The Civic Action Free University
http://www.tcafu.net
You are cordially invited to visit, explore, join, participate, learn, and enjoy !!
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| November 6, 2005 | 8:22 PM |
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Combatting the Causes and Conditions of Poverty -- A "Doctor's Bag" of Tools, Techniques, and Medications
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G'Day All --
At The Civic Action Free University (TCAFU), we operate on the premise that just as there are many different causes and conditions of poverty, we likewise need a "Doctor's Bag" of tools, techniques, and medications to effectively combat them.
Under modern conditions, just as the individual physician needs the back-up facilities of a full-service hospital or health care center, practitioners of civic action, community service, and development can benefit greatly from back-up facilities that provide a full range of information and assets for putting together and carrying out programs that can successfully "treat" the many different issues and problems that are encountered at the community level.
As part of The Civic Action Free University's effort to assemble a full range of on-line facilities to assist non-profit community service and development organizations and/or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), we offer a wide variety of "Topic-Focused E-Mail Groups" -- each with a growing collection of links to worthwhile on-line sources of information and assistance, which you are cordially invited to visit and explore (as well as join and participate, if you wish) at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/yourturf/civactnet.htm#Topic-Focused
An invitation and challenge we would offer to TIG subscribers around the world would be to thorougly consider the most significant causes and conditions of poverty in your own community, and then review the collection of Free University Topic-Focused Groups, in order to see whether the Groups currently provided adequately address the specific issues and problems identified in your locality.
If you find TCAFU facilities that are relevant and responsive to your situation, you are cordially invited to utilize them. On the other hand, if you find that the most critical problems in your area are not yet -- or are quite inadequately -- addressed by the range of TCAFU Groups, we would appreciate it very much if you would inform us of the deficiencies, so that we can make every possible effort to fill in the gaps.
We hope you will find this invitation and challenge to be of interest. If you have questions or need additional information, please advise.
Best wishes to all,
Dave Matthews, Facilitator
The Civic Action Free University
http://www.tcafu.net
E-Mail Address: civact6@yahoo.com
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| November 5, 2005 | 12:56 PM |
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