The global energy crisis is touching the lives of millions around the world.  Whether we live on the paved streets of New York City, or in a small farming community in Bangladesh–we’re all becoming more and more aware of the resources we use that are finite.  On the cobble stoned streets of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, it is no different.  With a population of over 500,000 inhabitants, our limited amount of resources is clear.  There are mornings where you turn the tap on in the kitchen to find sputtering air, instead of water–or where the cost of the memelas you buy at the corner stall has gone up because coal prices have leaped in the marketplace.  But some in Oaxaca are designing tools to use limitless resources for day-to-day needs.  We can learn a lot from their ingenuity and passion.

Oaxaca is a city that boasts an average of 311 sunny days a year; and with a latitude of 15-degrees above the equator, that sun is hot.  So, it makes sense why Oaxaca bears the nickname Tierra del Sol (Land of Sun).  What better idea, then, to exploit that limitless resource for daily use?  Meet Michale Götz, a Swiss inventor and solar energy specialist. He, along with two partners, converged to consider how solar energy could be harnessed for use by the plethora of street food vendors in Oaxaca City.  For years in the city, the common practice of those who sell tacos, tlayudas, memelas, even hot dogs, was to burn coal over open comals (or clay griddles).  Over time, many vendors have switched to using gas, hooking small tanks up to metal griddles or grills fixed to their mobile carts.  On arriving to town, Götz met Lorena Harp, a local Oaxacan who had already been designing and promoting small solar ovens for use in homes around the city.  Their energies and ideas combined.

Harp researched local food vendors in the city to suss out their needs and practices.  The ideal candidate for a pilot solar project emerged close to home, just down the street from her house.  There she met Alfredo García. The group put García’s taco stand and practices to use to test a new sustainable project to harness the sun’s rays to create steam to cook his tacos.

I won’t spoil the rest of the story.  Check it out yourself at Treehugger.com!  Here’s a link to a short video you can watch about the work the group is doing in Oaxaca, and their specific challenges and achievements with García’s taco stand.  But for me, Götz, Harp and García serve as a strong example of how ingenuity and an open mind can give birth to some great ideas for a sustainable tomorrow.  Is there an example of  ingenuity for a better tomorrow in your neck of the woods?  Share the story here!  HarmonyWishes would love to spread the word.

A solar taco-filled belly “saludos” from Oaxaca!

Megan

Part of our mission here at HarmonyWishes is to deliver an alternative to the negative images that bombard our daily lives-one with a beautiful and positive world view, with global perspective.  Go take a look at our galleries; we’re constantly adding new images to grow that vision.

In that same vein, we also like to highlight beautiful  and positive efforts around the world. I recently received word about the 2010 Echoing Green Fellows. Have you heard of Echoing Green? It’s an organization who’s mission is to support those with “new solutions to society’s most difficult problems.”  Through a two-year fellowship program, Echoing Green invests in and assists emerging social entrepreneurs with the launch of organizations that will deliver an immense impact wherever they are working in the world. Here’s a spotlight on a few of those fellows working in higher education and their tremendous ideas:

Meet David Schwartz and Anim Steel. Their project is called “The Real Food Challenge.”  The idea is to “build a healthy, fair and green food economy by harnessing the political power of youth and the purchasing power of universities to shift demand toward socially responsible farm and food enterprises.” Schwartz and Steel posit that the youngest generations of Americans today will be the first to have a shorter lifespan than their parents–largely due to what we eat.  Their response and the goal for their organization is to shift 20% of college and university food plans over to a “real food” system by 2020–transferring money away from the industrial food system, and towards local, sustainable and humane producers.  “Because of consolidation in the industry, even small changes in institutional purchasing have powerful effects on family farmers and socially responsible food enterprises.”  The Real Food Challenge will engage youth at those same universities to take an active roll in the shift on campus–making an impact in the health arena, as well as encouraging another generation of social actors.  You can read more about their initiative here.

Next up is Ashni Mohnot. Mohnot’s organization, Enzi, is a Kiva-like model in which people can “…invest in students’ higher education in exchange for a share in future income for a set time.”  The idea is to reduce the financial barrier to education and create a new asset class.  Many students around the globe are unable to secure loans in the large sums needed for a U.S. education due to lack of access, or lack of collateral. Enzi will connect bright and deserving students to investors interested in supporting their education.  In turn investors will receive a return on their investment over the course of the students’ career, as well as the social return of helping students attain educations they could not have afforded otherwise.  Enzi will be more than a network of donors and beneficiaries–it will be a network for collective growth and learning. You can read more about Mohnot’s organization here.

Kudos to all three in their bold ideas and passion! I’ll share other outstanding Echoing Green projects in future weeks here on the blog.  Or for those who can’t wait to find out more, check out the 2010 Echoing Green fellows here.

We invite you to share your stories of positive work around the globe with us. We would love to feature it here on our blog, spreading the word wider about the good work that is shaping our future.  So, write us an email today; we want to hear from you!

Saludos,

Megan

For many people, the sounds, smells and tastes of Mom baking are indelible experiences that recall a sense of stability and safety.  A cocoon of delicious aromas in which you could withdraw from a world of competition and the angst of childhood challenges.

There was also the element of surprise – what kind of bread is it today?  Wheat?  Anadama? Bran? (yumm, the best!), Banana? (treat!), Cheese? (can’t wait for dinner!).

I had the good fortune to grow up with a Mom who baked bread every week throughout my childhood which made me the envy of my friends and resulted in some notoriety as you can see from the photo (yes, that’s my Mom in a newspaper photo from the 50′s).  In high school, my friends were quick to dismiss the local drive-through in order to have sandwiches at my house made with Mom’s bread, while we watched soap operas – there was nothing better than devouring her sandwiches while watching Susan Lucci as Erica Kane at her scheming best.

So now, many years later as my life has evolved into the typical fast paced routines where the sense of security and stability are fleeting, I’ve had the good fortune of finding another route to the happiness that is homemade bread – through my husband!  Yes, Mom has provided the lessons and ongoing supervision necessary for proper kneading, patience and love which are all the ingredients to achieve the perfect loaf.  He likens it to the process of developing film in the pre-digital days of photography.  Last week it was anadama and there are promises of banana bread on the horizon.

At HarmonyWishes we celebrate Mom’s everywhere year around, but with Mother’s Day approaching want to remind you to do the same.  You can find the perfect image – we’ve even included the iconic one here!  Check out your choices and get ready to celebrate your memories of Mom!

Ode Magazine

I recently read an article posted on Ode Magazine’s website back in May that I thought I would share with the HarmonyWishes community.  As I returned to Ode’s site to find the URL link, I found some equally interesting information about Ode itself, and thought, I should share this, too! What a great initiative. And so it is that this blog is taking shape into an introduction of two projects—one in media, and another in local economies.

Here’s a bit about Ode in their own words:

Ode is a print and online publication about positive news, about the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better…We wanted to create an alternative to mainstream publications, a magazine that was open to new inspirations and new visions from around the world.

Wow, a vision statement after our own heart!  Ode’s agenda is in concert with HarmonyWishes’ original mission to, “Deliver an alternative to the negative images that bombard our daily lives—one with a beautiful and positive world view, with global perspective.” We remain committed to that mission in the work we do here on this site. It’s inspiring to find  like-minded projects.

But now to the article I read.  Back in mid-May Ode showcased an initiative called the 10% Shift Campaign.

“In the midst of this global economic crisis, there is a movement happening in some of the hardest hit places in America – local communities…Dedicated to promoting and sustaining local business, Local First organizations across the country are campaigning for a shift in the way we act, in the way we think and most importantly, in the way we spend.”

10% Shift Campaign

The campaign hopes to inspire consumers, promoting the idea that there is great power in even the smallest purchases. The concept is simple: “If all consumers made an effort to shift 10% of their spending to independent and locally owned retailers instead of ‘mega-stores,’ the community could see thousands of new jobs created and millions of dollars of taxpayer free revenue.”  There are a multitude of Local First initiatives across the country.  Is there one in your neighborhood?

I know that it can be a challenging commitment to buy locally—as often times that means a higher price tag. For me personally it’s been a great pleasure over the last year to get to know the local vendors at my fruit and vegetable market here in Oaxaca.  They look out for me, pulling aside their freshest herbs (because they know I like good basil and dill), as I look out for them by returning week after week.  It’s a nice symbiosis that I can’t expect from the big supermarket in town. I hope that it does something to support sustainable and equitable economies.

You can follow the 10% Shift Campaign on Twitter; we are!  And while you’re there, follow HarmonyWishes (@HarmonyWishes). We’d love to keep you in the loop!

Saludos,

Megan

Oh my.  Quick post on the best food in Hoi An, Vietnam.  It can be found at Mango.Mango, where bright yellow and green walls, black lacquer tables and amazing meals reside.  We’ve gone twice in our 10 days and I’d like to think we could get in one last meal there before we leave.  The Seared Tuna Steak is ‘like buttah’….undoubtedly the best sashimi tuna I’ve had in I don’t know when.  Even Mike, who is not a big fan of sushi/sashimi thinks it is wonderful.

My favorite tuna sliders at a restaurant back home are going to strongly challenged to remain number one in my book.

Yum.

You can find them at 111 Nguyen Thai Hoc.  Seating downstairs with bright artwork on the wall is great as is upstairs overlooking the Thu Bon River at night.  Eclectic world music adds even more dimension to the experience!

Anyone been to Hoi An?  What’s your favorite restaurant?

Buddha overlooks a fine meal at Mango.Mango ~ Copyright 2009 ~ Michael Matlach

Cheers!

Meg