Celebrities Michelle Kwan, Kurt Warner, and Ginger Gadsden speak out in support of Design for a Better Future. Enjoy!
Sorry I haven't updated this section in a while. I have been busy deciding where to go for college (After a tough struggle between UC Berkeley and UCLA, the south prevailed)-and working hard on designing a new management plan for this organization. I am currently taking a nightly Entrepreneurship/Business Managemnt course at my community college and working with some amazing entrepreneurs.
I also have some wonderful news. The IRS recently sent me an official document certifying "Design for a Better Future's " 501(C) tax- exempt status so that all donations made to the organization are now "officially"tax- free.
Now, its time to share with everyone a recent and amazing documentary about Monsanto, the gigantic bio-tech corporation Monsanto that is threatening to destroy the agricultural biodiversity of our planet through genetically modified clones. I highly recommend this flim, primarily because of its rawness and honesty. Enjoy!
The title of this documentary is "The World According to Monsanto"
I wrote back to Senator Boxer regarding action the US should take to improve the current US Farm Bill and how this bill is harming developing countries and the American people. Below is my letter and above (in the picture ) is her response.
Enjoy!
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111 January 7th 2009
Dear Senator Boxer,
Thank you for your letter regarding my efforts in my non-profit organization, Design For A Better Future. I am really happy to know that you acknowledge and support the issues my organization is trying to resolve in developing nations. As a senator, I know you have the power to influence the policies and legislation of our nation. Therefore I would like to share with you one issue I am concerned about and ask for you assistance in addressing this matter with Congress.
It is the start of a new year and the start of a new administration in the White House. 2009 is also the year I will begin college and graduate from high school, where a lot of change will occur in my life. I will be moving away from my parents, starting an independent lifestyle without their home cooked meals and junk food restrictions. I will be liberated with my everyday choices in food, and as a result, perhaps gain that Freshman 15. There will be no one forcing me to eat that “apple a day” to keep my skin glowing healthy. There will be no more visits to my local farmers market on Sunday. Instead, my food choices will be limited to those that are economically affordable for me to purchase, consisting of calorie dense “Strawberry Poptarts” for breakfast, pizza and hamburgers for lunch, and convenient instant noodles for dinner. It is frightening that our grocery store’s cheapest products are not fresh fruits and vegetables but instead sugar coated cereals and soft drinks, items that often give my brain a migraine to consume and contribute to our nation’s skyrocketing obesity rate. How is it possible for 800 million people to be starving on our planet while there are over 1 billon people overweight? Why are farmers in developing countries committing suicide? Why are teenagers in Mexico, a developing country with an average income of $6000 bloated even as the number of the Mexican poor inflate?
The answer to these questions can be found through an examination of our nation’s Farm Bill, a piece of legislation extremely difficult to understand and controlled not by our legislators but instead by major food corporations who want to ensure the abundance of cheap high fructose corn syrup and corn feed to fatten up the meat in our $1 McDonald cheeseburgers. The problem lies in the subsidies given to the major crops such as corn, wheat, and soybean, historically used to end famine in our country but now dominating our grocery stores as an invasive “all powerful” species. Cheap food prices on these subsidized crops have led farmers in developing countries to lose their jobs and land due to the cheap crop available for trade from the US. To address this issue, a potential solution would be to eliminate all federal subsidies for agriculture and instead have the decision be made on the state level. In the 2007 Farm Bill, instead of eliminating subsidies in “major” crops, food corporations have managed to buy their way out by providing money for healthy food program incentives. A state regulated “subsidy” program could potentially bring about greater reform to the food system in America by letting states determine which agricultural sectors “subsides” to give, giving more power for the farmer to plant a more “diversified” range of crops and help increase regional food supply. As motivational speaker Sally Edwards once said, “If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food”. Let us start reforming our nation by first addressing the problems of the Farm Bill. Perhaps after the Farm Bill’s renewal in 2012, college students will able to afford fresh food again. I will rejoice to see that day.
Sincerely,
Clara Tsao
Miramonte High School
750 Moraga Way
Orinda, CA 94563
"For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness, For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people,
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry, For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day, For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others. "
- Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)
Lubix is one of Design for a Better Future's newset sponsors. They are a company that make Stero Bluetooth (hands-free) headsets with amazing graphic designs. These headsets are very light, magnetic (the ear buds stick together via magents when not being used), and easy to carry around. They can be used to make hands free calls or listen to music. Additionally, when not being used, they can be worn around the neck like a necklance. But the BEST part about Lubix is their sponsorship of "Design for a Better Future". For every Lubix headset purchased , Lubix is willing to donate $10 to help Design for a Better Future's partner organizations. How? Visit the link here: http://www.lubixmobile.com/abetterfuture/
or use the coupon code: abetterfuture when checking out the Lubix online store.
The headsets are now on sale for only $54 (including shipping)--
(original price: $69) but with the $10 discount they only cost $44!!
Buy one for your friend/family this holiday season!
These headsets are the best headsets I have ever used, are extreamly comfortable, and have AMAZING sound quaility. The graphic on the headsets can also be custom made!
(making them even more unique)
Lubix Stero Bluetooth headsets are a great buy this holiday season, and remember that your purchase of one for your friends/family will also help support Design for a Better Future's Partner Organizations!
Buy one now!
My rating:
5/5 Rating.
Check out more pictures of the product Below!
Happy Holidays!
An article was written in the San Francisco Chronicle on November 29th 2008 about Design For a Better Future. Read about it here
Muhmmad Yunus is one of the most influential social entrepreneurs of the 21st century. His story and journey to success is one of awe and inspiration. He is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to create economic and social development. He has changed the lives of thousands of families living in Bangladesh through the founding of Grameen Bank. He has developed a micro-credit system with the belief that it would be an cost effective weapon to fight poverty and his hard work and dedication has clearly paid off. He has experienced phenomenal success lifting people out of poverty by proving them with credit without requiring collateral. His idea for starting a micro-finance company began in 1976 when he paid a visit to the poorest villages of Bangladesh and discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to the impoverished. He started out loaning his own money to the poor and realized that offering people tiny loans for self-employment could significantly improve the economic status of an entire region and country. To date, his Grameen model of microfinancing in Bangladesh has inspired similar efforts in a hundred countries throughout the developing world and even in industrialized nations such as the US.
Miramonte High School senior Andrew Murphy had the opportunity to listen to Muhammad Yunus give a speech during the World Affairs Council Awards Dinner on November 13th 2008. Below is an interview with Andrew Murphy about this incredible experience to listen to and meet Yunus.
What has Muhammad Yunus taught you?
He has taught me that we could all buy in and help the impoverished through our everyday actions. In a sense, we are buying into compassion.
Why do you think his idea for micro-lending was successful?
Because he was able to hang with the rich while fighting for the poor. There will always be a gap between the rich and the poor in our society, despite what we do. Muhammad Yunus was able to build a bridge between the classes through his bank so that both (the rich and poor) could mutually benefit.
Would his idea be successful if he had grown up in a wealthier country?
It is hard to say. His bank was successful in Bangladesh because he was in the right place at the right time understood the economic conditions and environment there.
What have you learned from this experience?
I learned about the power that people have when they put faith in others.
Learn more about Muhammad Yunus in his autobiography Banker to the Poor
I had the once in a life time opportunity to meet the author, Michael Pollan last night . He is not only an amazing writer but also an amazing speaker. He is the author of many award winning non-fiction books including "The Botany of Desire", "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and his newest book, "In Defense of Food, An Eater's Manifesto". His books highlight the Western Diet and the biological science behind food. I was able to ask him the question of what we should do to help eradicate hunger in third world countries without hindering the people's health with processed food. His answer? "Stop food aid in grain and instead give aid through money donations." He also believed that the best solution for ending food shortage is through the encouragement of countries to regionize their agriculture.
One interesting fact I learned was that "in our stomach, we have as many neurons as in our spinal column." Hence, "gut instinct" and "thinking with your gut" may be scientifically true.
His dietary advise for the night included:
1) Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize
2) Avoid food with more than 5 ingredients or with names that a 5th grader can't pronounce
3) Shop the periphery of a supermarket (where the food is fresh) and stay out o fthe middle aisles
4) Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot with the exception of honey
He ended the night by saying "The best food for health is also best for the environment, economics, and the country" and emphasized the importance of supporting local farmers . His main point? There is "no healthy diet without healthy farms".
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