Win a Trip with Nicholas Kristof!

So I have to admit that Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn really won me over with Half the Sky. I brought the book advance before it even came out because I am really obsessed with the topic of international women's health. The Fall 2009 semester came and it was a mega doozy so I really only began to read this book seriously this winter break. I finished it and I LOVED this book. It was great because it was organized with anecdotes of Nick and Sheryl's actual experiences and women that they met as journalists. Then what I liked is that it went beyond this and also included information about people making a difference and felt like it was about empowerment and about starting a movement towards real change.

Anyway so I was looking at Nick's blog for the New York Times called, On the Ground, that I also posted on here. It was great because there is where I found out about this opportunity! You should definitely apply! Last years candidate was a medical student and it seemed like she had a great and eye opening experience travelling with Nick Kristof. I am going to see if I can find her email or something so I can maybe interview her for this blog to find out what that experience was like.

For now check this opportunity out! I think all you AMWA members out there should apply for this. There is so much good that you could do with such an opportunity:

1) It is an all expenses paid trip to not meet women abroad and find out what are the things that are going on in their lives

2) It is also an opportunity probably to make a direct difference in the lives of these women because although Nick Kristof is a journalist it seems like he always takes some sort of action in these most dire situations

The Lancet Student Edition

I do not get to visit my favorite global health student magazine as much as I want to but it is awesome and I would like to share it with you. The Lancet Student is a great global health resource. Check it out at http://www.thelancetstudent.com/.

Please feel free to come back and comment so I can know what you think about it.

Enjoy!

Americans for UNFPA

Check this out! The organization Americans for UNFPA is an amazing resource. They have a boat load of information on how to get involved in reproductive health issues internationally on their website.

Here is a link to their website:
htt://www.americansforunfpa.org

They also have a youtube page with super sweet videos:
http://www.youtube.com/americansforunfpa

They are also offering this amazing opportunity for non-graduating college students. I am not sure if medical students can apply but I would send over an email just to check because they may be eligible too. This would be a great resource either way:

Student Award for the Health and Dignity of Women
Presented by Americans for UNFPA
The Student Award for the Health and Dignity of Women will recognize one student who demonstrates commitment to women’s health and/or the promotion of the rights of women.

AWARD
The winner will:
1.Travel with Americans for UNFPA staff for five days (approximately) in the Summer of 2010 to visit UNFPA-supported field programs.
2. Win a $1,000 scholarship.
3.Guest-blog on a leading publication website about your trip, and participate in media interviews.
4.Lobby your Representatives in Congress about the need for U.S. support for UNFPA.
5.Host an on-campus awareness-building event about global women’s health and dignity in the semester after you return from your trip. Americans for UNFPA staff will work with you to help prepare for this event and for your lobby visits to local elected officials.

Applicants should:
* Hope to improve the ways that government agencies, non-profit organizations or educational institutions support the health and dignity of women;
* Have community service or extra curricular experiences that demonstrate an interest in collaboration, activism, leadership and/or global change; and
* Be a culturally sensitive, open-minded, team player with values consistent with UNFPA’s mission.

ESSAY QUESTIONS (PLEASE WRITE TWO SEPARATE SHORT ESSAYS)
1. Discuss why the American people and our government should support UNFPA’s work towards ONE of its global goals -

* Please focus on ONE of the following goals of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund: access to contraception for all women, global maternal survival programs (such as midwife training) OR ending culturally-accepted violence against women. (300-600 words).

2.Discuss how you personally hope to play a role in improving the rights and health of women worldwide, and how visiting UNFPA programs firsthand would make you a better advocate than you currently are. (250-500 words).

I took that info off their website. Anyway check them out its a great organization.

Nicholas Kristof Columns

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have just released the book Half The Sky which is about international women's health, women in development and gender equality. If you are interested in these issues you should definitely check it out, I would like to post a blog post about the book once I finish it.

For now I am going to post a link to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column which is offers a weekly story relating to global health and particularly women's issues.