Dear United Planet Friends,
I would like to thank all of our invaluable volunteers, team members, and friends around the world for their incredible support over this past year. Through your extraordinary effort, we have continued to make essential strides in developing United Planet into a leading international NGO.
With this momentum, we enter into a world faced by more uncertainty than we have encountered for many years. At this critical juncture, it is now more crucial than ever that we step up and pull together as a global community to foster cross-cultural understanding and address shared challenges.
During these times, I would like to reach out to you to become involved with United Planet. Now is the time that you are needed most. There are many ways to get involved: volunteering locally or internationally; sharing international and cultural experiences, forming an Ambassador club; donating to support a project in need; joining the online community, and more.
Despite overwhelming global challenges, it is also a time of celebration for the United Planet family. In fact, our family is really booming! On behalf of the global UP community, I would like to congratulate: Raj, our Country Coordinator in Nepal, and his wife, Brigit on the birth of their daughter Tara; Manfred, our Peru Coordinator and his wife Patricia on the birth of their son Leonard; Anja, our Cultural Awareness Project Manager, and Dirk on the birth of their daughter Alizee (we love when she comes to visit us!); Ana, our Special Projects Manager, United Planet Laundromat in Guatemala, and her husband Hoyt on the birth of their son Eric. Congratulations also go out to Tori, our Tanzania Country Manager, on her recent marriage to Robert, and to Caiya, our Tibet Coordinator, on her older daughter's marriage. We wish you all the happiness, good health, and luck in the world!
With an even bigger team, I am more confident than ever that together, we can bring the world closer, one person at a time!
Thank you once again for your essential support building a United Planet.
Warmest regards,
Dave Santulli
Founder and Executive Director
United Planet
United Planet Day 2008
The Fall Equinox is the only time of the year when the middle of the Sun is positioned above and below the horizon, shining on every location on Earth for an equal amount of time. This once a year occurrence represents United Planet's mission of fostering mutual understanding, improving the quality of life for everyone, and creating harmony amongst the people of the world. United Planet created UP Day to celebrate this special occasion.
To commemorate UP Day 2008, we hosted our second annual UP Day Photo/Video/Writing contest.
We are pleased to announce that the United Planet team selected two photography/video and writing winners that best demonstrated the promotion of cross-cultural understanding, friendship, and support in a community abroad. So, please join us in congratulating Bruce Mann (photo) and Octavia McBride-Ahebee (writing) our Grand Prize winners and Sarah Miller (photo) and Emma Mc Mahon (writing) our Honorable Mention winners for 2008.
We also want to thank all those who participated in this year's contest. This year we received an overwhelming number of submissions from people of all ages and nationalities from around the world. All of the entries were amazing and moving in their own unique way.
"Our group of 24 from the University of Idaho was usually divided during the day working with the children at the school or on the construction of the youth center. During the late afternoon at the school, Idaho senior Katie Scott sat down outside to read The Cat in the Hat out loud to some of the students. They were so engrossed and attentive, not wanting to leave Katie's side for anything. I knew when I saw it that it was an amazing moment and I had to capture it. This photo embodies our experiences with the youth of Cai Cay. We learned as much from them, as they did from us, if not more."
Photo and quote by Bruce Mann, Grand Prize Winner, 2008 UP Day Photo Contest
"Real like a monsoon blown in from India by way of Korea, landing on the coast of Ivory, a dynamo buoyed by the prudence of yin/yang but whose zeal is unleashed, laying claim to all. A girl storm with Seoul, whose not afraid to open doors even for ancestors or walk through them bearing gifts of kimbob and Vanessa Mae."
Excerpt from "Oasis" by Octavia Mc Bride-Ahebee, Grand Prize Winner, 2008 UP Day Writing Contest
FLAGSTONE RE Without Borders VOLUNTEERS ABROAD WITH UNITED PLANET
Thirteen Flagstone Re employees just returned from "an experience of a life-time" after volunteering for two weeks in Costa Rica. The group, headed up by Ian McKillop, Flagstone risk analyst,spent 12 days working on various projects in the Costa Rican village of Quebradas.
Flagstone RE, Costa Rica Team 2008
According to McKillop, he came up with the idea of volunteering abroad instead of taking his typical vacation after reading a story in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper about volunteer vacations.
"I thought it was an interesting idea to use my time off to help others and at the same time, see a part of the world and experience the local people and culture first-hand," said McKillop. "I told some of the people I work with in our Halifax office that I was going to volunteer abroad with United Planet (UP), one of the U.S.'s leading volunteer abroad NGOs. "Word began to spread and before I knew it, some of my fellow colleagues in my office and nine of our other international offices wanted to join me on my UP Quest," explained McKillop.
He also shared his volunteer plans with David Brown, Flagstone's CEO. "I told David that I thought that this endeavor would be a great opportunity for team building - a chance for people from our different offices around the globe to get to know another, put a name to a face and at the same time, help a community in need. Before I knew it, David said he would pay for those who wanted to volunteer and plans were set in motion to travel to Costa Rica".
"We are big advocates of philanthropy. This is an invaluable way to put some of our monies, employees and time off to good use. In addition to helping United Planet continue their good work abroad, this trip was an ideal opportunity to have Flagstone staff members from around the world work together as a team for a common cause. I am very proud of them all," said Brown.
Rennika Trott, an administrative assistant in Flagstone's Bermuda office, was one the 13 employees who volunteered her time to help. "This trip was the best thing I have ever done in my life," said Trott. "It opened my eyes to a whole new world and made me appreciate my life a lot more."
According to Trott, she also found she had a lot in common with the people of Quebradas. "Like Bermudians, the people and families I met are very happy and close-knit. "There is a lot of love in that community and they welcomed us with their wonderful smiles, positive attitude - and amazing food," she said. "Besides the wonderful people, I absolutely fell in love with the food, especially their desserts. They make this incredible custard with fresh fruit and ice cream," she added.
She also found the Costa Rican people warm and incredibly generous. "We each stayed with a host family which really allowed us to get to immerse ourselves in our family's work and home life. "It's so rare that people open their homes to strangers, but these people they did - and I will never forget their kindness and the sense of solidarity that they shared with me," she explained.
About Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings Limited
Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings Limited, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global reinsurance and insurance company that employs a focused, technical approach to the Property, Property Catastrophe, and Specialty reinsurance and insurance businesses. Flagstone Reinsurance Limited and Flagstone Réassurance Suisse SA have received "A-" financial strength ratings from both A.M. Best and Fitch Ratings, and "A3" ratings from Moody's Investors Service.
Take Advantage Of Our New Quest Discount Program!!
United Planet is proud to announce that we are offering 10% off our Costa Rica Short-Term Volunteer Abroad Quest from November 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Sign up now to volunteer abroad in Costa Rica. Work on social projects in San Jose, or with environmentally-friendly non-profits and nature reserves to build trails, work on water projects and help save some of the world's most precious sea turtles. Enjoy excusions to the beautiful National Theatre in San Jose and Manuel Antonio National Park.
Be sure to enter UP code: CR111208.
This promotional discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other United Planet discount.
Fall Fairs Fever!
It's October and that means Fall is officially here in Boston. It also means that "Fair Fever" has peaked just like the leaves on the trees in the Boston Public Gardens across the street from the United Planet office. Over the past month, the UP team has been "feverishly" busy attending college and non-profit fairs all around the city. As Tracy, our Director of Communications, likes to say: "We've had our fair share of fairs!"
We've visited Northeastern University, Harvard University, Boston College, Brandeis University, Bunker Hill Community College as well as the Boston Cares, Boston Greenfest, and ServiceNation fairs. And we are not done yet!
As a volunteer from France and a member of the UP Communications team, it's been great fun getting out to meet students, faculty, and professionals of all ages face-to face, but it's been a unique learning experience as well. I attended these fairs to talk about the various programs United Planet has to offer including our Quest volunteer abroad programs, Ambassador Clubs and Culture Awareness projects.
I was there to share stories about how volunteering can help impact women, children, the elderly, disabled, environment and communities around the world. But along the way, I learned so much from listening to the personal journeys and experiences so many of the people I met shared with me. Most of them were excited to tell me about where they wanted to go - the country they wanted to volunteer in and the projects and people they wanted to help. Others had already volunteered abroad and simply wanted to talk about the friends and "family" they had made and how they wanted to go back.
People always talk about Springtime in Paris. I will always remember Fall in Boston!
-Claire Charrau
Communications Coordinator
MeetUp with United Planet
We held our first United Planet Volunteering Abroad MeetUp of the Fall season on September 24 at the 6B Lounge on Beacon Hill - and I am happy to report we had a great turnout. I just joined the UP Communications team in July (I am from Paris) so this was the first event I had to coordinate as part of my internship with United Planet. I must admit I was a bit nervous, but once I got going, I found it very exciting to organize this event. I enjoyed the challenge of looking for a nice place to host the event, creating the email invitations, posting flyers (thanks to the entire UP team for your help), waiting for the replies -- and finally enjoying the fruits of my work by being at the event and meeting the people who attended.
The one thing I was most proud of was that the people who attended the MeetUp were all ages and backgrounds. There was a good mix of college students and career professionals. Also, several of them were interested in volunteering for six months to a year -- what UP refers to as a Long-Term Quest . Our Long-Term coordinator Li Jia was on hand to talk with them about the many countries and projects that UP offers and to answer their questions. Thanks, Li! I must also thank Kumi Martin, our Short-Term Asia coordinator, who was also there to field questions from our guests from Ireland, Australia and Canada.
One of our other attendees was there because he wanted to take some time away from his job in the financial sector to make a difference. "Given what is going on in the financial market today, now is a perfect time for me to lend a hand to people who are simply trying to hold on to life, but have no one or nothing they can rely on, " he said.
It's true. Volunteering abroad can make a world of difference for people who need our help. And in turn, they can help us by making us better appreciate our lives.
I can't wait until the next MeetUp!
-Laureline Pascal
PR Coordinator
Ramadan Mubarak!
Written by Sara Sarfraz, a United Planet team member
During the month of September, 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world observed the Holy month of Ramadan. "Ramadan" is the name of the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an (the Islamic Holy book) was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
So what do practicing Muslims do during this month? They "fast" from sunrise till sunset. This means no food and no drink! Ramadan is also believed to be a time for Muslims to practice self-reformation, kindness, and good deeds such as alms-giving or helping others.
When you ask Muslims the reason behind these practices, many may tell you that fasting teaches the observer compassion for those who are needy. Others may tell you it teaches the observers to practice restraint from worldly temptations. Due to the difficult nature of keeping a fast, not all are expected to participate. If you are physically or mentally unfit to keep a fast because you are sick, nursing, pregnant, disabled, or elderly, you are not required to keep your fasts. Young children are not required to fast either although many keep half-fasts, what we call "chirriya rosa". This is seen as a way to ease children into the practice of fasting. I remember when I was about eight or nine, growing up in Pakistan, I was always so excited by the prospect of keeping a fast. I often kept a "chirriya rosa" and always asked my mother for permission to keep a "real" fast. Keeping your first "fast" is a rite of passage in Muslim societies.
Ramadan is also a time for family, friends and the community to come together. The occasion of "breaking fast" every sunset is called "Iftar" or "Futoor". It is celebrated with friends and family and very delicious food is prepared! It is tradition to break your fast by eating a dry fruit like a date. Since I am from Pakistan, Iftar dishes include "samosas" (meat or vegetable turnovers), "chaat" (a mix of vegetables tossed in tangy sauce and yogurt), "pakoras" (deep fried fritters), "dahi-balay" (lentil dumplings in spiced yogurt), and anything else you may have been craving during the day!
"Chaand Raat", in Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali meaning "the night of the full moon", marks the end of Ramadan and the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid ul-fitr. In Pakistan, Chaand Raat is celebrated with the application of henna, dancing, and other festivities. You can hear many Muslims greet and embrace each other with "Eid Mubarak" (Blessed Eid). On the day of Eid, many Muslims attend prayers in the mosque and then visit the homes of friends and relatives to celebrate their blessings.
United Planet Alumni
Dear Alumni,
My name is Josephine and I am the new Alumni Coordinator. I would like to inform you about a new feature on the United Planet website-the Alumni Hub. The Hub is easily accessible by using your United Planet volunteer username and password on our website: www.unitedplanet.org/hub. Upon your return from a United Planet Quest, your account will automatically be switched over to the Alumni section of the Hub.
Currently we have a forum on the Hub for Alumni only, which we encourage you to use as an outlet to share your volunteer abroad experience with other returned volunteers and the United Planet staff. Feel free to post any stories or pictures from your Quest on the Forum. We would love to hear about your United Planet experience! We also welcome your suggestions and ideas on how we can better serve you.
The United Planet team recognizes and appreciates your "expertise" as a volunteer and knows we can learn from you, through your participation on the Hub. Feel free to contact me at Josephine@unitedplanet.org, should you have any problems logging into the Hub or if you would like to share any feedback with me. Thank you for your time-and hope to "see" you on the Hub soon.
-Josephine
Support United Planet's Work Worldwide
Your charitable donation can make a real difference as United Planet works in communities in need around the world to help people build a better life for themselves.
To learn more about opportunities for giving or to make a tax-deductible gift before the end of the year, please contact the United Planet Development Office at 617-267-7763 ext. 24, or email scottbryson@unitedplanet.org
We'll be pleased to speak with you about
- Supporting a Quest volunteer, Ambassadors Club, or Cultural Awareness Program
- Making a Matching Gift
- Donating Stock or Securities
- Honoring a Friend or Loved One
- Funding a United Planet community project
- Organizing a United Planet Fundraiser
Thank You!
Get Involved!
Join the UP Team - Become a member of our Boston headquarters' team. Do an internship or inquire about our permanent positions. We welcome people from all over the world to join our team.
We would love your feedback! This e-newsletter is for you, so please let us know what you think. Send e-mails to: newsletter@unitedplanet.org.
