Since 1962, more than 3,000 Volunteers have served in the Dominican Republic. These Volunteers have contributed to technical skills transfer and institutional capacity-building in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, urban and rural community development, forestry, conservation, environmental education, community health and child survival, nursing, small business development, fisheries, water and sanitation, teacher education, university education, youth development, and information technology. Over the years, Peace Corps Volunteers have contributed significantly to the establishment and development of many of the country's leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and have worked hand-in-hand with the various administrations that have governed the Dominican Republic. In keeping with its commitment to peace and development, the Peace Corps remained in the Dominican Republic throughout its civil war in the 1960s. Our commitment to service has been highlighted through the good work of Volunteers and their project partners in the recovery efforts following two of the most severe hurricanes to hit the country's shores (David in 1979 and George in 1998).

'This is the definitive book on philanthropy - its history, contradictions and future' - John Gray, Emeritus Professor of European Thought, London School of Economics 'Good books lay out the lie of the land. Important books change it. This book is both' - Giles Fraser, priest, journalist and broadcaster The super-rich are silently and secretly shaping our world. In this groundbreaking exploration of historical and contemporary philanthropy, bestselling author Paul Vallely reveals how this far-reaching change came about. Vivid with anecdote and scholarly insight, this magisterial survey - from the ancient Greeks to today's high-tech geeks - provides an original take on the history of philanthropy. It shows how giving has, variously, been a matter of honour, altruism, religious injunction, political control, moral activism, enlightened self-interest, public good, personal fulfilment and plutocratic manipulation. Its narrative moves from the Greek man of honour and Roman patron, via the Jewish prophet and Christian scholastic - through the Elizabethan machiavel, Puritan proto-capitalist, Enlightenment activist and Victorian moralist - to the robber-baron philanthropist, the welfare socialist, the celebrity activist and today's wealthy mega-giver. In the process it discovers that philanthropy lost an essential element as it entered the modern era. The book then embarks on a journey to determine where today's philanthropists come closest to recovering that missing dimension. Philanthropy explores the successes and failures of philanthrocapitalism, examines its claims and contradictions, and asks tough questions of top philanthropists and leading thinkers - among them Richard Branson, Eliza Manningham-Buller, Jonathan Ruffer, David Sainsbury, John Studzinski, Bob Geldof, Naser Haghamed, Lenny Henry, Jonathan Sacks, Rowan Williams, Ngaire Woods, and the presidents of the Rockefeller and Soros foundations, Rajiv Shah and Patrick Gaspard. In extended conversations they explore the relationship between philanthropy and family, faith, society, art, politics, and the creation and distribution of wealth. Highly engaging and meticulously researched, Paul Vallely's authoritative account of philanthropy then and now critiques the excessive utilitarianism of much modern philanthrocapitalism and points to how philanthropy can rediscover its soul.

Every year people all over the world donate money to charity or volunteertheir time to help the needy. These selfless acts are wonderful and their donations are highly valued...further to this as giving evolves, it moves from well-intentioned involvement to commitment and that commitment becomes philanthropy.You may be asking yourself, "What's the difference? I give money and I lend a hand...".but that is just the beginning of the philanthropic journey. Philanthropy; an INSPIRED Process is an important guide for those seeking to grow from their involved giving to truly committed philanthropy.Through inspiring stories of global philanthropic icons, you'll be lead through an INSPIRED Process. This book is a must read and a valuable resource for anyone who wants to take their giving to the next level. Once you read it you'll be INSPIRED to do the same.www.theinspiredprocess.com

The Power of Philanthropy is a collection of stories that represent the most extraordinary individuals who are contributing at the highest levels in making a bold difference in the world. It includes stories of non-profit organizations, corporations, entrepreneurs and more who all have one thing in common: their commitment to being of service to others has made a measurable difference in the lives of many.

This book is about the invaluable contribution of charities and humanitarians in our world, the benevolence of the majority, and the atrocities of a (very small) minority. Mankind's difficulties often stem from natural disasters, including terrible weather conditions creating human misery. The tsunami and the famine in Ethiopia are typical examples. The other difficulties that have beset humanity from time immemorial are man-made, like wars, slavery, and pogroms. We also have dictatorships, pariah states, and police states, which do not seek to serve their people and alienate the international community. The people in these places become outcasts, despite genuine and determined efforts by others to bring them into the fold. In any society, we see the destructive effects of misunderstanding, greed, envy, hatred, and discrimination. Senseless acts of individual barbarism also pose a problem. Governments, democratic or otherwise, are installed with all the natural and human resources, as well as the goodwill of the global community, to serve and, where necessary, manage the difficulties of the people. History and current affairs indicate that no government is capable of delivering utopia to its people - even those unhampered by ideology, political sensitivities, self-interest, and retribution. Mankind's difficulties are ever so complex. Invariably, the void left has to be managed for mankind to have a life worth living. "Nature abhors a vacuum," so says the adage. Political stalwarts like Abraham Lincoln and courageous clergymen William Wilberforce rise to the fore. This pious hegemony is ably supported by charities, humanitarians, and ordinary individuals who have shown courage and compassion and the willingness to save and improve lives. Charities continue to make the difference. The courage and compassion of Lincoln, Wilberforce, Nightingale, and Mother Teresa may be unsurpassed, but Providence will continue to provide heroes and heroines for humanity.

Based upon a survey of five faith-based volunteer groups, Promising Practices offers valuable insights and fresh perspectives into the ways women's participation in religious civic organizations may work as a gateway toward participatory democracy. By approaching women's faith-based volunteering as a social practice, the book engages with three of the most important dimensions of civil society: gender, religion, and democracy. Cavaliere teases out the complexity of interactions among these three dimensions of civic life through stories of individual women who volunteer for three different religious organizations. The volume examines how faith-based volunteering is experienced by women in contemporary Japan and how it becomes a site of empowering and disempowering practices through which women balance the benefits and the costs of personal shifts, socio-economic changes and democratic transformation.

Finally, a comprehensive resource for Friends of the Library groups to use to design programming intended to invite ALL segments of the community into the library. Inside, you'll find information about advertising, overcoming obstacles, setting up a Teen Council, as well as 201+ "recipes" for programs, series, library exposure and fundraising. The ideas and plans presented can be scaled up, scaled down, or modified to suit individual needs. They can also be utilized by civic organizations, schools, churches, community centers, or anyone else seeking to get people together for fun, entertainment and education.

Every year people all over the world donate money to charity or volunteer their time to help the needy. These selfless acts are wonderful and their donations are highly valued...further to this as giving evolves, it moves from well-intentioned involvement to commitment and that commitment becomes philanthropy. You may be asking yourself, "What's the difference? I give money and I lend a hand...".but that is just the beginning of the philanthropic journey. Philanthropy; an INSPIRED Process is an important guide for those seeking to grow from their involved giving to truly committed philanthropy. Through inspiring stories of global philanthropic icons, you'll be lead through an INSPIRED Process. This book is a must read and a valuable resource for anyone who wants to take their giving to the next level. Once you read it you'll be INSPIRED to do the same. www.theinspiredprocess.com

Ethiopia is home to more than 80 ethnic and linguistic communities. Proud to be an African state that was never colonized, the Kingdom of Ethiopia dates back to the first millennium. King Menelik I, the legendary son of Queen Sheba and King Solomon of Israel, established his kingdom in Axum. After the rise of Islam in the seventh century, the kingdom became isolated as Arabs gained control of the Red Sea trading routes. In the 12th century, the successor of the Axumite dynasty had expanded southward, principally to Lalibela. Ethiopia's modern period (post-1855) was characterized by the process of recreating a cohesive state: by Emperor Haile Selassie; by the Marxist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam; and, since mid-1991, by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) under Meles Zenawi. The period has been dominated by recurring conflict with neighboring Eritrea, which was a province of Ethiopia until it gained independence in 1991. A tentative cease-fire ended hostilities in 2000, but the border remains undefined and tensions continue, particularly since the 2007 withdrawal of U.N. peacekeepers.

This is the inspirational story of how an older Australian couple, Trish Clark and Iain Finlay...both authors in their seventies... built a proper road to a remote and impoverished village in Northern Laos. While working on an internet project of their own in Luang Prabang, the World Heritage-Listed former Royal Capital of Laos, they befriended a young waiter, Chanthy, who was studying at night school. They began helping him, first with his English, then with his college fees and accommodation. His parents, relatively poor subsistence rice famers, pleased at this unexpected boost for their son, asked Trish and Iain to visit their village, NaLin, about three hours south of Luang Prabang, down the Mekong River, or four hours by dirt road. After a brief weekend stay in the village, during which they were treated to a traditional baci ceremony in their honor, they came away wondering what they could do to help the villagers, whose average daily earnings were little more than three dollars. At the time there was no electricity, no running water...except for that from a mountain stream to three or four outlets in the village, no health facilities, no proper sewerage system and a fairly under-resourced primary school. But worst of all, a shocking five kilometer quagmire of a track was all that provided the only connection to the outside world in the rainy season, either to the Mekong River, or to another dirt road in slightly better condition, leading to the District Center of Muang Nan. So Trish and Iain decided to try to tackle something in which they had absolutely no knowledge or expertise. They decided to build a proper road to the village of NaLin. This book traces more than two years of the trials and tribulations experienced in their efforts to raise funds in Australia and elsewhere in order to build the road...of the setbacks and disappointments as expected sources of funding did not eventuate or dropped away...of elation when generous donors came up with substantial, no-strings-attached contributions...of optimism as they engaged a Lao senior Roads Engineer to carry out a preliminary GPS-based assessment and a survey of the road...but also of caution as they made first contact with Lao government bureaucracy in the form of the Department of Public Works and Transportation, as well as with a road building contractor who undertook to build the road into, through and beyond NaLin village. Throughout all of this, as Trish and Iain shuttled back and forth between Australia and Laos, the young Chanthy, now working as a salesmen in a Luang Prabang handicraft shop...his English improving all the while...became the linch-pin of the whole project, working with his father, as well as the village headmen...not only of NaLin village but of two other even poorer villages, Houayhe and Phujong, further up the track, which were keen to benefit from the planned improvements to the road. Then, in early May 2013, they finally had enough money in their fund to do the job, and a contractor who could do it. So on May 9th, after a flight to Laos and an all-day session signing contracts in the Department of Public Works in Muang Nan, the big equipment; an excavator, a grader, two 10-ton trucks and a water truck rolled out on to the road to NaLin and began work. But there was drama developing, as a replacement for a broken part on another piece of equipment, the heavy roller, did not arrive and all the work done on the road was threatened by the fast approaching wet season rains. But when a replacement roller is found and leased from another company, the work resumes and the road is finished on time, just before the rains set in. With a traditional baci ceremony to thank the spirits of the netherworld, there are celebrations all round, as smiling villagers take in their new road and the changes it will bring for them. A small project... a world of difference.

Drawing on the expertise of Chinese and Western academics and practitioners, the contributors to this volume aim to advance the understanding of philanthropy for health in China in the 20th century and to identify future challenges and opportunities. Considering government, NGO leaders, domestic philanthropists, and foreign foundations, the volume examines the historical roots and distinct stages of philanthropy and charity in China, the health challenges philanthropy must address, and the role of the Chinese government, including its support for Government Organized Non-Governmental Organizations (GONGOs). The editors discuss strategies and practices of international philanthropy for health; the role of philanthropy in China s evolving health system; and the prospects for philanthropy in a country beginning to engage with civil society."

Drawing on the expertise of Chinese and Western academics and practitioners, the contributors to this volume aim to advance the understanding of philanthropy for health in China in the 20th century and to identify future challenges and opportunities. Considering government, NGO leaders, domestic philanthropists, and foreign foundations, the volume examines the historical roots and distinct stages of philanthropy and charity in China, the health challenges philanthropy must address, and the role of the Chinese government, including its support for Government Organized Non-Governmental Organizations (GONGOs). The editors discuss strategies and practices of international philanthropy for health; the role of philanthropy in China s evolving health system; and the prospects for philanthropy in a country beginning to engage with civil society."