Poverty and Hunger, Global and Local

Poverty is everywhere, in developing nations and in our own. Even here in Durango we can see the effects of poverty. Durango has a sizable homeless population but many people do not even know it exists. For most people, the words hunger and poverty bring up images of children in some foreign culture who need help. Rarely, if ever, do people think about the local issue of poverty and hunger.
The global aspect of poverty should not be forgotten, but it is also important to look to our own community. By fighting poverty in our own community, we can learn how to better fight it on a global scale. If we could end poverty here in Durango, then we would serve as a case study for how to fix the global problem.
Donations play a large role for any group trying to fight poverty. Each of these groups deserves donations. Donating to a large campaign, like One or the Make Poverty History Campaign, can help out a greater number of people, while donating locally will help the people on our own streets. Both are important and hold equal value. One benefit of donating locally to groups, such as Manna Soup Kitchen or to the Durango Family Center, is that you can directly observe the effect of the donation. Each person must decide for themselves who they would like to help.
So when you are looking to donate to a campaign to end poverty, look to the local groups as well as the global and remember that we have problems in our own community. Whether in our own country or in another, poverty is one of the most pervasive and important issues that we have to deal with. There are many ways to help people and many people to help so whether local or global please continue to support the fight against poverty.

Ben Rogers
Coordinator
Media Communications
Environmental Center

Welcome back to FLC!

Welcome back to Fort Lewis College!
The Environmental Center is starting up our new year by bringing in lots of new faces and ideas. The Media Communication team has been working on updating our website after a long summer off. We will have our first editions of Making Waves and Deep Roots next week, and the first edition of Green Freedom will be appearing in October.

What's New at the Environmental Center
Over the summer the EC worked to transfer our VHS films onto DVDs. So if you want to check out some environmental documentaries swing by the EC. The EC also added several books to our library. If any FLC students have work study and are still looking for a job the EC could use some more helpful hands. If you do not have work study, no worries, we can always use volunteers.

Public Submissions for Green Freedom
The first edition of Green Freedom will be coming out in October and if you have any environmental or social justice writing that you would like to see published please submit it to the EC. We will also be accepting photos from any aspiring photographers. To submit to the EC please email your writing or photos to ec_communications@fortlewis.edu.

Ben Rogers
Coordinator, Communications Team
FLC Environmental Center