Report from the Plains: A Keystone XL Pilgrimage

by Carolyn Ashworth | Jul 25, 2013 | Archive

This Spring, we funded Shodo Spring, a Zen monk, and a team of people walking from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska (the route of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline/Great Plains section). The Compassionate Earth Walk is in its 16th day and Shodo is keeping an almost-daily blog about life on the road.

We offer a deep bow of thanks to Shodo and the many committed pilgrims involved in the Compassionate Earth Walk to take on this profound act of peaceful protest, compassion and spiritual pilgrimage. You walk for all of us who want a better future for our children. We are with you and send blessings for each step and each being you meet along the way. May the wind be at your back.

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This month we reflect on the incredible projects we supported empowering women worldwide. Since 2012, The Pollination Project has been a catalyst for change, funding over 2,300 projects led by women, with nearly 1,000 projects specifically aimed at empowering women and girls.

Spanning across 77 countries, these projects form a vibrant mosaic of initiatives, each contributing to the greater goal of gender equality. Despite the diversity of backgrounds and cultures represented, there is a common thread of resilience and determination woven through the stories of these women. Whether they are mothers, daughters, activists, journalists, doctors, or teachers, they share a commitment to lifting each other up and effecting positive change in their communities and society at large.

Heartivists like Saba Khalid, an award-winning social entrepreneur, public speaker, activist and journalist from Karachi, Pakistan. She`s the creator of Raaji, an animated series by a Pakistani women`s empowerment digital platform Aurat Raaj. Saba uses animated characters and powerful storytelling to tackle a taboo topic. From honour killing to child marriages, the series educates, empowers and entertains young Pakistani adolescent girls with content that can save their lives and reduce shame surrounding gender issues. The platform came into existence in response to the rising number of honour-based-violence in South East Asia. Besides the TPP seed grant, the series has been also supported, appreciated and shared by The Do School, UNICEF and UN Women Pakistan.

#genderbasedviolence #gbv #honourkilling #childmarriage #womenempowerment #socialjustice #heartivism #womensupportingwomen
@unwomenpakistan
@unicef
@raaji_menstrual_chatbot

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This month we reflect on the incredible projects we supported empowering women worldwide. Since 2012, The Pollination Project has been a catalyst for change, funding over 2,300 projects led by women, with nearly 1,000 projects specifically aimed at empowering women and girls.

Spanning across 77 countries, these projects form a vibrant mosaic of initiatives, each contributing to the greater goal of gender equality. Despite the diversity of backgrounds and cultures represented, there is a common thread of resilience and determination woven through the stories of these women. Whether they are mothers, daughters, activists, journalists, doctors, or teachers, they share a commitment to lifting each other up and effecting positive change in their communities and society at large.

Heartivists like Saba Khalid, an award-winning social entrepreneur, public speaker, activist and journalist from Karachi, Pakistan. She's the creator of Raaji, an animated series by a Pakistani women's empowerment digital platform Aurat Raaj. Saba uses animated characters and powerful storytelling to tackle a taboo topic. From honour killing to child marriages, the series educates, empowers and entertains young Pakistani adolescent girls with content that can save their lives and reduce shame surrounding gender issues. The platform came into existence in response to the rising number of honour-based-violence in South East Asia. Besides the TPP seed grant, the series has been also supported, appreciated and shared by The Do School, UNICEF and UN Women Pakistan.

#genderbasedviolence #gbv #honourkilling #childmarriage #womenempowerment #socialjustice #heartivism #womensupportingwomen
@unwomenpakistan
@unicef
@raaji_menstrual_chatbot

Monica Wang, a graduate of Yantai University in China, founded Xiaobu Vegan to promote veganism in her homeland. Having grown up in Guangxi with little early connection to animals, her perspective changed after moving to Shanghai and working at Plant Based Consulting. Her vegan journey began alongside rescuing two cats and a Japanese Akita, Meng Meng.

Xiaobu Vegan, established in 2020, uses educational videos, restaurant collaborations, and initiatives like the "Vegan Challenge" to advocate for plant-based diets. Supported by The Pollination Project, the organization aims to influence dietary habits and encourage compassion through its growing platform.

Read more on our website👇
[https://thepollinationproject.org/would-you-eat-your-best-friend]

#xbvegan #vegan #veganchina #animaladvocacy #animalrights #compassion #china #heartivism @animalchangemakers

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Monica Wang, a graduate of Yantai University in China, founded Xiaobu Vegan to promote veganism in her homeland. Having grown up in Guangxi with little early connection to animals, her perspective changed after moving to Shanghai and working at Plant Based Consulting. Her vegan journey began alongside rescuing two cats and a Japanese Akita, Meng Meng.

Xiaobu Vegan, established in 2020, uses educational videos, restaurant collaborations, and initiatives like the "Vegan Challenge" to advocate for plant-based diets. Supported by The Pollination Project, the organization aims to influence dietary habits and encourage compassion through its growing platform.

Read more on our website👇
[https://thepollinationproject.org/would-you-eat-your-best-friend]

#xbvegan #vegan #veganchina #animaladvocacy #animalrights #compassion #china #heartivism @animalchangemakers

In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject

WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects.

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices.

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡

@hsi_india
@hsiglobal
@manjushreeabhinav
@earthling_anna_raturi

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india

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WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects.

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices.

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡

@hsi_india
@hsiglobal
@manjushreeabhinav
@earthling_anna_raturi

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india

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