The Fog

Military Commissions Act of 2006

When we feel muddled and unfocused, unsure of which way to turn, we say we are in a fog. Similar to when we are in a fog in nature, we may feel like we can't see where we're going or where we've come from, and we're afraid if we move too quickly we might run into something hidden in the mists that seem to surround us. Being in a fog necessarily slows us down by limiting our visibility. The best choice may be to pull over and wait for the murkiness to clear. If we move at all, we must go slowly, feeling our way and keeping our eyes open for shapes emerging from the haze, perhaps relying on the taillights of someone in front of us as we make our way along the road.

By and large, most of us prefer to be able to see where we are going and move steadfastly in that direction, but there are gifts that come from being in a fog. Sometimes it takes an obstacle like fog to get us to stop and be still in the moment, doing nothing. In this moment of involuntary inactivity, we may look within and find that the source of our fogginess is inside us; it could be some emotional issue that needs tending before we can safely go full steam ahead. Being in a fog reminds us that when we cannot see outside ourselves, we can always make progress by looking within. Then again, the fog may simply be teaching us important lessons about how to continue moving forward with extreme caution, harnessing our attention, watching closely for new information, and being ready to stop on a dime.

We cannot predict when a fog will come, nor can we know for certain when it will lift, but we can center ourselves in the haze and wait for guidance. We may find it inside ourselves or in a pair of barely visible taillights just ahead. Whether we follow the lights out of the fog, wait for a gentle breeze to lift it, or allow the sun to burn it away, we can rest certain that one way or another, we will move forward with clarity once again.

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Women 2.0 Business Challenge

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Ethno -Sustainable Philanthropic Travel

HillTribe Children Vietnam by David Chamberlain

Eco-Tourism evolves into Ethno-Tourism
The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as having two key elements - it is "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people".

Traditionally, however, only the environmental issues associated with travel have grabbed the lion's share of attention from governments, the tourism industry and the media (now more than ever with the international debate over carbon emissions).

Yet, an increasing number of countries are beginning to work to ensure that tourism not only protects the environment, but also benefits indigenous people, in a trend referred to as "ethno-tourism" or "community-based eco-tourism".

A partnership for Success
The main formula for ethno-tourism involves governments working with aid agencies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, and private partners to help indigenous communities develop sustainable tourism industries.

These initiatives are aimed to help local communities escape from poverty and preserve their natural surroundings while avoiding environmentally destructive activities, like hunting and de-forestation. By partnering with the local communities themselves and giving them ownership, governments help protect the human rights of their people and ensure that local communities benefit from the tourists they host.

Ethno-tourism Examples
One of the most recognized ethno-tourism programs is in Bolivia. The Chalalan ecolodge located in the Madidi National Park is owned, managed and staffed entirely from the people of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Profits go to paying their wages as well as providing health and education services to the local community.

The Joseanos constructed the lodges in their traditional building style using eco-friendly materials from their natural surroundings. The ecolodges also use a solar-powered system to provide running water.

Ecuador also has several programs that involve local communities. The Ricancie Project, in the Napo province, consists of 10 traditional settlements that host tourists who can go on guided tours and prepare traditional foods alongside community members. The Project also helps build and maintain schools and contributes to healthcare for the community.

The future of Ethno-Tourism
Although the Chalalan ecolodge is becoming well known for its successful eco-tourism efforts, most programs are not as well known because local communities tend to rely on local travel agents and the mainstream audience is unaware of these opportunities.

However, Euromonitor International predicts that the growing popularity of responsible travel will likely lead to more international tourists seeking out ethno-tourism programs to ensure their holidays help protect the environment and local communities.

These trips will likely appeal to those who are looking for philanthropic travel and to acquire unique experiences, such as geo-tourists (who seek out environment, culture and national heritage), backpackers and baby boomers.

Growing popularity, however, means greater responsibility in maintaining the indigenous culture. With greater exposure to tourists, indigenous tribes may become more inclined to adopt different cultural habits.

Indigenous tribes will have to take care not to become mere performers of their cultures and traditions for tourists.

Additionally, some indigenous tribes do not benefit from ownership of their activities and oftentimes, governments and companies take advantage of these people without reimbursing them for their work.

To gain credibility with responsible travelers, it will be imperative that the human rights of these communities are recognized and respected.

As tourists become increasingly concerned with travel responsibly, they will expect travel companies not only to offer environmentally sustainable products, but also travel products that have a positive impact on the local community.

Euromonitor International predicts that there are great synergies to be gained by offering credible travel products that protect the environment and communities.

Source: Travelmole

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Palm Beach Life Magazine: Philanthropic Travelers

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Field Report February 2007: Botswana

African Wild Dog tracking project Botswana

The two male cheetahs returned to the area after spending more than a week in the area. They were found relaxing in the shade of a tree with very full bellies.

The pack of dogs continues to be of great value to the guests. They are seen almost on a daily basis and the guides suspect that the Alfa female might be pregnant. They created a lot of excitement when they hunted and killed an impala only 2 km from camp.

Small breeding herds and some bull elephants with very big tusks have been found in the afternoons drinking from the river.

Reptile sightings have been excellent, with 2 African rock pythons, a black mamba, rock monitor and Nile monitor being seen. The birding also stayed very good, with all the summer migrants still in attendance. Wattled cranes, ground hornbills, tawny eagles, brown snake eagles and African fish eagle were some of the many other birds seen in the area.

Night drives have been very productive with caracal, African civet, African wildcat, spotted genet and a giant eagle owl being seen.

General game sightings continue to very good, with lots of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, tsessebe, waterbuck, red lechwe, and on some occasions even roan antelope being found.

Mongoose sightings were again very good, with slender mongoose, dwarf mongoose, banded mongoose and yellow mongoose being found. Porcupine and honey badgers was also sighted on some of the drives.

A pride of four lions, consisting of three adult females and one sub adult male have been very active in the area. They were followed whilst hunting but they did not manage to kill.

The female leopard was found hunting on the plains. She was a bit nervous and the guides decided to give her some space so that she could concentrate on getting a meal.

Cheetah sightings were fantastic. A shy female with two eight month old cubs were found and she was observed teaching the cubs how to sta their prey. The cubs and guests then got to watch her take down a big impala ram. The three brothers were also spotted hunting at Tsum-Tsum plains, but they did not succeed.

The packs of thirteen dogs have been staging kills all over the area. In one instance, they managed to kill two adult impala and a baby impala in one hunt, all in the space of nine minutes. Another pack of ten dogs also took down three impala in one go and went on to rest in the shade after feeding.

All of a sudden, big breeding herds of elephant as well as big old bachelor bulls have been found feeding on the flood plains. This is very strange for this time of the year, as they normally prefer feeding in the woodlands in the rainy season.

Good sightings of spotted hyena, black backed jackal and side-striped jackal are being reported on the night drives.

Big herds of zebra and giraffe as well as impala and Tsessebe on the plains continue to deliver good photographic opportunities for the guests.

Banded and dwarf mongoose were seen on some of the drives. African wild cats, serval, large spotted genet and a civet were seen on the night drives.

Many large, Africa rock pythons as well as puff adders and black mambas have been seen on the drives. Wattled cranes also moved in to the area and all the other summer migrants continue to provide excellent birding.

Several guests have taken the additional scenic flight activity. Accompanied by their guide and a pilot with a keen eye, they have had breathtaking narrated journeys right up to the panhandle and have seen excellent game, including large herds of buffalo.

A single lioness was located near twin- pools, sleeping. After a while, she got up and started moving away. The game drives followed her and she led them to her den where she had two 4-month-old cubs hidden. She created more excitement when she killed a warthog almost in the camp. She managed to kill another warthog after a couple of days, so her cubs were in very good condition when they were seen.

A shy male leopard was found hunting near Nari pan during the night drive but was left alone as he seemed nervous. Another young male was found near John's pan, he was very relaxed and in very good condition. Lastly a very big male leopard found hunting red lechwe near BB spot, he missed and disappeared into the thick bush.

A very relaxed and well-fed female cheetah was found near near BB spot. Tracks of two more cheetahs were found and followed and this resulted in two males being found near old hippo-pools. Another two solitary males were seen moving through the area. They were very nervous and did not stay long.

Huge breeding herds, some of them up to 500 elephant in the herds had been coming out of the mopane woodland to feed on the floodplains. This is extraordinary for this time of the year, and created big excitement.

The hyena den is still very active and many hours are spent watching the pups frolicking. One of the adults brought back a big piece of giraffe neck to the den and there was some good viewing of them feeding.

General game sightings continue to be very good, with lots of zebra, impala, wildebeest, warthogs, tsessebe, waterbuck and giraffe being seen.

Good sightings of African wildcat, hunting rodents, reported on almost all the night drives. Mongoose sightings were also very good, with banded, dwarf, yellow and slender mongoose being seen.

The birding continues to be very good. European swallows were seen feeding on termites and most of the summer residents are still around. Black-kites, yellow-billed kites, black shouldered kites and many of the eagles reported being seen. Wattled cranes and slaty egrets were some of the water birds that were seen. Very good sightings of black mambas, boom slang, night adders and spotted bush snakes also reported.

Learn More:
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Pivotal Moments: Travel Philanthropy

In our culture today, we are constantly encouraged to consume. This includes food as well as purchasing ever newer items that we may not need, often using money that we may not actually have. It could be that we are trying to fill a void we feel within ourselves, but if we take the time to examine it, we know deep inside that this is not the solution. We may notice how quickly the joy fades after our purchase or once the food we've enjoyed is gone, and how soon we feel the urge to do so again. This is a symptom of disconnection from our true selves, so the first step toward balance is connection to our center.

When we connect to our center, we access the fullness of who we are as an individual spirit. We also connect to the energy source of the universe, from which nothing can be lacking. It could be that we have been energetically starving ourselves but trying to feed the need physically, outwardly. Once we make the decision to reconnect, we have the ability to examine the behavior from a higher place within ourselves. We can look, without judgment, at the thoughts and feelings that occur before and after our indulgences to find a pattern.

Often boredom is the main cause for the desire to eat or shop. But when we connect to our center, our intuition can more clearly guide us to the places where our energy can best be used. We can replace the boredom with a meditation practice, a class, a project, seeking a new job, or getting involved in a charity. We may even want to begin planning an adventurous trip. Whatever inspires us tells us the direction we should go. When we find the place we are meant to be, we become so consumed by its constant creation that the frivolous filling of an imaginary void becomes a thing of the past.

Learn More:
Philanthropic Traveler funded High School opens near Victoria Falls, Zambia: February 2007
Are We Talking about Philanthropy Yet? No, We Are Not
The Fable of Stone Soup
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Affluent Parents Dedicated to Instilling Philanthropic Values in their Children
Giving while Living: The Deeper News About the New Philanthropy
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs on the Strategic Steps Out of Poverty
Daily Om

Philanthropic Travelers:
Milton & Fred Ochieng: Philanthropic Travelers
Jane Kaye- Bailey: Philanthropic Traveler
Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler
Angelina Jolie: Philanthropic Traveler
Oprah Winfrey: Philanthropic Traveler
Palm Beach Life Magazine: Philanthropic Travelers

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