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UC Berkeley welcomes the future home of The Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies
| Posted at 11:30 PM on April 24, 2009 |
Heart of the Village
Thursday, April 23, 2009 was another interesting day in the life of the Fenns of San Ramon.
By Bob Fenn, Alumnus, University of California-Berkeley, College of Engineering, Class 1963
Member, Dean's Society
Normita and I attended the groundbreaking for the future home of The Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies. "Propelled by the energy and talent of faculty and students committed to helping the nearly three billion people who live on less than two dollars a day, the Blum Center is focused on finding solutions to the most pressing needs of the poor." Richard Blum has spent most of his life focused on how to help the underprivileged in the world. His earliest focus was with the American Himalayan Foundation, an outgrowth of his trekking adventures in the mountains of Central Asia. He became inspired to see what he and some associates might be able to accomplish by investing in and researching the problems and solutions of the less fortunate. He has spent time with Jimmy Carter in his efforts with Habitat for Humanity.
Groundbreaking led by Richard Blum, VP Al Gore,
Chancellor Birgeneau, Dean Shastry and UC Board of Regents
The tremendous growth of the Blum Center over the last few years has necessitated the creation of a home for the Center. The $16 million project is being developed by a private, non-profit organization - the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley Foundation. Launched in 2006, the Blum Center is focused on initiatives that are multi-disciplinary. Working side by side with the students, UC Berkeley faculty are developing and adapting cutting-edge technologies to address real-world problems and educating next generation of leaders in the fight against global poverty. Students take a variety of new courses and participate directly in the alleviation of poverty in developing countries. Areas include projects performed by innovation teams working to deliver safe water and sanitation solutions in eight countries, life-saving mobile services throughout Africa and Asia and modern energy efficient technologies that reduce negative environmental and health effects.
Blum discusses water sanitation project with faculty and team leader
Among the projects:
Education Program/Photovoice: Provides education manuals and interactive workshops on germ transmission, water borne diseases, handwashing, safe water storage and treatment methods. Provides youth living in slum communities with camera and basic photography skills to empower them through self-expression and learn more about water and sanitation situations and inspire community mobilization and support.
Epidemiological Study: Household survey to monitor and evaluate framework to capture the diarrheal disease in a village in Mumbai, India. Included are understanding hygiene practices, treatment preferences and disease transmission. The goal is to evaluate and create behavior change in the communities they serve.
Economic Survey/Understanding Determinants of Water Treatment: Household survey on demographic variables, role of gender, knowledge of disease transmission and medical expenditure correlated with income. The goal is to understand the most productive method in education particular communities.
Normita greets the team of Health in Hands
Andrea Silverman, Pronita Saxena (lead) and Ayse Ercumen
Students spend time in target communities overseas under the auspices of The Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies. The Center also partners with the Carter Center on some of their projects.
The groundbreaking was presided over by UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Bergeneau, with remarks by UC President Mark G. Yudof, Dean of Engineering S. Shankar Sastry and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore who spoke about the work Richard Blum is doing, and his work on climate change. On his remarks, VP Gore quote some eastern scholar: "if you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go with a group." I think that Richard Blum has followed that adage and is continuing to do so with this new center. After the remarks, the Chancellor presented VP Gore with the Berkeley Medal of Honor in recognition of his leadership in the fight against global warming. (UC Berkeley does not present "honorary degrees.)
We enjoy these events, since they always seem to introduce us to new innovation and exciting ideas. Next up, an Engineering Alumni Event focused on "Can Information Technology Solve the Energy Challenge?"
P.S. It will not be Berkeley without the protesters, this time by UPTE, Local One.
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80 Comments
Good night villagers here and everywhere. Tomorrow will be another beautiful day in the life of the hillaryvillagers. God bless.
My cousin went in for her first colonoscopy last week. She is 55 and had no symptoms of anything wrong. They found a tumor and did surgery on Tuesday. The prognosis is good but they are also recommending chemo. The moral of the story, dear villagers, is to schedule a screening if you are 50 or older. The success rate is good if they catch it early. And don't forget about annual physicals and mammograms as well. One way to lower health costs is to have good preventive care.
Bob and Normita...the Richard Blum Center sounds like a project filled with good works and reminds us that alot of very positive things are happening throughout this wide wonderful world we live in!! People helping people to make a real difference in their lives...often times the sort of difference we take for granted. It's a good reminder...thanks for sharing it with us!!
I hope everyones weekend is filled with joy...take time to "be"!!
I am off to meet up with my favorite nephew today. I will miss him most of all.
bbl
Hope you have/had a good visit with your nephew, go!
Wishing you all a peaceful weekend.
I thought I would try to post after all the difficult times we had here in Kentucky due to the ice storm and subsequent lack of communication,faulty communication, and spotty communication of February and March. I often tried to get to the Village, but could not. I even tried to post and could not do so. Finally, I learned I could occasionally look at the threads and posts with very little problems, so I trust that things have worked out well. I pray that you all are doing well.
I really enjoyed reading this current thread. This work is so important and was happy to see this type of thread at the Village.
As a life-long Democrat, I have naturally been very discouraged by most all of the other recent threads and posts I have seen here that are of a political nature and therefore I had nothing to add to what was being said. I believe we need a nationalized health care program (similar to Medicare for All) and was totally opposed to the TEA parties as I feel that we need to pay taxes to provide for our schools/education, libraries, fire protection, roads, helping the poor, paying our government workers decent wages, and many other items that time will not permit me to list. These are ideas of the type in which I feel I have always been in agreement with Hillary Rodham Clinton, and I don't see that support here for these programs and HIllary's true postions as I used to do as the Village has become Republican-oriented. I remember that when the primary was nearing an end and we were all saddened by the outcome, I didn't have nearly as much trouble supporting the eventual president as many people did. As a teachers' union representative for many years, I still receive much literature from my union as a retiree. When the policies of Clinton, Obama, and McCain were written down side-by-side, there was some ( but very little) difference in the Clinton and Obama policies and positions, whereas the Republican ideas were drastically different from both Democratic candidates and showed more of the same failed policies of the last eight years which Hillary sought to correct. Furthermore, her economic policies and position on health care as a Democrat are much closer to the current administration's goals for the future than the opposing viewpoints I see from the right-wing threads and posts I have seen here as I occasionally visit.
I also applaud Hillary Rodham Clinton in her role as Secretary of State. How she continues to rise and be a competent force for good in our nation and now on the world stage is amazing. She is a true asset to this administration and I am so very proud of her and her work.
As I mentioned, the theme of this thread is so very important to people's well-being and is the type of wonderful news we need to be hearing. Thank you so much for this new thread.
I doubt if I will be posting much, if any, because my views are not in line with the more ultra right-wing views I am seeing here. I wish everyone well. I am going to enjoy the beautiful 80 degree sunshine we have here in Kentucky today!
RISE HILLARY RISE!
The tea parties, contrary to what you heard on the streets and in the media, are citizens speaking out from every angle and in my humble opinion, deserve respect and compassion. Of course, we need to pay taxes, that is how it has been and how it will be in your lifetime, my lifetime and in every villager's lifetime. The spirit in which the tea parties was established is an American way for self-expression. We are not against taxes, we are against the misuse and abuse by the majority of our leaders of taxpayers' money to bailout those entities who also mismanaged their companies and the trust of their stakeholders. And we must be upset about how those same leaders used their power stick your power by giving bonuses to those executives, which to me was a reward for poor performance. We are upset for the fast tracking of billions of dollars of programs by the majority without inputs from every representative whose constituents may have something to say. We are upset for the blame being put on the past administration by the core of the leadership of the House. Well, they were in the majority for almost three years now, so it's time to own up to the responsibilities. They should have done their housecleaning long before the new administration came on board along with them. I remember the speaker was at 9% tops approval rating last year, so it makes me more upset to be hearing her blame the past while she was part of the past. There are more...
Steve, we miss you and the other villagers every single day. Teri and MJ do the roll calls at night calling out your names. Teri did her happy shout last night which you probably heard from CA to KY. I'm so glad you heard and entered the gate, always aglow with Mary Jo's light of compassion. We will be hear with the same commitment for our country, with love and consideration for other people's views. Til then, Steve, I hope you come back to read this letter coming from your loving village sister whom you met in the village of Hillary. Say hello to my fellow retirees from GE. They must be concerned about our GE stocks.
Love, Normita
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!!!!!
Great thread Post Normita and Bob!!
Normita you asked me the other kids names Well i have Shandy age 14 Shae age 10 and(( the only boy))And of coarse Star Age 5 and SunnyJune 14 Months
Love all
Teri
Either welcome to Camden Falls or The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs , im gonna let the kids pick!!
Love you my friend
Teri
Great job on the shout last night, my bro Steve heard you! Love to all!
NEW YORK ? At least eight students at a New York City high school probably have human swine influenza, but health officials said Saturday they don't know for sure whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico. At least two cases of the flu have been confirmed in Kansas.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organization chief said Saturday the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
New York health officials said more than 100 students at the private St. Francis Preparatory School, in Queens, had come down with a fever, sore throat and other aches and pains in the past few days. Some of their relatives have also been ill. New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said nose and throat swabs had confirmed that eight students had influenza type A, indicating probable cases of swine flu, but the exact subtypes were still unknown.
In Topeka, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed two cases of swine flu. At least eight swine flu cases also have been reported in California and Texas.
The symptoms in the New York cases have all been mild and no students have been hospitalized, Frieden said, but the illnesses have caused concern because of the deadly outbreak in Mexico. The city health department has also asked doctors to be extra vigilant in the coming days and test any patients who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled recently to California, Texas or Mexico.
So, good night to all.
Have a Good night sleep all! And sweet dreams!!
Love
Teri And The Village Kids
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