the map's edge - spring 2014

SPRING 2014

Global citizenship and leadership programs in the developing world since 1993

3. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORby Chris Yager

4. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

6. WHAT TRAGEDY MEANS by Parker Flaum

8. VIVIR BIENby Julianne Chandler

10. THE GREAT-EST RISK OF ALLby Tim Hare

11. BOOK REVIEW: STUMBLING ON HAPPINESSby Aaron Slosberg

12. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATIONby Simon Hart

15. LIVING BIGby Merete Mueller

16. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: BIKING WEST TO EASTwith Jordan & Gus Perkins

17. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SOMETIMES LIFE JUST ADDS UPwith Chris Temple

18. WATER: DID YOU KNOW

19. ALUMNI: TOP PICKS

20. COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

INTHIS

ISSUE

1ST ROW: BRAZIL Thomas Bisinger, INDONESIA Michele Ferrari, BOLIVIA Slade Cogswell 2ND ROW: NEPAL Adam Brobjorg, NEPAL Where There Be Dragons archive, CHINA Sabrina Pearson 3RD ROW: INDONESIA Lauren Harper, BURMA Matt Reichel COVER: PERU Aaron Slosberg

HAVE A FAVORITE PHOTO FROM YOUR DRAGONS COURSE? Select student pictures may be fea-tured in Dragons’ upcoming publi-cations, including our 2014 - 2015

course catalog and new materials for prospective students.

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a letter from our executive director

Chris YagerIn the mid 1980’s, nearly every working adult living in China subsisted on a State-provided income that translated to $34/month. At that time a particular group of people emerged as a first-wave of China’s economic elite: taxi drivers.

I was in a cab, in the fall of 1987, when I pulled into one of the few Western hotels that serviced foreign visitors. There, on the periphery of the hotel’s grounds, stood Tom Brokaw, NBC’s news anchor. Mr. Brokaw stood alone gazing over a pile of rubble. In the mid-80s rubble piles dominated the Chinese urban landscape, and much of the country was falling apart faster than it was being built.

I had waited for nearly an hour to catch that cab, because there were very few in a city still dominated by bicycles. Throughout the 1980s, you could stand on Beijing’s busiest streets and see several thousand bicyclists pass in quiet commute before seeing a single car.

I had traveled to this hotel to change money. For my American Express traveler’s check, I would receive FEC, or Foreign Exchange Currency. A special currency different than the Renminbi - the “people’s money” that was used by every Chinese citizen, FEC was issued to foreigners only, and could be used at specialty stores that were stocked with imported goods. Consequently there was a large black market in which FEC was traded for Renminbi, at a rate of nearly 2:1. The people who were on the frontline of the currency trade were the city’s cab drivers.

Because few – if any – Chinese citizens had the resources to take a cab ride, many of the taxis serviced foreigners, and many of those foreigners paid their fares in FEC. The cab drivers could immediately trade their FEC on the black market, adding signifi-cantly to their income. The few bars and restaurants that existed at the time were crammed with cab drivers, spending discretional money that no one else had.

As I pulled up next to Mr. Brokaw, I wondered if he knew about this black-market that was among the harbingers of the radical commercial shift that was to come, and that presaged a level of corruption that was to become a large part of the storyline in Chi-na’s economic growth. Standing in crisp khakis and a pink shirt, Mr. Brokaw, alone in an otherwise bleak post-apocalyptic-looking landscape, was insulated from life outside the hotel’s compound; China’s state-police would make sure that he wouldn’t engage in any meaningful interactions outside the hotel’s grounds.

Mr. Brokaw was in China to report on the country’s emergence from decades of closed Communist rule. With such limited access to people on the street, I wondered how much Mr. Brokaw really knew. Seeing him looking out over a landscape beyond the hotel’s gate, I could see in his gaze a desire to truly know and understand what was beyond the hotel’s periphery.

I left Mr. Brokaw in his solitude, but I’ve always wished that we had talked, and that I had been given the opportunity to tell him what I had learned from my time beyond the hotel’s gate. Particularly in a state with so many veils (and walls), it felt to me that the Westerners who were beginning to understand China were those young adults who were the first to study there. It seemed to me then, as it is clear to me now, that if you want to know the reality of a place, you ought to connect with the youth who are able to find their way through the cracks, and whose undeterred moxie and inquisitive minds are actively searching for authentic experiences and for truth.

Within Dragons, we work with hundreds of guides who have developed their knowledge of place through experiences among the countries’ youth. And our programs themselves facilitate engagements that bring the realities to the surface, in all their beauty and in all their ugliness. Engaging with place honestly is at times a bruising experience. Distinguishing reality from veiled-per-ception is essential if we’re to pursue a lasting peace through constructive dialogue and engagement. It’s important to know who’s benefiting in a country’s economy. It’s important to know what’s beyond the gate.

—Chris YagerFounder and Executive Director

BEYOND THE GATE

4 THE MAP’S EDGE, Spring 2014

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

NICARAGUA THROUGH THE 80sby EMMETT ROSENBAUM

Sandinistas drink Somoza’sBlood from glasses.

I suppose a Revolution was in order.Though all the tensions along the borderRemain unclear, Reagan still screamed

“We’re not coming for your Sandinista dreams.”

And while Nicaragua needed money,They knew they weren’t no communist honey,But the US said “We won’t give you none.”

So what else could they have done?So the US decided to send in the Contras

To ensure it wouldn’t be another communist mantra.

So the FSLN had no other choiceSince they needed to fight to keep their voice.So they asked the Soviets to give them aid

With helicopters the currency with which they were paid.

Yet normal funds were still in needFor the people’s screams they wished to heed.

They decided money printing to initiate,But that only caused things to inflate.As children fought brother on brother,

Not knowing which had killed the other.But while it seemed like chaos reigned,

Everyone jumped aboard the literacy train.And despite a decade engulfed in fight,Nicaragua has emerged to see the light.

BODH GAYA, BIHARby MADDIE PRYORToday as we drove back from Mahakala, the cave where Buddha meditated, there was a traffic jam. The kind of traffic jam that happens in movies where the world is about to end and everyone is fleeing NYC or Los Angeles and there is chaos in the streets and there are aliens and there is no hope. Or, what they call in India, traffic. We had 10 people in our jeep, with a tractor on one side, an 18-wheeler on the other, and auto rickshaws in every other direction.

During such moments of total still-ness, you get to know the surroundings outside your window. There were shops selling fresh samosas, gulab jamun, and other fried foods that came straight from a giant cauldron of boiling oil. Next door, a sweet shop, then an Ayurvedic medi-cine corner store; in front, a fruit stand, a peanut roaster and a cobbler with his tools displayed on a blanket. Really quite a pleasant scene if you think about it. I have been especially grateful recently because of our teachings with Venerable Sarah, and despite the delay, I tried to keep a Buddhist mentality throughout the traffic jam: Go forth with kindness, wisdom and compassion.

ANIL DAAIby SARAH WEINER Anil Daai, who came to speak to us this past Friday about development, com-manded the attention of a room full of students like no other. Change, he said, his eyes dancing around the room at each of our individual faces, only comes when you step outside of your comfort zone. You must be willing to make mistakes. Few have ever accomplished anything while thinking inside the box.

Anil Daai went on to explain that he prefers to refer to things that may be considered a problem as things he wants to change. To me, this is an incredibly important distinction. When you think of issues in this way, you empower your-self to make a difference.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to Part II of Anil Daai’s talk this coming Friday. If asked to summarize the significance of Anil Daai’s talk with us, I am struck by an exchange between him and a peer of mine as we sat on our patio, post discussion, enjoying daal bhat. My fellow student Robert inquired, who is the most powerful person in the world? Without hesitation, Anil Daai responded: you.

CENTRAL AMERICA Spring 2014

VISIONS OF INDIA Spring 2014

HIMALAYAN STUDIES Spring 2014


YAK YAK PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

HOW CAN ONE YAK EVEN BEGIN TO SUM UP MY IM-PRESSIONS OF PERU,

or any of my experiences for that matter? But as I think back on the past month, four images wrought with irony and contrast stand out to me.

The first is of a taxi driver who drove a group of us from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, and his pouring a sip of his Fanta on the ground as an offering to the Pachamama before drinking from the bottle. The second is of my home-stay mama in the town of Japu in Nacion Q’eros, who pulled a cellphone out of her pocket the night we were there. When I asked her if there was reception, she shyly shook her head no. The third is of a young university music teacher, who presented to Emma and I an entire table of Incan and Pre-Incan instruments at the Inka Museum in Cusco; among them includ-ed panpipes made from condor feathers, flutes made from llama bones, and ceremonial whistles in the shape of a hummingbird. He was initially wearing a ‘North Face’ sports jacket, but halfway through donned an indigenous poncho and wool hat ‘in case we wanted to take photos.’ The final one is of reading in the Machu Picchu museum that the terraces at the ancient Incan city were now covered with a type of African weed, because it appeals more to the ‘Western aesthetic.’

These four images remind me of the complicated dynamic between traditional culture and development. It is interesting to

RESPONSE TO CINDY’S POST by MARTINA HILDRETHAndes & Amazon Semester, Spring 2014

I AM SO GRATEFUL TO CINDY for putting so eloquently something I’ve felt unable to express in words. The contrast and complexity within Peruvian and Bolivian society has been

very evident, and at times hard to reconcile with how I think things are, or how I wish they were. It is especially difficult when it appears that travelers like me are partially responsible for creating the confusion, as illustrated by Cindy’s example of the grass at Machu Picchu.

I believe that I am looking for a culturally “authentic” expe-rience with Dragons, but what does that mean? Does it mean be-moaning and overlooking the facts that Peruvian museum workers wear North Face and express their thanks to the Pachamama with Fanta? No, I don’t think so. The best I can do is to stop imposing my own preconceptions upon their reality, and instead embrace what I see, in all it’s complexity and incomprehensibility, with open eyes and a mind free of judgement. I realize that the places we are visiting are impossible to know and understand in just a few months. I will strive to value the questions I have been given just as much as I would the answers I lack.

A MONTH OF CONTRASTS by CINDY LIU, Andes & Amazon Semester, Spring 2014 see a taxi driver remain loyal to his

ancestors’ beliefs, but it is ironic that he did so with a soda produced by a Western company. It was bittersweet to see my home-stay mama with a cellphone, because I didn’t know how often she had use for it, or how much modern technology had touched the people of Q’eros, who still seemed very attached to their land and traditional lifestyles. It was funny to see the young music teacher drape his poncho over his Western-branded jacket, as if doing so would give us a more authentic experience. It was sad to see a site as mystic as Machu Picchu so touched by tourism, and confusing to realize that tourism is probably also what sustains

the preservation and continued excavation of the city.What these impressions have taught me though, is that devel-

opment is not black or white, nor good or bad. The struggle be-tween preservation and development is real, albeit unconscious, as I’ve seen with my very own eyes. I can still remember Fabian, our local guide in Q’eros, who had been the president of the five local communities, sitting in the grass telling us about his wish to preserve the culture and practices of the indigenous people, but acknowledging that he had moved his family to Cusco so that his children could get a better education.

The most important lesson I’ve learned in the past month is to feel as equally with my heart as with my mind, so although much of what I’ve seen still confuses me, I know that at least these impressions will stay with me long into the future.


AT 9:20PM ON MARCH 1ST, EIGHT KNIFE-WIELDING ATTACKERS RAN INTO THE KUNMING TRAIN STATION AND FOR TWELVE MINUTES, THE LOBBY OF THE STATION DESCENDED INTO INDISCRIMINATE CHAOS. I was not there, but I can fully imagine the confusion, the turmoil and the screams. If you were one of the unlucky people standing in line to purchase train tickets on Saturday night, you would have heard yells; you would have felt people turning around, standing on tip-toes, craning their necks, running away. You might have seen pools of blood and islands of luggage strewn across the concrete, bodies laying face-down, not moving, not breathing. Twenty-nine people were killed that night and over 140 people were injured.

This is what tragedy means: an unexpected event causing great suffering, loss and distress. When great tragedies occur they often make us question our reality or at least our percep-tion of the world and our place within it.

IT’S DIFFICULT TO TELL WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE KUNMING TRAIN STATION THAT NIGHT. I have Internet access at the Dragons’ program house in Kunming and I have local friends. We can postulate about the motives behind the attack and share speculations about what it means for the future, but for the large part, the Communist Party has stymied all public dialogue about the Kunming tragedy. The Xinhua, the official news organ of the Communist Party, released two basic statements immediately following the tragedy in Kunming on March 2nd. The first was sent to Chinese journalists, stating, “Regarding the stabbing incident in Kunming on March 1: When covering this, follow the Xinhua story strictly and [reporting] should be based on the information released by the local authority. No big headlines, No pictures1.” And the second was directed to Chinese public, “Evidence at the crime scene showed that the Kunming Railway Station terrorist attack was orchestrated by Xinjiang separatist

forces. The authorities vowed to crack down on violent terrorist activities in all forms and guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property2.”

With independent journalists silenced, the Xinhua has been able to shape the public narrative around the Kunming tragedy. Commentary published by Xinhua editors has become increasingly divisive, framing the attackers as “anti-China par-asites” or “Uighur separatists attempting to fulfill secessionist plots3” through an event that can only be considered “a typical terrorist attack,” “a severe crime against the humanity,” or by one Xinhua editor, “China’s ‘9-114’.”

I fear that Xinhua commentary may re-frame the public perception of Uighur minority groups in Kunming even before the Chinese Community Party has collected substantive facts. It’s been over two weeks, and no group has taken credit for the attack. No pictures of the attackers have been released. No evidence has been released that the attackers were even Uighurs. If the Chinese government continues to censor public dialogue and present a narrative that vilifies Uighur minority groups as terrorists from Xinjiang, I fear that the legacy of the Kunming tragedy will aug-ment the sectarian divide between China’s Han majority and the ethnic minority groups in China’s Northwest Provinces.

THERE ARE MANY IN CHINA THAT WILL CRY OUT LOUDLY THAT UIGHURS ARE DANGEROUS, THAT CHINA NEEDS MORE POLICE, MORE ARRESTS AND MORE ENFORCED STABILITY. They will decry the lack of security in Xinjiang. They will insist that the Uighurs have benefitted greatly from the Chinese Community Party’s increased economic investment in the Northwest Provinces and show no gratitude by lodging continuous complaints about a lack of religious and political freedom.

The Uighurs might denounce the influx of Han migrants to a region in which the Uighurs are quickly become a minority. They might yell out that the Han have better access to resources, better political connections, and more educational

“No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope,

that’s our real disaster.”–the Dali Lama

WHAT TRAGEDY MEANSCURRENT EVENTS: KUNMING, CHINA

by PARKER FLAUMInstructor - China: South of the Clouds, Spring 2014


1 Beech, Hannah. “China Reacts to Terrorism ‘Double-Standard’ After Kunming Mass Stabbing.” Time.com, 3/3/2014. Online: http://time.

com/11432/china-kunming-terror-attack-uighurs/2 Yi, Yang. “Kunming terrorist attack orchestrated by Xinjiang separatists.” Xinhua.net: March 2, 2014. Online: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/

china/2014-03/02/c_133152815.htm3 Qing, Shen. “Commentary: High time for West to see the real evil face of “East Turkistan” separatists.” March 5, 2014. Online: http://news.xin-

huanet.com/english/indepth/2014-03/05/c_133162664.htm4 Tao, Gui. “Nothing justifies slaughter in China’s 9-11”. Xinhua.net March 2, 2014. Online: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/in-

depth/2014-03/02/c_133153400.htm

opportunities. They might decry the fact that Muslim students are banned from fasting during Ramadan, or that Uighur language instruction is limited in public schools.

Whatever their perspectives, these two narratives are quickly diverging. There is little contact between the Han and the minorities in the far reaches of China. There is often no conversation between them.

I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR DIALOGUE. I don’t know who the train station attackers were, where they came from, their past, or what their reasons were for committing this unthinkable, unacceptable and horrible atrocity. We will probably never know the true story, but we can start by sharing our perspectives. In America, we host talks, we write editorials, we call our Congressional Representatives, we

form support groups to help victims of crimes and disasters. The Chinese government should open up a public space for empathy. There is little contact between Han and minorities, and without a forum to share perspectives, it is unlikely that the two sides will ever understand the others’ grievances. Now it seems likely that some Uighur people are going out to maim and kill. Clearly, they feel there is no forum for them to speak, no recourse but to kill. That is not right. We must listen.

There is a saying in Tibetan, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength;” the Dali Lama says that, “no matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.” My hope is that China can begin a new era. An era where people can talk freely, commu-nity-to-community, person-to-person, and begin to practice universal love, no matter what part of China you’re from.

photo ELODIE FREYMANN, China Comprehensive 2012


BOLIVIA IS MY HOME and I am moved and inspired by this vibrant country every single day. It was only a few decades ago that indigenous people, who make up over 60% of the population, were not permitted to walk on sidewalks or pass through public plazas. Today, indigenous people hold important seats in government, children are learning native languages in schools, and the nation’s development agenda is shaped by centuries-old Andean belief systems, such as ayni.

The daily ritual that I shared with a family in the Nación Q’eros region of Peru, a people that trace their lineage

directly back to the Inca, is one example of ayni, or reciprocity. In its essence, ayni is the spirit and philosophy of how hu-mans may live on this earth in harmony with all that surrounds us – on a personal, communal, natural, and celestial level. In practice, ayni is the exchange of resourc-es, labor, and spiritual rites that maintain balance in the universe and allow a com-

munity and its resources to thrive. Evo Morales is the first indigenous

president of Bolivia and he values the concept of ayni. Morales’ first presiden-tial campaign hinged on a platform that prioritized the rights and representation of traditional Andean cultures over a development regime driven by foreign corporations. And upon election, Morales instated a national development initia-tive known as Vivir Bien. Understood in contrast to concepts of “living better,” the Vivir Bien model is based on the concept of ayni, and is meant to limit overcon-sumption and exploitation by prioritizing equality, community systems of produc-

tion and respect for Mother Earth. Thus far, the concept of Vivir Bien has

served President Morales well, however I’ve observed a strong disconnect be-tween how this model is expressed in theory and how it has been expressed in practice. In theory, Morales proclaims,

“Vivir Bien is based on the full realization of human happiness of peoples and popu-

lations, through the full complementarity of the rights of peoples, persons, states and Mother Earth.” And in practice, he ordered the building of a road that cut right through the heart of Bolivia’s largest National Park and indigenous ter-ritory. Abroad, he is a hero—even award-ed “World Hero of Mother Earth” by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2009. And yet at home, indigenous peoples have organized brazen demon-strations against Morales and a national agenda does not protect or prioritize Mother Earth.

President Morales is set to run for his third term at the end of this year. In light of the upcoming elections, I’d like to take a moment to share my perception of Morales’ political legacy thus far, and what his likely re-election will mean for Bolivia’s reality in the future.

FROM A PEASANT BACK-GROUND IN ORURO, Morales began his political career as a representative of the Coca Grower’s Association in the Chapare region of Bolivia, and fought fervently against US-sponsored efforts to criminalize and eradicate coca through-out the 1990s as part of the War on Drugs. In 2005, Evo was elected presi-

I T WAS NIGHTTIME IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES and we had just finished a simple dinner of potatoes and broth.

The only light in the small stone hut emanated from a fire in the corner, and the last flames danced wistfully before leaving

only the embers glowing in the darkness. Outside we could make out the arch of the great mountains against the night sky

and the glow of the first stars painting their way across the darkness; stars that I knew would soon glow in a profusion

that most of my students had never before witnessed. Directing his ‘kintu’ of three leaves towards the ‘apus’, or mountain gods,

my host father blew across the leaves then asked permission in Quechua from the earth mother to partake in this ritual. As

we huddled together on llama skins in the warmth of the hut, the couple then commenced their nightly conversation with the

‘apus’, the great protector gods of the valley. Their gentle words floated into the night sky like smoke, and I almost sensed the

delicate ears of the earth as they sunk in.

by JULIANNE CHANDLER Andes & Amazon Program Director

VIVIR BIEN:Is Bol iv ia ’ s government celebrat ing or exploi t ing Andean Bel ief sys tems?

In its essence, ayni is the spirit and philosophy of how humans may live on this earth in harmony

with all that surrounds us


from over – for now the road project has been put on hold – Morales is set to run for his third term at the end of this year. There is little doubt that he will win, although perhaps with less of a landslide than his previous election. Recently, as the campaign takes on more vitality, I have noticed a somewhat disturbing post-er hanging on the walls of government offices, on buses, and in the streets. The image depicts a profile of Evo Morales alongside the late 18th century indige-nous leader Tupac Katari, a man who has become the primary symbol of the MAS

movement. The caption reads “Tupac: Insurrection, Evo: Revolution,” the implication being that Evo is fulfilling Katari’s failed attempt to overthrow the Spanish colonial power over 200 years ago. As coopted emblems from the past continue to proliferate, the government’s promise of a sustainable and represen-tative future based on the deeply-rooted tenets of ayni prove increasingly shallow.

The successes of the current govern-ment cannot be undervalued, but the country continues to be dangerously dependent upon non-renewable natural resource extraction to sustain its econ-omy. As I observe the ebb and flow of change, my mind floats back to my host family in the remote Nación Q’eros re-gion of Peru that opens this story. In my mind, there is no doubt that we have im-portant lessons to learn from the wisdom of traditional cultures around the world. May that conversation – between cultures, across social sectors, with ourselves, and, perhaps most importantly, with the earth that sustains us – continue.

resources for their own benefit.” A few years later, in June of 2011, the Morales administration inaugurated construction on a road project that would cut through the heart of the Isiboro-Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS) in the Bolivian Amazon. In the process the government blatantly bypassed the new Bolivian Constitution by failing to consult the communities that would be affected by the highway. Financed by the Brazilian Government and part of a larger trans-continental highway project, the road promised economic develop-

ment and national integration for the 64 indigenous communities living within the park. According to an environmen-tal-impact study, it also promised to leave up to 64% of one of the world’s most bio-diverse rainforests deforested within a 20-year period.

A few weeks later, over 1,000 indig-enous demonstrators initiated a 65-day, 500 km march from Trinidad in the Bolivian Amazon to the highland city of La Paz in protest of the highway project. Several weeks into the march the dem-onstrators encountered brutal violence as hundreds of Bolivian police tear-gassed, fired upon with rubber bullets, and beat the peaceful protestors. It seemed that Morales’ unyielding support for indige-nous populations and the environment only went so far.

IN RECENT YEARS the MAS govern-ment’s utilitarian understanding of Vivir Bien has only escalated, placing Evo Morales at the center of intense criticism at home. While the TIPNIS conflict is far

dent in a landslide victory and immedi-ately convened a Constitutional Assembly to draft a new Bolivian Constitution, giving increased rights and representa-tion to indigenous populations, enacting land reforms, and prioritizing state and national industries over foreign corpo-rations. Upon assuming the Presidency, Evo re-negotiated contracts with the oil and natural gas industries, allowing profits to stay in-country for the benefit of the Bolivian people.

While Evo’s economic reforms have not been popular with all sectors of society, Bolivia has reaped the benefits of increased GDP and successful cash transfer programs. Since 2005, extreme poverty in Bolivia has dropped consider-ably. The country has recorded a steady international growth rate. And Bolivia currently has the highest ratio in the world of international reserves compared to the size of its economy. By many mea-sures of success, Morales has knocked the ball out of the park.

Morales is lauded for his success on the international stage as well. He took a strong stand on climate change by reject-ing the Copenhagen Accord in 2009, and a year later Bolivia passed the world’s first

“Law of the Rights of Mother Earth,” in theory granting nature equal rights to hu-mans. In a country poised to be one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the government has challenged wealthy nations to take responsibility for their increased role in carbon emissions by paying a “climate debt” to poorer nations. While this discourse has elevated Morales’ image internationally, the story on the ground remains glaringly different.

In a famous speech delivered at the pre-Incan site of Tiwanaku in 2007, Evo Morales declared, “I am convinced that the indigenous people are the moral reserve of humanity. Among them there does not exist the mentality of being selfish or individualistic nor an atti-tude of trying to take over and control

“I am convinced that the indigenous people are the moral reserve of humanity. Among them there does not exist the mentality of being selfish or individualistic nor an attitude of trying to take over and control resources for their own benefit.”


I met Dragons at a propitious time. I was in Charazani, the cultural center of the Kallawaya healers of the Apolobamba Mountains in northern Bolivia.

I was 24 and I had been working as a mountain guide in Patagonia for the southern summer before traveling to Bolivia to buy 3 donkeys and trek across the altiplano (high plateau). At the end of the trek, I sold my donkeys, bid adios to my friend, and made a solo journey to the Apolobamba, where I

planned to traverse the range and even-tually descend into Madidi National Park in the Amazon. I had a machete, 2 weeks of food, and a journal.

As I began my trek from Charazani, I saw another gringo in the plaza and struck up a conversation. His name was Lyle, and he was in town to meet with community leaders on behalf of an oddly named company, Where There Be Dragons. His main task in Charazani was to set up a home-stay for a group of students due to arrive in 4 months. I was

impressed. Here I was, an increasingly seasoned traveler on the greatest adven-ture of my life, and there was another gringo planning to bring a group of stu-dents to this isolated valley to live with local families? We chatted for a while and exchanged contacts. I headed into the high peaks, and vowed to look into these Dragons when I was back in the city.

I say this was a most propitious time because I was on a trek that placed me far outside of my comfort zone when I met Lyle, and subsequently discovered

Tim Hare is Dragons’ Director of Risk Management. Tim has worked in experiential education since his days as an Outward

Bound instructor in 2001. An avid climber and alpinist, Tim has climbed and guided some of the most rugged peaks in the Americas. After

4 years in Bolivia as Dragons’ Latin America Program Director, we’ve been lucky enough to welcome Tim back to Boulder to oversee

Dragons’ comprehensive risk management systems. As we look ahead to our largest season of summer programming ever, we asked Tim to

share his perspective on the word risk: how to plan for it, how to manage it, and how to optimize its educational value.

The Greatest Risk Of Allby TIM HARE, Director of Risk Management

photo HILLARY SITES, Staffing Director & Southeast Asia Program Director


Dragons. One of Dragons’ central goals is to move students from their ‘comfort zone’ into their ‘learning zone’, as such a shift is often cause for the greatest personal growth and discovery. As a 24-year old adventurer, striking out on an unknown trail, I too was growing and discovering more about the world and my place within it.

I’ve worked as a professional guide and program director at Where There Be Dragons for nine years now. One of the things that keeps me around is my belief that my vocation is closely aligned with my personal values. In this case, that means designing summer and semester

programs that offer students the opportunity to take calculated risks to foster personal growth.

Risk is often considered a four-letter word. Most conversations involving it are about mitigating or managing it, often about eliminating it. In my new role as Director of Risk Management at Dragons, it is at the forefront of the work I engage every day. Understanding and managing risk is the foundational pillar of all of our programming, with the end goal of creating the safest possible experiences for our students.

Let’s look at risk from another angle, though, and turn towards positive language, rather than negative – just as an activist can either choose to fight either for or against, and a complaint can easily be re-stated as a request. Inasmuch as we are managing risks, we are also advocating for taking them. Indeed, we actually find it impossible to untangle our efforts to create transformational learning experiences from the inherent risks involved.

What are we advocating for? We advocate for exploration and curiosity towards the unknown. We advocate for a healthy amount of unsettling in our lives; a wanderlust in our hearts; a steady agitation that motivates us to shake up the status quo on a regular basis – both individually and collectively. As soon as one veers from the path of the known and towards an unknown realm, they enter an ambiguous space that creates emotional, physical, and even spiritual risk. From my perspective, heading down this path is essential to living a full and interesting life. Students that join our programs tend to agree. We are not just talking about traveling to far-flung

locales, however. Even greater risks may be found by veering from a value system that we’ve outgrown, or discarding a way of life that doesn’t suit us anymore.

I advocate for embracing life’s sharp edges, rough surfaces and meandering paths that are increasingly turning soft, smooth and straight, respectively. I do not advocate being reckless or taking risks with excessive or unpredictable consequences. I advocate being smart and well prepared before heading out, knowing where hazards lie, and then stepping courageously into an unknown realm to better understand ourselves, others, and the world in which we live. At Dragons, this is what we call positive risk taking, or leaning into risk. With our students we describe it as stepping outside of your “comfort zone” and into your “learning zone”. It is likely the only way to know and explore our full and authentic potential in this life.

Then, there is also the greatest risk of all, and that is to live without taking risks.

book review‘Stumbling on Happiness ’

Did this course meet your expecta-tions? Please explain... At the end of every Dragons course, students fill out an evaluation. After reading hun-dreds of pages of feedback over the years, I’ve noticed a common pattern: many students’ expectations were not

“met.” Far from being disgruntled, the vast majority of these students gave their courses the highest marks, but could not report that the expectations formed at home were the ones fulfilled by Dragons. Instead, the common response is more philosophical and prescriptive... typically, What I actual-ly experienced could never have been expected, so just show up with an open mind and leave expectations at home.”

In Stumbling on Happiness, Har-vard psychologist Daniel Gilbert makes a convincing case that how we manage our expectations can be even more im-portant than the experience itself; in fact, our happiness may depend on it.

Gilbert argues that with the evolu-tion of the pre-frontal cortex the hu-man brain gained the unique power of prospection: the act of looking forward in time or considering the future. Our brains are future simulators, constantly making predictions about not just what will happen, but how we’ll feel in our fabricated futures. As Gilbert illustrates through dozens of fascinating studies and stories, our misguided expectation for accuracy and control over our pro-jected futures is the source of much avoidable discontent. Stumbling on Happiness is a fascinating scientific affirmation of that common Dragons’ epiphany: show up with in an open mind and leave expectations at home.

Check out Gilbert’s TED talk on the “Surprising Science of Happiness.”

by DANIEL GILBERT (2007)reviewed by AARON SLOSBERG

‘What is life but a series of inspired follies? The difficulty is to find them to do.

Never lose a chance: it doesn’t come every day.’– George Bernard Shaw


AT DRAGONS WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THE GROWING TREND IN GLOBAL EDUCATION. In a world fractured by cultural misunderstand-ing, the global citizenship education movement

has the potential to cultivate a generation of empathetic, self-aware students that seek connection and understanding rather than isolation from that which is foreign. But wide-spread popularity and growth is not always good for a move-ment; like “sustainability”, people struggle to define what it means when it comes in so many different forms.

As the Director of Custom and Professional Programming at Dragons, I’m in the unique position of working both for an

experiential education company in which cultivating global citizenship, self-awareness and leadership define the core tenants of what we do, and with high schools and universities that follow a more traditional model of classroom education. The schools we partner with—Princeton University’s Bridge-Year Program, Norfolk Academy, The Hawken School, and Castilleja School—to name a few, have taken important and bold steps to integrate global citizenship education (GCE) into their student experience. All of them have done the important work of defining what GCE is to their community, and have made a strong commitment to pursue these outcomes. However, the critical conversation around how we get students to a place of humility, gratitude, and interconnection requires further clarity and emphasis.

Jenny Anderson of The New York Times asks the rhetorical question of Avenues: The World School, in lower Manhattan in a May 2003 article: “How do you build humility at a school that costs $43,000 a year? Where students are tended to by a 10-person success team and are expected to find a passion — any passion — around which expertise, confidence and college admission may come?” For any school working through this paradox, the answer should be sought in examining what types of “spaces,” both literally and metaphorically their students are offered. Are they being supported through an intentional progression of challenges? Are they offered opportunities to be physically and intellectually uncomfortable?

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IS THE PROCESS THAT ALLOWS THE INDIVIDUAL TO REDEFINE THEMSELVES IN EVER EX-PANDING CONTEXTS OF “OTHERNESS,”

such as unfamiliar cultural, national, physical and ideological constructs. In my mind, effective global citizenship education programs remove students from the points of reference that they have used to define themselves since birth, and inten-tionally challenge them through exposure to foreign realities. Such close encounters with “the other,” if carefully crafted, allow students to consider ways of life other than their own, and in turn, help to cultivate a greater sense of humility, empathy, self-awareness, and interconnectedness. But these outcomes are difficult to “teach to,” in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, they must be understood by students through the development of meaningful relationships across barriers of difference. In short, the values of a global citizen must be sincerely lived to be understood.

Global Citizenship EducationCatch phrase or paradigm shif t?

–Dragons’ Training in Global Citizenship Education participants stand next to a memorial for community members killed by U.S. backed contra soldiers in Lagartillo, Nicaragua.

–The Rocky Mountain Seminar focuses on Best Practices in Global Citizenship Education, bringing together educators and administrators involved in the design and implementation of effective global programming. Participant titles include, directors of diversity and community outreach, civic engagement, service learning coordinators, and directors of experiential learning.

by SIMON HART, Director of Custom and Professional Programming


GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION REPRESENTS A PARADIGM SHIFT, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE ARE TEACHING TO, BUT BECAUSE OF HOW WE MUST

WORK WITH STUDENTS TO GET THERE. This relates to both the opportunities student have to authentically engage with real world problems, i.e. the “spaces” that a school offers for learning, as well as how the experience is framed and facilitated by teachers.

Hawken School, in Gates Mills, OH, receives widespread acclaim for restructuring their yearly schedule to include 3-week intensives at the end of each semester. These short courses require teachers to offer opportunities for students to engage learning through direct participation and experience. They may collaborate with Burmese refugees on urban farming initiatives, embark on extended wilderness literature programs, or immerse students in the daily life of a rural community in Nicaragua as a part of their regular academic calendar.

But as Sara Mierke, the Director of Experiential and Service Learning at the Hawken School acknowledges, “going abroad, or getting students into the woods is a good start, but teachers need adequate preparation to facilitate the experience in a safe and intentional way towards empathy and self-awareness.” For GCE to be effective, teachers need critical professional development in managing students’ physical and emotional safety and offering a depth of engagement that allows students to freely pursue an authentic version of self in relation to the world around them.

At Dragons, we’ve been working on this for over twenty years, pouring over student feedback, analyzing courses design, and learning from masters of the trade. Over time, we have come up with our own language and training curriculum to prepare educators to guide students to a safe and deep engagement with “otherness”. We refer to this process as the establishment and

maintenance of the “container”. We contribute to the global citizenship education movement by sharing these tools with educators of diverse backgrounds through our Professional Educator Programming. The conversation is ever evolving, and we’re excited for the journey to come.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SEMINAR: BEST PRACTICES IN GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATIONCourse Dates: 11/6/15 – 11/9/15Location: Boulder, CO

A four-day seminar for educators in the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado, focusing on best practices in international global education. Course topics include best practices in risk management, global citizenship education, cross-cultural facilitation, and course design.

NICARAGUA EDUCATOR: BEST PRACTICES IN INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATIONCourse Dates: 8/2/14 – 8/11/14Location: El Lagartillo, Nicaragua

A professional guide-training in safe, innovative approaches to traveling with students and fostering global citizenship, awareness of self, and leadership in multicultural exchanges. This course introduces field-educators to best practices in student travel risk-mitigation and emergency response, access to the countries most significant teaching-moments, and methods of realizing optimal student engagement.

JORDAN EDUCATOR: HOW TO TEACH THE MIDDLE EASTCourse Dates: 3/7/15 – 3/15/15Location: Wadi Rum, Jordan

The Jordan Educator Course is designed to provide professional educators with the tools to teach high school students about the multiple narratives that define the modern day Middle East. Course themes include a study of a) the history of land rights and resource management in the Jordan River Basin, b) inter-ethnic conflict and cultural identity, c) gender issues, d) peace-building strategies e) cultural survival and modernity in Jordan.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEBSITE:HTTP://WHERETHEREBEDRAGONS.COM/PROGRAMS/EDUCATOR-COURSES/

OR CONTACT SIMON HART:[email protected]

“Going abroad, or getting students into the woods is a good start, but teachers need adequate preparation

to facilitate the experience in a safe and intentional way towards empathy and self-awareness.”

–Sara Mierke Director of Experiential and Service Learning

Hawken School

upcoming courses


MERETE MUELLER, Himalayan Studies 2001 co-producer of TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL

interview by CATE BROWN

livingBIG

every Dragons student has one thing in common:

they’ve left home. Be it for 4 weeks, 6 weeks or

3 months, participating in a Dragons course re-

quires that you strip down to the essentials, pack

everything into one backpack, and hop on a plane.

I believe that leaving home can be one of the most power-

ful ways to reflect on what actually defines home for you. Isn’t

that perhaps the root of homesickness? Discovering the parts

of home that contribute to your daily happiness; the parts of

home that you can’t live without?

Although I don’t suspect Dragons alumni Merete Muel-

ler suffered from extreme homesickness as a student on the

Himalayan Studies semester in 2001, Merete has gone on to

co-produce the award-winning documentary TINY – A Story

about Living Small, exploring the essential questions related

to home, how we define it, and how it contributes to our quali-

ty of life in America.

The film TINY premiered in Boulder, CO on February

16th, and I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Merete

after her debut.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life,

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

– Henry David Thoreau“ ”

photo KEVIN HOTH


Q. Merete, what first inspired you to build a ‘tiny home’? The project started in 2011 when my partner Christopher Smith decided that he wanted to build a home. The added challenge of building a tiny home fit with our lifestyle; it would be environmentally sustainable and more economical. Christopher envisioned building the cabin in Boulder and then moving it up to the mountains. It was a romantic vision, really. Owning a cabin in the mountains, living debt-free, being able to pick up and move should the whimsy strike.

Q. What did you discover while building your new home? Well, 2.5 months wasn’t exactly a realistic

timeline… It took us a year to finish construction, and 3 years

later, we’re still intimately involved with both the ‘tiny homes’

community and TINY-the film.Christopher and I took several trips across the country

when we were first researching the tiny homes movement in America, and the most interesting thing we discovered was that most people who opt to live ‘tiny’ do so for financial reasons. I had expected people to make the switch for environmental reasons; you know, to reduce their carbon footprint, live off the grid, limit consumption... Instead, we met couples that wanted to get out of debt. Many of them had lost their homes during the housing crisis in 2008. Others felt overburdened by debt and wanted a quick escape from lifelong mortgage payments. An added sense of environmentalism came second. Interestingly enough, every couple we met unequivocally agreed that downsizing their home had increased their quality

of life.

Q. In your opinion, what about living ‘tiny’ correlates to a perceived increase in ‘quality of life’? I think it’s easy to equate ‘stuff’ to feeling at home. You

accumulate belongings and start to identify home by the familiar

line-up of objects on your windowsill. When you convert to a

1000ft2 home, your definition of home hinges on relationships

and life experience. Many of the couples we met cited spending

more time in their communities since the switch. They also

described an increased sense of freedom, as they could spend

more money on their passions rather than on their monthly

payments. In many ways, the idea of ‘stripping down to the essential’

is linked back to my experience with Dragons. When I first left for Nepal in September 2001, I had to fit my entire life into one backpack. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, and as a result, I found that my experiences were more genuine and more direct.

Q. What are some of the most innovative feats of engineering that you observed during your research? We saw everything—just use your imagination: a floating teepee, a solar-powered yurt, a home built out of re-purposed pine beetle kill, lots of repurposed trailers. Inside, many of the homes used composting toilets, portable solar-generating systems, pop-up tables, kitchen utensils as art displays, really innovative stuff. If you ever want to learn more about how to use space at home efficiently, start browsing tiny home blogs.

Q. Do tiny homes tell a bigger story about the American Dream? I think the tiny homes movement reflects a shift in the American Dream. People no longer dream of settling down in the suburbs with 5 kids and a Subaru. People are more and more motivated by connection—to people, to their passions, to the freedom to pick up and move. The internet has allowed us to maintain close connections across space and time, and I think that both the economic benefits of living ‘tiny,’ as well as the ability to put your home on wheels

and join a new community are very desirable.

Q. If you could put your home down anywhere, where would you put it? I am from Maine, so the ocean is

in my blood. If I could put my home anywhere, I would put it on

a cliff overlooking the ocean somewhere along the East Coast.

Q. Any final thoughts? One of the other big takeaways

from the film was that we never wanted to say, “everyone

should live in a tiny home.” Instead, I believe that tiny homes

are an extreme case study that can help us examine the

essential questions, like ‘what contributes to a high quality of

life?’ and ‘what defines our sense of home?’ These lessons can

be applied to any square footage.

As part of their documentary TINY: A Story About Living Small, filmmakers Christopher Smith and Merete Mueller built a Tiny

House from scratch with no building experience.

AVERAGE SIZE OF AMERICAN HOME: 2480FT2

AVERAGE COST OF AMERICAN HOME (The Economist Housing Guide, 2013): $134,500

AVERAGE SIZE OF A ‘TINY HOME’: 500FT2

TO QUALIFY AS A TINY HOME: 80FT2 < TINY HOME > 1000FT2

AVERAGE COST OF A TINY HOME: $26,000

STATS ON TINY HOMES IN AMERICA


ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Biking West to East:BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN WASTE AND WANTJORDAN PERKINS, Visions of India, Spring 2008GUS PERKINS, Andes & Amazon, Fall 2013

Jordan’s voice sounded slightly faint. Not from the connection on my cell phone, but perhaps from his full-body fatigue. He had called from a playground behind an elementary school in California’s Central Valley, finally out of the saddle after day two of his 90-day bike trip across the country.

“Have you had dinner yet, Jordan?” “Yea, we found a Trad-er Joe’s yesterday and stocked up on food. Both Gus and I ate 20 pieces of sushi on the spot, and then we loaded our pan-niers up with almond butter, peanut butter, Larabars, meat sticks…we’re still trying to find a good balance between meet-ing our caloric requirements and meeting our nutritional requirements. And of course, we’re both unemployed, so economy counts too…”

Jordan and Gus Perkins are brothers. They’re food enthu-siasts, and they’re currently riding bikes across America to raise money for a Cambridge, MA-based non-profit Food for Free (FFF). FFF collects fresh produce from local farms, ei-ther gleaning the excess or col-lecting donations, and distrib-utes it to 80+ food programs in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Medford, Peabody, and Somer-ville. In 2012, FFF donated

over 998,000lbs of food and fed over 25,000 people.

“I studied food and sus-tainable agriculture at Green Mountain College in Poult-ney, Vermont, and I spent my summers working at Linden-tree Farm in Lincoln, Massa-chusetts. School gave me an academic understanding of the issues related to food ac-cess in America; working at Lindentree Farm connected my heart to the cause.” Lin-dentree Farm is one of the oldest community-supported agriculture enterprises (CSA) in America, and along with supporting 220 local CSA ac-counts, the farm donates ¼ of its produce to Food for Free.

“I respect Food for Free because they address the sus-tainability of our regional food network from two angles. First, they reduce excess food waste by mobilizing volun-teers to collect excess produce from local farms, local grocers and wholesale produce dis-tributors.” “And then; Food for Free redistributes excess food that is fresh, local and nutrient dense. Securing nu-trient dense food is often a challenge for food shelves, and I think that providing lower income families with healthy options is incredi-

bly important.” According to the National Resource De-fense Council, over 40% of the food in America goes to waste each year, amounting to more than 20lbs of food/per-son per month. That translates to $165 billion/year, 25% of our freshwater resources, or a 16% increase of methane production in our landfills. If we are serious about reducing global greenhouse emissions, preserving freshwater resourc-es and reducing our national budget deficient, addressing food waste and re-distribut-ing food to some of the 16.5% of Americans that lack access to secure food networks, is a great place to start.

“Eventually Gus and I will make it back to our home Lincoln, MA, and before we do so, our goal is to raise $5,000. We’ve raised $700 in two days, so we’re not doing

too bad.” If you’d like to follow Gus

and Jordan’s route across America, you can find their trip notes on http://even-bikersgettheblues.tumblr.com/. To donate to their cause, please find their fund-raising page at http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/across-the-country-to-sup-port-food-for-free/145345 .

Jordan and Gus will be bik-ing for 2.5 more months. Be sure to tune in for their ad-venture as they head south and bike through Zion Na-tional Park, past The Grand Canyon, into New Mexico, across Texas, and due east through the Louisiana Bayou. And if you have friends who would like to save their left-overs and serve up an extra plate of food, I’m sure they’d appreciate it!

–CATE BROWN


ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Sometimes Life Just Adds UpCHRIS TEMPLE, Andes & Amazon, Fall 2013

Chris Temple did not start his gap year expecting to be

moved by ‘global poverty’ and eventually inspired to found an independent film

studio, Living On One.

SOMETIMES LIFE JUST ADDS UP:

JUNE 2012 The 1978 Tour Bus

Chris & Zach spend 4 months traveling around the

States to share the film.

GOOD TRIP?It was awesome! We traveled

for 4.5 months and we didn’t stay in a hotel once.

We gutted the tour bus, built two beds, installed

desks and drove it around. Friends could track our

journey on Facebook, and our supporters donated

gas money, driveways, and plates-on-plates of hot food along the way. My favorite moment occurred in Seattle.

We’d booked a slot at a local theater. and when we pulled in, there were 650 people waiting to greet us, along with Charlie Rose,

the anchor from CBS. That moment taught me that “if

you tell a story in the right way, you can mobilize our generation to have a positive impact and

engage with big issues.”

APRIL 2013Sonoma International

Film FestivalLiving on One wins

Best Documentary at the Sonoma International

Film Festival

SEPTEMBER 2013Change Series

Living on One partners launch an 8-part video series for high school

students examining major global issues, including

water scarcity, nutrition, and disaster relief

AUGUST 2010Youtube short gets

700,000 viewsShocked and inspired, Chris and Zach decide to complete

a feature-length film, Living on One Dollar.

SEPTEMBER 2008 Freshman at

Claremont Mckenna

Meets Zach Ingrasci, his partner in crime.

OCTOBER 2008Founds MFI Connect

An online resource for student microfinance organizations to learn, collaborate, and take

action to help the poor.

JANUARY 2014Salam Neighbor

Living on One’s next documentary on the Syrian refugee crisis

JULY 2010Living on One

Spends 1 month in a rural Guatemalan village

living on $1/day with Zach Ingrasci

SEPTEMBER 2007Andes & Amazon

Semester

JANUARY 2008 Microfinance Intern at

Grameen AmericaDedicated to helping women who live in poverty build small businesses to create

better lives for their families.

MARCH 2014Chris & Zach move into a production studio in LA

and start working for Living on One full-time!Look for the debut of Salam Neighbor in August 2014.

LIVING ON ONE a non-profit production and impact studio that uses

immersive storytelling to create films that inspire action around pressing global issues.

For more information, look up livingonone.orgContact: [email protected]

Donate: http://livingonone.org/donate/


WATER DID YOU KNOW

IN-FOCUS WATER

For those of us who are fortunate enough to have access to abundance freshwater resources, there are many ways that we take water for granted every day. Over

768,000,000 people in the world do not have this luxury.

7,000,000,000people live on earth today.

2,800,000,000 live in areas of high water stress.

That’s 1 in 9 people on earth.

one5-minute shower equals

the daily water supply for

1 person in the developing world.

Women spend

200,000,000hours/day collecting water.

1/10of our global disease burden could

by solved by improved water sanitation systems.

only

10% of global wastewater

is treated.

every

21seconds a child dies from a

water-related illness.

70%of our freshwater resources support

agriculture.

1 lb of chocolate

requires

3,170 gallons of water.

1 lb burgersrequire

1,799 gallons of water.

1 gallonof coffee requires

880gallons of water.

You can live

3days without water.

MARCH 22ND WAS WORLD WATER DAY,AND WE’D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW FACTS:

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS:PUMPMAKERS, www.pumpmakers.comDIY SOLAR WATER PUMP SYSTEM - The only solar-powered water pump that requires no maintenance.

RAINCHUTES, www.rainchutes.orgRAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS USING DECOMMISSIONED VIETNAM-ERA PARACHUTES - One parachute can harvest 25,000 liters of water/year. This is enough to provide water for 14 people/day if coupled with basic water storage systems.

By 2030 we will need

30%more water, 40% more energy,

and 50% more food to support our population.

65% of people who lack safe drinking water

live on less than $2 a day; 33% live on less than $1 a day.


ALUMNI TOP PICKS

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING RADICAL TO DO THIS SUMMER? CHECK OUT 5 ORGANIZATIONS RECOMMENDED BY DRAGONS STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS:

IN NEPAL – Sattya Media Arts CollectiveIN THAILAND – International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP)IN SENEGAL – Tostan: Dignity for AllIN RWANDA – Gardens for Health InternationalIN JORDAN – Friends of the Earth Middle East

MEET OUR NEW ALUMNI AMBASSADORS

NICHOLAS CURTINCourse: Bolivia: Culture and Ecology, 4-week - Summer, 2013Hometown: Anchorage, AKMy next big project is to improve educational opportuni-ties for the indigenous people of Alaska.

MADDIE SHANKLE Course: Himalayan Studies Semester - Fall, 2013Hometown: Nashville, TNThe wildest thing I’ve ever done is race the sun up to Machu Picchu.

WILL MAASCourse: The Silk Road: Linking People & Traditions - Summer, 2013 Life Along the Mekong Semester - Fall, 2013Hometown: Lagrangeville, NYThe happiest I have ever been was watching a sunrise on the outskirts of a Buddhist Monastery over the Shaxi Valley.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR DRAGONS STORY? Become an alumni ambassador. For more information, please contact Admissions Director Eva Vanek, [email protected], or fill out an online applica-tion at: http://wheretherebedragons.com/admissions/apply-alumni-ambassador/

WHAT HAVE DRAGONS STUDENTS BEEN WATCHING THIS SPRING? FAVORITE DOCUMENTARIES IN 2014

THE SQUARE – on the 2011 uprisings in Tahrir SquareGOD LOVES UGANDA – a look at evangelical churches and gay rights in UgandaGASLAND II – Josh Fox’s revolutionary call to action on fracking in AmericaMISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS – behind the scenes with the band The NationalBOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD – on the world’s greatest chess player, Bobby Fischer

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SEMESTER PHOTO CONTEST 2014 SUBMISSIONS DUE BY MAY 18

Please submit digital photographs to: [email protected] three photographers will receive Dragons’ custom-designed Patagonia swag. Top photo submissions may be re-printed in Dragons future online/print materials.photo NAYA HERMAN

LIKE US: facebook.com/wheretherebedragons

WATCH US: wheretherebedragons.com/videos

wheretherebedragons.comFOLLOW US: instagram.com/wheretherebedragons

Where There Be Dragons3200 Carbon Place #102

Boulder, CO 80301

DRAGONS WILL OFFER 24 SUMMER COURSES THIS YEAR. CHECK OUT A FEW OF OUR COURSE HIGHLIGHTS BELOW:

CAMBODIAStudies in Development and Peace Course dates: June 29 – July 2812 students : 3 instructorsAges 17–20

Exploring peace studies, comparative religion, sustainable development, and best practices in international service

JORDANArabic Language and CultureCourse dates: July 1 – July 2912 students : 3 instructorsAges 17–20

Exploring Jordanian culture through Arabic language study, service learning, home-stays, and a comprehensive development studies curriculum

MADAGASCARThe Island of BiodiversityCourse dates: June 28 – August 812 students : 3 instructorsAges 15–17

Exploring cultural and biological diversity through service learning, home-stays, language study, and community development

the map's edge - spring 2014

Documents

citys cab drivers

cab ride

dragons course

taxi drivers

currency trade

alumni spotlight

dragons archive

s rubble piles