Two more G4C Finalists share their answers. Still more to come…

Grow Your Lunch (answers provided by Benjamin Eichorn)

1) What projects and changemakers inspire you in your efforts?

I draw my inspiration from the garden on the Whitehouse lawn, the San Francisco County Jail Garden Project, and Urban farming initiatives in Cuba. I am also inspired by farmer-philosophers Masanobu Fukuoka, Wendell Berry and Wendy Johnson.

2) if you could meet with anyone in the world to talk about your project, who would it be?

Michelle Obama, Wangari Matthai, Jamie Oliver, Muhammad Yunus

3) What’s playing on your mp3 player these days?

Bon Iver, Brett Dennen, Manu Chau, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles…

4) Making lasting change requires long term vision. Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?

In five years time I envision working across the nation in diverse settings including businesses, prisons, hospitals, and schools to create more sustainable cafeteria food service programs. The gardens that Grow Your Lunch designs will be instrumental in raising awareness about food and sustainability.  Without the tangible connection to the Earth which a garden provides, widescale change to our institutionalized food system will be very slow and arduous.

5) What inspired you personally to become involved in this project? Why is it meaningful to you?

I grew up on a small organic farm in Big Sur, CA.  As a kid I loved to explore and play on the farm. As a teenager I resented the farm and all the labor I was required to perform.  In collegeI learned that the family farm is the strongest promise for a truly sustainable agriculture in the United States. This realization has led me to the creation of Grow Your Lunch.  Through Grow Your Lunch, I plan to help inspire a new generation of farmers and consumers by exposing them to the joys of growing food close to home.

KeoK’jay (answers provided by Rachel Faller)

1) What projects and change-makers inspire you in your efforts?

1. Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder of the Acumen Fund, for her un-yielding commitment, yet personal approach, to large-scale change.

2. Daniela Papi, founder of PEPY, a successful social enterprise in Cambodia which implements educational programming focused on a people-based approach and strengthening communities to take ownership.

3. Vutha Din, KeoK’jay project manager. Young and un-afraid to challenge the government when they force us to pay bribes, or the women we work with to stand up for themselves, she is un-daunted by cultural stereotypes. These qualities are rare, and not valued by Cambodian society, which makes her all the more inspirational.

2) If you could meet with anyone in the world to talk about your project, who would it be?

It probably sounds clique but I’d love to talk to Michelle Obama. She’s incredibly smart and accomplished, yet she is sassy and stylish and I’d probably be the happiest person alive if she wore some of our clothes.

3) What’s playing on your mp3 player these days?

Some current favorites: The Messenger Band, (an all women’s political folk group from Cambodia made up of ex-garment factory workers) Ryan Harvey (political folk singer/songwriter-activist-extraordinaire) Dengue Fever (Cambodian-American band making music in the style of 1960’s Cambodian pop-rock) and a handful of mixes and music by my friend Logan Keller, which are especially good for riding the night bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. A few others that have been on repeat are: Nizlopi, CocoRosie, Pearl and the Beard, K’naan, Four Tet, Tim Hecker, and things that friends recommend because it’s hard to find interesting music in Cambodia.

4) Making lasting change requires long-term vision. Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?

By growing our company through export sales, we are on- track to employ around 100 people in 5 years, directly increasing the quality of life for up to 1000 people including dependents. However, we believe the small community fostered by our organization more effectively meets needs of our participants as well as avoids corruption. Beyond employing 100 people, our goal is to foster connections with producers, sellers, buyers, and certifying bodies to strengthen every step of the fair trade line. While we strive for transparency while creating ethical fashion, we will also empower others far outside of Cambodia’s borders.

5) What inspired you personally to become involved in this project? Why is it meaningful to you?

I used to think I hated fashion. But on my first trip to Cambodia in 2007 I was inspired by the chance to use it to create positive impact in the face of so much negativity. I’d always loved making clothes, and I was able for the first time to reconcile my love for design and art that clothes people while improving the lives of the producers. The determination of the women, who have perserved to give their families a better life despite immense challenges, also inspired and challenged me, which is what keeps me going today.

Here are the answers from the first three G4C Finalist interviews. More to come…

desigNYC : (answers provided by Michelle Mullineaux)

1 ) What projects and change makers inspire you in your efforts?

Wow. There are almost too many to list — Cameron Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity and Emily Pilloton of Project H for mobilizing designers to get involved in serving the public good; John Peterson and John Cary from Public Architecture for pioneering pro bono design with the 1% Program; nonprofits like Taproot Foundation who are helping people bring their professional expertise to volunteer efforts; the Design Trust, Robin Hood and CUP for demonstrating the value of design in solving issues facing NYC; and last but certainly not least, President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg for activating citizen engagement in public service.

2) if you could meet with anyone in the world to talk about your project, who would it be?

Now that desigNYC is nearly complete with our first round of pilot projects, we’d love to meet with Mayor Bloomberg and First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris to update them on a our progress and invite their participation in helping us scale and become a sustainable organization.

3) What’s playing on your mp3 player these days?

Jónsi’s Go is in heavy rotation this summer. I’ve always loved Sigur Rós’ sprawling symphonic builds and mysterious “hopelandic” vocals. The title track, Go Do, is a great song to listen to on the way to work — you start strutting to the beat and get inspired to tackle whatever the day throws your way.

4) Making lasting change requires long term vision. Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?

In five years we will ideally have an open-source platform, toolkit and knowledge sharing network that enables desigNYC’s model of collaboration take root in any city. We’ve received inquiries from people across the country and around the world, eager to lend their design talents and expertise to social purpose projects in their communities. Why should they reinvent the wheel? We need better collaboration tools and networks to accelerate and scale solutions around design for sustainability and social impact.

5) What inspired you personally to become involved in this project? Why is it meaningful to you?

While working on my MBA, I had the honor of collaborating with Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr from Architecture for Humanity, which amplified my interest in design for social change. With desigNYC, we wanted to build on the success of previous models like AFH, but make it hyper-local so people could connect with (and positively impact) their local community and multidisciplinary so any type of designer could get involved and make a difference. That started a kernel of an idea that came to life through the actions of our amazing founding committee and brave pilot project collaborators.

Giving Tree Band  : (answers provided by Todd Fink)

1 ) What projects and change makers inspire you in your efforts?

Our band has been significantly inspired by the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota which we visited recently while on tour.  Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was asked by the Lakota elders to undertake this project as a tribute to Native American culture.  He accepted and dedicated the rest of his life to carving an image of Crazy Horse into the mountain from 1948 until his death in 1982, even though he knew the work could not be completed in his lifetime. The one who plants the tree will not necessarily enjoy its shade.

2) if you could meet with anyone in the world to talk about your project, who would it be?

There really is no ONE person that we would want to share our project with.  Every person we do share our music and message with feels like the most important person to us at that moment.  It is so interesting because every person that I’ve personally had the fortune to get to know, I inevitably walk away thinking they are the “rock star” because of some unique and amazing quality. The only difference is that their talent will not necessarily be exposed to the world.

3) What’s playing on your mp3 player these days?

Believe it or not, only a few guys in the band have iPods but it seems like classic songwriters continue to dominate the playlists: Bob Dylan and The Band, Neil Young, The Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Woody Guthrie, CSN, and so on.

4) Making lasting change requires long term vision. Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?

We would like to see our music reaching and inspiring more people around the world. We would also like to involve more non-profits and educators to be on hand at our concerts. We have a plan to do a major tour along the Mississippi River with the band travelling by canoe and stopping in cities along the river to perform and share ideas with organizations and folks who are interested in building a culture of peace and sustainability.

5) What inspired you personally to become involved in this project? Why is it meaningful to you?

I once read a quote from the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, “It is the duty of the composer to serve his fellow man, to beautify human life and point the way to a radiant future. Such is the immutable code of the artist as I see it.” I agree with this whole-heartedly and this band has allowed me to live this value.  I am very blessed to have friends that happen to be some of the finest musicians in the world but more importantly committed to personal growth. It is a rare community of positive like-minded souls.

Aerlyn + Aisha : (answers provided by Aerlyn Pfeil)

1. What projects and change-makers inspire you in your efforts?

We have found inspiration from several organizations: The African Birth Collective, Doctors Without Borders, etc. The true inspiration for this project however, came from the Joseph village itself, a small village in Hinche, Haiti.  Joseph, the elected leader is 26 (he was 16 when he was elected).  It is his life mission to bring sustainability to the community.  That amazes us.  It’s inspiring to see such dedication to change.  They have started a community garden, a school (in desperate need of repair), and are working on providing every family with chickens; seemingly small things, but a potentially huge impact.

2.  If you could meet with anyone in the world to talk to about your project, who would it be?

Sean Penn, Melinda Gates, and if she was alive, Dorthea Lange.  We agree with Sean Penn—helping Haiti is a human obligation.  We each need to choose a project and see it through.  That is how we are operating.  We are one seed, planted in one village, dedicated to change.  The Gates foundation is committed to women’s health and children–it would be great to have their support!  To sit down with Dorthea Lange and talk to her about photojournalism would be amazing.  Seventy years later, her images still evoke compassion and perspective.  Photos are a footprint and a call to action.

3. What is playing on your mp3 player these days?

Hank Williams III, Eric Backman, and our favorite local Portland band, Shoeshine Blues.

4.  Making lasting change requires long term vision.  Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?

We would like to see that our efforts in the Joseph community have taken hold–better birth practices and outcomes, Traditional Birth Attendants effectively training a new generation of TBAs and creating sustainable birth kits.  We would also like to see our teaching project extend to other countries of need.   It is also part of our long term goal to create and publish a book and documentary.   Wouldn’t it be amazing if our seed of a project, this little Haitian sprout, was touching women and babies all over the world?

5.  What inspired you personally to become involved in this project?

Aisha:  The earthquake and realization that as Americans, we do have the power and means to make change.  Also, photographers like Dorthea Lange, and Aerlyn’s dedication to bettering births for Haitian mothers.  Joseph and his chickens!

Aerlyn:  The mothers and babies.  It’s always an honor to be at births, but it is different in Haiti; often the honor is attending a birth that is also a death.  I know that I have the skills to make a difference, even if only for one woman; after all, there is nothing more basic or beautiful than the healthy birth of your child.

The 2010 Grant For Change has entered its final stage, with ten finalists vying for the $10,000 award. Five of the ten were chosen by you, the public, by garnering the highest vote counts. Nau chose an additional five, for the integrity of the projects and their relationship to design. Each of the top ten Finalists deserve a place in the spotlight.

To help our judges make their decision, we’ve asked the finalists tell us more about themselves, their project goals, and their dedication to design as a tool for positive change. And to help you learn more about each of these worthy groups, over the next week, The Thought Kitchen will share their responses to these five questions:

1) What projects and changemakers inspire you in your efforts? 
2) If you could meet with anyone in the world to talk about your project, who would it be?
3) What’s playing on your mp3 player these days?
4) Making lasting change requires long term vision. Where would you like to see your project in 5 years?
5) What inspired you personally to become involved in this project? Why is it meaningful to you?

Check back every day between now and July 27th, when we’ll announce the 2010 Grant For Change recipient.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth post in a series of updates from our 2009 Grant for Change grantees, Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele. While we compile the votes for the 2010 G4C, we checked in with the Seattle-based documentary team who are working to build eight new stories for their long-term project, Facing Climate Change.

It seems like we are spending a lot of time in windy places for our new Facing Climate Change stories. We recently visited 25,000 acres of abandoned farmland above the Snake River to learn about how and why it went from sagebrush to potatoes to wind farms in one generation. The agricultural development is called Bell Rapids and one farm owner told me he’s seen the wind blow sugar beets up out of the ground.

In 35 years the State of Idaho went from selling this land for around $1/acre, basically begging farmers to make the desert bloom, to buying the water rights back for almost $1,000/acre. What’s left is a sort of post-apocalyptic landscape of sheet metal barns with telephone numbers still scrawled on the doors, houses with boots under beds and paystubs in kitchens, four million pounds of dry steel pipe that used to carry Snake River water, and some enormous new wind turbines.

Benj and I worked long days, photographing at sunrise and sunset and interviewing farmers in between. We spent nights in the back of our truck up on the plateau, just us, the wheatgrass and wind. Except for the first night, when we woke up to find a pair of tiny headlights making their way across the empty space. As the vehicle got closer, the driver flipped on a spotlight and we knew someone had called the police. After a few minutes of questioning, a second officer arrived on the crime scene. Once we convinced them that we were taking pictures, not old farm equipment, they turned into the friendliest cops we’ve ever met.

We spent a lot of time chasing light down straight dusty roads laid out in a one-mile grid. (Bell Rapids Road becomes the 400 road. If you follow that to the 5600 road over to the 300 and up to the 5700, the light will inevitably be better back down the 400 to the 5500.) 25,000 acres is a lot of ground to cover — for us and for the Snake River water that once made these fields green.

Today is the last day to make your voice heard by voting in the second annual Grant For Change. With over 120 great nominees to choose from, it’s a close race, and every vote counts. From media projects to architectural designs, electric vehicles to sustainable accessories, find your favorite from the scores of great ideas over at nau.com.

Last month we launched our second annual Grant for Change, a $10,000 grant designed to support those who instigate lasting, positive change in their communities.

This month we are extending the nomination period.

Nominations are open to the public ‘til June 24^th, with voting open ‘til July 6^th. We’d like you to get involved. There are three easy ways to do it: you can Nominate, Learn, or Vote. That simple.

This year’s theme: DESIGN.

Design as a tool for positive change.

Design that challenges assumptions about the way even the most basic things are done.

Grant applicants could be designing an object, a building, a landscape, a system, a concept, or even an experience. There are a million and one different ways to use design for change, and we want to hear about them all.

We have included this poster, simply to get you inspired. Hang it up. Pass it on. And spread the word: $10,000 for those who are designing for change.

I have been listening. From the hum of the Farmers Market to the studio brainstorm sesh, my ears are tuned into the buzz of community. Villages are moving mountains. The power is in the people. Hope is not just a political campaign. Whatever the catalyst, the community mentality is coming back into fashion, with brilliant ideas surfacing.

Some of these ideas, while not new, bring new perspective to the sharing table. The G4C is an amazing platform that helps articulate and circulate their stories. Take a deeper dive in. What does your community do?

Flash Volunteer starts with Seattle, but has plans to grow its hyperlocal volunteer support system into a national service challenge platform.

DoTank goes guerilla style, using local intellectual capital to spur interactive inventions, each project reflecting a community need.

Global, growing and generous, Changents.com connects social and environmental change agents with fiscal outliers. In their words they connect the people that help the world to the people that help them.

D-Build is tackling the building market with their focus on un-building first. By attaching cultural rich stories to de-constructed and salvaged material, the re-building process grows community legs. Acting first as an information center, their goal is to collect and exchange materials and knowledge, to literally help re-build community.

This is the tip of the ‘berg- Only 16 days left to nominate. We are listening. Bring the stories forward.

How would you design change? The 2010 Grant for Change is accepting nominations at nau.com ’til June 11th. Spread the word!

What does it take to instigate positive change? For some it is learning the nuances of recycling. For others it is hanging your clothes on the line to dry. We applaud these efforts, knowing that each little change is a step in the right direction, bringing us closer to a healthier world.

But there are more complex issues that surround these small steps, challenging us to develop creative solutions for increasingly complicated problems. The 2010 Grant for Change calls for these instigators of change, the designers of solutions, to step forward and tell us their stories. Architects, industrial designers, urban planners, program developers; no matter what your medium, we want to know how you are using design as a force for change.

We have heard from Benjamin Eichorn from Know Your Lunch, a program working with schools, designing educational and food production programs. We have heard from desigNYC, which offers participatory, pro-bono design to non-profits and community groups. We have heard from Public Matters, which facilitates the re-design of corner grocery stores to mitigate the challenges of living in food deserts. We have heard from Nada Bike, a design-your-own-bike initiative that starts with a single frame.

And this is just day one.

There is so much to learn from those that work tirelessly for positive change. We encourage you to check out the stories, to pass those along that inspire. Nominate yourself, or a friend, or a team, or an organization; and vote for the nominee that you feel could benefit by a $10,000 boost.

Nominations are open from May 10^th ‘till June 11^th.

Learn. Vote. Share.

Welcome to the 2010 Grant for Change.

Editor’s note: This is the third post in a series of updates from our 2009 Grant for Change grantees, Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele. The Seattle-based documentary team will be sending us monthly updates from the field, as they work to build eight new stories for their long-term project, Facing Climate Change.

Earlier this week, Benj and I attended the Coast Salish Climate Change Summit in Tulalip, Washington. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the impacts of climate change on tribal lifeways in the Salish Sea ecosystem. Over two days, tribal leaders, scientists, legal experts and other participants explored topics ranging from regional impacts to legal rights and the role of traditional knowledge in climate change policy and science.

A small section from the 40-foot graphic recording by Timothy Corey, who documented the Coast Salish Summit in real time.

We were at this gathering because we’re collaborating with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community for one of our eight stories. The Swinomish, who helped to organize the event, recently completed a climate change impact assessment for their reservation and are currently working on a community action plan. The story we build together will explore what sea level rise means to people that have lived on the coast since time immemorial. How will it impact this small island nation culturally, economically and environmentally?

One of my favorite presentations from the first day of the Summit drew connections between climate change and diet. While the Umatilla Tribe of northeastern Oregon isn’t Coast Salish, they face many similar challenges. Their First Foods initiative uses the order in which traditional foods are brought to the table – water, fish, game, roots and berries – to guide the way natural resources are protected, restored and managed.

On the second day, conversations about being at the table expanded to the global level. The discussion turned to social justice, trans-boundary collaboration, and the importance of having a voice in local, national and international negotiations. These ideas echoed the intent behind the People’s World Conference on Climate Change last week in Bolivia, where more than 15,000 people from 120 countries gathered to respond to the failed talks in Copenhagen. “We need to talk about what is affecting our people,” said Chief Gibby Jacob of the Squamish Nation. “There is nobody who can tell our story like we can.”

—Sara Joy Steele