View allAll Photos Tagged Accountable
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 21, 2013
Around 20 protesters rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. They called for more accountability in the banking industry, demanded the Obama administration prosecute bankers for their role in the financial crisis of 2008 and called for relief for families and communities devastated by foreclosures. This event was in solidarity with Wall Street Accountability Week of Action in Washington, D.C., May 18-23.
The speaker is Ty Moore, Socialist Alternative candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 9
Signs read:
STAND TOGETHER
STOP
FORECLOSURES
STOP EVICTIONS
occupyhomesmn.org
2013-05-21 This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Give attribution for: Fibonacci Blue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 21, 2013
Around 20 protesters rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. They called for more accountability in the banking industry, demanded the Obama administration prosecute bankers for their role in the financial crisis of 2008 and called for relief for families and communities devastated by foreclosures. This event was in solidarity with Wall Street Accountability Week of Action in Washington, D.C., May 18-23.
2013-05-21 This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Give attribution for: Fibonacci Blue
High Level Event co-organized by Estonia, Georgia, the Republic of Korea and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the margins of the 71st UN General Assembly
19 September 2016
Prime Minister of Georgia George Kvirikashvili, President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea Yun Byung-se and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark discussed how effective, accountable, inclusive and transparent institutions are playing a critical role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Click here for Helen Clark's remarks: www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/speeches/20...
Photo: UNDP
The Netherlands, The Hague, 20220714
The Government of the Netherlands is hosting, together with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the European Commission, an Ukraine Accountability Conference at ministerial level at the World Forum in The Hague on 14 July.
Photo: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2022
President Metsola updated MEPs on measures being taken to increase Parliament’s integrity, independence and accountability, at the opening of the session.
Here is President Metsola’s full statement on the new measures:
“I also wanted to speak about the decisions needed on measures in this House to increase integrity, independence and accountability.
The European Parliament prides itself on its openness, its accessibility and its defence of legislating in the public eye. We are not in some imaginary ivory tower. The principle of ‘openness builds trust’ is one we hold dear and defend. And any abuse or misuse of the tools that we created for this purpose must be addressed strongly, systematically and with any potential weaknesses addressed.
The events of the past month have led to a need to re-build trust with the European citizens we represent. We must acknowledge this. And citizens, rightly, demand accountability and integrity. We will respond.
I promised you last month, that we will come back with a series of reforms.
With group leaders, we have agreed on a first step approach on a number of points that can go a long way. This is the beginning, not the end. We will start with measures that we can implement quickly while starting the process for longer-term reform. And consultations will continue across the board.
As a starting point, we will look at how we can implement a revolving door policy, at how we can ensure more transparency. Of how we can improve accountability and checks of interest representatives, of how we can better control who has access to our premises. We will ask for more transparency also when it comes to those representing the interests of third countries and from former members.
We will shine a brighter light on what we do as Members with more and clearer information being made available to the public. We will enforce rules that disallow any activities that could create confusion with official European Parliament Activities - particularly when it comes to interaction with third countries.
We will do more to ensure that the public has clear information on our financial declarations and we will ensure more training on whistleblowing and compliance. We will boost measures to boost the fight against corruption and on how we can push back against foreign interference.
We will strengthen our systems, address any shortcomings and be honest and open throughout this process.
And we will do all of this while protecting the freedom of our mandate as elected representatives. We will not hinder that - we will do the opposite and do so while highlighting the important, crucial, role played by MEPs in European decision-making and our role in making the lives of Europeans a little bit safer, a little bit fairer, a little bit more equal.
Our House is the embodiment of European parliamentary democracy and I need your help to ensure that the pillars holding it up are strengthened. We owe this to our citizens, to all those who came before and to all those who will come after.”
The President also announced that the Belgian authorities have requested that the immunities of MEPs Andrea Cozzolino (S&D, IT) and Marc Tarabella (S&D, BE) be waived. This request will be referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.
She also announced that on Wednesday 18 January, Parliament will hold an election for a new Vice-President to replace Eva Kailli.
Minute of silence for former President Sassoli
MEPs held a minute of silence in memory of President David Sassoli, who passed away one year ago, and for MEP Miroslav Číž (S&D, SL), who died on 29 December 2022.
Iran
On Iran, President Metsola repeated Parliament’s call for the international community to respond forcefully to the regime. Those responsible for killings and executions must be held accountable, she added.
Ukraine
Following a series of indiscriminate strikes by Russia against Ukraine in the last few days, the President said that Europe will continue to show political, humanitarian, financial and military support for Ukraine. The €18 billion financial package that the Parliament voted for will begin to be disbursed this week and the Generators of Hope campaign is in full swing with towns, villages, cities all doing their best to help power Ukraine, she concluded.
www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230112IPR6631...
____
This photo is free to use under Creative Commons license CC-BY-4.0 and must be credited: "CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2022– Source: EP". (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) No model release form if applicable. For bigger HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-23-105536
Financial Technology: Products Have Benefits and Risks to Underserved Consumers, and Regulatory Clarity Is Needed
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
For more inspirational wallpapers, pictures, motivational posters, motivationalposters, cartoons, political humor, funny depictions of the president of the United States of America, pundit comments and quips, Barack Obama (Barack Hussein Obama) cartoons, demotivational posters, see the full gallery of motivational posters online for your enjoyment at www.motivationalpostersonline.blogspot.com .
tea party patriots teaparty teabag bag teabaggers baggers bagging american movement tea bag tea bag teabag politics political trust honesty accountability sarah palin blog movement election vote government
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012.
Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction.
Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
A protest sign reading "Justice accountability healing for George Floyd. Say His Name" seen at George Floyd Square in April, 2022.
--
This image is part of a continuing series following the unrest and events in Minneapolis following the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012.
Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction.
Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
President Metsola updated MEPs on measures being taken to increase Parliament’s integrity, independence and accountability, at the opening of the session.
Here is President Metsola’s full statement on the new measures:
“I also wanted to speak about the decisions needed on measures in this House to increase integrity, independence and accountability.
The European Parliament prides itself on its openness, its accessibility and its defence of legislating in the public eye. We are not in some imaginary ivory tower. The principle of ‘openness builds trust’ is one we hold dear and defend. And any abuse or misuse of the tools that we created for this purpose must be addressed strongly, systematically and with any potential weaknesses addressed.
The events of the past month have led to a need to re-build trust with the European citizens we represent. We must acknowledge this. And citizens, rightly, demand accountability and integrity. We will respond.
I promised you last month, that we will come back with a series of reforms.
With group leaders, we have agreed on a first step approach on a number of points that can go a long way. This is the beginning, not the end. We will start with measures that we can implement quickly while starting the process for longer-term reform. And consultations will continue across the board.
As a starting point, we will look at how we can implement a revolving door policy, at how we can ensure more transparency. Of how we can improve accountability and checks of interest representatives, of how we can better control who has access to our premises. We will ask for more transparency also when it comes to those representing the interests of third countries and from former members.
We will shine a brighter light on what we do as Members with more and clearer information being made available to the public. We will enforce rules that disallow any activities that could create confusion with official European Parliament Activities - particularly when it comes to interaction with third countries.
We will do more to ensure that the public has clear information on our financial declarations and we will ensure more training on whistleblowing and compliance. We will boost measures to boost the fight against corruption and on how we can push back against foreign interference.
We will strengthen our systems, address any shortcomings and be honest and open throughout this process.
And we will do all of this while protecting the freedom of our mandate as elected representatives. We will not hinder that - we will do the opposite and do so while highlighting the important, crucial, role played by MEPs in European decision-making and our role in making the lives of Europeans a little bit safer, a little bit fairer, a little bit more equal.
Our House is the embodiment of European parliamentary democracy and I need your help to ensure that the pillars holding it up are strengthened. We owe this to our citizens, to all those who came before and to all those who will come after.”
The President also announced that the Belgian authorities have requested that the immunities of MEPs Andrea Cozzolino (S&D, IT) and Marc Tarabella (S&D, BE) be waived. This request will be referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.
She also announced that on Wednesday 18 January, Parliament will hold an election for a new Vice-President to replace Eva Kailli.
Minute of silence for former President Sassoli
MEPs held a minute of silence in memory of President David Sassoli, who passed away one year ago, and for MEP Miroslav Číž (S&D, SL), who died on 29 December 2022.
Iran
On Iran, President Metsola repeated Parliament’s call for the international community to respond forcefully to the regime. Those responsible for killings and executions must be held accountable, she added.
Ukraine
Following a series of indiscriminate strikes by Russia against Ukraine in the last few days, the President said that Europe will continue to show political, humanitarian, financial and military support for Ukraine. The €18 billion financial package that the Parliament voted for will begin to be disbursed this week and the Generators of Hope campaign is in full swing with towns, villages, cities all doing their best to help power Ukraine, she concluded.
www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230112IPR6631...
____
This photo is free to use under Creative Commons license CC-BY-4.0 and must be credited: "CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2022– Source: EP". (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) No model release form if applicable. For bigger HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
This comic is based on the PSLC's wiki page on 'accountable talk' and high school biology curriculum. It is an introduction for students to use Accountable Talk *discussion* moves when having group discussions.
I wanted something a little fun and playful, so I think the Lego figures worked out great.
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-21-26SP
5G WIRELESS: Capabilities and Challenges for an Evolving Network
Chika Sakashita (Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety) at the Official Side Event "Enhancing policy, action and accountability for safe mobility" at the International Transport Forum's 2023 Summit on "Transport Enabling Sustainable Economies" in Leipzig, Germany on 26 May 2023.
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction.
Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Scenes from the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) Side Event: A Feminist Accountability Framework: What the World Needs to Achieve Gender Equality and All the Sustainable Development Goals, co-sponsored by ICRW and its partners Equal Measures 2030, Save the Children, Global Citizen, Women's Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), UN Women, the Government of Costa Rica, and the Government of Zambia. Held at the Church Centre in New York on 18 July 2017.
Pictured Above L-R: Grace Choi, Associate Director for Global Gender Policy & Advocacy, Save the Children USA; Jenny Ottenhoff, Policy Director, Global Health at ONE; Charlotte Bunch, Founding Director and Senior Scholar, at the Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University; Alison Holder, Director, Equal Measures 2030; Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women; Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, Program Director, ARROW
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
On Twitter: twitter.com/UN_Women/status/887400425594519552
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction. Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 21, 2013
Around 20 protesters rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. They called for more accountability in the banking industry, demanded the Obama administration prosecute bankers for their role in the financial crisis of 2008 and called for relief for families and communities devastated by foreclosures. This event was in solidarity with Wall Street Accountability Week of Action in Washington, D.C., May 18-23.
Sign reads:
STAND TOGETHER
STOP
FORECLOSURES
STOP EVICTIONS
occupyhomesmn.org
2013-05-21 This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Give attribution for: Fibonacci Blue
20230217, MSC, Munich Security Conference, Bayerischer Hof: Main Stage I: Panel Discussion.Against Lawlessness: Ensuring Accountability.Conference Hall: Kaja Kallas Prime Minister, Republic of Estonia
A Briefing on High School Accountability and Equity in NCLB
Raul González, legislative director, National Council of La Raza
(January 24, 2008)
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-119
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Information on Federal Agencies' Expenditures and Coordination Related to Harmful Algae
Upon founding the Light Foundation, Matt dreamed about starting a camp where young men could learn lifelong skills that would help them be R.E.A.L (Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, Leaders). For its 10th consecutive year, the Light Foundation’s premier program, Camp Vohokase has done just that.
Each year, Matt chooses four incoming high school freshmen from an at-risk community and asks them to commit the next four years to our leadership program, which includes 10 days at Chenoweth Trails each summer. There are always 18 boys in camp, four from each grade level, with each group coming from a different part of the country. Those locations, all with a connect to the Light Foundation, include Greenville, Ohio, where Matt grew up; Woonsocket, Rhode Island, close to where Matt holds his signature fundraising event; New Orleans, Louisiana, where a like-minded charity had asked for help; West Lafayette, Indiana, where Matt attended Purdue; Gloucester, Worcester and New Bedford, Massachusetts, all close to where Matt played during his NFL years; Hammond, Indiana, where Matt’s wife Susie grew up and identified a need for support; and new this year, Washington D.C, where the treasurer of the board resides.
The young men are required to keep good academic standing, complete a yearly community service project back home, and check in with our head counselors on a frequent basis. Program Director Edgar Flores tracks the kids’ progress year-round. He also does quarterly visits in order to foster the ongoing relationship between the campers, their class, and the foundation. By interacting with them in their own space, we can learn more about their behaviors and how those connect with their personal situations. By entering their homes, we often have the chance to stand as a united front with their parents or guardians in ensuring they’re doing exactly what they need to do to succeed. These visits are critical in reassuring to the young men that we are committed to them and serve as a true support system and not just a summer camp counselor. Not to mention, we have a lot of fun! They bond over some good grub and connect about what’s going on in their lives at that moment. Past day trips during a visit have included: Dave & Buster’s, paint balling, laser tag, amusement parks, farms, and bowling. We do try and balance the fun with more educational opportunities like volunteer community service projects, visiting local museums, or making a college visit for some of our juniors and seniors.
In return of having a good academic standing, the campers spend ten days among nature enjoying all that our beautiful facility has to offer whether it be skeet shooting, woodworking, canoeing, archery, fishing, dirt biking, etc. Despite all the fun we have here, the young men are responsible for daily chores, site visits to area businesses, and the completion of a service project around Darke County. Each night of the stay is reserved for fireside chats. These chats are structured to help create a dialogue about the very real and difficult issues these young boys face back home.
For a lot of these kids, all they need is an opportunity. We use the outdoors as a real teaching tool and a way to get kids to open up. And with us, these kids aren’t given anything. We make them work for everything they achieve. But through that they understand and value hard work, they learn work ethic, and they become proud of what they do, and want to share their accomplishments. Our hope is that after four years, each young man graduates from the program ready to become leaders in their own communities, equipped with the necessary tools and a heart for service.
In the past 11 years, 30 at-risk young men have graduated from Vohokase Cultural Leadership Camp with the tools to tap into their greatest potential as people and community leaders.
September 21, 2011 - Washington DC. 2011World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings. Public Lecture: From People Power to Accountable Government, with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. World Bank President Robert Zoellick speaks at podium. Photo: © Deborah Campos / World Bank
Photo ID: 092111_Philippines_057_F World Bank
Supporting Social Accountability For Better Results Event at the 2012 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012.
Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank; Maya Harris, Vice President, Democracy, Rights and Justice Program, Ford Foundation; Laila Iskandar Kamel, Managing Director, Community and Institutional Development Group, Egypt; Corazon “Dinky” Juliano Soliman ,Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippines; Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction.
Photo by Ryan Rayburn/World Bank
Upon founding the Light Foundation, Matt dreamed about starting a camp where young men could learn lifelong skills that would help them be R.E.A.L (Responsible, Ethical, Accountable, Leaders). For its 10th consecutive year, the Light Foundation’s premier program, Camp Vohokase has done just that.
Each year, Matt chooses four incoming high school freshmen from an at-risk community and asks them to commit the next four years to our leadership program, which includes 10 days at Chenoweth Trails each summer. There are always 18 boys in camp, four from each grade level, with each group coming from a different part of the country. Those locations, all with a connect to the Light Foundation, include Greenville, Ohio, where Matt grew up; Woonsocket, Rhode Island, close to where Matt holds his signature fundraising event; New Orleans, Louisiana, where a like-minded charity had asked for help; West Lafayette, Indiana, where Matt attended Purdue; Gloucester, Worcester and New Bedford, Massachusetts, all close to where Matt played during his NFL years; Hammond, Indiana, where Matt’s wife Susie grew up and identified a need for support; and new this year, Washington D.C, where the treasurer of the board resides.
The young men are required to keep good academic standing, complete a yearly community service project back home, and check in with our head counselors on a frequent basis. Program Director Edgar Flores tracks the kids’ progress year-round. He also does quarterly visits in order to foster the ongoing relationship between the campers, their class, and the foundation. By interacting with them in their own space, we can learn more about their behaviors and how those connect with their personal situations. By entering their homes, we often have the chance to stand as a united front with their parents or guardians in ensuring they’re doing exactly what they need to do to succeed. These visits are critical in reassuring to the young men that we are committed to them and serve as a true support system and not just a summer camp counselor. Not to mention, we have a lot of fun! They bond over some good grub and connect about what’s going on in their lives at that moment. Past day trips during a visit have included: Dave & Buster’s, paint balling, laser tag, amusement parks, farms, and bowling. We do try and balance the fun with more educational opportunities like volunteer community service projects, visiting local museums, or making a college visit for some of our juniors and seniors.
In return of having a good academic standing, the campers spend ten days among nature enjoying all that our beautiful facility has to offer whether it be skeet shooting, woodworking, canoeing, archery, fishing, dirt biking, etc. Despite all the fun we have here, the young men are responsible for daily chores, site visits to area businesses, and the completion of a service project around Darke County. Each night of the stay is reserved for fireside chats. These chats are structured to help create a dialogue about the very real and difficult issues these young boys face back home.
For a lot of these kids, all they need is an opportunity. We use the outdoors as a real teaching tool and a way to get kids to open up. And with us, these kids aren’t given anything. We make them work for everything they achieve. But through that they understand and value hard work, they learn work ethic, and they become proud of what they do, and want to share their accomplishments. Our hope is that after four years, each young man graduates from the program ready to become leaders in their own communities, equipped with the necessary tools and a heart for service.
In the past 11 years, 30 at-risk young men have graduated from Vohokase Cultural Leadership Camp with the tools to tap into their greatest potential as people and community leaders.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 21, 2013
Around 20 protesters rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. They called for more accountability in the banking industry, demanded the Obama administration prosecute bankers for their role in the financial crisis of 2008 and called for relief for families and communities devastated by foreclosures. This event was in solidarity with Wall Street Accountability Week of Action in Washington, D.C., May 18-23.
2013-05-21 This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Give attribution for: Fibonacci Blue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 21, 2013
Around 20 protesters rallied outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis. They called for more accountability in the banking industry, demanded the Obama administration prosecute bankers for their role in the financial crisis of 2008 and called for relief for families and communities devastated by foreclosures. This event was in solidarity with Wall Street Accountability Week of Action in Washington, D.C., May 18-23.
2013-05-21 This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Give attribution for: Fibonacci Blue