Take Action on Global Issues

This section gives you fantastic tools to take action on Global issues now. These are exciting, easy and powerful ways that you can make a difference — in under five minutes!

Support Funding for Volunteering Abroad
Online Campaigns
Empower Yourself with Knowledge
Volunteer Locally
Organize a Pen-Pal Program
"Famine for a Night"
Practice Ethical Consumerism
Carbon Offsetting with Climate Care
Support Your Cause Financially

Support Funding for Volunteering Abroad

Thanks to the hard work of the Building Bridges Coalition’s Policy Group, an initiative of the Brookings Institution, a bill has been created in congress calling for $250 million in federal funding to help dramatically increase the number and demographic diversity of Americans volunteering abroad. The bill, known as the Global Service Fellowship Program Act, (S. 1464; H.R. 3698) would allow prospective volunteers to apply for fellowships averaging $5,000 to be used towards international volunteer programs. This bill would enable 10,000 people to volunteer that normally wouldn't be able to and have the most impact on international volunteering since the creation of the Peace Corps. Read the U.S. Congressional Briefing with remarks by Steven Rosenthal, the Founder and Executive Director of Cross-Cultural Solutions.

We know that you care deeply about international volunteering. Imagine what a difference it would make overseas and back home with an additional 10,000 Americans volunteering abroad each year! This is your chance to help substantially by taking just five minutes of your time. A step-by-step toolkit will show you how to contact your government representatives to let them know that you feel this legislation is important and you want them to support it. Take action today.

Online Campaigns

Interaction, the largest alliance of US-based international development and humanitarian NGO's, coordinates a Humanitarian Action Network which focuses on ways that individuals can make a difference in the fight against global poverty.

The ONE Campaign, a new effort by Americans to rally Americans — ONE by ONE — to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

The CARE Action Network provides valuable information on issues pertaining to poverty, and allows members to effectively communicate with elected officials about important global issues.

With NetAid, there are many ways to take action on global issues.

The Global Fund supports international HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs.

Help the Millennium Campaign's Action Center meet its development goals.

People & Planet is a UK student campaigning organization working to end world poverty, defend human rights, and protect the environment.

Empower Yourself with Knowledge

Staying informed about global issues is an important step in solving them. On our website you will find many options of how you can continue to learn about what is going on around the world. These include registering for the UN Wire, keeping up to date with reports generated by such organizations as Unicef, USAID, and other major development organizations. Also, there are a few books that are favorites of Cross-Cultural Solutions and websites that are fantastic resources. To learn more, visit the Alumni Resources page.

Volunteer Locally

Help a non-profit organization in your community that works to promote international development. Visit VolunteerMatch if you live in the US or TimeBank or Vounteering England if you live in the UK to learn about volunteer opportunities in your community. In Canada, visit Volunteer Canada and in Australia, visit Go Volunteer. You may also find great local causes that relate to the work that you did during your program. Don't forget — we also love having volunteers and interns in our New York Headquarters.

Organize a Pen-Pal Program

Organize a pen-pal program between a local school and a school overseas. Epals.com is a free program that facilitates online pen-pal connections. They also provide activities that students can use to learn about other cultures.

"Famine for a Night"

Organizing a "Famine for a Night" is a fun way to raise awareness in your community of world hunger. During a “Famine for a Night,” a group of people fasts for 24 hours to talk about world hunger and collect donations for organizations that address this issue.

Practice Ethical Consumerism

The definition of ethical consumerism is buying things that are made ethically by companies that act ethically. Ethical can be a subjective term both for companies and consumers, but in its truest sense it means without harm or exploitation of humans, animals or the environment. The benefits of buying ethically are far-reaching. It encourages innovative products and companies, while discouraging companies that ignore the social and environmental consequences of their actions. It gives you a say in how the products you buy are made and how the company that makes them conducts its business.

You can practice ethical consumerism every time you buy something. Each time you go shopping you can use your spending power to vote for your values and make a real difference economically, socially and environmentally. Visit www.ethicalconsumer.org and learn their 10 shopping tips for the ethical consumer.

Visit Global Goods Partners who are dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

You can purchase products labeled as "Fair Trade". This type of market encourages farmers to reinvest in their products, cooperatives, and communities in appropriate ways while allowing them to receive a fair, above-market price for their goods. Find Fair Trade Certified retailers in your area by visiting: transfairusa.org, transfair.ca or fairtrade.org.

Carbon Offsetting with Climate Care

Cross-Cultural Solutions offsets all of the carbon emissions produced by staff flights and we encourage you to consider doing the same. “Offsetting,” means reducing CO2 in the atmosphere by the same amount that your flight adds by contributing financially to projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation.

Climate Care is an organization established in 1998 as a company dedicated to reducing global warming. Climate Care is backed by an Environmental Steering Committee, which includes eminent environmentalists and NGOs, to ensure that its offsets are delivered and are to the highest standards.

Visit www.climatecare.org to learn more.

Support Your Cause Financially

There are many other organizations working for positive global change that you can support. You can find a list of many development and relief organizations at www.interaction.org.

Many Internet sites allow you to easily make a donation. These sites are typically sponsored by advertisers who donate to the non-profit organizations based on the number of people who log on. By simply visiting a website, you can make a contribution to issues such as hunger, breast cancer, children's health, and more!

Goodsearch.com is a quick and easy way to click-to-donate to your favorite school or charity by searching online. Goodsearch.com is an independent search engine that utilizes Yahoo's search technology.

Visit TheNonProfits.com for a list of many click-to-donate sites. Another interesting site is www.thehungersite.org.

CCS Alumni Action Network home.