Global #ClimateStrike: September 20 & 27, 2019

Millions worldwide will be joining thousands of youth-led events in over 100 countries to mobilize for effective responses to the environmental consequences of fossil fuels. To learn more and to locate a climate strike near you, visit the Global Climate Strike website.

Of related interest, see the earlier Common Curator posts: Climate of Concern: Shell's 1991 Warning of Global Environmental Damage; James Hansen: Why I Must Speak Out about Climate Change; and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture).

Microfinance Worldwide: Kiva by the Numbers

Founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization to alleviate poverty through microloans to small entrepreneurs worldwide, Kiva has facilitated $1.18 billion in total lending to some 2.9 million entrepreneurs in over 80 countries. Having established a global network of microfinance field partners, Kiva currently has a repayment rate of 97% across all loans. 

To date, the Common Curator has made 200 microloans for projects in 84 countries in the following sectors: agriculture; food; retail; services; arts; construction; clothing; health; education; personal use; manufacturing; housing; wholesale; and transportation. 

To learn more about how Kiva works and its history, visit the organization's website and consider joining the effort to fund entrepreneurs around the world. 

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Martin Luther King, Jr. [1929-1968] would have turned 89 today. It was during the March on Washington, held on August 28, 1963, that Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream Speech." The speech galvanized the civil rights movement, and in 1964, James Blue released the film, "The March," which documented the events of the March as well as King's speech.

The film was produced for the Motion Picture Service unit of the United States Information Agency, and was intended for foreign audiences. In 2008, the documentary was inducted into the National Film Registry maintained by the Library of Congress. A full digital restoration of the original negatives was later undertaken by the Motion Picture Preservation Lab to coincide with the March's 50th anniversary in 2013; details of this painstaking process are available at the National Archives website.

The National Archives has many other resources related to King and to African American history, and there are several prior Common Curator posts regarding King's legacy as well.

Kiva Surpasses $1 Billion in Microloans Worldwide

Founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization to alleviate poverty through microloans to small entrepreneurs worldwide, Kiva has just surpassed $1 billion in total funds lent to some 2.5 million entrepreneurs in over 80 countries. Having established a global network of microfinance field partners, Kiva currently has a repayment rate of 97% across all loans.

To learn more about how Kiva works and its history, visit its website and consider joining the effort to fund entrepreneurs around the world. To date, the Common Curator has made over 180 microloans for projects in 82 countries.

Kiva Celebrates 10 Years of Microlending

Founded in October 2005, Kiva currently networks with 302 Field Partners in 83 different countries, and has provided $733,911,800 in microloans to 1,787,306 borrowers. To date, the Common Curator has made 142 loans through Kiva to small entrepreneurs in 79 countries. Kiva loans are interest-free and the overall repayment rate presently stands at 98.47%. As loans are repaid, most Kiva lenders choose to reloan their funds to new borrowers of their choosing.

Visit the Kiva website to learn more about microfinance and how the lending process works, as well as the many milestones in Kiva's history as an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty around the world.

Kiva 101

Since Kiva was founded in 2005, it has networked with 250 Field Partners in 75 different countries to provide $566,835,175 in microloans to 1,317,699 borrowers. To date, the Common Curator has made 101 loans through Kiva to small entrepreneurs in 64 countries. Kiva loans are interest-free and the overall repayment rate is currently 98.86%. As loans are repaid, most Kiva lenders choose to reloan their funds to new borrowers of their choosing.

Visit the Kiva website to learn more about microfinance and how the lending process works, as well as the many milestones in Kiva's history as an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty around the world.

Kickstarting "Shell Game"

"Shell Game: An Art Show about the Financial Meltdown" is a Kickstarter project by artist Molly Crabapple. As she describes it:

Shell Game is an art show about the world financial collapse, and the people who have risen up in protest against it. I'll create nine giant paintings about the different parts of the collapse and the global movement fighting back (including Goldman Sachs, Greece, and Occupy Wall Street), but filter them through my lens of burlesque, surrealism, satire, and symbolic animals. Then, I'm going to rent a storefront in New York city, rig it out like a gambling parlor, and invite the city and the Internet to check it out for a week.

Crabapple's project has already elicited widespread support from over 600 funders, more than doubling its $30,000 goal well before deadline; pledges may be made at Kickstarter until March 27, 2012. The image shown here, entitled "The Great American Bubble Machine," is the first in a series of nine large (6' x 4') paintings planned for the project. Of related interest is the illustration Crabapple executed for The People's Library at Occupy Wall Street.

Move Your Money Today

November 5, 2011 has been designated "Bank Transfer Day" by activists encouraging citizens to transfer their assets from "too big to fail" banks to local community banks and credit unions. To learn more, or to find a community bank or credit union in your area, visit the Move Your Money website.

The video above, modeled on It's a Wonderful Life, was directed by Eugene Jarecki, who was recently interviewed on Democracy Now! Of related interest is a just-published report by Citizens for Tax Justice entitled, "Corporate Taxpayers and Corporate Tax Dodgers, 2008-2010."