Beyond the Hashtag: #WaterIs

#WorldWaterDay

World Water Day was March 22, 2015 and while I was able to participate in an interesting Twitter chat, the main hashtag #WaterIs got me thinking.  That's how you know a hashtag is effective--it makes you think!  Water is everything; it is life, survival, hygiene, relaxing, healing, and the list goes on.  Yet for as essential as water is, there are far too many people on this planet who don't have access to safe reservoirs of it.  On the flip side, many people who have an abundance of access waste it.  What an imbalance!  What can we do to truly affect change?  Here are my thoughts below:

Identify the biggest ways you waste water and stop
When I think about my daily habits, I can easily pinpoint a few instances where I've used more water than needed.  Think about it? How much water does it take to brush teeth or moisturize and cleanse your face?  While it might seem like only a few minutes, that's liters of precious water being wasted.  Does the faucet really need to run while you're brushing those pearly whites?  No!  Also, when washing dishes, does the water really need to run while you're soaping up the dishes?  Now while I have tried to be more conscious of how long I let the water run when washing dishes, I am clean-obsessed and have on occasion let water run while I'm soaping up dishes.  Gotta admit when you're wrong to make it better right?

Brainstorm ways on how you can reduce water consumption...and do it!

• Take shorter showers
• Wash full loads of laundry
• Cook with strictly the amount of water you need (same thing goes with making coffee!)
• Start-stop the faucet when brushing teeth or washing dishes (water does not need to run the entire time)
• Flush toilets wisely (sometimes we flush unnecessarily, be strategic)

These are just a few ideas but I bet there are more...would love to get your thoughts!

Get the message out there!
Tell you family, tell your friends, shout it on the rooftops!  Okay, so maybe not that last one but seriously I think awareness is key.  I think once you've modified your own habits and become aware, you'll be more empowered to suggest how others can reduce their water consumption. Sharing your success and impact is more powerful than you know.

Learn more about organizations that help populations lacking access to safe water sources
We are all one world!  While many of us have the luxury and are blessed enough to not have to worry about this issue, unfortunately that is not the case for many around the planet.  According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, at least 1.8 billion people world-wide are estimated to drink water that is faecally contaminated. (Source: http://www.unwater.org/statistics/en/ ) Lack of safe water yields disease, dehydration, and economic strife among other things.

Here are few organizations truly working to make a difference:
The Water Project: http://thewaterproject.org/
WaterAid: http://www.wateraid.org/what-we-do
Waves for Water: http://www.wavesforwater.org/about/story

For more information on the world water crisis and how YOU can help make a difference, please visit:  http://www.unwater.org/


#WaterIs ... LIFE!  So let's spread the love and help save LIVES :-)

World Cup Wednesday- The Basics!

If you haven't heard, the World Cup is finally here!  Well, almost here.  Officially, the games kick off on June 12 but football (yes, the REAL football) fans have been delighted with lots of international friendlies.  The friendlies feature teams in and out of the World Cup.  For instance, the United States vs. Azerbaijan.  USA in, Azerbaijan out.  The friendlies have been a good preview of certain teams as the players you see are likely the ones you'll see in the games.  To get you ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, here are some basics:

2014 location: Brasil
How many teams participate: 32
How are they split: Into groups of 4 for a total of 8 groups
When do the games begin: June 12, 2014
When is the championship: July 13, 2014
Which countries are in each group:  see below

Official Groups:
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Japan
Group D:  Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)

How do teams advance?
During the group stage, each team plays each other for a total of 4 games and a maximum of 12 points.  A win= 3 points, a draw (tie)= 1 point, and a loss=0 points.  The 2 teams with the most points will advance to the knock out stage, which decreases the pool to 16 teams.  If teams have the same amount of points, goal difference will be taken into account.  During the group stage, it is possible for both teams to have a scoreless draw (a 0-0 scoreline).

During the second stage (also known as the knockout stage), the 16 teams go head to head.  For example, the top team in Group A (1A) will play the second team in Group B (2B) and so forth.  Check out FIFA's website to see the pairings: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html    .  Obviously, the teams are TBD :-)

Where can I watch the games:  In the USA, you can watch on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.  You can also go to your local bar for some spirited banter, especially if there are other footy fans around!

What's your prediction?
Well...I'm only doing this for the group stage and there are ALWAYS surprise wins and disappointing play and suspense. However, you've gotta make predictions, so here are mine:

Group A: Brazil, Cameroon
- potential surprise team: Croatia over Cameroon (Cameroon has always been off-on in their World Cup appearances but I think they will advance, though Croatia has been looking strong)

Group B: Spain, Netherlands
-potential surprise team: Chile over Netherlands

Group C: Colombia, Japan
-potential surprise team: Cote D'Ivoire over Colombia (this is a toss up, both teams are loaded with talented superstars but Colombia is missing their biggest (and one of my favorites)--Radamel Falcao)

Group D:  England, Italy
-potential surprise team: Uruguay (Uruguay did make it to the quarterfinals in 2010)

Group E: France, Ecuador
-potential surprise team: Honduras over Ecuador (these teams are fairly similar, though I give the advantage to Ecuador)


Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- potential surprise: I don't think there will be any. I haven't seen Iran play yet, to be honest, but Nigeria did not impress in their friendly match against Greece yesterday (June 3, 2014).  Nigeria's 2010 showing was not good and while that's been 4 years ago, I have seen Bosnia play and they look good.  Argentina are the definite favorites and I don't see the second place team from this group advancing far.

Group G: Germany, Portugal
-potential surprise: It's a toss up between Portugal and Ghana, I think. Portugual's biggest asset is they have one of the top 5 footballers in  the world right now in Cristiano Ronaldo.  This group has been dubbed the Group of Death and this is a tough table.  Germany is heavily favored and Portugal likely is too.  I'd love to see Ghana advance and while national pride has me rooting for USA, their squad just doesn't look on par with a squad like Germany for instance. 

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)
-potential surprise: None.  I see Belgium sailing through along with Algeria.

If you want to learn more about the World Cup, check out FIFA's official website: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/

Speaking Up: #BringBackOurGirls

 

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As I write, there is a very disturbing and heartbreaking human rights situation taking place in Nigeria. You can Google this story and I've included a few links below. Back in late April (last month), militants stormed a boarding school and abducted over 200 school girls, many of which are still missing today.  There has been much discussion of what their fate is, all of which is devastating.  I can not even begin to imagine the fear, pain, suffering and despair that these young girls are going through and unfortunately, this story is all too common in the world.  It's so easy to turn a blind eye to this issue of trafficking and violence, particularly against women in developing nations.  In fact, when I read the news update on this story, I immediately stopped what I was doing to pray for these young girls and tweet about it. Makes me realize my "problems/stressors" are really quite minuscule.  As global citizens, our biggest power lies in our VOICE and in our ability to raise awareness and advocate for change.  While the situation looks grim, I don't believe that all hope is lost.  Just because these events occur in places thousands of miles away from us does not mean we should not care or show support.  I may not be able to do much but if we can collectively raise awareness to get strategic organizations and media to pay attention, that is power.  I will pray for these girls and for their safe return and reunion to their families.  #BringBackOurGirls



Read more here:
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/
BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27256860  &  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27241941