By Selamawit Kifle, Blue Nile Children’s Organization
Like many who call the Rainier Valley home, I feel as if I live in two communities: The one where I wake up each morning and the one where my web of cultural and personal connections links me to. Nothing represents this as clearly as my work with the Blue Nile Children’s Organization.
The Blue Nile Children’s Organization supports more than 70 orphan children, offers health education classes and will provide primary care for children, and new mothers at a local clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We partner with organizations to strengthen Ethiopian communities in Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa and align our initiatives with universities and research programs to help train medical personal and enhance the services available to Ethiopian families.
Here in the Rainier Valley, we partner with Adey Abeba, which hosts Ethiopian cooking classes that benefit the Blue Nile Children’s Organization.
Beyond the difference we’re making in the lives of women and children in Ethiopia, one thing that strikes me as remarkable about the our organization is that we’re just one of many organizations across Washington state that are working to make a difference in the world.
This is why we are proud to be a member of Global Washington, an association of more than 100 organizations across Washington state working to advance global development. Global Washington is a regional group and one that embodies the unique richness and commitment of local organizations making a positive impact in the world.
Members range from the very largest in size, like Microsoft, PATH and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to dozens of smaller organizations like the Blue Nile Children’s Organization. Global Washington provides a wide range of programs and services that include training, information-sharing, events and access to sources of information that are helping to strengthen capacity, forging new relationships and creating new opportunities for collaboration.
Global Washington also is a powerful voice for global development. Just last month, at the request of U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Global Washington shared policy recommendations for improving the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance.
Sen. Cantwell remarked not only on the importance of the global development sector to the state but also the important perspective and insight that Global Washington and its members – like the Blue Nile Children’s Organization – have to offer. This perspective builds on the diversity of our state, including our own neighborhood, whose diversity is exemplified by the more than 60 languages spoken here.
Those of us who live and work in the Rainier Valley benefit every day from the vibrancy of cultures that make our neighborhood one of the most diverse communities in the country. The true benefit extends further – to other continents and countries – through the work of organizations like the Blue Nile Children’s Organization and Global Washington. By working together, we’re making a difference both at home and around the world.
The mission of the Rainier Valley-based Blue Nile Children’s Organization is focused on the greatest needs of Ethiopia’s children and their mothers, including orphans in foster care, pre/post natal care and birthing assistance, an extensive vaccination program to help eradicate the diseases that have ravaged the population. More.
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By Amber Campbell, RVP Editor/Publisher
Just when you thought Mayor McGinn might stop digging a public relations hole behind the Rainier Valley’s brutal on-again-off again crime wave and woefully understaffed South Precinct, somebody went and gave him the Columbia City shovel.
Without much more than a might-make-it-down-there-in-five-or-six-weeks and maybe-some-LED-lighting-in-a-couple-years, the Mayor finally just let Deputy Mayor and Columbia City neighbor Darryl Smith do the talking:
The Valley, as we well know, has over the years been maligned in the press. At times, we’ve felt ignored, humored, and frankly dissed by the City. I’m not here to say that those feelings aren’t based in some sort of reality. Like many of you, I’ve at times felt frustrated, and angry at my elected officials.
and…
We’re serious about walking our talk. If you would like to hear more about how we’re engaged or tell us what you’re working on, I hope you will call or email me directly. No one knows your neighborhood as well as you, and you are critical to our ability to lead in a way that ensures we are as responsive and as thoughtful as possible in times that are as complex and challenging as these. More.
Really?
‘Cause we tried that last week when we emailed Mayor McGinn and Deputy Mayor Smith with a friendly invitation to join the Rainier Valley Live Local Challenge, and didn’t get so much as a “thanks but no thanks” in response.
Then some of our homies, like KING5′s Tonya Mosely, Q13′s Amy Allen, the venerable Sable Verity and seattlepi.com blogger Craig Thompson tried to get answers to questions about South Precinct officers being tapped for drunk duty in Belltown, and so far, they too are gettin’ the hand.
Meanwhile, it may be another 30 days before the Mayor makes it down to Seattle’s most violent corner to discuss public safety, but tonight he’ll be in Capitol Hill for a nightlife forum.
Bad manners or bad governance? What do you think?
Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith has lived in the Rainier Valley since 1994. He is also one of only a few people of color in Mayor McGinn’s administration. Photo/Office of Economic Development
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Tagged as:
columbia city,
Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith,
Mayor Mike McGinn,
Rainier Valley Live Local Challenge
Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:
Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.
Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.
Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.
Thank you!
By Amber Campbell, RVP Editor/Publisher
Yesterday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn started the day on KUOW’s Weekday call-in program talking about everything except the back-to-back shootings of and by children this week in southeast Seattle.
On Monday night, a teenager was grazed in the back in a drive-by shooting at one of the city’s most dangerous corners – Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson in Rainier Beach. There were no arrests.
Less than 24 hours later, near the same intersection, a 10-year old boy shot himself while trying to rob another kid on the bus.
Meanwhile, the mayor spent his monthly hour with Steve Scher – who failed to even ask about the tragic events of the night before – discussing what he called “important and serious” issues like transit, sewage, transit, sidewalks, transit, etc.
One caller – a Broadview neighbor – said that her community found sewage issues “gut wrenching”.
Really?
I find the message that the mayor’s silence sends to the kids in our community gut wrenching.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn at last year’s candidates forum in Columbia City. Photo/David Mullarkey Images
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Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:
Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.
Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.
Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.
Thank you!
Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:
Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.
Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.
Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.
Thank you!
Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:
Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.
Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.
Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.
Thank you!
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Comment of the Week Goes To…
August 28, 2010
in Opinion
cbo on Another Shooting at City’s Most Violent Corner; Mayor Promises Better Lighting:
The dialogue that occurs here between friends, neighbors and engaged citizens is one of the features that makes your RVP such a valuable community resource. Your RVP does not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed in the Comment of the Week.
Tagged as: Comment of the Week
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