UN Prevention Web: Jamaicans need to be more aware of climate change

http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/v.php?id=34242

Jamaicans need to be more aware of climate change - Minister

• Date:5 Aug 2013
• Source(s):Jamaica Information Service (JIS)

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, has emphasised the need to increase climate change awareness among Jamaicans, noting that the issue is “everybody’s business. ”

Mr. Pickersgill said tackling the effects of climate change on Jamaica will require a communal approach, “as we will all be affected. ”

The Minister was speaking at the launch of a special video feature entitled: ‘Climate Change and its Impact on Jamaican Farmers’, held at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), in Kingston, on July 31.

“(This approach) must entail co-operation, communication and consistency of effort from everyone. We cannot allow progress toward the Vision 2030 goals to be derailed by climate change related impacts,” he argued.

The Minister lamented that the impact of climate change on a small island such as Jamaica can have significant repercussions on its economic and social viability. He noted that the weather phenomenon impacts health, natural resources, infrastructure as well as access to water and food security.

“The impacts are likely to continue to greatly hinder Jamaica in its debt repayment efforts, while the economic cost of climate related impacts will continue to increase,” he noted.

Mr. Pickersgill, therefore, commended the PIOJ and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for its work in developing the educational video, which aims to increase public awareness on the topic.

The video, which was produced by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), will be aired on over seven stations, including TVJ, CVM TV, JNN, PBCJ and Love TV, as well as featured in JIS’ Jamaica Magazine programme.

It shows interviews conducted with farmers in the Bog Hole community of Clarendon, who have been adversely affected by long periods of drought as well as periods of flooding, caused by climate change.

Mr. Pickersgill said the video is a timely reminder that all Jamaicans must find new and innovative ways to lessen the impact of climate change on the environment.

For his part, Pilot Programme for Climate Change Resilience (PPCR) Focal Point Manager, PIOJ, Hopeton Peterson, said the video has been produced within the context of the implementation of the PPCR.

The PPCR is a global project aimed at improving the ability of vulnerable countries like Jamaica to withstand “the shocks and stresses” of climate change.

The programme provides technical assistance and investments to support countries’ efforts to integrate climate risk and resilience into core development planning and implementation. Jamaica is one of six countries in the Caribbean benefiting from the PPCR.

Mr. Peterson informed that so far in Jamaica, the project has supported the development of a strategic programme for climate resilience, which entails three main components.

These include: improving climate data and information management; mainstreaming climate change adaptation in the local sectoral and national plans and implementing integrated adaptation strategies in the Rio Minho basin in Clarendon; and providing financing mechanisms for sustained adaptation initiatives by the public and private sectors and community-based organisations.

CONTACT: ATHALIAH REYNOLDS-BAKER

Dorsainvil Foundation. BEMA support their family legacy of providing healthcare and health services to the region\department of Arcahaie, Haiti.

http://www.dorsainvilfoundation.org/

Dorsainvil Foundation is dedicated to the medical concerns of the Haitian People.

MISSION:

The vision of Dorsainvil Foundation is to expand the medical mission and the small functional health facility, to a fully equipped hospital and outpatient center with a compassionate staff, accepting everyone in need of services, regardless of their social status.

The commitment of Dorsainvil Foundation is to promote healthcare and to encourage health prevention as well as providing treatment to the disenfranchised in the region. The foundation hopes to enrich the people's lives by helping them focus on the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, modified lifestyle and good health. This would be achieve by providing adequate educational tools to the population.

Today's diseases are affecting so many people including babies, children, parents and grandparents. By providing the people with the information they need to make better decisions, the death rate itself could be reduce tremendously. Let's work together for a better tomorrow.

In 1995, Pierre and Josephine Dorsainvil left their home in Long Island, New York to visit their native country of Haiti. Pierre Dorsainvil, 69, and his wife, Josephine, 62, had just finished building a vacation home in the small town of Arcahaie, Haiti, where both were born, raised, met and were married. During their visit four armed individuals entered and ransacked Pierre and Josephine Dorsainvil's home in Arcahaie, Haiti. The New York residents, who were in their homeland for a brief vacation, were shot and killed. Their five children survived them, a son and four daughters.

The Dorsainvil family had become an American success. The oldest son, Pierre had just graduated from medical school, St. George’s University. His younger sisters Edwige and Bobbie were also successful in business and had families of their own. The youngest girls, twins, Cynthia and Dolores, were both attending college and were looking ahead to a bright future.

On the morning of June 30, 1995, exactly one week after Pierre graduated from medical school, everything would change. Although the details have never been clear the local authorities state their house was attacked by a gang of brutal thieves. With robbery as a motive they mercilessly shot Josephine, killing her instantly.  Pierre Sr. suffered a gunshot wound to his leg while the couple’s maid, seventeen year old Elemene was wounded four times. The violence was swift and horrible, especially since the vacationers were unarmed.

Pierre, the son, had to break the devastating news to his sisters.  Numb with grief, they also had to endure the fact that the killers had escaped exact identification.  Although police had an idea of who the suspects were, no one would ever be brought to justice. As a newly credentialed physician, Pierre was aware of an additional irony. Had his father been in virtually any US hospital his non-lethal gunshot wound could have been treated and he would have been saved.  The reality was that for lack of a few dollars worth of a sterile saline IV solution, mostly unavailable in this third world nation, his father simply bled to death.  

In June 2000, while on a visit to Haiti and his parents’ home, Dr. Pierre Dorsainvil had a revelation. He would convert this vacation retreat to a different kind of haven. It would be a freestanding clinic. Now, he just had to make it happen. In June 2001, he established the Dorsainvil Foundation, a private, non-profit organization and opened a free medical clinic for the poor and needy in the Arcahaie home his parents loved. The name of the center, which is the only one of its kind within a 35-mile radius, is Complexe Medical Sainte Philomene De L'Arcahaie.  Currently, Pierre makes several trips a year to administer health care at the facility himself while the remainder of the year he relies on a limited staff who see patients twice a week.

The Dorsainvil Foundation stands as a testament to the good that can come from difficult times. Dr. Pierre Dorsainvil, along with friends, family, pharmaceutical reps, and health care providers have been able to have a significant impact on the people of Haiti. The Foundation hopes to continue this work for years to come.

U.S. National Interest: Water for the Poor Act of 2005

http://www.state.gov/e/oes/water/waterforthepoor/

Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005: Annual Report

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The Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act, which was signed into law by then-President Bush on December 1, 2005, makes access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a specific policy objective of U.S. foreign assistance. It requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other U.S. government agencies, to develop and implement a strategy “to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries” within the context of sound water resources management.

The Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act also requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the USAID Administrator, to submit an annual report to Congress describing changes in the U.S. strategy and progress in achieving the objectives of the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. This annual report to Congress is available through the links below and marks the initial progress on a long-term process to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen U.S. efforts on international water issues. 

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Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2013 Report to Congress PDF (July 2013) 
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2012 Report to Congress PDF (Sept. 2012)
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2011 Report to Congress PDF (June 21, 2011)
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2010 Report to Congress PDF (Aug. 13, 2010)
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2009 Report to Congress PDF (Jun. 26, 2009)
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2008 Report to Congress PDF (Jun. 4, 2008)
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2007 Report to Congress PDF (Jun. 5, 2007) 
Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act: 2006 Report to Congress PDF (Jun. 1, 2006)
-- Report Annex A: Summary of U.S. Agency Missions and Capabilities in Water
-- Report Annex B: USAID Funding for Water
-- Report Annex C: Strategic Planning of USAID Water and Sanitation Activities in Africa
-- Report Annex D: Example Strategy -- ECO Asia
-- Report Annex E: Blue Revolution Initiative -- Strategic Framework for Asia and the Near East

Your community Program. Teens prepare for Emergencies

FYI…………Something for your community programs to consider with youth involvement.

Our teens are ready for a change, the responsibility to be placed in an independent leadership role.

We know that teens and young adults with support will accept and move forward with this type of training.

What about the individuals on the street corner with no guidance, will they accept, continue with the training, and become a vital resource for their community?  The added extra incentive for a source of income may help.

Let's give them all the chance to contribute to the resiliency and sustainability of our community.

http://www.army.mil/article/108014/Teenagers_prepare_for_emergencies/

Teenagers prepare for emergencies

July 25, 2013

By Leader staff report 

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·    FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Ten Fort Jackson teenagers, ages 13-18, participated in a 20-hour Teen Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, certificate course last week.

CERT was designed to train Americans to help themselves and their communities in the event of a widespread natural disaster. The course teaches basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

The training prepares teenagers to assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Teen CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

"The training is important for many reasons," said R.J. Frazier, Fort Jackson's all hazard emergency manager. "The primary concern is for our youth, giving back and providing educational tools for their future. During this session, they earned a training certification on how to support community volunteer efforts during disasters, but more so than anything, a keen insight of self-worth and accomplishment. They departed with a thorough understanding that no matter what profession they choose in life, they can always give back to the community."

Crystle Siegel, 18, said the training achieved that goal. "Many people don't know what to do in the aftermath of a natural disaster. It's great that we -- teens -- are learning how to assist our communities in emergencies," Siegel said.

Tristan Campos, 16, said the training was also fun.

"I didn't really expect to enjoy the training, but, I got a lot of great information, made some new friends, and learned how to help my community in the event of and emergency."

The course was hosted by the Fort Jackson Emergency Management Office, Army Community Services, Operation Military Kids/Clemson University and the American Red Cross.

Campus Security Act of 1990, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

Campus Security Act of 1990, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)

34 C.F.R. § 668.46 and § 668.41 (latter link is to reporting and disclosure of information)

The Campus Security Act requires colleges to report campus crime statistics and security measures to all students and employees by October 1 of each year. Applicants must receive either a report or a notice of its availability and a brief summary of the report. Timely warnings must go out whenever a threat to students and employees is present for the crimes (listed below) which are reported to local police or campus security authorities. Procedures must be in place on how to issue these notices. Crime statistics must also be given to the U.S. Secretary of Education. Enforcement procedures and policies, as well as crime prevention and education programs must be described in the annual report. The 1992 Higher Education Amendments require a campus sexual assault prevention program. 

NGO Aid Map; International Aid. Sharing data and information

About NGO Aid Map

https://haiti.ngoaidmap.org/

InterAction and its members, as agents of change, believe in empowering ourselves and others with information to deliver better results for global change. We pool and share data about the work of InterAction members around the world through simple maps. NGO Aid Map gives a picture of international aid that would not exist otherwise.

Data is provided by our members on a voluntary basis, so the map is a partial picture of what our community does. Projects are continuously being added, so we encourage you to visit often to learn more about the work of our members.

FOUR PRINCIPLES UNDERPIN EVERYTHING WE DO

• Make it as easy as possible to share data. If it’s not easy, organizations won’t keep providing information, and there’s little value to a map that never gets updated.
  

• Present the data in a way that makes it simple to understand and use. Our site is designed to make it easy to find the information people are looking for, to help them make the decisions they need to make.
  

• Make the data open and accessible. We know there are many ways to slice and dice data. That’s why we’ve made it possible to download the data on every page of the site.

• Collaborate with like-minded organizations also working to make more information available. NGO Aid Map is just one piece of the puzzle. By working with organizations who also see the value in open data, we hope to create a more complete picture of what is happening with foreign aid.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS TOOL?

• Explore and learn about NGO projects
• Find new NGO partners
• Download and analyze the data

If you are an InterAction member and would like to contribute data to this map, email us.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND PARTNERS

   

House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves Key Department of Justice Programs

House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves Key Department of Justice Programs July 12, 2013 – On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) approved the fiscal year 2014 bill that funds Department of Justice (DOJ) programs. The bill funds DOJ at $26.3 billion, a decrease of $720 million (3 percent) from the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. The bill included $55 million for the Second Chance Act, the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (created by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, or MIOTCRA) received $7.5 million, and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative received $25 million, including funding for a task force on federal corrections spending. The robust funding provided for Justice Reinvestment programs reflects continued congressional support for programs that address rising corrections costs and increasing prison and jail populations. The bill also provides $75 million for a comprehensive school safety initiative to be developed by the National Institute of Justice. Committee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate.  The Senate plans to release their fiscal year 2014 CJS appropriations bill later this month. A funding summary of key programs:       *Final number after sequestration. For the subcommittee draft text of the legislation, please visit: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/BILLS-113HR-SC-AP-FY2014-CJS-SubcommitteeDraft.pdf

Disparities in Mental Health for Underserved Populations. Trauma, Stress, PTSD July 18, 2013

PRESENTATION TITLE: Disparities in Mental Health for Underserved Populations: Best Practices for Affordable Care

GUEST SPEAKER

Gail Wyatt, Ph.D

Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences

Director, Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities

University of California, Los Angeles

DATE/TIME:

Thursday, July 18, 2013

2:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

LOCATION:

NIH Campus

Natcher Conference Center, Balcony A

45 Center Drive

Bethesda, MD

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:

About 25 percent of all U.S. adults have a mental illness, and nearly 50 percent of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime. In her presentation, Dr. Gail Wyatt will discuss mental health disparities, some of the current concerns and best practices to address these disparities, based on her research at the Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities. She will examine the cumulative effects of lifetime trauma and stress in African Americans and Hispanics that is often overlooked and not addressed in mental health systems as we know them now. She will also describe the screener that her research team has developed to identify those at risk for symptoms of Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, that can be used in future primary care settings.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dr. Wyatt is a clinical psychologist, board certified sex therapist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is also director of the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities, the Sexual Health Program and the Phodiso Training Project in South Africa. She also serves as associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute, and directs the HIV/AIDS Translational Training Program. She was a National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) Research Scientist Career Development Awardee for 17 years. Dr. Wyatt has conducted national and international research since 1980, funded by the NIMH, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, state and private foundations. She has received numerous awards and honors for her scientific accomplishments, mentoring, and teaching. Dr. Wyatt has also testified before the United States Congress eight times on issues related to health policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

There is limited parking on the NIH campus. The closest Metro is Medical Center. Please allow adequate time for security check. The presentation will not be video cast live. It will be available in the NIH video archives and on the NIMHD website after the seminar. Sign language interpreters will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations to participate should contact Edgar Dews at 301-402-1366 or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

Training Opportunity: July 18th. Smarter Government: Intelligent Law Enforcement & Analytics to Help Keep Communities Safe

Smarter Government: Intelligent Law Enforcement & Analytics to Help Keep Communities Safe

Public Safety agencies are in the midst of a transformation. Cities such as St. Louis are turning analytics into actionable insights, uncovering trends in real time to fight crime and to help keep our communities safe. Despite new technologies, public safety organizations are still challenged to effectively manage the volume and variety of data to improve public safety outcomes. Although challenges remain, the key to safe communities and intelligent law enforcement is grounded in leveraging crime analytics. Join your peers, GovLoop, and IBM on Thursday, July 18 at our free online training to learn more about the challenges public safety agencies are facing and how new strategies can help fight crime, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. Specifically, participants will: Hear from public sector professionals on the current challenges and lessons learned in Public Safety. Hear from Dr. Rick Rosenfeld, Curators Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri and criminologist in residence at the Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department, on how the city of St. Louis used analytics to fight crime, improve safety, and increase productivity. Learn more about Intelligent Law Enforcement Operations and how it applies to your city or state. Leverage the public safety operational and business process lessons learned into other areas of your agency. ...Plus an interactive Q&A session. Keeping our communities safe is a critical factor in their economic viability. Join us and listen to what some of the greatest crime fighters have in common! Date: Thursday, July 18, 2013 Time: 2:00-3:00PM ET

One Voice Can Make a Difference

http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2013/07_05_2013/story4.htm

Deaf Employee Is Heard NIH Mission Statement Is Amended By Rich McManus

At the suggestion of a National Eye Institute employee who is deaf, NIH recently amended its official mission statement.

The one-sentence statement had said, “NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.”

But because David Rice, a management analyst at NEI since October 2009, felt that his particular disability was not a burden, he wanted to know if NIH director Dr. Francis Collins would be willing to modify the mission statement so as not to offend people who do not consider their disabilities to be burdensome.

Recently, the phrase “the burdens of” was removed from the statement, which now reads, “NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce illness and disability.”

According to Debra Chew, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, this was a lesson in NIH compassion and responsiveness.

“This was a very important event from a diversity perspective,” said Chew, who arrived at NIH last July. “It shows that an individual employee can raise concerns that Dr. Collins will take seriously and address. I think that’s good. NIH has no wish to have a mission statement that offends people…It just goes to show you that we all have different perspectives.”

NEI’s David Rice objected to NIH’s mission statement and took his concerns to NIH leadership, who ended up agreeing with him.

Chew met Rice last fall at a “meet and greet” and mentioned that he had a problem with the mission statement. As she recalls, “He told me, ‘We don’t consider ourselves to be burdens, nor do we consider our disability a burden…Would you ask Dr. Collins to consider a change?’”

Chew broached the issue with Collins, “who was immediately agreeable to a change,” she said. “No one had really looked at [the statement] this way. David really raised a good point.”

Chew took the suggestion to Kim Kirkpatrick, OEODM’s disability program manager, who also chairs NIH’s disability committee. “Once we realized that Dr. Collins was open to a change, we got input from the disability committee on proposed language,” said Chew. Two versions were proposed and the three-word change was adopted.

“This is a symbolic moment for NIH,” said Chew. “It’s really about [Rice’s] courage. He did a great thing for the NIH.”

Rice, who became deaf at age 4, recalls the “grace and integrity” with which his parents dealt with his removal from the school system once he became deaf; they found a school better equipped to handle his needs. “It was the fire that my parents had that led me to want to become an advocate not only for the deaf community but also for all those who have a disability,” he said.

“I know it was not the intent that NIH had [to offend people with disabilities],” Rice continued, “but it could look to some as though, in trying to improve the health and life of American citizens, NIH is only looking for cures to reduce disability because [people with disabilities] are a burden on society. The new mission statement takes out that stigma that we are a burden and conveys the message that NIH’s goal is to reduce illness and disability because it can improve the livelihood of American citizens and not because we are a burden on society.”

Rice said he didn’t think his suggestion had much chance of being taken seriously at first. “To be honest, I did not expect much,” he said. “All I wanted was for them to listen, which they did. Debra told me that she spoke to [NIH principal deputy director] Dr. [Lawrence] Tabak, who wholeheartedly agreed. At that point, once I knew Dr. Tabak was in the picture, I knew that something was going to come of this.

“Let me tell you,” Rice continued, “there was no greater feeling than when Dr. Collins used the new mission statement on Capitol Hill. I take no credit for the new mission statement. All I did was raise questions and concerns. But I felt that my small change made a difference, and that alone is my lifelong goal—making small changes to create big impacts.”

He concluded, “I can only imagine that the change will be a positive one. The biggest reason why NIH was so appealing to me was its ability to be open to change as well as moving forward, a lot quicker than some government agencies do. That is a product of the vision that Dr. Collins has for NIH. But like anyone who has a large responsibility, it is hard to envision everything—that’s where everyone else comes into play. [We can all] make NIH [a] leader in science as well as a great work environment where everyone can feel they are making a small but important impact on the American public.”

Syracuse community builder Brenda Muhammad on the power of storytelling

http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2013/07/syracuse_community_builder_brenda_muhammad_on_the_power_of_sharing_ones_story.html

Brenda Muhammad of Syracuse is a volunteer and community builder who believes in the power of sharing one's personal story to help others. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

By Jennifer L. Owens | Guest columnist 
on July 05, 2013 at 7:56 AM, updated July 06, 2013 at 8:41 AM

Email

"Some people are born knowing their purpose," said Brenda Muhammad. "Other people, like me, have no clue why they are here. But if I just keep moving I hope that one day I'll figure it out."

Muhammad is always moving. There is no other way to end up with the sizable list of volunteer activities and educational pursuits that she is juggling at any one time. This juggling is what earned her the 2013 Unsung Heroes Award during Syracuse University's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration earlier this year.

How Muhammad has remained 'unsung' for this long is a mystery. She has twice served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer coordinating Women Build at Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, is a key player in the nonprofit FORCE (Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment), and participates in the Black Syracuse Project to capture community stories.

She describes her life as a journey to discover her true purpose. Along her path, she has channeled her interests and community engagement activities to become a connection-maker. She sees value in sharing the things that she learns with her community.

This makes her well-suited for her role in FORCE, a nonprofit that combats neighborhood deterioration by inspiring residents to pool their resources to improve their condition. She sees opportunity to further the work of FORCE by sharing the oral history collection techniques she learned through the Black Syracuse Project training. 

Muhammad believes that sharing our stories with each other strengthens connections and promotes healing.

"We need to know about hard times, and we need to know about success stories," said Muhammad. "When you tell that story others can relate to you. They learn that there is hope."

Muhammad believes that there is a desire to be known and acknowledged that is hard-wired within us. She is drawn to oral history and storytelling as a way to give others the opportunity to satisfy this basic need.

"Sometimes telling your story is part of a healing process," she said. "Somebody has to hear me. What if no one knew you were alive?"

Telling the story is good for the storyteller, but it is also a tool for improving the lives of those who hear your story. "People can relate to your story," said Muhammad. "Sometimes you think that you are alone in something, but then you find out about connections."

The more connections that Muhammad and others facilitate through the Black Syracuse Project's initiatives, the more opportunity there will be for community members to identify opportunities to work together toward neighborhood improvement.

Muhammad is not one to remain still. She keeps moving, always looking for the next opportunity to expand her skills and serve her community. She is currently pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies, as well as studies at SUNY Empire State College. She hopes to intern for the Black Syracuse Project in the near future to continue making the connections that she believes make a difference.

Despite her energy and palpable enthusiasm, even she sometimes wonders about the limits of any one person.

"I had a motto, and I haven't said it in a long time," Muhammad says wistfully. "I don't know if that's because I stopped believing it or I'm just too tired to think it. I used to always say, 'I shall not be conquered.' I thought I could do anything. But right about now I'm a little close to that conquered."

Despite these moments of doubt, she is propelled forward by the support of her friends and family. They know that she can make a difference and encourage her to explore new paths in her quest to find her life's purpose.

"My friends are amazing. They don't discourage me from trying anything," said Muhammad. "Sometimes I wish they would!"

In the end, Muhammad believes each of us has something we are meant to give to others. It can be both a burden and our life's greatest joy to figure out what that is; to tirelessly make connections, to tell our stories past and present, and to keep on moving.

To learn more about the Black Syracuse Project and listen to oral history recordings captured by through the project, visit www.blacksyracuse.org