I’ve decided to take my efforts independent and become a community building consultant for social benefit projects. Below, I’ve crossposted my announcement from the NetSquared Blog.
It is with great sadness that I’m writing this post. Over the next few weeks I will be phasing out of my position on the NetSquared team. It has been an intensely difficult decision and I hope that my involvement on the team has made some small contribution to enabling innovative changemakers to connect, learn, and share.
I wish the best for NetSquared, Techsoup, and the remarkable community that we serve. I know that I will be a contributor and supporter for many years to come!
An amazing experience
For over two years, I have worked on the team in various capacities to help grow and support a global community of people interested in using technology for social change. I am so proud of the many projects I was able to help shape during time.
One of the programs I’m most proud of is NetSquared Local. During my time on the team, we helped launch and support these groups and their volunteer organizers via trainings, promotions, capacity building, and community involvement. There are currently groups in over 50 cities around the world doing amazing work in their local communities and I could not be more excited about the impact they are making.
I also organized the NetSquared Cambridge group when I was living in the UK, working with super-smart people like Peter Cook, Ellie Stoneley, Mel Findlater, and Marc Bond to create grassroots impact.
Two smaller projects deserve a brief mention here: the Community Organizer Handbook and the Net2 Think Tank. We built the Local Community Organizer Handbook Wiki to build capacity and sharing between online/offline community organizers around the world. We hosted the Net2 ThinkTank as a monthly blogging/social networking exchange of ideas. Connecting with experts around the industry via these two tools was always so inspiring and motivating.
I also realized recently that I’ve written over 200 blog posts about using technology for social change on the NetSquared Blog. I’ve never considered myself a proper blogger before, but with 200 posts under my belt, I guess I have to!
But, above all, my role on the NetSquared team has afforded me the opportunity to build capacity for changemakers from all over the world— and make some really great friends and connections along the way. For that, I am most humbled.
A Few Notes of THANKS!
Working on the NetSquared Project of TechSoup Global has been a wonderful and rewarding experience.
To the NetSquared Local Organizers: You are the heart and soul of my work with NetSquared and I will miss our connections most of all! Whether it’s a party or a protest, please keep up the amazing work you’re doing to build capacity and collaborations in your local communities. If there is ever anything I can do to help any of you – as a volunteer, friend, advisor, or confidante, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time.
To the Global Community of NetSquared bloggers, project and Think Tank participants, event attendees, lurkers, and more: Each of you brings a unique twist to the concept of “social benefit” and I am hopeful that you feel I have served you and your missions in some small way. Thank you for the intellectual challenge, collaboration, and sharing over the years!
To the CDI team (aka Net2 HQ!) – contractors, developers, and all: Thank you all for being the most amazing team on the planet. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from and grow with each of you. I look forward to celebrating the impact you’ll make moving forward, and bragging about this badass job for years to come!
To everyone at TechSoup Global and their Partners around the world: TechSoup is creating impact for nonprofits, libraries, and individuals every single day all around the world. What you’re doing is working, so please, keep up the #awesome!
What’s Next?
I am so proud of this community that I have both participated in and served, and I promise that I will continue to be a community contributor moving forward! I also know that I have a lot of other things to give to this world and I am hopeful that my next adventures will afford me that opportunity.
I’m going indie. I’ll be picking up gigs as a community building consultant for social benefit projects. If you’re interested in collaborating, get in touch!
This is Not Goodbye!
While my role on the team is changing, my interest and dedication to this community has not waned. I look forward to continued collaborations via the tech for change community and the exciting #wins we’ll make along the way.
Feel free to email me, tweet me, or connect with me on Linkedin!
I will be hosting a session on community organizing at the Nonprofit Technology Conference next month. The event will be a great way to learn from and collaborate with community organizers from around the world. If you’re a community organizer and are planning to be at the NTC, I hope you’ll join me in the session!
Local Community Organizers Affinity Group:
Date: Wednesday, April 4
Time: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM on
Description: Find your fellow local community organizers here to discuss the struggles, challenges and rewards of community organizing.
Session Takeaways:
- Meet other community organizers
- Learn about innovative community organizing techniques such as meshing online and offline, and use of video livestreams
- Opportunity to discuss the challenges of community organizing
Today we went on a bit of an adventure into the desert. It’s always fun to get out of KAUST to visit the “real” Saudi Arabia. So, we planned a trip with several cars of friends to take a short journey north to the ruins of an old Ottoman building in the desert. I’ve done a bit of research and think it may either called Hisn al Jafa or Alia Palace.
I’m a little (read: very) fuzzy on my Saudi history. I gather that the Ottoman empire extended into the Mecca region until 1916 and that there are quite a few settlements leftover from the Ottoman time in the region that have gone un-loved (or worse). This particular building is in ruins, but it appears from the map images that it was at one time quite a large settlement.
Anyhow, it’s only about an hour north of KAUST, so is a nice day or half-day trip for anyone interested in getting off-compound and exploring in the desert. Once there, you can visit the ruins, meet some camels, do a bit of dune bashing and have a picnic. When we went, we had the site all to ourselves… and the camels, of course!
How to get there:
Head north on Rt 5 for approx 50kms. Take a right on 919. Then take left hand turn onto dirt road and head back towards the highway. I suggest printing a few of the google maps to guide you as there are several dirt tracks around.
A few other recommendations:
- There is apparently a wadi nearby with lovely birds. We didn’t find the particular spot that was recommended, but I imagine all around is a birdwatcher’s paradise. If you have the coordinates to this area, let me know and I’ll add it to the map and this post.
- Bring more than one car in case you get stuck in the sand. The roads are probably fine for a non 4wd vehicle, but it’s usually a good idea to travel in groups when venturing off-road.
- If you do have a 4wd, there are some tracks marked on the map where you can go dune bashing. (please be careful! )
- There are no facilities here – bring what you need to eat, drink, and use the loo.
- Most importantly: LEAVE NO TRACE! This is an unprotected historical area. Do not take or leave anything, and be careful around the rocks.
I hope that anyone who decides to visit has a great time! If you do go, please let me know how your trip was and if you have any tips or additions to my post. I’ll be happy to update this space!
Image courtesy: whizchickenonabun on Flickr
The following has been cross-posted from my entry on the NetSquared Blog:
I’ve recently been involved with community building around community building via weekly #commbuild Twitter chats. This concept is a bit meta, I know, but I’ve found it to be a really great way to connect with other people in my position. Since there are so many community builders involved with the Net2 network in various ways, I wanted to be sure to let you all know about this new opportunity.
What is #CommBuild?
#CommBuild focuses on issues and topics relevant to those working on community building or in community management roles. These chats originated out of the #4Change network and are open to anyone interested in learning and sharing about building community, on and offline, with the use of social media or other technology tools.
Anyone interested in community building, whether you are formally in a Community Management job or not, is welcome to join the group and participate in the weekly chats.
How to Participate
- Join the group to participate in discussions, share resources, and more
- Participate in the Twitter chats weekly, on Tuesdays, from 1-2 pm EST at #CommBuild
Today’s #CommBuild Chat is a more informal one and does not have a specific topic planned. I encourage you to stop by and introduce yourself, and suggest a topic if you have something on your mind!
One of amazing things that is common-place in the middle east is seeing people driving like crazy people. And, I don’t mean the crazy drivers like you see in America or England. In the US or the UK, we call someone driving 15 miles/hr faster than anyone else, driving on the shoulder, or flashing their lights a “crazy driver”. We see all that here, but that’s just the normal way to get around town.
There’s some real craziness that goes on here. This past weekend, for instance, we were driving down Thalia street in Jeddah and saw a group of guys on motorcycles. Doing wheelies, standing wheelies, 90 degree standing wheelies, in traffic… without helmets. And, as I told my friends about this the other night, pretty much all of them had stories of seeing similarly dangerous activities on the streets of Jeddah.
I’m not going to get on my high horse about helmets or the safety of other people on the road. Obviously, I don’t support any of it, and am terrified and horrified that anyone would even consider getting involved. Which lead me to a serious question: why would anyone do that?
So, I did a bit of youtube research to try to better understand. Here are a few of the youtube videos I could find of the types of driving we hear about - and occasionally witness – in Saudi:
Road surfing:
More surfing:
Drifting:
Wheelies:
MIA – Bad Girls
I even found a post by American Bedu posted today on a smilar topic. The video in her post is purportedly from Morocco, but definitely glorifies Arab drifting, as well:
I wouldn’t like to speculate what makes young Saudi men want to get involved in this activity here, but I’d love to know what you think. Why would anyone do this?
I was recently contacted by a reader about housing and transportation at KAUST and I thought her questions would make a good topic for my next blog post.
My husband and I just accepted a job with KAUST school for 2012-2013 school year. I was wondering if you happen to have photos of the townhouse accommodations and/or the location? As well, would you know if people at KAUST often seem to purchase cars and the process they go through for that? Thanks again.
So.. here’s to hoping I can answer your questions, Georgina!
Housing
Let’s start with the houses. My husband and I live in a two-bedroom townhouse. As you didn’t mention any kids, I’m assuming that you’ll be in a house similar to ours.
There are several different types of houses here and they are all pretty much variations on the same theme. For the most part a two-bedroom townhouse is pretty similar to all the other two-bedroom townhouses at KAUST. They’ll have slightly different proportions and back yards for instance, but the inside is mostly the same – and with the same or similar furnishings too.
This is pretty weird at first – you walk into your friends’ house and it is almost identical to yours. Okay, that’s still weird for us actually.
As for location, all of the KAUST housing-stock is inside the compound where the University is. There are a few residential areas – the Gardens, the Harbor and the Island. There are all types of houses in all areas. Gardens houses are the newest and may even be brand new when you move in. Island houses tend to have larger back yards.
Here are a few photos of our house that we took when we first moved here:
Here's the guest room. To the left of the shot is a dressing room and en suite.
Guest room en suite. There are four bathrooms in this house - I never knew anyone could need so many places to pee!
View from the front door. Downstairs is the kitchen, dining room, living room, and maid's quarters (yes.. maid's quarters... aka Muttley's room!)
The kitchen
Living room and dining room
living room
Dining room
Back yard as photographed through the screen door. What was I thinking?!
Front of house. It was really, really humid the day I took this photo - hence the foggy lense. Look through the fog :-)
Guest room balcony
Transportation
As for your question of transportation, you have a lot of options. First, you really don’t need a car unless you want one. The busses on compound go around to anywhere on the compound you’d want to go and come often. Also, the compound is really small so all you really need is a bicycle to get around. We rode ours on the warmest days of the summer and coldest days of the winter – and there is a bike shop for repairs on campus. There are also taxis and free busses to go into Jeddah. Many, many people here do not bother getting cars.
If you do want a vehicle, you have your choice of moped, motorcycle, dune buggy, quad bike, golf cart, or an actual car. Yes, you see all of these around campus!
The bike shop on campus sells dune buggies and quad bikes, I think. And, you can often find ads at Tamimi (our local grocery store) or on the private “KAUST-for sale” facebook group for vehicles for sale.
I really hope these tips help you, Georgina. Let us know when you arrive and we can welcome you to town!
Photo courtesy oceandesetoiles on Flickr
When we first moved to Saudi, one of the things I was most excited about was learning Arabic. I had some friends in university with me who had taken it, and found it very rewarding. Plus, I was moving to Saudi Arabia — how could I live in a country and NOT speak the language?
Only one problem: KAUST operates in English. Don’t get me wrong here, I totally support that decision by the university administrators and we never would have been able to move here if there was an Arabic-language requirement for my husband’s job. But, living in an English-language community is not really conducive to learning Arabic, and there are surprisingly few opportunities here to learn Arabic here on campus.
There is a nice woman who holds regular Arabic classes for free at the community library. I gave that class a shot for a few weeks, but found it to be very difficult to follow and I gave up (If you’re considering taking this class, please don’t let me put you off, though!! I think everyone should give it a try.)
Then, we had the Winter Enrichment Program. WEP is a yearly program held at the university designed to bring together brilliant minds from around the world to present on interesting topics at KAUST. Some events are related to the mission of the university, some are for the kids, some are just general interest. I went to a brilliant talk on the history of Jeddah and a Science Show with Dr. Bunhead from Brainiac for instance. I also signed up for a beginner’s Arabic class taught in 45 minute increments over 5 days.
I thought this class was so great! The teacher, Muhammed, was funny, smart, and a very experienced teacher. We had an easy to follow curriculum, clear goals for the class, and resources on the WEP Acadox site. We learned numbers, letters, days of the week, and some words and phrases. As he said “Arabic is a rich language”. It’s not difficult, but it does take a big effort to get over the hurdle of understanding the alphabet and writing words.
I was so impressed by how far we got in the class in just 5 days! It really inspired me to re-start my quest for learning Arabic.
So, my next big step is to decide: HOW? Sadly, the class I liked was only a special feature for WEP, and I will not be able to attend regularly (Muhammed – if you’re reading this, please consider teaching us regularly!). I didn’t find the other class on campus worked too well for me (though perhaps I need to give it another shot?). What are my other options? Perhaps I can do Rosetta Stone? This is a very expensive program, but I’ve learned practically everything I know from my computer, so perhaps that’s the best solution?
Have you learned Arabic at KAUST or in some self-taught way? What’s your advice for beginners? How do you suggest learning? And, what did you struggle with as you learned?
I am so proud to be working at the intersection of technology and social change. One of the organizations that has helped me further my various projects along the way is NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network. I’ve been a member since Wendy Harman got me interested in using social media on behalf of the American Red Cross. Since then, I’ve been lucky to connect and learn from the NTEN network on a daily basis.
Today, I’m sending all my #NTENthanks to the NTEN team and the wider community that has made such a massive impact via the use of innovative technologies!
Have you been impacted by NTEN? Share your thanks as part of NTEN’s Member Appreciation month! And, find out all the fun and free celebrations they have in store through the end of November.
The KAUST Wiki is a great resource for community members and people thinking of moving here. It is designed to be a community created and maintained resource of information about living and working at the University.
For people who have not come to KAUST before, this wiki provides an invaluable look at the inner-workings of the community since (sadly) many of the community service websites are only available on campus (or via a VPN for established employees).
At the moment, the KAUST wiki is a bit unloved and out of date, but a few of us continually volunteering our time to improve the site. One of the great things about it is that anyone can make edits! When you visit the site, if you see information that is out of date, needs updating, or is hard to read, just go ahead and make the change you want to make! Here’s how:
- Go to http://kcomm.wikispaces.com/
- Click “Join” in the top right corner and create an account, then log in.
- Navigate to the page you wish to edit
- Click “edit” and make the changes you wish to see
…detailing the trip I took to Dubai to get my spouse visa for Saudi. If you need to go to Dubai to get a visa for Saudi Arabia, read the first part. Skip to the second part if you want a few recommendations of things to do while in Dubai.
The Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world
The Visa
I am one of the lucky KAUST spouses that was able to accompany my husband at the same time that he moved to Saudi. Traditionally, the process is:
- The employee is hired by KAUST
- S/he moves to KAUST
- S/he obtains their residency card (iqama)
- S/he uses the iqama to bring the rest of the family to the country.
This process can take a month or two and can be difficult on families. For the person in Saudi, it’s hard to be in a new place all alone; for the person in the home country, the details of a move can be overwhelming and having your partner’s help can be crucial. I’m sure it’s tough on kids too.
I am not too familiar with the ins and outs of the tourism/visitor rules for KSA, but what I do know know is that the only way you can to get into the country is if you have a good reason – hajj/umrah, employment, or immediate family of a skilled worker etc. Luckily for me, my parents also work at KAUST, so when Kevin got his initial invite into the Kingdom, I was able to get a 3-month visitors visa as an immediate family member of my parents’, thereby bypassing the month or two delay between Kevin’s arrival and my own.
My visitor visa was due to expire soon, so it was time to get myself associated as Kevin’s spouse, and make our move official. But, the spouse visa must be issued outside of the kingdom, and you must use it to get into the country to be official.
So, lucky for me, the closest, cheapest, easiest place to visit was Dubai! This was very exciting news for me because I have never been to Dubai before and was eager to experience the modern middle east at it’s best.
Once I arrived in Dubai, I had someone from KAUST facilitating the process on my behalf that was able to make the process happen pretty quick (3 days). If you don’t have that, I would recommend spending at least a week in Dubai to make all of the pieces come together.
- Step 1: Medical. I went to the Preventative Care Clinic at the Al Baraha hospital to have my medical done. It consisted of a chest x-ray and a blood test. I was not impressed with the sterility of the hospital – I recommend bringing your own alcohol swab :-). I went first thing in the morning and spent about an hour at the hospital – they have a swift operation there – but I imagine it probably gets clogged up at busy times. Under ordinary circumstances, the medical takes two days.
Paperwork needed at the medical: Copy of passport & 2 passport size photos. They also wanted a copy of my previous visa to Saudi.
Costs: 280 AED - Step 2: Typing. I used Al Rumi Business-man services to get all my paperwork completed for submission to the embassy. The office was busy and a little overwhelming, but the paperwork was done in less than 2 hours.
Paperwork needed for Typing: My visa invite number (provided by my employer on a yellow paper), copy of marriage certificate, copy of husband’s iqama, medical paperwork.
Costs: 150 AED - Step 3: Embassy. Once my medical and the typing were completed, I took both sets of paperwork to the Saudi embassy along with my passport. I had a contact at the embassy, but I never met him in person. I simply left my paperwork at the gatehouse for him and returned the next day to pick it up. I understand though that this process usually takes 3-4 days.
Paperwork needed at the embassy: Everything from Al Rumi (including the medical paperwork)
Costs: none or possibly waived for some reason.
The whole time, I kept waiting for some piece of the process to not come together. In the end though, it all happened swiftly and without much trouble at all. The folks on the GASC team at KAUST were a real help in getting all of this done. I was so impressed with their service, and so appreciative of their kind attentiveness to my situation.
One thing that really helped the process was having a local mobile phone. I have an unlocked iphone, so just picked up a new sim at the Du Store at the Dubai airport. It cost about 50 AED and was well worth it, as the hospital, Al Rumi, and the embassy all wanted a contact number for me.
The only real trouble for me was that each day I had to go into town and, not knowing Dubai very well, I booked a hotel that was at Jumeriah Beach which was about a 85 AED trip by taxi. If I had to do it again, I would book a hotel at Bur Dubai or somewhere along Dubai Creek- it’s still a fun area, but much closer to the hospital, Al Rumi, and the Saudi consulate.
View Dubai Visa Trip in a larger map
I hope that if you need to do the same process as I did that this blog post will help you. If it has, leave me a note and let me know if I missed anything!
The Fun Part
My mom decided to join me on my trip. I did all the visa stuff on my own, but I was able to enjoy my down time with my mom, which was great! Here were a few of the highlights for us:
- The Sofitel Hotel - this new, modern hotel is right on Jumeriah Beach and is centrally located among many restaurants and hotels. It’s located in a fun area & everyone here seems to be rich – with expensive cars and expensive restaurants. But, since you’re in Dubai it’s worth taking it all in as part of the experience! There is a nice pool on the 3rd floor with views of the beach and one of the palm islands. The rooms are lovely and the staff were very helpful. The only downside was that the wifi wasn’t working properly – and the wifi was one of the main reasons we chose the hotel!
- The Old souk in Bur Dubai – here we met many Indian, Pakistani, and Afghan workers at a souk designed with history in mind. The wood roofing and doors harkened back to an earlier time, and there were some lovely indian and arab goods to buy. It was a very nice souk indeed!
- Ravi Pakistani restaurant – this is the definition of authentic. There is nothing glitzy-glam about this place but the food was excellent. If you like Pakistani food, check this place out. We ate dinner for 2 for less than 10 USD.
- The Atlantis – on the other end of the spectrum from Ravi, this place is a resort for the ultra-rich. My mom and I were curious about the Palm Island and Atlantis so we took a trip out to see it. Lucky for us, we were able to skip by the security guards and make it down to the beach (if you work for Atlantis and are reading this, I’m sorry and I promise not to do it again!). We got a nice view:
I’m also happy to report that we didn’t spend a dime while we were there :-)
The Atlantis Hotel
- The Beach Bar at the One and Only hotel – This place was a little hard to find upon entering the hotel, but if you want a really nice meal at a reasonable price, check this place out. One important thing to know about Dubai is that alcohol is only allowed during certain hours, and is only served at hotels. Since we can’t drink in Saudi, a drink with dinner added to the special treat of eating at the Beach Bar. I got the Seafood Platter and it was to die for.
I also wanted to share a few recommendations that friends shared with me, that I wish I had the time to explore:
Food:
- Buddha Bar in Grovesnor Hotel (very atmospheric for a cocktail) - Dubai Marina Area (Suggestion from Barbara Blakemore McKee)
- Cuban Restaurant (El Malecon) and the Mexican Restaurant (Loca) - At Dubai Marine Resort on Jumeriah Beach Road (Suggestion from Barbara Blakemore McKee)
- Automatic Restaurant, locations all over Dubai - Best Chicken Swarma and cheap (Suggestion from Barbara Blakemore McKee)
- “Have high tea or a drink at the Burj. Lunch at lime tree cafe and get carrot cake for desert!” (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Dinner at Sho Chos at the Dubai Marine resort and spa in Jumeriah (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Indoor Skiing - The Mall of the Emirates (Suggestion from Amanda Kirby and Barbara Blakemore McKee)
- Sand Boarding in the desert (Suggestion from Jason Harris and Alison Stockham)
- Day trip to Abu Dhabi – “their mosque is amazing, eat lots of Baklava…” (Suggestion from Lisneyda Linares)
- Spa at Wafi (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Go to Atlantis and swim with the dolphins and a fun water park there. (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Dubai Mall – “Dubai Mall is a must as it has lots to do – you can see the Burj Khalifa, the huge aquarium, fountain lightshow, etc” (Suggestion from Jason Harris and Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Shop at Karama for knock off clothes, purses, jewelry and good gift stuff (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
- Souks: Gold souk, spice souk (Suggestion from Cortney Fechtmeyer AlIesa)
It turns out that Dubai is much bigger and grander than we expected, and much less glitzy-glam. I was expecting the Las Vegas of the Middle East. What I got was SO much better.
On this blog, I share information about social innovation, expat life, and other things I find generally interesting.
