“To my heroes in business and in life – thank you for teaching me that if you never stop learning and believe in yourself, great things are possible. You have made more of a difference than you could ever imagine. I owe you a lifetime of gratitude.
- My employer and my boss – who I continue to admire and learn from everyday.
- My graduate professor Fritz Cropp who allowed me flexibility in my graduate research scope, the tools and knowledge to bring it together, and believed in the vision I set before myself. Plus, he reminded to live a little every now and then.
- My friend Lacey, for without you, I know I would not have survived the practical joys (and challenges) that come along with moving from Kansas to Washington D.C.
- All the amazing, social media, social marketing and non-profit minds that exist within the blogosphere, Twitter…it is you all who propel the conversation and demand more of us practitioners everyday, and I love every minute.
- To the new friends I’ve made, you rock. You are solid, supportive, and good people.
- To my beloved fiance, I love you. Each and every day. Who would imagine we’d go from running hurdles on the track together to fast forward, living our dream in Washington, D.C.
- And finally, my parents. Words cannot express. At the very least, thank you for teaching me to 1) always believe in your dreams and 2) always believe in working hard to achieve them. And that along the way, you can never be too gracious.
With that, I hope this Carnival session encourages you to share the love. Extend a hand. And tell someone the difference they’ve made in your life.
Do you know anyone else who deserves a moment? Tell us about them. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a person. This edition of the carnival asks submitters to “Give Thanks!” by taking a moment and sharing the tools, resources, mentors, etc. that you appreciate.
This is your opportunity to give a shout-out. Even if it’s a quick e-mail blurb, all messages of gratefulness will be shared.
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Theme: “Give thanks! Tell us which tools, resources, menotrs, etc. have aided you or what you are thankful for this past year.”
Deadline: Monday, November 17, Midnight
To Submit: Submit your permalink to npc.carnival@yahoo.com or use the BlogCarnival submission form. If you are sending to Yahoo directly, please include the edition date in your subject line.
]]>In the Carnival for Change, Karama “explore the web for interesting items relating to social justice, health, education, and opportunity.” To submit posts or to see past carnivals, click here. In the meantime, enjoy learning more about another great addition to the neighborhood!
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Blog Name: So What Can I Do? – The public service weblog promoting ethics in action.
Blog Topics: Posts focus on actions readers can take that make a positive difference in our world. My goal is for readers to recognize that we all are able to contribute to a better society, and be inspired to do so. Mahatma Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” is our mantra.
About the Author: Karama Neal is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and am a proud Southerner. I live with my husband and daughter in the Atlanta area.
If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?
I’d live at the corner of Justice Drive and Peace Way.
Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?
Octavia Butler. She’s my favorite writer, as her characters remind me that vastly more is possible than most of us believe.
What first prompted you to blog?
The conversations at my dinner parties always turned to the problems in society. My friends and I could go on for hours about what was wrong with the world, but after a while I wanted to focus more on solutions. I decided to create a forum for collecting, disseminating, and discussing all the ways we can make a positive difference in the world. Blogging is the perfect medium for my idea, and in October 2004, I launched So What Can I Do.
If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?
“NO XQS” It’s so easy to find reasons not to do what we know is right or good. I try not to let myself do that. Likewise, I encourage my readers (and myself) to act for a better future rather than rationalize the status quo.
What’s your favorite blog post and why?
Sometimes folks think the only way they can contribute to solving the world’s problems is by donating money. Of course, that is not true, and my favorite posts tend to focus on ways almost everyone can give, regardless of how much money they have. Examples include donating blood, tissues, and related items, using cloth napkins, and gaming for change.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?
Because the blogosphere is so accessible, the act of blogging makes one particularly accountable for what one writes. I’ve transferred that idea to my professional life, where I’ve become an advocate for open access publishing. Most academic research is published in expensive, hard-to-find journals. Open access publishing puts research papers on the web, where the public (who often funds research) can read, critique, and use it. It’s like blogging for tenure.
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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:
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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to โGet to know your neighbor,โ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.
]]>The Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants will be hosted here at SocialButterfly next week, June 16th. This carnival was originally started by Kivi Leroux Miller over at Nonprofit Communications. Today, the carnival is hosted by a different leading nonprofit and social change blogger each week.
This is my first shot at being a host for the Carnival, so I’m looking forward to reading your submissions. This week is an open call, course, I am privy to social marketing– and social change-related topics.
To submit to the carnival:
Deadline is Midnight, Friday, June 6th.
See you at the Carnival next week…right next to the giant, potatoe sack slide…that’s always been my favorite ride! =)
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