Hi there!

Hi. Welcome to my blog.

If you’re here, reading this very first post, chances are it’s because you know me in real life, or because you know somebody that knows me, or because the Google algorithms failed and this blog showed up. Hopefully if you’re reading this in the very far away future, it’s because I am wildly successful, having dazzled the world with my solutions for problems in international development (with accompanying TED talk, obviously). Either way, I am still going to introduce myself.

I’m Lauren. B.A. Soon-to-be-MSc. Also a foodie, a feminist, a romantic, a voracious reader, a runner, a linguist, a philosopher, a nerd, and a fashionista, when I am not in leggings for months on end (thank you, grad school). I LOVE to travel and want to go everywhere. I have just finished the requirements for my MSc in Development Studies at the London School of Economics. After 18+ continuous years of schooling, the past 8 of which I spent much time thinking about international politics and development issues, I’m heading into the real world. In January 2012 I will be heading to Uganda for six months to DO development work for the first time. I am SO excited!

In Uganda, I will be working with an incredible organization called Restless Development. Their mission is to place young people at the forefront of change and development by empowering youth to engage in policy processes, to make responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, and to acquire the skills needed to pursue meaningful livelihood opportunities. This means that I will be working with young people for young people to make sure that we take charge of our own present and future.

This blog is a way of keeping my amazing friends and family updated while I am living on yet another continent! Until my departure, I will be posting updates about my trip to Uganda, information about fundraising (more on this below), and my thoughts on various issues connected to development work. I hope that when I return from Uganda, this blog can continue to be a place where I discuss important current issues and debates as I find my own place in the world.

Finally, this wouldn’t be a blog about development if I didn’t start to answer the following question: what can you do? I am very fortunate to have been able to study development and to have the opportunity to do work on the ground. However, there are still many things you can do if you are not going to devote weeks or months or years or a career to development but you still want to make a difference. Here are my starting suggestions:

1. Support me! I need to fundraise $6700 to support my trip to Uganda. This not only covers my flight, training costs, and living expenses for six months, but also supports the projects I will be working on as well as Restless Development’s other ongoing work. I have already raised over $2500, and I will be holding some fundraising events throughout the fall (stay tuned, especially if you are in Calgary or Vancouver!). I am even running a half-marathon (that is 13.1 miles, people) in November. I will be calling on you to donate, so please visit my Just Giving page, or see me in person. Any amount helps.

2. Stay informed. Read this blog, read books (fiction and non-fiction), and read a variety of news. Being informed has infinite benefits for you, your community, and the world. You become smarter (and smart is sexy, if you ask me). Your democracy and your planet can become healthier if you make more informed choices. You can learn to sort through a barrage of conflicting information (Does aid work? Why do we give so much with so few results? How do we know what organizations to support?) to make a positive difference in the world. To this end, I will be sharing a recommended reading list and book reviews in the coming months.

3.   Share the love. Share this blog with your family, friends, co-workers, significant others, and twitter followers. Let them know that I am fundraising, and I will love you forever. Also, be sure to talk to them about current issues! Comment on this blog, share your opinion through your own social media platform, and educate others.

I hope you enjoy following me through my next great adventure.

Until next time,

L