More thoughts on Kiva

This little web site has been getting a lot of press lately. After following it for a year I finally signed up, and I am now trying to encourage others to do the same.

Why? Because it is one of the only ways that we as Americans can put our money where our mouths are.

Kiva.org shows that on an individual level, we can help people in need and do it with dignity. Sites like Kiva.org can help improve the tarnished image of Americans as self-centered and ignorant of the world around them. It may even go beyond "buying our way out" of the negativity produced by the past few years of poor decision making by our administration.

To the extent that we have control over our own finances, and our relative luxury, those of us who *can* help *should*. Kiva.org provides a critical link to the global effort to fight poverty and encourage traditional culture to thrive. But don't take my word for it. At least visit the site once and read it over.

Bloomsburg to Italy?

The Bloomsburg Fair
A full week of fried food, farm animals and funky smells... though I could do without the fireworks. I'm trying to keep my parking spot while I can, and will stay out of the traffic as much as possible.

Starbucks comes to Bloom!?
Yeah, I know, corporate coffee in Bloomsburg? What does it mean? It depends on who you ask. For now I am looking at it as a plus because they have good coffee and it's closer than Dunkin' Donuts (if a bit pricy).

Quizno's...
How many *!%^-ing sub shops can we sustain? It's certainly better than PUFF or similar businesses taking up space on Main St. I am looking forward to the new burrito place that is coming in PUFF's place too.

Italy 2008!
A tentative trip to Northern Italy in Summer 2008 with American Music Abroad is in the works. Details are a bit sketchy right now, but it looks like it is going to happen one way or another. So if anyone has contacts in that part of the world, please let me know.

A few words about music listening

Most of the time my car radio is tuned to NPR. During my short commute during weekdays, I like to catch Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Otherwise, I listen to very little traditional radio these days. The obnoxious DJs on most stations are a major turnoff, and there are only so many times I can handle hearing the same stuff over and over again.

My music collection has become quite immense. I’ll often do work around the house while listening to Malian Blues, Qawwali, American Blues, Afro-Cuban, Indian fusion, and Salsa. Occasionally a Classical or Baroque disk might make its way in. Otherwise, it all depends on the mood, and what seems interesting based on other research that I am doing. (For example, when I first wrote this, my listening included 1930-1940s show tunes and popular music as research for a theatre project.)

As far as individual artists go, Bjork, Tom Waits, Cat Stevens, Peter Gabriel and Beck are often on the CD player when I want to be inspired. Bands like Jethro Tull, Steel Eye Span, Genesis and Pink Floyd still creep into my listening from time to time, but they are more likely to be replaced by modern equivalents or a broader range of music that breaks outside of the Classic Rock idiom.

Via an iPod, my bedtime ritual usually includes numerous ney and oud collections by Turkish artists, my favorite of which is Erkan Ogur. The music is soothing and reflective, and best appreciated when the rest of the world has quieted down.

When I’m not up late recording or writing my own music, I typically work on my web site while listening to podcasts from NPR Religion, Songlines Music Magazine or National Geographic World Music Explorer.

Collecting music used to be a matter of having albums by a few favorite artists, or perhaps collecting songs to learn for performance. These days, the tremendous accessibility of rare recordings from all over the world via new CD releases and the web has completely changed how I listen to and appreciate music. It has become a hobby of its own, and something that gets more interesting year after year.

I’ve found the best way to appreciate music is to listen at least four times:

In the background, not even paying attention
In the car
On a good system at home, paying attention.
Through headphones.

Of course, with so much music, it is rarely possible to do that with every recording. This approach is probably not advisable for a recording you do not like after the first listen, but I have found that things can really grow on you if you give them a chance. Often times, our state of mind on a given day, or environmental factors can also impact our reaction to a recording, so a second or third listen may turn out to be what is needed to make you aware of a truly enjoyable artist/album.

Investing... Kiva

For some time I have been looking for socially responsible and culturally relevant ways to invest some of my “disposable income”. Jews and Muslims have this sort of thing built in to their religion. To some extent, so do Buddhists. Right Livelihood (in the modern sense, how we make our money) and Right Living (how we spend our money) are two concepts that seem to come together on this issue. Careful analysis of my own spending revealed there were better ways I could use my money after meeting my own obligations.

I am a firm believer in “thinking globally and acting locally.” I also know that no change in the world at large will take place without individual change. With these values in mind, I will talk below about two things I am doing that have been a long time coming.

After procrastinating for several years, I finally made time to investigate my options for socially responsible investing with my retirement account. Two separate representatives at Fidelity Investments (my employers fund manager) explained that there were no options available for my current employer plan. Knowing I would probably not get much further, I decided to talk to my HR representative anyway.

According to HR, Geisinger gets a handful of requests for socially responsible options each year, but they do not currently offer any. The enrollment for those options was very low, and the associated fees high, so it was not cost effective for Geisinger to keep the plan available. One problem is that “socially responsible investing” is still somewhat vague. It does not have its own investment “class” on the spectrum of risk/return like money market and international funds do.

My only option, I am told, is to investigate each mutual fund offered by my employer, and then find each underlying company within that fund. If I find green funds, or specific companies I believe in, then I can move my options around to those funds. If not, then I am on my own, requiring a separate, private investing account. The HR rep admitted that most people do not care about their retirement plans enough to even open their statements, let alone look for special investments options. I think if more people did, then there would be more people interested in socially responsible investing.

Of course, it will take some time to go through those funds and paperwork. What I hope to accomplish is to pull my money out of places I don’t want it to be (cigarette companies, weapons systems, WalMart, etc.) and place it into more suitable places. I’d also like to pick and choose what companies and manufacturers get my money because there are quite a few out there doing good work. We’re not talking huge sums here, but I figure every little bit helps.

Outside of investing (where there is some expectation of return), last year (2006) I learned of Kiva.org, a web site designed to link lenders with entrepreneurs in developing nations. This seemed like a great idea, and I intended to enroll. When I first began studying Kiva, their web site crashed after a PBS program about them aired. The response was so overwhelming that their servers couldn’t handle the hits!

Since then, Kiva has been in the back of my mind. NPR recently ran an interview with Bill Clinton who apparently mentions Kiva in his new book “Giving”. Reminded by this, I recently returned to the site to sign up, and found that they still existed, but due to overwhelming response from the Oprah Winfrey show and Bill Clinton’s book, Kiva currently doesn’t have any clients in need. I am sure there are other similar sites, but judging from the response Kiva has had, and the number of people involved, they will probably be my choice once some new postings are made.

Ideally, what I’d like to do is find entrepreneurs in specific lines of work (food production, water treatment, education, arts) to loan small sums to – not just to make myself feel better as a world citizen – but in some small way to combat the negativity that has been created by so many other people with so much more money. I try to do what I can on the local level by supporting intercultural programs and battling racism in small ways, and by producing art that reflects on many of the same issues.

More about Kiva (from their website):

Kiva.org is a non-profit that allows you to make a small 0% loan to low income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). Individuals like you can help provide affordable working capital for the poor -- money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc. -- and empower them to earn their way out of poverty.

They go on to say that you, "get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest [a] checking account pays."

I have to agree.