Profile: Bethany Warner

       Bethany Warner is a recent graduate and now current staff member at Richmond University working in Human Resources and Property Services. Having studied International Relations and maintaining a particular interest in Security and Global Governance, she was drawn to take part in RIAN’s Sierra Leone initiative to experience firsthand the strategies being implemented to encourage local growth in the developing world.
She believes it is a great opportunity also for the Richmond community to be a part of this project as it exemplifies the unique cultural atmosphere here at Richmond and provides the potential for future students to extend their learning experience outside of the classroom.

Profile: Blythe Brauer

       

            Blythe Brauer is a senior at Richmond, graduating in May 2011 with a degree in History. She joined R.I.A.N. to gain experience working with a charitable organization in developing countries, a career path she hopes to pursue after completing a post-graduate degree in International Human Rights Law. Blythe believes that it is important for students at Richmond, an institution which fosters diversity and multiculturalism, to be active in the international community. While in Sierra Leone, she hopes to get more insight into the circumstances of women and children in the region, a subject she is particularly interested in. Blythe is working on external fundraising and even coordination for R.I.A.N.

Minutes

Click Here to download our March 24 meeting minutes.

Profile: Sanjay Raja

        

 Sanjay Raja is a member of the graduating class of 2011 at Richmond The American International University in London. As a student of economics, his passion lies within the field of development- primarily with the completion of the MDGs. The primacy of the issue led him to co-found the R.I.A.N. initiative along with Marija T., and Ashley B. In the organisation's first field project, Sanjay hopes to lead a successful development trip to Sierra Leone, working in such issues dealing with poverty alleviation, animal husbandry, and energy security. The hope of this project is to garner experience in development work, specifically in local economic development, which he believes is crucial in attaining the UN objectives. Observing the local culture, habits, and traditions will be vital in helping create a sustainable development cycle within the local village. Sanjay hopes that this development field project will open eyes for all students, alumni, and faculty, as R.I.A.N. makes a start to initiate a change in the global community.

Profile: Stefan Kurtev

    

      Stefan Kurtev is currently studying International Relations and Political Science in Richmond, the American International University in London. In RIAN he sees the possibility of gaining invaluable experience, which could contribute to his work as a co-founder and president of the Association “Bulgaria and the World”. Furthermore, he hopes that being part of RIAN’s mission in Sierra Leone will add up to his research in the field of Human Security. According to him, being out in the field and assisting people in need will also help the RIAN team to make a better sense of what was learned in university. As part of the RIAN team, Stefan is working as an external fundraiser for the Sierra Leone project. 

Event

Profile: Ashley Barronette

Hi my name is Ashley Barronette. I am a double major in international relations and economics. I have always been highly enthusiastic about volunteering and development, especially in the advancement of underdeveloped communities. I’ve been volunteering since I was 13 and doing international volunteering trips since I was 17. RIAN is important to me because it is my future; it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. As a co-founder of RIAN it is my responsibility to take care of internal fundraising, alumni relations, recruiting and delegating responsibilities. For the future of this amazing group, I want to be fully involved in all the projects, making sure that all we do will allow for future expansion. My hope is that our current hard work is simultaneously making a difference in our present project, as well as setting up the foundation for future projects.

Book Drop!

RIAN Brochure

Click Here to download the RIAN Brochure

Event

Profile: Marija Trachtenberg

 

     Marija Trachtenberg is a 2011 graduate at Richmond, the American International University in London where she majored in Economics. After talking with Sanjay Raja and Ashley Barronette, they decided to co-found R.I.A.N. as a way to get first-hand and practical experience in local development. Her role as co-founder is to train and recruit upcoming Richmond undergraduates to continue R.I.A.N.’s work and fill different roles. Additionally, as an external fundraiser she works with Richmond’s community and other businesses to bring much needed resources to sustain the project. She hopes that students see this as an opportunity to develop their skills while working towards meeting the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. With the help of Richmond University faculty, staff, alumni, and undergraduates, R.I.A.N. has transformed itself from an idea to a reality.

 

Upcoming events

• Pancake Night in Richmond (March 19)  

• Midnight Pizza in Kensington (March 19)

• Adopt-an-animal in Richmond and Kensington (March 21-25) 

• Midnight Pizza in Richmond (March 30) 

• Raffle (Spring Fest – April 15) 

• Art Sale (Spring Fest – April 15) 

• Book Drop in Richmond and Kensington
   

Meeting

Click Here to download our March 16th meeting updates.

Updates

We got our first £1,000 donation!!!!!!! This is beyond exciting, that's enough to buy 10,000 rain forest trees! It is amazing how far a little can go. Thank you again everyone for your amazing support!

Upcoming Fundraising:  This Saturday at 6pm in Richmond, we will be having a delicious pancake night, so please everyone come and show your support!

We have two Raffle events that are coming up, the first is a set of tickets to Thorpe Park, one of the most popular amusement parks in Europe.

The second raffle is really quite amazing! A very generous gift from Ed Bentham of the Atlantic Whale Foundation, two people will be able to go on a one-week volunteer camp in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands!!

We have a few other projects in the works, but I will let you know more about them as they are finalized.

Nora

   

Minutes

CLICK HERE to download our March 3rd meeting minutes

Profile: Melanie Cole

    

    Melanie Cole is currently in her third year at Richmond, The International University in London where she majors in International Relations and holds a double minor in Political Science and Theatre. She was born and raised just outside of Seattle in Tacoma, WA where she studied theatre and music at Tacoma School of the Arts. As the project manager for RIAN's Creative Arts Center, Melanie is able to combine her passion for the arts with her knowledge of development. This opportunity has led her to explore the the arts as a viable facet of development planning. Through working with RIAN, Melanie hopes to gain experience in development planning and help create valuable artistic and expressive opportunities for the people of York. 

Profile: Nora Goldberg

 

          I am a junior at Richmond the International University in London, majoring in International Relations. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, while going to school there and in New Mexico. Starting at a very young age, I would spend my vacations and summers abroad with my European family. I am very excited to be responsible for RIANs Internet activities, as well as assisting with other fundraising activities. It makes me not only very proud to be able to go to Sierra Leone, but also to be learning more about the hard work that goes into making this project a reality, such as the fundraising and community outreach aspects. Through this amazing project, I hope that I am able to better understand the grassroots efforts involved in international relations, as well as bring to the people of York the tools to secure themselves in a rapidly globalized world.

Welcome

Welcome to the first RIAN blog posting! The blog is still in the baby stages, so I apologize for the lack of information. As things start progressing there will be a lot more current information being put up.

At the moment we are still in the fundraising phases, we have a long way to go before we are able to make it to Sierra Leone. We have a lot of fundraising ideas in the works and I will be posting photos as things become finalized. We will be putting out boxes in the lobby's of both campuses where student can donate books that we will be selling on ebay to be put towards our goal of £25,000. Remember every little bit helps!  Also we are putting up a sign in the Kensington Lobby showing how close we are to our goal, very exciting!

Look out for the profiles of all the students who are working very hard to make sure this project happens! There is going to be 15 of us going on the trip to Sierra Leone, but there are many others who are working just as hard that will be unable to be with us ther.

Thats for all, but there is much much more to come!

Nora

Where we are working: York, Sierra Leone

R.I.A.N’s initial project will be in support of an alumnus, Olu Tejan Cole, who returned to his country of birth (Sierra Leone) to help rebuild it following a disastrous war. While attending Richmond, Olu participated in Richmond’s Career Apprenticeship and International Field Study Programme in Sierra Leone. While there, Olu worked alongside Ed Bentham, chair of the Atlantic Whale Foundation (AWF), of which Olu later became a trustee. Ed Bentham was formerly a professor at Richmond University and so it follows that R.I.A.N is a product of the university’s continued relationship with Richmond alumnus Olu Cole and former Richmond faculty, Ed Bentham.

Our team is advised by Dr. Sabine Spangenberg, Professor of Economics and Finance and is registered as a part of the Richmond Foundation, charity number 288205. 

Project 1: Animal Husbandry (Food Security)

OVERVIEW

Sierra Leone’s economy and its entire farming infrastructure were destroyed during the civil war. Even though the war ended eight years ago, nothing has been done to get the farms back in operation. R.I.A.N will be collaborating with the AWF in bringing food production back to York, Sierra Leone. AWF is working with nutritionists to monitor the impacts of increased food supply on health.

  

Pigs	£2000 for 20
Chicks	£2000 for 2,000
Tilapia (fish farming)	£2000 for 2,000
Seed Stock	£1000 buys enough seed for entire village supply
Goats	£70 each
Cows	£200 each

Project 2: Preservation of Local Ecology (Reforestation)

OVERVIEW

Loggings, mining, slash and burn, and deforestation for land conversion - such as cattle grazing - have dramatically diminished forested land in Sierra Leone. Ten acres are being cleared in preparation to plant over 10,000 rainforest trees in the Upper Guinea Lowland Forest. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) designated the Upper Guinean forests, which it calls the Guinean moist forests, as one of its Global 200 critical regions for conservation. In conjunction with the AWF’s ‘Plant a Forest’ campaign to plant one million trees, RIAN will be replanting a ‘Richmond Forest’ whilst in Sierra Leone.

Goal	Tree planting
Location	Upper Guinea Lowland Forest
Cost	£1000 for 10,000 fast growing rainforest trees

Project 3: Richmond Creative Arts Center

Overview 

There are very few outlets for creative endeavour in Sierra Leone and such a resource would not only improve quality of life immeasurably but also give youths a means of making a living. Such a centre could be constructed quite cheaply.

A centerpiece of RIAN’s work will be the creation of a Creative Centre through which the energies of local peoples can be focused and harnessed. For many in the world without education, creative endeavour is a route to self expression, personal fulfillment, educational possibilities and maybe even life changing careers and opportunities

Community Center

£3,000

Project 4: Energy Security (Solar Panels)

The homes, hospitals, and streets in York are not like the ones we are familiar with in London. Electricity grids do not exist. Usually, people rely on kerosene lighting. Kerosene is highly dangerous, bad for inhalation, and is expensive. When kerosene is not affordable, the day’s productivity is dictated by the available sunlight.

The United Nations calls this energy insecurity. Sustainable energy sources are essential to a community’s productivity and ability to grow. It contributes to improved education as children can become better students, parents can increase productivity, hospitals can serve patients, and scarce income can be better spent. To sympathize, consider how often you turn on the light or rely on electricity during the day and night.

Solar Panels

£50 for a household £1,000 for street lights