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Interesting topic.  I've been "couch surfing" here in PDX for three years - I live outside of Portland, but work here 4 days a week and so for the last 3 years I've stayed at friends houses 1 to 2 nights a week, which having formerly lived in Portland I have lots of friends "couches".  Its saved me a ton of $ for not having to rent a place AND I get to stay in touch with my friends! Now friends call me too if they are heading out of town to ask me to stay while they are out.  They appreciate having someone stay there while they are gone that they know. 

So a different take on international couch surfing, which I've also done and open to others here.

I've also had people stay at my place, including the writer Rita Goldman-Geldman (author of the book Tales of a Female Nomad) who was in town for a reading. I really wanted to meet her to talk about her traveling life - so e-mailed her and she ended up staying at my place and we've kept in touch for years.  Another time I had a kayking Kiwi guys stay that I met on the river, again we've kept in touch over the years - yet to make it to his couch though!

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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I believe both are important and have been involved in both - as a professional (20 years experience) and as a volunteer.  My emphasis over the last 4-5 years has switched to abroad, namely b/c the issues many are faced w/ in developing countries FAR exceed the issues faced here - at least on a poulation basis - which is where my interest lay.  Here I have focused on policy issues - b/c here the problems seem to not so much be resources and expertise, but the WILL of the people (in the powers that be) to create change. 

Regardless, I think the work abroad should focus on doing high quality, evidence-based work that is focused on sustainability and lasting change using appropriate technology that the local community and government has ownership in and can support on its own long after the NGO or volunteers are gone and forgotten.  I'm not a big fan of just sending unskilled volunteers off into the big world to do tasks - like volunteering in an orphanage that locals could do.  While it's good for educating and changing the person doing the volunteering - it, I believe, does little to create systemic change abroad and the $ spent to send the person oversees would be better spent by the people in the country to cover meet the needs.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
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Yes - the program is called Professionals Training in Global Health - its a 10 week course of mid career health professionals - find out more here - http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/continuing-education/global-health-center/

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
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