In an effort to uncover humanity’s most pressing dilemmas, Brooke Dean and Levi Felix are traveling the world to meet those individuals and organizations who are addressing these problems and documenting how their activism is making a difference. Spanning topics from freedom of speech to border control; environmentalism to education, Brooke and Levi will be covering a variety of local, regional and world issues. This blog is that of their adventure and of those who they meet along their way.
ATTN: THIS IS NO LONGER A BLOG ABOUT TWO INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR ADVENTURES
To properly tell the stories of now, the voice of this blog spans the spectrum of people from across the globe who are giving back, learning completely different things, and in turn can provide a wide range of perspectives and insights into the world we live in. This is a collective of individualism and adventure.
OUR MISSION:
To cross borders. Boundaries.
To see places previously only read about in books.
To share stories in regions rarely covered by our media.
To hear voices heard only through the lips of those who have been.
To help those who may have been overlooked.
We enter a new chapter.
One of adventure, activism, sacrifice, simplicity, collaboration, curiosity, questions, persistence and perspective.
It’s a new era of influence as activism begins to show itself in ways we never imagined. From armchair revolutionaries who have formed movements of millions with just a few clicks, to travelers in India making more out of their vacation through volunteer programs, to a child and her cancer fighting lemonade stand…it’s apparent that everyone has the ability to make an impact.
We will be traveling around the world capturing stories of leadership and heroism, learning about communities in need and conflict, and connecting them with the support of those looking to give it. We will meet as many activists as possible, period; get our hands dirty, period; and come back with the weight of those no longer strangers. We will blog, vlog, tweet and make sense of all we witness, providing the online tools and ensuring that our efforts remain both sustainable and repeatable.
We will not attempt to find all the answers but will begin to learn how to ask better questions:
What is effective activism?
What is collaboration, sustainability and understanding?
How will our diverse
generation of social change build a true global culture committed to one another?
The era of charity is over. Tikkun olam, it’s evolving.
The implications and connections of all our lives are now impossible to ignore. Though our actions may be unique, our impact is one.
We walk with high hopes. To understand how we as global citizens can differ so greatly, and still collectively dream beautiful dreams all together new. Connect, learn, give, act and share.
This is our pursuit.
Because, this is the world we live in.
peace & protest,
Levi Felix + Brooke Dean + The Collective
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If you know of an individual or group that we should meet, organization or movement to volunteer with, politician or government official we should interview, in any country on any continent, please email us at BrookeSDean@gmail.com with subject title, "Activist Opportunity."
We’re always looking for talented photographers, writers, filmmakers, travelers, backpackers, organizers, vagabonds and volunteers to join the collective and start blogging with us. If you think you’d be a good fit or want to get the details about blogging, or know someone who might be interested, shoot us an email with the subject title, “Join The Collective.”
I have read through your goals and I am completely amiss as to the purpose of all of this. I would love to hear an explanation. I am a life long activist, and have worked with indigenous people’s the world over, and have argued and debated on the successes and failures of activism for over 30 years in global world capitals and think tanks, the UN and in many a gov’t political body, and I find nothing of what you are endeavoring upon here to be anymore than complete frivolity.
How are you funding this? What is your serious objective and with whom are you planning to meet and towards what end? I and many true activists, and people in the field of world change find these types of engagements to be completely counter to our world mission. We do not need another group of 20 something year olds from America flying around the world documenting their good times to make them feel like they are ‘making a difference’ and ‘assuaging their white guilt’. Please stop dead in your tracks and do something to help someone in your own community.
I am deeply troubled and saddened at the notification of this blog. It’s something we in the true global activist world are seeing so much of and it has no value to making the world a better place whatsoever. Your tweets are NOT making a difference, be clear of that. True issues of distribution of wealth and corruption are the culprits. Think globally, Act locally my friend. Don’t take a trip around the world for your hippy glamor fest and call it activism to make yourself feel better.
Join the real debate. This is child’s play and you will meet a lot of trouble on your ways and I promise you will be highly disappointed to learn that 1) the world doesn’t need your American arrogance and assumption of ability to help and 2) there are thousands of people outside of the limelight working day to day to improve the world who could care less if a 20 something kid from America shows up for a world wind tour to save the world to blog and tweet about the experience.
Jean Paul -
Thank you Jean Paul for the lifetime of activism you have given and the insight you offer. Hopefully I can add a few new thoughts to the conversation.
Most people who have traveled recognize that there is an inherit value in it. Mark Twain said it is a great destroyer of close mindedness, bigotry and naivety.
Lots of young Americans travel. This is a part of OUR culture. The young voyage. Getting the wanderlust out of our system and expanding our horizons. The search is an important part of growing up.
What is happening now is that these kids are going to the kinds of places they never went before. Rather than Europe and Mexico, they are now trying Venezuela, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Uganda on for size. And while they will more than likely cause short term damage, the long term effect is that they feel connected to these places and these people. And therein lies the enormous potential – that they will continue to fight for a freer world AND learn more about how to do it WELL.
If the kids never went there, they would never go through the incredibly steep learning curve of learning what it means to effectively help.
This is the point of Levi’s trip. To LEARN. To SEE REALITY. To break out of his Americana paradigm and walk down a different road. It’s a road he somehow knows exists, but doesn’t know where to find it. This is his search and so he will do what every searcher must do – wander.
Fortunately for him he is associated with a company like Causecast. A company trying to give non-profits the tools to succeed. They came to him and said – let’s find a way to utilize your ever-so-normal-and-needed wanderlust, so that others can share in what you learn.
There are a lot of things to be upset about in the world. Genocide. Needless. Hunger. Needless.
But a young kid traveling the world and listening to those trying to change things is not one of them.
There are those who have spent years fighting and look at our youth and roll their eyes. And then there are those who have spent years fighting and look at the youth and say – maybe you can do what we couldn’t. Maybe. Maybe you will have the tools that we didn’t have. Maybe.
And since when have activists operated out of fear? Is it not the eternal belief that something better is possible that drives us forward?
So please don’t tell the kids they shouldn’t try. Because if history is any guide, it shows us that it has always been the youth that have had the guts to demand more (and win more) freedom from those that hold it in their fierce grip. Even when they have failed, they have won.
One last thought from Paul Hawkens….
“Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.”
There has to be an element of risk, reckless connection and hopeless idealism to all of this – because more often than not we have failed in realizing the world we all know could and should exist. A free world.
And so we need new ideas. And new voices in the debate.
More than likely he will make mistakes along the way and more than likely he will come back bruised and battered. And more than likely he will disrupt the natural order. But the natural order needs to be disrupted. It is not working.
Maybe if we had a few more young people willing to wander, and a few less squandering their talents in the singlemindedness of careers, we would be in a better place. Maybe.
Levi will be a better man for those bruises and in the process I have little doubt he will have taught us all a great deal about exactly the things he hopes to understand. Love, loss, liberty, war, peace, protest and poverty.
I for one say bravo Levi. Go and listen. Go and learn.
Peace.
Sean D. Carasso
Mr. Carasso, I appreciate your response to my comment however I think you are direly missing the point: I fully support the youth and young adults wishing to participate in and forge new ground in activism. What I don’t support is the notion that simply traveling around the world and talking to people is a form of activism or that it contributes to the very important world discussion and more importantly action that is taking place. There are thousands of highly informed people who are all young, in their 20’s who are doing far more than taking a trip around the world. I have worked in India for years, for example, and met hundreds of youth and young adults who are highly educated, business savvy and making real changes in the world without leaving their particular part of India. These ‘kids’ are educated at the best colleges in the world (some of which are in India itself), and in many instances have, for example destroyed the caste system in a single generation. There are countless women CEO’s who’s families started in the lowest caste just one generation before. This has come from tremendous hard work and vision, from a deep understanding both personal and intellectual of the inequities of the world. In turn they are developing successful businesses that are giving resources back to their communities and creating incredible green technologies that are pushing the ‘3rd’ world ahead of the US and Europe on many a front. I think you are terribly misguided to think that a ‘career’ life for example is akin to squandering one’s life. The next frontier of activism being realized in the world today is working very much within the ’system’ and developing smart industries and businesses. I am sure Causecast is one of those companies, however, I think support of a young man and woman traveling around the world veiled in the calling of activism is a big mistake and an injustice to the very hard work that is being done, most of it very banal, much of it what might seem to be bland business like careers. I have no doubt Mr. Levi will return an improved person, a wider thinker and a more able bodied leader in whatever he chooses to do. What I am concerned about is framing a process of self-discovery in activism. This is not activism. This is a trip around the world (again, how is this funded?). It would be a wonderful thing if we could send our children around the world to all learn about the inequity of the world. However, I promise the same lesson could be learned by all the affluent children in LA alone by the pain and suffering in your community alone, minus the trip around the world, and an entire activist movement of help and change for those ills could be developed that could set a model for large urban centers around the world. THAT is exactly how activism is playing out in all the big urban centers of the world where people are suffering. It’s a tremendous and beautiful thing to see. Finally, there is a tone to you response which implies that I am being negative or mean spirited towards Mr. Levi. This is a highly unfortunate bi-product that I see much of in this form of pseud-feel-good-activism: Listen, the very backbone, the spinal chord of great activism since the beginning of time itself has been founded on intense debate and thought, on passionately defining what we are doing, why and how to best succeed. I do not think that Mr. Levi is a bad person, I do not operate from a position of fear, however I also do not allow the very important role of activism, of being a moral barometer for a world with tremendous problems to be one that should just be smiled on ‘no matter what’ because it all just sort of helps the cause. It doesn’t. We’ve learned that over and over. It is becoming activist fact that charity in Africa for example is a terrible ill. It’s done more harm than good. The examples are countless, the discussion is deep. If anything I speak to Mr. Levi as a mentor, as someone who cares. We must speak honestly to our young future leaders. We must challenge and educate them on what we have learned. This is a passing of wisdom that we owe them. History will repeat itself otherwise. I find it utterly reckless to simply say: Have a great trip, wonderful l’amore de la vie Mr. Levi, and wrap it in the context of activism when it is not, and if that is the goal for this project than it’s time to be prepared to discuss the real goals and be challenged on it. We have to be very sharp if we are going to win the war on injustice. Very very sharp. I bid you well. – Jean Paul
Levi & Brooke
Good luck in your travels. Don’t let anyone trivialize the importance of story telling, and gathering. The tradition of documentary is long and rich. You have the unique opportunity to learn from people many of us will never meet. I look forward to reading about your travels.
Cheers
Reid
Thank you Jean Paul for your self righteous post about what is effective activism and what isn’t ; What “We” need and what “We” don’t need as far as global activism is concerned. Although you have been an activist for what sounds like a long time, I would be hard pressed to buy the fact that you are the quintessential end-all, be-all answer to the injustices in this world. The fact of the matter is that the world needs more youth like Levi and Brooke to care about what is going on. For someone like yourself, to discourage and belittle the effort of others who are trying to bring light and assistance to others around the world in need is preposterous.
How did you get started in activism? I assume that you were born with the knowledge of how to go forth and help, like you are the “son” of activism itself. Your elitist attitude about activism is extremely disheartening. How does one become part of the “true global activist world” you are speaking of?
You should be applauding these two for caring enough to drop everything they have to go and help. This isn’t a matter of who is doing a better job than who, it is about people caring about injustices and making a concerted effort to make a difference. You don’t have any idea of what they are capable of or what they may or may not be able to do, but I absolutely certain that they will make a difference.
It seems, to me at least, that the rationale and mission behind this trip may be unclear. I could be mistaken, but the way I read Levi and Brooke’s explanation, I wonder if their mission really isn’t just to find out what is really going on in the world…in places many people never get to see or even hear about. Perhaps they want to see the problems, the proposed solutions, the activists…what works, what doesn’t, and what might. Then, maybe they will propose solutions. Or maybe, through their stories, someone like me could come up with a plausible solution. Maybe, in the process of getting their hands dirty, they hope to inspire others to get involved as well.
I may never meet many of the people I fight to help every day, but it is because of people like Levi and Brooke that the stories and pains of those people are forever etched into my heart.
I am an activist, and yes, activism is about doing things. But perhaps some people don’t yet have a cause they are prepared to fight for. And, maybe, the stories from this journey will be the springboard for future activism. It’s just a thought…but one I’m very encouraged by.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Peace and love,
Kimberly Meyer
Guys-
i came across your site and am truly interested in what you guys are doing. In regards to some of those comments, i consider myself a social activist on micro, mezzo and macro level scales. My personal goals in life are focused on working with the people in my community to become empowered indivduals who can lead a meaningful life as defined by those individuals. On a larger scale I work daily to reduce stigma for society’s most marginzalized folks. My theoretical frameworks are based largely in the social rehab, humanistic and conflict theory perspectives. Professionally I work with people on a daily basis that society has turned their backs on and completely ostracized. I applaud you both for focusing your professional and personal paths on improving the world around you by exploring and bringing light to the issues you discover. In my experience, it’s not about which capicity you do it…it’s getting out there ard doing the work, whatever your niche may be. Best of luck in your travels!
Jean Paul-
As a 20’s activist currently working for one of the most respected non-profits in the world, I thank you for your well articulated insight. It’s a problem I see with my generation. A lot of us want to help others, but sometimes want to feel like “we’re saving the world” even more. Many times, we don’t consider the sustainability of our efforts. I say this because I’ve fallen into this pit fall. I’ve dropped my life to help the poor/defense-less/neglected more times than i can count. To me that feels natural. However, for the first time, having a 9-5 job behind a desk (even though it’s non-profit) is less glamorous. Sometimes I find myself wanting to drop everything and move across the country to help another cause. Believe me, I’ve done it more than once… But for now, I find that I’m capacity building for a well established and effective organization. And frankly, I’m showing my co-works how we can engage my generation.
That being said, I respect you two in your endeavors. Without someone to inspire me once in a while, it’s hard to sometimes see what I’m working for behind this desk. But then again, my “need to be inspired ” may be another symptom of my (sometimes) self-involved generation.
Still, with any luck, collectively our activism will stem past the superficial and towards the sustainable. Best of luck to you Brook and Levi. I mean that with all sincerity.
Really nice site. Hope to visit it again soon
Hello,
I’m spending my time here for the kids of Haiti.
I’m doing this for a non-profit haiti group that is devoted to giving time to
building an oppurunity for the children in haiti. If anyone here wants to donate then this is the site:
Donate to Haiti or Help Haiti
They give kids in Haiti a positive outlook through education.
Yes, they’re legitimate.
It would be awesome if you could help us
I commend you guys for doing something, isn’t that what activism is about? There are VOICES to be HEARD on the JOURNEY. Sometimes the ultimate goal seems too far off….these are the stories of now and I am tuning in.
Hi guys,
I know this might be a bit off topic but seeing that a bunch of you own websites, where would the best place be to host. Someone recommended I use Blue Host for $6.95 a month which seems like a great deal. Anyone here on thisistheworldwelivein.com using them?
Levi & Brooke,
Thanks for hanging with Reese! I pray GOD blesses your journey.
Wow, there’s so much helpful and insightful information here about activism. NOT! Cute kids, though.
Brooke and Levi,
I love you and miss you. Thank you for informing us.
I don’t know if Jean Paul is here any longer, However, I would love him to point us to his impact, through his installments, his publications, websites, events…ect. that have caused changed. Let this community understand from your doing.
Or just call me Jean I would love to get it.
Bobby Bailey
213.324.3425
PS. We will post our conversation.
I’ve just found this webpage/blog, read the mission and read the comments. Knowledge is power, and I believe that your mission is going to inspire the people who cannot travel and have to live, unfortunately, vicariously by what the media informs. Thankfully, we can now see some real stuff,
I will be sending you an e-mail once I get my ideas together, with a proposition I have if you are interested.
Thank you very much.