We founded Collective Lens to raise awareness of serious issues in the world that are often overlooked. Frequently popular media in western countries ignores or avoids stories related to the everyday plight of people around the world. It is not just the struggles that are overlooked by the media, but also the inspiring and successful programs established by NGO’s, governments, and individuals to remedy these problems. In 2006, my wife Laurie and I traveled through Southeast Asia and found people rich in culture and nations covered in beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately, we also saw lots of poverty. Much of this poverty is exasperated by a lack of educational standards, unsustainable business practices, curable diseases awaiting treatment, and a general lack of opportunity for individual people. These living conditions were not new to the many people living in such places, but the simple fact that these huge problems exist had never fully come to our attention through our normal news sources: American television, newspapers, and the internet. Nor were we aware of the many simple opportunities for us to make difference in someone else’s life. When we returned home to the U.S. we became frustrated by the content of national news both on TV and the internet. Popular culture, including the activities of movie stars and musicians, often takes precedence over other headlines about the struggles of people in third world nations. Most journalism in western countries has become a business, and poverty does not sell. At that point we realized that we needed to start some type of news and educational resource to inform everyone that the problems we witnessed do exist, and furthermore, that there are real, tangible, and inexpensive ways that someone can help. We knew that this resource needed to be a nonprofit organization instead of a business. We also knew that the best source of information is the person right there in front of the problem, and that people everywhere must become the journalists. Thus, Collective Lens was born.

In 2009 we will travel through Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, meeting with local people and small organizations along the way. Our goals will be to show how people in other parts of the world live and how you can make a difference that can better someone’s life. No matter where you live, there are many stereotypes and assumptions about other cultures that often limit your ability to make a personal connection. By showing the differences and similarities between cultures, we believe that more people will be encouraged to reach out to their neighbors across the globe. We also want to showcase the important work of small organizations that are truly making a difference. Instead of blind charitable handouts to people in need, many organizations are relying on education and sustainability to allow recipients to help themselves perpetually. These charities deserve more attention not just for their innovative work, but also because we can all learn from their experiences. Our hope is to inspire more people to reach out and make a difference to someone who lives a life different from their own.

Our year long trip will begin on January 20th in Morocco. Over the next several months we will weave our way through West Africa passing through some of the world’s poorest, yet most amazing countries. Then we will head to the Middle East, a region where many people maintain a relatively high standard of living, but find their lives often interrupted by religious and racially driven conflict. Next we will head to East Africa before venturing on to India. We won’t be able to visit every country in each of these regions, but hopefully our trip will provide us with a solid cross-section of the cultures and beliefs in each place. While a major motivation for our trip is to raise awareness through Collective Lens, our adventure is self funded and some of it will be for personal enjoyment. We plan to see some amazing cultures, make some wonderful friends, and learn about the world from a variety of perspectives.

If you know of any organizations, charities, or NGO’s in the regions that we will be visiting, please let us know about them. We are currently in the process of seeking out organizations to visit, and we’d love to hear from our readers. You can post in the comments or send us an email to info [at] collectivelens.com.

Naturally, you can expect blog posts about our travels here on the Collective Lens blog, but this blog will contain much more than that. We’ve gained a few writers lately. Russ will usually be writing about humanitarian issues, Chanelle will be writing about nonprofit strategies, and Heidi and Brynn will be writing about various issues in third world countries. (If you’re interested in writing for Collective Lens, read this.)

Thanks for your support everyone, we’re looking forward to a great year.

-Bryan and Laurie, founders of Collective Lens