About

Hi,

I’ve been immersed in thinking and working on issues related to climate change over the last few months.

So, here’s my latest blog that captures some of these experiences from my time in Sausalito, San Francisco, Asia and Australia.

Jane

janeintheworld is my blog which I write on my small boat in Sausalito, California where I live, or wherever I happen to be traveling in the world as director, women’s empowerment with The Asia Foundation. This organization works for systemic change at both institutional and community levels in support of peace, justice and prosperity in the region.

I’m a storyteller, artist and activist  and I weave the narratives and experiences of my life into my writing, mentoring, public speaking, drawing and visioning. I seek to bring my creative and activist self to my work and life.

I’ve spent years working with grassroots organizations at the front line of advocating for women’s and girls’ rights and leadership and responding to the impact of discrimination, dislocation and dehumanization.

I’m continually asking the question ‘what’s really going down here’ and what are the most helpful ways to see these situations and to address the root causes of inequality to advance women’s and girls’ human rights. How can men and boys be more engaged in working for gender equality, knowing that this work will open options to realize their own potential and transformative leadership rather than their having to assume defined and prescribed roles.

I’m passionate about seeking collaborations that can shift power and resources to grassroots women’s organizations.so that women have access to the funds to support their own leadership, strategies and solutions in their communities and countries. Equally important is their access to high level forums so they can speak for themselves rather than have others speak on their behalf.

In my life, I finally have a sense of my own power and I want to use it fully, and to mentor and support others to do the same.

I hold close to me words of the poet, Mary Oliver, “what will you do with your one wild and precious life?” as a constant question for my waking life and my work. In this spirit, I am seeking a balance of work (I believe in) and play (time) to really know myself and those around me.

As ever, being in the natural world restores me, time with friends and family nurtures me while solitude provides the foundational prayer and affirmation for all that I do.

Letters & Updates

December 21, 2020
The Dream of a Beloved Community in a Time of Pandemic
Credit: National Geographic Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr….
June 23, 2020
In the Midst of Racial Injustice and COVID-19, We Need Women’s Voices More Than Ever
Fannie Lou Hamer – Singing LoudCredit: dangerousminds.net “Sometimes it seems like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I’ll fall five feet four inches forward in…
April 23, 2020
Love, Loss, and Hope in the Time of Corona
Love in the time of coronavirus – RFI Coronavirus is upending people’s lives in myriad and layered ways. This includes the impact on frontline health workers, caregivers and those needing care. We’ve …
March 15, 2020
Letter from Caregiving Country
Mum and Dad in Canberra This is a very personal post and yet I’m aware that what I’m describing here are issues and experiences that many in our community are facing, either as a support person to an …
March 3, 2020
Letter from Mindanao
Credit: PeaceGovPH Between 2000 and 2019, the United Nations Security Council adopted a series of ‘Women, Peace and Security’ resolutions – starting with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325…
January 20, 2020
Letter From a Country on Fire
My country is on fire. This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows firefighters struggling against the strong wind in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the…