Longitude

Q. What can we do from our home countries to support the Longitude Uncaste India Campaign?

A. This is an awesome question! There is a lot our volunteers can do, before, during and after their work camps in India.

As you hopefully know by now, you, the Volunteers ARE Longitude. Longitude is an international network of motivated volunteers who have visited India, met Ravi, become inspired by the resiliency of the Dalit, and then stayed involved even after returning to life in our home countries.

Longitude President, Shawn Rubin, is a second grade teacher in Providence, RI. Rick Mickelson works at a Whole Foods grocery store in Colorado. John Morgan is a web developer in London, England. Former Volunteer Group Leaders, Emma, Emily and Annie, Anna, Matt as well as over one hundred of our volunteers are/were all English Teachers in Japan. Each of us has a day job and a passion to do whatever it takes to Uncaste India. You saw for yourself the difference a little money and a lot of work can make towards bettering an impoverished village. Now is the time for you to find a way to stay involved.

There are so many ways that you can continue to help. Of course Fund Raising is always the most pressing need for any non-profit, and each of the programs you witnessed is reliant upon Longitude’s funding in order to continue, but at this point fund raising is just one of many options.

Longitude has a strategic plan in place for how we want to better serve ARV and the Dalit of Southern India, but we need your skills and talents to make us more effective.

The first thing that we need you to do is to contact us. Tell us of your desire to help. Explain to us what you do? What are your talents? What are your passions? What are your interests? What ideas do you have for ways that you could be of help to Longitude? Email shawn[at]golonitude.org and let him know how you want to get involved.

Here is a list of some of the things you can do to continue to promote the Survival, Empowerment and Equality of India’s Dalit:

1. Fundraise for the Uncaste India campaign via Firstgiving (www.firstgiving.com/17287). Share details of the Uncaste India campaign with friends and family (www.golongitude.org/www/Uncaste_India.html).

2. Become a fan of Longitude on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Longitude/23317393822).

3. Follow Longitude on Twitter (twitter.com/GoLongitudeorg).

4. Blog about your preparations before, experiences during, and impressions after your volunteer work camp. Contact volunteer[at]golongitude.org for details.

5. Recruit more friends to Longitude by forwarding this message to people who you think might be interested in donating or volunteering with us. Also email volunteer[at]golongitude.org for more info on upcoming volunteer expeditions.

Visit India as a volunteer with Longitude.

Lead your own crew of volunteers to India with Longitude.

8. Lobby your government to put pressure on India’s government to make policy reforms recognizing the essential human rights of all Indian citizens including Dalit. Additionally, seek support from local Indian organizations in your home countries to further the Uncaste India campaign.

No matter how you decide to get involved, please get involved today. Our momentum is strong right now and we want to keep moving forward.

Many thanks for taking the time to read the Q and A session above. If you have any follow up questions, please let us know.

From all of us at Longitude and ARV, thanks for your continued support!

Wandanamuru to everyone!!!

Shawn Rubin
Longitude President
shawn[at]golongitude.org

Rick Mickelson
Longitude Director of International Volunteering
volunteer[at]golongitude.org