ETOW founder, Thomas Witherspoon, and board member Ed Harris recently answered a “Call for Papers” from the organizers of this prestigious forum, coauthoring and submitting a paper entitled “Avoiding the 30-Pound Paperweight: Success Via Contextually Appropriate Technologies.” We’re delighted to announce that the paper–which details how to successfully incorporate into humanitarian efforts the “human vector” (the real-world needs and input of the people served) with the “technological vector” (the tools currently available)–was accepted.  Thomas will present the paper, and explain how ETOW exemplifies this approach, to conference attendees, including technologists, representatives from NGOs, governments, academe, funders, and industry.

This is a tremendous opportunity to promote our work to an influential audience, and an incredible honor for ETOW, but it’s more: it’s also an affirmation by this internationally respected body that our mission and our methods converge in a realistic way that can make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

The inaugural Global Humanitarian Technology Conference will be held from October 31 to November 1, 2011, at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.ieeeghtc.org.

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How can you help?  Join ETOW’s Facebook 500 (if you haven’t already) by following us on Facebook–and spread the word about ETOW and the power of radio education among your FB friends.

But ETOW recently hatched an idea to pursue the design and creation of an inexpensive kit that children could, themselves, assemble into a simple working FM radio–maybe even a green product, no less, in that the kit radio might incorporate a re-purposed plastic bottle as the radio’s housing and/or a scrap cardboard base to hold together its components.  If the radio is somehow damaged, parts could thus be easily pulled off and replaced.

The exercise of assembling such a radio could be educational on many levels, and not only would teach a child about radio from the viewpoint of a young listener, but as a young engineer and perhaps even innovator.  This kit, while it would provide the basic electronics, may require a certain amount of ingenuity from the assembler as he or she would have to connect the electronics without solder, and perhaps with the assistance of items near at hand (scrap, recyclables, natural elements) for assembly board and housing.  Meantime, we at ETOW could learn an enormous amount from these radio-kit recipients, both in terms of practical usage and potential programming concepts.

With this in mind, Thomas Witherspoon, ETOW’s founder/director, approached Make: Magazine; shortly after, we were surprised and pleased to learn that his casual inquiry has become a Maker Challenge in their online edition.  Creative hobbyists and “makers” alike instantly began to respond with ideas.

Many thanks to Make Magazine and the online editors for their support! What’s more, we thank those who have (and have yet to) respond–and look forward to the invention of a kit radio, just for kids!

Last August, ETOW teamed with the American Haitian Foundation, shipping radios to the 39 teachers at St. Antoine’s School, in the town of Petite-Rivière-de- Nippes, Haiti, 68 miles from the capital. The teachers brought the radios to their homes, gathering news to pass on to their students. When the earthquake hit, the teachers cranked them up to glean what information they could. “After the earthquake, all the radio stations were off in the country,” says Emmanuel Pressoir, the school’s business manager. “The telephone did not work, even the cell phone. But with their radios, they could go on shortwave, and be informed.” A week later, when a 5.9 aftershock rocked the village and rumors of an impending tsunami stirred panic, the teachers were able to turn to their radios again…”

Please visit the WSJ Mag website to read the full article.

ETOW would especially like to thank David, as well as editor Owen Phillips, photographer Randy Harris, and indeed all the WSJ staff, who made this nonprofit’s dream come true in print before thousands of readers. We would also like to thank those of our partners and supporters who provided wonderful photos and comments that enrich the piece. Last but certainly not least, ETOW wishes to thank those readers who have responded with all forms of support, in the form of encouraging words, or in donations of money, time, and/or talent. Many, many thanks to each of you — we are profoundly grateful.

Sudanese students deliver ETOW radios (in bags) and an ETOW solar panel to a teacher workshop. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

Ears to Our World’s first radios have arrived in Southern Sudan, care of our partner Project Education Sudan, a US-based charitable organization whose goal is to foster education in areas that have been ravaged by Sudan’s 20 year civil war, which has destroyed its existing educational system.

Like ETOW, Project Educate Sudan believes that education and the dissemination of information is fundamental. ETOW’s shortwave radios have found a vital role in this area, with PES distributing and teaching community leaders how to operate them.

Carol Rinehart, executive director of PES, headed up the first distribution project, taking forty ETOW shortwave radios to five different villages in Sudan. She and her team distributed the radios to headmasters and teachers in schools which PES helps to fund, and found the response was overwhelmingly positive.

A chalk board describes our collaboration. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

“The teachers were so excited about the radios and using them as a teaching resource that it became the central focus of the teacher In-Service [program], and more teachers than we [could supply] came from all around the area to receive one,” recalled Rinehart. “After distribution of the radios, I saw the teachers around the villages using them with kids surrounding them. Our biggest challenge was the chiefs of the villages also want[ed] a radio!”

Teacher with an ETOW radio. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

The ETOW radios that were distributed in Sudan almost instantly became the primary source for news and current events, particularly in covering the country’s first democratic elections. During these elections the teachers kept their new radios in the classrooms to teach their students about the voting process, and the broadcasts provided vital information to the community about where and how to cast ballots.

Shortwave radios like those ETOW distributes take on a crucial role in countries where electricity, internet access, and other technology is limited. Radios connect those in remote areas with information that would otherwise be almost impossible to glean. “The main impact of the radios will be with the students and teachers, but the interconnectedness of the students and teachers as a vital part of their community will have a larger impact on the whole village,” said Rinehart. “Their communities are so remote, in a newly-emerging country only now building an infrastructure. So literally, the radios ETOW provides keeps the students, teachers and the whole community connected to the world.”

We are delighted to find a web hosting company that shares our ethics of sustainable business practices. Memset recently announced that they expect to save their customers over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 through their use of cloud computing.

Nick Craig-Wood, CTO of Memset, shares our commitment to the main goals of ETOW. “As an internet hosting company, we are thrilled to be helping ETOW deliver information to the places the Internet doesn’t reach yet,” he said. “On a personal level, I’ve always had a soft spot for radio communications, and to think that a person in an impoverished country could have the use of a long distance radio makes me very happy.”

We feel very fortunate to be supported by such a professional and reliable web hosting company, and look forward to growing with Memset in the future.

Through Reconnect, we are pleased to have established a strategic partnership with World Vision Chile, who will distribute the radios throughout the rural coastal villages most affected by both the 8.8 magnitude earthquake, consequent aftershocks and tsunamis.

Please consider donating money today to directly support sending radios to Chile. As with our efforts in Haiti, your $30.00 US contribution purchases and sends not one, but two self-powered Eton emergency radios to Chile.  Radios provide vital emergency information so earthquake survivors can receive news of medical assistance, food, water and reports about loved ones.

Choose Donation Amount

2 Radios To Chile $30.00 4 Radios To Chile $60.00 6 Radios To Chile $90.00 8 Radios To Chile $120.00 10 Radios To Chile $150.00 12 Radios To Chile $180.00 14 Radios To Chile $210.00 16 Radios To Chile $240.00 Case Of 40 Radios to Chile $600.00

Again, all of this is made possible through our partnerships with Reconnect Chile and World Vision Chile. For questions about Reconnect Chile’s fund raising activities, or if you would like to help, please contact: reconnect.chile@gmail.com

ETOW would also like to thank the generosity of our sponsor, Eton Corporation, who makes it possible for us to provide the incredible value of two information-providing radios for every $30 donation.

Ears To Our World is a US registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to this project are tax-deductible.

ETOW founder and Executive Director, Thomas Witherspoon, attended the 23rd annual event that attracts radios enthusiasts, broadcasters, publishers and hobbyists alike, and was offered a warm reception both by festival hosts and attendees.

This year, the Festival raised more than $900 for ETOW–$700 from the popular silent auction, and over $200 in the form of individual donations. These funds will go a long way toward the support of our ongoing mission of education and international outreach through radio.

But SWL Fest support was not just monetary.  From SWL Fest co-host, Richard Cuff, we received following words of encouragement:

“We’re thrilled to be able to support ETOW.

“The work that you’re doing with ETOW helps us remember that radio is a tool that can make a positive difference in the world. We’re grateful that individuals within the Fest community donate directly to ETOW and we’re grateful to be able to support your work via the Silent Auction.

“We hope 2010 brings much success to ETOW as it continues to make a difference in areas lacking in news and information.”

Thank you very much, Richard!  Thanks, too, to co-host John Figliozzi, and last but not least, to all Winter Fest friends and SWLers who support us so very enthusiastically.  Your belief in the power of radio is well-founded, and your spirited support of ETOW is truly appreciated.

Hats off to our friends of the ‘Fest!

Therefore, although sending radios to Haiti following that country’s recent devastating earthquake broadens the scope of our usual program, in light of the dire emergency the country now faces, ETOW has decided to extend our reach beyond schools and teachers, to distribute a substantial number of Eton Corporation-donated ETOW radios to individuals in remote and impoverished areas affected by the recent earthquake.

ETOW’s wind-up radios, which also have a built-in flashlight, may provide life-saving medical and food/water supply information to families and communities.

On a side note, we are very grateful to hear reports from our partner organization, the American Haitian Foundation, that the community of Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes in Haiti has reported no loss of life, and the ETOW radios they previously received are providing a useful link with other islands.

We will provide further updates on our special Radios to Haiti program as they become available.