When it comes to creative programming that engages the community, the folks at William Madison Randall Library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington are pros. Last year, various campus constituencies collaborated to present an evening of understanding, introspection, and reflection about the peoples and cultures of Afghanistan, and the United States’ role in the region. This year, Randall Library is partnering with a local non-profit, Full Belly Project, to share ideas and examples of a more sustainable future.
As Ameet Doshi, Public Programming Librarian and Lecturer at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, noted in a post to the September Project listserv:
For this year’s September Project, The William Madison Randall Library at UNC Wilmington will be partnering with a local non-profit, Full Belly Project, to demonstrate the transformative power of sustainable and appropriate technologies to alleviate poverty. Full Belly Project is an organization, based in Wilmington, NC, which aims to relieve hunger and create economic opportunities in developing countries through the design and distribution of labor saving, locally replicable agricultural devices.
On Thursday, September 11th, patrons at the UNC Wilmington Randall Library will have the opportunity to try out the Universal Nut Sheller (UNS) machine which is being developed by The Full Belly Project organization. Research by UNC students has shown that this single piece of “appropriate technology” has dramatically improved the shelling process for many of the half billion people in developing nations who rely on peanuts as their primary source of protein.
Librarians will also be on hand to discuss library resources related to sustainable and appropriate technologies to alleviate hunger and poverty throughout the developing world. We at UNCW Randall Library, in partnering with Full Belly Project, look forward to bringing people together this September to help celebrate sustainable and appropriate technology for those who need it most.
[...] July 9, 2009 by smhernandez As mentioned in previous posts, it is hard to define what makes the “perfect” September Project event. There are no set templates when it comes to designing a good activity, book display or community project. But from looking at past TSP events, some of the most interesting projects capture the surrounding culture and history of the region. They inform the community about important topics such as health care, freedom of the press, and sustainability. [...]