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June 6, 2006 About the Angeles Arrien Foundation In These are just a few of the projects that the award-winning
Bay Area Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research has
supported over the past 10 years. As the world becomes more modern and
technological, the Angeles Arrien Foundation wants to ensure the profound
contributions of cultures across the world do not become extinct. It believes
that seemingly small changes can have a dramatic effect on the underlying order
of a system. In Chaos Theory, this is known as "The Butterfly Effect."
Or, as naturalist John Muir once put it, "When one tugs at a single thing
in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." Bridge-Makers
Awards The Foundation lies in the shadow of the In the same way, one of the Foundation's mandates is to
support projects that bridge nations, cultures and generations with
unprecedented strength - projects that do not fail to lift people's hearts. One
of the Foundation's key initiatives is the Circle of Bridge-Makers, a yearly
recognition grant. The grant has
supported efforts ranging from preserving the oral history of a South African
community to funding medical supplies for a Peruvian village to bridge
indigenous and modern medicine. In 2002, the Foundation was honored by Yet
the Foundation's focus is not only international. It supports efforts like The
Foundry, a high school in San Jose, California, that has revolutionized juvenile
hall education for its predominantly Latino student body. The Foundry's
originator, John Malloy, is responsible for creating a highly successful,
replicable model for re-engaging troubled youth in meaningful, sustainable ways.
Featured on such programs as PBS' Newshour, The Foundry emphasizes Latino
culture in its curriculum, inspiring students to learn. The school's name is
representative of its results: Ninety percent of its students emerge tempered and
stronger, on the trail to participating in society as responsible, engaged
citizens. “We see discontented youth who are willing to turn that discontent
into honest understanding, and then they leave fear behind, rejoin their
community in more determined ways with a conviction to serve and give back.” Founder
Angeles Arrien The Foundation is the brainchild of cultural anthropologist
Angeles Arrien. Her rich Basque heritage, with family both in the Basque country
of Spain and in the large Basque community of Idaho, allowed Angeles to
experience very early the best of what was available to her in her own
bicultural experience. "I had the opportunity to have that ancient
heritage, as well as bridging into a modern culture," says Arrien, an
award-winning author, educator, and consultant to many organizations and
businesses. Arrien sees the Foundation's four areas of focus
inextricably linked: the preservation of oral traditions and indigenous wisdoms;
environmental sustainability; multiculturalism and the preservation of cultural
heritage; and intergenerational leadership. When any one component is lacking or
damaged, the result is a hole in the fabric of an entire ecosystem. She created the Foundation to strengthen interdependence
through what might initially appear as small projects to some - but are in
reality ones that can have an enormous impact, creating a tipping point for an
entire culture. Without this interdependence, "we lose a world view of
global citizenship," she says. "The heart of the Foundation's work is
to make sure that we're not losing what's valuable in nature, in human beings or
in cultures." Angeles
Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education & Research, |
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