Featured OM Visionary: Jennifer James
We are down to the last two weeks of our Indiegogo campaign and we have some great surprises in store! In the next 14 days we will be featuring 9 amazing leaders in the fields of ethical fashion, environmental advocacy, arts and community organizing, international development, and women's empowerment, so check in daily to see who is new to our wonderful group of Featured OM Visionaries. Today, a conversation between Lisa Markuson and Jennifer James, the founder of the hugely inspirational ethical blogging forum, Mom Bloggers for Social Good. They have a huge global network of over 200 contributors, scores of renowned institutional partners, and yet retain their unique voice and mission, and give mom bloggers every a great name. Interviewing Jennifer James about her work and vision was a great honor for us here at The OM Project, and at the end of the interview Lisa was given the honorific title of Mom Blogger for Social Good!
Jennifer James
In your most recent blog post, you said, "The more transparent the global development community is the better for everyone. Real change can take place for the communities that most need aid and a broader story of how things work gets told." How do you see the push for transparency improving the field of international development right now?
Right now transparency is high on the global agenda, particularly during the G8 summit where it is one of the UK's main topics of concentration and importance on the worldwide agenda. World leaders are increasingly understanding that transparency in the extractive sector, aid community, land rights, and private sector creates improved opportunities to help more people. Resources and the money that is being paid to extract them is essentially dissipating into thin air. More transparency helps track where the resources are going and where the money is allocated. Transparency helps the aid community understand from where more monetary resources can be gathered in order to save more lives and improve more global development programs.
As the founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, you saw the potential that the powerful community of women had to nurture not just their families but each other and societies across the globe. What are the qualities that you see that these communicative, activist mothers have in common
As a mom I knew that all moms - to some extent - have a special empathy quality that is intrinsic with motherhood. I knew that mothers with above average digital prowess would certainly move the needle for global development programs and issues. It's been great thus far. As a collective we have been able to spread awareness globally about a wide range of issues from worldwide huger and malnutrition to maternal mortality.
The One More |OM| Project is so new and fresh that we don't have a lot of the international accreditation that many large, recognized groups have, but we are transparent and open about the scrappy, innovative, and boundary-pushing nature of our work. Where do you see that type of venture fitting in, between spheres of international development, arts diplomacy, journalism, and eco fashion?
What is great about having a new, innovative company is that you can call the shots and you don't have outside influence moving the agenda. That's important. It's great to be nimble and independent. The more great work the OM Project does the greater exposure you all will garner. It's inevitable. Great work with a completely new spin will always grab the attention of those who share the same beliefs and activist ideals. Time will tell how the OM Project will fit within international development, journalism, arts diplomacy, and eco fashion. It's important to keep and open mind and maneuver among them as best as possible.
What is some advice you would give to new activists, entrepreneurs, and explorers seeking to change the world for the better and tell their stories about their work? My biggest piece of advice to new activists is to keep going. No matter how discouraging things seem one day, don't quit. Be committed. Check your ego at the door and always work for the greater good. I am not a mom, and will never have children ( I don't even have a pet) - can I be an honorary mom blogger for social good? Of course, we'd love that. I hereby declare you an honorary member of Mom Bloggers for Social Good.
