By Nicole Baker
Professor and chair of the International Community Development (ICD) department, Dr. Forrest Inslee, is leading the creation of a website built to extend the values and ethics taught in ICD to the public.
This website will feature the blog page, “Doing Good Better,” an open-source article page and the “Copowerment Journal” among other things. Both the blog and journal will serve as a platform for thesis essays from past students and current staff, reviewed articles and available contribution from outside scholars.
The “Copowerment Journal” and “Doing Good Better” blog are scheduled to be up and available to the public in April 2019.
Though being created through the NU ICD department, the website will not be directly correlated with the university. The site will maintain a Christian mindset throughout its content, yet will be accepting of an audience beyond Christian spheres.
The intended audience ranges from nonprofit organization directors and missionaries in third world countries to U.S. pastors. The wide reach of influence is intentional about not limiting any opportunity for influencing humanitarians.
The website project, which started this semester, will be a necessary step in further spreading the humanitarian concepts beyond the NU campus.
NU student Earl Bach, a junior, is enrolled in ICD courses this year and said that he believes the website will provide a much needed unique perspective.
“A blog [and] journal which understands the need to rely on something transcendent can provide an alternative voice to the mainstream, Western understanding of the problems which plague our world,” Bach said, “The ability for this website to be available to accept outside works and discussions provides an atmosphere of connectivity and progress.”
The ICD department is set on more than just offering an alternative perspective on humanity and intercultural development, it strives to change the hearts and minds of the students in the MA program.
Student Josh Blay, from Cohort 11, attests to the importance of the department’s material. The material formulated in the program is inspiring humanitarians at NU; even more importantly, it strives to send inspiration and motivation out into the world any way possible.
“I think the more people talk about engaging with content that challenges them to think differently the better,” Blay said. “The ICD program gets people doing that.”
This project is an encouragement to look for ways to engage with people in need most efficiently in both the public and private spheres. As the name suggests, the goal is that the responsibility of changing the world should not be left to full-time missionaries or academic giants; everyone can be part of doing good work.
The individuals working to get the website up and running are eager to see the blog’s global inspiration. If you are interested in being apart of the project, voluntary technical support positions are available and suggestions in setting up the website are welcome.
Please contact nicole.baker15@northwestu.edu for more details.
