This page is an introduction to some of the advocacy and community service I have done for which I relied on my anthropological orientation, perspective, or skills. While these experiences represent a practical application of anthropology, my focus has always been on the Public Service aspects of anthropology. Therefore, I do not use the common term Applied Anthropology because that can include commerical projects and consumer research.

RECENT EFFORTS

Commissioner, Human Rights Commission, City of Columbia, Missouri, USA (2006-2008 appointment; 2008-2011 re-appointment)
Commissioner on advisory body to Mayor & City Council on local human rights issues; adjudicating formal complaints of racial, gender, & other discrimination; sponsoring community programs & events with anti-discrimination agenda; allocating public money to local projects through annual grants program.

Public Information Resource on Lumad peoples of Mindanao, Philippines (1995 to present)
Providing cultural expertise & balanced information to institutions, donors, NGOs, development consultants, & others on issues pertaining to indigenous minorities of Mindanao, including my own research which has been referenced in development field; assisting traditional leaders in an informal capacity to address external legal and other issues.

Volunteer, Search for Common Ground Film Series, Columbia, Missouri, USA (August-November 2002)
Assisted with event promotion; negotiated participation of key Palestinian journalist as discussant in joint Palestinian-Israeli panel for the Michel Khleifi film Forbidden Marriages in the Holy Land.

PAST EFFORTS

Assisting Professional, CADC-19 Ancestral Domain Claim and Management Plan, Region X, Philippines (1995-1999)
Acted as informal political liaison for Higaunon tribal leadership to the Philippine Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) in finalization of one of the nation’s earliest ancestral land claim awards; helped resolve related legal dispute over community representation using cultural evidence; advised community leaders on new legislation and DENR procedures and requirements; promoted self-advocacy; assisted community in securing starter grant (USD1500) for land improvement projects required by DENR.

Intern, Center for Cultural Survival, Cambridge Massachusetts, USA (May to July 1993)
Managed public access to research library & NGO database; supervised visiting professionals & CS interns in use of research facilities; managed database & computer backup system; replaced Center manager during personal leave; edited reports for Center administrators; assisted in final production of State of the Peoples: A Global Human Rights Report on Societies in Danger [ISBN: 0-8070-0220-8].

Producer/Host, Fourth World Fusion, KTUH-FM Radio, Honolulu, USA (1992-1993)
Produced, hosted, & promoted an original, 6-hour per week (T-Th 3-6 pm) showcase of international "ethnopop" music on college radio; regular educational segments focusing on cultural and historical evolution of regional and national musical styles; on-air interviews with visiting performers from Brazil, Jamaica, Uganda, Portugal, Seattle, and elsewhere; created catalogue for station’s international collection; worked with industry promotional network to expand collection at no cost.

EARLIER VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

Youth Mentor/Photography Teacher, Na Ki`i Na Na `Opio, Honolulu, USA (1992)
Worked with teenage runaways in Waikiki shelter as part of a year-long photography-themed mentoring project for homeless children; assisted in final project exhibit.

Child Care Provider, Family Peace Center, Honolulu, USA (1991)
Entertained & cared for child survivors of domestic abuse (ages 0-12) at a women’s shelter while mothers participated in individual & group counseling; worked off-site when both parents were undergoing court-ordered counseling.