I write (not often enough) about the global justice, trying to get at the stories and deeper meaning of this struggle, and my own position within this movement. The bulk of the blog are my experiences traveling to Tajikistan during the summer of 2011, and the world in 2012, supported by the still a bit mind-boggling Bonderman fellowship. I hope to continue to add new material and ideas as I work to put what I learned abroad into practice here at home.
This blog is fundamentally about understanding the alternatives to the Western brand of “development,” from those who know them best – the rest of the world. As I travel and grow personally and intellectually, I’ll have to challenge everything I think I know. And maybe find out this whole premise is wrong!
However I’m quite sure of one thing: nothing – poverty, environmental destruction, discrimination, etc – is inevitable. Another world is not just possible, it is happening. And I have the incredible opportunity to watch it up close and learn what I can. I hope you’ll join me!
Questions? Comments? Love what I’m writing or think I’m full of…Add them here, or feel free to email me dean.chahim AT gmail DOT com
About me:
I aim to work on global problems at a local scale, in solidarity with communities at home and abroad.
I am a community organizer, writer, and photographer. I am driven to work for global justice by my experiences in the global South and the stories of my parents, who fled Afghanistan in 1980 as a result of the Soviet invasion and U.S.-backed insurgency.
I have had the immense privilege to travel, research, and study around the world, yet it was not until this past year that I was finally able to go to Afghanistan. I fell in love with the country, even if it was almost unrecognizable from the tranquil Afghanistan of my parent’s memories. I know I will make Afghanistan a big part of my life and work for the foreseeable future.
I have worked on international development projects in Bolivia, published research on the shortcomings of foreign-funding for NGOs in Nicaragua, studied Persian in Tajikistan, and traveled across ten countries after graduating, supported by a Bonderman travel fellowship offered through the University of Washington Honors Program.
Locally, I co-founded and facilitated a organization while in university to create a critical dialogue around international development and engagement, and continue to educate and write about global justice. I continue to organize with grassroots community groups struggling for the rights of immigrants, workers, tenants, and the environment.
I live and work as an environmental engineer in Seattle, Washington, where I grew up.
Another World Is Happening 