WORLD FOOTPRINTS

World Footprints is pleased to introduce our partner, Pack for a Purpose.  Did you know that just by setting aside a small space in your suitcase—5 lbs worth of space—that you could supply crucial education materials or simple medical supplies to children around the world?  Our friend, Rebecca Rothney founded “Pack for a Purpose” on the belief that every traveler could have a positive and big impact on a community by donating just a little of their luggage space.

Then, meet our good friend, oscar nominated director Robert Bilheimer.  Bob is using his gift of film making to raise awareness about social, cultural, and humanitarian concerns.  His company, Worldwide Documentaries, brings to light the way the world is today—a world of small islands of wealth surrounded by vast oceans of poverty and despair. his films include “cry of reason”, for which he was nominated for an academy award; “a closer walk” which examines the global response to the hiv/aids crisis; and most recently “Not My Life” which confronts one of World Footprints causes--the tradegy of human trafficking.

Finally, our dear friend Edvinas Minkstimas, one of Europe’s top emerging young pianists, joins us today.  Edvinas hails from Kaunas, Lithuania and made his debut at the age of 14 with The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra .  Edvinas has won international acclaim and multiple awards including his most recent, the Belz-Parker Young Artist Award.  In addition to his impressive musical career, Edvinas is also the founder of Global Lithuanian Leaders, a nonprofit organization that has a mission to support Lithuanians all over the world.

On today’s World Footprints we’re traveling through the southern Grenadines and will share the beauty and magic of this special part of the world.

Our show originates from the beautiful Palm Island at the Palm Island Resort.  Palm Island is a private tropical paradise comprising only 135 acres in size.  You’ll meet Chris Ghita, a transplant from Grenada, who has found his place as General Manager of this remarkable resort.  He’ll entice you to escape the hassles of the world with a visit to this tiny paradise.

Then, we’ll introduce you to Palm Island’s most colorful character and resident artist and doctor, Patrick Chavellier.  This wonderful man and his extraordinary studio is worth the visit alone.  Patrick is one of the world’s finest undersea artists and we’ll learn about his art and his life in paradise.

Finally, we’ll travel by powerboat to the Tobago Cays Marine Park—a protected wildlife preserve of five isles bordered by a giant horseshoe reef.  This aquamarine blue and green waterscape serves as home to wild sea turtles and is a underwater haven for scuba divers and snorklers alike.  Here’s we’ll talk to Park Ranger Lesroy Noel who will describe the natural beauty surrounding us.

World Footprints celebrated in style for our 6th annual French Quarter Festival broadcast from the Big Easy in 2013!

Our LIVE broadcast earned us a distinguished award from the North American Travel Journalists Association.  We are pleased to share the first hour of our award-winning show today.  Interviews included first-time New Orleans visitors Chad Kerkman and Jerry Krueger, award-winning actor Terence Rosemore (HBO Treme), and Bradley Sumrall, curator for the Ogden Museum of Southern Art (the largest house for southern art in the world).

For art lovers this is the place to be today so join us and let the good times roll.

World Footprints returns to St. Vincent and travels through the village of Layou on St. Vincent’s Leeward Coast.  Layou, which sits against a stunning backdrop of rockscapes and ridges, is filled with historic homes and churches, a small beach and crescent shaped bay.  On the ridge above the village you’ll find the Layou Petroglyph Park; the spot where we begin today’s broadcast with our guide Marlon Joseph.

From Layou we travel to Argyle, where, in the near future St. Vincent will welcome the thousands of visitors in its newly built international airport.  The quarter-of-a-billion dollar Argyle International Airport is the large development project in St. Vincent’s history.  Jennifer Richardson of the Airport’s Development Corporation takes us onsite to talk about the mega project.

We end today’s show at one of our favorite resorts, the newly built Buccament Bay.  General Manager Gianluca Cugnetto, a powerhouse in the hospitality industry, will discuss his passion for food, nature, and hospitality, and his desire to incorporate them all to provide visitors with a unique experience.

Speaking of one of the many unique features that Buccament Bay offers, Tonya enjoyed an afternoon with two of London’s West End talents at the resort’s Harlequin Performing Arts Academy.  Actor & Singing Coach John Barr (Convict #5 in Les Miserables) and Musical Director Tim Davies helped Tonya find her true voice as she performed the song “I Dream A Dream.”

Hang out with World Footprints on Twitter and Facebook @WorldFootprints.

World Footprints is excited to take you on a journey through Colombia, South America where “The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay”.  Colombia was the featured country in the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and also had a presence in subsequent Smithsonian Folklife Festivals.  World Footprints visited the country and met with some of the artisans and other participants who have been traveling to Washington, DC to share the country's treasures.  When some think of Colombia they reflect on Colombia's dark history with drug cartels and corruption.  However, we saw a very colorful face of this country--one that reflected it's rich cultural heritage and warmth of the communities we visited.  We traveled to historic cities, through the Gold Museum and to Monkey's Island in the Amazon. The memories we left with included the wonderful food, gracious hospitality, architectural and natural beauty.  We fell in love with Colombia and we hope that you will also be inspired to visit the country with an open mind and open heart.

World Footprints brings back the story of "The Long Ride" and our first children's book club review.

In an effort to raise awareness about the plight of the rainforest author Lucian Spataro Jr. set off on a cross-country journey by horseback.  He shares his journey in his photo journal book "The Long Ride."

In our first children's book club we learned about the mis-adventures of a kid named Samuel in Lynn Glaze's book "Samuel Sails 'Round the Horn."  We even received a history lesson about the Gold Rush.

World Footprints will walk in the footprints of two socially-conscious guests--an entertainer whose musical talkents led her to change her life to live her passion, and we'll welcome back a good friend whose efforts are savings one of the most graceful and beautiful big cats on our planet.

Rene Marie is a singer, actress and writer who uses her energetic and dynamic voice to raise awareness about social issues.  Inspired by iconic entertainer - Eartha Kitt - Rene has released a tribute album honoring Eartha Kitt, an inspiring artist who helped changed America's landscape for the better.  Rene also uses her voice to shine attention on important issues in America.

The cheetach is one of the oldest and most majestic animals in the world and is fighting to survive.  While it's taken four million years for the species to develop, it has only taken 100 years for mankind to bring the cheetah to the brink of extinction.  Dr. Laurie Marker has made it her life's mission to reverse that trend.  As the founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Dr. Marker and her team are ensuring that the cheetach is here for the ages.

Louisana's Creole culture and a famed New Orleans' neighborhood share the spotlight on today's show.  Our Creole cultural exploration takes us just outside New Orleans to the Old Mississippe River Road where we'll share the story of a Creole family and a plantation named Laura--voted "Best history tour in the USA" by Lonely Planet Travel and a top travel attraction in Louisiana.  Laura Plantation, named after Laura Locoul Gore, is an old sugarcane plantation over 200 years old.  We experienced life on the plantation as a member of the Locoul family through the voice of one of Laura's decendents, Norman Marmillion. 

We will also visit Faubourg Treme with filmmaker Dawn Logsdon.  Treme is considered the oldest black neighborhood in America and the birthplace of the civil rights movement in the South.  Treme is a place where African-Americans lived free during slavery and became a place of social and economic diversity.

World Footprints returned to New Orleans for our 7th annual French Quarter Festival 2-hour broadcast.  This year we set up at Tableau Restaurant, Dickie Brennan's newest culinary gem in Jackson Square.  This second hour of our FQF broadcast explores the unique history of New Orleans with two prominent professors from the University of New Orleans.   

The diverse heritages of the people of New Orleans makes this city very unique, interesting and alive with traditions that are not found in any other city in the country.  New Orleans is a place where Africans intermingled with Native Americans and european settlers ultimately creating a sustainable culture that distinguishes New Orleans today.   Dr. MaryMiitchell, History Professor at UNO, joins us to discuss the African contributions to New Orleans and the dynamics that slavery played in the development and culture of this city.  

Most people don’t equate compassion and beauty when they think of Voodoo, but  Voodoo historian, Professor Martha Ward, says that is what she discovered when she first began researching the practice.  Prof. Ward is a Professor Emeritus at UNO and author of the book, Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau, the only academic account of the famous New Orelans voodoo priestess and her daughter, Marie Laveau II.  Professor Ward  offers a Voodoo history lesson and her belief that Hollywood and media have incorrectly racialized and stigmatized Voodoo. 

Enjoy our FQF hour one discussion of New Orleans art and history.

On the occasion of International Press Freedom Day, World Footprints was invited by theUnited Nations Foundation to attend a powerful event sought to change the narrative and examine women's voices in fragile states and why those voices matter.

The UN Foundation co-hosted a distinguished panel which was led by Ambassador Melanne Verveer of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.  She was joined by Krista Hendry from The Fund for Peace, Amy Slaughter and Yar Ayuel with RefugePointand award-winning filmmaker Elaisha Stokes.  The panel discussed the challenges that women face in fragile states and areas where women are taking the lead in reconcilation.  They also examined what happens to girls and women as the most vulnerable and neglected victims in conflict afflicted states, and why telling these stories is important.