I offer research services on a contract basis. I’m very selective about working with organizations and companies focused on solving some of the biggest political, economic and social problems in their areas through pro-active projects at the local level. Throwing money at a situation or giving out free language lessons to people in developing countries is not solving the most pressing problems, such as lack of water and electricity, the prevalence of child sexual abuse, and the occurrence of major health issues, to name just a few. Neither is doing something for someone that they could do for themselves. This is where volunteer organizations and governmental aid organizations are failing.
The answer is taking action at a local level to educate on the biggest problems in the areas, such as providing training on how to purify water in contaminated areas, lessons on how to do sustainable agriculture in farming sectors, information on how to prepare for a pregnancy and how to take care of a newborn baby in poverty stricken areas, or training on how to address domestic violence issues in the family. Solid research and organized action plans are needed in so many places.
My research projects have encompassed topics such as:
- domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and sexual tourism in Latin America,
- the effects of unchecked globalization and neoliberal capitalism in developing countries,
- the true causes and lasting effects of the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005 in Indonesia,
- the effects of news censorship on the creation and maintenance of healthy democracies, and
- what living under Communist rule really looks like and means for people in China.
The research never ends and neither does the search for viable solutions. For more information, samples of my work or to talk about doing a contract together, please send me a message here.
