OurMission
Unity is the goal. Compassion is the guidance. Humanity is the gift.
To curate a global “team” comprised of every individual with the mindset that personal and united accountability can enhance the world in which we live.
EDUCATION
Basic literacy and numeracy skills can bridge the divide between poverty and hope, yet over 750 million people in the world are illiterate. Two-thirds of these are women, and almost all live in developing countries. ITN partners with groups who create learning opportunities for those who have little or no access to quality education. Even in the United States, nearly 20% of teenagers don’t finish high school and the number is considerably higher in communities of color, where the hopelessness that emerges from the pathologies of poverty, crime and gangs creates enormous impediments to children learning. We will strive to understand and address root causes, rather than merely treating the symptoms.
While education provides significant social and economic returns, the number of years in school is not enough. It is the acquisition of knowledge and skills (cognitive and behavioral) achieved through quality education, rather than schooling alone that promotes employability, productivity and growth.
Areas of focus:
- Basic Literacy/Reading
- Root cause research and analysis
- Sustainable Textbooks and Educational Materials
- Educational innovation and entrepreneurism
- Developing country Gender Gaps
- Bridging Programs (sharing education ideas across communities/nations)
- Youth programs to includes the arts, STEM and other focused areas
Responsible environmental stewardship is critical to ensuring our planet endures for generations to come. Finding new forms of sustainable energy, cleaning up toxic waste, and protecting our air, water and natural resources are all immediate and pressing concerns. An estimated 150-200 species of plant, animal and bird life become extinct every day. Nearly 40% of America’s lakes are too polluted for swimming, and there is over one ton of plastic garbage on earth for every one of its 7.3 billion citizens. By funding organizations and individuals who are committed to saving the planet, ITN will harness the power of numbers to help make environmental protection and sustainability a reality.
Areas of focus:
- Environmental research
- Sustainable clean energy
- Availability of sanitized water
- Protect, restore and promote sstainable use ecosystems
- Removal of toxic waste
- Climate Change
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HEALTH & WELLNESS
We believe all people have a fundamental right to live free of disease. Even in this day and age, horrors like typhoid, malaria, and cholera still infect millions of people who live in unsanitary conditions driven by poverty and conflict. Today, one third of the world’s population lacks access to essential medicines and vaccinations. In the poorest parts of Africa and Asia this figure rises to half of the population. It is particularly devastating to children, claiming the lives of over 16,000 each day, 45% of those dying within the first four weeks of life. In first-world countries (including America), heart disease and cancer are leading causes of death and dozens of other diseases have treatments but no cure. ITN will promote public awareness and education around many health risks and invest in medical research, treatment and prevention to address the spread of diseases. Further, we will advocate for the affordable production and availability of vaccinations and medicines needed to treat the most common and neglected global infectious diseases.
Areas of focus:
- Medical research
- Prevention through Education and Nutrition
- Curable diseases and disorders
- Reproductive health
- Medical humanitarian efforts (catastrophe as well as epidemic)
In countries around the globe, people are denied social justice and deprived of the basic human rights many of us take for granted. The right to be free from cruelty, torture and slavery. The right to practice one’s beliefs without prejudice or persecution. The right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. These rights, however, will only ever be as secure as our willingness to defend and extend them to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. ITN supports important social justice initiatives and the work of organizations that fight to defend human rights at home and around the world.
Areas of focus:
- Freedom from human trafficking, slavery and torture
- International human rights
- Freedom From Interference and Coercion in Matters of Conscience
- Equal treatment and Due Process of the Law
- Unfair Detainment and Exile
- Tolerance Education