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Seamus Boylson's Profile

About Seamus Boylson

This is how Seamus is a Changemaker:
I've devoted about 1/2 century of my life to the introduction of "change"; especially relating to improvements in quality of life issues, via the broad, generalist field of "Community Economic Development". It has been my honor and pleasure to have practiced in this field, both Internationally (75+ Countries/4 Continents); as well as domestically, in the USA/North America. This field, properly conducted, focuses on engaging people to organize, do needs assessment/planning, and actually conduct esssential change with themselves being vitally involved, at all stages; and the projects eventually becoming their own, not something imposed on them or done for them by others. This, I have found, promotes and provides not only the most lasting change, but also the most satisfying and productive. In this sense, I have been - literally - a "Social Entrepreneur" since way before that term has come into prominence.

The place for which Seamus feels a fondness or connection:
After having spent some 3.5 years in the Far East and Pacific Islands regions, for which I developed some very strong attachments (enough to motivate me to learn a number of their languages & customs), I was given an assignment in Ethiopia. The combination of what we were able to accomplish there, plus the relations established with that population, has lasted for over 40 years, and remains still strong today. But, I also have a deep and abiding "love affair" with the homeland of my forefathers, Ireland, also returning there as often as possible.

The change Seamus passionately wants to happen:
To see DRAMATIC changes - for the better - in the horribly pervasive annual statistics, issued by WHO and others, on the numbers of innocent lives lost to Water and Food-born diseases.

Bio

I began doing CED work while still serving in the USN, during the Korean Conflict. Following discharge, attending UCLA on the "GI Bill", I continued doing urban & rural development work as an Intern; joined their African Studies Center to do graduate work, & was invited by Shriver to join the first Peace Corps group going to Ethiopia. After 3 years of overseas work, I returned to the US to become a regional director in the US' "War on Poverty" for 7 years, then ED of the Nat'l. Association for Community Development in Washington, DC, for another 2. I then founded/directed my own CED Consulting groups, which specialized in serving US, Canada & Mexican indigenous Native American populations, as well as international assignments; over some 7 years of this, I had worked with 105 Tribes, Inter-Tribal Councils & Urban groups. In later years, I turned my interests to Energy; 1st in Alternative Fuels, then in Conservation/Management, adding Environmental services later. Application of Alternative/Appropirate Technology became a major focus of my organization's efforts. Retiring from commercial interests in '99, I've spent the years since doing Small Business/Entreprenurial Counseling/Mentoring, specializing in Veterans' needs; as well as Non-Profit Organizational development; particularly with African Expatriate Diaspora members, working in behalf of their homelands. In Mid-2006, I was called out of retirement to become involved in expanding the awareness of a fairly new, alternative technology solution for water, fresh produce and crop plant pathogen controls using only non-chemcal/non-toxic materials; Africa & International Agribusiness are now my primary concern areas.

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