Writing For Global Engagment

A free-lance writing business specializing in contemporary global issues and world affairs.

Writing for Global Engagement ~ Creating communications products to educate and engage the public in current global affairs..and to inspire action in the form of philanthropy, advocacy, activism (and even just conversations) around international news, events, and trends.

An “information concierge,” providing customized research and reportage for foundations, individuals, NGOs, corporations, and media, including:

• Backgrounders and briefs on issues and/or countries (cheat sheets or primers)
• Multi-perspective analysis of hot topics in world news (media literacy road maps and synthesis of viewpoints)
• Reviews of articles and books on contemporary global issues
• Donor education
• “Pre” and “Post” activities for international travel and service opportunities (pre-trip prep packets and workshops/post-trip reflection,reporting, and next steps)
• Presentations, brown-bag lunch, and book club discussions on global issues (designed for different audiences and levels of expertise)
• Publicity and outreach communications for organizations working in the global community
• Interviews and profiles of individuals and programs acting on theories of change (from luminaries to unsung heroes)

About Cate

Cate Biggs is  a free-lance writer and consultant committed to a broad notion of global citizenship ~ life-long learning in any context. Combining reportage, narrative, interviews, and expert commentary with backgrounders and context, Cate unpacks complex global issues, making them accessible to everyone … with humility, passion, and humor… smart and informed, but not too wonky…exploring angles and nuances beyond the sound bites. Storytelling with a purpose. Knowledge for action.

Cate believes that too many people are intimidated by international affairs because they lack a good grasp of the history, ideas, and dynamics that drive world events and trends. They find themselves trying to assimilate scattered bits of information – what they never learned, what they have forgotten, what someone else said – as they work to understand what is going on in the world, why it’s going on, and why it matters.  They end up nibbling at the margins of big issues, unable to satisfyingly consume international news, discuss critical global issues, or participate in crafting solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Cate says the antidote to this is knowledge;  and the benefits of a more engaged citizenry are wide-ranging and mutually-reinforcing – better conversations and solutions, as well as better volunteers, donors, and advocates for organizations (from NGOs and foundations to government, individuals, and corporations) who are tackling critical global issues.

Cate first began this information crusade in the realm of K-12 education, teaming up with World Savvy, an education non-profit, to develop an on-line magazine for teachers (a smart dummies guide to global issues for educators), and The World Savvy Monitor was born.

As lead researcher and writer, Cate tackled countries – Sudan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Mexico – and big issues – Democracy Around the World, Global Poverty and International Development, Human Migration, Water, and The Global Status of Women.  One-stop shops for everything you need to know to talk intelligently about a subject in the news – from maps to timelines, to perspectives and analysis from all around the world and all along the political spectrum.

In 2009, Cate came to feel this concept had legs beyond educators, and that people needed such a product outside of school settings as well.  Global Education for Grownups, if you will.

In her work for foundations and NGOs, Cate documents the work of extraordinary organizations and individuals who are addressing critical global issues, including The Carter Center, Right to Play, Mercy Corps, PhotoPhilanthropy, and Axis of Hope.  Not only documenting their work, but also unpacking the underlying concepts and challenges. Really seeking to explain why what they do matters.  Her clients use her writing for internal purposes, donor education, and public outreach.

In 2007, Cate traveled  to Rwanda to report on a regional post-Genocide conflict prevention conference involving youth from Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2009, she traveled with photographer Nancy Farese to Liberia to profile individuals and organizations active in the reconstruction and development of the country following the civil wars of 1989-2003. Highlights of the trip included almost getting arrested (twice), and interviewing the  President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first ever African female head of state.

Cate and Nancy are currently in the process of creating a multimedia product aimed at educating the public about the complexities of women’s empowerment efforts in Liberia, and beyond.  The goal is to shed light on this important trend in the development field, and to explore how different players are collaborating in creative ways to create new paradigms of aid to Africa.

See blogging on some of their adventures at  PhotoPhilanthropy’s Liberia Blog.  See also photo essays from their trip published with the San Francisco Chronicle: Shifting Perspectives: Liberia Through Different Lenses

See also Cate’s blog Grasping Global Poverty, and coming soon: Grasping Global Issues.  In addition to her blog and free-lance work, Cate continues to write new editions for The World Savvy Monitor, and to repurpose this content for the non-educator.

Cate has a BA from Yale University in American and African-American Studies, and a Masters in Social Welfare Management and Planning from UC-Berkeley.  She has been a high school teacher, a Global Education consultant, and worked extensively in non-profit and foundation realm.

She lives in Mill Valley, California with her husband and three daughters on whom she routinely turns her zealotry for international affairs. Despite the eye-rolling at dinner table discussions, Cate hopes she is turning out passionate global citizens of her own.