The Notebook Project Update
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April 2007

Happy Spring!

On March 15, 2007, we marked the one year anniversary of The Notebook Project!  It all started with 63 notebooks and now, there are over 260 in circulation, in 15 different countries, along with the option to participate online.

What’s New?

  • My goal was to have a quarterly update on the project, but life took an unexpected turn and placed me in the role of primary caretaker for my significant other, Marlen, who went into the hospital for an angioplasty and ended up having a triple bi-pass and an aortic valve replacement.  He is doing very well and we both are appreciating the gift of each day more than every before.

  • We now have our website where you can find out more about the project and read some sample writings, which we plan to update on a regular basis. 

  • In the last update, I announced that I was taking The Notebook Project to the United Nations, which turned out to be a wonderful way to open conversations with total strangers. Lots of questions were asked and some suggestions were given on how to reach more women in developing countries.  Believe it or not, the number one comment was, “You must make this available online.” It turns out that even in some of the most remote parts of the world, there are Internet cafés.  One woman told me about visiting an open market, in a small town in India, and the Internet “café” consisted on a young man on a bicycle, with a backpack, with a computer in it!

One of the highlights of my trip was spending a morning in the UN Café, talking to a young woman, Mahmouda, from the Sudan. We learned a lot about each others culture and agreed to stay in touch. She will be the first woman from the Sudan, to participate in The Notebook Project!


THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE NOTEBOOKS MOVING

I would like to share a true story with you as the result of The Notebook Project.  Several months ago, I received a request from one of the participants in the project.  She had passed her notebook on to a close friend, who died suddenly, three months later. Her request was that when I received the notebook, would I copy the friend’s comments and send them to her, as there were several friends who were grieving and wanted to know how their friend answered the two questions, Who are you? and What do you want?

My heart sank when I read the request, one, for the sudden loss and two, I had no control over whether or not the notebook would be returned. Fortunately, with a little leg work I was able to locate it, and discovered that this beautiful woman included artwork, a picture of herself, and wrote about what she wanted.  I was so excited when the notebook was returned…I was able to read not only the words of this individual, but also the writings of her friends, who clearly are a loving and compassionate group.

Now you can see the importance of keeping the notebooks moving.  If we don’t, then we consciously or unconsciously silence the voices that need to be heard.

Blessings,

Judy Ranieri
Co-Founder of the Notebook Project