Globalroamink’s Weblog

Last night, Lisa Ling made a stop in Minneapolis and I went to hear her speak.

Ling is probably most recognized as a former host of The View. She gave up that gig a while back, however. Now she works for Oprah and National Geographic.

She travels the world doing investigative journalism. She delves deep into topics and subjects that make most of us squirm. For example, she has investigated female suicide bombers, puppy mills and gang rape in the Congo.

Ling credited her first trip abroad as a pivotal experience in her life, as an experience that pushed her over the edge and convinced her that traveling and telling stories was for her.
At the age of 21, Ling went on assignment to Afghanistan for Channel One, a news source that brings current events into high school classrooms. After that trip, she was never the same.

Traveling, Ling said last night, makes a person more intelligent, more curious, and more human. I agree with all of that!

Last night, Ling shared a poem she wrote after traveling to Africa and investigating the lives of child brides, of girls who are married off to much older men when they are just 6 or 7 years old. Her poem was both touching and tragic.

After passing two hours listening to her speak, I was so intrigued with her life that I sought out her web site this morning.

While there, I ran across a report she did about forced child labor in India. It’s quite a long video clip – an hour – but it’s very interesting.

The report focuses on the forced labor of girls and it reminded me of the interview I did with Patricia McCormick, the author of the young adult novel Sold that is featured in this premier issue of Global Roam ink.