#cmparallel

March is PARALLEL

Fate exerts a powerful pull on our lives. As Greg Davis knows, it can drag you through the mud before it shows you the light at the end of the tunnel. For Greg, fate is his quest for meaning, his desire to connect his experiences with those of people worlds apart, to exhibit that we are all part of something greater than ourselves. Often times, it is our PARALLEL journeys of mud and light that just-so-happen to intersect when the timing is perfect.

Greg Davis is a published and contributing photographer for National Geographic/Disney and was represented by the National Geographic Image Collection for over a decade. Over two hundred of his works can still be found in the archives at National Geographic. Greg’s work was recently published in National Geographic photo books, “America the Beautiful“, “Destinations of a Lifetime” and “Women: The National Geographic Image Collection”, which also has a worldwide traveling exhibition, “Women:  A Century of Change“, that features some of his work. In 2017 he was honored as the Ambassador of the Year for Austin based non-profit, Well Aware, the first time they had ever awarded this recognition.  Well Aware funds and implements sustainable clean water systems that drive development and empower communities in East Africa. Greg worked his way from local festivals to international exhibitions and his work now hangs in private and institutional collections worldwide.  The Wittliff Collection, The Raymond James Collection and The Grace Museum are just a few of the spaces that house Greg Davis’ collectible works.

Susanna Basso è nata a Torino dove vive e lavora. Per quasi quarant'anni ha insegnato in vari licei della sua città accumulando generazioni di preziosi allieve e allievi.

Our theme for March is PARALLEL. Unser Thema im März ist “PARALLEL” (Veranstaltungssprache ist Deutsch).

Wir wünschen uns oft, dass unser Leben genau so verläuft, wie wir es uns vorstellen – parallel wie Eisenbahnschienen verlaufen, zu Gedanken, Plänen und Erwartungen. Doch das Leben folgt selten einer perfekten Linie. Unerwartete Ereignisse, Herausforderungen und Wendepunkte lassen uns aus der Spur geraten.

Aber genau diese Abweichungen bringen uns weiter. Sie zeigen uns neue Wege, neue Möglichkeiten, neue Chancen.

Bleiben wir stur auf der Strecke? Oder haben wir den Mut, neue Weichen zu stellen und Entscheidungen zu treffen. 

Dein Leben gehört dir. Was ist deine nächste Weiche die du stellen solltest? 

Ben Kindler ist Koch, Unternehmer, Autor und Speaker. Mit seiner Kochschule und seinem Beruf hat er eine Erfüllung gefunden.

Wir begrüßen euch am 21. März ab 8 Uhr im Kochschule - Ben Kindler, Wallstraße 12 im Freiburg. Bitte beachten: Keine Auto-Parkplätze sind vorhanden, nur Fahrrad.

Das Thema “PARALLEL” wurde von CreativeMornings/Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia ausgewählt und von OLI illustriert.

On February 14, in the heart of Lisbon, we gathered not just to celebrate love, but to honor a deeper kind of love — love for humanity. At the center of this gathering stood Isabel Jonet, a leading voice in social impact in Portugal, sharing her journey of giving and generosity.

As president of the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks Against Hunger and the Lisbon Food Bank, Isabel has dedicated decades to fighting food insecurity. Under her leadership, Portugal’s Food Bank network has grown to 21 banks, driven by an innovative management model that prioritizes efficiency and process optimization. Her impact extends beyond Portugal, inspiring similar initiatives in Angola, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.

Isabel began with a simple yet profound message: We are part of a whole. Every action we take, every word we share, and every initiative we support contributes to something greater than ourselves. “Be connected to build a better world,” she urged, emphasizing how technology and digital platforms are transforming the way we engage with social causes.

With each slide, she painted a vision of giving not as a singular act, but as a cycle—a movement that grows through awareness, participation, and shared responsibility. She posed a question to the audience: What is my role in the world? It wasn’t rhetorical; it was an invitation. A challenge to reflect on our responsibilities as citizens, as individuals with skills and resources, and as people capable of making a difference.

One of Isabel´s most remarkable achievements is the Food Bank’s online campaign. In just one week, it united 4,000 donors, collected 150 tons of food, and raised €190,000 across 91 countries. But beyond the numbers, it was proof that even the smallest actions—clicks, shares, and donations—can create ripples of change.

Beyond food donations, Isabel is a fierce advocate for volunteerism. Her energy was infectious as she spoke about Bolsa do Voluntariado, Portugal’s largest volunteering platform with over 700,000 registered volunteers, and Volunteerbook, a Facebook-integrated application that amplifies the reach and impact of volunteering through social networks.

"To give a hand, you just have to move a finger," she reminded us.

As she reached her final slide, she left us with a question that lingered long after the event ended: What mark do we want to leave?

Isabel´s talk was more than an inspiring keynote—it was a call to action. A reminder that each of us has the power to connect, share ideas, and do more. And as we stepped out into the Lisbon morning, we carried with us not just her words, but a renewed sense of purpose.

Because love for humanity isn’t something we celebrate just one day a year. It’s something we build—together—every single day.

Photography: Matej Simko 

Our theme for March is PARALLEL. It was chosen by our Kuala Lumpur chapter in Malaysiaand illustrated by OLI.