All of the projects we carry out will serve to promote the quality of life in the developing world. Litigation has proved to be devastating to communities in the United States. We will not actively participate in any legal solution or mine closure, but we understand that such things may result from some of our work. We will work as an independent party that helps people in affected communities. Check out our current list of projects below.

Pneumoconiosis in India: a Preventable Catastrophe

The first project we will fund is a pneumoconiosis study in India that mimics techniques that have proved successful in the United States. This new study will involve US organizations that worked on these original studies and experienced individuals. These techniques were well received and can be repeated in India.

Doctors with whom we are working with in India have laid out the following objectives as:

• To determine the prevalence of occupational lung disease among the workforce in Rajasthan, Andrha Pradesh, and Gujarat
• To ensure that the exposed individuals will receive appropriate follow-up medical treatment and avoid future exposures to different causative agents
• To develop a health information management system that will track individuals' medical evaluations and progress
• To build up research capacity among young researchers

We have regular communications between doctors in India and The United States. The dialog has been productive and inspirational. Those involved in the discussions have come together to fund the International Work-to-Live Project. We feel passionately about our responsibility to prevent a wave of occupational lung disease that will surely come about without help and change.

Part of this project includes developing solutions that are economically sustainable. We will encourage the use of protective gear in the workplace and encourage the use of alternatives to toxic materials. Waste management will be taught and encouraged and will develop economically advantageous opportunities that will improve health in the workplace. It is not our mission to shut down workplaces that are unsafe. While this may be a result of the work we do it is not a direct goal. We want to work with affected communities to provide realistic solutions.

Silicosis in Turkey: the Link between Sandblasted Jeans and Accelerated Disease

Our second project will focus on the increased occurrence of silicosis among young factory workers in western Turkey. According to a 2005 article in the Journal of Occupational Health, some of these cases have been linked to several small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that produce sandblasted jeans, mostly for sale in the European Union and the United States. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the researchers' findings was that those who contracted this form of silicosis developed symptoms that usually are not observed until after 10-20 years of exposure.

While they hypothesize that such acceleration is due to limited ventilation and a lack of available face masks, there is no evidence provided in the article to support it. We will work with a team of doctors in the United States and Turkey to determine the causes of this rapid disease progression through a thorough silicosis exposure study. Following that determination, we will embark on an educational and awareness program that will provide the tools and information to help mitigate the detrimental affects of silicosis on a growing Turkish workers and to inform the general Turkish population of the increasing burden of this disease on their country.