Hi Karen - welcome to PeaceNext . Your activities are impressive just like your distant cousin, who features in my book, "world without war, made possible by empowered individuals", ^http://bit.ly/7szIDa) from which I attach the following paragraph:
"The third was in 1415 when young Portuguese Prince Henry conquered Ceuta, the important Arab port on the northern coast of Africa, part of the vast Islamic empire stretching from Spain to Persia. Portugal, under King John I and his wife Queen Philippa, daughter of England’s John of Gaunt, was a centre of learning and ability regardless of religion. Ceuta was home to fine Islamic universities. It was a revelation to Henry that the Arabs had traded over the known world for centuries, and had a world view of a round globe (rather than a flat surface) based on the work of Ptolemy. It became his inspiration to explore the world and regain control of the spice trade that had been lost as a result of the Arab blockade of the Silk Road and access to the Indian Ocean through the Arabian Peninsula. He hoped to be able to do this via the Cape of Good Hope".
It seems that you are following through with your life's ambition, while I do it in a miniscule way by writing a book, that was inspired by my seeing social values collaps at the end of WWII.
Good luck with all your activities.