Archive for category: Activism

Information and stories on social activism.

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George Clooney Goes on a Date For Sudan

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George Clooney is going on a date that someone paid over one million dollars for. Think that someone is getting one million dollars worth of wine and steak? Think again.

The money paid for the date with the eternal Hollywood Bachelor is going to Sudan, and no, that is not where the date is taking place. The date was part of a raffle auction that was launched on the internet, and the winner is a single-mom with an 8 year old daughter.

The winner gets to attend the premiere of The Monuments Men movie with George Clooney on the red carpet in New York City, and the one-plus million dollars spent on raffle tickets for the date goes to the Satellite Sentinel Project.

The Satellite Sentinel Project is a reconnaissance operation that observes Sudan from a satellite and reveals crimes against humanity and other violent actions like the decades-old genocide in Darfur.

Clooney has been recorded saying the cost of the Satellite Project is around three million dollars, just to operate the image monitoring. Clooney has given his payments for international advertisements to help fund the Satellite monitoring process. The satellite captures images of Sudan from three hundred miles above the earth and watches war criminals and leaders of genocide in their home territory and beyond.

The star works closely with John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project.

The Enough Project, like the Sentinel Satellite Project, is a movement to stop violence and acts of terror and or genocide in Sudan. Prendergast has worked under the Clinton Administration, two different members of Congress, UNICEF, the U.S. Institute of Peace and more according to the Enough Project’s records.

He seems more than qualified to take part in the Sentinel Satellite Project. Preventing innocent citizens from horrible acts of mass terror and killing is something Prendergast has been working on for years.

Clooney became friends with Prendergast when he began working on the board of Not On Our Watch, an organization started by Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. The two thought up the Satellite project as a way to turn the tables on warlords in Sudan. Clooney would become the paparazzi to the leaders of oppression, spreading their business all over the internet. Holding these types of corrupt leaders responsible in the public eye is the first step to getting the rest of the world involved.

With high-profile celebrities like George Clooney calling out criminals for their actions, it will be even more difficult for evil-doers to hide from foreign interference and consequences.

– Kaitlin Sutherby

Sources: SF Gate, Satellite Sentinel Project, The Enough Project
Photo: Design Trend

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2014 Justice Conference in Los Angeles

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Possibly the most globally conscious conference in the world, the Justice Conference brings together hundreds of equality minded people, humanitarian organizations, peace workers and charities alike.

This year, the speakers gather at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles in February to reach out to tens of thousands of viewers. Entrepreneurs, artists and speakers discuss issues of poverty, education, hunger, government policies and more. Inspiring and moving, viewers can learn about all of the issues facing the world today and how they can help to solve them.

The 2014 Justice Conference covers everything from organizations benefiting refugees of national disaster and war crimes to societies suffering from hunger and disease.

Entrepreneurs are popular at this conference especially now that business is currently being considered as a real solution to ending poverty. Mutually beneficial business practices that supply a market of poor people with a way to increase their income could increase the quality of life of billions of people.

Guests can participate in both the conference and the accompanying film festival taking place at a hotel nearby. Documentaries about those suffering from poverty and oppression are featured as well as films about the people who help them.

The conference is slightly religious and has a base in theological justice. Their values and mission are to promote global justice and bring together like minded organizations to better the societies both in the United States and all over the world. Educating and collaborating with artists, businesses, charities and other foundations to help solve the world’s problems are the main issues discussed at the conference.

Ideas are generated and complex concepts of hunger, health, and equality are discussed in depth.

The Justice Conference Twitter shares tweets, articles and videos from appearing artists and more. Inspiring articles and videos filled with facts about social inequality are common among the Twitter feed. Anyone with a desire to learn about problems facing the world today, including causes and effects as well as potential solutions, should tune into the Justice Conference of 2014.

The next generation can eradicate poverty for good. Knowledge is power, and the more people know and understand about what works and what doesn’t in the fight against suffering and corruption, the more help they can lend and the quicker things can get done.

Talking only does so much, it is the actions of everyone involved that truly matter.

– Kaitlin Sutherby

Sources: The Justice Conference, Facebook, Twitter
Photo: The Justice Foundation

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Neil Gaiman Reads Dr. Seuss for Charity

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Many describe author and writer Neil Gaiman as a new age rock star of the literary world. Not only is he married to activist and punk princess Amanda Palmer, but Gaiman is responsible for creating one of the most influential comics books series of all-time, Sandman, and is also the author of two best-selling novels, “American Gods” and “Anansi Boys”, which are currently being adapted into television shows.

There is little that Neil Gaiman hasn’t accomplished and recently, Gaiman used his celebrity status to help raise money for Heifer International through Worldbuilders, a collective power of readers, authors, and fellow book lovers who care about making the world a better place.

Joining forces with founder and fellow fantasy author Pat Rothfuss, Neil Gaiman recorded himself reading a live version of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham in playful voices as a reward for those who helped Worldbuilders raise $500,000 through Heifer International.

“Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry all over the world. They don’t just keep kids from starving, they make it so families can take care of themselves. They give goats, sheep, and chickens to families so their children have milk to drink, warm clothes to wear and eggs to eat,” said Rothfuss.

Fellow fantasy authors contributing in raising awareness and donations for Worldbuilders included Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear, and John Scalzi. Other musicians and actors also supported the cause including Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Amber Benson who will record herself and Rothfuss reading urban fantasy fiction if the charity raises $700,000 by the fundraisers end.

The money received through Worldbuilders will be used to empower families and their communities on a “teach a man how to fish” philosophy which aims at ending poverty through increasing opportunities. Heifer International’s core model, Passing on the Gift, sets out to bring sustainable agriculture and revenue to areas plagued by years of poverty.

By providing animals to communities and teaching their members how to utilize such resources, Heifer International works to help the recipient benefit from the knowledge and products the project and animals produce. After specific techniques are learned, the recipient than becomes the donor and teaches other members of the community the same values they were taught.

After that training is passed on, so is the first female offspring of the original gift, which starts the cycle all over again. Nearly 70 years later, this process is not only a success, but is also creating opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural collaborations, and boosting the local economy.

– Jeffrey Scott Haley
Feature Writer

Sources: Patrick Rothfuss, A.V. Club, World Builders, Heifer International
Photo: Entertainment Weekly

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Dalai Lama: Non-Violent Resolve to Tibetan Oppression

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The Chinese occupation of Tibet has been going on since 1949. The Tibetan people, under command of the “Holy Dalai Lama,” have been attempting to win back their freedom and independence through non-violent means. All over the world, international networks of people have been forming Tibet Support Groups, or TSG’s.

The support groups serve as initiatives that raise awareness among foreign nations and generate support and aid towards freeing the Tibetan people.

China is trying to gain membership status in the United Nations Human Rights Council, but the nation has an ongoing ban on all information concerning the exiled Dalai Lama. Although the Central Tibetan Administration and the Dalai Lama believe they can solve the oppression of the Tibetans and still remain a part of China, anti-Tibet propaganda still runs throughout the occupied territory.

Jiang Zemin was the former President of China, replaced this year by Xi Jinping. The previous leader was under investigation for crimes against Tibetan humanity, but the Spanish Government abruptly let the situation drop without consequences and the oppression continues today.

In January, the Intercontinental Hotel Group was issued a complaint by Tibetan protesters for plans to construct a high-class hotel in occupied Tibet. The Intercontinental Hotel Group has yet to respond to this complaint, and the U.N. Global Compact (UNGC) has given them a deadline to answer these complaints.

The UNGC was an initiative signed by the Intercontinental Hotel Group that serves to provide the most honorable and genuine business practices among companies with holdings in multiple countries. Another complaint with the hotel in Lhasa involves the main executive being corrupt and participating in fraudulent business dealings, but so far nobody has responded to any of the issues raised.

The Dalai Lama is adamant about solving Tibet’s problems through non violent means as a way to bolster the Buddhist way. The Chinese wants to build water powered projects on the large Brahmaputra river that originates in Tibetan India.

In a business-standard.com article, the Dalai Lama said, “The mighty Brahmaputra river, which flows through many parts of India and southeast Asia, has its origin in Tibet. The success of the Tibetan movement is an imperative for saving the environment and ecology of the entire world.”

The struggle against Tibetan oppression in China, especially its non-violence, is an important lesson for everyone to learn. The Tibetan movement is trying to prove that morally sound, peaceful, and righteous action against an enemy can be just as effective and more beneficial to everyone. Politicians, leaders and citizens on all sides of the earth can use this information to their advantage and take it forward into the future that we all share together.

– Kaitlin Sutherby

Sources: Tibet.net, Business Standard, Tibet.org
Photo: Telegraph

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Human Rights Abuses in West Papua

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The region of West Papua does not make the news often; in fact, it rarely merits a news blurb in most Western headlines. However, West Papua is arguably one of the most under-reported cases of exploitation an indigenous groups in the 21st century.

Since 1969, the people of West Papua have been in conflict with the government of Indonesia in one way or another. The University of Sydney’s Center for Peace and Conflict Studies put out a report stating that for the better part of 40 years, the people of West Papua have been under the boot heel of the Indonesian Security forces.

The report goes on to state that due to wide scale incursions by Indonesia’s armed forces, West Papua has seen over 100,000 of its citizens die and much of its national resources depleted.

A report by The Guardian also notes the devastating effect that Indonesian resource extraction is having on the people of West Papua. It notes the case of the Mooi people, who are one of the 250 indigenous tribes that are having their way of life destroyed due to the deforestation of their lands by timber and palm oil companies.

The oceans off the coasts of West Papua are also being devastated due to nickel mining in the area, which is flooding the bountiful coral reefs with polluted sediment.

It is not only the eco-system of West Papua that is being destroyed. Even though it has been close to 45 years, the Indonesian military is still cracking down severely on people who are part of the Free Western Papua Movement.

Last year, the Free Western Papua Movement’s Facebook published the photo of a dead Papuan named Edward Apaseray, who was reportedly tortured and killed by the Indonesian Special Police Forces for being a “separatist.” The Diplomat, a current affairs magazine for the Asian-Pacific region, published a report in which a recent study noted that in West Papua, an incident of torture occurred every six weeks for the past half-century.

The human rights organization Tapol that monitors human rights abuses in West Papua published the story of Yawan Wayeni. He was a tribal leader and formal political prisoner who was tortured and killed by Indonesian security forces in brutal fashion.

The media have long overlooked the plight of the people of West Papua. It has only recently begun to receive real traction in Western media. The International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) is a group of politicians around the world who support the right self-determination for the people of West Papua.

One of its members, Benny Wenda, an exile from West Papua, recently had an article published in which he decried the recent statement of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, who stated that things in West Papua are “better and not worse.”

West Papua is one of the forgotten atrocities of the 21st century; the responsibility making sure that it does not continue to be rests with us and our elected officials. The Arab Spring occurred with the help of Facebook and a determined populace. The plight of West Papua needs the same type of support from those who have the ability to stand up to the Indonesian government.

– Arthur Fuller

Sources: Amnesty International, The Guardian, Tapol,  The Diplomat, The University Of Sydney, Tapol,  CNN, The Guardian, Tempo, Australia News Network
Photo: London Mining Network

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The Legacy of Mahatma Ghandi

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An oft heard phrase, some cynics go as far as to call the title of this piece, which is also a famous quote, corny, utopian  or unrealistic. Yet the individual who said it would be defined by the antithesis of the spirit behind those words. As it stands, Mahatma Ghandi is remembered as the father of a nation, much like the way that we refer to our founding fathers: Thomas Jefferson, Benajmin Franklin and James Madison to name a few.

Gandhi is certainly one of those historic figures of the past that a great many people have at least heard of. Especially concerning his bravery and courage to stand up to an empire, beginning just with himself. His choices and principles inspired a people to rise up against authority. Few have truly come to understand how, and maybe even more importantly, why he choose to do what he did.

Mahatma Gandhi is, for the most part, unanimously regarded as the leader and motivational spearhead of the Indian Independence Movement that overthrew the British empire. Almost exclusively using his rights of civil disobedience, always grounded in non violence, he managed to topple one of the largest and most sophisticated military conquerors in history.

Born on October 2, 1869, to a prominent father in the local empirical government, and to a mother whom was the fourth wife of the former. At the age of 14, as was customary, he wed by an arranged marriage, and by 15 had his first child that died soon after birth.

In his early adulthood he moved to South Africa for a job prospect. What he experienced, through the Apartheid segregation system, profoundly affected him. Soon he began learning civil disobedience tactics, and became a social activist. In 1915 he returned to India, equipped with the knowledge and skills he would employ and later became revered for.

It was not long before Gandhi became deeply involved with the independence movement. Through his steadfast persistence in following the Sacred Male and Sacred Female behaviors, he became the figurehead and emotional leader of the campaign.

The Salt March is one of his hall mark actions, when he lead a walk through rural India, encouraging civil disobedience and non-compliance to the British Empire imposed salt tax. Though he was arrested many times during the action, it is considered a pivotal point in his rise to prominence amongst the Indian people.

Babo as the Indian people affectionately call him, achieved one of his major goals on August 15, 1947. That is to say, on this day, India became independent from the ruling British empire.

On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

His legacy of forgiveness, non-violence in the face of overwhelming odds and his persistence have left a deep impression of the conscience of the world. We end this piece as we started. The brevity and truth behind his words cannot be improved upon.

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”
– Mahatma Ghandi

– Tyler Shafsky

Sources: Times of India, MensXP, PBS
Photo: Daily Photostream

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Charity Through Hip-Hop

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Rap and hip-hop music has a rich and diverse culture with its roots linked all the way back to the era of slavery within United States history.  Hip-hop evolved into a music genre in the 1970s when DJs performed at block parties in the boroughs of New York City using the breaks of popular funk, disco and soul music.  As the genre progressed, hip-hop became an outlet of artistic expression for the youths growing up in the inner cities.

Hip-hop blessed the world with popular artists such as 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., KRS-One and Eminem, among others.  The lyrical content gave the rest of the world a lens in which we could try to understand and empathize with the people living in impoverished conditions within the inner city where kids had little to no economic opportunity, faced rampant drug infestations and constant battles with authorities.

As hip-hop music gained popularity, it gave some individuals a chance to make a living while creating work that inspired millions.  Since the hip-hop genre is directly infused with the universal struggle of the worlds poor and underprivileged, it is always great to hear about those individuals that were able to escape that life and use their fame and fortune to benefit others.  Here are a few prominent members of the hip-hop community that do just that:

  • Russell Simmons – the co-founder of the influential hip-hop music label Def Jam,  Russell Simmons is involved with over 20 different charities and foundations.  He is the founder of the Diamond Empowerment Fund which supports education initiatives in African diamond mining countries.  Simmons also created the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation which provides art and educational programming to New York City youth.
  • Nas & Damian Marley – These two artists collaborated on an album called Distant Relatives which features themes related to African ancestry and poverty.  Proceeds of this album were donated to various projects in Africa including building schools and raising AIDS/HIV awareness.
  • Immortal Technique – This underground artist combines gritty hip-hop with politically conscious messages in order to raise awareness of social issues plaguing the inner city and underdeveloped nations.  He collaborated with Omeid International to open the Amin Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan, an orphanage, school and medical facility for children.
  • Akon – Akon created the Konfidence Foundation to help kids in Senegal and the United States have a chance at an education and healthy life.  The foundation assists undeveloped schools in constructing key infrastructure projects so that they can become operational.  In Ecole Elementaire P.A.Y. Unite #3, the foundation completed construction on unfinished classrooms, drilled drinking wells, and provided educational materials.

 – Sunny Bhatt

Sources: Look to the Stars, Konfidence Foundation, Omeid International, Culture Bully
Photo: DrJays

Film Synopsis: The Square

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During a 2011 revolution in Egypt, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim set out to document the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Armed with cameras, the people of Egypt took to the streets in protest.

The documentary follows six protesters that meet Noujaim in the Tahrir Square tent city. The main characters are Khalid Abdalla, the British-Egyptian star of “The Kite Runner,” Magdy Ashour (a hesitant Muslim Brotherhood member,) Ahmed Hassan (the star activist,) Ramy Essam (the singer-songwriter of the revolution,) Aida El Kashef (a young filmmaker) and Ragia Omran (a human rights lawyer.)

The group sets out to capture the injustices of the regime and the following military dictatorship. The film is wrought with brutal scenes of torture and police brutality.

Magdy is tortured, Ahmed is shot and many of their friends are killed. Originally, the film ended with the overthrow of Mubarak’s regime and military rule, but as discontent with the election brought people back into the square, Noujaim returned to Egypt to continue shooting.

After the overthrow of the regime, Muslim Brothers, secularists, leftists and Coptic Christians, who once joined hands on the front lines, turned on each other.

Magdy is left conflicted, as he finds his organization firing upon his friends from the square. Discontent with President Mohamed Morsi’s policies, the people of Egypt took to the streets in the largest public demonstration on record—20 million people.

The film ends with Mori stepping down. People seem hopeful for the future of Egypt. They know the people of Egypt are a powerful force, capable of taking down dictators and unjust regimes. However, no clear leadership has emerged that unites the many sectors of Egypt’s population.  It is unclear how the Egyptian Revolution will end.

Noujaim’s film is a standout for best documentary of 2014. It is powerful, moving and gives a face to the headlines coming out of Egypt.

– Stephanie Lamm

Sources: The Square Film, IMDB
Photo: Ramesh Srinivasan

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Foreign Aid: How It Works

Every year, the United States spends more than $30 billion on foreign aid. This figure appears to be substantial, but comparatively on average, Americans spend more than $45 billion on pet care and more than  $30 billion on candy each year. Foreign aid accounts for only less than one percent of the federal budget. However, foreign aid is the combination of both diplomacy and development in other countries. The actual budget for poverty is only 0.55 percent of the federal budget.

Poverty is not only a concern in developing countries. Developing countries’ economies have direct effects on the world economy; if developed countries want to grow their incomes and expand to other parts of the world, erasing global poverty is the first step to achieve these objectives.

The objective of foreign aid is to fight poverty and to spur or speed up the growth of economies in developing countries. Foreign aid activities vary from providing clean water, helping local farmers, and supporting the healthcare systems, to increasing education level for the people in poverty. If the global economy is stable, the human race can help one another to reach higher goals.

Even though the success of foreign aid is different from country to country, the most successful stories generally come from countries that have low corruption levels and good political policies. In this sense, diplomacy plays an important role in helping these countries develop policies that will attract investment from around the world.

By increasing education levels and decreasing child mortality rates, foreign aid will help produce skilled workers who are ready to capture the opportunities in the promising but challenging environment.

The foreign aid budget is heavily influenced by the legislature, so legislators need to be aware of the real situation and garner support from the public. Our duty as American citizens is to bring these matters to the attention of legislators and give them our support for a better life, not only for poor people, but ultimately for all of us as Americans.

– Phong Pham

Sources: OXFAM America, NYT, The Guardian
Photo: New Security Beat

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World Hunger Relief and Christina Aguilera

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In 2007, Yum! Brands Inc., the world’s largest fast food restaurant, created the World Hunger Relief program. Using its nearly 40,000 stores and 1.5 million employees, Yum! Brands Inc. leads the most expansive private sector hunger relief effort. The World Hunger Relief and international superstar Christina Aguilera are teaming up to help save the nearly 1 billion people around the world who are hungry.

Consisting of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurant chains, the company uses its network to raise awareness and funds in order to benefit the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) that reaches more than 90 million people worldwide. Since its inception, the World Hunger Relief program has raised over $150 million for the WFP and other hunger relief organizations, breaking their annual donation record every year. Every one-dollar that’s donated provides four meals for hungry children at school.

In 2012, the World Hunger Relief provided 132 million meals in more than 45 countries. This was attributed to the record-breaking $33 million raised by the program.
The World Hunger Relief takes advantage of Yum! Brands Inc.’s huge employee base that enlists friends and family to volunteer for hunger relief efforts. Together, they have logged millions of volunteer hours in communities around the world.

The aid provided to emergency operations conducted by the WFP has helped thousands of men, women, and children. Other achievements of the World Hunger Relief include:

• Directed $1.5 million to relief funds in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan

• Providing assistance so that a school feeding program in Ethiopia, reaching 438,000 primary school age children, can continue for one year

• Those affected by floods in Bolivia were given fortified meals for one month

• Those affected by civil conflict in Somalia were provided fortified meals for one month

• Provided 132,000 people affected by floods with fortified meals for one month

• After a major earthquake in Peru, 80,000 survivors were provided with rice for one month

• Following Cyclone Sidr, victims in Bangladesh were provided with fortified meals for one month

– Sunny Bhatt

Sources: Hunger to Hope, Business Wire, World Food Programme
Photo: BGR