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One Direction and action/2015

One Direction and action/2015
In July, British boy band One Direction (Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles) partnered with action/2015 to encourage teens to change the future.

Action/2015 is a coalition of 2020 organizations around the world who undertake issues such as poverty, inequality and climate change. By raising awareness of these issues, they hope that world leaders will affect change.

“Young people really do have the power to help end poverty, tackle inequality and to stop dangerous climate change. Now is the time for us to unite, take action and raise our voices to show that we care about the future of our planet,” the band says.

The band is encouraging fans to post videos where they describe the kind of world they want to live in. The members also participated and posted their own videos.

Louis Tomlinson says, “I want to live in a world where every child can see a doctor when they’re sick.”

Niall Horan and Liam Payne say, “We want to live in a world where every young person has the same chance to fulfill their dreams.”

Harry Styles says, “I want to live in a world where every child can go to school.”

Action/2015 hopes that One Direction’s fan base will allow young people to contribute to global conversations, especially with the upcoming U.N. Summit in New York this September.

Brendan Cox, a participant in action/2015 says, “One Direction is the biggest band in the world and by mobilizing the millions of young people in their fan base they’ll shine a light onto the most important issues of our time.”

The band has already received 77,756 videos. They say, “Time and again our fans have shown how creative and powerful they can be when they unite and that’s why we want to all join together to speak out and hopefully make a real and lasting change to the world around us.”

– Kelsey Parrotte

Sources: Action 2015, Action 1D, The Drum, U.N.
Photo: Flickr

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One Direction Releases Film to End Poverty


Celebrities are constantly in the public eye and every move they make, from where they ate breakfast to who they might be dating, is highlighted in the media. So, when celebrities use their voices to make a positive difference in the world, it does not go unnoticed and it has the power to bring on major change.

Earlier this summer, One Direction launched their action/1D campaign, as part of action/2015, a powerful movement that believes 2015 is the year of creating concrete plans to eradicate extreme poverty, promote justice and equality and fight climate change.

Action/1D encouraged the millions of One Direction fans around the world to submit videos of themselves describing the type of world they would like to live in, in alignment with these plans.

Two months and 80,000 submissions later, action/1D released “Dear World Leaders,” a unique and compelling film composed of young people from 172 countries explaining what they like about the world, but what needs to change.

Calling on international leaders to end extreme poverty, promote universal education, provide clean, safe water for all people and end world hunger, “Dear World Leaders” features today’s youth touching upon many of the Global Goals, a set of 17 initiatives that align with the action/2015 movement.

Action/1D and “Dear World Leaders” provided young people around the world with the opportunity to contribute to important global conversations and movements. The youth of today are the future of tomorrow, so it is inspiring to see how much they care about current events and improving the world.

Now, One Direction is promoting “Dear World Leaders” through social media and on their “On the Road Again” tour, while also encouraging the public to share the film and the hashtag #action1D on social media platforms. Already, #action1D has reached 2.5 billion hits and trended on Twitter for 11 hours after the initial launch of the project.

One Direction unites their harmonic voices to make an important change in the world and impose a lasting difference that will ultimately improve the quality of life for many people. In the public eye, they have the power to raise awareness and gain support in the fight against extreme global poverty.

– Sarah Sheppard

Sources: Global Citizen, Look to the Stars 1 , Look to the Stars 2
Photo: Flickr

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Harry Styles Speaks In Video About Education

Harry_Styles

On July 27, Harry Styles of One Direction spoke in a video sanctioned by his campaign, action/1D, about his views on global education and those who deserve a better quality of life.

“I want to live in a world where every child can go to school,” Styles said at the beginning of the video.

Styles, along with bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan, recently launched the action/1D campaign to inspire fans and promote awareness for global education, poverty, climate change, disease and inequality.

With action/1D, supporters can get involved in the campaign by posting pictures and videos that correspond to a topic related to the cause. Fans of One Direction can also catch the boys in videos where each band member will begin with the phrase: “I want to live in a world where…”

In Styles’ video, he spoke about how much he enjoyed school, and the children that he met in Ghana who dream of getting an education. These children cannot afford school, Styles said, and they spend their days working instead of learning.

“At the moment, they have to work all day every day just to earn enough to eat,” Styles said.
The “What Makes You Beautiful” singer brings light to a continuing problem.

According to UNICEF, there are almost 624,000 children not in primary school. Those who do receive an education do not learn the tools required to be successful in secondary school or professional work.

“Often, the school environment is not conducive to learning: classes are overcrowded, water and sanitation facilities are lacking and trained teachers and school books are in short supply,” UNICEF reports.

For those children with disabiliites, education is even more difficult to attain. According to the 2010 national census, 20% of children with physical disabilities are not attending school.

In addition, gender inequality does not provide for an equal amount of girls in school as boys. The national average amount of education is seven years, and in Northern Ghana, girls attend school for just three years.

“Making education available to 100 percent of people around the world is one way to ensure that poverty declines,” the article said.

Along with The Borgen Project, Styles and other members of action/1D agree that education a key to ending extreme poverty. One Direction’s campaign, which is associated with a similar organization, action/2015, seeks to create a world where education, along with health, climate change and inequality, are no longer a problem.

This year, two U.N. summits will gather some of the most influential people in the world. During each conference, these leaders will formulate plans to fix these issues.

With the help of these conferences, numerous humanitarian organizations and Styles, extreme poverty just might end; as Styles pointed out in his video, this change can begin with education.

“Going to school could literally change their lives, but for now, all they can look forward to is a life of struggle, and they deserve so much more,” he said.

Action/1D asks fans of the band to group together to make a difference. To contribute to the cause and to learn more about the campaign, visit the action/1D website.

– Fallon Lineberger

Sources: Action/1D 1, Action/1D 2, Action/2015, The Borgen Project, United States Census, Twitter, UNICEF
Photo: Sugarscape

One Direction Presents Action/1D

One-Direction
On July 8, the stars of One Direction launched the action/1D campaign to rally their expansive fan base to speak out regarding their views on extreme poverty, climate change and inequality.

In the fall and winter of this year, leaders from around the world will attend two conferences to talk about and make a change surrounding these issues and many more global problems. The popular boy band members, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, are urging their fans to take an active part in the discussion by participating in their movement, action/1D.

“So, now is the time for us all to have our say, to take action and to show that we care. We can be part of something that actually makes a difference to our future and helps people who need the support,” Tomlinson said.

Horan and Payne also said that they would like fans to help promote the cause by speaking out about goals that members of the cause may have to get the attention of world leaders.

“Become part of action/1D. Make your voice heard, and make 2015 the year we change our futures forever,” Horan said.

One Direction’s manifesto is associated with action/2015, which is an organization that combines a group of more than 1,600 organizations around the globe who share the goal of providing a better future for the world’s peoples.

The action/2015 website said that although there has been some success, the world is not moving in the right direction for confronting inequality, terminating poverty or dodging hazardous climate change.

“We’ve already made progress—we’ve halved extreme poverty rates, cut preventable child deaths by nearly 50 percent and made real progress in protecting the ozone layer. When we come together, we can make a difference. But we need to move faster—there’s still so much to do,” the website said.

According to action/2015, one of the conferences, which takes place in September, will address inequality and poverty and will focus on creating a permanent solution. The other summit, which will occur in December, will discuss climate change and will explore different methods to conduct research and inform the world about ways to help preserve the Earth.

One Direction encourages viewers to demonstrate their opinions through the use of creativity. The website hosts a webpage that allows fans to post upload media that relates to the featured causes.

“All you need to do is tell us what you want your world to look like in the future. You can make videos or send us pictures. It’s easy. Just complete one of the actions listed on our site,” Payne said.

Each week, new prompts are posted on the action/1D website that explain what action participants can perform. The posts contain a topic that deals with a worldwide issue and instructions for a picture or a video. The most recent post asked partakers to “film a close-up part of your face—your mouth speaking, your ear, maybe your eye blinking” to exhibit the theme “Speak, Listen, Watch” to stimulate conversation about the issues.

So far, there have been almost 43 thousand actions posted to the action/1D website.

To get involved, or to learn more about action/1D, visit their website.

– Fallon Lineberger

Sources: Action/1D 1, Action/1D 2, Action/2015 1, Action/2015 2
Photo: Digital Spy

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One Direction Launches Anti-Poverty Campaign

One-Direction-Anti-Poverty-CampaignOne Direction is coming to Seattle. The world-renowned teen heartthrob band One Direction has recently made an important addition to their laundry list of achievements. The band members have collectively launched an impressive anti-poverty campaign that also seeks to tackle inequality and slow down climate change.

They have named the initiative the Action/1D manifesto, and have asked their millions and millions of fans across the globe to contribute. Fans are encouraged to share powerful, creative pieces that will help raise awareness of our world’s most pressing issues.

The band’s initiative is part of the wider action/2015 campaign. This larger campaign is a global citizens movement founded on the idea that 2015 can be the pivotal year when the world finally sets out to tackle persisting global issues like poverty.

The boys stress that their initiative—and the campaign as a whole—will not see success unless World Leaders are successfully swayed. Change can only happen if the harnessed power of everyday people compels leaders to make long-term commitments.

Although they are speaking out to a primarily younger fan base, they still wholeheartedly believe in the power of everyday citizens. The band released a statement explaining, “Young people really do have the power to help end poverty, tackle inequality and to stop the dangerous climate change.”

In fact, the band believes that now is the time for members of the younger generation to take action, and create a united voice that is loud enough to reach the ears of leaders worldwide.

The band has released a collaborative video asking fans to get involved by posting videos and pictures depicting how they would “celebrate” the campaign’s victory. Another option for fans is to answer the question, “What would your ideal future look like?”

The plan is for fan-sourced content to be delivered in a single video depicting one strong, unified, socially driven message. Each band member will also release his own individual video in the months to come. Louis will reportedly be the first to do this, with plans to release his personalized video on July 13.

One Direction is the most recent high-profile group to join many other famous personalities in supporting the 2015 campaign. Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Sir Richard Branson, Shakira, Ben Affleck, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Bono have already issued their campaign support.

When people in the global limelight choose to utilize their power to harness support for important issues like poverty, significant changes can be made. According to Declan Fahy, an associate professor at American University’s School of Communication, celebrities have the ability to “personify ideas and social issues.”

By showing the world how important issues like poverty, inequality, and climate change are to them, One Direction is encouraging their fans to adopt similar perspectives. By putting a face on these complex issues, famous people can make their audience feel more connected to the problem, and even mobilize them to take action.

As one of the biggest bands in the world, One Direction has the power to bring the most important global issues to the forefront. Especially by encouraging a younger generation to care about these issues, the band could help make huge strides in the worldwide fight against poverty.

– Sarah Bernard

Sources: Daily Star (UK), Think Progress
Photo: Cambio

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One Direction Starting a Trend of Giving

one_direction_giving
“I’ve seen the slums right in front of me! This is no joke! They really need your help! Poverty is real!” -Niall Horan, One Direction

Young Hollywood stars seem to be taking on a more active role when it comes to standing up for the world’s poor. One Direction band members spent time volunteering in Accra, Ghana expressing support for Comic Relief’s red nose day. The 1D members were very moved by the sights they had seen while on the trip. Harry Styles and Liam Payne were brought to tears while visiting with children in an emergency room.

The children were suffering from undernourishment and diarrhea. Sadly, many of these aliments can be prevented with proper vaccinations and care. Other band mate, Zayn Malik, is quoted saying “We all waste money on stupid things but surely the most important thing we can spend a few pounds on is protecting children from these preventable illnesses.” Also, singer and song writer Katy Perry took a four day trip to Madagascar.

Perry spent time playing with children, becoming educated on the scarcity of water, and listening to the stories of women and children who have been exposed to violence. Perry states, “In less than one week here in Madagascar, I went from crowded city slums to the most remote villages – and my eyes were widely opened.” Perry also learned that for every two children in the country, one is suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Lastly, singer Demi Lovato spent her 21st birthday volunteering in Africa. Demi, states, “With 21 being a milestone birthday, I wanted a memorable and meaningful way to celebrate, rather than throw a big birthday bash.” The trip hosted by Me to We, Free the Children organization, allowed Demi to help build a school in the impoverished village.

These and many other famous pop stars are starting a new trend; a new trend to become more giving with their time and finances. Hopefully this trend stays and spreads to more Hollywood stars. These pop stars are not only trend setters but, role models to young people everywhere. Modeling to fans everywhere that the worlds not just about the latest gadgets or toys. The world is full of poverty and death that can be prevented. This includes children and adults that die by the thousands each day from preventable causes. Acts of giving like the ones mentioned above help people in need. Hopefully many more acts of giving will be created as a result of these pop stars.

– Amy Robinson

Sources: UNICEF, Huffington Post

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What The Top 10 Searched for People Tell Us About Humanity

Top Ten Most Searched People Google Morgan Freeman
Who is the world intrigued with? Look no further than the top searches on Google. The top 10 searched for people provides a very interesting sampling of who represents humanity.

1. Whitney Houston. She became a beloved artist, actress, producer, and model. Guinness world records called her the most awarded female of all time. In later years she had a drug problem but recovered. She was posed to become the next judge on the show “The X-Factor” and revive her career right before she died.

2. Kate Middleton. She is a modern day Cinderella. Now Kate has been voted number one on the Vanity Fair’s best dressed list for three years in a row. Before she won the prince’s heart, she was considered simply “a beautiful commoner.” Today she works closely with five charities which mainly work with children.

3. Amanda Todd. Released a YouTube video about how she was bullied before she committed suicide. The video went viral and is now used to support anti-bullying movements.

4. Michael Clarke Duncan. Became famous when appearing in “The Green Mile” which won him an Academy Award nomination. He was an avid advocate for PETA. Michael died at age 54.

5. One Direction. Popularized by the show “The X-Factor,” the boy band has sold over seven million records. The teenage heart throbs are avid advocates for the organization Comic Relief.

6. Felix Baumgartner. Broke the world record height for sky diving. During his decent, he became the first person to break the sound barrier without using mechanical power.

7. Jeremy Lin. A lesser known professional basketball player until he led a winning streak for the New York Knicks.

8. Morgan Freeman. He acts, directs, and narrates. Some of his recent films include Oblivion, Now You See Me, and The Dark Knight Rises.

9. Joseph Kony. Leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. He was made famous by an Invisible Children documentary that went viral.

10. Donna Summer. Known as the “undisputed queen of the Seventies disco boom.” Four of her singles topped the billboard chart within a thirteen month period. She held five Grammy Awards.

How can this diverse group of people be summarized? They usually come from the entertainment business. The good outnumber the bad. They are overwhelmingly represented in the media. When given power or influence most chose to represent the underprivileged and fight for inequality. Many gain a following in the wake of their death. Their lives read like a very dramatic story. The kind of story that gets them on the top ten Google searched list.

– Nicole Yancy
Sources: Biography, Wonder’s List, Fox News, E Online
Photo: LoL Forum

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Musicians Team Up to Support ONE Campaign

One Campaign Celebrities Support Global Development International Aid
Some of the United Kingdom’s most popular musicians — the boy band, One Direction, and the solo heartthrob, Ed Sheeran — have joined the fight against global poverty. Both recorded sessions in support of the ONE campaign, an initiative that is striving to eliminate all significant fiscal inequities by 2030.

Although they just recently joined the ONE initiative, One Direction is not unfamiliar with charity and advocacy. Earlier this year, the band toured Ghana to record a single and raise money for the annual British philanthropic event “Red Nose Day.” Moreover, the band has offered to pledge over $319,000 from their upcoming tour in order to support cancer research. Tellingly, ONE’s collaboration with One Direction seems to be fitting not only in namesake, but also in the capacity of goals and hopes.

In the contemporary developing world, ONE has enacted major positive change on a global scale. The organization, comprised of over three million employees, campaigners, and advocates, has been working relentlessly to eliminate extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa. Co-founded by Bono, the organization raises political awareness about critical illnesses like AIDS, whilst also investing significantly in nutritional and agricultural programs.

Due to the success of ONE’s programs, over 7.5 million people have been given access to life-saving medication in Africa, a prodigious increase from just 50,000 recipients in 2002. Instances of malaria have seen a 75 percent reduction since 2000. Furthermore, in the past 13 years, 51 million more children have access to primary school across sub-Saharan Africa, an increase that is unprecedented in the continent’s history.

Furthermore, ONE has collaborated with a wide-range of African activists and policymakers in order to shape an auspicious future. In working closely with these African leaders, the organization attempts to effectively eliminate corruption and aid misuse, helping to form a democratic and just society in which all, regardless of class or racial backgrounds, are protected and secure.

In light of its successes, ONE is not a grant-making organization and does not receive government or public donations. The organization maintains its funding through select philanthropists and organizations. Thus, advocacy, rather than fundraising, is key—ONE strives to educate the public of the fatal repercussions of rampant global poverty, inspiring a new generation of change.

With some of pop music’s most recognized faces leading the campaign, ONE is sure to receive an influx of attention in the coming weeks, which could, in turn, change the face of Africa.

– Anna Purcell 

Sources: ONE, AND POP
Photo: Daily Billboard Blog

Bieber Concert Tickets Benefit the Red Cross

Bieber Concert Tickets Benefit the Red Cross
For Justin Bieber, Jonas Brothers and One Direction fans, there is an ultimate concert package available right now until April 26, 2013, to meet and see all of them in concert – and the best part is the auction price benefits the American Red Cross.

CharityBuzz.com is hosting the auction, where four people will win:

  • Four Tickets to a Justin Bieber concert in June at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
  • Meet & Greet with Justin Bieber
  • Four Tickets to a Jonas Brothers August 16, 2013, Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
  • Meet & Greet with the Jonas Brothers during a private lunch with the band
  • Four Tickets to a One Direction concert in August at the Staples Center in LA, CA

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering due to emergencies and natural disasters, by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. It is not a government agency, it is independent and neutral, and operates for the good of all. The Red Cross originated in 1863 to care for and protect wounded soldiers and introduced a common red cross symbol to protect medical personnel on the battlefield. The global Red Cross, and more recently Red Crescent, mission and scope have evolved into the world’s largest humanitarian network – the only NGO with specific responsibilities outlined in the Geneva Conventions. Today, the American Red Cross and its partners provide humanitarian assistance to the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Some celebrities know they have an obligation to give back to the people and communities that built them, and they are in a unique position to have a massive impact. The bid now stands at $10,500.

– Mary Purcell

Source: CharityBuzz, Red Cross

 

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Red Nose Day 2013

red nose day
Friday, March 15, 2013 was best spent celebrating Red Nose Day by sitting in front of the television watching Comic Relief – Funny for Money on BBC One. The show was full of comical sketches, musical performances, and celebrity appearances all to help raise money for Comic Relief, an organization working to make the world poverty free. It definitely resulted in a great deal of laughter, which is the point of Red Nose Day, which promotes “having fun and changing lives” as one of its main goals.

Red Nose Day is a day for everyone “to put on their Noses, pull out all the stops, and get fundraising,” according to the official website. Literally, everyone puts on red noses and clowns around, eliciting laughter and donations. Celebrity support of the day came from an array of celebrities – from Rihanna, who donned a Stella McCartney red nose t-shirt, to Ron Burgundy of Anchorman, who performed in one of the comical sketches. And, of course, One Direction, a big supporter of the Comic Relief organization, made an appearance, performing their hit song, and the official Red Nose Day single, One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks). Yet, one celebrity stood above the rest, Jessie J, a panelist for the show The Voice. On live television, Jessie J sacrificed her lustrous black bob in order to boost the amount of money raised, all of which is going to Comic Relief. After shaving her head she said, “It is the weirdest feeling” to have no hair!

The money raised for Comic Relief is going to help support a variety of people and projects in both the United Kingdom and Africa. In the United Kingdom, it will, amongst many other things, help provide shelter to young adults living on the streets and help protect those who have suffered from domestic abuse. In Africa, it will help by providing life-saving treatment for malaria to communities by giving them access to clean and fresh water and much needed vaccines.

Red Nose Day was celebrated throughout the United Kingdom and Africa. As of 6:30pm on Friday night, it had raised over £75 million, setting a new record for the most money raised in the 25 years since its creation. The total amount raised, however, has not yet been released.

If you missed the “the star-studded and unmissable Comic Relief- Funny for Money” show on Friday, don’t worry! You can get exclusive clips on iTunes, with all purchases going to support Red Nose Day.

– Angela Hooks

Sources: UK Yahoo, Red Nose Day, BBC
Photo: Red Nose Day