Received this in an e-mail from the acupuncture center I frequent in San Francisco, the very awesome Circle Community Acupuncture in the SOMA neighborhood -
This year, Circle Community Acupuncture is participating in a worldwide celebration of International Workers Day, May 1st. To honor this day, community acupuncture clinics all over the world will be offering FREE acupuncture. Also known as International Workers Day, May Day is acknowledged as a commemoration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. This is the 8th year that community acupuncture clinics have honored May Day with FREE acupuncture and the first year that Circle will be taking part.
Community Acupuncture clinics are social businesses dedicated to affordable health care. With over 150 Community Acupuncture clinics in North America and more worldwide, thousands of individuals are expected to receive free services on May 1st. For a list of participating clinics, go here.
Yes! This documentary is now airing on PBS. Check your local listings. I'll be watching it next week in San Francisco on KQED on either Wed April 7 at 10:30pm or Thurs April 8 at 9:30pm.
To find out where/when it's playing on your local TV network, go here.
UNMISTAKEN CHILD by Nati Baratz
Are some people born natural leaders? When one of Tibet’s greatest monks passes away, his shy and gifted disciple must complete a monumental task he did not seek — to find his reincarnated master in the form of a child. Plagued by doubt, he goes on a journey to find the next spiritual leader as thousands of followers and the Dalai Lama await his discovery.
I just read an interview with the filmmaker Nati Baratz, and liked this:
PBS Independent Lens: Tell us about a scene in the film that especially moved or resonated with you.
NB: When the parents agree to give away the child to the monastery, and the father says, “For the benefit of sentient beings I can give up my child, otherwise who can give his child for nothing.” This altruistic attitude is a great inspiration for me and a key element of the film and of Tibetan Buddhism in general: Benefiting others is the greatest thing you can do for yourself.
In between reading chapters of "The Blue Sweater" I stumbled upon (thanks to Twitter) the list of 2010 winners of the JustMeans.com/Financial Times Social Innovation Awards.
I was psyched to see that two orgs I love, TechSoup and Sparkseed both won awards this year. Was also psyched to discover a new org, who was also an award winner - Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women.
Cordes Foundation Fellowships provide opportunities for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders to participate as Delegates in the Opportunity Collaboration who for financial reasons are unable to attend. The hope and intent is to open doors, minds and networks for exceptional social entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives engaged in poverty alleviation and economic justice enterprises.
In total, 50 Cordes Fellows are selected through an international competition.
Fellows participate fully in all aspects of the Opportunity Collaboration. In addition, Fellows may earn a certificate of completion awarded by the University of the Pacific Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship. This on-site professional training symposium covers areas critical to the success of organizations and individuals creating social impact and combating poverty. The curriculum is designed in partnership with the Fellows and other Opportunity Collaboration Delegates.
More about the Opportunity Collaboration event here. I took a look at the event outline and particularly liked this discussion topic - because I'm already a fan of Think Impact:) (Check out my blog post about the org here.)
Personal Growth for the Successful Social Entrepreneur - Saul Garlick, Executive Director, Think Impact, leads a discussion on the critical areas every neophyte social entrepreneur needs to address NOW to reach their goals.
Saul Garlick is Think Impact's Founder and Executive Director. He also serves as ambassador to the United States for The Buffelshoek Trust, an organization committed to the construction of much-needed schools in rural South Africa. Saul served as managing editor of the SAIS Review, as founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Hopkins Donkey and has worked on Capitol Hill for Rep. DeGette (D-CO) and as acting desk officer for Angola in the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. He is a contributor to Carnegie Council's online magazine, Policy Innovations. Garlick is a Truman Scholar and has received numerous awards including the William C. Foster Award, the Circles of Change Award, and the Fire Within Social Entrepreneurship Award. Garlick received his BA with honors in 2006 from Johns Hopkins University and his MA i American foreign policy and International Economics at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.
I missed the March 22 deadline for the 2010 class, but hold onto this info for next year ...
Did you establish a financially viable business with the intention of offering low-wealth individuals in America a leg up? Have you been in business for 1-5 years? Were you between the ages of 18 and 29 when you launched your business? If so, you may be eligible for the Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program. Check out the criteria.
The Yoshiyama Program will identify up to six entrepreneurs ages 18-29 who formed financially viable businesses that create jobs, supply goods or services, or use internal management practices enabling low-wealth individuals the opportunity to achieve greater economic security.
The Foundation will provide these entrepreneurs with a cash prize up to $50,000 over two years, access to technical resources, and a peer learning community.
In exchange, the Foundation intends to capture the stories of these inspiring young business leaders who serve as examples of how to run a financially sustainable business that also gives a boost to people who are outside the economic mainstream.
The goal here is to support the development of these leaders and entrepreneurs, learn from them, and share their stories.
I love this!! Looking forward to the Awards Dinner & Keynote on Friday, April 23rd in Berkeley!
The Global Social Venture Competition is the largest and oldest student-led business plan competition providing mentoring, exposure, and prizes for social ventures from around the world. The mission of the GSVC is to catalyze the creation of social ventures, educate future leaders and build awareness of social enterprises. The competition supports the creation of real businesses that bring about positive social change in a sustainable manner.
Each year, entrant teams from around the world compete for over $45,000 while gaining valuable professional feedback on their ventures.
The GSVC is organized by the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in cooperation with 5 Regional Partners and 4 Outreach Partners.
Regional Partners: * Columbia Business School * London Business School * Indian School of Business * Thammasat University, Thailand * ESSEC Business School, France
GSVC Regional Partner schools host and run GSVC regional competitions and events, sending their top teams to compete at the Global Finals at UC Berkeley each April.
Outreach Partners: * Yale School of Management * Social Venture Competition Korea * ALTIS Program, Business and Society, Catholic University, Milan, Italy * Guanghua School of Management, University of Peking, China
GSVC Outreach Partners host a local or regional executive summary or full business plan judging round and send their finalist teams directly to a Regional Partner school round.
Since its inception in 1999, the GSVC has awarded more than a quarter of a million dollars to emerging social ventures and has introduced early-stage social venture entrepreneurs to the investment community. Nearly 25% of past GSVC entrants are now operating companies.
The Competition culminates in the Global Social Venture Conference. This year's Conference takes place April 22 - 23 at the Brower Center in Berkeley, California.
The Global Social Venture Conference is a two day event that comprises of our Global Finals competition for social entrepreneurship and a conference on cutting edge social impact issues. Over 300 leaders and innovators in social entrepreneurship, business, and academia will meet together for the two-day event and you will get the opportunity to engage with the next generation of social entrepreneurs while also networking with experts from across the social impact community. . Attend engaging panels covering topics such as innovative business models, funding, legal issues, global health, education, and the environment, participate in interactive workshops, and discuss the most recent trends and issues with leading and aspiring social entrepreneurs.
Register for the Conference (or just the dinner) here. I think early bird rates end April 9th.
Teams of graduate students from across the country are invited to participate in this unique competition format, which is neither a case competition nor a business plan competition. Instead, teams will devise an entirely new public-private alliance--one that will allow a private enterprise to contribute to international development initiatives in a specified region. The challenge requires equal parts creativity, research skills, business acumen and passion for seeking solutions that advance growth and reduce poverty.
Prizes include cash ($5,000 for the winning team, plus $2,500 and $1,000 for second and third places, respectively) and the opportunities to connect with leading experts in the international development and business communities, receive guidance and build invaluable relationships with other students.
The final round is an oral competition at USAID's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on April 23.
The Challenge is sponsored in part by the Smith School's Center for Social Value Creation. The Center recently held an event that happened in part thanks to the support of the Ashoka U UMD Changemaker team. Learn more about them here. Follow the Center for Social Value Creation on Facebook here - lots of interesting resources on their wall!
This sounds like a great opportunity ... March 31 app deadline quickly approaching for Summer 2010 spots.
Students for a New American Politics is a federal PAC, founded and run by undergraduates, which endorses progressive candidates in U.S. Congressional races and provides fellowships for students to work as full-time grassroots organizers for progressive candidates on federal congressional campaigns.
SNAP Fellows in Summer 2010 will be given full-time field organizing placements on key congressional campaigns across the country, working for progressive candidates who have been endorsed by SNAP and whom we believe can win and can use our help. Fellows will be full members of the campaign staff team, working as field organizers to help develop and implement field strategies necessary to recruit volunteers, identify and persuade supporters, and more. The SNAP Fellowship covers housing, transportation to the campaign, and provides a stipend for living expenses of up to $2500, based on financial need.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to get serious hands-on organizing experience in a key election year! Apply today and help us take our country in a boldly progressive direction. The application deadline in March 31, but applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, or to submit your application, contact rhiannon.bronstein(@)snappac.org.
When I first read the below bullet point, I got tears in my eyes - this will help so many people who desperately need health insurance.
HEALTH CARE WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST
If you become sick, you can no longer be dropped from your plan (starting this year). If you have a “pre‐existing condition,” beginning in 2014, you can no longer be denied coverage or charged higher rates—and between now and 2014, you can enter an interim high‐risk pool to get insurance.
I feel so fortunate that I get to live in San Francisco ... just signed up for this Net Impact San Francisco Chapter-sponsored event.
Using Technology for Social Impact
Meet social entrepreneurs who are using the power of information technology to achieve social impact offline.
Monday, May 3, 2010 7-9pm Free, but pre-register here to guarantee your spot.
Net Impact is putting together an exciting roster of speakers, including Leila Chirayath Janah of Samasource.
Samasource, which derives its name from the Sanskrit word sama, which means equal, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social business. Their tagline is "Microwork for the next billion - We bring dignified, computer-based work to women, youth, and refugees living in poverty." Thus far they have worked with 18 small businesses, nonprofit training centers, and rural data centers that provide dignified jobs to more than 500 marginalized individuals in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and Pakistan.
Stay tuned for updates about this May 3 event, and location info.
In the meantime check out this TED talk given by Leila Chirayath Janah. Can't wait to hear her speak on May 3!
I gave a talk in December at a local TED event on Social Change and Innovation. The main idea is that handouts aren’t very effective, and that digital work is a new way to provide good employment to the people who need it most. I also talked briefly about the “virtual assembly line” — the idea that technology can stitch together groups of casual workers across time zones and geographies to work on large projects for paying customers. This concept is what makes Samasource viable, and I think it lies at the heart of the emerging field of paid crowdsourcing.
Campus Progress circulated this PDF today with counterpoints to the student loan companies (and a few US Senators) who are claiming that student loan reform measures are bad for a variety of reasons ...
For example:
Myth 2: Passage of student loan reform legislation will result in the loss of thousands of loan industry jobs.
“The student-loan provisions buried in the health care legislation intentionally eliminate private-sector jobs at a time when our country can least afford to lose them." -- Sallie Mae Spokeswoman Martha Holler, March 22, 2010
Fact: There will be no shortage of work for loan companies under the new reforms; all current loans under the old Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) will still need to be serviced, as will all new loans made under the Direct Loan Program (DLP), and the same big lenders have already lined up for contracts to service new loans.
In fact, student loan giant Sallie Mae has announced it is in the process of bringing back 3,400 jobs from overseas. These jobs are returning to the U.S., at least in part, so that the company can be eligible for Department of Education contracts to service Direct Loans. In addition, most loan companies today do more than make federal student loans. Many offer consultation services to schools, private student loans, collections services, and other products and services, and will continue to be in business and employing people for these activities after reform is passed.
Companies like Sallie Mae seem to be playing politics with jobs, frequently changing their job loss estimates, and exaggerating the impact that the legislation will have on their workforce. Opponents of reform have claimed that 30,000 to 35,000 private sector jobs would be lost, but this is a very rough estimate of the total number of jobs that are involved in the FFELP program. No one seriously believes that job losses—even in the worst possible estimation—would approach this figure.
In addition, the bill’s investments in community colleges and minority serving institutions, made possible by ending the lender subsidies, will save and create jobs. And by expanding educational opportunity, the reforms will enable more young people to gain the skills and experience necessary to enter the workforce, thereby creating more jobs and strengthening the economy in the long term.
After attending the Acumen Fund San Francisco Chapter's "The Blue Sweater" book event, I was invited to help the San Francisco Chapter leadership plan this event. I know it's last minute, but hope you can make it!
Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. It seeks to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Its investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services – like health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-oriented approaches.
We're having a tasting tomorrow (Thursday, March 25) with a special flight of three types of wine at SNOB wine bar in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
Misbah Naqvi, who is on Acumen's business development team and started with the fund in Pakistan managing portfolio investments, will speak about Acumen's funded companies in the region including drip irrigation, housing and hydroelectric development projects.
Tarim Wasim, a Hellman and Friedman director who founded the Association for the Development of Pakistan, will also talk about his approach in finding, partnering and funding sustainable non-profits in Pakistan. ADP is a non-profit taking a venture philanthropy approach to supporting social enterprises in Pakistan that build schools and hospitals or supply medical equipment and vaccinations.
The wine tasting costs $15 if you pre-register here ($5 of which goes to Acumen Fund as a tax-deductible donation). At the door, it will be $18.
The event begins at 6:30pm but we won't have our speakers start until 7:15 pm.
For a year, people have been asking for a sequel to the free alternative MBA program I ran in early 2009. Here it is. Like the last one, it is also free, but it's different, so please read on for the details.
I'm planning on inviting eleven people to an intensive five-day session in New York. This program is designed exclusively for people who:
* Already have a job * Want to do more in that job * Can spend five days at my office with their boss's blessing * Take initiative as a matter of course * Are willing to work really hard and read a lot too * Do work that makes the world a better place
You have to have all six, without exception. If you think you would benefit from a rigorous re-thinking of what it means to contribute at work, if you want to take your strong connections and intuition and amplify that, I hope you will consider this program.
Call it the leveraged-nano-MBA for lack of a better name yet. Every day will be spent around my desk, either learning from me, going over case studies, discussing real life situations or working on a project of your choice. The only benefit I get is helping eleven very cool people leverage their jobs doing good. All the details and the application can be found right here.
I'm limiting the program to people at non-profits doing important work (or for-profits that leave a significantly positive impact on their communities). I know this is subjective, but I've found that people who are doing work that they're proud of have already made an important choice.
Applications are open from now until March 31st at noon EST. Late applications will be deleted unread.
For those of you that can't get to New York or want a digital version, I'm afraid that there won't be one. Most of my work is digitally available, but this is an intimate exchange of learning and ideas.
Just because it's free doesn't mean it will be easy, and just because it's short doesn't mean the lessons won't last. I truly want to help people who are doing work that matters, and this feels like a good way to do that. If this is for you, I hope you'll apply. If you can run a program like this, I hope you will. And if neither is possible, I hope you'll find some books and blog posts that help you achieve your goals.
WOW. This is crazy. From the United States Student Association's DREAM Act summary:
Even though [undocumented students] were brought to the U.S. as children, they face unique barriers to higher education. For example, even if they are able to enroll in college, undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition rates in most of their home states. Undocumented students are also unable to receive state financial aid in most states and are ineligible for federal loans or other federal aid. On top of the circumstances that make college much less affordable for undocumented students, their respective status also prevents them from legally working to pay for college. Their lack of proper documentation, such as a driver's license or even a social security number, can hinder them from filling out college and job applications.
The United States Student Association just wrapped up their annual Grassroots Legislative Conference and National Student Lobby Day in Washington, DC where students rallied on Capitol Hill to demand that higher education in our nation must be affordable and accessible to all.
On May 22 USSA, with support from the AFL-CIO, NEA, AFT, organized a press conference to announce the labor movement's support for the DREAM Act, as part of an effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Check out some moving footage from the press conference, held at the AFL-CIO Headquarters -
Support the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act would: * Repeal a measure that financially penalizes states for providing in-state tuition to their resident undocumented students, allowing more states to make college more affordable.
* Make students eligible for federal loans and work study upon adjustment of their legal status.
* Provide a pathway to citizenship by giving students conditional legal status for 6 years. Legal status becomes permanent once 1 of the following requirements is met: - Receive a 2 or 4 year degree from a higher education institution, or must have maintained good academic standing for at least 2 years while wokring towards a bachelors degree or highers. - Serve in the U.S. military for 2 years.
This subject matters to me because in early 2006 I interned for US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Democratic Communications Center, located in the US Capitol Building. (Yeah, sweet spot!) One of my fellow interns was Maria Parra-Sandoval, then a top student at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. While I knew that Maria was not a US citizen and that she had entered the US illegally when she was little, Maria never talked about these financial barriers to higher education.
This is craziness. I don't know what else to say.
PS - I just googled Maria, and found this 2008 article indicating that she's now a US citizen:)
12th ANNUAL DHARMA REALM BUDDHIST YOUNG ADULTS CONFERENCE
Buddhism Applied: Dealing with Everyday Life
Every year, the Dharma Realm Buddhist Young Adults (DRBY) host(s) a conference that brings together college students and young professionals (people in their 20s and 30s) to discuss and reflect on important issues that confront us every day and how to approach them through a spiritual lens (without all the heavy baggage of a do-or-die dogma).
Why do we always say "There's no place like home" and yet we can never stay there too long? Why can't we just stay connected but still be free? Why can't we stay connected and yet be free at the same time? What insight does Buddhism bring to issues regarding our world, our society, our relationships, and ultimately, ourselves?
Every year since 1999, the Dharma Realm Buddhist Young Adults host an annual conference that discusses some of these issues. There is no requirement that you have to be Buddhist or even remotely so to participate. It is highly recommended just going--if just to meet new people in order to hear and share different perspectives.
Come join us for the 12th annual Dharma Realm Buddhist Young Adults Spring Conference, where we will discuss how the wisdom of this ancient tradition applies to issues that affect us every day.
When: Saturday, April 17th Where: Berkeley Buddhist Monastery 2304 McKinley Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703 Cost (attendance/meals): Donations are welcomed. Registration: Please help us plan how much space and food to prepare by registering online. Contact Email: info@drby.net
Work Shop Descriptions here - including Stress, Ethics, Relationship, Social Engagement, and more.
Ha! If you're in San Francisco ... I bet this is going to be a good one! I've previously blogged about The Yes Men here.
TUESDAY 4.27 @ the Commonwealth Club - THE YES MEN
Andy Bichlbaum, Leading Member of The Yes Men Mike Bonanno, Leading Member of The Yes Men
Bichlbaum and Bonanno pose as top-notch representatives for large corporations and nations…yes, nations. At the Copenhagen Climate Conference last December, The Yes Men delivered a faux press release claiming Canada was reversing its position on climate change. And how can one forget the jaw-dropping statements made by "spokesperson for Dow Chemical" accepting full responsibility for the Bhopal disaster on worldwide news station BBC? Needless to say, they have a knack for striking chords of condemnation and admiration, stimulating polar perspectives simultaneously. Their latest documentary, The Yes Men Fix the World, has been hailed as "a riotous reminder that patriotism is often misconstrued as troublemaking." Get a load of The Yes Men.
Time: 7 p.m. check-in and networking reception, 7:30 p.m. program
Cost: $12 members, $20 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)
From the makers of the film Tapped, which I previously blogged about here:
When we made our bottled water documentary Tapped practically no one in the entertainment industry would appear in our film because they feared the backlash of the 3 biggest bottled water manufacturers - Nestle, Coke and Pepsi.
That made it all the more meaningful when we got a call from Jack Johnson's camp saying he had seen our doc and wanted to host a screening in Hawaii and help us get the word out.
photo: Jack
He also wrote a little ditty, and recorded a video of himself playing it. Can't embed the video - so check it out on Huffington Post here.
Join the Surfrider Foundation today, March 22, for $20 (a $5 savings off of the regular membership price) and as an added bonus, receive a BPA water bottle or a Surfrider tote bag!
My new favorite John Mayer song, first performed at the March 1, 2010 Milwaukee show. Fingers crossed that he plays it again this Friday at HP Pavilion.
Beautiful, I watch you try, To see yourself through other's eyes. But mirrors are a losing game, They only show you backwards anyway.
The magic and the misery, Come and go so easily. But everything you'll ever be, You already are to me.
And you were only five years old, Playing princess in your mother's clothes. Could you feel me standing next to you, With my plastic sword and playground shoes.
Saying "If my dear I'm wrong somehow, May dragons come and fell me now. 'Cause everything you'll ever be, You already are to me."
Why, I don't know why. I don't know why you think you need to do it. How, I don't know how. I don't know how but I just sit back and I see my way right through it.
When the memories are ten feet tall, Throwing shadows on your bedroom wall. When you pull the shades and kill the lights, Will you hear me singing out tonight? Will you hear me singing out tonight?
Days are long and words are cruel, But they won't get the best of you. 'Cause everything you'll ever be, You have always been to me. Always been to me.
While a sophomore in high school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Sam co-founded a community garden located in an abandoned soccer field across the street from his school with fellow students Sarah Steadman and Natalie Akers. Project Sprout supplies their school’s cafeteria with fresh fruits and vegetables, helps feed the hungry in the community and serves as a living laboratory for area students.
photo: Sam Levin, Dakota Malik - students at Great Barrington’s Monument Mountain High School, June 2009.
Exactly one year ago Monday, I walked through the doors of my public high school in Massachusetts planning on presenting the idea of Project Sprout to my Guidance counselor. And that’s all it was, an idea. I had not one detail worked out, only that I wanted the students of my school and the people of my community to begin paying more attention to their food, and in turn the natural world around them. I was already an avid naturalist, and when I wasn’t in the woods or swamps, I was spending time on the farm down the road from my house, playing soccer with the pigs or riding the cows. So, after talking to my guidance counselor, Mr. Powell, I connected with two other students, Sarah a junior who loved gardening and children and Natalie a sophomore who was desperate for delicious vegetables in the cafeteria, and together we began refining the idea and figuring out the details of the project. Within weeks we had a plan.
... On Monday, exactly one year after walking into my school to talk to Mr. Powell about this idea of getting kids to think about food and the natural world more, I once again walked through those doors. This time, I had just come up from the garden, where I had been looking at the lines that had been drawn out for the expansion of the garden, and the area that had been marked for a fruit orchard. I was going into school to talk to Mr. Powell, but this time, I needed to make sure that that the head of the cafeteria had received our thirty kilograms of potatoes for the Project Sprout Mashed Potatoes. I also had to confirm the meeting with students from the nearby school who want a garden as well. I wondered in two Octobers from now when I’m a senior, when I walk through the doors of the school, what I would be going to talk to him about. And I wondered who would be checking up on the garden before school in 20 years, when even Mr. Powell is gone. And I knew, that no matter who it was, someone would be there, and the garden would even more beautiful than it is today.
... It is not just what has happened in the past twelve months, although those things were incredible. It is about how it happened, and it is about what is going to happen. Because, the truth is, Sarah and Natalie and I are not special. We don’t have some awesome gift or power. We just have two things. We have youth, which is found in every town in every part of the world, and we have motivation, which is out there.
A lot of it is out there.
Mount Everett, the school in the town south of us, has asked for help starting their own Project Sprout. So has the school in the town North of us. As well as Lincoln Academy in Maine, over five hundred kilometers away. Youth Radio in California, almost five thousand kilometers away wants a version of Project Sprout, and even a school in Kedougou, Senegal all the way across the Atlantic wants to become our sister project, in the development of a Project Sprout Kedegou. That’s the most exciting part that—that it is spreading. There are kids all over the world who want to make this happen, all they need is a little hope and inspiration.
Speaking of, while trying to locate a YouTube video interview with Sam Levin, I stumbled across another community garden project called Sprout, founded by Connecticut College students in 2004, approximately 2 years before Sam Levin started his school's garden.
If you live in Hawaii ... yeah you're lucky, but aside from that ... check out this info from today's Kanu Hawaii e-newsletter:
Hawaii State Senate Bill SB2045 establishes a human trafficking law in Hawaii, making it a class A felony to forcibly transport someone for the purpose of forced labor or prostitution.
It also makes it easier for victims of trafficking (mostly women and girls forced into prostitution) to come forward by ensuring they will not be prosecuted as criminals if they have been trafficked.
Laws in 43 states recognize human trafficking as a special crime deserving especially harsh punishment. Currently Hawaii state laws do not.
A hearing took place on this bill today in the Hawaii State House of Representatives.
* 79% of human trafficking is for sexual purposes (mostly women and girls) * 18% of human trafficking is for forced labor purposes (including men and women) * 20% of all trafficking victims are children
On January 7, 2008 I somehow stumbled upon this New York Times Op-Ed "The Age of Ambition" by Nicholas Kristof.
Here are three excerpts:
... With the [2008] American presidential campaign in full swing, the obvious way to change the world might seem to be through politics.
But growing numbers of young people are leaping into the fray and doing the job themselves. These are the social entrepreneurs, the 21st-century answer to the student protesters of the 1960s, and they are some of the most interesting people here at the World Economic Forum (not only because they’re half the age of everyone else).
... Today the most remarkable young people are the social entrepreneurs, those who see a problem in society and roll up their sleeves to address it in new ways. Bill Drayton, the chief executive of an organization called Ashoka that supports social entrepreneurs, likes to say that such people neither hand out fish nor teach people to fish; their aim is to revolutionize the fishing industry.
... So as we follow the [2008] presidential campaign, let’s not forget that the winner isn’t the only one who will shape the world. Only one person can become president of the United States, but there’s no limit to the number of social entrepreneurs who can make this planet a better place.
On World Water Day, March 22, Surfrider will launch a new film, The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water.
Conceptualized by the San Diego Chapter and supported by other Surfrider Chapters as well as Surfrider HQ, the film tells the story of the connection between our water management system and coastal issues, and also offers suggestions for sustainable water and wastewater management.
The film is narrated by LOST star Zuleikha Robinson.
But the bill still needs to pass the US House of Representatives, and student student aid reform language has yet to be introduced in the Senate. So keep those letters coming! Send your Senators a letter supporting student aid reform!
I'm on a youth conference call with the White House on health care reform and was just informed that minutes ago, the White House publicly announced that President Obama will be speaking on Friday at George Mason Patriot Center about health care. Event is open to the public - first come, first served. Doors open at 9am, event begins at 11:30am. Details - including a link to the Facebook event - here on the White House website.
I was talking about Stevie Williams yesterday. I first learned about him while reading the article "X Games: Lifestyles of the Extreme and Famous" in Rolling Stone issue #1032 (August 9, 2007.)
Unfortunately I no longer have the article, and I can't find it online. So check out this relatively short documentary that tells Stevie's story:
I received this email from Oklahoma City, OK 3 days ago.
All:
Big news.
We will send out a more serious blast later this week when the bill passes the full Senate, but you deserve to know now: Senator Coburn agreed to lift his hold on the bill today!
The Hold Out lasted 262 hours before a compromise was finally reached. Dozens of local news stories carried the story of the heroic activists who refused to leave the Senator's office in downtown Oklahoma City until they were successful, and the Senator's office was flooded with thousands of phone calls this past week. The Senator himself will be getting on the phone with organizers in just an hour to talk about how we can continue to work together.
Now, our focus turns to the House of Representatives, which must still pass their version of the bill before it can be sent to the President to be signed into law.
Kenneth Transier, one of our staff in Oklahoma, gave a shout out to all you supporters:
"To the people who slept next to me for eleven nights in the shadow of the Chase building, and those who supported us: You helped convince the most stubborn Senator in modern history to accept a compromise. You played a part in bringing $40 million to help rebuild four nations, and in creating what we hope is a big step toward the end of the longest running war in Africa."
Thank you. Victories like this don't come often, and our progress is not always so dramatic. That's why we are going to celebrate this one like crazy.
-Michael Resolve Uganda
photo: OK City, OK celebration
Then I received this email today:
Nicole -
We couldn't be more overjoyed.
At 7:08PM last night, the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act passed the United States Senate with more bipartisan cosponsors than any Africa-focused legislation in at least three decades.
In short, this is huge.
Our focus now has to turn to the House of Representatives, which must pass the bill before it can reach the President's desk. Will you email your Representative now?
We can't say thank you enough. This is an achievement truly worth celebrating, one that will undoubtedly benefit families enduring the costs of this war for years to come.
The first good news actually came earlier this week. Under considerable pressure, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma agreed to lift his hold on the bill. Dozens of activists had refused to leave the Senator's Oklahoma City office until he allowed it to pass. Their "hold out" lasted 262 straight hours, generated significant media attention, and galvanized thousands of phone calls to the Senator's office.
The effort was a remarkable show of commitment from everyone involved. In the words of Oklahoman coordinator Mark Nehrenz, "As a movement, we found our voices this week, and we will not be silent. We are here to stay."
Senator Feingold, ecstatic about the achievement, said that it "sends a message that the United States will no longer stand by and watch the Lord's Resistance Army terrorize innocent civilians across central Africa, kidnap thousands of children and force them to become child soldiers" and commits our country to help "change the conditions that have allowed this war to persist for so long."
Senator Inhofe even gave you all a shout-out, acknowledging that none of this would have been possible without "the hard work and effort of all those who have believed in the importance of this legislation."
But it's not over yet. Far from it. And we're grateful to have you with us as we continue to move forward.
The new film "Countdown to Zero", aims to do for anti-nuclear proliferation what "An Inconvenient Truth" did for the environmental movement. It doesn't hurt that "Countdown to Zero" was produced by Lawrence Bender, the same guy who produced "An Inconvenient Truth" - as well as "Inglourious Basterds" and a number of Quentin Tarantino films.
I can't find a trailer, but more info about the film here.
The film had its world debut at the Sundance Film Festival this January. This summer, the film will be touring the USA - to campuses, churches, conferences, and camps around the United States.
To do this, the organizers, Global Zero, need your help. Actually, they need you.
Apply to be a Global Zero Roadie this summer - applications accepted on a rolling basis (positions will be filled as they receive applications); absolute deadline March 15, 2010.
They are looking for 12 highly motivated, intelligent volunteers who are willing to be at the forefront of a growing global movement. You must be at least 18 years of age and have attained your high school diploma. Possession of a valid driver's license and clean record is preferred.
Internship Details: DATES & LOGISTICS - Start in Washington, DC on March 20, 2010 - End in New York City approximately May 31 (exact date TBD) - Your team will cover a region in the United States. You will be assigned to a team before you arrive in DC.
In mid-April, you will hit the road with your teammates in a freshly painted, officially branded Global Zero van, traveling to college and high school campuses all over the country to build a movement and cultivate an environment in which to empower student leaders and inspire them to be active in this worldwide effort to eliminate nuclear weapons.
While on the road you and your teammates will be responsible for setting up screenings, planning the day's events, selling merchandise, handling deposits/accounting, managing inventory, and continuing investment and follow up with new supporters that you'll meet on each campus and at each screening.
When your 6-8 week tour comes to an end there will be a time of debrief, sharing, and celebration!
HOUSING/TRANSPORTATION COSTS During training, you will be provided housing in Washington D.C. that will be within walking distance of the office in Dupont Circle. While on tour, you will stay with contacts and host homes from Global Zero's networks. All transportation costs necessary for your internship, including your trip home at the end of the internship, will be covered.
You will be provided with a small weekly food stipend. We encourage each of our interns to raise support anywhere between $1,000-$1,500 USD to supplement your food stipend and to cover any additional personal costs you may have. We will provide materials that will assist you in raising support. We are committed to making sure you are mentally and financially confident before hitting the road.
INTERNSHIP CREDIT If you are a currently enrolled student, we will do everything we can to work with your academic institution to provide you with credit for your internship.
I became extremely frustrated when I read this article, "Obama's Student Loan Overhaul Endangered" in the New York Times this morning, indicating that the US Senate may not include federal student aid funding reform in the budget reconciliation bill that the US Senate is considering today.
If you are going to take action on this issue, then today is the day! The US Student Association has made it super easy for you.
Step 1: Call 1-888-254-5087
Step 2: Give the switchboard operator who answers the phone your senator's name, and ask to be transferred to the senator's office. (Repeat the process for your other senator.)
Step 3: When your senator's aide answers the phone, use this script:
"Hi, my name is____. I a am calling today to urge Senator_______ to support students by putting Student Aid Reform in the Budget Reconciliation process. If student aid reform is not included, the maximum Pell Grant will be cut by thousands of dollars. 500,000 students will lose their Pell grants and 8,000,000 students will see their awards cut by 60%. This is UNACCEPTABLE.
Will Senator______ support students by including student aid reform in the budget reconciliation process?
Thank you for supporting students, have a good day.
Once you've taken action, please alert your friends about this via Facebook and Twitter. Here's a suggested Tweet:
"URGENT: Call 1-888-254-5087 to ask your Senators to support #SAFRA in the reconciliation bill. They ARE deciding today!! CALL NOW!"
The Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) is hosting a video contest to highlight the implications of this decision, which begs the question, what do you think the world would be like if corporations were treated just like people?
The Student PIRGs will use the videos to educate local and state representatives, and to call on Washington to legislate a solution to the sweeping decision of the Supreme Court.
Entries are due by April 15th and the winning video will be featured on The Huffington Post.
See the Student PIRGs' contest page for full contest rules, entry criteria, scope out your competition, and to submit your video.
According to Jornal A Tribuna, six years ago, a Minke whale was found dead in Normandy, France, with 800 pounds of plastic bags in its stomach.
Check out this new PSA, which illustrates the problem:
This Surfrider Foundation Rise Above Plastics PSA was created by Portland-based creative agency Borders Perrin Norrander.
Creative Director Jeremy Boland developed the video concept after watching trash flow down a street sewer grate near a local playground in Portland, OR one rainy day.
“Walking into work one morning I saw a bunch of plastic, man-made waste filtering through a street drain and thought about how most people never think about its final resting place, our oceans,” said Boland. “The Freudian thing about trash for most people is that if it’s out-of-site then it’s out-of-mind. The juxtaposition of our future leaders playing in the school’s playground and plethora of plastic waste spurred me to think about how I could raise awareness of its negative effects on marine life. I knew the spot should have a stylistic appeal and a humanism that is easily communicated to all demographics through animation.”
For more info check out Surfrider's Rise Above Plastics website.
The Faces of the Grassroots contest is an opportunity for ameteur and professional videographers to publicly exhibit creativity, environmental justice stories, and connect with others working to raise awareness of the movement.
“Faces of the Grassroots will help EPA expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice,” said Charles Lee, director of the Office of Environmental Justice.
Videos can focus on any environmental justice activity, issue, or topic. Examples would be a music video about climate change, or a video recording a successful environmental justice project that has made a community a healthier and happier place to live.
Awards will be given to the winning submissions in each of the below categories. The videos will also be featured on EPA's website and may be used as public service announcements.
Public Service Announcements (30-60 seconds) * 1st Place - $2,500 * 2nd Place - $1,500 * 3rd Place - $1,000 * Student Winner - $500 (13-18 years old)
Informational Video (3-5 minutes) * 1st Place - $2,500 * 2nd Place - $1,500 * 3rd Place - $1,000 * Student Winner - $500 (13-18 years old)
Entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, April 8th, 2010. EPA will announce winners in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Details here.
photo: UC Berkeley campus. The students are referencing the decision made by the University of California (UC) Board of Regents to raise UC system student fees (tuition) 32%, beginning with the 2010 - 2011 school year.
100+ protests against public education cuts took place in 30+ states yesterday.
Much of the action took place in the State of California.
photo: UC Davis campus
From this March 3rd CNN article: State funding for the California State University system was reduced by nearly $1 billion for the academic years between 2008 and 2010. Schools have responded by increasing fees, canceling classes, cutting student support programs and furloughing professors.
From 2002 to 2009 fees increased by 182 percent, and annual 10 percent increases are expected.
"The less affordable education becomes, the less likely low-income students will be able to get a college education," said Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association and professor of history at California State University, Los Angeles.
Alejandro Lara-Briseno -- the first in his family to attend college -- now doubts he will be able to finish. "I remember when I was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, my mother started crying," he said.
"The university administration is not discussing with students or unions their decisions to cut recruitment and retainment centers that help minority students," he said.
photo: UCLA campus
From this March 4 NYT article: One of the largest demonstrations in California took place here on the north steps of the Capitol, where more than 1,000 people used drums, bullhorns, and scores of young voices to try to get their message across.
“How are we going to save the future if we can’t even get into our classes?” said Reid E. Milburn, the president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, referring to tuition increases and reductions in the number of courses.
photo: Los Angeles City College campus
To stay in the loop, keep reading UC Berkeley's student newspaper The Daily Californian. Here's a sample of the paper's reporting. If you get impatient while watching the video then skip to 3:30 minutes and watch through to the end.
The 2009 documentary FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system.
Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.
Learn more about the people involved with the film here.
Check out the trailer here:
To see the full feature, look for a screening near you, or find out how to host your own screening, here.
The film is screening (for free) in Oakland, CA on Saturday, March 13th. Info here.
One way to stay current on FRESH - become a fan on Facebook.
I found these guys on Inc. Magazine's website. I was tipped off by Fast Company via Twitter:)
photo: Jason Shah
A junior at Harvard University, Jason Shah launched his SAT prep site INeedAPencil.com in 2006 when he was still in high school. The free site offers low-income students an alternative to pricier courses such as those at Kaplan and The Princeton Review. Students can log on to the site and choose from more than 60 lessons in math, reading, and writing, many of which use pop-culture and sports references to liven up the material. It's not just a gimmick -- a random sampling of the site's users showed an average improvement of 202 points on their SAT scores. INeedAPencil.com earns most of its revenue by generating leads for colleges and universities eager to recruit the site's 30,000 users, who can opt in to receive information about different schools.
When Troy Rhodes, a junior at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, sold his college textbooks at the end of the spring 2008 semester, he received $18 -- for books that cost him $560 just a few months earlier. There had to be an alternative way, he thought. So over the next year, he developed MyBookBorrow.com, which allows students anywhere to save on textbooks by renting instead of buying. When a student requests a textbook, Rhodes (or one of the three friends who assist him) finds a used copy from one of the two textbook distributors that are his suppliers. He then provides a rental quote (after checking on competitors' rental prices and Amazon's purchase price) to the student. If the student agrees to the price, Rhodes buys the book and has the supplier ship it directly to the customer. When the semester ends, the customer ships the book back to Rhodes, who keeps his stock in a $22-a-month storage space.
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