Hi TuneInTurnOnHelpOut Fans!
Very early Saturday morning, President Obama is going to give a historic speech in Ghana.
At a little more reasonable time Saturday afternoon, the ONE organization is going to have the video of that speech on their website and will be hosting a live chat with their policy team all afternoon. We just RSVP’d to watch and get a special reminder email when the video and chat go live on Saturday. We hope you will too: http://www.one.org/us/ghana_rsvp/rsvp.html?rc=tafobamaghana

As some of you already know, singer-songwriter and TuneInTurnOnHelp.org founder Ed Hale visited Ghana in 2007 to lend a hand in building houses in a small impoverished village called Tepa. A series of short videos documenting that trip are currently available to view on YouTube here. Detailed, thought provoking, and informative, the videos are also entertaining and a bit hair-raising at times; most importantly they offer an inside glimpse into this very special country and its people.

The ONE organization has also made a short video about Ghana that you should check out while you’re there: http://www.one.org/us/ghana_rsvp/rsvp.html?rc=tafobamaghana

Thank you for all that you do in the world everyday!

TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org

American Revolution Heroes

by Tyler Bejoian, 16 years old, New York, NY

At the conclusion of the 1960s, it seemed as if the world was about to erupt in a fury of revolution, war, and anger. The ongoing American occupation of Vietnam was intensifying, and millions of Vietnamese women and children were routinely slaughtered like wild dogs for no evident reason. Even though there had been much landmark legislation for blacks who had been drafted by 1969, many African Americans continued to endure the stifling burden of institutionalized American racism. The last two years of the 60’s also saw the shattered expectations and efforts of millions of activists who had attempted to work peacefully for societal and political change.

One of the most prominent non-violent protest organizations was the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) who had emerged in the early 60’s. At the annual SDS convention held in the summer of 1969, a young and fundamentally radical group was able to claim control of the crumbling SDS. Attractive and erudite young students, Bernadine Dohrn and Mike Clonsky, branded themselves as spokesmen for this organization. They called themselves the Weathermen. At the convention, delegates were handed a position paper entitled,  “You Don’t Need a Weatherman to Know Which Way the Wind Blows.”  It outlined the position of the fledgling Weathermen organization that already seemed almost fanatically committed to these radical  ideals.

The early members of the Weathermen proclaimed themselves as the real leaders of the SDS and totally claimed control of the organization. The Weathermen derived their name from one of the first electrically driven Bob Dylan songs,  Subterranean Homesick Blues . The name is found in the memorable stanza, ”You don t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” 1 This lyric is vital to understanding the ideology of the Weather Underground because it suggests that young people didn’t need their congressmen, newsman, or parents to inform them about what was happening in their world. They could determine the current state and future of their world independently, and without the aid of futile and corrupted institutions. The Weathermen also hoped they could appeal to the students who were inspired to protest by Dylan s music. Read the rest of this entry »

From One Person Can Make a Difference Facebook GROUP:

Dear members and friends!

I would love to add you all to my friendslist and i would if Facebook would allow me…unfortunately they dont!

Many problems in this world could be solved but they will not be solved until we realy start combining efforts!

The world has many pressing problems. Thanks to the efforts of governments, NGOs, and individual activists there is no shortage of ideas for resolving them. However, even if all governments were willing to spend more money on solving the problems, we cannot do it all at once. We have to prioritize; we all have our priorities and you are making decissions all the time for spending money or time to make the world a better place.

Did you ever hear about the Copenhagen Consensus..?

The Copenhagen Consensus exercise started as a simple but untested idea of prioritizing global opportunities.

The basic idea is the same as used in Copenhagen Consensus 2004: Imagine you had $75bn to donate to worthwhile causes. What would you do, and where should we start?

The conclusions from the roundtable are expected to be an eye-opener for policy-makers all over the world, and to act as a vehicle for improving decision-making on spending on global issues.

The Copenhagen Consensus Center is a think-tank in Denmark that publicizes the best ways for governments and philanthropists to spend aid and development money.

The ten challenges examined in Copenhagen Consensus 2008
http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/Default.aspx?ID=1143

It does not matter how the experts rank the most effective investments…its all about YOU nobody else! And i dont care how you make a difference i know that you do!

There is no limit to what a person can do or how far one can go to help - if one doesn’t mind who gets the credit”

One person can make a difference ! Lets do it!

Namasté
Hans Lak
http://tinyurl.com/oneperson invite your friends to join us!

Dear friends!

You recently signed our letter from Archbishop Desmond Tutu regarding the Dalai Lama. Did n’t you?

The Archbishop wishes to thank you. Please see his personal message below.

“Keep it up. You are the people who make freedom happen.”
“It warms my heart to see so many of my fellow Nobel Laureates, stars, leaders, and people from around the world put their signature on paper, so to speak, to stand behind our friend the Dalai Lama.

“We have just seen a shameful example of South African leaders becoming timid in the face of Chinese “might” and their own economic interests, and refusing this incredible, peaceful being entry to our county –for a peace conference!

“It’s an embarrassment that this could happen in a country that has known how dark life can be when your human rights are being smashed. And we, of all people, know what it means when someone in another part of the world stands up for your rights and freedom.
Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Friend,

Today would be the 30th birthday of my daughter Rachel, who was run over by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003 as she tried to save a Palestinian family’s home from demolition. Last month, when my husband Craig and I traveled to Gaza with CODEPINK, it was so moving for us to reconnect with the families and the children that Rachel cared so deeply about. The 793,520 children of Gaza (56% of the population) have lived under occupation and siege all of their lives. They suffered unconscionably through the attacks and devastation inflicted upon them by the Israeli military during twenty-two days of horror in December and January. Hundreds did not survive. But those who did, still smile and laugh like all children. They are beautiful, resilient, curious and full of potential. They deserve the basics that all children in the world should have: ample food, clean water, healthcare, safe places to play and learn. They deserve the tools to deal with their nightmares, and sleep that is not punctuated by bombing. They deserve life, freedom, and hope. We can be a part of the hope and the solution by arming ourselves with the experience, knowledge, and insight to be stronger advocates for these children and their families–to open the borders, to end the siege, to end the occupation, and to see justice prevail. We hope you will join CODEPINK in the campaign to Speak Out for the Youth of Gaza. In peace, Cindy Corrie

Join a delegation:

• One, May 28-June 5, is open to everyone and will enter from Egypt
• A Jewish delegation, June 5-14, will enter from Israel. Click here to find out how to travel with us.

If you can’t join our delegation, you can still help the children of Gaza. Your donation of $10 will purchase a backpack full of school supplies for one child. $100 will contribute toward building an International Friendship Playground at one of the schools bombed during the invasion. To donate, click here and if you want to help Gazan children in your mother’s name, you can donate and we will send her a card with news of your gift.

by Ed Hale

Had this dream that I was helping an underground movement working for African American rights. Actually not sure if I was in the States or in another country. a lot of covert crawling through tunnels and jumping over barbwire fences to get to secret meetings… I was like “the white connection to the outside world” so to speak it seemed to be. All very hush hush and dangerous. The people in charge were all black from what i can remember and we were in a very impoverished environment. I was constantly sleeping amongst or jumping over homeless type people in rags or box-homes.

At a time when I am rethinking where to fuel my activist energies right now, a lot of prayer and meditation and observation about it… feeling the peace/anti-war movement is always going to be there but as a species we are essentially fucked in the face of these giant corporate-controlled entities that pose as governments on planet earth right now. ten million people marched to protest the United States’ invasion of the country of Iraq and it did absolutely nothing. It had no effect. There are still over one million Iraqi civilians dead at the hands of the so called “coalition forces.” Meaning what? corporate controlled/Matrix Styled robot-soldiers who do whatever “force” tells them to do. And we the people of the planet truly just have no say in it.

Inspiring that that many people came out on one single day to protest all over the planet? sure. but is it going to stop newly elected US president Obama from attempting to occupy Afghanistan? No. Won’t even be an issue. I don’t think anything is going to wake Americans up to the horrors of war and what it actually means for foreign insurgents to enter your country, boss you around, put up blockades, kill innocent people, and arrest thousands of your neighbors until it actually happens in their own country. Then we may be able to muster enough understanding to build a real coalition of a large enough group of people to actually have an effect on these “selected officials” and their war-mongering ways. Until then, anyone anywhere in the world is a target for arrest, occupation, imprisonment, or death at the drop of a hat if the United States and other large nations decides that’s what they want to do.

We not yet be living breathing batteries as suggested in the symbolic Matrix film series, but the people of earth for better or worse are clearly prisoners of powers much stronger than they are able to overcome. Only they’re not machines. (perhaps they are?) But by all accounts they appear to be living breathing human beings no different than ourselves. We live in a comfortable prison for some to be sure. Say if one lives in Kansas or New York. Not so comfortable for many others… Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, China, on and on the list grows…. or shrinks, depending on how one views it. Read the rest of this entry »

by Tyler Bejoian

Recently, there was a provocative article written in the New Yorker magazine that confronted the issue of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. For those who are not aware, solitary confinement is a form of punishment employed by U.S. prisons, where individuals will spend up to 23 hours a day locked inside a cell, deprived of virtually all human contact (with the exception of the prison staff.) Those who are faced with solitary confinement find themselves enduring severe hallucinations and paralyzing loneliness that almost always leads to issues with “irrational anger”. 

The extremely informative article reminded me of something that I had long suspected, but hadn’t yet been validated by fact. Solitary confinement is a legitimate form of torture. And what is worse, this is a practice that Americans enforce upon other Americans. The prospect of ending this torturous practice rarely enters the public spectrum. I cannot recall a single press conference so far where President Obama had been asked about this practice. However, the good news is that most prison commissioners actually want to ban the practice but are constricted by politicians who threaten to withdraw basic funding, ridiculous stories appear in tabloids and correctional officers calling victims families and telling them that the commissioner has gone “soft on crime.”

While harrowing, this information can also be phenomenally empowering. It means that we as Americans have the ability to sway public opinion, and abolish this abhorrent practice. There are numerous journalists and activists who are working for a more humane prison system, and it is about time that their views are broadcasted to the nation. The use of solitary confinement symbolizes a much larger and devastating issue contaminating America. The United States currently has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. Over 2 million people were convicted in 2007, and we have seen increasing numbers of convictions within past years. The cost of keeping millions behind bars comes to an astonishing 60 billion a year! This is certainly not a price we can afford to pay any longer.

Link to the New Yorker article: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/090330fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=1

Hi there TuneInTurnOnHelpOut fans,
This is just something that has to be shared. TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org is NOT just an activist oriented site, but a database for all makes and models of human beings who just want to be part of “the good” that is happening all around our beautiful world today. Some are volunteers. Some are missionaries. Some are feeding the hungry. Some are housing the homeless. And some are out there in the streets fighting for our Constitutional Rights while we go about our day to day business. The ANSWER Coalition is one such organization. I have marched more than once with them in some city across this great country of ours. And I recently met Brian Becker (the gentleman who wrote the below article) at the United Nations last year while attending the General Assembly Meeting where we met with Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinjad among other things. Please take a moment to read the news piece below regarding the blatant disregard for our freedom of speech and assembly laws that unfortunately seems to happen to those bold enough to speak up more and more these days — regardless of “who” is president. Feel free to reach out to these bold and beautiful people at ANSWER. They are some of the most courageous Americans I know. If you can help in any way, lend a hand. Sign up for their mailing list, and maybe i will see you at a march or demonstration one of these days. Where there is a need, WE WILL BE THERE. Let’s do this thing.
Sincerely,
Ed Hale

Dear Ed,

Free Speech rights in Washington D.C. are under attack and we need you to take action.

The outcome of this struggle will have an impact on all progressive groups.

In the last weeks, the ANSWER Coalition has been hit with nearly $7,000 in fines for posters announcing the March 21 National March on the Pentagon that have been put up in Washington D.C. Just today, we received another $1,850 in fines for 12 posters.

The government is trying to effectively eliminate ANSWER’s and any group’s ability to engage in postering for Free Speech protected activities or dissemination of posters and flyers. The message is this: If you are an anti-war group or a progressive grassroots organization and you hand out or put up a poster, as you may have always done in the past, you can now expect heavy fines and long court battles that are designed to divert money and resources — or shut you down completely.

The posters for which we were fined are lawfully posted. The District is also issuing fines against ANSWER regardless of who put up the poster — they are just sanctioning us for being organizers and supporters of the political anti-war demonstration being publicized. Unlike many of the politicians, concert promoters and other corporate entities that put up posters in DC, the ANSWER Coalition even sends out teams of volunteers to remove posters following the conclusion of a demonstration or event.

Many individuals come in and take posters and leaflets from the office or download them from the website. As we have done for the past eight years we provide copies of the DC regulations to people that indicate how to poster in conformity with lawful regulations.

A big shift happened prior to the September 15, 2007 Bring the Troops Home Now mass demonstration that was led by veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We were targeted in an unprecedented campaign and hit with $55,000 in fines. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I volunteered at a local food bank called The Sharing Table located in my affluent Upper East Side neighborhood. Living in this region of Manhattan is almost like residing in a “Pre-Depression era” time capsule. Mothers continue to buy their infants designer strollers; impossibly skinny women carry diamond purses; and rock stars buy cavernous townhouses next door to you. Living in this kind of environment, it is frighteningly easy to forget that America is in the midst of a monumental economic catastrophe. Some of us read The New York Times or watch CNBC and those millions of unemployed can seem like foreign entities. Those numbers don’t have real faces. We cannot begin to fathom the impact of this economic calamity without appreciating its implications on actual human beings – who we don’t see much of on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

I was reminded of this impact today though at Christ Church on Park Avenue and 60th street. I was invited to participate in this volunteer activity by a friend and mentor of mine who himself is a rockstar who I happened to have made friends with for no other reason probably than the fortunate opportunity I am afforded by living in this particular neighborhood. He quietly and anonymously volunteers here regularly. He told me that he does it to keep himself real and more grounded, as his industry has “an uncanny way of making you feel very unreal and ungrounded kid” as he put it. I notice that as busy as he is, he still finds the time to sneak in a few hours to volunteer around the city or around the world. I can imagine that it is a very different experiene for him than being on stage playing in front of thousands of people, or being locked in recording studios for months at a time.

As we shuffled into the basement one late Sunday afternoon I was introduced to the man who is in charge of the place. His name is Walter Gray Lamb. A well-known graphic designer by trade, he has been quietly running this food bank for homeless or hungry people in New York for over twenty years. I was very impressed and inspired by him and his dedication to helping people. It made me wonder if I had it within myself to do what he does. The moment the church doors opened people started nervously filing into the basement. A lot of these men and women seemed lost. They were physically present, but you could sense that they were spiritually and mentally elsewhere. You could tell that they were truly grateful to be receiving this food (one less costly strain on their budgets).

When we had finished serving these hungry people, a man approached me. He was in his mid-twenties, and many of his upper teeth seemed to be absent. But nevertheless, he greeted me with a warm grin, and we began talking. He asked me why I was here, and I told him that I just thought it was the right place to be. He expressed his longing to escape from New York. He told me that he was planning to join the National Guard because they provided some form of financial stability. He told me that he was currently writing a paper on the history of chemical weapons since the end of World War II. I was profoundly amazed by his breadth of knowledge concerning this rather esoteric subject. We discovered a mutual appreciation for the work of Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. Eventually, it was time for us all to leave and I wished the man good luck.
Talking with this man reminded me of something that had rarely occurred to me before. Our conversation made me realize just how thin the line is between poverty and financial security in America. I mean, the gentleman I had met was a seemingly learned and capable individual who could probably do anything he wanted. However, he is currently dependent on the generosity of Christ Church for food.

It occurred to me that this economic crisis could serve as an awakening for the world and the United States. Perhaps it could remind us that we are all involved in this collective experience of human life, and while we are living on this earth it is our obligation to help others in need. Without that kind of charity and compassion we would have nothing.

So the next time you find yourself flipping through the pages of the Wall Street Journal, or watching some buffoon like Jim Kramer screaming in panic on the television, try heading down to your local food bank. There is a high probability that you will be overcome with an incredibly profound sensation that only comes from helping and connecting with others. You could also feel assured that as long as people are willing to help out, America and the rest of the world will be okay.

Tyler Bejoian
15 years old, New York City

Hello Everyone!
Meet one of my favorite earthlings, Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms Shoes, a very cool idea that simply put provides jobs in impoverished parts of the world to experienced craftsmen, that in turn pump out durable, long lasting, and very cool looking and comfortable shoes. And best of all, every time one of us buys a pair of these ultra-hip shoes, his company gives another pair away for free to a child in need in a developing country. Toms Shoes is of course old news to many of us. But that doesn’t make the business any less appealing or admirable. Read more about him and his company below and if you don’t already own a pair, check out their line on his website and pick a few up. What a great idea! This is 21st century capitalism at its finest. Sometimes referred to as “compassionate capitalism” or “creative capitalism” — and exemplified by Bono and his brilliant PRODUCT RED Campaign, it is an idea whose time has arrived. in our lifetimes. And we are all welcomed to join in and play a part in whatever capacity we feel we can best serve or that makes us the happiest. Congratulations and kudos to Blake!
Ed Hale

About Blake

My name is Blake, and I am the Chief Shoe Giver here at TOMS. This is my story, our story, and the daily journey each of you are now participating in.So far we have given over 130,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.

If you have ever seen the movie The Family Man with Nicholas Cage, you know the song that I am about to reference. It is by the Talking Heads and is one of those songs that you find yourself, for absolutely no reason at all, humming in the shower.

Due to the wondrous powers of the internet, I was able to hunt down the exact words to the chorus:

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful Wife
And you may ask yourself-well…how did I get here?

I mention all of this because I am currently looking at a picture of myself on page 130 of People Magazine. PEOPLE MAGAZINE! The magazine has Owen Wilson on the cover and is due out any day now.

I cannot tell you guys how grateful I am for this experience. This past year-and-a-half has been surreal. It felt like yesterday that I was working out of my apartment in Venice with three interns that I found on Craigslist. TOMS now has 16 full time employees, a large office building, a professional phone system, and if all goes well, a working fax machine in the coming days. I feel so blessed.

I have spent so much time on the road these past few months that I often feel like Nicholas Cage in that movie. Sometimes it feels too good to be true.

So, yes, before I start blubbering, I would just like to thank everyone at People for putting me in their magazine, and all of you for reading this blog. I know that I have said this before, but I am going to start updating this journal every week or so. (double pinkie swear).

Carpe Diem,
Blake

Gaza: At a Glance

Inhabited by 1.4 million Palestinians - Gaza is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea. The name originates from its main city, Gaza.

One of the coolest non-profits working to help make the lives of the people of Africa better is OneMama.org, which focuses on new mothers.

Jamira’s Story

Jamira is a traditional birth assistant, otherwise known as a local midwife in Uganda. Since 1982, she has been working out of her hut in order to provide care for mothers giving birth. She has had training for midwife certification with a special focus on HIV prevention. She is also inherently gifted in her practice, using specialized herbal medicine for the women and babies who are under her care, and therefore has much respect throughout her community and other neighboring communities. Yet, Jamira does not have any medical supplies, funding, governmental support, or even beds for her patients. The conditions she works in are unfathomable by most.

Jamira represents many midwives in Uganda, and hundreds of thousands more around the world. Even with her extensive knowledge and understanding of midwifery, she struggles against strong odds: HIV, Malaria, extremely poor conditions, and little help. She is one of many courageous women in her day-to-day efforts to help women and infants who may otherwise succumb to sickness or death during childbirth because they lack access to family planning, prenatal and postnatal care, and financial stability.

Midwives are the heart of rural communities in Uganda. 90-95% of its women have their babies through a midwife. Women in late term pregnancy travel by foot for miles in order to give birth with a midwife they trust. At times, a single midwife nurtures the mothers and infants of an entire community- thus, quite literally being one mother for all: OneMama.

OneMama ties Uganda’s communities together through sustainable health, family, and financial education in order for its people to overcome poverty and thrive. By specifically supporting the midwives at the center of these communities, OneMama empowers women, raises awareness, and makes positive change. OneMama is the nurturer, the protector, and the source of life for those in need.

The Obstacles
Read the rest of this entry »

by Tyler Bejoian 15 years old New York, NY

John Lennon once said, “A working class hero is something to be”. That song must have been played repeatedly on the I-pods of both Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden before the debate last night. It seemed like every other sentence uttered by the candidates was a childhood memory recalled from their days on Main Street, Scranton, or the Wild frontier for all we know. Now call me an elitist, anarchist, or maybe just a New Yorker, but when two Vice Presidential candidates use their “small town values” as one of the main qualifications for the White house, I think one thing. Bullshit.

These are politicians not employees at your local Home Depot. They are at top of the social spectrum. I guarantee you that the last time either of these candidates had to confront the struggles that most Americans face on a daily basis, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was still in theatres. Yes, both candidates rose through the ranks of their respected generations from their small town roots but that is yesterdays news. The way that they both used it as a political tactic was nauseating, and as obvious as McCain’s choice of Palin as a running mate in the first place.  Since when did being a small town Americ an become a desirable credential for the second highest political office in the most influential country in the Western World.
 

Read the rest of this entry »

Over 300 American Citizens Were Arrested in St. Paul, MN During the RNC for Peacefully Assembling.

Dear fans, friends, fellow Facebookers, and fellow Americans,

Yes you read it right. Although completely ignored by the mainstream press this week, over 300 of our fellow citizens were arrested for peacefully demonstrating outside the Republican National Convention last week. With our band releasing a new album this week, I am busy and excited about life; as I am sure each of you are about your own lives. But I still feel it is important to take this time now to share with you the letter that I have written to St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor Chris Coleman asking him to remember where we live…. Last time I checked we called it The United States of America. And from what I can remember from those grueling lessons as a young boy in elementary school U S of A meant a little something called “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It also meant “liberty and justice for all.” Read more about the arrests of over 300 Americans at the RNC here.

The reason I am taking the time to write this evening, on the eve before the day of a very special album release for our band TRANSCENDENCE, is because I believe this matter is important. As much as I love music and art and truth and love and romance and beauty, I believe that freedom, justice, and liberty have to be the foundation which these other pleasures of our lives rest on. Our fellow citizens who are currently locked up in jail cells in St. Paul are not able to experience the basic pleasures of their lives right now… and for no other reason than they were exercising their American right to peaceably assemble.

Read the rest of this entry »

An Avatar Course Meets Unexpected Challenges in…Mongolia

Mongolia evokes visions of the untamed–Genghis Khan, wild camels, Gobi Desert, and nomads racing shaggy ponies across the steppes. It is hardly the place you would expect to find a how-to seminar on expanding awareness.

Beautiful Ilu Kim (Ilu is short for ‘I love you’) and her team of twenty-seven Avatar Masters, have a passion for awakening people to their full potential. “Avatar teaches you,” said Ilu, “how to flexibly achieve your dreams. That is especially important when you run into unexpected obstacles.” Her willingness to be flexible was tested on the fourth day of the nine-day Mongolian Avatar Course, when the host hotel in Tefelj National Park, a few hours outside of Ulaanbaatar, lost complete electric power.

“Since it was brighter outside than in the conference room,” said Kim, “we moved the course to the hill behind the hotel.”

She challenged the thirty-five students to turn the inconvenience of no electricity, and no working plumbing into a bonus adventure. They did. Mountains, forests, and streams became the walls of the classroom. Day five and six of the course proceeded with only occasional interruptions from wandering livestock and friendly villagers. The land, the Avatar Course exercises, and the Mongolian people blended into a flowing expression of nomadic consciousness.

“For the final section of the course, we moved from the hill to a little forest in the valley along a stream. We fell fully into the feel of the land,” continued Kim. “Doing the Avatar exercises under the trees made us feel like Buddha. We announced the first graduates as Forest Avatars.”

While most Avatar Courses are easily completed in nine days, this one continued into a sightseeing trip after the course–flexibility, again. Two buses were located and the team and students set off for an eight-hour, cross-country trip to the Banyan settlement in the Gobi Desert. In this part of Mongolian, roads are non-existent, and only the driver’s steady hand provides direction.

At Banyan, after a traditional Mongolian meal, class resumed. While the students finished their exercises, the Avatar Masters arranged sleeping yurts for everyone. The last graduates were announced under the unblinking stars of the Gobi as Desert Avatars.

“I operate with the deliberate belief,” says Ilu, “that everything always works out for us, and it always does. One day soon there will be many Avatars in Mongolia. I think the ghost of Genghis Khan will be pleased.”

Developed in 1986, the Avatar Course is delivered in 20 languages and is taught by licensed Avatar Masters in 71 countries. Graduates report reduced stress, increases in personal happiness, and greater success in reaching their goals. Newsletter at http://www.theavatartimes.com

For additional information on the Avatar course, contact Harry Palmer or visit http://www.avatarepc.com.

ABOUT STAR’S EDGE INTERNATIONAL - Star’s Edge International publishes books, videos, online materials, and a series of experiential courses that guide people into and through transformative experiences. The company was founded in 1986 and operates worldwide. Avatar® is a registered trademark of Star’s Edge, Inc.

Stars Edge International

Now Age Minute - by Craig Gordon
A Lighter Shade of Green

Many Progressive voters who helped Obama to become the prospective Democratic nominee for president are now questioning their support of the candidate. According to a story from the NY Times:

In the breathless weeks before the Oregon presidential primary in May, Martha Shade did what thousands of other people here did: she registered as a Democrat so she could vote for Senator Barack Obama.

Now, however, after critics have accused Mr. Obama of shifting positions on issues like the war in Iraq, the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants, gun control and the death penalty - all in what some view as a shameless play to a general election audience - Ms. Shade said she planned to switch back to the Green Party.

The other night, after a day out in the sun, my daughter noted that the top of my head was red with sunburn. I reassured her, telling her not to worry, that by morning, my head would return to my natural skin color, beige. That’s right. Even though I’m known as a “white man”, I’m not shiny white, but boring beige. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is referred to as a “black man”. But on closer inspection, he’s not black, at all, but brown. But that’s not the only color confusion surrounding Obama. While many of his critics complain that he’s too green (inexperienced) to run for president, I don’t think he’s green (Party) enough.

My friend, Roberta (not his real name), posited an interesting question the other day. A one-time Obama supporter, Roberta wondered if Barack would have voted against the Iraq War authorization had he actually been a US Senator, being that he apparently caved in to pressure from the White House, the Right, and maybe even lobbyists (no, not Barack!) , on the FISA vote. Or maybe he was just being calculating. In any case, with his vote, Obama flip-flopped from his position against telecom immunity during the primaries. Roberta suggested that when Obama made his 2002 speech against the impending war, as a state (not US) senator, he spoke his truth. But with his vote on FISA, and his new view on the Death Penalty, Roberta’s not so sure what Obama’s truths are, and if he’s able to stand up for those truths when it really matters. Or, if he is, as Reverend Wright suggested, “a politician”. What drew me to Barack was his assertion that he was running against the “old politics”, like those practiced by the Clintons. But now, when it matters, he’s triangulating like a good centrist. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Friend,

In Pakistan this week, we saw the power of the people in action. Ordinary Pakistani citizens rose up to fight President Musharraf’s injustice and corruption, and, as a result, Musharraf resigned rather than face impeachment for his crimes against the constitution and judiciary. Our friend from Pakistan writes: “While the US media’s lens focused on the Taliban’s resurgence and US casualties in the region, a political and secular revolution was taking place in the streets of Pakistan. The fact that the people of Pakistan rose up against a US-backed military dictator and brought him down with such success is testimony to the will of Pakistan’s civilian leadership which wants to save the country from corrupt leaders–both military and religious.”

Let us take inspiration from the people of Pakistan. We, too, want to rise up to save our country from corrupt and unjust leaders.

That’s why we’ve been trailing Nancy Pelosi to urge her to put impeachment on the table click here to read Linda Milazzo’s stirring account of a recent disruption)

That’s why we will be in action at both the DNC and RNC conventions in the coming weeks.

That’s why we encourage you to find out what you can do in your own community during the conventions. Click here to learn how to bring the message of peace to Obama viewing parties, and discover other creative, effective actions you can take in your neighborhood.

That’s why we need you to mark your calendars for September 20th, when the peace community will come together in a massive effort to knock on one million doors for peace. We can do it if you join us.

Also, click here to find out how to reach out to your neighbors with our peace platform and remind them that they have the power at the polls to bring peace into the election!

We saw how the power of the people made a difference in Pakistan. Now let’s pool our power to bring about real change in our own country!

With hope in all our ruckus-raising hearts,
Alicia, Anne, Dana, Deidra, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Medea, Nancy, Rae and Tighe

Go online and chat live with Michael Moore on “Meet the Bloggers,” tomorrow, Friday, August 22nd at 1:00 PM ET.

Join the discussion with Mike by logging onto the live blog at http://meetthebloggers.org/. You can also submit a video question for Mike by clicking here.

Filmmaker and Brave New Foundation President Robert Greenwald will host the event.

See you on “Meet the Bloggers!”

Webmaster
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. Two of Michael’s producers from “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11″ — Tia Lessin and Carl Deal — have made an incredible documentary that’s opening tomorrow in New York and L.A. (and the rest of the country over the coming weeks). It’s called “Trouble the Water” and it won the Grand Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Click here for more info — and go see it!

Join Mike’s Mailing List | Join Mike’s Facebook Group | Become Mike’s MySpace Friend

7 August 2008 9:00 p.m. (Local time)
Join the Greatest Light Protest on Earth

CANDLE FOR TIBET

GREATEST LIGHT PROTEST ON EARTH
VIGILS, VIGILS
Full List of public Candle Lighting WORLDWIDE
click for WORLDWIDE LIST
United, Nothing Can Stop Our Light from Shining
A CIVIL ACTION AND A WORK OF ART
FREEDOM IS NOT JUST ANOTHER WORDClick Here To Find Out
Light a Candle for Tibet at Your Home, With Friends or in Public.
© 2005 Manuel Bauer / Agentur Focus

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Watch Skyscrapers and Mountain Tops Flare with Red Smoke
Join Other Special Light Actions All Over The World
Drive Your Car With Lights On for 24 Hours
Light Up Any Source of Light for Tibet
Unite with more than people in THE GREATEST LIGHT PROTEST ON EARTH

H.H. the Dalai Lama Offers His Blessing to Candle for Tibet

It is not very often that I personally have the time nor feel it necessary to write a blog post about every organization that we post a link to. Normally a link in the BlogRoll is enough. The idea behind TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org is first and foremost to provide the user with a trustworthy collection of valuable non-profit causes, charities, and volunteer opportunities — all categorized as hyperlinks that take the user right to the source so you can take action and get involved NOW. Most often this is as simple as getting turned on ourselves to the organization and then checking them out - doing the due diligence so the reader doesn’t have to — and then posting a link to them in the appropriate category. The blog posts themselves are usually content provided by the various organizations that wish to contribute and communicate alerts or action items when timing is of the essence.

So far so good. Response has been overtly positive and all of us here are very thankful to all of you who take the time out of your busy schedules to shoot off a quick thank you email. Not only does it help us feel good about the time, money, and effort that is necessary to keep the site up and running, but more importantly it inspires us because we realize that our overall mission is being fulfilled, i.e. to increase awareness of important causes and charities and get more people on the planet involved in volunteering or becoming more socially or politically active. Again, so far so good. Thanks to all of you for playing a part in it!

Every now and then though one might notice that I do feel compelled to write an actual blog post instead of just suggest a cause. See yesterday’s rant entitled FUCK THE OLYMPICS as an example. (But don’t blame me for that one, because I didn’t write it. Some strange character who calls himself ”The Raconteur” did. But I allowed it in anyway. Freedom of speech and all that you know…

In any case let’s cut to the chase here. This simple blog post is to simply turn us all on to one of the coolest non-profits I have heard of in a long time. The long and the short of it is this: New York City has 14 million people living in it. (all five boroughs). 8 million on just the island of Manhattan alone. This can create quite a mess if left unkept. I personally always wondered how Manhattan managed to stay so clean and beautiful considering how many people live on this tiny little island.

Well it turns out that some of the credit belongs to this ingenius little organization called The Doe Fund. And talk about ingenius. Not only do they keep the city looking beautiful, but they do it through driving straight to our local jails or prisons and giving men who have served their time with exceptional behavior a job right there on the spot. That way there is little chance that the men will find the dificulty of finding work coming right out of prison causing them to relapse into a life of crime… The company is a non-profit. The “men in blue” get the chance to earn an honest living and build or rebuild a career for themselves, and most of the money that is used to pay them comes from donations from individual or corporate donations.

I was very excited when i first learned of this orgnization. This is a real 21st century non-profit! A real win-win-win for everyone, from the inhabitants of the city, to the workers who are keeping the city looking so good, to the generous donors who are making it all possible, and of course the organization itself.

As the founder and president of the organization, George T. McDonald, states:

“The men of Ready, Willing & Able often come from very difficult backgrounds. They are products of poverty, poor education, alcoholism, drug addiction and families broken in ways most of us cannot imagine. Despite all of this, they come to us wanting to be productive and useful, wanting to be an asset to their families, communities and city, and wanting to share in both the benefits and responsibilities of being an American. As you come to know the individuals of Ready, Willing & Able, you appreciate the heroic proportion of their struggle to change and their profound gratitude for the opportunity that this program provides - structured paid work and collective caring.”

Please take some time to visit thier site and learn more about them. I would also be very interested to learn if other cities around the world have similar such programs. If you know of any, please feel free to comment.

Sincerely,
The Ambassador