Pages

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Are You Saving The World? I Bet This Song Is Playing In The Background

Matisyahu has rocked not only the hasidic world but also the the nonprofit world.  The kosher reggae hip-hop singer's song "One Day" has become "the" song for saving the world.  The lyrics are uplifting and powerful even the most pessimistic will be inspired by the song's ability to convey positivity, consciousness and optimism.  It is the perfect inspirational feel good song about overcoming struggles.  But it is time Do Gooders find a different song to save the world.  

Toms One Day Without Shoes
Help Toms Shoes raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life by going without shoes on April, 5 2011. 



Waiting for Superman
The Waiting for "Superman" social action campaign has one primary goal: to ensure that every child receives a great education. 



Global Fast
Globalfast is a totally new way to give. By giving up one meal each month, you change lives without changing your budget. you give off your plate, not out of your wallet.

Global Fast :: We Changed 10,000 Lives from JJ Starr on Vimeo.


Schools for Schools
Rebuilding schools in war-torn northern Uganda.


Slant Magazine Interview: Matisyahu
BY MATTHEW COLE ON JULY 29, 2009


Slant: Why did you decide to release "One Day" as the first single from the new album?


Matisyahu: To be honest, "One Day" was one of two songs that were written specifically to be released as singles. After the album was done, the record label said that they wanted something that would be an easier sell to radio stations. And I was okay with that. I tried to take a positive view and to approach it as an opportunity to write a song in a style that I would not have otherwise tried. So "One Day" is very different from what most of Light sounds like. It is less distinct and much more accessible. But I had fun making the song, and I do think it is a good Matisyahu song.


Slant: The song also has a very optimistic message. Did that come as a way of making the song more accessible?


Matisyahu: I do think that it is easier to hook people in with a catchy, upbeat song than with something more serious. But also, that sense of optimism that "One Day" expresses is an important part of who I am. I feel that at the core of my being I have always been an optimistic person, with a positive mind. Even though I have made an album that is inspired in a lot of ways by struggle and by being challenged, I always feel that facing those challenges is easier if it is done with a sense of positivity and a belief that one can overcome those struggles. "One Day" takes that mindset and connects it to some of the issues of our times. It is an attempt to spread some of that optimism.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Books Not Bombs


Investing in girls is the most effective way to fight terrorism.  Teaching girls to read and write reduces the ignorance that fuel religious extremism and lays a groundwork for prosperity and peace.  
Greg Mortenson and the Central Asian Institute (CAI) have been building schools mostly for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Greg Mortenson has even consulted with the US Military about his approach to finding peace. The US Military has embraced Mortenson’s philosophy that the real long-term Foreign Policy fix in Pakistan and Afghanistan’s tribal areas that nurture terrorism is to educate girls.  
CAI’s approach is more effective and costs substantially less than past US Military approaches.  Building school instead of dropping bombs has proven to be much better avenue toward peace.
To learn more about Greg Mortenson and CAI read “Three Cups of Tea”--One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...Once School at a Time.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy 25th AJWS!



American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.

Keep up the great work!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

One Day Without Shoes April 5, 2011

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS mission transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business.



Why shoes?
Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:
  • A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
  • Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they are also dangerous when wounds become infected.
  • Often, children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.
A single idea can make a big difference in the world. What is your idea to change the world?
Join us on April 5, 2011
http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/splash.php



Monday, May 24, 2010

Save Our Oceans: Meet the Plastiki

How much oil has to spill and how much of the ocean’s ecosystem do we have to kill before we can all agree that we must end our addiction to oil?


We shake our heads in disgust at the oil spilling into the Gulf but we're quick to jump into our gas powered cars, buy water in single use plastic bottles (plastic is made from oil), and use single use plastic bags every time we buy anything. We are responsible for the Gulf mess. Our continued dependency on oil is the reason why big oil companies can profit off of drilling in places too far out of reach to be plugged with something goes wrong.


We need to own up to our responsibility and dependency. This is not simply about finding a solution to the oil leak, but to start rethinking the way we live. We have been talking about conservation for a long time, but we have done very little about it. This crisis is an opportunity for our leaders to explain to the public why environmental action is needed now and for the public to understanding the benefits of being kind to Mother Earth.



Before the Gulf oil spill, David de Rothchild built an entire boat out of plastic bottles,
The Plastiki, and set sail from San Francisco to Sydney in March 2010. The Plastiki expedition is not a fantasy adventure, its a statement meant to bring attention our urgent need to save our oceans NOW.

It’s about a better understanding of the lifecycle’s and materials used in our everyday lives. It’s about being curious and open, being prepared to let go of assumptions in order to undertake a new ‘Planet 2.0’ way of thinking and acting. It’s about acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers and that nobody is as smart as everybody. It’s about being collaborative and curious so to engage multiple perspectives, skills, opinions and organizations. It’s about constantly learning, unlearning and re-learning. It’s about re-integrating back into the web of life by recognizing and reducing our human fingerprints on the natural world. It’s about moving on from just articulating the problems and inspiring action of the solutions. It’s about encouraging the world to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink more of the planets natural resources.

For updates on The Plastiki Expedition visit: www.plastiki.com.



Saturday, March 6, 2010