In honor of our fading fall colors and Halloween, I thought I’d put together a post honoring all the beautiful orange colors I’ve seen around the world. Often I’m tempted to take pictures of blue and green hues as I love capturing landscapes. But what about orange?Orange can be quite a lovely, warm color and can also be sometimes found in the most unexpected places.
Here is a look at some of the fabulous orange hues I’ve seen through my travels. If you feel inspired by orange, feel free to share a post of your favorites as well and link back here. I will also tweet them out with the hashtag #orangearoundtheworld.
By far the greatest challenge we face in the world today is global climate change. Decisions made today will ultimately impact the future of our planet. Those who are still in denial that the world’s climate is changing need to open their eyes. Global climate change is real and it is already having devastating impacts on the environment including food security, water shortages, catastrophic weather and the air we breathe.
We are at a crossroads in history and a political tipping point on how we are going to act to fight global climate change. The facts are frightening. 2012 was the hottest year in the recorded history in the United States. Furthermore, the 12 hottest years ever measured globally occurred within the last 15 years. The month of August was the 342nd month in a row where temperatures were warmer than the 20th century average. Ice is melting, oceans are warming up and our atmosphere is being treated as a huge garbage dump of our pollution. Global climate change is impacting us all. So what are we going to do about it?
The Climate Reality Project asks us “What I love”. What on our planet can we not live without? What are the sacrifices we will have to make if we don’t stop global climate change?
I have asked Harriet Shugarman, the executive director and founder of ClimateMama and a mentor and Climate Leader for the Climate Reality Project to write a guest post for my blog in order to get the conversation rolling on global climate change and why it matters.
Harriet Shugarman, Executive Director of ClimateMama
Harriet is an Economist, policy analyst, speaker, writer, and “mom” activist, Harriet travels the country educating and informing audiences about the realities of climate change and how people can feel empowered to take individual and collective action – in their homes, businesses and in their communities. You can follow Harriet’s insightful blog ClimateMama which is loaded with excellent articles and resources on global climate change.
During my visit to the Social Good Summit in New York City last month, I attended a meeting with a group of bloggers to learn more about (RED), a division of the ONE Campaign that works to eliminate AIDS through consumer activism. (RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver as a way to engage people and businesses all over the world to fight the greatest challenge of our time – the fight to end AIDS.
Coffee with the women from RED and our RED bracelets.
RED ad on website of woman and child.
Updated October 2013 About (RED)™ (RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage businesses and people in the fight against AIDS. (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands who contribute up to 50% of profits from (RED) branded goods and services to the Global Fund. (RED) Proud Partners include: Apple, Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, Beats by Dr. Dre, Belvedere, Claro, SAP, Telcel and American Express (UK only). (RED) Special Edition partners include: Shazam, Girl Skateboards, Mophie, FEED, Nanda Home, Bottletop, Tourneau, Fatboy USA, Bed Bath & Beyond, HEAD. To date, (RED) has generated more than $215 million for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to support HIV/AIDS grants in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. 100 percent of that money goes to work on the ground – no overhead is taken. Global Fund grants that (RED) supports have impacted more than 14 million people with prevention, treatment, counseling, HIV testing and care services. (RED) is a division of The ONE Campaign. Learn more at http://www.red.org. About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria The Global Fund is an international financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach relies on country ownership and performance-based funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where verifiable results are achieved. Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has approved funding of US$ 22.9 billion for in 140 countries. To date, programs supported by the Global Fund have provided AIDS treatment for 5.3 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 11 million people and 340 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing with the three diseases.
(RED) partners with some of the world’s leading brands to offer a changing collection of iconic (RED) products triggering a unique way of consumer activism: With each purchase of a (RED) product 50% of the proceeds are donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria which saves 100,000 lives a month.
Here is an example of how (RED) works on the back end to fight AIDS.
What is so exciting about (RED) is that they make it so incredibly easy for consumers to give back and support the fight of AIDS. Just simply purchasing a (RED) product starts the process of donating to The Global Fund and every single dollar donated to The Global Fund is donated on the ground meaning there is no overhead. Pretty amazing.
Here is a current list of some of the brands who are going (RED). Remember the GAP collection of t-shirts called Inspi(RED)?
The (RED) Manifesto is a wonderful example at how organizations can inspire people to give back and make a difference in the world. Simply making a purchase of a (RED) product, can help save a person’s life.
So why is it important to fight HIV/AIDS and why now? Simply because we have never been so close to seeing an end of AIDS before. It is proven that antiretrovirals work. Today, over 6 million people are being effectively treated with antiretrovirals that have a 96% success rate in not transmitting the disease. With action and urgency, it is possible to see the end of the transmission of HIV from mothers to their newborns. We are so close to eradicating this horrible disease.
Fact: It is also estimated that nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic (UNAID 2010 report).
Fact: AIDS remains a global epidemic infecting 2.7 million new people and claiming 2 million lives each year.
Topsy/AIDS Patient’s Dramatic Recovery from AIDS
An inspiring, one-minute video that was shown on World AIDS Day in 2011 marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS.
My dear friend, Jeannine Harvey at The ONE Campaign shared this beautiful story below on the hope that anti-retrovirals can provide to a child born with HIV/AIDS.
I leave you with the story of Motselisi. (RED) first met Motselisi in the rural Nyakosoba Village in Lesotho when she was 11 months old, frail and weak without access to medication. Motselisi was put on anti-retroviral (ARV) medicine, and 90 days later, she had been brought back to life and was a healthy, happy baby. Hers is a true story of the Lazarus Effect and the life-saving power of HIV/AIDS treatment, treatment that costs around 40 cents a day in sub-Saharan Africa.
(RED) is a division of The ONE Campaign. Learn more at www.red.org.
About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
December 1st marks World AIDS Day
Every year, in the days and weeks leading up to World AIDS Day on December 1st, (RED) partners with premiere artists and leading brands to shine a global spotlight on the epidemic. To date, (RED) has raised over $215 million for the elimination of AIDS.
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Virginia was a visit to the National Geographic headquarters and museum in Washington DC. I have adored National Geographic since I was a child and used to page through the yellow-bordered issues with ravish and delight, dreaming about faraway places, cultures, people and animals. National Geographic was my lifeline into the magic of the world and continues to be so even today.
National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington DC
National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington DC
Entrance to National Geographic’s Museum
As a National Geographic Kids Insider (a brand Ambassador who promotes everything amazing National Geographic has to offer), I wanted to get an intimate look behind the scenes of this 125-year-old multi-dimensional non-profit organization that is one part global publisher, another part leader in exploration, conservation and education, and last part a travel company, all packaged within the yellow National Geographic border.
The National Geographic Society has been inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888. It is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation.
I honestly had no idea that National Geographic did so incredibly much until I got to see for myself during my tour of their three-building headquarters in the heart of Washington DC.
By far, the most inspiring part of my tour was a visit to the National Geographic Museum where I saw two exhibits, one celebrating National Geographic’s 125 years called “A New Age of Exploration” and the other called “Women of Vision: National Geographic’s Photographers on Assignment”, an exhibit dedicated to honoring women photojournalists. Both were impressive however the “Women of Vision” exhibit was phenomenal and made a powerful impact on me.
Today is World Polio Day where people across the globe come together to advocate on the eradication of polio and speak of the successes we’ve made and plan for the future. We have never been so close to eradicating a disease before and have only eradicating two diseases in the history of mankind. We are at a pivotal moment in time and we are within reach of wiping this terrible, debilitating disease off the face of this planet.
Per the World Health Organization’s article “10 Facts about Polio Eradication” here is where we stand today in our fight against polio:
Last week, we were in Virginia visiting family and decided to take a day trip to see the Luray Caverns near the Shenandoah National Park. I have always wanted to see a cavern and Lurary Caverns is known for its beauty and grandeur being the fourth largest cavern in the United States.
Labeled parts of a cavern. Photo source: Wikipedia Free Commons. A stalactite (meaning “to drop” is a type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves whereas a stalagmite (meaning “dropping, trickling”) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Source: Wikipedia.
Discovered in 1878 by a tinsmith and local photographer who happened to stumble upon a large sinkhole and started to dig, the Luray Caverns has been one of the most visited and popular caverns on the East Coast and is a U.S. Natural Landmark. Formed over the course of 450 million years and still changing, the caverns are simply spectacular. Visitors can take an hour-long tour through the maze of cathedral-sized rooms taking in the breathtaking formations of the stalactites and stalagmites that are each an amazing work of art. Continue reading →
Have you ever had an experience in your life that has changed you forever? For Babita Patel, a humanitarian photographer, that fateful day happened during an assignment to one of the poorest places in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. In Babita’s words here is that moment that changed her life.
I WAS WALKING THROUGH CITÉ SOLEIL, the largest slum in the Western Hemisphere located in Haiti, one of the poorest places on Earth. Trash littered the streets and dirty stagnant rainwater was often used as latrines. The sun pulsated directly overhead, bleaching the blue sky to a blinding white. Sweat droplets raced down my spine and pooled at my lower back. Children dressed in rags – or for some, in nothing at all – played a spirited game of soccer with a half-inflated ball. I snapped a picture of a group of rambunctious kids, only to have eager young hands grab at my camera to see the image captured on my screen.
“Praying”. Photo credit: Dumas (one of the students).
The novelty of the reproduction faded and most darted off between the shanty houses. One remained, diligently pointing at each face on the screen, as if ticking them off in his head. He stopped at the last one. His own. He let out a burst of pure, innocent, giggling glee and scampered off. Alone, I realized that for people who have next to nothing, a mirror is an unattainable luxury. This child only met his reflection by process of elimination. For he knew which ones were his friends and which one was the stranger.
I was struck dumb. For I never realized a person could walk through life without knowing his own physical self. But photography can change that. It lets a child see himself and his world through different eyes. By learning tangible skills and creating new avenues of self-expression, he can contribute to his life and his community.
And thus, the seed for View Finder Workshop was planted. Babita Patel. founder, humanitarian photographer
Author’s note: This is a guest post by fellowONE Mom Chelsea Hudson who blogs at Do A Little Good. I got to know Chelsea and her work online as part of a wonderful group of Mom bloggers who advocate and support ONE, a grassroots NGO whose aim is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. I read this post recently on her blog and have been considering the issue ever since. Here is a story that is bound to make you think especially with Halloween coming up soon when millions of dollars of this kind of chocolate is being sold.
Screen Shot of huge chocolate company, Hershey’s, Halloween page.
First, it’s about children. Children as young as seven years old.
You see, I have children. I have a seven-year old. So when I hear about violence and injustice happening to children anywhere, it matters. Deeply.
Secondly, it’s about the source country where children are trafficked from –Mali, West Africa.
Map of West Africa. Photo source: Wikipedia Free Commons
You see, I spent a summer in Mali in 1997. In Timbuktu, to be exact (Tombouctou). When I was there, I made a little friend in a boy named Josef. He was probably 7 or 8 at the time, maybe younger. I can still see his face in my memories and heart. I gave him my watch (a cheap digital watch from Walmart) and his parents kept it safe so older relatives would not steal it from him. I left a part of my heart with that watch. I wrote back and forth with his mother, through a missionary translator, for several years after I was there, keeping up with Josef’s well-being and family. What if it had been Josef who was trafficked?? You see, he matters to me. Deeply.
Issues of injustice in our world seem far away, out “there”, wherever out there is, until we can see a face, or picture ourselves or someone we are close to in the midst of that injustice. Somehow, then it matters more. It seems real. Because it IS real.
If you are having a hard time grasping the significance of this issue, like I had for a long time, please take the time to watch this 43 minute documentary sometime this evening. Yes, its hard, its sad. But its real. And it matters.THEY matter.
And then come back here later this week for some FUN, EASY, CREATIVE and age appropriate ways to include your kids in this fight against injustice.
TELL YOUR KIDS THE TRUTH.
You don’t need to go into graphic detail, but I think it’s perfectly legit to tell your kids that as a family, you can’t, in good conscience, buy mainstream chocolate because those companies use kids just like them to work really hard for almost no money, that they often get hurt, and that they can’t go to school because of chocolate.
Bio: Chelsea Hudson is a mother of three girls, wedding and portrait photographer and passionate abolitionist. Chelsea’s journey into activism began 3+ years ago as her eyes, mind and heart were opened to the atrocity of human trafficking, both domestically and abroad. As an ordinary, suburban American women, she struggled to find her place, specifically as a mom of three small children, in this critical fight for justice. This quest led her to start the website http://www.doalittlegood.com in an effort to share the creative, simple ways she was discovering she could, and did make a difference by doing her little bit of good right where she was. “No man makes a greater mistake than he who does nothing because he can do only a little.” ~Sir Edmund Burke
Today is Blog Action Day, where thousands of bloggers from around the world use their voice to advocate change. This year’s topic is Human Rights, and if you’ve read my blog you know I write passionately about my belief that all people should be granted the same universal rights.
Before I begin my post, I wanted to share with you the history behind The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (to read the declaration in full click here):
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict happen again. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere.”
I have always been a strong advocate of human rights. I believe that everyone is created equal and this strong belief is why I spend so much of my time writing and advocating on social good. The world is a highly inequitable place and human rights abuses are happening every single minute of the day. Human rights abuses range from poverty, lack of safe water and sanitation, food insecurity, lack of education, and inequitable global health services to the terrible impact of war, human trafficking, violence and rape, and genocide. Human rights abuses also include lack of freedom of speech, religion, sex, race, color, language, political views and so forth. The dark list of human rights violations is difficult to comprehend.
Save the Children distributes bread to residents of Za’atari refugee camp. Photo credit: Nicole Itano/Save the Children
In my opinion, all human rights abuses are equally horrifying and wrong. Yet one that has stuck a chord in my heart is the continuation of genocide. When you look at the history and timing behind the Declaration of Universal Human Rights, you see that it was created to help avoid further tragedies like the Holocaust. Yet, have we truly stopped genocide? Over 60 years later after the mass genocide of the Holocaust, I am struck by how these unspeakable horrors continue to happen today. The dark, devastating tragedies of Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, and now Syria to name a few remain a raw reminder that not much has changed.
Rami*, two, at her home in a tented refugee settlement in Lebanon, near the Syrian border. *All names have been changed to protect identities. Photo Credit: Jonathan Hyams/Save the Children
Although genocide can be extremely difficult to stop, we do have ways to ease the pain of the millions of victims trapped within a civil war. Look at Syria. As millions of Syrians are fleeing the country trying to escape the horrors of the war, they are overflowing into refuge camps in neighboring countries with little or nothing to eat and drink. Relieving refugees’ plight is a human rights issue and a legal right per Kevin Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.* The UN and various NGOs are working to get aid delivered within Syria as well as to the millions of children and adults living in camps. If we can’t stop the war within Syria, can’t we help the people survive?
As Queen Noor of Jordan said to a large audience of youth in Minnesota about the tragic war in Syria:
“As in every war, the most vulnerable victims – no matter who wins or who loses – are young people. Their dreams, their hopes, their childhoods are being stolen in a war they had no part in creating, in which they have no voice. This is above all else a children’s crisis”. *
Just like the millions of families killed or left to try to piece back together their lives after the destruction of WWII and the Holocaust, isn’t it time we gave these children some hope for a better life? Hope that they will not only be alive but also have the tools and strength to help someday rebuild their war-torn country?
Author’s note: During my years at University, I studied French and International Relations with a focus on Western Europe. I studied a lot about the Holocaust and while I lived abroad in France, I had the opportunity to visit a concentration camp in Germany which was utterly heartbreaking. Today, I continue to read quite a bit on this time period and here are a few of my recommended reads. Also, if you are ever in Washington DC, the Holocaust Museum is a must.
Recommended books on the Holocaust
-“Sarah’s Key ” by Tiatiana de Rosnay
“The Invisible Bridge” by Julie Orringer
-“Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl”
-“La Nuit” (The Night) by Elie Wiesel
-“The Boy in Striped Pajamas” – by John Boyne
Resources to learn more:
A friend and fellow blogger Jennifer Prestholdt is the Deputy Director at Minneapolis-based The Advocates for Human Rights who has a fabulous website and publication detailing Human Rights. To read it click here. Jennifer blogs at The Human Rights Warrior.
Founded in 2007, Blog Action Day brings together bloggers from different countries, interests and languages to blog about one important global topic on the same day. Past topics have included water, climate change, poverty and food with thousands of blogs, big and small, taking part. This year’s Blog Action day is October 16th and the theme is “Human Rights”.
To view other Blog Action Day posts, search the following hashtags on Twitter: #BAD13, #HumanRights, #Oct16
Whole Foods Market began as a small natural grocery store in Austin, Texas with a mission to sell meat and poultry free of growth hormones and antibiotics, unprocessed grains and cereals, and a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables. Over time, Whole Foods Market expanded into other states and countries with its unique approach to offering whole foods while promoting environmental sustainability, local and international community service, and supporting employee happiness and excellence. Over the years, Whole Foods Market has grown into an international chain of natural food supermarkets operating over 340 stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Scotland.
Luciana is a microentreprenuer from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She used her Whole Planet loan to start a business selling fruits and vegetables. Photo credit: Whole Planet Foundation/Evan Lambert.
Whole Foods Market just so happens to be one of my favorite places to grocery shop as it offers many organic and “real” foods, not all the processed garbage that has become a huge part of the American diet. Through the work I do as a social good blogger and advocate, I discovered that behind Whole Foods Market’s widely successfully business is a foundation that is doing some pretty amazing things to give back to the communities in which they source their products.
Author’s note: I have decided to start a new series called “Different Walks of Life” where I interview an interesting person who is either an artist, humanitarian, traveler or someone doing something awesome with their life. We all get tired of the 9-5 grind. So here is my chance to showcase different people and highlight their inspiring work.
Meet Doug Crews-Nelson, a Cartographer/Artist from Madison, Wisconsin, who is just beginning to promote his ingenious maps for sale. As Madison is my alma mater (I went to school at University of Wisconsin-Madison and met my husband there) of course I had to support a fantastic local artist whose work is fabulous.
A World View by Doug Crews-Nelson
Doug was kind enough to send me one of his maps and of course I had to choose the Paris Map (shown below) as Paris holds a special bond within my heart. I lived and studied there my junior year of University. The map is utterly gorgeous and I can hardly wait to frame it and hang inside my home. There are many more beautiful maps to choose from and this is only the beginning.
“We are starving for education. For us it is like a precious gift, a diamond” – Malala Yousafzai
The story of Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakastani girl who was shot at point blank range in the head a year ago on a school bus by the Taliban has become one of the most powerful stories of our time. A girl of a mere 15 years old, who had the courage and bravery to stand up to the Taliban and risk her life for her simple belief that girls should be able to go to school, has captured worldwide attention to her cause. Today at 16 years old, Malala’s voice is being heard all over the world and people are listening.
Her voice and bravery has lead her to become the youngest ever nominated to receive a World Peace Prize and her fight for girls education has created an international global movement and a day named after her. In honor of “Day of the Girl” today, I wanted to talk about one girl who is by far one of the most amazing, inspiring young activists in the world. Malala whose life is a gift to the world and who proves that anyone can make a difference.
Cover of Malala’s new book “I Am Malala” which was released this week.
“People have prayed to God to spare me, and I was spared for a reason — to use my life for helping people” — from ” I Am Malala.”
