The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers, but above all, the world needs dreamers that do... Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sunday 30 October 2011

Adora Svitak


Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

Thanks Messyfish

"What makes people smart, curious, alert, observant, competent, confident, resourceful, persistent - in the broadest and best sense, intelligent- is not having access to more and more learning places, resources, and specialists, but being able in their lives to do a wide variety of interesting things that matter, things that challenge their ingenuity, skill, and judgement, and that make an obvious difference in their lives and the lives of people around them."

~John Holt~ Teach Your Own

Friday 28 October 2011

Acrylic on board artwork by Natasha aged 12 years


I love painting, life inspires me to be creative, 
my life would be dull without it.
It feels like and escape to freedom and my true identity.
Creativity makes my life so much more exciting and adventurous.
I feel free and safe when I paint and create new things.

I FEEL UNIQUE!

As told to me by Natasha.


Thursday 27 October 2011

Miss Representation


Miss Representation.org is a call-to-action campaign that seeks to empower women and girls to challenge limiting labels in order to realize their potential and transform our culture for the betterment of all.

Given the advent of the 24-7 news cycle and the proliferation of infotainment and reality TV, media has become the predominant communicator of cultural values and gender norms, telling us all who we can and cannot be.

We believe that one ordinary individual, united with others around a common, meaningful goal, can spark millions of small actions that ultimately lead to a cross generational revolution to eradicate gender stereotypes and create lasting cultural and sociological change that will benefit not only women, but the world at large.

Sunday 9 October 2011

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson
about a battle that goes on inside people.
‘My son the battle is between the two wolves”
inside all of us.

One is dark: it is anger, envy
jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority & ego.

The other is good: joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,
truth, compassion & faith.

The grandson thought about it a minute
and then asked his grandfather
“which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied
“the one you feed.”

Free The Children



Throughout history, young people have always been at the forefront of every movement for social change. 
They make hope infectious. They have shameless idealism and an unstoppable drive. 
Free The Children was founded on the understanding that by awakening the spirit of leadership in young people, injustices can be stopped, communities transformed and hope ignited.

Girls Not Brides


Girls Not Brides is a new global partnership to end the harmful traditional practice 
of child marriage, so that girls can fullfil their potential.
To find out more about what you can do to help
Please visit the link below...


What is Girls Not Brides?

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of organisations working
to end child marriage all over the world.
Together, we aim to give a voice to girls at risk of child marriage,
to defend their rights to health and education,
and to give them the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.

We also aim to support children who are or have been victims of child marriage,
 to increase awareness of the scale and impact of child marriage,
and to mobilise the support and resources needed to end child marriage.
We believe that our members can be more effective working together than working alone.
Our partnership will maximise our collective impact by pooling
efforts and resources, energies and experience.

Friday 7 October 2011

Nick Vujicic "I LOVE LIVING LIFE. I AM HAPPY."


Nick Vujicic and his attitude serve as a great examples 
of the celebration of life over limitations.

The human spirit can handle much more than we realize.

"I LOVE LIVING LIFE. I AM HAPPY."

One Dollar Day 20th October




Some children in the world have so much, while so many have so very little.

  • 8 million children die every year from preventable diseases.
  • 67 million school-aged children are not in school.
But in a single day we could begin to turn these statistics and inequities around.
1$day – when we ask everyone who can, to give $1 for those who can’t.

Please visit the link above and give $1 and please pass on the message.

Chris Jordan The Midway Project


This is the reality of our use of plastic and 
the irresponsible discard of it
and the impact it has everywhere & 
in the furthest reaches of the world.

To find out more about Chris Jordans photography work please visit


Rise Above Plastics




The Wayseerers Manifesto



ATTENTION: All you rule-breakers, you misfits and troublemakers - all you free spirits and pioneers - all you visionaries and non-conformists ...
    Everything that the establishment has told you is wrong with you
    - is actually what's right with you.
    You see things others don’t. You are hardwired to change the world. Unlike 9 out of 10 people - your mind is irrepressible - and this threatens authority. You were born to be a revolutionary.
    You can’t stand rules because in your heart you know there’s a better way.
    You have strengths dangerous to the establishment - and it wants them eliminated, So your whole life you’ve been told your strengths were weaknesses - Now I’m telling you otherwise.
    Your impulsivity is a gift - impulses are your key to the miraculous,
    Your distractibility - is an artifact of your inspired creativity,
    Your mood swings - reflect the natural pulse of life, they give you unstoppable energy when you’re high and deep soulful insight when you’re low,
Been diagnosed with a "disorder”? That’s society’s latest way to deny it’s own illness by pointing the finger at you. Your addictive personality is just a symptom of your vast underused capacity for heroic, creative expression and spiritual connection. your utter lack of repression, your wide eyed idealism, your unmitigated open mind - didn’t anyone ever tell you?! these are the traits shared by the greatest pioneers and visionaries and innovators, revolutionaries, procrastinators and drama queens, activists on the social scene, space cadets and mavericks, philosophers and derelicts, business suits flying fighter jets, football stars and sex addicts, celebrities with ADD, alcoholics who seek novelty, first responders - prophets and saints, mystics and change agents.

Jesse Reno - selftaught raw art outside the establishment.



Symbols - More than a hundred times this year I have found understanding 
through seemingly random shapes, colors, and markings. 
I find myself writing words before I understand their meaning, 
trusting I will be wise enough to understand them in time.
 Magic does not reveal itself easily. 

When trying to see the future our eyes must be given time to adjust.
 To find our true purpose we must ask many questions of ourselves. 
We must observe ourselves without judgment. 
We must allow ourselves to become ourselves. 
Preconceived plans lead to preconceived outcomes. 
To find something new we must move without bounds. 
There are no hard questions for truth.

Jesse Reno

Thursday 6 October 2011

Where is the Outrage?


This year 3,575,000 will die from water related diseases. 
40% from diarrhea, 84% will be children...
98% will live in the developing world. 
That's a tsunami twice a month, 
5 hurricane Katrinas everyday, 
a world trade centre every 4 hours...
Were are the headlines? 
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??? 
this is preventable!!!

Please visit these NGO'S doing amazing work 
and see how you can help...





Charity Water







It’s hard not to think about water today. In the western world, we face growing concerns about our stewardship of the world’s most precious resource. There’s talk of shortages, evidence of reservoirs and aquifers drying up, and of course, plenty of people who simply don’t care.

But forget about us.

Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk 5 miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean. Yet there are a billion people on the planet who don’t have clean water. 

It’s hard to imagine what a billion people looks like really, but one in eight might be easier. One in eight people in our world don’t have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can’t imagine going 12 hours without. 

Here, we’d like to introduce you to a few of those billion people. They are very real, and they need our help. They didn’t choose to be born into a village where the only source of water is a polluted swamp. And we didn’t choose to be born in a country where even the homeless have access to clean water and a toilet. 

We invite you to put yourself in their shoes. Follow them on their daily journey. Carry 80 pounds of water in yellow fuel cans. Dig with their children in sand for water. Line up at a well and wait 8 hours for a turn. 

Now, make a decision to help. We’re not offering grand solutions and billion dollar schemes, but instead, simple things that work. Things like freshwater wells, rainwater catchments and sand filters. For about $20 a person, we know how to help millions.

Start by helping one. http://www.charitywater.org/

Peace One Day



Dear Friends,
Peace Day 2011 marks the 365-day countdown to a Global Truce
on Peace Day 2012 what we hope will be the largest reduction in
global violence in recorded history, both domestically and internationally.
We are inviting all sectors of society to observe the Global Truce –
individuals in every country, at home, in schools, in the workplace,
in our local communities, and those engaged in armed conflict on
the international stage.
Everyone has a role to play.
The Global Truce 2012 campaign will only work if the people
get behind it –if you get behind it.
Please join the campaign via this website and ask as many people
as you can to do the same, via social media or
via the new free Peace One Day App.
Please consider what you will do to mark the Global Truce on
Peace Day 21 September 2012 and tell us via this website.
Individuals can make a difference.
By working together there will be Peace One Day.
In peace,
Jeremy

Jeremy Gilley is the founder and chairman of Peace One Day.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Invisible Children



http://www.invisiblechildren.com/videos/20031808


How it Started
In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims.
After returning to the States, they created the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda.s night commuters and child soldiers.
The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, "How can I help?" To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation.

Who We Are

We are storytellers. We are visionaries, humanitarians, artists, and entrepreneurs. We are individuals part of a generation eager for change and willing to pursue it.
As a non-profit we work to transform apathy into activism. By documenting the lives of those living in regions of conflict and injustice, we hope to educate and inspire individuals in the Western world to use their unique voice for change. Our media creates an opportunity for people to become part of a grassroots movement that intelligently responds to what.s happening in the world.
But our work extends beyond our borders. In war-affected regions we focus on long-term development, working directly with individuals and institutions that are eager to realize their full potential. Through education and innovative economic opportunities, we partner with affected communities and strive to improve the quality of life for individuals living in conflict and post-conflict regions.

How We Make a Difference

Our approach to humanitarian work is founded in the strength and intelligence of the Ugandan community. We learned early on it was not only important but essential to heed the wisdom of people that had not only lived in the war, but were surviving it. People who would know better than anyone what the greatest needs were and the best ways to meet them. What we came to find is that while there have been many efforts to address the issues that stem from living and fighting in such a long-lasting war, the people of Uganda are asking for a future beyond the conflict.
Their pleas have become our development strategy.
All of our programming is a partnership between those of us at Invisible Children and those in the Ugandan community. We focus on long-term goals that enable children to take responsibility for their future and the future of their country. Our programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives that address the need for quality education, mentorships, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from the camps, and financial stability.

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/protectionplan

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Hug It Forward Bottle School


Hug It Forward is a non-profit that blends intangible change with tangible change globally with one goal, uniting people as one.
The intangible change is provided by raising awareness of global issues and by demonstrating that we are all one people. Everybody has the power to be the change, by living their passion and giving back to society. We exist to help people along that journey.


The tangible change is provided by empowering communities to unite and work together towards a common goal: building schools built out of wasted trash bottles called "bottle schools". Bottle schools have many many benefits. You can see a video of how bottle schools are made on the home page.
100% of your donation is spent on the ground in the communities where bottle schools are built. A separate group of private donors fund the operating costs so you don’t have to.
This way, we can build a school for $10-15,000, co-creating educational opportunity for future generations. From Day 1 we have been creating systems to enable bottle schools to spread around the world.

How can you help the movement? http://hugitforward.org/

Sunday 2 October 2011

Orphfund is helping orphans around the world.

http://www.orphfund.org/drupal/

OrphFund is a volunteer based organisation helping abandoned, orphaned and vulnerable children around the world, regardless of race or religion.
We run grass root, self sustaining, community projects, that provide shelter, nutrition, health care, support, education and training, ensuring all children have a happy and bright future.
Being purely volunteer based we are proud to ensure that 100% of any donation will reach children living in poverty. Please click the link above, see what you can do to help the kids and share the information. And please remember even just a little bit of help can make a big difference in the lives of needy children.












SurfAid International...You can make a difference'



What we do

SurfAid, in partnership with communities and government, works to prevent disease, suffering and death through educational programs and health promotion that aim to change poor health behaviours and reduce the risk from natural disasters.

SurfAid’s goal is to empower communities to help themselves and build local capacity so their improved health resilience is sustainable. We advocate health and wellbeing for all and create collaborative relationships with other stakeholder groups wherever we can so as to further sustained change in behaviour and development.

Our community based health programs involve education in nutrition, hygiene, healthy environments, and disease prevention - including mosquito net distribution. In response to an unfortunately frequent need, we have built an award winning capacity in Emergency Preparedness and have delivered practical, locally-based Emergency Responses. 





SurfAid follows the organisational values of accountability, transparency and partnership.

Our activities epitomise the universal human values expressed through local and global citizenship - empathy and compassion, respect for community, social justice and equity for all, economic, environmental and social sustainability, and a belief that we can all make a difference.




We do the best we can by the light we have to see by...