The Point

I came across this interesting website because someone had shamelessly used Bono's name to garner publicity. The ruse is completely unrelated to the website, but it has brought The Point.com some nice attention. I will profile the website in a second but first I would like to address this person's efforts on making the world a better place and how it in fact just added to what is already wrong in the world.

The so called 'campaign' was started to raise money to get Bono to stop doing his philanthropic activities with the funds raised going to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The argument the person (and you can see his/her name if you log onto the website)is that the RED campaign that Bono created has spent more on advertising and marketing than it has donated to the Global Fund.

The ignorance is deplorable. If, and I hope you choose to do better things with your time, you decide to put something or someone else down for their efforts to make the world a better place, then please make sure you understand what you are saying negative things about. The fact that this person could not understand the business model that RED supports just makes him look bad but also brings unnecessary negative publicity and criticism from others who also know no better and do not take the time to find out the truth. The world needs more positive actions, not negative.

On that note, I just finished reading The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama and near the end of the book one passage stuck out to me;

I wonder if Sasha will remember that moment when she is grown. Probably not; it seems as if I can retrieve only the barest fragments of memory from when I was five. But I suspect that the happiness she felt on that parachute registers permanently in her; that such moments accumulate and embed themselves in a child's character, becoming a part of their soul.

I think that this passage and the 'campaign' have something in common that we should all take heed of. Our lives are an accumulation of thoughts, feelings, and events. The more we can add positives to the equation the more that the answer will also be positive. The world is filled with negatives, every where we turn, so start outputting some positives and watch the world change for the better.

As promised I wanted to talk briefly about the website The Point. Here is what The Point has to say about its purpose:

What is The Point? The Point is a website where anyone can start a campaign to organize group action or raise money. We help people congregate around the issues they care about and combine forces to make things happen. Here’s The Point’s big idea: campaign members only act when the conditions exist for them to have the greatest possible impact. For example, donating one dollar toward a one-thousand dollar goal is a waste of a dollar if you’re the only one. But if 999 others are willing, then the goal is reached and that dollar makes sense. The Point allows communities to use the Web to do more than talk it helps them coordinate each person’s small contribution to make big things happen. It’s an entirely new approach to collective action.

How does it work? You can start a campaign on The Point to do anything a group of people might do: gather enough people for a softball game; raise money for a charity; or boycott a company to force change, to name a few. All you need to know is your goal, and what you want people to do to reach it.

Another great spot to explore and share your social conscious. There are lots of great campaigns currently going on (one's with a positive purpose) that you can check out and join. You can even start your own if you feel so inclined.

Remember, do what you do for the better and worry about yourself and how you can contribute to a better world. Focus your energy on the positives that you can share and let the rest take care of itself. There is a time and a place to speak out against the things that make the world worse off, but make a greater effort to understand the subject of your efforts or else risk doing the opposite of what you hope to achieve.

Celebrities and the UN

It has become ALMOST popular culture. Celebrities are increasingly entering the realm of activism. While celebrities such as Bono and Angelina Jolie have taken most of the spotlight for their roles as Co-Founder of DATA (Product Red and ONE) and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, others such as Don Cheadle, in his role as Darfur activist, George Clooney, in the same role, and Brad Pitt with his environmental housing project in New Orleans, have also been making headlines. Most recently, George Clooney was named a UN "Messenger of Peace", a role he will take to help mediate the growing conflict in Nigeria.

A letter from militants in Nigeria shows fears that the escalating conflict could grow to be even worse than what is happening in Darfur.

The blending of celebrity with activist is an important step in the process of raising awareness. While they are often criticized for not doing enough, these celebrities are doing more than most to swing the tide of global degeneration. The fact that it is becoming popular culture means more to make average people aware of the world around them than does the traditional forms of activism. To reach the masses it must come from sources that the masses pay attention to.

The UN is making a bold and important step by associating itself with celebrities. It is averting its nation-to-nation role and entering the global-to-person arena. To do so it is using the celebrity avenue. Sports marketing companies have done this for years with great success. Nike, Reebok, and Adidas, have all made billions by garnering celebrity endorsement.

This video by the ONE organization (Bono's) depicts celebrities asking for the average persons help. It is a powerful message that creates a connection that people can share.



The importance of celebrity activism and popular culture is one that we can all share. You can buy a t-shirt that shows your favorite cause and parade it around for all to see, you can wear a rubber bracelet that has a few words of awareness, you can even post a video to YouTube that puts you alongside these celebrities in a medium that others can share in. The point is in order for awareness and activism to take the next step WE all need to do our part to make it hip and popular. WE need to help them to make it catch on. For it to become a movement WE need to participate.

If the UN can make the steps to start making activism cool, then we too can show others it is cool. It might come at us like a sales pitch, but don't be fooled by the criticism - It still needs to be sold. The world wont change when you purchase a t-shirt, but when you wear it around you open up the chance to change someones mind.

Join George, Brad, Angelina, Don and Bono and help make activism cool.