Freedom Writers and a Rant to boot

I was watching the movie Freedom Writers this morning and a few things hit me.
1. There are some incredible quotes/excerpts in the movie that really hit me (I will share those in a second)
2. Real life is good enough to be made into a movie
and, 3. I have a lot of growing to do.

There are a couple of scenes in the movie that made me get a little teary eyed, moved, etc. I have watched it twice now and both times it really impacted me, but for different reasons. My favorite scene is the 'Toast for Change' scene where Hillary Swanks character asks the students to say what they are going to change over the upcoming semester. The passage goes like this:

HS: "Make a toast...We are each going to make a toast for change...and what that means is from this moment on every voice that told you you can't is silenced...every reason that tells you things will never change disappears...and the person you were before this moment - that persons time is over."

The second scene I was struck by was the one where the class brings in the woman who hid Anne Frank during the holocaust. Her character speaks to the class about her experience and then one of the students calls her his hero. This is her reply:

"I am not a hero... I did what I had to do because it was the right thing to do...that is all...we are all ordinary people....even an ordinary secretary or housewife or teenager can within their own small ways turn on a small light in a dark room."

This is the stuff a life of value is created with; Empowered with change, and the realization that it is the ordinary people in this world that are everyday heroes, we can all accomplish the goal of leaving a lasting, positive impact on the world. I decided after watching the movie that I was going to do two things tomorrow. 1. When I have my daily glass of OJ in the morning I am going to make a toast to change (most likely not out loud) to what I want to change about myself and my surrounding environment for the day, and I am going to repeat this every day for the next month and, 2. I am going to try and recognize my everyday heroes in my own little way.

The third thing I learned today during the movie, namely that I have a lot of growing to do, is not just because of something I saw in the movie but as a result of days of thinking about some of the things in my life that I have hated, and which I have taken for granted, but that truly make me me (that was totally a run on sentence).

You wouldn't know it to talk to me, or at least not likely, but I am a fairly emotional person - eternally optimistic, yet, and this is my gemini personality, I am constantly feeling beaten down. I know I am not alone on this, as I have heard from others time and time again how the world gets them down and that realistically an everyday person can't change the world. Back to the emotional thing for a second. I am a hopeless romantic, I keep trying to fight it and hide it, because I feel as though it isn't well received. But, like my optimism, it makes me me. I can fight it all I want but it is my heart, which certainly gets me into trouble, which allows me to say no to all the naysayers and the pessimists, and beat back the negatives and rejections, and push on.

This isn't unrelated and I am going to try and tie this all together.

Like the Freedom Writers, who were in the worst of situations, when we learn to accept that the outside world can be as nasty as it wants, and that we - those optimistic, romantic, heart following individuals - can find it within ourselves to continue on and push through the hurt and the pain and find that place deep down inside where we know, without hesitation, that we are good enough, that we are strong enough, and that we will become who we wish to be and leave this world better than when we came.

So while I don't expect everyone to like me, listen to what I say, or even believe me, I do believe enough in myself enough to not care about all the reasons I can't, and know that for all the cants there is an equal amount of cans.

So let us take a toast to change. Open your hearts, look within, and see that you CAN be an everyday hero.

A lot on my mind

2 Posts in one day, but I have a lot I would like to talk about. I have received a few emails and facebook messages from you wonderful readers and I really appreciate your thoughts and ideas. Some of you are doing some truly remarkable things and should be very proud of yourselves. I hope that in some way my writing is able to help you in any way.

Ally Pintucci, who recently messaged me about her ambitious project of raising $10 000 for Free the Childrens Brick by Brick campaign is looking for some help. While she has certainly got the ambition to attain her goals, working with some of you other remarkable people out there is sure to make doing so a lot easier. If anyone out there would like to help out with this initiative or has some fundraising ideas, please either email me or look her up on facebook and send her the ideas directly. I think this would be a wonderful discussion for everyone who, like Ally, would like to do some fundraising but need some fresh ideas on how to, so please do not hesitate to post your comments and ideas here on my blog. To learn more about the Brick by Brick campaign through Free the Children click here.

This weekend I will be traveling back to my former university, where I will be helping out with an initiative I co-founded last year. The Canadian Conference on Student Leadership was a dream of mine and another former students, Kathryn McIntosh. We had the privilege of traveling down to Disney World about 3 years ago to attend the US equivalent conference and were inspired to start our own here in Canada. It took us a year to plan and get the funding but last year was the inaugural conference which had 150 students from across Canada attend. It was an incredible weekend where we were all inspired by fellow students and professionals. I am truly excited to see this years conference and see some people from last year as well as some new faces. To see this conference grow is a dream of mine and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. Please check out the website, and if you get a chance I highly recommend you try and attend next years event.

One last thought. I find all your ideas, comments, and emails extremely inspiring. I hope that you continue to update me on what you are up to. Even I, the eternal optimist, needs a little pick-me-up, and your actions provide just that.

Ambition: One Laptop Per Child

A lot has been said about the One Laptor Per Child program that has been in development for seemingly years. The founder, Nicholas Negroponte, thought up the idea while teaching at MIT. The program went live as of today. Right now you can log on and purchase a computer, the XO as it has been affectionately called, for yourself while simultaneously purchasing one for a child in the developing world. The idea originally was to design a computer that could be used by a child in the developing world at a cost of $100 per computer. While they didn't quite make it for a $100 they did manage to create one for about $188. The goal, according to their website at ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD is:
"To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment, and express themselves."

Now, while their are many flaws with this idea - one major one being instead of spending a $188 on a laptop how about giving them food, water, and sending them to school - the idea is still quite remarkable. A child with a computer, unlike any other way possible, will be able to connect with the outside world and explore their abilities to grow. A computer can provide education, which will help their ability to get a well paying job, which will hopefully help them break the continuing cycle of poverty within their families.

The computer itself is a master of both form and function. A child in the developing world is able to charge the computer by hand. The screen is able to reduce glare and work even in the most auspicious circumstances. The user interface allows each recipient of a laptop to instantly connect with others and share information, and even an internet connection. It is truly a remarkable piece of machinery that is sure to make learning both easier and fun for a deserving group of young people.

The laptop project is ambitious and it has yet to really catch on with governments, who the product is meant to be sold to en mass. However, mark my words: The XO will revolutionize the practice of development. It is a step towards using our collective abilities to create a product that reaches a root problem, instead of just a band-aid fix. We need more Nicholas Negropontes in the world who are willing to look past profit and see that their talents can do so much more good in the world. We need ambitious people with hearts of gold to take it upon themselves to level the status quo. You can be that person. I hope you will think about what you can offer the world and then go out and give it.

Millennium Development Tracker

I came across this great new website about the Millennium Development Goals. You can look at specific countries or the entire world to track the progress being made on the specific goals. Check it out and play around with it.
MDG Tracker

Shall We Wake Up?

I have largely avoided speaking out about some recent global events, not because I am afraid to, but because I have trouble gathering my thoughts into a coherent paragraph not laced with profanity. Why you might ask? Because I just can't get over how lackadaisical we have been in addressing them.
My frustration grows daily about the crisis in Darfur. This area in Sudan has been labeled a genocide, crimes against humanity, the worlds worst current crisis, and many other horrible descriptors. What I find frustrating, however, is that I have not seen nor heard a single moment of news on the issue in mainstream media. What I know of the crisis is what I have gone looking for. This to me is absolutely despicable. This isn't an event that we are far removed from, and in fact we could be considered a catalyst for the problems. It is our ignorance that allows the conflict to continue. While there are many factors involved in this complex crisis, a large factor is about securing natural resources which bring in a great deal of money to those who control it. These same natural resources are the ones we pine for here in the Western world, and will allow anything to happen in order to receive them at a cost effective rate.
The conflict has been occurring for many years now and we have turned the blind cheek too long. These women, children and innocent people are forced to flea their homes, to bury their loved ones, or watch them needlessly whither away due to the lack of nutrition, all because we wish to remain ignorant. We deny any wrong doing in order to make ourselves feel better and comfortable with ourselves and what is happening, and we deny any part in perpetuating it.
This is why I am not only angry with the media, but also myself. I have not spoken up about the problems and have allowed my incoherent thoughts to fester in the back of my mind.
I remain positive that we can do something and that that something is not difficult, nor out of the realm of our abilities. It simply requires that we no longer claim ignorance and begin asking questions. It means we mail our local/provincial/regional politicians asking that we do something to stop this conflict from continuing. These are not difficult things, they are just things that up until now most, including myself, have been unwilling to attempt.
I urge each and every person, whether you feel apart of the crisis or not, to speak up, because it is a life or death matter. You speak up means saving lives - its as simple as that. I know that in every persons heart they care about life, whether it is their own or someone else, so prove you cherish life and use your own to make a difference for someone else.

Agent of Change

"A change agent, or agent of change, is someone who intentionally or indirectly causes or accelerates social, cultural, or behavioral change."
Wikipedia

I aspire to be an agent of change.

The Question

The question that I have heard numerous times lately is "where, or who deserves my donation? How do I know that the charity is a worthy cause?" The answer: Like any investment it requires some research. You wouldn't put your money just anywhere would you? Not long ago one of the most respected and successful investors of all time, Warren Buffet, donated a rather large sum of money to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. When quized as to why, he replied: they would spend it better than he ever could. There is no magical answer to where/who you should donate. Like any investment it must meet you personal values, beliefs, and vision for how you want your money to be used. The good news is that it is getting a lot easier by the day to find out more about where your money is going.
The micro-credit craze has caught on to unprecedented levels, to the point that you or I could log onto the internet and immediately loan an entrepreneur millions of km away the necessary funding to get their business going. You can read about the business, the entrepreneur, and find our just what your money will be doing. The best part? When the entrepreneur is capable of paying you back, they will so that you can then turn around and loan it to another worthy entrepreneur. All from a seat at your desk. Check out Kiva.org in my links section to find out more about this exciting new system.
It is important for you not to feel compelled to donate based on the name of the organization, the cause to which it 'says' that it is trying to fix, or to the initial sales pitch. Making a donation should be done with care and due diligence. Take your time and make sure that you know exactly who and what your money will be going towards and doing. Unfortunately, there are a lot of organizations that claim to be something they are not, and do things that they don't. It is up to us as donors to weed out these malicious organizations and place our money where we know it will accomplish the greatest amount of good.