I HAVE A DREAM…ALSO.

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake.  Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

There are so many individuals that have and continue to inspire me to help create positive change in the world, people like; Mohammed Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Jane Goodall, Louise L. Hay and Ingrid Newkirk, just to name a few.  These people have risked so much to raise awareness about the social injustices so many people (and animals) face on a daily basis.  In celebration of all he has accomplished in the Civil Rights movement and to honour Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19 – here are some facts you may not have known about this very inspiring man:

• Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35.  To this day, he is still the youngest male to ever receive it.
• His speech, Why I Oppose the War in Viet Nam, went on to win him a posthumous Grammy and he has also been awarded the Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honours an American civilian can receive.
• As a result of helping organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted 385 days, King was not only arrested but his house was also bombed.
• Martin Luther King Jr was not the only member in his family to be assassinated – his mother, Alberta Williams, was also tragically killed in her Atlanta church in 1974.
• There are  two places outside of the United States that celebrate Martin Luther King Jr day:  Toronto, Ontario CANADA and Hiroshima, Japan.
• Despite being enacted in 1983 all fifty states didn’t observe Martin Luther King Jr day until 17 years later.
• His name was originally Michael, not Martin.
• King convinced ‘Uhura’ on Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols, to continue on with the role after the first season.  Nichols (who later went to work for NASA) stated he told her not to leave the show because she was not only playing a black personas a main character on TV, but she was also playing a character that didn’t conform to the stereotypical black person of the day, usually portrayed.  Rather, Uhura was portrayed as an intelligent member of the crew and an equal to those around her.
• There are over 700 streets in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr.
• Between 1957 and 1968, he traveled more than 6 million miles and spoke at more than 2,500 events.
• U2’s song, “Pride (In The Name of Love)” was written about Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther Kings ‘I Have A Dream’ speech was delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.  This speech inspired millions of people everywhere to stand for justice, equality and love.  Read the full speech here:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

We must do our very best not to forget the amazing work people like Martin Luther King Jr. have done in order to ensure that all people are treated equally.  We must honour their legacy by spreading their passion in creating positive change in the world.  The world is a much better place knowing that Martin Luther King Jr’s words, actions and ultimately his life, created so much positivity in the world.

“When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.  Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one.

PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW…

I have so many people I respect and look up to, people like; Louise L. Hay, Roseanne Barr (the writer, actress and more importantly – politician), Jesse Ventura, Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Marianne Williamson, and Eckhart Tolle just to name a few.  Here are other individuals in the public eye that I admire and why I admire them:

Ingrid Newkirk

You may know her as the animal rights activist and PETA president but what you may not have known is that Ingrid has a passion for Formula One racing and sumo-wrestling.  Ingrid wasn’t always a vegetarian and did enjoy meat until she began her work in the ethical treatment of animals.  Ingrid’s mother volunteered for Mother Teresa in a leper colony.    You can see the Matthew Galkin directed movie called, ‘I Am Animal’, which is about Ingrid’s life.  Ingrid Newkirk is the president and co-founder of PETA (Peta for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

To make donations or to further educate yourself on what PETA accomplishes, please visit: www.peta.org

David Suzuki

David Suzuki is recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology.  He is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist, broadcaster and author.  Host of the CBC television program, The Nature of Things.  He has written more thank 52 books, 19 of them for children.   David Suzuki’s daughter, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, In 1992, at age 12, raised money with members of the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO )to attend the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  Along with group members Michelle Quigg, Vanessa Suttie, and Morgan Geisler, Cullis-Suzuki presented environmental issues from a youth perspective at the summit, where she was applauded for a speech to the delegates.  The video has since become a viral hit, popularly known as “The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes” on YouTube.

For more information about David Suzuki and the David Suzuki Foundation, please visit:  www.davidsuzuki.org

Bob Geldof

Much more than lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof is a humanitarian.  In 1984, he organized Band Aid with Midge Ure, lead singer of Ultravox.  The single “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, became the fastest selling single in U.K. history and raised over £8 million worldwide in funds for emergency aid to Ethiopia.  In 1985, and building on the momentum of Band Aid, the dual Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia were held on July 13.  Over a billion and a half people worldwide watched the 16 hour event on television, in which over 60 of the biggest stars in rock music performed, and over £100 million was raised for African famine relief.  Musical and political history was made. 

July 2005, Bob Geldof organized Live 8 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid – the show was to help pressure world leaders to drop the debt of the world’s poorest nations, increase and improve aid and negotiate fairer trade rules in interest of poorer countries.

Band Aid Thirty’s and the new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas” purpose as pointed out by Bob Geldof was and is to maximize pressure on politicians, raise awareness and raise money to fight Ebola in Africa.

For more information about Bob Geldof, Band Aid, Live Aid and Band Aid Thirty, please visit the following sites:  www.bobgeldof.com and www.bandaid30.com

Jane Goodall

At the age of 26, Jane travelled from England to Tanzania  and began her amazing work and research on chimpanzees.  She was equipped with nothing more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars.  Today, Jane Goodall continues to inspire action on behalf of chimpanzees, and to encourage people to do their part in making our world a better place for people, animals and the environment.  The Jane Goodall Institute works to protect the famous chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania.

To donate to the Jane Goodall Institute or for further information about Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute, please visit:  www.janegoodall.org

Ellie Laks

Animals provide so much  for so many people – comfort, unconditional love and a means to relieve stress in a very hostile and aggressive world.  For Ellie Laks, her love for animals became her passion.  She founded the Gentle Barn in Tarzana in 1999 to help teach children kindness, compassion and empathy for all living beings.  The Gentle Barn has rescued over 170 animals and their ultimate goal is to open Gentle Barn’s across the country so that every animal and child can have a place of healing and safety and where they can be seen for the perfect beings that they are.

To donate to the gentle barn and to read their further successes, please visit:  www.gentlebarn.org

Lizzie Velasquez

Imagine how difficult a life we would have if we didn’t have the same facial features as the majority.  We are bullied, harassed and made fun of….that was the case for beautiful Lizzie Velasquez.  Lizzie was born with a very rare condition (only 2 other known people have).  Despite her condition and being called ‘World’s Ugliest Woman’, Lizzie rose above and became an amazing motivation speaker and author.  Lizzie provides inspiration to so many through unconditional love, perseverance and determination.

You can find out more about Lizze at:  www.aboutlizzie.com

Elizabeth Warren

We have all dreamed of politicians who hold big corporations and banks accountable for their lack of action to help the consumer and the working class.  That has changed in US politics with Elizabeth Warren.  Elected in 2012 as the first-ever female senator from Massachusetts defeating incumbent Scott Brown.  She taught law at Rutgers School of Law, the Universities of Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School.  She introduced the ‘Bank on Student Loans Fairness Act’, which would allow students to take out government education loans at the same rate that banks such as Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase pay to borrow from the federal government.  Suggesting that students should get “the same great deal that banks get”, Warren proposed that new student borrowers be able to take out a federally subsidized loan at 0.75%, the rate paid by banks, compared with the current 3.4% student loan rate.

Follow Elizabeth Warren via:  www.warren.senate.gov

David Miller

David Miller was elected the 63rd mayor of Canada’s largest city (Toronto, Ontario) in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term.  He became the 2nd mayor of the newly amalgamated Greater Toronto Area.  In 2013, he was appointed as president and CEO of WWF Canada, the Canadian division of the international World Wildlife Fund.

For more information about WWF Canada or to donate, please visit:  www.wwf.ca

Think about those who inspire you and share their stories with your friends, family or anyone who you feel would like to create positive change in our world.  Let your role models inspire you to create positive change no matter how big or small.  It only takes one story to make a significant difference in the world.  What is your story?

Together we can make the world a more positive one!

 

 

 

A GESTURE THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

What is there to say about Jane Goodall – to me she is many things;  activist, role-model, modern-day Saint, animal lover, kind, loving, generous and caring.  Jane has devoted much of her life to rescue and study the behaviour of chimpanzees.  54 years ago – at the age of 26, Jane travelled to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area’s chimpanzee population and today, she continues her studies and her legacy to rescue chimpanzees continues.

This video speaks volumes and is confirmation that all the work she has done and continues to do is appreciated by the chimpanzees she has studied and saved.  What a gift of gratitude – to have your life’s work recognized by the same animals you have helped.

You can help create positive change by various different methods – but why not try something new.  Feel good about helping achieve Jane’s goals in making a positive difference for many chimpanzees who might otherwise have had a different fate:

Please show your appreciation and gratitude by donating to the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada.  You can make a secure online donation via this link:

https://jgi.blackbaudondemand.com/GiveMonthly

For more information about the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada or Jane Goodall, please visit their website at:  http://www.janegoodall.ca/about-mission.php

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

ANIMALS NEED OUR COMPASSION

Have you ever thought about the life an animal had before you ate it?  Where they ripped away from their mother?  Did the animal suffer before it ended up on your plate?  Did it have adequate living conditions? 

Have you thought about the animals that are used for clothing and fashion?  How about all those caged animals in zoos, water parks, at the circus, bullfights, rodeos and horse races?  How were they treated before their lifetime of living in cages just to be used to entertain us?  Do we really need animal experimentation to test the safety of household products, drugs and even make-up?  I’m sure there would be willing humans that would act as test subjects.

I think it is everyone’s responsibility to learn how these animals were obtained in order for them to be used for our food, fashion and entertainment.  ***Please note:  these images DO NOT compare to those I have seen of how animals are killed, beaten and tortured for food, fashion and entertainment – Also, all images obtained via internet****

FOR FOOD – Here is the reality of factory farming.  CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR ANIMALS.

FOR SPORT – Are animals really enjoying themselves when they are subjected to this:

FOR FASHION and ENTERTAINMENT – Animals are meant to roam and explore not to rot in cages in misery all their lives.

FOR MEDICINE/SCIENCE – Animals are often used to test many things such as; make-up, household products, pharmaceutical drugs and many other things.  THEY DO NOT DESERVE THIS, especially today!

I believe that we must advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves.  Animals need our compassion and help – they only cry out in pain and discomfort.  We must be their voice and help them out of their cages and free them from their abuse cycle.  Animals are meant to live their lives freely and humanely.  We would be outraged if humans were treated the same way animals are.  We fight for the rights of criminals and dictator’s, we glorify war and we deplore violence towards children and women – why do we feel so disconnected when it comes to the lives of animals?

I know that we can make a difference in the lives of animals.  We can end their suffering, we can end their pain and we can end their torture…..all you have to do is understand that they, like us, have feelings and souls.  Just look into their eyes and you will see and feel their cry for help.

ANIMALS DESERVE THIS:

 AND THIS

 

AS WELL AS THIS……

FREEDOM AND LOVE…

COMPASSION

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A MORE POSITIVE ONE (EVEN FOR ANIMALS).

GET UP STAND UP – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

There are so many people who want to be conduits for positive change in the world – some are still with us and some have been long gone, people like:  Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Ingrid Newkirk, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy, Bill McKibben….I could name thousands that have been extensively profiled in the media but the people who are most important in creating positive change in the world are those that act.

Change can’t happen if people do not get involved.  The worldwide Occupy movements have caused a new protest movement against BIG CORPORATION and Government that we haven’t seen since the 60’s.  These Occupy movements possibly sparked mass protests worldwide such as the uprising against President Mubarak in Egypt, the protests against Monsanto, the mass demonstrations against the KXL Pipeline and so on.

If we are to live in a society where we hold freedom, democracy and justice for all – we must RISE UP against those who wish to take those privileges away from us and that means holding BIG CORPORATIONS, Governments and dictators accountable for their actions.  We have seen peaceful protests around the world become violent not because of the protesters but because of the police that are acting on behalf of the government.  There have been media blackouts so that others around the world don’t see the mass protests against their countries governments.  Countries around the world are being held hostage by their own governments and corporations all because of greed.  Why are we allowing these governments and corporations to destroy our world?  Why are we allowing countries to go hungry?  Why are we allowing banks to ‘pay off’ government officials and putting the world in a massive financial crisis only to watch our governments reward them?

It’s time to get up and stand up and we must not give up the fight…..(thanks Peter Tosh and Bob Marley for making it so simple).  When are you going to “get up and stand up” – What is it going to take for you to create positive change in our world?

TURKEY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

DEMONSTRATORS FOR THE EARTH – against the Keystone Pipeline, Drilling in the Arctic, Deforestation in world forests, etc…. – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

THOSE FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

AGAINST CORRUPT RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS/GOVERNMENTS/BIG CORPORATION – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Preacher man, don’t tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don’t know
What life is really worth.
It’s not all that glitters is gold;
‘Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great god will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! )
Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Don’t give up the fight! (life is your right! )
Get up, stand up! (so we can’t give up the fight! )
Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! )
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! )
Don’t give up the fight! (yeah! )

We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game –
Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty god is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can’t fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! )

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! )
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! )
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! (don’t give it up, don’t give it up! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Don’t give up the fight! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! /fadeout/

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A MORE POSITIVE ONE!