FAREWELL 2014 and WELCOME 2015

The end of one year and the beginning of another is a great time for reflection and to think about some of the things we would like to accomplish.  People call these resolutions, I prefer to call them ‘processes for individual growth’.

As I reflect back on 2014, I am grateful for the posts I shared on helping animals from abuse, stopping human rights atrocities and protecting our environment/planet from destruction.  Some of the advocacy groups have made great strides in these areas and you can review their successes by visiting their websites, here are a few:

HELPING ABUSED ANIMALS

PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have documented their successes for the 2014 year – you can view them here:  www.peta.org

Esther The Wonder Pig has finally found a forever home in her new sanctuary.  This was a long process and it finally came to fruition in 2014.  You can read her story here:  www.estherthewonderpig.com

Benjy – a gentle bull was supposed to go to slaughter because he was supposedly gay and wasn’t breeding.  Due too much public outcry and animal activism, Benjy was saved and sent to live in a sanctuary.  Read his story here:  www.aran.ie

ENVIRONMENT 

People from all walks of life came together to fight, protest and speak out against the lack of environmental protection laws and to demand change in various ways.  Here are some great successes for our environment:

Grassroots movement to fight Kinder Morgan from building a pipeline on Burnaby mountain in British Columbia, Canada.  More info can be found here:  www.greenpeace.org 

The People’s Climate March mobilized hundreds of people from around the globe to send the 100 world leaders meeting in New York City to send them a clear message – we need better environmental policies around the world to ensure a difference can be made against climate change.  It was the biggest climate change protest the world has ever seen.  More info can be found here:  www.peoplesclimate.org or www.350.org

David Suzuki’s Blue Dot Tour brought together some of Canada’s brightest musicians to help create awareness about climate change…for more information about this great project, check out:  www.bluedot.ca or www.davidsuzuki.org

HUMAN RIGHTS and LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered) ISSUES 

2014 saw many individuals advocating for human rights and brought many people together to fight discrimination and racism directly and boldly.  Here are some inspiring moments:

Ferguson protests – A grand jury acquitted the officer from any responsibility in the shooting death of Michael Brown.  This injustice prompted many protests around the world standing behind Michael Brown’s family and so many other black males who have been victims of police brutality, racial profiling and many senseless murders at the hands of police officers who have sworn to serve and protect.  Here is more information:  www.democracynow.org

Malala Yousafzai – an activist for women’s right to education from Pakistan wins the Nobel Peace Prize.  More information about Malala’s life can be found here:  www.malala.org

2014 was also the year that William Hague and Angelina Jolie launched their campaign to make rape a war crime.  It was also the year women were finally able to become bishops in the Church of England.

Activism for the LGBT community pays off in 2014 as the US Supreme Court denies petitions from five states seeking to preserve bans on same-sex marriage.  President Barack Obama signs an executive order in July prohibiting businesses that hold contracts with the federal government from discriminating against employees or potential employees based on sexual orientation and gender identify.  Here are other LGBT-related stories that made headlines in 2014:  www.pridesource.com 

What is in store for 2015?  For me, I plan to continue my advocacy for animals, the environment and human rights issues by sharing my personal stories and stories from around the world that will enlighten and give people some insight on social issues that need to be addressed with truth, honesty and compassion.  

May 2015 bring you much love, light and allow you to create positive change in the world.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BEST OF 2013

Here are some of my favourite moments of the past year………

PEOPLE/EVENTS

THE ARREST, DETAINMENT and RELEASE OF THE ARCTIC 30

The crew of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise took part in a peaceful protest at Gazprom’s oil rig to call attention to the threat of oil drilling and climate change. The ice is retreating and oil companies are moving north to drill for the same stuff that’s driving that melting in the first place. It’s madness.

These brave activists looked at the scientific evidence of man-made global warming and the threat it poses to the Arctic, and decided to do something about it. A freelance photographer and videographer were there simply to document their protest. Just as in years past, the resolve and courage required to win a better future for our children requires personal sacrifice, a sacrifice the Arctic 30 are now making. They made their stand in the interests of us all.

Here is a list of names of those HEROES who were brave enough to peacefully protest climate change and drilling for oil in the Arctic:

Peter Henry Willcox (United States), Miguel Hernan Perez (Argentina), Camila Speziale (Argentina), Colin Russell (Australia), Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel (Brazil), Phil Ball (United Kingdom), Kieron Bryan (United Kingdom), Alexandra Harris (United Kingdom), Frank Hewetson (United Kingdom), Anthony Perrett (United Kingdom), Iain Rogers (United Kingdom), Alexandre Paul (Canada), Paul D. Ruzycki (Canada), Faiza Oulahsen (Netherlands), Mannes Ubels (Netherlands), Anne Mie Roer Jensen (Denmark), Sini Saarela (Finland), Francesco Pisanu (France), Cristian D’Alessandro (Italy), Jonathan Beauchamp (New Zealand), David John Haussmann (New Zealand), Tomasz Dziemianczuk (Poland), Roman Dolgav (Russia), Denis Sinyakov (Russia), Dima Litvinov (Sweden), Marco Weber (Switzerland), Gizem Akhan (Turkey), Ruslan Yakushev (Ukraine), Andrey Allakhverdov (Russia), Ekaterina Zaspa (Russia).

The above, and additional information about the Arctic 30 and Saving the Arctic is posted on Greenpeace’s website, here is the link:  http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/arctic-impacts/Peace-Dove/Arctic-30/

BARACK OBAMA’S SPEECH at THE NELSON MANDELA MEMORIAL SERVICE

YEB SANO’s CLIMATE CHANGE SPEECH AFTER TYPHOON HAIYAN

MALALA YOUSAFZAI – INSPIRING STORY and ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN’S RIGHT TO BE EDUCATED

ENTERTAINMENT

Some of my favourite cds of 2013: 

M.I.A. (Matangi), Nine Inch Nails (Hesitation Marks), Daft Punk (Random Access Memories), Kanye West (Yeezus), Atoms For Peace (Amok), OMD (English Electric), Alison Moyet (The Minutes).

Some of my favorite videos:

LADY GAGA and RUPAUL

DAFT PUNK featuring PHARRELL WILLIAMS

ATOMS FOR PEACE

NINE INCH NAILS

MADONNA – SECRET PROJECT REVOLUTION

LGBT ISSUES

The powerful story of love as told by Shane Bitney Crone in the great documentary – BRIDEGROOM (A hopeful Oscar contender).  Here is the movie trailer:

Edie Windsor (LGBT activist) on shortlist for TIME’s ‘Person of the Year’ along with:  Bashar Assad (President of Syria), Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder), Ted Cruz (Texas Senator), Miley Cyrus (Singer), Pope Benedict Francis (Leader of the Catholic Church), Barack Obama (President of The United States), Hassan Rouhani (President of Iran), Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services) and Edward Snowden (N.S.A. leaker).  President Barack Obama was TIME’s 2012’s Person of the Year.

COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET and LIVING THEIR AUTHENTIC LIVES

Jason Collins (NBA player), Tom Daley (Olympic Diver), Raven Simone (Actress, The Cosby Show), Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser), Wentworth Miller (Actor, Prison Break), Earvin Johnson III (NBA’s Magic Johnson’s – of son).

Not only are these individuals risking their careers by issuing a statement that they are gay, bisexual or lesbian – they may be empowering other individuals who are gay to do so.  Many LGBT people are shunned from their friends, families and communities because they are born gay.  This leads to high rates of suicide and homelessness in the community.  So if these people – empower others to live their authentic lives, I applaud them whether they intentionally or unintentionally wanted to become role models for others in the LGBT community.

What were your favourite moments of 2013 and how have they helped create a more loving, compassionate and positive world?  Let’s make 2014 the year of the peaceful protest!  Let’s start our REVOLUTION OF LOVE and be more compassionate to animals, our planet and to each other!

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

 

 

A GIRL EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW OF.

If you don’t know who Malala Yousafzai is already……I ask you to watch this short video and become inspired. 

Malala obviously had great support from her father and it definitely shows.  She is so passionate in her conviction that all girls should be allowed the chance of receiving an education to ensure they have a voice and a chance to make a difference in the world.  Imagine if all teenagers in the western world had this type of conviction…..Malala has given me hope that today’s youth will definitely be conduits in creating positive change in our world today, tomorrow and forever.

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