Yesterday we received a fantastic comment from Duncan. He writes:

It all impacts the soul of the planet. We can all begin with the steps that are within our reach [...] It may begin with helping those in need to find hope. But it doesn’t end there. We need to work together to turn hope into action. [...] We can do what’s right with the resources we have available - could be time, could be money, could be as simple as consuming only what we actually need. It’s all connected.

I think the idea of “the soul of the planet” is incredibly inspiring. It speaks to the actions of every person in every corner of the world, and how each and every one of us has an impact. We effect the people immediately around us, and our decisions have larger consequences beyond the scope of our vision. Whether it’s about the environment, world hunger, a local community issue, or anything else, our presence has just as much weight as our absence. It doesn’t mean we all have to do everything, but doing nothing feels and sounds empty by comparison. The soul of the planet is in need of some karmic realignment and it would be a terrible tragedy to view it as beyond help. To view Duncan’s complete comment, you can find it under A Day Of Rest.

Hello! It’s been too long! Recently, a friend of mine has been involved with Dream for Darfur, working with celebrities, actors and artists calling attention to the current crisis in Darfur. Particularly in the days leading up to the Olympics, when we come together in good faith and sportsmanship, we must not lose sight of those less fortunate than us, which in this case is only putting it mildly. The suffering that is ongoing is heartbreaking and as a global community, we have a responsibility to respond. They will be broadcasting everyday during the Olympics from refugee camps in Darfur, hosting what they’re calling the “Darfur Olympics.” The hope is of course for the Darfur Olympics to inspire action and end the genocide. Below, famous words:

When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews, I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Hello!

We’ve recently joined forces with think.mtv.com to help further the good word about our site and reach out to more people the world over! Please look around the site, there are some great featured profiles, including celebrities, musicians and other organizations. We hope you find causes and initiatives that touch you and motivate you to take action.

Thanks for all your continued support!

Today, WXPN in Philadelphia showcased “Anything” and this website as their “Morning Download”. http://www.xpn.org/

Which reminds me - supporting public radio is another good thing to do! (no, they didn’t ask me to say that…). Media is often the reason we end up asking, “Is there something I can do?”. There are so many stories fed to us everyday that can create feelings of helplessness, fear, frustration, anger… Often public radio gives different points of view or more in depth coverage of a story. Things that can create a more hopeful feeling about the state of the world… just a somewhat rambling thought about yet another thing you can do. Thanks for visiting the site! Look around…. get involved….

A few days ago, we received a wonderful email from an 8th grader in California, Jennifer Sekar. She has founded a non-profit called A Day Of Rest (ADOR) to stop pollution. She writes:

[The] goal of ADOR is to get 1 million people with cars to take rest and Not Drive on OCTOBER 4, 2008 (SATURDAY). 1 Million cars off the road will prevent 10,000 Tons of Carbon Dioxide emission in just one day.

There are 700 million cars worldwide emitting 2.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. 1 million cars emit 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide each day.

ADOR is collecting pledges, at the web site at http://www.adayofrest.org/pledge.html, not for money, but for a promise to rest and not drive for one day.

I am seeking your support in promoting ADOR’s effort to make an impact on the environment and reaching out to a million people worldwide

This is a great initiative we can all contribute to very easily. As someone who lives in New York, public transportation is a wonderful tool and I take great joy in not owning a car. Please visit the site to find out more information!

Ricken Patel from Avaaz checked in. He’s the Executive Director and was happy to hear that we’re linking to their site. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do! They are doing some powerful work - it’s what will make parts (all…) of this world a true democracy, I think. People’s voices - real time - being heard.

Here’s something Ricken would like us all to know about:

Oh and if I could recommend another participant organization, one of the issues we’re working on right now is victims of the violence in Zimbabwe. There are some brave, effective, very small budget human rights organizations there that could really use some help.

Send us some links!

A while back I saw a commercial for a powder created by Pur through Proctor & Gamble that sterilizes water. The powder can be added to any contaminated, dirty water and will settle dirt and bacteria at the bottom. The water can then be poured through a cloth to further strain contaminants and thus creating clean drinking water. Procter & Gamble have partnered with a non-profit to specifically help those in Kenya, which you can learn about at their website: Children’s Safe Drinking Water. As was mentioned in an earlier comment, clean drinking water leads to better health, larger crop yields, more food, and less hunger. I hope some of you enjoy this link and take the opportunity to find out more about ways to help this great project!

Hello! Well, it’s officially been a week since we launched and we’re thrilled to see the ball rolling! We love all the feedback, suggestions, stories and questions you’re submitting and we hope you’re enjoying the interaction.

In press related news, Peter was excited to spend a few minutes on the Fox Business Network show “Happy Hour,” as well as hear from Billboard magazine this week. So please keep an eye out for the article in the “Good Work” section.

Earlier this week, Bimkubwa commented on the growth of giving. Like any decision we make to change in our lives, it helps to start small and continue steadily instead of being overwhelmed by the thought of something so big we don’t know where to begin. This idea is really what cuts to the heart of the website; Bimkubwa writes:

The problems we face may seem overwhelming but if you start small a door will open that will allow you to make bigger and bigger changes. A hands on way to get involved is donating non-perishables to [any food bank] and you could donate non perishables to churches and mosque all around the city. From there you can ask if there are any international efforts being made by these organizations that you can be a part of.

Exploring the opportunities in the immediate space around you can lead to the next step of finding a larger organization or initiative. How have some of you gotten started in your work? Was it all at once or where did you begin? Let us know and share your advice! Thanks guys and keep up the great energy!