Today I participate in Blogging For Human Rights Day, sponsored by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a one day blog carnival to shed light on human rights abuses and victories here in the United States. December 10th, Human Rights Day, honors the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Blogging For Human Rights Day asked for stories of human rights abuses as well as stories of the brave activism of DREAMers across the country. Today, I focus on the DREAMers.
I want to talk about an incredible project working to empower individuals worldwide to pledge individual commitments to contribute to world peace.
A Big Project’s event occurs on December 20, 2012, as an online broadcast bringing together Nobel Peace Prize winners, established and emerging artists, leading activist organizations, corporations and people around the globe. It will be broadcasted on more than 3000 websites in 150 countries.
I love it because while it is such a huge project, it is meant to work in small scale. The thing about human rights violations world-wide is that it can be really alienating and frustrating that there’s nothing we can do individually to make a difference so we often default to nothing. But by reaching out to individuals and harnessing the power of each person to commit to do something to help life change, all across the globe, the world really can change.
This video is a great summary of what A Big Project is doing:
The project asked people from 97 countries the same four questions and looked for the places that the answers overlapped.
What would you NOT want to continue from this world?
What WOULD you want to continue from this world?
What could people do differently now to help us get to that better world?
What is one thing that you will commit to do differently now to help us get to that better world?
The three words that came up over and over again were “Help Life Change,” which is the message the project is focusing on to solicit art and music contributions and individual messages for their December 20 event.
From the website:
Be a part of this historic effort! Participate in one of the following three ways…
1. Click here to make art or music that will be featured live on December 20th.
2. Click here to create a 30 second message about what you are doing to make the world a better place.
3. Watch the live broadcast on Dec 20th and submit YOUR commitment to making the world a better place.
Stay connected to A Big Project!
You can like A Big Project on Facebook.
You can tweet your support of helping life change.
Read this great article on the Huffington Post about people on the ground in Israel and Palestine working to make peace across borders when their governments yet will not.
Check out the rest of the Blogging for Human Rights Day participants on the Ella Baker Center website!