Activism

While there is already a thread for charities, activism is not restricted to supporting registered charities, and it is not restricted to huge-scale street protests. It can be about anything that you feel strongly about: human rights, animal rights, protesting government bills or proposed laws, fighting for equality. It can be as little as posting a flyer on your school bulletin board or putting a support banner on your MySpace page, or as big as going vegan and organising peaceful protests. It can take place anywhere. So:

Are there any good causes that you're passionate about?
What do you do to help?
Have you ever staged or taken part in a protest?
Are you part of any volunteer groups?

Personally, I'm thinking of starting up a group at college next year to raise awareness of certain issues, because I think a lot of young people now are just getting too apathetic about the things that still need fighting for.

Please discuss. :cute:

Eh not so much of a protest as more of a party =p
I'm thinkin' of getting this bottle of whiskey and saving it for the day X]

http://www.myspace.com/dancingonmaggiesgrave

Remeber first Saturday after Thatcher Dies, bring a bottle and a firend ;D

I'm really passionate about TWLOHA. I think it's an amazing organization.

I'm going veggie! Well I did a few days ago... but I'm so happy! Veggie! No more eating poor cows and pigs. It's a relief.

Haley is Rad xo.:

I'm really passionate about TWLOHA. I think it's an amazing organization.

I as well. Most people in the school know about TWLOHA because of me and two other people. I told half the school. Many of the teachers are buying shirts and helping out now.

Ohbseen:

Haley is Rad xo.:

I'm really passionate about TWLOHA. I think it's an amazing organization.

I as well. Most people in the school know about TWLOHA because of me and two other people. I told half the school. Many of the teachers are buying shirts and helping out now.

That's really awesome.

It's so hard to get people to take notice at our school.

Haley is Rad xo.:

I'm really passionate about TWLOHA. I think it's an amazing organization.

Same.
I just love the entire concept of what they do.

Are there any good causes that you're passionate about?
I am passionate about almost every organization. Whether it's human rights, feeding the hungry, anti-suicide, drug prevention, anything. I am a giver, not a taker.

What do you do to help?
I join, and I have donated to NRDC + Green Day. I am an activist at my old school, actually. I am pressing a case against my school for supporting a hostile environment against GLBTQA and discrimination of said group.

Have you ever staged or taken part in a protest?
Well, every Saturday in Carbondale there is an anti-war protest outside on the corner of two very traffic-heavy streets. I plan to do that.

Are you part of any volunteer groups?
I am a volunteer for the Obama '08 campaign, and I plan on volunteering for The Women's Center for my Girl Scout Gold Award community service project.

A part of me becomes alive when I stick up for what I believe in; whether it's picket signs, a simple petition, or court case. I want to make music when I am older, with a Punk band, and I want to affect this world, leave my mark. I want to leave it a better place, and maybe even save the world. Whatever I can do to make this place a better place. I swear that's the only reason I'm alive. I strive for that.

I want to recommend a song to you guys, it's inspirational:

www.myspace.com/flobots It's the second song, I believe. Stand Up, by Flobots.

doll face.:

[

That's really awesome.

It's so hard to get people to take notice at our school.

Yup. Us three wrote 'love' and 'twloha' on our wrists and anywhere we could do it. When someone asked about it, we expllained and tehy did the same. It turned into a chain effect. Most student told the teachers to ask me about it so I had to take a bunch of yelling. But in the end they understood which kept me out od detention. :cute:

I'm very very passionate about animal rights.
I have been to many protests about it and intend on going to more.
I work at my local animal resue centre and am a member of many organisations such as Viva, PETA, RSPCA.
I help by going vegetarian, maybe?

Leonore Paisley:

Are there any good causes that you're passionate about?
I am passionate about almost every organization. Whether it's human rights, feeding the hungry, anti-suicide, drug prevention, anything. I am a giver, not a taker.

What do you do to help?
I join, and I have donated to NRDC + Green Day. I am an activist at my old school, actually. I am pressing a case against my school for supporting a hostile environment against GLBTQA and discrimination of said group.

Have you ever staged or taken part in a protest?
Well, every Saturday in Carbondale there is an anti-war protest outside on the corner of two very traffic-heavy streets. I plan to do that.

Are you part of any volunteer groups?
I am a volunteer for the Obama '08 campaign, and I plan on volunteering for The Women's Center for my Girl Scout Gold Award community service project.

A part of me becomes alive when I stick up for what I believe in; whether it's picket signs, a simple petition, or court case. I want to make music when I am older, with a Punk band, and I want to affect this world, leave my mark. I want to leave it a better place, and maybe even save the world. Whatever I can do to make this place a better place. I swear that's the only reason I'm alive. I strive for that.

I want to recommend a song to you guys, it's inspirational:

www.myspace.com/flobots It's the second song, I believe. Stand Up, by Flobots.

That's really amazing, all of it.

And I hope your case goes well! I'm thinking of starting up some kind of Gay-Straight Alliance next year as well as my general awareness group. The school as a whole supposedly don't discriminate, but some friends of mine, and myself, had suffered some pretty bad abuse at the hands of other students, and teachers seem a lot more reluctant to step in on a fight on the grounds of sexuality.

I'm just not sure how to go about it. :think: It's a tricky subject.

What kind of work would you do with The Women's Center?

Ianto Jones:

I'm very very passionate about animal rights.
I have been to many protests about it and intend on going to more.
I work at my local animal resue centre and am a member of many organisations such as Viva, PETA, RSPCA.
I help by going vegetarian, maybe?

It's the best way. Vegetarians ftw.

And I'm totally volunteering at Happy Dogs this summer. -high five-

Are there any good causes that you're passionate about? Animal rights and welfare
What do you do to help? I've made youtube videos, a myspace, websites, put website addresses on my school stuff, put leaflets in school library books, sent videos to a ton of people about animal cruelty, reported animal cruelty various times, and much, much more
Have you ever staged or taken part in a protest? not yet
Are you part of any volunteer groups?Not currently but I plan to be

My newish myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/hermitcrab2006

I've been a vegetarian since early April and plan to eventually go vegan.

Donates for free:
www.freerice.com
www.goodsearch.com
www.freekibble.comp
www.freekibblekat.com

I joined the PETA street team just a few months ago, and it's really got me to do even more than I was doing before.

I am very passionate on environmental issues, and sustainability
I help to raise awareness at school, and to help initiate programmes suchh as recycling at school (our school is rather enviro-UNfriendly)
I have not been in any protests
I am in our school's environment club, we can make a small difference

Yeah, that's me. I'm keen for an environmental rant anytime, just perhaps not here...

Ianto Jones:

I'm very very passionate about animal rights.
I have been to many protests about it and intend on going to more.
I work at my local animal resue centre and am a member of many organisations such as Viva, PETA, RSPCA.
I help by going vegetarian, maybe?

I am really passionate about animal rights as well. And I'm a vegetarian not only because of the cruelty to animals, but because of the environment. The environment is the thing I am second most passionate about and did you know that eating one hamburger causes more pollution than driving your suv 40 miles and back having left all your lights on at home.

Free rights for everyone.
One day, I wish to be able to say that I'm proud of the world I live in and see no discrimination based on sexual orientation or skin colour. To me, that would be a dream world and one that I strive for.

I saw a girl at my school wearing a TWLOHA t-shirt I felt glad knowing that there is at least some awareness at our school.

I guess I'm passionate about human rights in general and religious tolerance in particular.

Also maybe just about questioning the world we in live.
I hate shallow people even when they stand by the "right" causes. I hate it when people support something because it's "cool" and when you ask them why they do it they'll give you ambiguous answers. I don't think our power to make a difference lays in protests or in trying to leave *your* mark on the world but rather in making others question themselves and their actions. I don't think putting a banner on myspace helps more than talking, discussing, debating, questioning. I think that's the main problem in our world - ignorance and that we - as a society, community - have the power to resolve all the rest once we eliminate ignorance.

-shrug-
I don't like to affiliate myself with certain organizations.

To Write Love on Her Arms. I just think it's such a brilliant organization

I'm very anti-war. Not like, hardcore preaching it, but I'm silently extremely upset about the fact that Australia, or any country are in Iraq and whatnot.

And then I'm very supportive of the Free Rice program. I trust it a lot more than a lot of other organizations because they're not actually asking for my money, just a bit of time, which is also benificial to myself.

kafka.:

I hate it when people support something because it's "cool" and when you ask them why they do it they'll give you ambiguous answers.

kafka.:

-shrug-
I don't like to affiliate myself with certain organizations.

I agree with both. PeTA, for example, I've always found a bit shady.

I'm part of the SWSS Student's Working Socialists @ Strathclyde.

People before profits!