| |
Visit these sites daily to donate free
food to those in need, help preserve endangered rainforests, and fund free
mammograms for women in need at the click of a button. |
|
United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals: The
eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving
extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal
primary education, all by the target date of 2015
– form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and
all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized
unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. |
|
Millennium Campaign: informs, inspires and encourages
people’s involvement and action for the realization of the United
Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (see above). An initiative
of the United Nations, the Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to
hold their government to account for the Millennium promise, which includes
halving extreme poverty across the globe by 2015. |
|
Save the Children: a leading nonprofit humanitarian relief
and development organization working in more than 40 countries throughout
the developing world and the United States whose mission is to create lasting,
positive change in the lives of children in need. |
|
United Nations Children's Fund: mandated by the United
Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights,
to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach
their full potential. |
|
Amnesty International: a worldwide movement of people
who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. |
|
Transparency International: an international non-governmental
organization devoted to combating corruption that brings together civil
society, business, and governments in a powerful global coalition. Raises
awareness about the damaging effects of corruption, advocates policy reform,
works towards the implementation of multilateral conventions and subsequently
monitors compliance by governments, corporations, and banks. |
|
Oxfam: an international confederation of 12 organizations
working together with over 3,000 partners in more than 100 countries to
find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice. |
|
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): Whether refugees
are fleeing war or drought is destroying farmland, hunger is often the first
emergency. The hungry look to WFP for the first response. In 2004, the agency's
food aid reached 89 million people caught in the world's ever-widening net
of humanitarian disasters. |
|
Friends of the World Food Program: a US-based non-profit
organization dedicated to building support for the United Nations World
Food Program (WFP) and other hunger relief efforts. |
|
Mercy Corps: nonprofit organization to help alleviate
suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive
and just communities in the midst of the world's most difficult conflicts
and disasters. |
|
International Committee of the Red Cross: an independent,
neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for
victims of war and armed violence. The ICRC has a permanent mandate under
international law to take impartial action for prisoners, the wounded and
sick, and civilians affected by conflict.With its headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland, the ICRC is based in around 80 countries and has a total of
more than 12,000 staff. In situations of conflict the ICRC coordinates the
response by national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies
and their International Federation. The ICRC is at the origin of both the
International Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement and of international humanitarian
law, notably the Geneva Conventions. |
|
The ONE Campaign: an effort by Americans to rally Americans
– ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme
poverty. Links directly to the international effort to achieve the United
Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (see above). 1% more
of the US federal budget would help save millions of lives and be a major
commitment towards achieving the internationally agreed upon United Nations
Millennium Development Goals. |
|
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): established
by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant
for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options
for adaptation and mitigation. |
|
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):
Over a decade ago, most countries joined an international treaty—the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—to
begin to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope
with whatever temperature increases are inevitable. Recently, a number of
nations (not including the U.S.) have approved an addition to the
treaty: the Kyoto
Protocol, which has more powerful (and legally binding) measures.
|
| |
Use your voice to demand change, from protecting
our national forests to reducing global warming pollution and beyond. Use
the online tools that Sierra Club has provided to make it easier
to take action by sending e-mails to your Representative, Senators, and
the President on important environmental and human rights topics. |
|
Environmental Defense: a leading U.S. nonprofit organization
representing more than 400,000 members. Since 1967, they have used science,
economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions
to society's most urgent environmental problems. Sign up to receive action
alerts via e-mail to contact decision-makers on important topics. |
|
GreaterGood.com: At the GreaterGood shopping village
(www.greatergood.com)
you can shop at many leading online merchants—including Barnes &
Noble.com, priceline, Nordstrom, Lands' End, Dell, Office Max and more—and
GreaterGood will give 100% of all commissions they receive for your purchases
to your favorite charitable organization, automatically, at no extra cost. |
|
Democracy Now!: a national, daily, independent, award-winning
news program airing on the internet and over 225 stations in North America.
The War and Peace Report provides perspectives rarely heard in the U.S.
corporate-sponsored media, including independent and international journalists,
ordinary people from around the world who are directly affected by U.S.
foreign policy, grassroots leaders and peace activists, artists, academics
and independent analysts. |
|
MoveOn.org: MoveOn is working to bring ordinary people
back into politics. With a system that today revolves around big money and
big media, most citizens are left out. When it becomes clear that our "representatives"
don't represent the public, the foundations of democracy are in peril. MoveOn
is a catalyst for a new kind of grassroots involvement, supporting busy
but concerned citizens in finding their political voice. Our international
network of more than 2,000,000 online activists is one of the most effective
and responsive outlets for democratic participation available today. |
|
Worldwatch Institute: an independent research organization
working for an environmentally sustainable and socially just society. |
| |
The Better World Handbook: From
Good Intentions to Everyday Actions, by Jones, Johnson, Haenfler, and
Klocke (2001).
The definitive guide for the average person wanting
to make a real difference in the world. This book is specifically written
for well-intentioned people who may be too busy to be actively involved
in social change organizations. The principle behind this informative
and user-friendly guide is to incorporate everyday activism into even
the most mundane areas of our busy lives—like grocery shopping, banking,
eating, reading the newspaper, and working.
|
|
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America,
by Barbara Ehrenreich (2001).
Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round for poverty level wages.
In 1998, journalist Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them, laboring
as a cleaning woman, as a waitress, and as a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Her
revelations about these hard, supposedly "unskilled" jobs and
the difficulty of making ends meet in the U.S. gives this book a powerful,
personal edge. |
| |
The Consumer's Guide to Effective
Environmental Choices: Practical Advice
from the Union of Concerned Scientists, by Michael Brower and Warren Leon
(1999).
In these pages, the Union
of Concerned Scientists help inform consumers about everyday decisions
that significantly affect the environment. For example, a few major decisions—such
as the choice of a house or vehicle—have such a disproportionately
large affect on the environment that minor environmental infractions shrink
by comparison. Learn what you can do to have a truly significant impact
on our world from the people who are at the forefront of scientific research.
-Publisher |
| |
Why become a vegetarian? - An excerpt from The Better
World Handbook (see above) listing good reasons for adopting vegetarianism.
Help the environment, contribute to the well-being of poorer nations, improve
your overall health, and lessen cruelty to animals. |
| |
Working For Change: a unique daily news site that focuses
specifically on stories of interest to those interested in making a better
world. Sponsored by Working Assets, this site also makes a point of linking
every story to an action that you can take to make a difference around the
issue you've just finished reading about. |
| |
Protest.net: a central source of information about
current issues and upcoming protests, meetings and conferences across
the globe. Find out what's happening in your area and help make a difference.
|
| |
Real Goods: an online mail-order company that cares
about the environment and can supply you with many household items that
you might need. One of the most respected environmental companies around,
carrying everything from rechargeable batteries to non-toxic cleaning products
and compact fluorescent light bulbs. |
| |
Global Exchange Fair Trade Goods features unique gifts
from around the world as well as educational resources about human rights
issues. Handmade traditional crafts, as well as coffees, teas, chocolates,
and much more. Every item has been carefully selected to meet Global Exchange's
high quality standards as well as stringent international Fair Trade certification
criteria. When you shop with Global Exchange, your purchase supports a new
standard of trade—ensuring fair wages and respect of worker's rights
for artisans living all around the globe. |
| |
Responsible Shopper: an online tool to help you learn
more about the companies behind the products that you buy—from clothing
to shoes to toothpaste, etc. Investigate hundreds of companies on a range
of issues—sweatshops, pollution, ethics, and more. |
 |
Working Assets: change your long distance or wireless
phone service to Working Assets and have 1% of your phone charges go to
nonprofit groups at no extra charge to you. In 2000 alone, $5 million was
raised for such groups as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, American Civil
Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign and the Children's Defense Fund.
|
| |
Domini Social Investments offer socially responsible
mutual funds. The Domini 400 Social Index (an index of 400 screened companies)
is a standard in the ethical investment industry. Outperformed the S&P
500 from 1990 to 1998. Domini is also the leader in using shareholder resolutions
to promote ethnic diversity, environmental sustainability, and fair wages
and working conditions in the corporate world. |
| |
Why Support Local Business? -
An essay on the importance of supporting
your local economy instead of major corporations and national chains. |
|
|
Congress.org,
is a "one-stop-shop" where you can identify your Congressional
representatives; research Congressional voting records; learn about the
issues of the day; and send e-mail directly to Congress. You can even opt
to have your e-mail message hand-delivered to your Representative or Senator's
office on Capitol Hill—all without ever leaving your computer.
Use Congress.org to contact your state and local
elected officials, contact the White House, and locate media outlets and
contacts in your city and around the nation. Congress.org also contains
action alerts from many different advocacy groups, a listing of current
legislation and votes, and tips on writing or calling your representatives.
|
| |
Eight Weeks to Optimum Health,
by Andrew Weil, M.D. (1998).
The Eight-Week Program sets up a foundation for
healthy living that is preventative in the broadest sense. Dr.
Weil outlines a week-by-week, step-by-step program for enhancing and
protecting present and lifelong health through diet, exercise, vitamins,
and mental outlook. With clearly defined and authoritatively informed
recommendations, Dr. Weil explains how to gradually incorporate new healthy,
habits into your everyday life. |
| |
The Tao of Pooh,
by Benjamin Hoff (1983).
Author/narrator Hoff calls Winnie the Pooh a "Western
Taoist" and uses the unassuming bear to introduce Eastern philosophical
principles. Pooh epitomizes the "uncarved block," as he is well
in tune with his natural inner self. Pooh enjoys simple pleasures and
the daily progress of life. Hoff contrasts this unpretentiousness to other
characters created by Winnie-the-Pooh author A.A. Milne, including Owl,
whom he describes as a "mind that tries too hard," and Eeyore,
the eternal pessimist. In a clear and crisp voice, Hoff explains the central
tenets of Taoism and further illustrates them with familiar excerpts from
The House at Pooh Corner stories (1923), Chinese proverbs, maxims, and
tales from Lao Tzu and others. The result is at once thought-provoking
and charming. This is a small literary event that will leave all who experience
it a little more serene. -Library Journal |
