little girl BIG VOICE

Photo By: Julia F.

You’ve probably already figured out from the title of this website that speaking up and being a voice against injustice is a kind of a big deal here. But it doesn’t stop at the moment of outcry. You can’t talk if you don’t walk. Least not in my book.

Here’s the deal. I get these emails from organizations that are involved in very worthy causes, calling on me to participate in an observance against one of the many injustices going down on our planet. Many of them are revolve around not using a certain common tool or resource for a day to make a statement–which is great. Statements are needed, sure enough and we need people organizing these drives for awareness. But what gets to me is that we so often jump on board to make these statements without any real action to back them up. What are we really accomplishing by refraining from drinking coffee for one single day as a symbol of “supporting” Ethiopian coffee growers that are being screwed by the global markets and so-called (entirely un) free trade? What difference will that make when we open our can of Folger’s tomorrow morning and continue to perpetuate a cycle of exploitation?

Like, “sorry you’re getting screwed. We acknowledge that it sucks to be you, but that’s all we have time for.”

That’s whack people.

We’ve got to stop these “unfunded statements” and start putting something behind our words and symbolic gestures. We can’t just sit by and continue to let our humanity become another “No Child Left Behind” (good intentions without any semblance of adequate backing). If something makes you ill every time you hear about it, then how about this: DO SOMETHING. THROW THE FOLGERS OUT AND BUY SOME ORGANIC FAIR-TRADE BEANS!!!

But I’m a poor college student! Or, I’m a poor just-out-of-college entry-level employee paying off a mountain of student loans! Or, I’m a parent-made-poor by putting a student through college! Or, I just spent every penny I had on my iPhone!

My 6th grade math teacher used to say, “Excuses are the nails you use to build your house of failure.” A quote I’m sure he ripped off from some great thinker, but it’s the only damn thing I remember from his class (I can’t even remember his name!). Funding doesn’t necessarily refer to throwing down your increasingly less available disposable income. It can mean devoting time to raising awareness or volunteering at an organization involved with the cause you want to champion. What about running a 10K to raise money instead of just donating? Or organizing a drive to collect items in need for a cause? Or spending part of your Thanksgiving serving meals to elderly citizens who don’t have any family?

Point is, saying you support a cause with your words is nice and should be commended (YOU USED YOUR WORDS! YAY YOU!). But showing you support a cause with your actions is at least 10 million billion gazillion times better, because it takes your involvement level from “aware sideliner” to an “agent of change” (ESTUPENDO!!!!).

You can guess which one we prefer here!

If you’re thinking to yourself that this little girl is throwing down a bit of a gauntlet–you’re right. I most certainly am. However, said little girl is NOT–repeat, NOT–making an unfunded statement (Lord in Heaven forbid)! The Eugene Marathon has my name written all over it with Train For Humanity reaping the benefit of my crazy desire to tear down my body to the point of breaking in order to extend the basics to those in the Darfur Region through Darfur Peace and Development Organization (And–HINT HINT–I will be accepting donations, love and free massages for my sure-to-be-aching body from January to May 2009).

To those of you already being champions at championing a cause–you freakin’ rock our world. PLEASE write in and tell us what you’re involved in! Who knows–maybe you’ll inspire an agent of change in-training!

If you need some inspiration, here are a few causes I’m getting myself into that you might connect with too.

Train For Humanity: “Was created as an almost entirely online organization in order to reduce overhead to as little as possible, and to show people that with a little creativity and innovation, anyone can assist and make a difference in the world.The concept is simple: getting fit + social media + blogging = social good. Train for Humanity uses the web, social media, and blogging in tandem with everyday athletes in training to support organizations that help prevent suffering and alleviate the pain of children, orphans, and refugees who have been displaced due to genocide or internal strife and war within their country (www.trainforhumanity.org).”

XDRTB.ORG: “Is an extraordinary effort to tell the story of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and TB through powerful photographs taken by James Nachtwey. XDR-TB, or extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis, is a new and deadly mutation of tuberculosis. Similar in creation to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) but more extreme in its manifestation, it arises when common tuberculosis goes untreated or standard TB drugs are misused. James’ photographs represent these varying strains. Learn more about TB, MDR-TB and XDR-TB, and learn how you can take action to stop this deadly disease at www.xdrtb.org.”

Pangea Day: “In 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the TED Prize, an annual award granted at the TED Conference. She was granted $100,000, and more important, a wish to change the world. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film. Pangea Day grew out of that wish. The first-ever Pangea Day took place on May 10, 2008. Locations in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro were linked for a live program of powerful films, live music, and visionary speakers. The entire event was broadcast — in seven languages — to millions via the internet, television, and mobile phones. Throughout the day, we heard from an extraordinary lineup of speakers and musical performers: Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Lisa Ling, Dave Stewart and friends, Gilberto Gil, and Iranian rock phenoms Hypernova were among those taking part (www.pangeaday.org).”