July 2010

We tend to take a lot of things for granted in the United States. Yes, we all have our problems; but most of us do have clean running water, shelter, clothing, and food. Most of us women have access to sanitary napkins and tampons, too. In Haiti, however, there is a different story.

Women in Haiti are experiencing a severe shortage of feminine hygiene products since the earthquake—especially during the postpartum period, when they are often needed just as much as they are during the menstrual cycle. Women’s periods don’t exactly make the news, but we call all appreciate what it’s like to be caught off guard without protection—though most of us have been able to remedy the situation quickly after it occurs. Imagine not being able to grab a pad or tampon and to just experience the bleeding without anything. It’s likely even more awful than it sounds.

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Aside from what Ben Stein stupidly thinks, most Americans are working hard to make ends meet these days. Those who are unemployed are working hard to find work, often having to resort to much less pay than the former positions they occupied and altering their lifestyles accordingly. I know this is true, since I, along with many of former my co-workers, and many of my husband’s former co-workers, have floated along in this boat. Many of our friends and family members sadly still are. It’s not a time to make families struggle even more than they already are—that’s for sure.

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People are always talking about how online activism—also sometimes referred to as “armchair activism”—and causes on social networks don’t make much of a difference, if any at all. Having worked for a nonprofit organization for several years, I can attest that this is not true. In a single organization alone, we raised money for dozens of organizations—including ones that helped homeless children, shelters, animal sanctuaries, and a program to get toilets in a developing country. We also raised awareness through hundreds of debates, articles, online and offline discussions and training sessions, and helped develop hundreds of projects across the globe with our site’s resources. You bet online campaigns and activism work!

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If you’re age 18 or older, have access to a camera and computer, and want to raise money to help Afghanistan without having to spend any yourself, here is your perfect opportunity to do so. Riverhead Trade Paperbacks (of Penguin books) is sponsoring a campaign called “Picture a Book Changing Lives” to help the people of Afghanistan through The Khaled Hosseini Foundation. Founded by the author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Khaled Hosseini Foundation is a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that supports refugee families, education of women and children, and other assistance to the war-torn country of Afghanistan.  

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Every year, the United States government consciously poisons bobcats, coyotes, bears, foxes, wolves, and many other animals in the name of “predator control.” The Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services Program calls for these animals to be killed by the strategic placement of toxic poisons all across the nation’s public lands and national forests. That’s right—the same forests we lobby to preserve and protect are being treated with poisoned to kill the very animals that we should also be protecting.

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Do you host a regular media show that involves population issues? Maybe you volunteer with a reproductive justice organization and you’ve written editorials or commentaries about specific issues. Perhaps you have your own YouTube channel where you create mini documentaries about population and the environment. Or maybe you’ve got your own campus broadcast radio or television show where you’ve dedicated a discussion to global population issues. If any of these describes you, you might want to apply for the Global Media Awards.

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Last month, I wrote about the amazing new RAISE Hope for the Congo CD. Proceeds from the albums sold will go toward helping people of the Congo—particularly women and girls—escape the violence that occurs there on a daily basis due to genocide. The genocide itself, of course, is money-related—surrounding the control of the country’s minerals used to produce products such as computers and cell phones.

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