On October 10th, the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced, so we thought we would fill you in on some of the names that are being mentioned as potential recipients.
“The bravest woman in Europe” , that’s the superlative that many have used to describe Chechen civil rights attorney Lidia Yusupova; who despite numerous threats on her own life, continues to fight against human rights abuses by the Russian armed forces and various rebel groups. Through an organization called Memorial, Yusupova takes legal action on behalf of victims and, in addition, makes sure their stories are told to the rest of the world through various articles and publications. Her fearless efforts have helped save many lives and alert internatioal allies to take action.
On October 10th the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced, so we thought we would fill you in on some of the names that are being mentioned as potenital recipients.
Challenging the Chinese government is not a popular move, but that is exactly how Hu Jia and his wife Zeng Jinyan have become popular candidates for this years Nobel Peace Prize. Jia, a leading democracy, AIDS and environmental activist has been detained on numerous occasions despite his peaceful (and apparently legal) methods of speaking out against Communist policy. In April of this year, after several months of house arrest and 24-hour surveillance Jia was sentenced to 3 years in prison for “inciting to subvert state power.”
Since then his wife Zeng Jinyan has been using her blog to continue where her husband left off; continuing to raise awareness for their causes among the international community despite facing constant harrasment from the government. The couple’s courage to stand for what is right in the face of hardship is an example of the type of revolutionary courage that lays the foundation for change.
While most 18 year-olds are thinking about graduation and moving out of mom and dad’s, Cameron Murray is working out a plan to bring clean water to thousands of people in Africa. After a trip, to Bamboi, Ghana last summer, Murray was inspired to help make a lasting impact on that community. Enlisting the help of several friends, he created a nonprofit called Rock For Reason. The RFR team puts on rock shows, featuring local bands, with all the money from ticket sales going to build wells in Ghana. The project has been a huge success so far, with hundreds of teens coming out at each show to support the cause. With the funds raised so far Murray and his crew plan to build the first well next summer and hope to be able to build many more in the years to come.
I believe I’ve survived/For a reason/To tell my story, to touch lives.
Taken from his home at the age of 6 and handed a AK-47, Emmanuel Jal was thrust into battle as a “child warrior” for rebel forces in his native Sudan. By the time he was 13 he was already a veteran of two bloody civil wars, and had seen atrocities most young people couldn’t even imagine. After being rescued by a British aid worker, Jal made a commitment to use his talents to help others. These days, as one of the music industy’s rising stars, Jal is using his unique brand of hip-hop to help children in conflict around the world, donating much of his time and money to support various charitable organizations that focus on child rights.
His latest album War Child is an inspirational autobiography that offers a message of peace and reconcilliation and urges listeners to take action in making that message a reality.
Even before Katrina, there was a lot of rebuilding that needed to be done in New Orleans area schools. So when the storm took out several schools and displaced countless students and teachers, most people saw a major problem; John Alford saw a major opportunity.
After several years of teaching in and later establishing dozens of successful charter schools across the country for an organization called KIPP, Alford founded NOLA 180, a program designed to transform the Crescent City’s failing public schools into high-performing charter schools. Last fall they established their flagship location, the Langston Hughes Academy, and have already seen dramatic improvements in all subject areas. Under Alford’s leadership NOLA 180 has been attracting a new crop of motivated, highly skilled teachers which he hopes will be the stong foundation he needs as he continues to build on the success of Langston Hughes Academy and establish more new schools in the years ahead.
Although the Jamaicans dominated the Women’s 100m earlier this week, just being in the race was a victory for Iraqi sprinter Dana Abdul-Razak. Her road to Beijing was marked by dodging bombs and sniper fire during training and enduring IOC ban on all Iraqi athletes due to suspected corruption in the national Olympic Committee. Abdul-Razak, a Shiite, has also had to face criticism for working with her Sunni coach Yousif Abdel Rahman.
Despite finishing being eliminated in the first round Abdul-Razak was thankful she had the opportunity to represent her country, and hopes that her story can help unify the Iraqi people.
Tony Melendez was born with no arms. From a young age he had a great love for music and began teaching himself to play piano and guitar with his feet. Today, Tony has become known world-wide for his talent. He has performed across the U.S. and internationally including a couple performances for the Pope at the Vatican. He has also made numerous TV appearances and recorded several CD’s. He is a great example of someone who never let limitations or excuses get in the way of a dream.
While Michael Phelps continues to set records in the pool this week, another inspirational U.S. swimmer is waiting in the wings for her turn at Olympic greatness. Melissa Stockwell, 28, is an Iraq War Veteran and above knee amputee. In 2004, just three weeks into her tour of duty in Iraq, Stockwell lost nearly her entire left leg in roadside bomb attack, making her the first U.S. female amputee of the war.
Rather than harbor bitterness for the accident, Melissa has made a point to help other amputees and inspire them to go after their dreams. Since recovering, she has dedicated hours volunteering toward that cause; and in her spare time competed in 8 triathlons and 2 NYC Marathons. In addition, she continues to represent the country she loves; this time by swimming 3 events for the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team in the upcoming Beijing Games. We thank Melissa for serving our country, and applaud her continued heroism in dedicating her life to helping other amputees. You can show your support for Melissa as well by purchasing a T-Shirt, inspired by her story, from TAKE PRIDE(another cool T-Shirt company which we’ll write more about soon)
Warren became a household name in 2002 when his book The Purpose Driven Life sold 40 million copies world wide. But its what he did afterward that solidified his impact. With money he earned from book sales, Warren stopped taking a salary from his church, retroactively paid back them back everything from the previous 25 years, and started a foundation to tackle global issues like poverty, illiteracy, and AIDS. In addition he committed to give away 90% of his income to the church and a variety of other causes and live off the remaining 10%
In 2006, he gave this memorable speech at the TED Conference (which we have also selected for our MajorityMag Myspace Video of the Week) and continues to inspire millions with his message of living with purpose and using our gifts and talents to make a difference.
When gang members in East L.A. want to get their lives on track, the man they go to for the past 20 years is Father G. Greg Boyle, as he may be more commonly known, developed his street cred as a pastor at the Dolores Mission Church. It was there that he helped several former gangsters (many from rival gangs) create their own bakery providing a way for them to make an honest living. Today that bakery has expanded into numerous small businesses collectively operating under the name of Homeboy Industries. In addition to providing jobs through their various businesses, HI also provides free servicessuch as case management, counseling, tatoo removal, and various educational opportunities.
On top of overseeing the Homeboy programs Father G now travels the country speaking to young people and advising for many gang intervention programs.
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