Gina Telaroli
June 9, 2008 | 10:42 am EST
Giulia:
Today is the 7th anniversary of September 11th. It’s hard to know the best way to honor the day, the people and our country, especially as we move forward and try to make our country a better place to live.
But I thought the video below and the Take Action links that follow would be a good way to start. The clip is meant to inspire. It features Phillipe Petit, the fames Frenchman who did a wire walk between the two towers. His act was one of wonder and he himself had great respect for the towers he dreamed of walking between. He really saw the beauty in them and he sought to bring that beauty to others with his death defying act.
It may seem silly in light of the seriousness of September 11th, but I firmly believe that this is not a day to sit with the fear that so often is talked about when we hear 9/11, it is instead a day to remember that acting, that inspiring others, is one of the most heroic things one could do. It is a day to move forward.
The links that follow are for you to take that inspiration and act. More than just a day of discussion this should be a day of action. So pick an issue close to your heart and take some internet time to click you way to making the world just a little bit better this September 11th.
takepart to help with the climate crisis.
takepart to take a stand against torture.
takepart to help the homeless.
takepart to speak out against immigrant detention centers and to speak up for immigrant rights.
takepart to help stop the genocide in Darfur.
takepart to work towards a world with better food for everyone.
Social Action + Cinema Videos of the Day:
1) Media that Matters presents The Countdown
For the Cinema YouTube Video of the Day, Click here >>>
Read the rest of this entry »
The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out our most popular articles of the week on a variety of subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.
Katie:
Dean Karmen Shows Steven Colbert How To Filter Water
St Patricks Day Goes Green with Green Beer: Top 10 Eco Beers
* * *
Nicole:
East Meets West at Dubai Art Fair, But Shadow of Migrant Labor Remains
TakePart’s “I Am Voting For” Campaign Wants You To Vote the Issues
Scarlett Johansson Dates For Charity
* * *
Gina:
Top 10 Films That Have Helped to Frame the War in Iraq
* * *
Kerry:
Today, March 19, marks the 5 year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Regardless of how you personally feel about the war, one thing that’s have been positive and necessary over the past 5 years, are the many films and other forms of media being made that deal with the war and work to inform us as a public. So as to encourage folks to spend some time reflecting on our current situation I present you with the Top 10 Films That Have Helped to Frame the War in Iraq.
Some of these films deal directly with the conflict, others with ideas of war in general and some with what led us to war and what has happened since. All of these movies are available on Netflx and many should be in your local video stores - so 
and rent one today:
1. Iraq in Fragments, directed by James Longley
Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day. The holiday was was started over 100 years ago. Here’s how:
1. In 1908, 15,000 women march through New York City for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
2. In 1909, with the help of The Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day is celebrated.
3. In 1910, an International Women’s Day is proposed at a Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen, to honor the women’s rights movement and to help women gain the right to vote.
4. On March 19, 1911, more than one million people celebrate the first International Women’s Day in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, rallying against discrimination and for women’s rights to work, vote, and hold public office.
5. Six days later, on March 25, 146 women, mostly Italian and Jewish immigrants, are killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Because of the dangerous working conditions, locked doors, and dysfunctional and missing fire escapes, these women, some as young as 15, die in the fire or on the pavement, having leaped from the windows to avoid the flames. The tragedy, the worst work disaster in New York City until September 11th, sparks outrage and activism and reform for women’s rights and workers’ rights.
Read the rest of this entry »