‘GRANDMOTHERS ON THE MOVE’ Podcast Episodes
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Grandmothers To Grandmothers Campaign
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign exists to support the indomitable African grandmothers who are caring for the millions of children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Members of the Grandmothers Campaign share three goals. They work to:
- Raise funds to meet the needs of African grandmothers and the children in their care;
- Listen to African grandmothers, respect their expertise and amplify their voices, in order to promote authentic and substantive responses to the epidemic in Africa;
- Build solidarity among African and Canadian grandmothers in order to motivate and sustain the vital work of turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.
Canadian grandmothers groups are tremendously active in their communities. They put on concerts, organize card tournaments, and sell jewellery. They visit countless schools and community organizations. They bake, cook, sew, knit, paint, write, organize cycle tours, walks, and even ride motorcycles – all to raise funds and awareness for grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
To learn more about how you can get involved in the Campaign, write to Ilana here.
Articles About The Campaign
What started as a conversation around a kitchen table has grown to become a movement to empower women, especially grandmothers, in Africa.
The Grandmothers Campaign, an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, is known as Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers in Regina, which was among the very first places in Canada where women took on projects to support families in Africa.
‘We know the power of women’s organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.’– Ilana Landsberg-Lewis
As Ilana Landsberg-Lewis explains, the movement arose in response to the human crisis, observed by her father Stephen Lewis during his time as a special envoy for the United Nations, afflicting the African continent during the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Millions of children were orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Their grandmothers were left to raise them, with little or no support.
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis is co-founder, with her father Stephen Lewis, of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. One of their main campaigns supports grandmothers in Africa. (Lisa MacIntosh/Stephen Lewis Foundation)
“Grandmothers were just in an agony of loss,” Landsberg-Lewis said. “Death was everywhere. They were left with no income and often isolated by the terrible stigma surrounding HIV-AIDS.”
Landsberg-Lewis recalled how requests seeking aid referred to the grandmothers as “caregivers” and when she asked why, she learned there was a strong bias in play.
“Nobody wants to fund them because they’re older women and nobody sees them as a meaningful investment,” she learned.
“We decided if Canadian grandmothers knew what was happening on the [African] continent then it would surely resonate with them and boy did it ever,” Landsberg-Lewis said.
“I wish I could say that I was prescient but it would be overstating it,” she said, talking about how the success of the organization, which quickly grew from a handful of activists brain-storming at a kitchen table (her own) to over 250 chapters across the country.
Since 2006 they have raised about $25 million.
“It was really extraordinary but I can’t say that I’m surprised,” she said. “Older women in our communities, we know the power of women organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.”
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The Campaign currently boasts more than 240 grandmothers groups across the country. Many of the groups have organized into regional and national networks in order to support each other’s efforts in solidarity with African grandmothers and the children in their care.
Resources from the Grandmothers Campaign go to grassroots organizations that support African grandmothers with food, health care, school fees and school uniforms for their grandchildren, income-generating programmes, counselling, social support, essential shelter, and other necessities. Throughout Africa, grassroots organizations run by and for grandmothers are sharing insights, deepening their expertise, collaborating with other local organizations, and building their capacity to turn the tide of AIDS at community level.
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PLACE Your Activities on the Peace Map!
We are in Peace Month (September) and the final countdown to the 37th annual International Day of Peace!
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It is especially important to share your Peacebuilding activities on the universal Peace Map! You can add your activities for the world to see, and for people interested in joining you, by clicking here: https://
Peace Month is particularly significant this year as we honor the 20th Anniversary of The UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which is September 13th: A/RES/53/243 B Adopted by the United Nations in 1999, The Declaration and Programme of Action serves as a reminder of the importance of making Peace Day every day. The theme for the 20th Anniversary Observance is: “Empowering and Transforming Humanity.” And, we know that you are committed to doing that every day!
Every two minutes a woman dies from complications in pregnancy or childbirth, and millions around the world are denied the choice of if and when they want to have children.
UNFPA Supplies supports over 20 million women and girls worldwide with family planning services, contraception, and vital maternal medicines, and since 2007 they have saved over 1.1 millions lives.
Without additional support, their vital work — and the safety of over 20 million women and girls — will be at risk. Call on world leaders to step up for women and girls by pledging new funds this year.
Thank you so much,
Annabelle Roberts
17 September 2019 – Opening of the General Assembly regular session | 24 September 2019 – Opening of the general debate.
Sign the petition telling world leaders — including the UK, Canada, Australia and Germany — to pledge new funds to UNFPA Supplies and protect women’s lives everywhere. We’ll be handing your signatures over to decision makers this September at the United Nations General Assembly, so add your name now!
THINK KINDNESS, WE CHARITY, COUNT ME IN CHAMPION KINDNESS WORLD WIDE
There’s a growing crisis among young people today. One-in-five students report being bullied, cyberbullying is on the rise, and teen suicide is at a record high. As these problems continue to worsen, many adults may be left scratching their heads. How do we stop this crisis and help our youth?
There are a lot of possible answers, but there’s one that I’d like to pose today that I think is too often overlooked: kindness.
Yes, the simple act of kindness – not just witnessing it, but participating in it – has the ability to change people’s lives for the better. To make our world safer and happier for our children, we need to be teaching them how to be kind at home, at school, and in their communities.
This may seem overly simple, but science backs it up. According to research from places like Harvard and UC Berkeley, among others, acts of kindness release chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and oxytocin, which reduce depression and anger and boost overall happiness.
Being kind isn’t something we should just mention to our kids in passing – it should be an integral part of their daily activities.
As the founder of Think Kindness, I am blessed to have an incredible job. I go into schools all across the country and help kids tap into their inner kindness potential. In my ten years here, I’ve seen some amazing results. For instance, after my very first speech, a student who struggled with suicidal thoughts wrote me to tell me how getting involved in helping others radically changed his life for the better.
Luckily, Think Kindness isn’t the only organization that makes kindness its mission.
There’s a group called Count Me In, founded and led by youth, which helps to connect young people with volunteer opportunities in their communities and around the world. To date, the organization has inspired over 100 million volunteer hours. In addition, Count Me In has an annual leadership summit which serves as a bootcamp training kids how to be volunteers and do good in the world. I am also blessed to sit on the advisory board for such a powerful and meaningful organization.
Similarly, there’s an organization in Canada called the WE Charity which does incredible work to connect kids to acts of kindness. For instance, WE offers volunteer trips to impoverished communities around the world, giving young people a powerful chance to make a real difference for people in need.
They also host what they call We Days, which draw hundreds of thousands of children into stadiums across the world to hear nspirational messages about doing good around the world.
Organizations like these and others are essential to turning the tide of anger, depression, and sadness among our youth today.
But they need backup, because according to one study, youth volunteering has gone down over the last fifteen years. All of us – parents, teachers, community leaders – need to promote kindness to young people.
We can do it in two ways: first and foremost, by showing kindness ourselves; second, by connecting our kids to groups which can give them the tools they need to be conduits of kindness everywhere they go.
Let’s get to it – it just might change the world.
With Kindness,
Brian Williams
President & Founder, Think Kindness
#BeKindTogether
21 DAYS OF ACTION:
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Start: Monday, January 13, 2020• 5:30 PM
End: Monday, January 13, 2020• 8:30 PM
Location:Cherokee United Methodist Church•2105 Cosgrove Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
Host Contact Info: southcarolina@poorpeoplescampaign.org
Join the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival in South Carolina for the eighth stop of the We Must Do M.O.R.E. national tour as we Mobilize, Organize, Register and Educate.
Click here if you’d like to volunteer and help make this tour a success!
The tour in South Carolina will culminate with a Moral Monday March and Mass Meeting on Monday, January 13th in Charleston, SC. This will follow a weekend of activities a community canvas to register people for a movement that votes and a community site visit.
Monday, January 13th | Charleston, SC
South Carolina Moral Monday March & Mass Meeting
5:30 PM – Gather for the march
6:30 PM – Mass Meeting begins
Cherokee United Methodist Church, 2105 Cosgrove Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
**No large bags or umbrellas will be allowed in the mass meetings and small bags are subject to being searched.
At the Moral Monday, we will hear from South Carolinians directly impacted by systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the corrupt moral narrative. We will also hear from Rev. Barber and Rev. Theoharis, Co-Chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is organizing a 25-state We Must Do MORE national tour from September 2019 to May 2020. This tour will lead into the Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington, where thousands of poor people and moral agents will gather at the nation’s capitol on June 20, 2020 to demonstrate their power.
We will demand the implementation of our Moral Agenda and call all people of conscience to engage in deeply moral civic engagement and voting that cares about poor and low-wealth people, the sick, immigrants, workers, the environment, people with disabilities, first nations, the LGBTQ community, and peace over war.
https://www.facebook.com/thewecampaign/
February 23, 2020
A National Call for Moral Revival
Panel Discussion and Interactive Online Broadcast
Featuring National Campaign Leaders
Sunday February 23rd at 6PM Eastern Time
Watch the Broadcast LIVE or Watch the Recording on
We, The World’s Facebook Page
Please LIKE the Page to be notified when our Broadcasts are startingThese Special Broadcasts are part of our MLK Program
Manifesting The Dream
Carrying Forward the Work and Legacy
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
During the Compassion Games’ MLK 40 Days of Peace
To Participate in Manifesting The Dream: MLK 40 Days of PeaceSign Up Here
WE.net/MLK
Takes under a minute!Full MLK Broadcast Links and other activity details here:
WE.net/MLK-program
Earth Day Live will feature a three-day livestream where millions of people can join activists, celebrities, musicians, and more in an epic moment of community and hope for the future.
STRIKE, DIVEST, AND VOTE
FOR OUR FUTURE!
From April 22 – the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – to April 24…
The fights against the coronavirus and the climate crisis go hand-in-hand, and as we work to flatten the curve of this pandemic, we must strive toward the longer term goal of building a society rooted in sustainability and justice.
FIND A LOCAL LIVESTREAM
https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/
The Earth Day Live stream will be viewable on this website and will be the full user experience. In addition, it will be simulcast across major streaming platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch to engage with broader audiences. Partner organizations and an extensive network of major websites will be embedding the live stream as well.
PARTICIPANTS
Featuring Al Gore • Amanda Palmer • Amber Valletta • Angela Rye • Angelique Kidjo • Bill McKibben • Chef Alexandra Shrader • Chef Dominique Crenn • Daniel Fernandez • David Wallace Wells • DJ Spooky • Dr Michael Greger • Dr. Sweta Chakraborty • Ed Begley Jr. • Emily Wells • Ilyasah Shabazz • Jack Johnson • Jameela Jamil • Jason Mraz • Joaquin Phoenix • John Kerry • Kathryn Budig • Lil Dicky • Lisa Edelstein • Local Natives • Louie Schwartzberg • Luke Baines • Madame Gandhi • Margaret Klein Salamon • Mark Ruffalo • Mary Heglar • Matt McGorry • Megan Boone • Michael Franti • Moby • Monica Dogra • Mustafa Santiago Ali • Nahko the Bear • Ndaba Mandela • Patricia Arquette • Patrisse Cullors • Questlove • Rep. Lauren Underwood • Rep. Ted Lieu • Reverend Dr. William Barber II • Robby Romero • Rosanna Arquette • Secretary John Kerry • Sharon Carpenter • Shepard Fairey • Soul Clap • Stacey Abrams • Talib Kweli • The Both -w- Aimee Mann and Ted Leo • Tim Heidecker • Tony Revolori
And many more to be announced soon!
STRIKE – Earth Day and Youth Climate Strikes – April 22
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we will demonstrate our collective power and unity through community building and storytelling. This first day will focus on amplifying the voice of indigenous leaders and youth climate activists who are leading the movement to halt the climate crisis
DIVEST – Divestment and Climate Financing – April 23
Led by Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition, during this day of action we are calling for a global reset. We want to reprogram the economy so that it works for people and the planet, not polluters and politicians.
VOTE – Voter Registration and Political Engagement – April 24
We need leaders who will address this existential threat. It’s critical for all of us to show up at the polls this year and vote for our future. So the final day will focus on the importance of voting through a nationwide youth voter registration day.
The US Climate Strike Coalition and Stop The Money Pipeline Coalition, who together are made up of over 500 organizations, have come together to organize Earth Day Live.
The US Climate Strike Coalition is a coalition of over 400 organizations that formed ahead of the September 20, 2019 climate strikes. Led by the leading youth-led climate organizations in the US, the coalition works intergenerationally and collaboratively to coordinate the Climate Strikes in the US.
Stop the Money Pipeline is a coalition of over 100 climate, environmental and Indigneous rights groups that is demanding that the financial sector stops funding the fossil fuel industry and deforestation, and starts respecting Indigenous sovereignty and human rights.
Select a date and time
This weekly call is for those of us who are terrified of the climate emergency and determined to be part of a movement to claw back our future from the jaws of extinction.
You will learn about The Climate Mobilization’s strategy for transforming our economy in the next ten years, and how you can take action locally and be part of this plan.
You will make contact with an excellent team of organizers who will offer support and coaching in your journey to push back and win a just and inclusive future.
- In 2020, the climate emergency threatens to take our future away from us.
- YOU
- The solution is to organize.
- YOU
- This session is designed to show you how.
The session is open to anyone, whether you are part of an organization or not, whether you have experience of organizing or not. We support over 100 different campaigns!
To Join the Call:
SIGN UP HERE –> https://secure.everyaction.com/dSlTBlrtZUWt8okpc256ig
You will learn:
- What YOU can do to respond to the Climate Emergency
- How to get plugged in to a team or a Climate Emergency campaign in YOUR community
- How we’re planning to make the Climate Emergency the key issue of the 2020 election
How can we be vessels of hope in a time such as this? We have the opportunity to embrace actions that can be taken to make a difference for ourselves and those around us. When we take these steps together there is a collective mounting of GOOD that impacts humanity and our world.
Please consider joining us for the offerings laid out below. Together we are creating a powerful vision for a healthy and flourishing future. We hope you can join us in these worthy endeavors!
May 23-31
WOMEN’S CIRCLES
We are opening Humanity Rising with ten days of listening to voices of women from around the world to emphasize the imperative that women be empowered to lead in shaping the post pandemic world.
June 1-7
NEXTGEN YOUTH LEADERSHIP CIRCLES
After the women speak, we want to listen to the voices of the young for seven days to emphasize the importance of youth leadership in the new world.
June 8-19
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE
How do we become more effective in implementing solutions? What strategies can we implement that can make a real difference?
The world has been stopped. Most of us have been in some form of lockdown, and over the next several months countries and individuals will find their own paths through the crisis. It is clear that this virus is not going to suddenly go away. So what can we do? How can we be part of the solution?
Allow us to introduce you to Humanity Rising, a growing movement of people and organizations coming together to take counsel on how we can leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increased resilience to future challenges. It is designed to generate radical collaboration between individuals and organizations dedicated to building a better world.
You’re invited to be a part of this international coalition of over 200 leaders from diverse backgrounds and 100 partner organizations representing over 10 million individuals from around the world for the launch of the Humanity Rising Global Solutions Summit on May 22, 2020.
June 20-27
UNITY WEEK, UNITED NATIONS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Week of celebration of the UN and international efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals
June 28 – July 8
NEW MINDSETS FOR A NEW WORLD
What new ideas and new modes of thinking are required for a sustainable and more resilient post pandemic world? How do we develop a new story for humanity?
If you can’t join the live conversations, all sessions will be recorded and you can access the complete video library.
The Summit will continue for as long as the pandemic lasts. This is important because world events are changing every day and it is imperative that we interact with events as they unfold. The world will shapeshift many times over the next months. We must be in a position to continue to adapt and evolve as the global situation does.
The essential imperative is that we all come together in dialogue and action to ensure that the world community seizes the opportunity to rebuild beyond the pandemic in more abundant, resilient and sustainable ways, as framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Humanity Rising is powered by Ubiquity.
July 9 – July 20
SOLUTIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
What are people and organizations doing on the ground that are actually making a difference in people’s lives and in building sustainability?
July 21-31
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE II
What have we learned? How can we be more effective? How do we build more powerful coalitions?
Each day, the Summit, an initiative of Ubiquity University, will convene for two hours from 8:00 – 10:00AM (PDT) | 5:00-7:00PM (CET) to engage in presentations, group dialogues and working groups, and will continue for as long as the pandemic lasts. It will feature daily TED Talks-style presentations from influential figures such as Jane Goodall, Charles Eisenstein and Vandana Shive as well interactive sessions with leaders from international organizations such as Synergos, Impact HUBS, World Economic Forum, Gaia Education, Humanity’s Team, Ideanco, Masterpeace, Age Nation, Pachamama Alliance, Global Ecovillage Network, Crowdsourcing Week, Heart Ambassadors, Davos Blockbase, and many more.
Our goal is to have hundreds of organizations participating and collaborating. Ubiquity President and Founder Dr. Jim Garrison explains, “The Humanity Rising Summit is an extraordinary opportunity to come together with like-minded people from around the world to consider how we can use this crisis to create a world that is more sustainable and resilient. We believe that nothing less than proactive radical collaboration is sufficient to create a truly new world beyond the pandemic.”
August 1-10
NEW MINDSETS FOR A NEW WORLD II
More ideas for change, more reframing of what we need to envision for a positive future.
August 11-20
SOLUTIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE II
More examples of what people and organizations are doing on the ground that are actually making a difference in people’s lives and in building sustainability.
September onwards
We will evaluate and shape-shift as the circumstances warrant.
The 8th Annual Children’s Global Wave Of Love
June 21 at 1:11 pm in your heart and time zone.
We collectively come together to cultivate and
send forth our mission
“Children Across the Planet in Love, Care, and Respect.”
Since everyday is children’s day, we create a year-long, free, activity platform for children, families, communities, schools, organizations and YOU to empower
heart space and help transform the world!
Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide complete and total support to all children with an entire month of activities that enhance all aspects of a child’s life.
