Research & Rescue

Be sure to fill out your Census form

There is a number of very good reasons to fill out and return your Census form, the best of which, in my opinion, are funding and legislative representation. I'm a bit amazed when I see websites advocating refusal, as if it's some sort of government intrusion. It seems to me to be self-defeating to refuse to be counted and then end up having your district lose because of it.

On a lighter note, however...

Hat tip fbihop for the video link

Standing (Online) With Immigrants

 

This Sunday, March 21, we invite you to join with us and thousands of other people of faith from around the country, and with tens of thousands of other Americans, at March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith. Come show your solidarity with immigrants to America and their families, and our support for just and humane immigration reform.

Can’t make it to D.C. this weekend? Show your solidarity online, by adopting this image as your profile picture on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media platforms you frequent. Once you’ve done that, please post a status/tweet along the lines of, “I’m showing my solidarity with immigrants. Join me: http://su.pr/2Ky1Lh.”

Read more at faithandimmigration.org

HRW Action Alert - US: End Child Labor in the Fields

Hundreds of thousands of children are employed as farmworkers in the United States, often working 10 or more hours a day. They are often exposed to dangerous pesticides, experience high rates of injury, and suffer fatalities at five times the rate of other working youth. Their long hours contribute to alarming drop-out rates. Government statistics show that barely half ever finish high school.

The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act) would update US law to ensure that all working children are protected equally. Please contact your Congressional Representative to ask them to co-sponsor this important bill.

Take action at www.kintera.org

Every Monday Matters

This video was shared by @northlandfox on Twitter this morning. I think it's something all of us should take to heart. It's easy to have opinions; doing something more than opining takes more effort.

Native American Disaster Overshadowed by Haiti

Nine reservations in South Dakota are in desperate need of help after experiencing sever ice storms. This page at Daily Kos has a number of links that give information on how you can help: Emergency: Ice Storms Devastate Pine Ridge Reservation and Others

via www.youtube.com

Public Citizen webinar on SCOTUS ruling on corporations as people

I attended a great webinar on Tuesday presented by Robert Weissman, the president of Public Citizen, which is one of the major organizations promoting a Constitutional Amendment to prevent corporations from controlling our elections with unrestrained funding, after the Supreme Court ruled recently in the Citizens United case (to the dismay of at least progressives but I hope conservatives as well). I am posting it here so you may enjoy it and hopefully be inspired to take action.

Rescuing American Democracy from Public Citizen on Vimeo.

Humanitarian Glossaries

This page on Relief Web seems extremely useful for those writing about relief efforts or those putting together plans or proposals for relief action.

 
 ReliefWeb >> Humanitarian Glossaries

Earthship Biotecture - Haiti Earthship Disaster Relief

Please help out the fine folk at Earthship Biotecture in Taos, if you can. If you can't donate money (there's a button on their website), then please help spread the word. Both would be superb!

We are going. We need your help.

We are sending a small team of five people with a documentary film maker. We will incorporate local materials and situations to produce quick shelter with water and saniation (sewage treatment) based on our experience. The construction steps and techniques will be taught to the local people with the goal of sustainable design and construction spreading like a virus through all the recovery efforts.

The project is focused on short term urgent needs and taking steps toward long term needs that existed before the earthquake hit.

We are combining instant structures - (a tent within a tent to create a space for insulation) - with earthship technologies applied for the systems.

         Read more at http://www.earthship.net/

Worldchanging: Bright Green: Solar Recovery In Haiti: Building Tough Solar Cities

This is a great story. Instead of carting in more gas powered generators, there is a movement afoot to roll out solar power to Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

via www.worldchanging.com

In the aftermath of the quake, Reuters reported that at night the only lights visible over the city came from solar powered traffic signals. Now there is a push to roll out more solar. But beyond the emergency, renewables are key to making cities more resilient to natural disasters. Read more at www.worldchanging.com

Detroit Area: Roeper Haitian Relief Choral Concert

Received via e-mail:

The Roeper Community Chorus along with the Rochester Children’s Choir and the Rochester Christian Chorus will present an impromptu concert. The concert will be at 3:00pm in the Upper School Gym on the Birmingham Campus. There will be a suggested $5 donation and 100% of the proceeds will go to the American Red Cross towards to the relief efforts in Haiti! We got this wonderful connection by our accompanist Dana Gress who also directs the groups joining us. We hope to make a small difference in the needs for Haiti!

 

Again, Sunday January 24^th @ 3:00pm. Birmingham Campus Gym. Suggested $5 donation.

Google Map for The Roeper School Birmingham Campus: 

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