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Celebrate National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Monday, March 10, 2008 Marks the National Observance of

NWGHAAD

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

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10 Ways to Celebrate

1. Find an event near you. Visit Women’s Health Gov for more information.
2. To find a support group, call CDC-INFO at 800-232-4636 or visit www.hivtest.org
3. Want to find a place that offers care? Even if you don’t have insurance or funds? Find a location here.
4. Become educated. Some helpful sites include:

  • Learn the Link between Drug Abuse and contracting HIV/AIDS.
  • The official NWGHAAD site provides downloads for posters, podcasts, facts and more!
  • AIDS.gov acts as a ‘gateway’ to federal HIV/AIDS information and resources.

5. Get tested for HIV.
6. Know Your A,B,C’s…
7. Practice safe sexual practices.
8. Be educated about high risk behaviors
9. Talk about it. Text about it. Tweet About it. Spread the buzz.
10. Write a blog post, ;).

    Going Green

    Any Oprah fans in the atmosphere? On last Friday’s show, Oprah’s show featured: Going Green 101 where she shared many tips and insights on how individuals and families can join the fight to save our earth. Feeling inspired, I wanted to provide my own list of simple and easy ways to Go Green this upcoming year. Some of my favorites from Oprah’s show are also shared.

    Bathroom

    1. Turn your water off in between brushing your teeth.

    2. Unplug straightener, shaver, blow dryer, etc. when not in use. When items are plugged in, they still use up to 40% power.

    3. Buy a shower timer to conserve water.

    4. Use tissue and toilet paper sparingly.

    Kitchen

    1. If you’re making a picnic, choose plastic over paper plates. They can be reused and recycled.

    2. Buy energy saving appliances to help global warming. Look for the blue Energy Star label when purchasing or visit www.energystar.gov for more information.

    3. Use reusable containers to put away leftover rather than plastics wrap or foil. Also, in the same line of thinking, use rags to clean up messes when possible to conserve paper towels.

    Cleaning

    1. Instead of adding yard waste or lawn clippings to landfills, use a mulching mower. Not only is it healthier for your yard, but its healthier for all of Earth.

    2. Use healthier cleaning products. Good clean doesn’t have a smell and are safer for our bodies too. Good companies to look into include Shaklee and Method.

    3. Remember to inflate your tires about every two weeks. This allows your tires to last longer, meaning more rubber is conserved.

    House

    1. Turn lights on and off when entering and exiting rooms.

    2. Caulk your windows to get the most out of your heating and air conditioning. This will save energy and money. Double bonus!

    3. Use energy strips. This helps save power and cuts down on your energy bill. When something is off, but still plugged in, it still uses power.

    4. Use GE energy smart light bulbs. According to Oprah.com, GE Energy Smart bulbs use 70 to 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer than most bulbs.

    5. Donate books and magazines to public libraries.

    6. Use rechargeable batteries instead of throwaway ones.

    Food

    1. If you haven’t heard about the questions surrounding bottled water, go no further. Bottled water is more expensive…to our pocketbooks, bodies and our world. Save all three. Invest in a Nalgene water bottle or an aluminum water bottle that can be reused, is safer, cost effective, healthier and saves the earth.

    2. Buy less packaged food. Read the labels and packaging to see if food is healthy for your body, but also take notice if wasteful materials are being used to sell the item.

    Shopping

    1. Paper or plastic? Neither! Eco-friendly canvas bags are the new ‘it’ item to have at the supermarket. Check out these places for your very own: eco-chic shopping bags, Delight.com or Skeeda.

    2. Donate old clothes and items you no longer use to The Salvation Army or the Goodwill.

    3. Do not throw away leather shoes. Leather takes 50 years to decompose. Donate them.

    4. Resell or donate your old, used cellphone even! Lots of companies buy back phones, spruce ’em up and then resell them at lower rates. Green mobile is one such company.

    5. Just say no…to receipts. When an ATM or a gas pump asks if you want a receipt, say no. This will save many precious trees.

    Activities

    1. Visit a landfill. As Oprah’s show told us, throwing something away, doesn’t mean that it goes away. It goes somewhere else.

    2. Plant trees. The more CO2 we can create, the better.

    3. Adopt a cause and become an activist. Green is the new pink everyone. Just check out Matt Damon’s favorite organization Greendimes, Stop Global Warming!, or Gwenyth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz’ organization ‘act green’ that works to reduce dependence on oil and for energy conservation.

    4. Use newspapers as wrapping paper.

    5. TreeCycle 2008. Recycle your now old Christmas trees.

    6. Take up Shard Art. Also known as Pique Assiette mosaic art. Use pieces of broken glass to create wonderful new pieces of art.

    7. Visit and shop at your local farmer’s market.

    Entertainment

    1. Beg, borrow or buy Al Gore’s documentary: An Inconvenient Truth.

    2. Read The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostige.

    3. Watch the television series Planet Earth.

    4. Attend a Drive-In movie, according to Eath911.org.

    5. Carpool. This web service helps you connect with others looking to carpool in your area.

    6. Catch Leonardo DiCaprio’s film The Eleventh Hour, about the growing dangers of global warming, set to come out soon!

    And lastly, one way to recycle I would not recommend….using old condoms as hairbands. True story.

    And on that note, hope this was enough to get motivated. Feel free to leave your favorite recycling tips below too!

    Eco-Friendly Websites for further information:

    Green People
    Greenpeace
    Idealbite
    Global Green USA
    TreeHugger


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    Be Inspired by this Week's Blogger Neighbor: Stacey Monk @ EpicChange

    Continuing my weekly “Blogger Neighborhood Series” in honor of the great Mr. Rogers, who called us to “Get to know our neighbor,” I welcome Stacey Monk from Epic Change, who continues to leave me inspired.

    Stacey is an amazing writer, showing both her contagious passion and gracious, sincere personality through every word, so I’ll let her tell you about her journey, mission and how she’s gotten to where she is…

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    Blog Name:

    The Epic Change Blog

    Blog Topics:

    The Epic Change Blog is a diary of our experiment in social entrepreneurship and an organization I recently founded called Epic Change. We started it just after we received our 501c3 determination last September, and we blog whatever we’ve experienced on the journey since then, including:

    We try to give a complete, transparent picture of what we’re working on so that our supporters can feel engaged in what we’re doing, and so other folks can learn from our mistakes and successes. We also try to provide regular opportunities on our blog for folks to get involved. Last week, for instance, to celebrate National Volunteer Week, we provided daily opportunities for our readers to perform 10-minute volunteer activities.

    About the Author:

    I’m a nerd, a recovering military brat, a perpetual nomad and a total sap. I believe the world is what we make it. I started my career managing a performing arts series, moved into public sector consulting for Deloitte, then worked in IT strategy & change leadership at Genentech and, finally, launched a small change management consulting firm called Funken Consulting. Last year, I left for Africa, came back, stopped working for money & founded Epic Change, a nonprofit that “helps hopeful people in need tell their epic true stories to acquire the resources they need to create change in their communities.” I have a BA in Philosophy and a grad degree in performing arts management from the public policy school at Carnegie Mellon. I like to think that artsy background helps me be more creative in my approach to social change. You can check out my street cred on LinkedIn.

    If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?

    I’d live where Hope, Audacity, Authenticity, & Gratitude intersect because I know I’d like the other people who live there. [This is my favorite quote of the week!]

    Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?

    Any man who can sing. For today, let’s say John Mayer. His song Say is stuck on my brain. Or maybe Josh Groban. His voice makes me feel like I’m in the presence of an angel.

    If you were in charge of the planning the neighborhood’s block party, what entertainment would you plan?

    Ditto, previous question. Or I’d plan a performance by a dance troupe that I love like Alvin Ailey or Momix. Or we’d dance ourselves, which might be the most fun. Despite my chubbiness, I love to dance. I’m certified to teach ZUMBA and Shake Your Soul.

    If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?

    FEARNOT, URHOPE or THANKU

    What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?

    Blueberry Pie. Despite 1950s connotations, pies = love.

    What’s your favorite blog post and why?

    I’d like to point to something brilliant by someone else, because I’ve taken so much as inspiration. Right now, today, though, I’m really wrapped up in what’s unfolding as a result of my recent, totally random, guest post on the Go Big Always blog of Jive CMO Sam Lawrence. I met him totally randomly on Twitter, and last Wednesday after midnight, when he was tweeting that he didn’t feel like posting to his uber-popular marketing blog, I offered to take his place. He, probably in jest, wrote back “Go for it ;)” and I did. That single post has led to a flurry of others, including one on ZDNet, a tweet by @Scobleizer, and a connection to social media giant Jeremiah Owyang, as well as a drastic increase in the number of people interested in our cause. So for today, the Go Big Always post is surely my fave, despite the fact that it begins with a reference to feces.

    What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?

    Be authentic.

    Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

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    This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

    Blogger Outreach Series 2: Law Issues Part A, Defamation and Negligence

    hotoblog

    Continuing in my blogger outreach series, this post will focus on law that addresses issues bloggers need to know, understand and be conscience about when deciding how to go about starting a blog, conduct blogger outreach or a blog marketing plan.

    As the democratization of journalism increases, many bloggers can be considered journalists. One issue with the current Shield Law being debated in the Senate is that some would like there to be a definition on who/what is a journalist. Indeed, bloggers are recognized by the Supreme Court as having the same protections as media individuals and organizations since they engage in similar activities. (Since the Shield Law is currently developing, it is important to note that Shield Laws do not necessarily always protect bloggers). As of now, no such definition exists and the implications of such a definition, could be, well…interesting….and perhaps, dangerous.

    But enough about that, as I admit, I’m no politician and I haven’t been following the case the whole three years it’s been going on. My point –> it is important for a blogger to understand some of the issues the law addresses .

    As a disclaimer, I am not a lawyer, but these are concepts that must be considered in the broader media industry. There are many, but this post will focus on defamation and negligence, while part b will cover copyright and privacy.

    1. Defamation

    A person or organization can file suit for ‘defamation of character.’ For content to be considered defamation, a private plaintiff must prove:

    • falsity (this includes insinuation or implication)
    • about or concerning the plaintiff filing the suit
    • exposes the person to hatred, contempt, aversion or introduces an evil or bad opinion about the plaintiff

    In addition, the law is written differently when the plaintiff is a public official or a public figure. A public official or figure must prove: actual malice. A public official is defined as someone who has been elected, appointed, presented to a position. A public figure is someone who is either known to the public already or someone who were drawn into the issue. Actual malice means that the false statement was published “with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.” To determine actual malice, courts will look at the process and extent of pursuing the truth.

    Other way defamation occurs comes from misidentification.

    Defamation Lessons:

    • Be conscience of legal terminology. (i.e. accused vs. alleged)
    • Take extra measures when any content involves a minor or a private citizen.
    • Double-check names or contact the person to fact check names mentioned in posts.
    • Before publishing an address, phone number or email, be sure it is the correct contact information for the individual/organization.
    • Be wary of depended on internet sources and search engines. This includes wikipedia. =)
    • If you do realize a mistake, correct it, and write a retraction. A retraction acknowledges the mistake and re-iterates its correction.
    • If you are faced with this issue, truth can act as a defense.
    • Satire, parody and hyperbole are not considered defamation.
    • Opinion is not considered defamation. But, whether you and the plaintiff agree that the statement in question can be classified as ‘opinion’ is another story.
    • Corporations are not public figures. They are judged like private figures.
    • There is such a concept as defamation insurance, even for bloggers.
    • Each state has a different statute of limitations for how long someone can sue after a posting has been made.
    • See here for more extensive details about issues of defamation and libel as it applies to bloggers.

    2. Negligence

    Negligence means that the author acted recklessly beyond that of a reasonably, responsible person would have. Private figures – friends, coworkers, people at the bus station – only have to prove negligence to win their case; whereas, public officials and public figures must prove actual malice.

    ****************

    If you are filed a law suit for what you blogged, the Electronic Frontier Foundation advises you to seek an attorney who is knowledgeable about Anti-SLAPP laws. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, and the Anti-SLAPP laws are enforced to help people who get sued for making legitimate, protected speech about public issues.

    The Electronic Frontier Foundation offers a link to the The First Amendment Project, which has a helpful FAQ on Anti-SLAPP laws. Please note, that Anti-SLAPP laws currently don’t exist in every state and tend to vary.

    Stay tuned for my continuing series on Blogger Outreach, issues to address when developing blogging outreach plans.

    Next week: Law Issues Part B, Copyright and Privacy

    Helpful Source: 12 Laws Every Blogger Should Know provided by Aviva Directory

    Creative, Relevant, Modern, Insightful, Targeted Ads from…the Library of Congress?!?

    Yes, it’s true.

    If you are a resident of the Washington D.C. area and frequent the GalleryPlace-Chinatown Metro stop, you can’t help but notice the new ads for the Library of Congress…at every turn, corner and wall.

    According to the Library of Congress blog, the ads support the new Library of Congress Experience, opening April 12 by purchasing ads through private funding and placing the ads in the DC Metro System:

    “We know that once people are in DC and they learn about what we’re all about, they are much more prone to visit,” excerpt from the Library of Congress blog.

    The ads illustrate what the library offers ‘At Your fingertips‘ through four distinct ads, each featuring one of four historically famous people who represent a common good. ‘Imagination‘ for Thomas Jefferson, ‘Integrity‘ for Abraham Lincoln, ‘Fame‘ for Marilyn Monroe and ‘Courage‘ for Jackie Robinson. The tagline featured on each advertisement is ‘Explore. Discover. Be Inspired.” And inspired we are! The Washington Post also recently featured the campaign as a larger story found here

    Images from Washington Post.com


    You're Going to Love This: The Hits Log

    Hits Log. You’ve heard of WordTracker or Web Positions to help you optimize your website for search engine optimization. But, to really reap the benefits, you have to buy those. But this one is free. Yes, friends, I said free.

    It doesn’t nessarily help you with targetting your keywords, but it does allow you to track your:

    • Google, Yahoo and MSN: Search Engine Ranking
    • Google Page Rank Value and Checker
    • Link Popularity

    by KEYWORD!

    For fun, I found this website’s google page rank value for the keyword “social marketing.” SocialButterfly came in with a 6. Not too shabby for the third month in.

    Feel free to try it, for any keyword, for any site you’re curious about. Enjoy!

    Philanthropy: Po-ta-toe, pa-ta-toe?

    Browsing my facebook groups following my last post on FliP, I found and joined the FLiP facebook group. I noticed one of the discussions posted on the topic: ‘Traditional vs. Social Change Philanthropy.’ For the sake of anonymity, the Poster of the topic wrote as follows:

    “On the FLiP homepage there is a great article about how, in many respects, traditional philanthropy is actually reinforcing the status quo. In my comment to that article I quoted Martin Luther King Jr, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropists to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice that make philanthropy necessary.”

    What are your thoughts on that? Are too many of us in the nonprofit sector offering programmes that are far too reactive, vs actually examining and addressing the socio-economic issues that require our ‘programmes’?”

    This discussion topic is followed by another that asks about philanthropy education programs. And, to my surprise and after some research, there are many, and growing: IUPUI’s Center on Philanthropy, NY University School of Philanthropy, Columbia’s MA in Fundraising, Hebrew University of Israel’s M.A. in Community Leadership and Philanthropy Studies, Bay Path College in Massachusett’s M.S. in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy, St. Mary’s graduate program in Philanthropy and Development, and MORE!  The programs listed include degrees surrounding fundraising, non-profit management, leadership, governance, development, philanthropy and othe-related terms….yet social marketing termed programs still lack.

    Upon this brief internet browsing, I reflected on what the definition of what ‘philanthropy‘ means. Are the terms philanthropy and social marketing interchangeable? What is this term social-change philanthropy? We’ve been talking a lot about the identity crisis in communications, and it appears that there is some overlap. Social marketing does take in the marketing process, but it is also – as the Facebook Poster said – can be applied to looking at socio-economic issues.

    Feel free to share as this thought is still developing….how do the two relate to one another and what does this mean for the field of communications or in the non-profit sector?

    Is Everything Going 2.0?

    Is everything going 2.0?

    Health, Science, Museum, Birding, Philanthropy, Reputation, Enterprise, Food and more! Feel free to add to the list.

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    • Museum 2.0 is a blog itself by Nina Simon that talks about how Web 2.0 can be applied in museum design. Nina paints her vision for the revitlization for museums and future possibilities here, and in her video.
    • Health 2.0: SocialButterfly’s own post sparked by recently released research studies, regarding the developments in the growing Health 2.0 field, offering numerous examples and resources.
    • Science 2.0: SocialButterfly’s own post on Science 2.0, including a mini-case study on the OpenWetWare project, voicing both concerns and future possibilities.
    • Birding 2.0: Michelle Riggen-Ransom as Social Media for Social Change wrote a great piece on Birding 2.0, about how Science 2.0 and technological developments are advancing great hobbies such as bird watching in the bird watching community.
    • Reputation 2.0: Jeff McCord looks at the importance of one’s online reputation when entering the trenches of the job search in his post titled, Reputation 2.0.

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    Other topics I Googled with a ‘2.0’ added that found results include Love 2.0, Crafts 2.0, Education 2.0, Music 2.0, Church 2.0 …What others can you find?

    Catch the Wave with MLK, Jr.

    What wave you may ask? The wave of effective positive change in yourself and in your community. At the Next Wave Take Action Summit 2008, the leaders of the future gathered and shared King’s inspiration with their visions for the next big wave of change.

    Participants in this interactive 3-day program to learn how to create, develop and spread this ‘wave’ for social change. Speakers shared insights, knowledge and resources about copyright, trademark, gaining nonprofit status, business development, financial integrity, marketing, social marketing and fund raising.  The main message: Before you can motivate/inspire/encourage/support others….you have to know who you are, where you’re are going, your strengths, weaknesses, etc.

    As organizer Tambra Stevenson might say, “You’ve got to lead your own ship before you can have effective leadership with others.”

    The social entrepreneurs who attended this past weekend’s summit are steering their own ship and others, addressing such social causes as:

    – Eco-enterprise
    – Youth literacy
    – Financial literacy
    – Health awareness
    – Political engagement
    – Poverty and welfare
    – Health and Wellness
    – and more!

    Yours truly also spoke about the exciting field of social marketing and social marketing’s role in the growing field of social enterprise. Other summit speakers represented a kaleidoscope of organizations including: ASHOKA Foundation, IQ Solutions, OhMyGov!, GreenDMV, William James Foundation, First Environment, Chance Academy, D.C. Mayor’s Office on Community Affairs, Upgrade America, IBM, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office, Nonprofit Roundtable, D.C. Office of Partnerships and Grants Development, Main Streets Anacostia, Creative Cause, DNC Women’s Leadership Forum.

    In the future, the Next Wave Take Action committee plans on hosting an event to commemorate Robert Kennedy’s assassination. See you there!

    My First Meme, Letters to My Younger Self: A Lesson From Susie Buffet

    Today, Kivi Leroux Miller at NonProfit Communications participated in a continuing blog posting style called a meme, titled: Meme: Excerpt from a Book on My Desk.

    Until today, I did not know what a meme was or is. I’m pretty excited though, now that I know what it is, as I’m always looking for new ways to evolve the style of blog posts. (Another recent favorite is Bamboo Project’s 31 Day Comment Challenge Series. Today is Day 6 of the Challenge.)

    *****************

    A meme is like an internet chain letter, with depth. One blogger posts a topic or call to action, then tags 5-10 other people to follow suite and add to the ‘meme.’ This being my first tag in a meme, I am participating. Plus, I was pretty excited about the book nearest me…

    Here is what I am supposed to do:

    1. Pick up the nearest book.
    2. Open to page 123.
    3. Find the fifth sentence.
    4. Post the next three sentences.
    5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

    It’s titled: What I Know Now, Letters to My Younger Self, written by a collaboration of accomplished and amazing women. Contributers include Madeleine Albright, Maya Angelou, Ann Curry, Olmypia Dukakis, and many more! This book is great, because women need role models and mentors. This book offers just a glimpse into some of the more important LIFE lessons we learn along our journey.

    When I’m finished reading, I plan on writing my own letter to my older self, and store it away to read at a later date. And another letter to my younger self, that I hope to one day pass on to a future daughter. This idea is what I’d like to forward in my version of the meme.

    Not wanting to be a complete rule breaker though…this is what I found:

    Page 123 was part of the letter Jane Bryant Quinn, author and columnist, writes to herself about parenting and what’s she learned from her kids. But, I preferred to share one of my favorite excerpts from the book instead, written by Susie Buffet, daughter of Warren Buffet, written back to her 17 year old self, about her admiration for her mother.

    “Empathy has led her [Susie’s mother] to become extraordinarily accepting of others, but it’s also what makes her comfortable with acting unconventionally…Empathy doesn’t have to lead you to the routes she [mom] will follow, which may be a temptation, given your resemblance to her. The important thing is that it becomes part of your compass, too.”

    If you wrote a letter to yourself, how old would you be and what would be your message?

    I tag:

    Britt Bravo

    Cool People Care

    SocialCitizen

    Ian Wilker

    New Voices of Philanthropy