As technology has continued to advance, ways in which people become involved in the causes they care about has also evolved. Thousands upon thousands of people continue to organize and attend rallies, protests, public speaking events and other types of events to raise awareness about something they deeply care about, but technology, social media and blogging have opened up new doors for even more people to get involved. Bloggers Unite is a community of people who care. It is a website that facilitates blogging events that happen across the blogosphere and asks people to write about a particular subject in order to raise awareness and to help make a difference in the world. Bloggers Unite has become one of the best resources for people to create and manage a campaign of their own, regardless of what it is or how big or small it is.
Here is a list of six upcoming blogging events from August to December that you, as a blogger and as a voice, can take part of in order to help make a difference in the world. As we know, the voice of one blogger can soon reach the computer screens of millions.
- Women’s Equality Day — August 26, 2010
On August 26th, 1920, the 19th Amendment was signed into the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. However, even after the Amendment was signed, some states refused to officially go on record in favor of the Amendment until as late as 1984. August 26th is a day that gives us the opportunity to recognize the struggle women faced when it came to being given the right to vote, as well as the ways in which women continue to struggle to have their equality recognized all over the world.
» Join the Women’s Equality Day blogging event
- International Literary Day — September 8, 2010
September 8th was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17th, 1965 and was first celebrated in 1966. International Literacy Day aims to highlight the importance of literacy to people, communities and to the world. Approximately 774 million adults (1 in 5) lack minimum literacy skills; two-thirds of those people are women. September 8th is a day to remind the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.
» Join the International Literacy Day blogging event
- World Suicide Prevention Day — September 10, 2010
On average, almost 3,000 people commit suicide every day. The International Association for Suicide prevention has been sponsored by the World Health Organizations and others to advocate for the prevention of suicidal behavior, provision of adequate treatment and follow-up care for people who attempted suicide, as well as responsible reporting of suicides in the media. September 10th is a day to raise awareness of what must be done on a global and local level to prevent suicide.
» Join the World Suicide Prevention Day blogging event
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — November 25, 2010
At least 1 in 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime; the abuser is usually someone known to her. Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world. It is a threat to all women, and an obstacle to all out efforts for development, peace and gender equality in all societies. The UN General Assembly designated November 25th as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and on that day governments, international organizations and NGOs are invited to organize activities on the day to raise public awareness of the problem.
» Join the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women blogging event
- World AIDS Day — December 1, 2010
HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence that showed much higher numbers than previous estimates. Individuals and organizations will recognize World AIDS Day on December 1st and this year’s theme is leadership–from all sectors, including government, but also leaders among individuals and families, communities, non-profits and other organizations.
» Join the World AIDS Day blogging event
- Human Rights Day — December 10, 2010
Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted on December 10th, 1948. UDHR set down the basic principles at the very heart of the human rights movement and has enabled remarkable progress in human rights, inspiring international human rights standards, laws and institutions that have improved the lives of many around the world.
» Join the Human Rights Day blogging event
Tags: activism, Bloggers Unite, blogging, blogging event, Centers for Disease Control, Changing the World, domestic violence, Health & Fitness, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights Day, Illness & Disease, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, International Literacy Day, Mental Health, mental illness, Politics, suicide, suicide prevention, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, violence against women, voting, Women's Equality Day, women's right to vote, Women's Suffrage, World, World AIDS Day, World Suicide Prevention Day
Lifetime frequently raises awareness of public health and safety issues in their programming. During the month of October, they usually infuse breast cancer-related story lines into their programming, from inspiring and thought-provoking feature-length films to their original television series.
On their extremely popular show Army Wives, Colonel Joan Burton begins experiencing sleep disturbances, mood swings, headaches and has trouble remembering simple tasks after arriving home from being deployed overseas. After going to the doctor to see what is wrong with her, she is diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Lifetime has recently partnered with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to raise awareness of TBI.
TBI affects an estimated 1.7 million people annually in the United States in the form of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths. It is caused by a bump, jolt or blow to the head that disturbs the normal function of the brain. According to a recent CDC report, nearly one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States involve TBI and it also causes permanent disability for many American people.
TBI affects many people in many different situations. It can affect virtually anyone, but is said to fall in older adults and children and can be caused by motor vehicle crashes, concussions in high school and youth sports and assault on children and older adults.
Early diagnosis of TBI can save lives, so it’s best to know the signs and symptoms, which can range from mild to severe and include:
- Thinking/remembering — feeling mentally “foggy” or having difficulty remembering recent events.
- Physical — headaches, or difficulty with bright lights or loud noises
- Emotional/mood — irritability, sadness, or nervousness
- Sleep disturbances — sleeping more or less than usual
The Centers for Disease Control has more on TBI Prevention.
It is quite fitting for Army Wives to tackle the very important health issue of TBI, since it does affect many US soldiers. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense reported that seven out of ten TBI cases resulting from a blast during combat. The U.S. Army reports that 88% of TBIs among soldiers are mild (mTBI) but it can develop into something far more serious and it can be equally life-altering and devastating for the caregivers and loved ones of those affected by it.
If you are a family member or caregiver of someone who is affected by TBI, visit traumaticbraininjuryatoz.org/. You can also learn more about the efforts to ensure that military service members and veterans with TBI receive the best evaluation, treatment and follow-up by visiting the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
Tags: Army Wives, Centers for Disease Control, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Lifetime, Mental Health, mental illness, Television, traumatic brain injury, US military
One in five people in the United States is affected by a disability of some sort. That is an astounding number of people who every day, attempt to put their best foot forward and who are working every day to gain greater independence and create new possibilities for themselves.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has worked to eliminate the barriers and discrimination that those who live with a disability can face, including in the workplace. While the ADA has made great strides in it being unlawful for an employer of any kind of refuse to hire someone with a disability, about three quarters of people with a disability are unemployed and it isn’t by their own admission. Also, internet access for people with disabilities is only about half of what it is for those who are not living with a disability.
There is still a lot of work to be done in this country to ensure that those who live their lives with a disability are granted the same opportunities as those who are not and can still live happy and full lives.
Bloggers Unite is raising awareness and supporting people with disabilities and the people and groups who empower them by raising awareness. Bloggers Unite is asking that all bloggers, young and old, novice bloggers and veterans, band together on July 24th to empower people with disabilities.
It takes very little time to write a blog post and participate in Bloggers Unite’s People First: Empowering People with Disabilities blogging event. By all bloggers coming together on one day, you can really raise awareness and make a difference.
Join the event and publish your post on Saturday, July 24th letting people know that despite major gains, more needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same access to resources and opportunities as those who do not live with a disability. There are currently 295 bloggers registered at Bloggers Unite for this event, so it is sure to be an amazingly resourceful and empowering day.
Tags: activism, Bloggers Unite, blogging, blogging event, Changing the World, disability, Fitness, Health, Health & Fitness, Illness & Disease, Mental Health, mental illness, World
I just recently began going to a gym fairly-regularly. Before just a month ago, I had never really put much emphasis on staying fit. As a plus-sized woman in my early 20′s who is also a smoker and a techie, not to mention I consume way too much caffeine, I am so not the candidate to be preaching about staying fit or how important it is. I am however, realistic.
Now, more than ever in recent years, I am experiencing a great deal of stress. There are some personal aspects of my life that bring on a good amount of daily stress, as well as a great big financial burden that has become my life. Put them together and add a good 12 hours a day, frequently more, in front of a computer and you basically have one of those Jiffy Pop containers on the stove that at any minute will erupt and start sending popcorn flying out every which way. So me and my partner joined a gym with our two very good friends.
With just a few workouts in, mostly me on an elliptical machine for an hour at a time as I zone out to televisions that are positioned from the ceiling or focusing on absolutely nothing but the decibel level of the music blaring from my headphones, I feel a lot different.
No, I am not in peak physical condition and it isn’t even a goal of mine to lose any weight at all. I’m comfortable with my weight and while it would be a healthy move to lose a few pounds, I refuse to believe I’m at a terrible risk for anything at my current weight. No, with just after my first hour on the elliptical machine I knew very well why I was going to keep up my gym-going efforts. I felt refreshed and my stress levels went way, way down.
A study back in 2007 has already proven that those who are physically fit produce less chemicals in the body that have been linked to damaging inflammation in adults who are stressed. In short, exercise makes you less-stressed and the less-stressed you are, less damaging chemicals will be released throughout your body and the healthier your heart will be.
In addition to reducing your stress, people who work out two times a week also have lower cholesterol and are at less risk of diseases like diabetes. These findings are more than enough motivation for anyone to start getting out more and begin getting just a little more active.
