Especially after watching the 2 episodes on Half the Sky, I am very pleased to see that women are fighting back against the men who are oppressing them. I was well aware of sex trafficking and the abuse against women in these third world countries but unfortunately I was not aware of what was being done about it until now. I had always given to charity and even worked with the African Children's Chorus while they were in Ellensburg a couple summers ago. Its hard to really feel connected and like you are making a difference when you are not there seeing them reap the benefits of your contribution. It was really cool to see this documentary and hear the individual stories because it made it more personal and it went straight to the heart of what is going on in the lives of these people. I totally agree and support activism 100%. The people who stand up and say "this is wrong" AND actually do something about it are the people who really change the world. People like Somaly (I think thats how you spell her name) who go through sex slavery as a child and don't come out of it not just feeling sorry for herself but wanting to prevent that kind of life for other girls and knowing that whatever she does, no matter how little it seems to be, makes a huge difference and contributes to the bigger solution. Too many people look at a problem like that and think "theres no way my contribution could help, it would take years and my entire life to solve that problem", so they walk away without even offering a small piece of themselves because they don't believe they could make a difference. I love analogies so I'm just going to put it this way; A single contribution from from you is like puting a quarter in a piggy bank. It doesn't seem like a lot at the time but after even a year of putting spare change in, before you know it you've got a couple hundred dollars! It's amazing how much the little stuff counts. I think, especially as a priveledged American, its our duty to help others in need, like these young girls caught in slavery. We are not all expected to drop what we are doing and move to a third world country but to take what we are good at or even a couple extra dollars to support these kids could go a long way. For instance, I've been thinking a lot about how I could use my special gifts to contribute to these parts of the world. I say a documentary not long ago about the Venezualen Youth Symphony conducted and founded by Gustavo Dudamel (now the principal conductor of the LA Phil). He started a music program for poor children in that country and after years of raising money, supplying instruments, and conducting the symphony they have become the WORLD's largest and best youth symphony. It has given these kids something to love, to work for, and has kept them out of trouble. I'm not saying I'm going to move to another country and single handedly do the same but I do know that I can use my musical gift for something and someone other than myself and I WOULD be totally willing to travel to poor countries to teach children how to play stringed instruments. Activism is awesome, if it doesn't start with you, who will it start with??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiYFcuIkBjU this is a link to a youtube video I think you should watch :) Not a lot to do with women but is very inspiring :)
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