I urge you to read about each of these companies. These 10 companies own virtually all of the airwaves, billboards, magazines, record labels, newspapers, publishing companies, cell phone services, radio stations, internet bandwidth, sports venues electronic equipment, and satellites…I’ll give you a minute to let that sink in…

What if these media giants have a political agenda? Who is going to stop them? For instance, check out this video of Rupert Murdoch admitting that Fox News has pushed their agenda of supporting the war in Iraq:

If the media wants to get an agenda out there, they will. They can say what they want about any issues that they choose. And nobody is going to stop them. For instance, if a particular presidential candidate happened to have a policy that these media conglomerates favored, we will be hearing a lot from that candidate. Also, when there is a candidate that speaks directly against this corporate media control, do you think media could be tempted to not cover that candidate as much.

Do you feel outraged? Do you feel helpless? Do you feel violated and insulted? Well I know that I do. But luckily there are movements against this media monopoly. That’s what Project: Think Different is ALL ABOUT. We urge you all to take back the media! We don’t have to put up with this abuse. We must balance out this one sided media structure. But if we don’t, these companies could just keep on merging and merging until what we are left with is one giant corporation that owns EVERYTHING. But we’re not going to let that happen right? So here’s what we can do:

• Get off the computer, off the couch, and get out into your community. Spread the word. Talk to your co-workers, peers, family, friends, and random people! Ask them if they know who owns the media. If they don’t, tell them. Knowledge IS power!
• Boycott what you don’t agree with. If you think a product or service is wrong and unjust, boycott it. This simply means don’t buy it and don’t support it. It’s really easy, really effective, and it makes you feel good.
• Create your own media to balance this whole thing out. Write a song, make a video, get on the blogs, start a zine, write an article or an editorial, start a show on your local community television station, have a voice!
• Lastly, don’t give up. I know that it can be a bit overwhelming and things can seem hopeless, but there is a whole movement of people who, like you, are sick and tired of this paradigm. And a lot more people are finally catching on and becoming educated. Their dominant media paradigm will not last forever. We and only we have the power to change this. So lets do it!

Feel inspired? Enter our “What is Change” contest. Project: Think Different’s “What is Change?” campaign wants to hear your opinion about what change really means to you. The “What is Change?” Contest is an online video contest providing a $500+ cash prize to the person with the best strategy for change in their community. To find out more, click here.

PEACE

A forum on human rights and labor law in China.. Sponsored by the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School. Speakers include: Tim Costello, Director, Global Labor Strategies; Ellen David Friedman, Visiting Lecturer, School of Government, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China and Richard Freeman, Professor of Economics, Harvard Universit

event website

At the Friday night concert, a great time was had by all. We heard great musical performances by such talents as Riot Folk, Charlie King, Aileen Vance, Professor Louie, Second Line Social Aid Pleasure Society Brass Band, Reflect and Strengthen, Bambuu, The Foundation Movement and more. The concert was very diverse. We heard folk, soul, hip hop, spoken word, New Orleans parade music, comical, sad and EMPOWERING music! The age of the audience ranged from 2-92! It was really nice to see such an awesome turn out from all age groups.

Saturday and Sunday were the workshops, song-swaps, and plenaries. The workshops were on a wide variety of issues and topics. Some interesting workshops were about political satire, A Capella improve harmony, organizing for climate justice, songs and dances for farming, organizing for peace, animal liberation, building the radical movement through music, song swaps, and the list goes on. The problem that I had was deciding which workshops to go to. They all sound so great! But for the ones that I did go to, I was very pleased and learned a lot.

The plenary on Saturday was presented by members of Reflect and Strengthen as well as other female empowerment organizations. From spoken word poetry to deep discussions on forgiveness, these women had it going on. I learned a lot about what girls and mothers must deal with on a daily basis in the inner-cities. It is not a ideal situation, but these women are making a huge difference in their communities.

The open mic Saturday night was awesome. There were over 60 acts in one night! It was amazing. So much different stuff, but it all had a great message to it. All very socially conscious music. The food was great and veggie-friendly, the people were awesome, the music gave me goosebumps, the workshops and song-swaps were super informative. The weekend was a success.

I’m glad that I attended.

If we really want to see this green movement happen, it NEEDS to be green for all. So far, the green movement has only included the upper class: organic, hybrids, solar, etc. Only people with money can afford any of this. Also, the issues that we have been focusing on are upper class issues such as saving the polar bears and other endangered species, global warming, energy efficiency and so on. You can’t convince a lower income person to save the polar bears when they are worrying about how to feed their family. But green jobs and a green economy would lift lower income people out of poverty, while saving the world!

This is why I love Van and Majora’s organization, Green for All. It aims to help build a green economy strong enough to lift all people out of poverty. The green economy will create job opportunities for low-income people. A shift to clean energy, and sustainable development will improve the health and well-being of low-income people, who suffer disproportionately from cancer, asthma and other respiratory ailments in our dirty-energy economy. Such a shift can create entrepreneurial, wealth-building opportunities for those who need new avenues of economic advance, too. A national effort to curb global warming and promote sustainable development will simultaneously create good jobs, safer streets and healthier communities.

Check out this video of Majora doing her thing:

We must end this “Eco-Apartheid.” Its not fair and its not right. Everybody needs to be in on the green movement, or its not going to get the push it needs. And without a green collar workforce, how is anything going to get done? The green wave must lift ALL boats. I encourage you to check more into Van Jones too. He is the man. Van for President?

Listen up. There’s this thing called “Network Neutrality”, aka Net Neutrality. It is the fundamental concept that the internet was built on. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider. You’re probably saying, “well duh.”

But here’s the kicker: Telephone and cable companies that provide Internet access to millions of people would like to get rid of net neutrality! They’re spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress for the right to create a “two-lane” Internet, where their own content and services (and those of businesses that pay them large fees) would travel to you quickly and efficiently in the “fast lane,” and all other websites and services would be relegated to the “slow lane.”

This video does a great job of explaining the situation. Check it out:

Without net neutrality, telephone and cable companies could legally restrict access to any website or Internet application they choose whenever it suits their bottom-line economic, or even political, interests.

Unfortunately, we lost net neutrality protections in August 2006, as the result of a technical change in the way the FCC deals with the Internet. But it is important to understand that net neutrality has always been a guiding principle of the Internet — it is the reason that the Internet has been able to grow exponentially, fuel innovation and alter how we communicate.

Today there is no rule or regulation to stop the phone and cable companies from doing what they’ve said they want to do: charge content providers for the right to be on “their” Internet pipes, and make special deals with some companies to ensure their sites and services work faster and are easier to find by Internet users. That’s why it’s so critical that Congress acts now to protect freedom on the Internet.

Check out these links to take action and get the word out about Net Neutrality:

Save the Internet

Common Cause

We Are the Web

Wikipedia: Network Neutrality

SPREAD THE WORD. GET PEOPLE TALKING. FIGHT THE POWER(peacefully)!

My favorite is Van Jones. I have been lucky enough to see him speak three times and every time I am blown away. “It’s time the African American community had a part in the discussion on climate change,” said Jones. “We’re not going to solve global warming just with expensive consumer choices like buying hybrid cars and shopping for organic food. People need to realize that you don’t have to be white or wealthy to benefit from going green.” Check out this video with Van. There’s plenty more where that came from.

The green wave must lift all boats, not just the wealthy ones. So far, we have seen what Van Jones calls an “eco-apartheid.” This means that only the rich people can afford the organic food, the hybrid cars, the solar panels, etc. Meanwhile the poor can barely afford Ramen Noodles. Green collar jobs will change all of this, getting everybody involved in the new green marketplace.

Majora Carter is another outstanding pioneer in this field. She is the founder and director of Sustainable South Bronx, which is an organization that focuses on Environmental Justice through innovative, economically sustainable projects that are informed by community needs. If you’ve ever heard the term “Green the Ghetto,” it came from this organization. Majora is doing some great work with them. To see more, check out this video:

I think it is GREAT that these two people (and others) are drawing attention to the issue of green collar jobs. If you go to Youtube, you will notice that there are many videos of Van and Majora in many different contexts and on many different topics. Majora has been featured on PBS and on TED talks, etc. Van will find any chance that he gets to be in front of a camera get his voice heard about these issues. It is a great use of the media, and we need more! So, those of you with those great socially conscious VHS video tapes in your attic….get those things on the computer and slap them up on Youtube! The world needs to see them.

Majora is actually speaking in Boston Tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 16), at Boston Public Library at 6pm. I encourage you to go. I’ll see you there! Click here for more.

Any thoughts on Green Jobs?

peace

Music is the “universal language.” We’ve all heard that one before. But what does that mean? Music can communicate to ANYBODY, no matter where they are from, what language they speak, what religion they practice or what their “social class” is. It defies all boundaries and barriers.

Today, in this digital age, music is extremely accessible. More than it has ever been. This means that music can reach anyone, at anytime, at any part of the world. This is especially exciting if the music has something great to say!

Let’s face it, the progressive movement needs to unite. We need to “agree to disagree” on many things. As progressives, we need to understand that we’re all fighting the same fight, even though it doesn’t seem that way. There are so many divisions of this movement: civil rights, the environment, health care, election reform, corruption, education, and the list goes on. What we need to realize is that each of these topics is just as worthy as the next and really, we’re all fighting for the same thing: CHANGE!

Music can bridge these gaps. Music can bring everyone together to say, “alright, we’re all in this together, so let’s join forces and unify, and MAKE THIS MOVEMENT STRONGER! We might not agree on everything, but we do agree that this music makes me feel good!!” That’s what music can do for the progressive movement.

A great example of using music to unite people would be the protest music of Pete Seeger.

Pete Seeger was famous for playing old country banjo folk songs and socially aware narratives of working-class folks. His union anthems and famous five-string banjo playing has influenced every protester from from the east to the west. Toward the end of the 1930s, he joined forces with the late, great Woody Guthrie and a handful of other musicians to form Almanac Singers. Their aim was to promote unions and come down hard on fascism. In the late 1940s, Seeger formed the Weavers, a folk group who made famous such hits as “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena,” Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene,” and “On Top of Old Smokey” before McCarthy-era paranoia put an unceremonious end to their bookings and recording contracts. Today, his contributions to old standards live strong in the interests of folk enthusiasts and anyone who has ever been moved by songs such as “We Shall Overcome,” “If I Had a Hammer,” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” a Seeger penned ditty that became a gigantic radio hit when the song was covered by West Coast Folk Rockers, the Byrds.

via

Another great musician who has had a profound influence and brought many people together is Fela Kuti. Check out this clip and watch the whole thing. There’s some pretty heavy stuff in there!

Fela Kuti was a major activist for Pan-Africanism and anti-colonialism, and because of his socialist beliefs, had many run-ins with the authorities of several African countries. His struggles made him a veritable icon of the Black Power movement. Fela Kuti attempted to run for Nigerian President several times, but was never allowed to.

I encourage you to check out more Fela Kuti and Pete Seeger. But there are so many more. Who are some of your favorites? I would love to hear what you all have to say!

peace,
Dave

The Foundation Movement:

Foundation Movement members; Eroc, Optimus, and DJ El are a diverse group of young artists with origins from Puerto Rico, Liberia, and Guatemala, who all met in Boston and united to form the group. This cultural fusion, as well as their experiences growing up in Boston, has influenced The Foundation’s music. Not another rap group with watered down lyrics, and messages of misogyny and materialism

The Riot Folk Collective:

We are an anti-profit mutual-aid collective of radical artists and musicians. We make music to provoke, educate, heal and inspire.

The Superpowers (formerly the Boston Afrobeat Society):

The Superpowers is an 11 member, 21st Century Dance Band. In the past year they have played nearly 100 shows at festivals, bars, clubs, farms, and community events, rallying to end the violence in Darfur, raising money for development projects in Zambias Meheba refugee settlement and supporting Fair Trade in South America.

The Second Line Social Aide Pleasure Society Brass Band:

The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band is a 15-piece “raucous, stomp-your-foot-and-belt-out-the-choruses” (Boston Globe) Cambridge-based New Orleans-style street band.We are regular Joes and Janes with day jobs who combine music with social action — slamming out the sounds of the legendary Crescent City for peace rallies, street festivals, parades and benefits. Our motto: ”We aim to please if the cause is true and the time is right.”

It is great that these artists/bands are doing awesome work, but we need MORE! We ALL truly need to step it up and get our message heard. What we need is a greater sense of community. This means that we need more venues that support progressive, socially conscious music. But if there aren’t any, we must build our own! We do this by building our progressive community up.

We are all in this together, so we must set aside our differences, join forces and make this world a better place with our music. Since there are so many musicians/bands in Boston and such a small amount of clubs and venues, we need to be working together, producing our own shows and putting on our own events, creating our own community of people who really care!

Peace on,
Dave

P.S. if you want to chek out The Foundation Movement, The Riot Folk Collective, and the Second Line Social Aid Pleasure Society Brass Band, they will all be performing at the 2008 Peoples Music Winter Gathering in Boston

I am very pumped to be a part of this online community. The potential is endless for us. Let us create positive discussions and dialog about what we can do to make this world a better place.

We need to build coalitions and bridge gaps to make this movement stronger. Whatever it might take, we must do it. And we need to be talking about what IT is! So, any takers? What are some basic steps we must take, as of now, to get this world moving in the right direction?

peace

Download audio file (PTD_PODCAST2_WHATDOYOULISTENTO.mp3)

Or download it here.

(warning, most of these sites play music when you open them, be warned)

Jim Noir
Bobby Womack
Sam Kiniger
James Booker
Zero 7
The New Mastersounds
The King Singers
Morphine
3 Day Threshold
The Lights Out
The Crown
Fela Kuti
Philip Glass
Resophonics
Girls, Guns and Glory
Orwan Ortiz
Bad Art Ensemble
Klezmatics
Jeff Buckley
Walter The Orange Ocean
Melodesiac