My friend Alex told me about his 30 Days Writing Challenge, and I think it is an appropriate time to start one as well, as I am nearing the one year anniversary of starting my “independent extreme makeover” and starting to become the woman that I always wanted to be.
I’ve always believed I can be better, but never before have I been so determined to achieve my potential! Not like this past year — at least not in terms of extreme self-awareness, and making harsh decisions regarding what I consider to be good or bad for me. Turns out what is bad for me is a lot easier or comfortable to keep around, so to make the right decisions it takes a level of mental strength that I never rationalised before.
Some things haven’t changed, and never will, as they are ingrained in my DNA. Starting with when I was 8 years old I would look at the sky at night and wonder what colour is the universe beyond ours, and the one beyond that one, and push my imagination to picture as many layers of “universes” as possible. I would get frustrated at the limitations of my mind, the limitations of what I know and always felt that we, as a race, are much more than just another slightly evolved species of monkeys whose purpose is to inconsequently reproduce or ruin the planet we inhabit while destroying each other for the purpose of achieving some sort of financial interest.
Turns out I did not become an astrophysicist, nor an anthropologist ( a’well :) ), but everything that I do in life is built on my strong belief that common sense, human rights and open source mentality should be the principles to drive humanity forward. I want to believe we have a higher purpose that can be achieved through empathy, collaboration, kindness and compassion. I pick my battles carefully while trying to inspire everyone I meet to think bigger, to help each other, to work together. I will write more about this in the following days…
However, I will not start this 30 Days Writing Challenge sharing my experience of quitting antidepressants, cigarettes and alcohol cold turkey and replacing them with going to the gym and running. We have plenty of time to talk about this. Today, however, because of Human Rights Week, I want to start with telling you about what I am working on this week.
Starting 2007, I have been working on different human rights campaigns with one of the people I admire most in the world — Jack Healey. Jack was the director of Amnesty International for 12 years, but decided to go solo by founding the non-profit Human Rights Action Center in 1994, and has since confronted the human rights abuses of governments for over 50 years. He is still actively campaigning, and in addition to raising millions of dollars to stop world hunger, Jack helped move the topic of human rights from closed-door diplomatic negotiations to widespread awareness, public debate, and direct citizen action.
Jack’s personal story is incredible, and his impact on the global human rights scene is unbelievable. I don’t turn groupie easily, but I instantly became Jack’s fan when I met him, and will always be there to help him when he needs me.
In 2008, for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and inspired by Jack, I have created the One Day for Human Rights awareness campaign for Human Rights Day (December 10th) and asked people to write one article on an issue that can be found in one of the UDHR articles. I had over 2000 people writing in less than 2 weeks! As someone new to social media, that result was mind blowing to me! The overall feeling was gratefulness. Also, it gave me a sense of hope that the world is better than how it looks if you read the news. People care! They do! We do! You do! And what a wonderful feeling that is, that you belong to something bigger than your little bubble, that there is a common humanity that drives us!
Fast forward to today, I want to be as hopeful as I was back then, and as Human Rights Week kicks off today, here I am hoping that we can all help one person. This year my campaign is not about saving the world, but saving one world: the world of a man who is in prison for over 40 years for something he did not do. His name is Leonard Peltier, and he was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which promotes Native American rights.
In 1975, during a confrontation involving AIM members, two FBI agents were shot dead. Peltier was convicted of their murders but has always denied killing the agents. His trial was flawed, Amnesty International said so immediately and was joined by other human rights groups and activists.
However, we are not arguing the legal case. We are asking President Obama for clemency for Leonard Peltier. We feel he has suffered long enough and it is the right of every American to ask for clemency by the Constitution.
For this purpose, I want to ask for your help! Wherever you are, American citizen or not, it is something you can do to help and make a change in the world between December 6–10, during Human Rights Week.
If you want to read more about the campaign and watch the “I Will, Will You?” videos featuring multiple celebrities supporting Leonard and asking for his freedom, you can check out the Facebook Page or the YouTube Channel setup for this purpose. However, I am aware that your time is very valuable and want to make it as easy as possible to help, so here is what you can do for “Human Klout bonus points” ;) :
Write #ClemencyForPeltier on the palm of your hand or on a sign or anywhere you like. Take a selfie and share it on all your social media channels, tagging @potus and using the #ClemencyForPeltier hashtag.
Here is a sample post to make it easier:
I Am Asking @POTUS to please grant #ClemencyForPeltier and allow him to return to his family. #HRAC #FreePeltier #HumanRightsDay
The more we are… you know how it goes. You matter! Your participation matters! :) Let’s use social media for good once more, and work together for higher impact! If you can also share this article and spread the word so more and more people join, I would also be grateful, but honestly, I am looking forward to seeing your selfies! And here is mine (also on Instagram) :)
Thank you! Thank you for being human! Thank you for getting outside your comfort zone and help someone you don’t know but needs your help!
And while I have your attention, have you read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? You can also watch a cool video we made a while back. Know YOUR rights!
Until tomorrow.
This piece is part of the 30 Days Writing Challenge. During the next month I will write short stories about whatever is on my mind each day! Thank you for reading them, I hope they’ll inspire you! :)
