citizens of this planet,

Citizens of this planet

I feel that we, as citizens of this planet, all have a duty to make Earth a place that can sustain human life for all generations to come. For those who are able, there is a need for people to reach out to others who are less fortunate due to poverty, or living conditions, those suffering from ill health, and lack of essential needs like clean water and medical care. 
Here are some simple ways in which you can help. I urge you to all become caretakers of our planet by doing what we can to keep it's air, water and land pure and clean, and by reaching out to those in need in whatever way we can.

1. Use products that will help in sustaining a healthy planet. 
2. Choosing technologies that are "Earth Friendly". By using "Green Energy" whenever possible. 
3. By driving vehicles that have less impact on our environment, such as Hybrid, bio fuel, or high MPG vehicles. 
4. By recycling the containers that our products come in and urging companies to use more Recyclable packaging. 
5. Donating to causes that support positive environmental reform 
6. Donating to organizations that help to bring education, potable water, medical care and sanitation solutions to impoverished areas of our nation and our world. 
7. By supporting legislation within our own countries that will punish companies that pollute and destroy the environment 
8. By planting trees anywhere you can and trying to sustain those forests that are valuable to helping process the air we all need to breathe. 
9. By helping to clean up those areas where bad land management, litter and pollution have taken their toll. 
10. By spreading the ideals of love and peace and the oneness of humanity 
11. By accepting the diversity of the human species and acknowleging that we are all brothers and sisters. 
We are all indeed, blessed to live in a time when technology exists to solve the problems such as famine, potable water, disease prevention and health care for all. It is up to us to see that those things are made available to all people of all nations. it is more healthy way to spread the good that our nation has to offer, than by forcing a nation to change its politics through wars, destruction and death, 
There is a more positive way to spread the good name of our nation around the world. It is by each of us participating in whatever way we can, be that big or small, in making this Earth a better place for mankind. 
I offer the links below as places where you can go to learn more about how we all can help. Our beliefs may differ, our ideas regarding solutions may differ, however I believe that we all want this world to be a better place. 
If you, my fans, know of sites, like those below, which can help educate all of us and help to reach out to those in need, please feel free to send me links to those sites, and I will look into them and the possiblility of adding them to this page.

Care2 

Care2 The global network of people who care 2 make a difference. Here people network and use the resources and connections available through the internet to bring attention to and change issues covering a wide rance of topics all aimed at making this planet a better place. 
From their website: 
Started in 1998 by Randy Paynter, today, they've grown to over 35 employees, 5.5 million members and work with more than 150 nonprofit organizations and hundreds of responsible business advertisers. It's this incredible depth and breadth of passion and talent that comes together to create such a special place. 
If you care about health, human rights and protecting the environment, and if you believe individuals have the power to change the world, you're going to love Care2. 
Their goal: Make the world a better place. 
The plan: Connect people who care (that's you!) with the organizations, responsible businesses and individuals getting results. It's a big plan that touches on health, the environment, women's rights, spirituality, children's welfare, human rights and much more. 
Their role: we're just here to facilitate and empower all of these amazing, diverse efforts. It's incredible what individuals and organizations can accomplish when they have the right tools. You are our inspiration. 
The result: Awe inspiring. Care2 members are rocking the planet. Take peek at some recent success stories! 
And it's catching on. More than a million new members joined Care2 this past year. Young and old, rich and poor, meeting, discussing, getting involved, making a difference. No matter what your passion (or even if you're trying to figure out what your passion is!) I think you'll find Care2 is a welcoming place with countless ways to make a difference. 
Please check out this site and get involved!

Water For Life 

This is an effort supported by Rotary of Paradise, Rotary of Chico and Rotary international that is helping to bring potable water to areas that have previously not have a healthy source of drinking water. They have started their efforts in Guatamala, but plan on taking the success of this effort to other areas around the globe. The money raised is not lost in administrative costs, but is rather going directly to fund clean water for those in need. 
The Rotary Club of Paradise (California) felt compelled to take on an international undertaking and, therefore, attended the Uniendo America Projects Fair in Guatemala, Central America to meet with Rotarians of third world areas and together, determine Central American needs. 
Just one, staggering statistic: 35,000 children die EACH WEEK from non-potable water; worldwide. It is overwhelmingly apparent that the number one need is the necessity for suitable, potable water. Rotary International is seriously considering water as their next international project, similar in scope to their initial campaign to eradicate polio world wide. 
Uniendo America means “Uniting America,” and that is just what, Uniendo America Project fairs aim to do. Since 1994, Uniendo America has held a Fair in a different Central American country each year where Central American Rotarians have presented World Community Service (WCS) projects to North American Rotarians in hopes of forming international partnerships. Meeting face to face at the Fairs has created lasting friendships, forged new working relationships and facilitated the implementation of hundreds of WCS projects, benefiting countless Central (and North) Americans. It is what Rotary International is all about: Creating goodwill and understanding through international cooperation. Uniendo America Project Fairs are not official programs of Rotary International, but rather they are grassroots efforts, being organized by the hosting countries. 
Rotary Club of Paradise is organizing fundraisers to help catapult this issue to international awareness! You too can be part of the start of something huge, right here in our own backyard, by attending the first fundraiser to assist in this endeavor. 
This partnership with Central America promises to be the beginning of something that we aspire to extend from Central America to all other parts of the world, on both sides of this partnership...the partners raising the funds, and the partners benefiting from the funds.With the first of what plans to be a significant amount of performances by top-rated artists-worldwide, come be a part of the beginning of something huge..."Water for Life." 
100% of money is given towards the project with "No Administrative Fees"
On a matter of grave importance to the future of our nation and our planet, I urge you all to see the film 

An Inconvenient Truth 

No matter what political leanings you may have, it is of grave importance that we are an educated nation, aware of what is happening to our world. In this film, Al Gore lays out the plain truth about global warming in a way that is very understandable. It is time that we as citizens of this wonderful nation, put our politicians to the task of solving this dilema, not in the usual pork and graft way of putting things off till it's too late, like they did in New Orleans, but rather as a matter of urgency by accepting the impending grave consequences that will come from neglecting these issues. All financial, corporate and political influences must be cast aside, as together we forge forward to make this planet one in which future generations can live. 
Please do yourselves and Mother Earth a favor ... 
Go see this film!! 
Find out what you can do to conserve energy and leave a smaller footprint on our Planet 
Click here to learn more 
Get involved in the process that makes this nation the best in the world. 
Talk to your friends, contact your representatives ... 
U.S. House Of Representatives • U.S. Senate 
Be sure to get out and vote!!!!! 
Lets make a difference by letting all of our voices be heard!!!!
Bread And Roses 
Inspired by a 1912 poem by James Oppenheim, Mimi Fariña selected "Bread & Roses" to convey the spirit of the nonprofit she founded in 1974 to bring music and other live art to institutionalized children, teens, adults, and elders. Over the years, Bread & Roses has become nationally awarded and emulated organization. 
Bread & Roses is dedicated to uplifting the human spirit by providing free, live, quality entertainment to people who live in institutions or are otherwise isolated from society. 
Our performers enrich the soul and promote wellness through the healing power of the performing arts, create a sense of community for our professional performers, in a non-commercial setting in which they can donate their talents to inspire and be inspired, provide an opportunity for non-performing volunteers to contribute a variety of skills and resources that support our humanitarian services and increase the impact of donor contributions. In carrying out this mission, Bread & Roses seeks to create a social awareness of people who are isolated from society, and to encourage the development of similar organizations in other communities. 
I spent several years on the board of directors of Bread And Roses. I saw close up both as a performer, and as a board member, how this organization has helped to change lives and bring the wonderful blessings of Art, Dance, Music, Poetry and Theater to places that otherwise are sad and grim places. The artists that give their services to perform for the indigent people in the Bay Area through Bread and Roses, feel the difference they are making in these peoples lives, and keep coming back to give and give again and again, helping to make the world a better place for others, one day and one face at a time. I urge you to Support Mimi's vision through donating in whatever way you can to Bread and Roses.

Environment California 

Environment California is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Our professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for California's environment. Environment California draws on 30 years of success in tackling our state's top environmental problems.
CALPRIG • (California Public Interest Research Group) 
In order to be involved in making this world a better place, we must stay informed. So many of us have far too little time to research all of the complicated issues that surround us regarding our environment, our health and safety as well as legislature that is pending regarding interests of concern. CALPRIG is a group which does that research and helps to keep us informed. 
When corporate wrongdoing threatens our health or our safety, or violates fundamental principles of fairness and justice, CALPIRG stands up for the public. They conduct investigative research. They publish consumer reports and exposes. They advocate new laws and other protections at the local, state and federal levels. And when necessary, they take corporate wrongdoers to court. Their results-oriented approach has won victories for Californians on a wide range of issues, including healthcare reform, prescription drug pricing, consumer privacy and product safety.
We must make this world a better place for our children. All over the globe, where disasters, poverty, and war create an environment where mere day to day survival is difficult, the children are the ones who bear the greatest scars. it is imperitive that we do what we can to make this world a better place for the children who will inherit it after we are gone. It is because of this belief that I offer theses sites for you to check out.

UNICEF 

UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young. 
We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We believe that we can, together, advance the cause of humanity. 
We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. 
We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. 
We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished, because it is wrong for a child to suffer or die from a preventable illness. 
We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity. 
We involve everyone in creating protective environments for children. We are present to relieve suffering during emergencies, and wherever children are threatened, because no child should be exposed to violence, abuse or exploitation. 
UNICEF upholds the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We work to assure equality for those who are discriminated against, girls and women in particular. We work for the Millennium Development Goals and for the progress promised in the United Nations Charter. We strive for peace and security. We work to hold everyone accountable to the promises made for children. 
We are part of the Global Movement for Children – a broad coalition dedicated to improving the life of every child. Through this movement, and events such as the United Nations Special Session on Children, we encourage young people to speak out and participate in the decisions that affect their lives. 
We work in 191 countries through country programmes and National Committees. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Red Cross 
I have seen the presence of the Red Cross in nearly every disaster and war throughout my lifetime. When governments were unable or unwilling to send help and reach people that were in need and do something for them, the Red Cross was there. I believe in this organization as a non partisan, humanitarian group which reaches out to those in need all over the globe with medical aid, food, shelter and other resources that let those who are suffering know that there are people out there who do care and want to their world a better place. 
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—down the street, across the country and around the world—in emergencies. 
The Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross Movement, provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. 
Red Cross chapters are the backbone of our local presence. Your support helps us maintain a nationwide network of chapters to provide lifesaving programs and services in communities across the country— so that no one is ever alone in their time of greatest need. The strength and health of our chapters are crucial for the Red Cross as one body to meet the challenges ahead. 
You can help ensure that the Red Cross can continue to provide these lifesaving services and has the resources, talent and ability to continue to deliver them by making a donation to support all of the core services of the American Red Cross today.



it is my deep belief that the idea that people can solve their differences through war is a hideous concept. History going back to the eariliest writings and heirogliphics, has clearly shown that violence begets violence, that hatred breeds hatred and that war is not an answer nor a solution. We are an intelligent people and have the ability to do so much better and to try so much harder to solve our problems without resorting to war. War is never an answer. 
I believe, that until we as members of the Human Race, acknowledge that we can only solve the problems between people and nations through education and with honest and open dialogue and peaceful means, that we will continue to witness the sad and destructive events of war, and the growth of hatred, racism, religeous fanaticism and the sadness in the eyes and hearts of so many who are caught up in the midst of the violence and misery caused by wars and conflicts around the globe. I believe that we need to educate each other to discover the truth behind each side's point of view and find a peaceful path that can allow people to exist next to each other without the anguish of war, racism and hatred. We are all brothers and sisters. 
Please know that within this belief system I still send out my love and support for the safety and health and for the speedy return of all of our brave men women and children of the military that are having to live in the midst of the horrors of war. I pray for them each day and pray as well that those who have sent them into these conflicts will change their hearts and end the insanity. 

It is with these beliefs that I support the following organizations.
Paradise Center for Tolerance and Non Violence 

In my home town of Paradise, I have found a great and caring community. Among them, The Paradise Center for Tolerance and Nonviolence, (PCTN), is helping to direct positive energy into our town. Founded in October, 2000, a grassroots, nonsectarian, nonpolitical, not for profit 501(c)(3) corporation, dedicated to fostering tolerance of differences, to resolving conflicts peacefully, and to building a safe, hospitable and harmonious community, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. We recognize each person's right to his or her beliefs and opinions. We advocate for unbiased and respectful behavior. Our members have diverse religious beliefs, affiliations and political views. 
Because intolerance and prejudice are often at the root of harassing and violent behaviors, our programs and services seek to engender more understanding and acceptance of human diversity, and appreciation of our common human values, dreams and struggles. Toward that end, PCTN's two primary objectives have been support and prevention. The Center offers support, mediation, and counseling for victims of harassment, discrimination and violence, resulting from prejudice and intolerance. We act as a bridge between the victim and the institution by accompanying victims to meetings with school officials, the police or other authority. We assist them in stating their point of view and finding consensual solutions. We also provide mediation with a trained counselor for individuals or families engaged in bias or hate-motivated conflict. We work toward prevention by raising awareness, through our annual community events, our educational evenings exploring diverse cultures, and our youth activities, expanding kids' understanding of bullying and hurtful teasing, and encouraging their empathy and recognition of the value of kind and respectful interaction. 


During its first year the Center successfully worked with Town officials to set up a system for removing hate graffiti. In keeping with our mission of fostering tolerance and appreciation of all races and cultures, volunteers turned their efforts toward the production of two community events: a celebration of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr Day held in January and a multi-cultural Unity in Diversity Festival held in June. The Center has continued to present these entertaining and inspiring events each year. No admission fee is charged. 
Their Motto is: Making our community a safe place for all, throught promoting respect for differences and human rights and fostering alternatives to violence. 
Every community should have an organization that addresses these issues. I commend PCTN for their work in my town.
ANSWER Coalition  • (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) 
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition formed on September 14, 2001. It is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and prominent individuals and scores of organizing centers in cities and towns across the country. Its national steering committee represents major national organizations that have campaigned against U.S. intervention in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia, and organizations that have campaigned for civil rights and for social and economic justice for working and poor people inside the United States. 

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition organized the first national demonstration against war and racism following September 11 on September 29, 2001, which brought 25,000 people into the streets of Washington DC and 15,000 in San Francisco. 
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition gained prominence because the Coalition from its earliest days after September 11, 2001 provided a principled and activist orientation to organize political resistance through mass action, and created a forum for people of conscience to speak out when so many others were silent. Many of the national organizations that constitute the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition Steering Committee were those groups in the anti-globalization movement who - after September 11 and in the most difficult circumstances when people in the United States were subject to a carefully orchestrated round the clock campaign to create a war fever - initiated a strategy and mass mobilizations to counter the Bush Administration’s endless war drive, its so called war on "terrorism." 
The Coalition has since then worked to build an anti-racist, peace and social justice movement. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, thus, had initiated the mass anti-war movement in the United States. A central characteristic of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition’s organizing strategy has been to work in partnership with the Arab American and Muslim community and other sectors in U.S. society who have been traditionally ignored. This has helped to create a truly multi-national anti-war movement.
FOR • (Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace and Disarmament) 
FOR's Vision: We envision a world of justice, peace, and freedom. It is a revolutionary vision of a beloved community where differences are respected, conflicts are addressed nonviolently, oppressive structures are dismantled, and where people live in harmony with the earth, nurtured by diverse spiritual traditions that foster compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation. 
FOR's Mission: FOR seeks to replace violence, war, racism, and economic injustice with nonviolence, peace, and justice. We are an interfaith organization committed to active nonviolence as a transforming way of life and as a means of radical change. We educate, train, build coalitions, and engage in nonviolent and compassionate actions locally, nationally, and globally. 
Since 1915, The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) has carried on programs and educational projects concerned with domestic and international peace and justice, nonviolent alternatives to conflict, and the rights of conscience. A Nonviolent, Interfaith, tax exempt organization, The FOR promotes nonviolence and has members from many religious and ethnic traditions. It is a part of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), which has affiliates in over 40 countries.


I WIll Not Kill 

The Conscience and Courage Gathering that took place Feb. 18 -21, 2005 in Nyack, New York at the Fellowship of Reconciliation brought together 30 peace activists from across the United States and Canada. 
Participants represented FOR local groups, religious peace fellowships, national organizations and networks opposing war who came together to develop strategies to help members of the armed forces who want out on religious or ethical grounds. 
Out of the conference emerged the campaign, "I Will Not Kill” to affirm the right of conscientious objection and oppose any future draft specifically educating high school and collage age youth such possibilities. 
The “I Will Not Kill” campaign aims to: ,BR> · affirm the right of conscientious objection and support the right of people to have a choice whether or not to serve 
· oppose a future draft 
· encourage those who are targeted by recruiters to check out the reality of the military 
· raise awareness of resistance to war and share the ideas with other youth 
· educate high school and college age youth about the impacts of and alternatives to war 
· dismantle the selective service system and promote a culture of life 
Amen!
My blessings and prayers to all who are suffering today. We are here ... we are trying to reach out to you. We do want to make this world a better place!