Globally, 1.2 billion people have no access to electricity. On the occasion of VELUX 75th anniversary the company decided to address this issue. Together with the social business Little Sun and the NGO Plan International they are collaborating to bring clean, reliable and affordable light to off-grid regions in Zambia, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.
14,500 Natural Light lamps from the VELUX Group have now arrived in Africa and the first recipients can already look forward to a better quality of life.
Among them are young girls between 10 and 18 years of age who live in a safe house in the slum area Mntendere in the Zambian capital Lusaka.
"The lamps mean the girls can do their homework when they get back from school and can feel safer at night, instead of huddling together in the dark after sunset. And it’s particularly important for our children that they feel safe – many are carrying the mental baggage such as the trauma of violence, rape or drugs," says safe house manager Verann Delarey.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7769151-velux-natural-light-and-life-zambia/
The holiday season provides the perfect opportunity to give thanks and to give back to youth who are facing challenges within our communities. In days of uncertainty, there are still people who are providing direction and mentoring to high-risk youth to help them succeed in spite of the unfortunate circumstances they may have encountered. Many studies indicate that a young person’s success can be greatly enhanced by an advocate or mentor — an adult who consistently helps a young person stay on track to graduate and make better life choices. Goodwill’s GoodGuides program is the source of many modern-day mentoring success stories.
The GoodGuides program provides mentoring to youth, ages 12–17, who are at risk of dropping out of school and/or falling into delinquency. The program helps them finish school, transition into the world of work and prepare for success by pairing them with trusted adult volunteer mentors. Mentors help youth overcome disadvantages such as failure in school due to poor grades or low attendance, or avoid delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability, drug or alcohol dependence, family violence or gang membership.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7057252-goodwill-givegoodwill-campaign/
Today, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued a report card on President Obama's immigration efforts over the past seven years and made recommendations for how to reform immigration in his last year.
“In recent days and weeks he has shown leadership in protecting refugees from Syria,” said AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis. “But until recently, the president's response was timid and he still plans to resettle only 10,000 Syrian refugees this year. He can save many more lives by setting his target at 100,000 Syrian refugees.”
“In our own hemisphere, when Central American individuals and families, including young children, arrived at our southern border seeking refuge from the horrific violence plaguing those countries, the president should have protected them, but instead, he treated them as a border threat. The president should acknowledge that the situation in Central America is a humanitarian crisis and use every tool at his disposal to protect those fleeing. Most important he should stop detaining thousands of families.”
“The reforms to the legal immigration system he promised a year ago have moved forward at a glacial pace, earning him an incomplete. He can benefit the economy enormously by implementing plans to encourage research, development and entrepreneurial start-ups.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7683151-aila-national-immigration-report-card/
The National Limousine Association (NLA) and When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation (WGS) join forces on The Aspire Initiative, a domestic violence program, which aims to reduce the level of intimate relationship violence in the US and instill the importance of bystander responsibility. With an escalating number of passenger assaults alleged against ride-hailing app drivers, the NLA believes Aspire is vital to ending violence and sexual assault. Robin McGraw announced the partnership in a video message posted to her Foundation’s Facebook timeline on Friday, November 20th. The message was then shared by Robin’s husband and television personality Dr. Phil McGraw to his show’s Facebook page timeline on Monday, November 23rd.
The Aspire Initiative is available free of charge and includes a potentially-lifesaving smartphone app, Aspire News, a smartphone app available as a free download on Google Play, as well as at www.whengeorgiasmiled.org, that allows the user to create a pre-written text or voice message to be sent to designated numbers (i.e., 911 or other chosen contacts) with just the tap of a button. The ignition of the app‘s “go button” also starts a recording to capture the details of the domestic violence encounter and/or other dangerous events taking place. Aspire News is designed to appear like any other smart phone app to the untrained eye, allowing it to be downloaded and used discreetly.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7430253-nla-wgs-the-aspire-initiative/
Allstate Foundation Purple Purse® ambassador Kerry Washington unveiled her latest purse design to bring attention to domestic violence and financial abuse before an audience of community leaders, survivors and VIPs on Sept. 24 in New York City. In so doing, she also kicked off a month-long effort to raise funds for domestic violence programs nationwide.
Golden Globe and Emmy nominated Washington partnered with handbag designer, Dee Ocleppo, to create the 2015 Purple Purse. The limited-edition, on-trend clutch was created to encourage the public to talk about domestic violence and financial abuse. This year, the purple purse, retailing at $350, is available for purchase beginning Sept. 25 at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations and on Saks.com with 25 percent of proceeds supporting abuse programs.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7616851-allstate-foundation-purple-purse/
To help prevent teen dating abuse throughout the country, Futures Without Violence and the Ad Council today launched a new mobile-first campaign as part of their “That’s Not Cool” public service effort. The national campaign aims to empower teens to set their own boundaries in their relationships when communicating through digital and social media. YouTube Creator Meghan Rienks is joining the effort as part of the Ad Council’s Creators for Good program with new exclusive video content that will be distributed to her more than 1.7 million subscribers.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7545451-ad-council-teen-dating-thats-not-cool/
Today, the Ad Council and national nonprofit Futures Without Violence launched a national public service campaign called #TeachEarly highlighting the pivotal role that men play in preventing domestic and sexual violence. The campaign launch coincides with the release of the Ad Council Domestic Violence Prevention Continuous Tracking Study, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Of the men surveyed, 89 percent agreed that it’s important for men to talk to boys about violence against women and girls, while only 37 percent reported speaking to a boy they know about violence against women in the past six months. The campaign encourages men to recognize this dissonance between their beliefs and actions, and teach boys to respect women with the same enthusiasm and dedication in which they teach them other things.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7482751-ad-council-domestic-violence/
Safe Horizon, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence, today officially launched the public service announcement (PSA) for its groundbreaking “#PutTheNailinIt” campaign to end domestic violence. #PutTheNailinIt encourages men and women to show support for victims of abuse and pledge to take a stand against domestic violence. They are encouraged to do this by painting their left ring fingernail purple, the color of the anti-domestic violence movement, and by donating at safehorizon.org to help victims become survivors.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7448052-safehorizon-domestic-violence-psa/
http://www.melogia.com New rock song "We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve" is an emotional piece about domestic violence.
Now that the Super Bowl is over, the NFL will have a chance to reflect on quite a year. Domestic violence was frequently at the forefront of the 2014-2015 season and unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. Sarantos is proud to release this latest rock song. Violence against women and children results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships, and from societal abuse of power and domination in the forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, able-bodyism, ageism and other oppressions. The abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetuating conditions, which condone violence against women and children. “This a powerful rock song about domestic violence in our society today," says Sarantos. “It seems like this topic was in the news a lot in the last year between the NFL, Bill Cosby and so many other stories that made headlines. My heart goes out to the victims. I wrote this song to not only start a conversation on the matter but to hopefully help others find a solution. This is a hard rock song about a man who has made many mistakes in his life. He constantly takes emotional abuse from his partner. Somewhere along the way, he has lost his faith. Thru the words, the bruises and the blame though he stays right there... Why does he stay right there? I hope this song helps drive home the message throughout the world that domestic abuse is simply not ok.”
33% of any music-related sales profits from this song are going straight to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The goal of the campaign by United Colors of Benetton, devised and created by Fabrica, is also to advocate international awareness of the need for concrete actions to support women and prevention programs, beginning with efforts to promote an education for young men and women that develops a culture based on recognition, respect for difference and equal opportunities.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7387451-benetton-un-end-violence-women/
A group of men "stoning" a woman with flower petals: this is the powerful and surprising symbol-image of the new campaign by United Colors of Benetton in support of UN Women, the United Nations agency that promotes gender equality and empowerment of women, on occasion of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7387451-benetton-un-end-violence-women/
Armando Christian Perez, also known as global music superstar Pitbull will perform LIVE at AT&T Stadium during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game on FOX against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, kicking off The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign. The halftime performance marks the 18th year the Dallas Cowboys have partnered with The Salvation Army to launch the campaign, which raises millions of dollars throughout the holiday season. Donations help provide meals and shelter for families, Christmas toys for millions of children, in addition to numerous other social services programs year-round such as substance abuse programs, shelter and counseling for victims of domestic violence, and military veteran assistance.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7346051-pitbull-to-kick-off-salvation-army-red-kettle-campaign-with-halftime-performance-during-dallas-cowboys-thanksgiving-day-game/
