Thank You: Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik in Kugluktuk, NU | Indigo Adopt a School, #1000Speak for Compassion

Thank you to all who “adopted” Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik Elementary School, spread the word, and made donations to its library.

While the votes and donations received online are still being confirmed by the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, the information thus far is that we collected 1637 books for this high-needs elementary school.

As a second-place winner in terms of number of adoptions received, Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik Elementary School in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, will receive an additional  $7500 grant from the Love of Reading Foundation.

What principal Catherine Keeling had to say about Jimmy Hikok’s library and what the Indigo Adopt a School contest meant for them:

“Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik is located in Kugluktuk, Nunavut in the arctic circle. We are a traditional school that values family, community and literacy. We believe in community-based education and that the whole community aids in supporting the children in their learning. The library at Jimmy Hikok is a small but comfortable space. It has an open concept and is a focal point in the main hallway where parents, students and staff pass all day. It is where community members come to read stories during literacy nights. Although the library is present in its physical existence, the majority of our books are at least 20 years old, in poor shape and of low interest to our students. We are looking to update our library with high interest, quality literature. We envision a library that is comfortable and encouraging; a space that welcomes even the lowest level readers and cultivates a love for reading and learning about the world around them. Our students love to read, but it is our responsibility to foster that love.“

 
 

 

Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik in Kugluktuk, NU | Indigo Adopt a School, #1000Speak for Compassion

Voting for this school to receive the Indigo Love of Reading grant costs nothing. They’ve received many donations from people like you, but to receive the additional $10,000 grant, they need to receive more votes. Currently they are in second place, but they need about 200 more votes to win.

Voting is easy. Click HERE, sign in with Facebook or create an account, click on the pink “Adopt” button, then click “Adopt Now” on the page to which you’re redirected.

Voting ends October 10th at midnight!

If you’d like to make a donation, $12CDN (currently $9.26USD) provides them with an additional 10 votes. Your donation goes directly to the school. The votes are for them to receive the additional $10,000CDN Indigo Love of Reading grant, some of which can be spent on computers, etc, in addition to books. Should you donate more than $12, please divide it into $12 amounts. (E.g. if you donate $24, make two donations of $12 to get 20 bonus votes rather than just 10.)

Please share this with as many people as you can!

Source:Jimmy Hikok Ilihakvik in Kugluktuk, NU | Indigo Adopt a School

 

#PeaceNow–“Admissions” Trailer and Link to Watch Full 20-Minute Video, #1000Speak for Compassion

“Winner of 26 International Awards, the 20-minute film tells a transformational tale about what it takes to find lasting peace, even in the most conflict-ridden regions of our world.

I watched an amazing video today created by John Viscount, author of Mind What Matters: A Pep Talk for Humanity. I haven’t read the book yet, but I was very moved by the sample available on Amazon.com. (Click on the book’s cover image if you’d like to read the preview.)

John Viscount is also the creator of the Award-Winning film “Admissions”, and it’s being used to promote nothing less than global peace. Below is the trailer:

Click here to view the full 20-minute film.

I’d welcome any comments about what you felt and/or thought as you watched “Admissions.”

Also, enjoy the “Admissions” theme song below:

Thoughts from a Recovering Racist

I simply couldn’t not share this article by Joshua Throneburg. It’s too easy to believe that being “colour-blind” is the solution to racism. Thinking that “race doesn’t matter” is a dismissal of the experience of those subjected to prejudice and a denial of the privileges afforded to those who are not. I hope you’ll read this well-considered article.

 

Joshuathroneburg's Blog

I grew up white, not just in the color of my skin, but in the culture of my youth.  My wife and I call it “super-white”.  I was raised in a small farm town in Illinois – white family, white friends, white people at my church, white teachers, white kids in my classes, white players on my sports teams, white players on the teams I played against – WHITE!

My parents are amazing and did well to raise my brother and I as unprejudiced as possible, but that background is a large obstacle when it comes to issues of race.

But I didn’t see it that way.  For many years I was convinced that, in spite of my monochromatic background, I was still able to see race issues clearly and with a balanced perspective.  And most certainly, I would never have classified myself as a racist.

I was wrong.

To…

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5 Reasons Bullying Made Me A Better Writer #1000Speak – Building On Bullying

Sacha Black–Mother, Wife, Writer–writes about how bullying made her who she is. Will she thank the bullies? No. Being bullied, however, was something she was able to transform into determination. Thank you, Samantha, for sharing your story.

 

Sacha Black

I had to coax myself into posting this. Not because I didn’t want to do a post for #1000Speak, but because bullying is one of those things that everyone has been affected by, and I am no exception. It’s all a little close to the bone. Bullying is one of those universal topics that touches the lives of almost everyone. But I want to focus on the positive. On why being bullied made me a better writer. Without having been bullied I wouldn’t have focused on writing in my youth, and I probably wouldn’t have realised writing was my dream. So am I compassionate with the bullies? No, probably not, I know that’s the point of 1000speak, but, I am grateful for the experience of bullying.

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#1000Speak for Compassion–The Tragedy of Cyberbullying and “Slut-Bashing”

I Am Not A Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of Social Media

Recently I read a very interesting book. It was written by Leora Tanenbaum, who first coined the term “slut-bashing” in her book Slut!: Growing Up Female With a Bad Reputation, published in August of 2010. Having been labeled a “slut” in high school merely because she developed early, Tanenbaum wrote an article for Seventeen Magazine and was later motivated to write her first book.

With the proliferation of “slut-bashing” on social media, Leora Tanenbuam took another look at “slut-bashing” in the age of social the Internet. Her new book, I Am Not A Slut: Slut-Shaming In The Age Of The Internet, was released by HarperCollins in January of 2015.

Quote from I Am Not A Slut: Slut-Shaming In The Age Of The Internet, by Leora Tanenbaum

Traveling to several locations and schools in the US, Tanenbaum spoke to female teens, young women, and educators about how the Internet has escalated the problem of “slut-bashing.” While her own research is largely anecdotal, she cites many research cases regarding the situation. She also explains why she believes that current attempts to “reclaim” the term “slut,” such as she witnessed at the NYC SlutWalk, will ultimately fail, being an option only for those privileged to be white.

If you have a female child, educate her before puberty, which for many girls these days occurs at an early age.

Some Helpful Links

• Kids Helpline
• Cyberbullying Resource
• Cyberbullying Research Centre
• Slut: The Play & the StopSlut Movement
• The Huffington Post: Cyberbullying: Strategies to Take Back Your Power
• The UnSlut Project, Emily Lindin (YouTube Channel)

Thanks to author Leora Tanenbaum for the inspiration and much of the information provided in this article. Check out Lizzie Crocker’s review of Slut!: Growing Up Female With a Bad Reputation in The Daily Beast.

This post is for the victims of cyberbullying and slut-shaming who took their lives rather than live a life of shame:

Amanda Todd–Coquitlam, BC, Canada (15)
Megan Meier–O’Fallon, Missouri, United States (13)
Phoebe Prince–South Hadley, MA, United States (15)
Jessica Logan–Cincinatti, OH, United States (18)
Alexis Pilkington–Long Island, NY, United States (17)
Rachel Ehmke–Mantorville, MN, United States (13)
Audrey Pott–Saratoga, CA, United States (15)
Felicia Garcia–Long Island, NY, United States (15)
Hannah Smith–Leicestershire, England (14)
Gabrielle Molina–Queens, NY, United States (12)
Rahteah Parsons–Cole Harbour, HA, Canada (15)

 There are many others whom the system failed. Let’s not fail any more!

For a better understanding of cyberbullying and a call to action, check out Anderson Cooper’s blog post: An Anderson Cooper Special Report – Bullying: It Stops Here.

#1000Speak -Today and always you are my family

In this photo taken Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. Dorcas Aiden, 20 years old , speaks to a journalist in Yola, Nigeria. Dorcas Aiden was another of the girls caught in Boko Haram’s siege. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)
The Associated Press

I’m reblogging this message of compassion and empathy from Joyezeka, who currently resides in South Africa, but who has family and friends in Nigeria and Abuja. A sensitive person who tries to remain detached from the pain of others in the news, she had the courage to embrace the victims of Boko Haram as her family, despite the discomfort this caused her because of her fear for those she does know who are in danger.

Joyezeka, thank you for your courage, and may we all embrace victims of such violence as family members, no longer dissociating ourselves from what is happening in the world today because it makes us uneasy.

Imagine, even just for a moment, that these victims are your wives, husbands, daughters, sons, nieces, and nephews… Can you feel it?

Our planet is small, and its people are one. Detachment as a coping mechanism is not a solution to the pain and suffering of others. When one suffers, we all suffer. That is compassion.

Click here to find current information about the war against Boko Haram.

 
Click here to view Joyezeka’s moving blog post => #1000Speak -Today and always you are my family.