Millions Against Monsanto

The Organic Consumers Association's Millions Against Monsanto campaign is aiming to get one million people to publicly stand against genetically modified foods on World Food Day, which is on October 16, 2011. The main rally will be held in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., but other events will be happening in many other cities as well. While their main goal is to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the message that genetically modified foods need to be labeled, they also demand that factory farm animals and genetically modified animal products be labeled as well. They want independent, transparent, long-term studies done on the safety of genetically modified foods for animals, plants, and humans. And finally, they want the organic industry protected from cross-contamination and lawsuits to organic farmers. In order to accomplish these goals, the campaign will not only rally outside of the White House, but they will also be signing petitions and participating in a boycott against genetically modified products.

After reading about this campaign and what it is doing, it seems like a very effective way to motivate people to do something about this growing problem. Not only does it tell people that the FDA should label these products, they explain why we should be aware and the risks these foods have. While the main rally will not take place until October, they work to make people aware of this issue all year round. I'm very interested to see how this rally turns out in October. I think it will be very successful.

Teen Success

The United States knows that teen pregnancy is a problem that needs adequate attention. Teen motherhood is something that goes along with this, but needs more attention because more than one person is at risk, including mother and child. More people are stepping up to help these young women and their futures. Through The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the program Teen Success has been putting teenage mothers on the road of success for some time now. It was started in 1990 with the help of former California state senator and philanthropist Becky Morgan. This program works hard everyday to help young mothers work with being a mother and an adolescent. Upon completion of this program, the chances of getting a high school degree doubles. Around 90 percent of Teen Success graduates earn a diploma, compared to the national percentage of 41. In addition, 67 percent of graduate through this program go on to post-high school education. The action is enrolling troubled young mothers in an educational program, and entitling them to greater educational opportunities. The effectiveness is in the statistics, and this program has no doubt made a positive impact on these young women's lives. This is such an important issue, and it is crucial to have programs like this to prevent more teen pregnancies and helping teen mothers that are struggling with their futures.

Worldwide Day of Play

Technology is everywhere we turn and there is no way to avoid it. This causes many health problems especially in children who still have developing minds. Television is a major problem since many people go home after school and work and put the TV on to relax and catch up on their favorite shows or the news. There is no doubt that television plays a major role in the issue of obesity with Americans. While doing research I found that Nickelodeon has a day of get up and play. They turn their network TV channels and Internet off air for three hours all around the world. By doing this they hope that it will encourage people to go outside and get exercise. In 2009, the when people turned to the channel it displayed this message, "Today is Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play! Turn off your TV, shut down your computer, put down that cell phone – yes, YOU! and go ALL OUT! We'll see you back here at 3! " I would modify this by having all channels except for news channels to go off air during this time. I feel like this would be more effective. If only one channel goes off air, it is easy to just have the mindset of watching another until Nickelodeon turns back on. This would be one step towards escaping from addiction to technology that is in each and everyone one of us.

action to reduce teen pregnancy

This video above tries to make a serious issue, like teen pregnancy and other transmitted diseases, humorous. The overall message is that abstinence is the best answer, put on some pants.Teen Pregnancy, however, really is a major problem that is on the rise yet again. More and more teenage girls are getting knocked up and destroying their futures. With numbers rising, more people are being aware of this controversy and are taking action to stop it.

One organization that dedicates itself into helping this cause is Advocates for Youth. This group was founded in 1980 and has been a respected figure in the scene of adolescent reproductive and sexual health. For decades this group has worked endlessly in promoting effective programs and policies in the United States and other polices to help this cause. One program the organization came up with was "Life Planning Education", which put sexuality into a life-skills/youth development context. There are three core values to follow; rights, respect, and responsibility. They incorporate these ethics into their practices and plan on making an impact on teenagers around the world.

Other action that is being taken is from this private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Their mission is to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families to stop teen pregnancy or ensure that children who are born have stable lives. There are many reasons why this group does what it does, some being to reduce burdens placed on others and reduce child poverty. This organization raises awareness by working with opinion leaders, the press, the media, and other groups. They conduct research, provide information, and engage parents and teens in discussions. This group is going strong and is only helping the cause more and more.

These organizations, along with many others, are well on their way to preventing teen pregnancy. They have some numerous accomplishments for their work, which only encourages more people to join the cause. The message they send draw in the public's attention and help them realize that it is time this issue was addressed.

Degrassi Knows Best

My issue of cyberstalking isn't a top priority right now for most people due to all of the other issues but it is still definitely being addressed through PSA's, television shows, and youtube videos. I decided to look through youtube to see if there were any videos related to the topic. Most of the ones I found were poor quality and made by students, one video actually being made by Penn State students back in 2008. They were meant to inform and show how cyberstalking is an issue that everyone, especially students, should be aware of. None of them really had a call to action so there was no motivation in it, just information. Degrassi also had an episode discussing meeting people online and how people aren't who they say they are. One of the characters Emma meets someone that claims to be 16 but is instead an adult male. It puts her in a terrible situation and definitely shows that the internet can be dangerous but it still has no call to action. If I was to make a video I would emphasize the fact that we need to do something about this. It needs to be able to motivate people to be more careful when using the internet. It needs to be bigger and more widespread instead of just youtube videos created by students as a project.

Adam Levine on Motivating ADHD

Adam Levine, the lead singer of the band Maroon 5 and one of the judges on the hit show The Voice, speaks out in this advertisement for OwnYourADHD.com. He identified with this condition as a child and then presently as an adult. Also, he encourages the older population of ADHD patients, who have experienced this disorder as a child, to get an assessment by their health professionals because it is possible that they have not outgrown ADHD.

Levine is advocates the Own It campaign for reoccurring ADHD adult patients. The targeted popular is signaled out to act upon this unaware issue. On Own It's website, it offers an adult ADHD screening test. This relates to the prescription drug misuse of ADHD patients because these patients are directly effected by this issue.

Levine is using his fame to spread awareness about this issue and endorsing adults to get assessed. He is effectively persuasive by his influence on the media concerning this problem. This campaign should be furthered through television advertisements, billboards, and education institutions.

Anorexia Awareness

After doing research I have found various organizations and videos promoting the awareness of anorexia. One popular thing I found was many things that occur during eating disorder awareness week. During this week there have been walks, speeches, and presentations about the dangers of eating disorders across America. One Interesting article I found is of a girl who made a Life Size Barbie. Galia Slayen created the doll in an attempt to educate girls about eating disorders. The creation is 6 feet tall with a 39-inch bust, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips; completely disgusting to look at. She hopes showing the unnatural proportions of the doll will help raise awareness of the unrealistic expectations of beauty.

There are also many videos on You-Tube. These videos display a strong sense of pathos with graphic images and a compelling story that make you feel for the victims. It gives you a sense of how bad anorexia is. I found two videos particularly motivational to me. First, is an actual commercial which shows an anorexic looking at herself in the mirror. Although she is disgustingly skinny and you can see the bones threw her skin she see's herself as fat in the mirror. This is a great representation of what the disease is and how it works psychologically.
Second is an individually made video. It is actually a video made up of other clips from anorexia videos in order to promote awareness. Although it just scratches the surface, the clips shown and the music in the background give you a sense of the seriousness of the disease. I think videos like these and the thousands of others that exist are very effect in promoting awareness cause they shed light on the problem in ways that words and statistics can't achieve.

Aid Vitcims Now

The Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition organized a nation wide Day of Action, November 17th, 2010 to call for support for the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010.They gave out local representatives number sand urged people to call and let their support for the bill be heard. They also organized a petition that got 3,000 signatures that they sent to Congress so that that could be presented with the bill. A vote for the bill took place on Sept. 15 2010.
I think this is effective bringing attention to the issue. What I would have also done was organize a rally in front of Capital Hill in an attempt to not only get the media's attention but also show the representatives that this is an issue that people are aware of and care about.

NEDA and EDIN

There aren’t too many groups that I found for the prevention of eating disorders. However, I did find two. They are: The National Eating Disorders Association and The Eating Disorders Information Network, which is a group on face book. Both are non-profit organizations and they intend to prevent eating disorders through education, awareness, and action. The National Eating Disorders Association has an awareness week, and a walk in their efforts to prevent eating disorders. The EDIN helps people suffering from these disorders to find help and resources. NEDA also does research on eating disorders. NEDA also says things like “Do Your Part,” or “Help Fight Eating Disorders: Donate, Volunteer, Take Action.” The EDIN has values to try to persuade people to join their group, such as “We are committed to educating the community regarding the devastating effects and warning signs of eating disorders.”
These two organizations are doing a pretty good job of raising awareness and doing things to take action. They are trying to educate people, make people aware, and take action. However, I think that they could do other things such as involve the government and petition to implement awareness programs in schools rather than just having online organizations to try to raise awareness. They could fund these by having walks, which NEDA already does, fund-raising, etc. I think this would greatly help raise awareness, and prevent eating disorders in many people. They are both persuasive with their messages to get people to join these organizations. EDIN stated how they are committed to educating the community about eating disorders and NEDA says that a way to help fight the disorders are to donate, volunteer, and take action by joining them. I think their messages and efforts are overall well done.

It Can Wait

Texting and driving seems to be an epidemic that no one wants to go out of their way to tackle. However, after the death toll from texting-related accidents rose through the years, someone finally rose up to speak to the public in 2010. In December of last year, AT&T uploaded a video onto their youtube account in order to kickstart their anti-texting and driving campaign. The video is a documentary, featuring several people who were gravely affected by texting-related accidents. Some share stories about losing their loved ones to a text. Others share their grave injuries sustained from the accident. The video ends with a line of text, and slowly types out one letter at a time, 'Txting and driving... it can wait.'

The message presents a powerful theme, emphasizing that no text is worth dying for throughout the video. Because AT&T is not only a powerful company, but a phone company campaigning against the use of their phones while behind the wheel, the strong ethos is generated immediately. Along with that, the video aims a sharp right hook into our pathos. By discussing deaths and severe injuries caused by the problem, it evokes the correct emotions of "That's so sad... I definitely don't want to be responsible for that..." It also ties in a good percentage of logos by giving us the statistics to convince any skeptical viewer of texting's harm and distraction. The only thing that I would include would be a slightly stronger emphasis on statistics, and mentioning of the reaction time being that of someone with a .08 BAC. Other than that, I think that the message is delivered beautifully, tapping into all of the key points of rhetoric. The intention is to show people the real life consequences, unblocked from any statistic or unreadable diagram, and they very much succeed in doing so. I know that my mother watched this a few months ago, and she ever since has been trying to cut down on her own cell phone use in the car.

World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund is an organization that works, in 100 different countries, to preserve the environment and protect endangered species against habitat fragmentation The people who are part of the organization are knowledgeable about the environment and are passionate about what they are doing, which is why they are so successful. The WWF is determined to encourage the whole world to practice sustainable living and protect the environment as much as possible. The people in WWF go all over the world, even to small villages, and show the citizens how to live a more sustainable life, while still improving conditions for their own lives.

It is good that the WWF recognizes the tight knit connection humans have with the environment and that using the environment for further human development is necessary, but that there just needs to be less damage to the environment in the process. This idea is similar to the idea I present in my speech, that habitat fragmentation cannot be avoided all together, but that it needs to be done less. If their idea of sustainable living becomes a global success, then I think it is a great way to stop habitat fragmentation and protect the environment. I think the WWF does a good job of encouraging others to donate money and get involved in the important environmental problem, just as they themselves have all over the world. One way I think they could get even more people involved, is if they had some smaller goals to accomplish, as well as the ambitious goal of more sustainable living all over the globe. If more people felt as though they could easily make a difference in their community, or if the WWF set specific goals for a concerned community, then more people may be inclined to help the cause.

Greenpeace

Ever since Japan's Fukushima disaster in March, groups have been protesting against nuclear energy. Not only are people protesting in Japan, but they are protesting all over the world. German protesters are part of the reason that the government decided to start shutting down nuclear reactors there. The protesters make signs about how they want to get rid of nuclear energy. They protest in the streets and hope that what they want is heard.


Another group that's trying to solve the nuclear energy problem is the Greenpeace website. The website talks about the risks involved with nuclear energy. It says nuclear energy is "an unacceptable risk to the environment and humanity." Greenpeace believes that the use of nuclear energy should not be expanded, but rather shutdown like my proposed policy for the problem-solution speech. Greenpeace.org is telling people to get involved. They are asking people to tell banks not to fund new nuclear power plants. One of their slogans says, "Help stop the next Fukushima." They make it easy to donate and get involved. The more people that join their cause the faster the world could be safer from nuclear energy.

To Write Love On Her Arms

To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement aimed to help people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. They have a vision that we were meant to live life, that we are part of a bigger story, and that your life matters. Their website includes tons of information such as facts and how to get help. They connect people with websites, treatment centers, support groups, and other resources.

TWLOHA was founded in March of 2006 by Jamie Tworkowski. He was inspired by a 19 year old girl named Renee Yohe who was denied entry into a drug treatment center, yet struggled with depression, addiction, self-injury, and attempted suicide.

Many popular bands such as Paramore, Switchfoot, Anberlin, Hawthorne Heights, Underoath, and The Rocket Summer have embraced TWLOHA's message and support the movement. While performing, the bands often wear TWLOHA shirts and clothing to spread the message. These "celebrities" bring in more awareness and simultaneously gain credibility for the organization.

Their website evens makes it easy to purchase their merchandise. While some people may say that it is just a way to make money, the organization identifies itself as "non-profit". I think that their efforts are very effective. They are true to their mission statement and put their money into programs and events such as Kristin Brooks Hope Center and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

TWLOHA shirts can be seen out in public which shows that the movement is spreading. There is even a "To Write Love On Her Arms Day", where people literally write "love" on their arms to show support for people struggling with these problems. This organization is very relatable to a variety of people. They admit that we live in a difficult world at times, but that we are not alone. Today's youth are attracted to the musicians and clothing, which make them become aware of what problems are actually going on. TWLOHA has been getting a lot of publicity, and has reached out to many lives. It is so easy to get involved, whether it is donating, joining their street team, or simply spreading the movement. Love is the movement.

Fight Against Steroid Use

The Taylor Hooton Foundation is a perfect example of the fight against steroid use in lower level athletics. Taylor Hooton was a promising high school baseball player who committed suicide as a result of his steroid use. His parents, friends and family created the foundation in 2004. Their mission is to inform North Americas' youth and their families/coaches about the risks of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. They hope to eliminate the use of these drugs in all American and Canadian schools and universities. They have information on their website about the risks of steroids/PHD's. They also have Taylor's story as well as several other real life stories of young steroid users. They have partnered with several major organizations such as Major League Baseball, the NFL, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, and many more in an effort to raise awareness. The Taylor Hooton Foundation accepts online donations to aid their cause to educate the public. They have both online and face to face education programs available. They also have fundraisers at Yankee stadium and a fundraising golf tournament.

I feel this is a very effective effort to combat steroid use by young athletes. By showing the tragedy of their son's steroid related death as well as other real life examples, the foundation shows their strong connection with the cause. They have information for young athletes and their families to look at in order to learn the truth about steroids. In addition, they have partnered with very credible organizations and professional sports leagues and this helps with their fundraising events,
and the fact that they accept donations allows others to help them and get involved with their cause.

No Phone Zone

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential public figures of our time. She is the star of her own show, magazine, has been responsible for innumerable philanthropy projects, has campaigned in various areas for social change, backed political figures (specifically Barack Obama in the 2008 election), and given several other talk show hosts their starts (Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz). This is by no means a comprehensive list of all this incredible woman has done. Because of these acts and her personality she has earned the respect of millions of people.

In January 2010, Oprah launched her "No Phone Zone" campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of calling, texting, and emailing while driving. She aired an episode of her show on January 15, 2010 detailing several stories of people that have been affected by the use of cell phones while driving. She has also started a "No Phone Zone Pledge" that people can sign and so far 423,330 people have done just that. She has created a web page dedicated to the cause that contains the episode, the pledge, a place for people to post personal testaments, and many sources of information on texting/cell phone use and driving. She also has a posting of the standing laws/regulations by state regarding this issue and urges people to get involved.

This effort to get people to stop texting and driving is fantastic. One main reason this works is because Oprah is backing it and she gets a massive amount of publicity. She also really has a knack for tapping into ethos and revealing stories that have an impact on people. Her campaign is engaging of viewers and fellow activists in encouraging people to make the decision to put the phone down while they are driving. This campaign does not need altering in any way. It is very effective and persuasive.