On July 17 Bloggers Unite from around the globe will unite unite for human rights and make a statement that all people are born with basic rights and freedoms - life, liberty, and justice!

Let’s come together and all blog about Human Rights. There are dozens and dozens of human rights issues that you can write about. The one you choose is up to you.

Topics to Consider
*The wrongful imprisonment of journalists covering assemblies.
*Governments that ignore the plight of citizens left tot he mercy of gangs.
*The censorship of the Internet in order to prevent freedom of expression.
*Harsh punishments that include torture, forced labor, and starvation.
*Sexual assault against women by members of military or militia.

Learn More About Human Rights
There are many organizations that promote human rights and work to protect people. We’ve picked three to help you learn more and find breaking topics.

Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org/) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. They work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.

Human Right Watch (www.hrw.org/) is dedicated to protecting human rights of people around the world. They stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.

Youth For Human Rights (www.youthforhumanrights.org) is an independent non-profit that educates people about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace.

We have an entire group discussion dedicated to Bloggers Unite www.bloggersunite.org/discuss where you can add more organizations that you think are worth including.

How To Join Bloggers Unite!
To join, simply click on Join this Event.
Add an Action Badge to your blog by clicking on one of the choices from below.

Then, on July 17th, write a blog post that shares awareness about human rights.

Bloggers Unite to support Human Rights in Iran on Monday June 29th.

Violence, arrests, crackdowns and media blackouts continue to increase in the aftermath of the recent Iranian presidential elections. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Iranian_election_protests

On Monday June 29th, we ask Bloggers from around the globe to Unite for a Free Iran. Please JOIN this event and use your blog to educate your readers and spread the word about how we can help support a Free Iran.

For more information on this eent or for some suggestions on how you can help, please visit http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/free-iran

On April 29th, BloggersUnite partnered with Heifer International for “Bloggers Unite: Hunger and Hope” to raise awareness about the issue of hunger, which affects millions of people worldwide.  Richard Becker of Copywrite, Ink. reports that “approximately 10,000 bloggers…shared stories, contributed funds and encouraged programs” through this joint initiative, and that “according to Nielsen, Heifer International received ten times the awareness on April 29.”

BlogCatalog wants to say a huge thank you to all of the members that participated in this successful event and to recognize some of the exceptional posts that were received:

First Place. — Bloggers Unite for Hunger and Hope At Home by Sarah Andrews. Although she serves communication director for Meal on Wheels, the story about her grandfather who was homeless between the ages 10 to 17, is personal.

Second Place — Beyond Feeding The Hungry: SAME Cafe of Denver by Karen Degroot Carter. In addition to sharing an inspirational story about the SAME Cafe, she reminds her readers that world hunger is always closer than we think.

Third Place — Why Mia Farrow Isn’t The Only Hungry One from the Share Yoga blog. The post provides some insights, and then goes on to define karma yoga and the purpose of selfless service.

Here are just a few more bloggers we think deserve a mention for a job well done:

• So there we were
• Tripletly Blessed And Loving It
• Ben Spark
• Caffeinated Traveller
• A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye
• Double Latte Mama’s Blog
• Popview

Thank you to Heifer International for all the wonderful work they do, and thank you once again to all of the bloggers around the world who took the opportunity to raise their voices on April 29th to fight world hunger.

To read Richard Becker’s whole article on Bloggers Unite: Hunger and Hope, go to the Copywrite, Ink. blog.

Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) Logo

I had a brief IM discussion this morning with Donald Titcombe, the Communications Coordinator for the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC), during which he informed me that 40 BlogCatalog members have signed up to be TECEC members since we ran a blog post about TECEC’s push to get House Bill (HB) 130 and Senate Bill (SB) 21 passed in the Texas Legislature and set up a BloggersUnite event to get people to blog about the importance of the bills. He was also happy to report that since that time HB 130 has (unofficially) passed the Texas House with 109 Yeas, 32 Nays, and 1 Present, not voting!   House Bill 136 has also passed the House.

If you’d like to learn more about TECEC or the bills they are supporting you can go to their home page; there, you will find a bill tracker, powered by Sprout, that will show you the status off all the bills TECEC is supporting in the Texas Legislature.

We here at BlogCatalog want to express our thanks to all of the bloggers who particpated in the BloggersUnite event and an even bigger thanks to those who went a step further and joined TECEC’s cause by signing up to be members.  Don said to send a thank you from himself and TECEC to all of our members too, and he said to let you know that because of such a great response he has started a new blog-based advocacy effort.

In the News

Swine Flu Virus Causing Global Concerns
The Swine Flu virus, which has caused 81 deaths in Mexico and has been confirmed to have infected individuals in the United States, Canada and Spain, is now believed to have spread to the UK, Brazil, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.

The global spread of the virus is causing public health officials around the world to take notice and to take action to contain its spread. The spread of the virus is also having a negative impact on several industries.  Stocks for companies in both the pork and airline industries have taken hits.

Read what BlogCatalog bloggers are writing about the Swine Flu:

• Stock Index Falls on Swine Flu Worries
• Swine Flu Confirmed in NYC High School Students
• 2 Suspected Cases of Swine Flu Reach Israel

…more BC results for Swine Flu

Obama’s First 100 Days
Obama’s first hundred days have come and gone.  While such a short period of time can not give us a definite answer of whether or not he will be a successful president, it at least gives us a good look at his management style and an idea of what we can expect in the future.

Read what BC bloggers have to say about the Obama’s 100 days:

• Americans Split on Torture as Polls Approve Obama’s First 100 Days
• First 100 Days
• A Recap of Barack Obama’s First 100 Days

…more BC results for Obama’s First 100 Days

Facebook vs Twitter
According to an article by Eric Schonfeld on techcrunch.com, Facebook has “opened up its activity stream through a new API for developers.”  Schonfeld says this is a “big deal” because certain applications will allow two-way communication and will essentially allow Facebook to “compete head to head with Twitter.”

Read the whole article at techcrunch.com.

See what BC bloggers are saying about Facebook:

• Facebook Launching Developer APIs
• Facebook Updates Feed API Features

Bloggers Unite

Bloggers Unite For Hunger and Hope

BlogCatalog members and Heifer International are partnering to call for the end of world hunger and start of hope on April 29. All we ask is that you join thousands of other bloggers and write a post about world hunger on April 29. You can make a difference.

To get more information on this event go to http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/unite-for-hunger-and-hope.  There you will find more information on Heifer International, a list of the 527 (and counting) bloggers swho have signed up to participate, as well as a list of articles submitted on the subject of world hunger.

Featured BC Members

Check out the profiles of some of the Blogcatalog community members you may not yet know:

• Like video games and zombies? Check out MarcusFenix
• Interested in network marketing? Check out theincometeam
• Into jewelry, art and fun? Check out kristinfriesen

Since BlogCatalog is a Texas-based company, we wanted to take just a moment to talk about some very important legislation that is being considered during our current legislative season here in Texas–and for which a BloggersUnite event has just been added for next Thursday, 4/23/09.

House Bill 130 and Senate Bill 21 are two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the quality and the availability of early childhood education programs here in Texas.  The listing created on BloggersUnite.org asks bloggers to raise awareness about these bills by blogging about the issue and to take action by speaking to their representatives and letting them know they should support this legislation.  

Because we here at BlogCatalog are not experts on the subject of early childhood education advocacy, we thought it would be good to bring in a guest blogger for this post to explain the importance of this issue and what is currently happening in Austin.

The following article was written by Kara Johnson, Executive Director of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition:

Time Running out for Young Learners in Texas

 Passing legislation in Texas often feels like a long tiresome trek, followed by a sustained and painstaking sprint.  If you didn’t know already, Texas has a unique legislative system.  Our lawmakers meet for just 140 days every two years, thus a lot of time is spent getting ready for the legislative session. When session finally begins, it’s a challenging and exhausting race to line everything up to ensure important bills are passed into law.

The early education movement in Texas knows this process all too well.  During the previous legislative session, the movement focused its efforts on Senate Bill 50, which would have greatly strengthened the quality of early education in the Lone Star State.  Advocates from all across Texas made legislative visits, phone calls, and sent emails, only to see the bill die on the House floor.  When seeking explanation from legislators and political insiders, early education advocates were told that they had not done enough to build consensus around Senate Bill 50, and that they should be more united during the next legislative session.

Supporters of high-quality early education took that message to heart.  During the interim between the 80^th and 81^st Legislature, the early education movement went to incredible lengths to achieve consensus around its priorities for the 81^st  Legislative Session.

For the current session, advocates are supporting the identical companion bills, Senate Bill 21 authored by Senator Judith Zaffirini and House Bill 130 authored by Representative Diane Patrick.  These bills would ensure that many school districts are voluntarily able to provide full-day enhanced quality pre-k to their currently eligible four year olds.  Additionally, the legislation calls for a significant amount of funding set aside to support partnerships between school districts and community child care centers or Head Start programs to serve eligible children in community-based high-quality settings. 

Currently Texas schools have no requirements for pre-k class size or staff-to-child ratios, key indicators of program quality.  Senate Bill 21 and House Bill 130 mandate a class size limit of 22 children and a 1 to 11 staff to child ratio.  Participating districts would also observe other quality guidelines, such as ensuring well-trained teachers are in the classroom and that high-quality curricula are being followed. 

There is great consensus on these bills.  Supporters include: the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC), Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC), United Ways of Texas (UWT), the Texas Licensed Child Care Association (TLCCA), the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), and over 275 other organizations, chambers of commerce, and associations. Many legislators have responded to the voices behind these bills.  Currently one-third of the Texas Senate and nearly 100 Texas Representatives in the House have signed on in support of the bills. 

Advocates have held the meetings, made the phone calls, and worked together to ensure that high-quality early education was placed on the Texas Legislative Agenda. Now with already more than half of the Session over, they are working overtime to make sure that the Texas Legislature finish the deal.

Never in the history of the early education movement in Texas has the call for high quality pre-k been so loud.  Texas Legislators have received over 10,000 letters and emails, witnessed approximately 1,000 advocates visit the Capitol, and heard nearly 100 favorable testimonies all in favor of Senate Bill 21 and House Bill 130.  In the face of such support, any lingering questions about consensus on early education in Texas are unsubstantiated.

Throughout the push to pass these critical bills, the message has been clear and consistent: high-quality early education builds a foundation for success in school and in life for children that experience it.  Advocates have come to the Capitol not with anecdotes, but with a multitude of research and evidence supporting the need for high-quality programs in our state. 

The research is strong and Texas-specific. The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M conducted a conservative cost-benefit analysis of investing in high-quality pre-k in Texas, and found that every $1.00 invested in high-quality programs saves Texas taxpayers at least $3.50. Because early education takes place during most crucial period of human brain development, high-quality programs can reduce the number of referrals to special education, lower the high-school drop out rate, contribute to lower crime rates, and give children the foundation they need to be high wage earners later in life.

The early education movement has brought consensus and broad-based support behind these bills. We are in the last leg of the legislative race, and it is critical that legislators move to pass these bills.  Inaction carries with it a failed opportunity to strengthen our communities and the future of our children. Let’s cross the legislative finish line assured that our state put its young learners in first place.

Please contact your Texas legislator today and urge him or her to support this critical legislation.

To learn more about early education in Texas visit www.tecec.org

Don’t live in Texas but want to support high-quality early education?  Check out Pre-k Now and Zero-to-three.

Kara Johnson is the Executive Director of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition 

*A note from BlogCatalog:  We make it a point to be unbiased about political issues on both BlogCatalog and BloggersUnite.  We feel comfortable supporting this legislation because it has bipartisan support in both the Texas House and Senate. 

Well, the day has come to make sure you have your taxes filed and sent off to the good old IRS!  I made it by the skin of my teeth and got mine filed last night.  I can only imagine how stressful it must be for anyone who has put it off longer than me and has to rush to get everything filed today.

If you are under the gun and feeling the pressure, we recommend that, for your own sanity, you take a break and participate in the Elephant Joke Tax Deduction.  All you have to do is find a good elephant joke and submit it at http://bit.ly/11q8oO.  There are already a bunch posted there to give you a little laugh on this stressful day, but I’m sure you can find one or know one that’s not up there yet.

My favorite so far: What did the grape say when the elephant stepped on him?  Nothing; he just let out a little wine!

This event is happening today and is a fun one!  There are also many other great events happening soon that are listed on http://www.bloggersunite.org.  Please take a moment to visit the site and see if there is an upcoming event that catches your interest.  

Here are a few of the events happening in the near future:

• Blog Reader Appreciation Day
• #GNO Live - Moms Helping Moms Fundraiser
• Stand With Mississippi Day

Robin Reagler posted Blog Reader Appreciation Day on http://www.bloggersunite.org, and I thought it was such a good idea that I wanted to post it here for more people to see.  

Here’s the description Reagler provided for the event:

Bloggers depend on loyal readers but rarely get a chance to really thank them. Blog Reader Appreciation Day gives bloggers a chance to pour on the love!

After the taxes are filed, on Thursday, April 16, please join us in thanking and celebrating your blog readers with special tributes, posts, contests, and give-aways.

If you want to join this event, you can do so at http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/blog-reader-appreciation-day.  You can also read the event description and find out more about the creator at http://theothermother.typepad.com/.

Thank you Robin for alerting us to this event and we hope the BlogCatalog community will show their readers a little love on April 16th!

Since 2007, Bloggers Unite has been become one of the most visible social awareness campaigns driven by bloggers like you. If you have not seen the sneak previews of how Bloggers Unite has evolved from a small initiative into its own dynamic social network, please visit BloggersUnite.org today. You helped build it!

While we’ll still coordinate three major under served social awareness campaigns every year, Bloggers Unite members can now submit and support their own causes as well. Currently, there are 24 international events listed in the new network.

These events are joined by ten local events recently chosen by BlogCatalog members to encourage even more nonprofit organizations to become involved. We’re asking for your help too. Bloggers Unite is about brining bloggers together to do good. With international, national, and local events from all over the world, we can help people think online and act locally offline. After you join, feel free to add any local events that you care deeply about. This will also help bring attention to many events that are global, but take place on different days on the local level.

Supporting each other by doing good can help you make friends online or in your area, as we all work together to make the world a better place. Even better, once you become a member and write about any worthwhile events that you care about, your blog will automatically be promoted on Bloggers Unite. I’m even including a list of the first ten local events so you can see for yourself that this is a global movement by BlogCatalog members.

Check it out! Let’s prove to the world that bloggers can changed the world!

Visit BloggersUnite.org

Today, December 1st, 2008, BlogCatalog members are joining with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of HIV/AIDS Policy’s AIDS.gov for Bloggers Unite For World AIDS Day.

We Need Your Help!

Nearly half of all AIDS cases in the U.S. involve people 13 to 24 years of age, placing many of BlogCatalog members or their children in the highest risk age groups. More than 250,000 are estimated to be HIV positive and not know it. And more than 1 million are estimated to have AIDS.

Of course, AIDS is not limited to the U.S. There are an estimated 33 million people with AIDS worldwide. It affects every country, city, and town in the world. And, the most frightening thing about it is that is going largely unchecked. In fact, that is one of the reason that worldaidscampaign.org is continuing its “leadership” theme, which it developed after learning that many leaders who promised to support AIDS were not keeping their promises.

As always, what you choose to write about is up to you. However, you might consider checking the NIDA and AIDS.gov research and prevention resources on the Bloggers Unite resource page. Or, for a more global view, check out http://www.worldaidscampaign.org

Unlike most campaigns where we hope awareness led to action, this is one campaign where awareness is action! If even just 10 percent of our members get involved, we can reach an estimated 4 million blog readers. And if half of our members participate, we can reach 20 million. And if all bloggers participate, we can reach the entire world. But more importantly than all that. If your post just touches even one person and convinces them to get tested or helps someone learn about AIDS prevention, won’t that will be worth it? Your words, voices, videos, and actions can all help people become more aware about AIDS and how to prevent it. And by doing that, you might not only save someone, but save someone close to you.

Please join us. We look forward to reading all of your posts!