Rock the Vote is looking for summer interns to bring out the youth vote this November and get a ground-level introduction to political activism. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but the final deadline is May 30, 3008.
Meghan McCain and her two blogettes are heading to Kosovo with her Mom to see the work done by the Halo Trust, a "charity specialising in the removal of the debris of war." Cindy McCain's on the board, and Princess Diana was a big supporter, too. (Note to self: you don't have to be tall, blonde, thin, and beautiful to get rid of landmines.)
The organisation (let's keep using the brit spelling, shall we?) has over 7,000 mine-clearers and works in 9 countries. In Angola, for example, brave people have gotten rid of 30,000 mines along with bombs and ammunition since 1994. In Kosovo, the UN has blocked mine cleanup (not sure why), so the Trust is probably going to try and show Mrs. McCain how important it is to get rid of the unexploded bombs that still are not cleared.
I love the idea of cleaning up after a war -- getting rid of the last traces of violence and destruction. Go, Halo Trust and other people doing this great work, like American soldiers and their dogs and even rats! Here's how to help.
Photo courtesy of Chris Dunn via Creative Commons
On Tuesday, February 5th, 24 states will hold primaries, and YouTube is asking for our opinions via video.
Even if you can't vote, you can still sound off.
The world is spying on how we change our CEO, so rock the caucus, Iowa! It's 11 degrees there this morning, so I'm sure all the candidates' kids are nicely bundled up as they visit caucus locations with their parents, hyper-extending cheek muscles, pumping hands, squeezing babies, and chatting up the press.
(Meghan McCain saunters into an empty screen wearing a red t-shirt that pictures her Dad's face, jeans, and boots with stiletto heels. In the background, the Mission Impossible theme song is playing.)
Meghan: I could tell you to get out there and vote for my Dad in '08.
(Cate Edwards comes in and circles Meghan, ending up back to back with her, both of their hands on their hips. Lots of attitude. Cate's wearing a blue t-shirt that pictures her Dad's face, jeans, and high heels.)
Cate: Or I could tell you to get out there and vote for my Dad in '08.
(Both girls pivot slowly to face each other, eyes narrowed. After a minute, they shrug and fist-punch, and turn back to the camera. The background music changes to Alicia Keys, No One, instrumental only.)
Meghan: But we won't.
Cate: Nah. Not here. Not now.
(From off-screen someone tosses them purple hoodies. The girls catch them, put them on, and zip themselves up. Now both of them are wearing identical purple sweatshirts bearing the Rock the Vote logo.)
Meghan: So we'll just stop with ... (Turns to Cate and smiles)
Cate: (Smiles back) Get out there and vote.
Meghan: It's a free country, people.
Cate: Rock the Vote in '08.
Meghan: I'm Meghan McCain, and I approve this message.
Cate: I'm Cate Edwards, and I approve this message.
(They exit chatting side by side, like BFFs.)
Know how you say a word over and over again and it starts to sound weird? Try it with "caucus," a word that's in the news a lot these days. The all-important Iowa Caucus is coming up on January 14th, and PC World gets the scoop about what's happening from Reuters:
At a high-tech forum sponsored by MTV and MySpace, some 200 Coe College students peppered Barack Obama with questions about Iraq, gay marriage and immigration, rewarding him with ear-shattering whoops when his answers meet their approval.
Why are Obama and other candidates spending a lot of time talking to young people? Ed Tibbetts explains it all in the Sioux City Journal:
Iowa is expected to be close. And with the winner possibly being the candidate with 35,000 to 40,000 votes, adding a couple thousand people to your column could provide a valuable margin.
Check out the numbers that campaign staffers are crunching:
In Iowa's two most recent federal elections, youth turnout was up. In 2004, 62 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted, up from 47 percent four years earlier. In fact, state figures show that a third of the new voters in Iowa in 2004 were people 18 to 24. Last year, turnout in that same age group jumped from 23 percent to 27 percent.
Wouldn't it be great if headlines on January 15th were all about how young people made the difference? C'mon, Iowa, ROCK THE CAUCUS!
Last year's top rock the vote video had an all-guy lineup, but it's pretty fair these days over at their site.
Jenna Bush shares stories of kids she met while working with UNICEF:
"No matter where we live," she concludes, "people all over the world want the same things." See? The power and glitz of life the White House doesn't have to blind a First Daughter.
Hold your fire, my Republican readers, I'm not talking about Mrs. Clinton, because Sparrowblog tries hard to be non-partisan, no matter what Slate says. I'm talking about one of my all-time heroes: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy leader of Burma, still under house arrest in Rangoon where the military government is shooting at the marching monks parading past her house. Listen to this quote from one of this amazing lady's speeches:
It is not the prerogative of men alone to bring light to the world: women with their capacity for compassion and self-sacrifice, their courage and perseverance, have done much to dissipate the darkness of intolerance and hate, suffering and despair.
Free Burma! Let the Lady bring the light. Here's what we can do. Listen to Jim Carrey explain why:
Found this ad on Craigslist:
Attention journalists! Now more than ever before, the presidential candidates know that every vote counts, and that local campaign stops can be covered and spread instantly around the world. You have the power.
As part of our collaboration with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Knight News Challenge, MTV News is looking for one aspiring reporter from every state and Washington, D.C., to be part of our Choose or Lose team. We know that you’re already hitting the streets and doing this work. Now we want to give you the chance to represent your state by joining a national team of journalists in covering this unprecedented election year from a youth perspective.
Ideal candidates will have their finger on the pulse of issues that are important to young people in their state and be passionate about politics and the possibilities of new technology. Strong writing and reporting skills are a must; distinct voice and authoritative point of view … even better.
We’ll load you up with some production gear and bring you to MTV’s headquarters in New York City for orientation. In return, you will be expected to work in a paid, part-time capacity to file video, written, or graphical stories weekly throughout the election year. Your pieces will be posted online and spread to mobile devices, and the top stories will be broadcast on MTV, MTV2, MTVU or MTV Tres each week.
Requirements: You must be at least 18 years old by December ‘07, reside in your state from January ‘08-November ‘08, have the time and ability to travel within your state and file at least one video, written, or graphical story per week.
Applications can be filled out and submitted here.
The under-30 crowd can join Our Voice 2008, a community "dedicated to fighting the misconception that young Americans don’t care about politics." Sign up here. The goal?
We won’t let dirty politics or partisan message boards direct our political discussion. On this site, you will find no double-speak—just clear, straightforward information on issues that matter to young voters ...
The faster we grow, the faster we will get the attention of the Media and Candidates. That’s when the real fun will begin. Voters under 30 do not need phone banks or door-to-door campaigns to spread the word. As a generation, we can make a greater impact through e-mail and the power of social networking websites.
MySpace and MTV are planning town hall conversations with the major candidates on college campuses, and we're invited. MySpacers and college students will be able to ask questions while the rest of us watch the candidates answer via web and television. The first get-together will be on September 27th with John Edwards in New Hampshire. And guess what? MySpace also plans to hold a mock election early in 2008. So stay tuned; I plan to.
Looks like the YouTube/CNN Republican Debate might not happen on September 17th. Rudy Giuliani's saying his calendar's too tight and Mitt Romney doesn't feel like taking on a snowman. Only McCain and Paul have agreed to be there so far.
On top of that, women are complaining because 70% of the questions chosen for the Democratic debate were asked by dudes (even the snowman was a guy). Also, if only rich-ish, educated types have cameras and computers, how can a poor person ask a question? Ignoring the fuss, the videos keep rolling in from YouTubers -- have you asked yours yet?
SLJ sums up a recent study claiming that teens aren't into the news:
A recent Harvard University study, based on a national sample of 1,800 teens (ages 12 to 17), young adults (ages 18 to 30), and older adults, found that 28 percent of teens pay almost no attention to daily news. An additional 32 percent were "casually inattentive" to news from just one source. Taken together, 60 percent of teens can be considered inattentive to daily news, as compared to 48 percent of young adults and 23 percent of older adults, says the study.
Prove them wrong by getting savvy about the '08 election. You can get started by checking out Expert Voter's nifty spreadsheet of video clips about the candidates' stands on issues like the war in Iraq and abortion.
On Monday night, 50 of the thousands of questions submitted via YouTube will steer CNN's Democratic debate in South Carolina. If you missed out on asking a question, you can send an i-Report giving your take on the candidates and issues during and after the debates:
This is your chance to be a political analyst and call the shots. Watch the program on July 23, take notes and share your views via I-Report. Better yet -- turn on your camera to record your commentary and reaction video. Let us know how you think candidates are doing. Your video could be part of CNN's post-debate coverage ... E-mail ireport@cnn.com from your cell phone. Need help? Check the Toolkit.
You might have noticed the candidates spending a lot of time in Iowa getting ready for the January 14, 2008 caucus. Eight candidates, Republicans and Democrats, have made about 50 appearances this week across the state, for a total of 280 visits, spending lots of campaign dollars on ads like this one. On the Fourth of July, Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton marched in a parade just down the street from each other, and Romney joked around with Hillary's hubby.
Why is the Iowa caucus so important? Because it comes first, just like their logo says. The word caucus comes from the Algonquin, and means "a gathering of the ruling tribal chiefs." In Iowa, any resident can vote, even 17-year-olds, because we'll be old enough to vote in the November '08 nationwide election.Sparrowblog position: Chicago, Illinois, near the lake, with a fantastic view of the Sears tower and the sounds of the annual peace and hemp festival in the distance.
Presenting Campaign Idol, sponsored by YouTube and CNN, and actually featured this morning on Google's usually spotless search page:
This summer and fall, YouTube, CNN and a few engaged and engaging citizens will make political history by having the presidential candidates answer questions submitted via YouTube videos.
The first debate will feature the Democratic candidates on July 23rd in Charleston, South Carolina. Submit your question for the Democrats between June 14 and July 22 (the earlier the better). The CNN political team will choose the most creative and compelling videos, and if yours is one of them, you may get the chance to fly to Charleston to watch the debate live and offer your reactions afterward on YouTube's political video blog, Citizentube.
So if you've always wanted your voice to be heard, now's your chance -- grab a camera and get rolling.
From UNICEF:
Working Together to Protect Children in Armed Conflict
The issue of children and conflict cannot be addressed without you! You can make sure government leaders and other decision makers know your opinions, thoughts and ideas by reading this brief report and answering the accompanying questions. Your ideas will be included in a report that will be a key document during the upcoming discussion at the UN. Click here for more information. Deadline: 22 June 2007.
Best News Ever: The One Campaign is jumping into the '08 Presidential Campaign. They're out to pressure the next leader of America to fight world hunger. It's insane that kids are dying on this planet because they don't have food, and WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT.
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