Vow of Silence

The Vow of Silence is coming up in less than two weeks! On March 1st, youth from across North America will maintain 24 hours of silence to stand up for children’s rights. You can still get involved!

By collecting pledges for each hour you are silent, you will raise awareness about the children who are unable to speak out against the poverty and exploitation they face, as well as raise funds to give all children a voice through education. You can achieve this goal! By putting the money you raise through the Vow of Silence campaign toward the Adopt a Village campaign, you can build a school, give a family a source of sustainable income, or provide a village with access to clean water.

If you are passionate about these issues and want to make a difference, the Vow of Silence campaign is for you! You can participate as an individual or as part of a group. If you’d like to form a group to help you run your Vow of Silence campaign, check out the Youth in Action Start-up Kit. To get your campaign started, be sure to take a look at the Vow of Silence – How-to Guide! In it you’ll find tips to make your campaign as successful as possible—everything from advertising techniques to holding effective meetings.

Learn more about Vow of Silence and register your Vow of Silence campaign today: www.freethechildren.com/youthzone/campaigns/vowofsilence.htm.

Take the VOW this March 1st, and SPEAK OUT through SILENCE!

Adopt a Village Updates

Hey Everyone,

Just last week, I was doing an action planning workshop with an awesome group of middle school students who were working to build a school in the Kono District of Sierra Leone through the Adopt a Village campaign. We started talking about how the sale of “conflict diamonds” had fuelled a brutal civil war in the country as people fought for control of the diamond mines. We examined ways in which this war connected to us as Canadians. One student brought up how Valentine’s Day is coming up, which is a time when many people purchase diamonds to give to their loved ones. We began to realize how we as Canadians were connected to the world in a lot of negative ways, from purchasing diamonds that come from conflict regions to the way we spend money on things that we don’t really need when millions are poor and starving. 

While our spending habits and lifestyle choice can have a negative impact on the world, there are many more ways that our actions can have an extremely positive impact on the world, such as choosing to promote education through the Adopt a Village campaign. Education opens up opportunities for children to realize a better future, and education also builds peace in fragile regions like Sierra Leone. Now that exams and breaks are finished and new semesters have started, if you haven’t had the chance, it’s a great time to sign on to the Adopt a Village campaign! Take the first step towards creating a better world for all of us to live in! Check out the “Campaigns” section of the Youth Zone for more information: www.freethechildren.com/youthzone/campaigns.

~Jason Apostolopoulos
jason@freethechildren.com 

Me to We Updates

2005 Me to We Award Winners (from left to right) Selena Mell, Brian O'Leary, Cody Clark, Mike Kehoe, and Brena Whittle.

Remember in the October newsletter when I was telling you about Cody Clark, the Me to We Award winner? Well, the Canadian Living Me to We Awards are back! Last year we had so many amazing youth applications that this year we have created a second category specifically for youth. We also have a brand new website at www.metoweawards.com, which has videos of last year’s winners and more!

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2006 Me to We Awards. If you know someone who is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others, let us know—we want to recognize them. Winners will be flown in to Toronto to meet Marc and Craig Kielburger, attend the Me to We Awards Gala, and receive $5,000 to give to their favourite charity. They will also be featured on CTV's Canada AM. Visit www.metoweawards.com for more information and to submit a nomination!

~Russ McLeod
russ@metowe.org