Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela, Keep A Child Alive & The One Campaign July 18, 2009

NY City Mama
Radio City Hall
Mandela Day Dot Com

Today is Mandela Day. Today we celebrate each individual's ability to make an imprint. Watch the Mandela Day Concert live online. Many thanks for your support.

Tim Massey is the creative mind and architect behind Mandela Day.  Tim worked in the entertainment industry for years, and by 1992 Tim had been introduced to the rock group Queen’s manager Jim Beach.  In early 2003 Jim Beach had been asked to produce a major concert on behalf of Nelson Mandela aimed at increasing global awareness of HIV AIDS. Jim approached Tim to coordinate the organization of the first 46664 concert.

The concert was staged at Green Point Stadium, Cape Town on November 29^th, 2003 and the 46664 campaign was born.  From Tim’s early involvement with Queen and the tragic death of Freddie Mercury, his passion to help fight HIV AIDS has been a key focus. Hence Tim’s desire to see 46664 develop as a global campaign which could really make an impact in the fight against HIV AIDS. This relationship grew from Tim being the mastermind behind the succesful 46664 concerts to becoming the Board Director of 46664 in January 2007.

Nelson Mandela’s legacy is such a wonderful one, what inspired you to start this operation, spread this message of the importance of volunteerism?

The reaction to Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations in London last year showed that people across the globe wanted to celebrate this extraordinary man’s legacy. And whilst he is still with us, we could think of nothing more fitting than to establish a day in his name, to honor him, to celebrate him and to offer him our thanks.

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In the week leading up to Mandela Day, New York City will embark on a massive volunteer effort. Each day a different theme will drive volunteers to make an imprint on the city (click here to check out the themes and register!). Also, numerous other non-profits and charity organizations have agreed to help.

You have gathered an impressive group of entertainers to participate for this celebration. How was it getting so many people together for this wonderful cause?

There is a saying that when Nelson Mandela speaks we must listen. Similarly when Mr Mandela asks for our support you cannot ignore it. We are very fortunate to have so many wonderful artists who have answered Mr Mandela’s call and are prepared to give of their time to support Mandela Day.

Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Forest Whitaker, Aretha Franklin, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Dave Stewart, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Josh Groban, Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Jesse McCartney, Zucchero, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, T-Pain, Gloria Gaynor and musician Jesse Clegg are just a few of the names. And with Whoopi Goldberg acting as emcee, Mandela Day on July 18 at Radio City Music Hall will be a night to remember.

The seed of Keep a Child Alive was sown in Kenya in 2002. Royalties from Leigh Blake’s previous fundraiser, Red Hot & Blue, built the AIDS Research and Family Care Clinic in Mombasa. A woman named Anne walked in to the clinic, desperate to obtain the anti-retroviral drugs her three-year-old son Brine needed to survive. At the time the medication’s high cost was an impossible dream for most Africans to afford, and Leigh was so moved by this woman and her courage that she decided to pay for them.For more information on the organization, please visit the 

Keep a Child Alive

Word of the children’s desperate need for medication spread among Leigh’s friends and colleagues, and soon they were offering to do the same. KCA Director Peter Edge became its first donor, and soon Alicia Keys passion for the issue drove her to become its first Global Ambassador.

What started as a very personal incident between two mothers has become a tremendous initiative for change. With around 3,000 children and family members on ARV treatment, 20,000 people under HIV care, three orphanages receiving funding, and major clinic sites in expansion, Keep a Child Alive is making a direct impact in the lives of so many who need help.

Keep a Child Alive is changing charity. Cultural relevance and media savvy keep us on the cutting edge of the AIDS movement. KCA is committed to direct action, and remain small and bureaucracy-free so that our speed of response is never hampered. Our approach speaks loud and clear about our pledge to save lives, and it is this approach that will make us the most prominent organization in the crusade against AIDS.

Now Keep A Child Alive is flourishing. We currently provide funding to 12 clinical and orphan care sites in 7 countries:India, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe; with past funding of additional projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa.

One Campaign

ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Cofounded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.

At ONE, we achieve change through advocacy. We hold world leaders to account for the commitments they've made to fight extreme poverty, and we campaign for better development policies, more effective aid and trade reform. We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency to ensure policies to beat poverty are implemented effectively.

ONE works closely with policy experts, African leaders, and anti-poverty activists to mobilize public opinion in support of tested and proven methods for tackling poverty. At ONE, we believe the fight against poverty is not about charity, but about justice and equality.

First it gives me great pleasure to wish a very Happy Birthday to an Extraordinary man and Hero, Nelson Mandela. 

And there are two women journalists who have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a Korean prison. I made this twitter page in an attempt to keep the spotlight on them. 

Take Care, Love Shelley 

My Twitter Page - Writing_Destiny

Edit: I changed the name of my twitter page to - Writing_Destiny. 

Article Here

Dance Movies & Jennifer Beals

Is Flashdance the most romantic movie ever made? No. 

Someone once told me that an actor must know/ convey humanity to make the character real. Some say, that Humanity is one of the principles of film and theatre and I believe that to be true. 

Anyway, you will probably have to rent the movie to know what scene I'm talking about but it is when the (my favorite) song Lady, Lady, Lady by Joe Esposito is playing in the background. 

Furthermore allow me to really go down in flames in nerdom when I tell you that scene makes me feel sad and sweeps me off my feet. For me, it conveys that being Vulnerable means to show yourself to others completely and utterly without holding back for fear of rejection or judgment. Here are my strengths and weaknesses, take me as I am. It is true, Love can lift you up. 

However, in order for you to be vulnerable with someone you must first be completely honest with yourself. Of course that honesty must be for both partners in the duet. Have a great day. 

Love Shelley

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