Charter for Compassion

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

We are pleased to announce a new Humanity Project collaboration. It is with a respected worldwide organization called the Charter for Compassion International. We were honored that they extended an invitation to the Humanity Project to join their coalition, which includes more than 150 cities and 300 other partners working to take compassionate action that improves lives.

Among the many notables who have signed the Charter for Compassion are Muhammad Ali, Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Deepak Chopra and Queen Noor of Jordan. The Humanity Project is in good company indeed. You can take a look at their website for yourself, and sign the charter while you’re there: Visit the Charter For Compassion website.

As the good folks at Charter For Compassion explain, the charter is a document now signed by nearly 100,000 people worldwide, transcending religion, ideology, politics and other differences among us. Instead this project aims to bring compassionate thinking and especially compassionate action into the real everyday world.

To quote from the Charter, “Compassion is the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other, and lies at the heart of all religious and ethical systems.” We agree. Despite the relatively small things that divide us as human beings, we have far more in common than we have differences. As individuals, we all need to feel a sense of our own worth. We all want to be healthy. We all want a network of close family and friends. We experience much the same emotions as everyone else, something that great works of art demonstrate to us. We share a common humanity. At the Humanity Project, this belief is among our core ideas. Just look at the PeacePage, a special photo gallery you’ll find listed on the website menu above this blog. The faces of those people from all seven continents show us what we see every time we look into the mirror. We are each fundamentally the same. The Charter For Compassion is helping more of us to recognize this underlying humanity — and to act on it. The Humanity Project is proud to now be part of that effort.

Taking Care of the Kids

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

The Humanity Project took part in a fun family event this past weekend: Baby Love & Family Expo. It was put on by our wonderful sponsor, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. 

Above, you see a photo of our volunteer, Gwendolyn Lai, helping one of the many kids who stopped by our booth at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center on Saturday. We had puzzles for the young kids, advice and information for the parents. From us, adults learned how to stop school bullying.

Elsewhere at the huge expo, they heard about other important topics such as healthy habits for families and poison prevention. There was music, there were arts and crafts. Kids got fake tattoos and sat down to hear storytelling sessions. The remarkable clown named Lotsy Dotsy also was around to entertain the children. Lotsy is a special woman who’s employed by JDCH to help sick kids feel better — and she will soon be our special podcast guest at the Humanity Project. We’ll let you know when that program is available on our podcast page.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital recently renewed their sponsorship of the Humanity Project for the third consecutive year and we’ll be telling you more about that before long too. For now, we hope you’ll enjoy knowing that something like this expo took place … an event designed to bring families together in a spirit of fun and learning. For more information about Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, just check out this link: http://www.jdch.com. We are proud to be sponsored by such a fine organization, one of many that provide the funding and support the Humanity Project requires to offer all of our programs to the public — for free. Thanks, JDCH!

Team Up to Stop Bullying

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

The Humanity Project is a proud member of the Team Up To Stop Bullying coalition, a group of groups, really. It was put together by the long-respected Sears brand, which also is a Humanity Project sponsor. So we want to tell you about a promotion going on from August 11 through September 7.

If you visit your local Sears store during that time, you can help the Humanity Project and the other fine organizations that work to stop bullying around the United States. Just purchase the denim sports bag you see in this photo. The cost is only $5 and Sears will donate $1 of the purchase price to Team Up to Stop Bullying. Plus, Shop Your Way℠ members get a coupon to earn $5 back in points (5,000 points) on your next qualifying purchase of $5 or more.

There’s another way you can put money in the Team Up To Stop Bullying pot, helping the Humanity Project and our fellow anti-bullying groups. You can enter a free sweepstakes to win a pair of signed “Kardashian Kollection” jeans at this link: Enter the Sears sweepstakes. For each entry, Sears will donate $1 to Team Up to Stop Bullying. Our coalition of anti-bullying organizations is dedicated to connecting students, parents and educators directly to solutions they can immediately use.

Learn more about Team Up To Stop Bullying at the Sears website: Visit Team Up To Stop Bullying website. We’re grateful for the assistance of Sears in the battle to stop school bullying. Our own acclaimed program, Anti-bullying Through The Arts, teaches elementary schoolkids a simple lesson: That bullying hurts everyone in a school and it takes everyone to stop it. The support from Sears and other great Humanity Project sponsors make our program possible. Thank you!

THP: A Look Back in Pics

Among many high school staffers who worked on our new thp4kids.com this year.

(Editor’s Note: This post is adapted from the July 2013 Humanity Project email newsletter, Humanity News. You can sign up to receive the free newsletter once each month by clicking on the “Go” button in the right-hand column of this home page under “Sign up for our Email Newsletter.” We ask only for your email address.)

We’ve all earned a little time to chill during another hot summer. For the Humanity Project, the school year is a busy period — and the coming 2013-2014 session looks like no exception. So as we end July, we decided to do something we’ve never done. Here’s a blog made up of some of the memorable pics from major moments in the Humanity Project’s nearly eight-year history. They’re fun, engaging and just right for a warm summer day. Thanks so much for taking a look.

Our Anti-bullying Through The Arts has reached more than 14,000 kids so far!

The new I Care website home page

A few members of our University of Miami I Care design team.

11/16/08: First mass kids march against bullying in the United States ... organized and led by the Humanity Project.

Humanity ... In the News

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

As I write this, I’m just back from sitting beside the ocean. Watching the lovely waves wash over the beach, I noticed a mother and her two young kids walking toward the water. One of the children was a toddler, probably not much more than one, and she plodded unsteadily over the pavement toward the beachfront. When this youngest child stepped on the sand, though, she became frightened and soon reached for her mother’s arms. Something about this unfamiliar experience was unsettling to the girl — the world beneath her feet was no longer quite so solid and predictable.

I mention this because it seemed to me a very human experience, that sense at any age of feeling suddenly off-balance in our lives. The Humanity Project has a brand new website for older kids, those coping with an age when they’re particularly prone to feeling unsteady. Emotionally unsteady, uncertain about who and what they are.

The site is called thp4kids and the first news story about the completed project appeared in the media last week. I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to see what the press is saying about this truly innovative site for students of about 12-years-old up to perhaps 17-years-old. Here’s the link: Read the news article about the Humanity Project’s thp4kids website.

As you’ll read, it’s a very special site, unique on the Internet to our knowledge. It was created by talented high school kids who have plenty of experience to offer their younger peers. After you finish the news story, you may well want to check out the website for yourself: Go to the thp4kids website. Please pass along that link to any parents or kids who may benefit from knowing about our site. Everyone feels unsteady on their feet sometimes in a society that seems constantly shifting and changing. For pre-teens and early teens who are handling these issues, we created thp4kids … “The Humanity Project 4 Kids!” We believe it can help many thousands of young people to gain a much more secure footing as they step toward their future.

Summertime Safety

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

Mid-July seems a good time for an important reminder: Teens drive more in the summer … and are in greater danger of accidents, injuries and deaths. If you’re an adult reading this, just think back on your own teenage summers. Perhaps, like me, you experienced some wild moments in an automobile during your high school years. Actually, I was in a terrible crash at 16 that could have killed me and others — but luckily, we all were wearing seat belts.

So a couple of things for you and the teens in your life. First, of course, be sure they discover and share our innovative I Care website and book. It’s all free — we’re not selling anything here except safety. They can find it at this link: I Care teen driver safety program website. This State Farm-sponsored program was created by the Humanity Project with high school students as the writers, illustrators and web designers.

Since I’ve mentioned State Farm, let me also tell you that this public-spirited company sponsors a big annual event called Celebrate My Drive, which awards 100 schools as much as $100,000 to help encourage safe driving by teens. Find out about this year’s event here: State Farm’s Celebrate My Drive.

And finally, I wanted to share a memorable short video that’s going viral on the Internet. It’s about a loving family and the importance of wearing seat belts to keep them together. The message is both touching and powerful: Watch the YouTube seat belt video. I’m hoping all of us remember to wear our seat belts and avoid distractions this summer as well as during every season of the year. But the reality is that teens are more likely to die in car accidents than adults and so need this advice urgently right now. Please do what you can to make sure the teens in your life get this message, very loud and clear.

Imagine if We Were Number 1

Dr. Laura Finley, Humanity Project Board of Directors VP

(Editor’s Note: This blog was written by Dr. Laura Finley, Vice President of the Humanity Project Board of Directors. Dr. Finley is Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Barry University.)

No, not number one in military spending (which we are). Not number one in incarceration rates (which we are as well). What if, instead of these things, the U.S. became hyper-focused on becoming the most peaceful nation on earth? The recently released 2013 Global Peace Index (GPI) placed the U.S.100th out of 162 countries. That’s not so spectacular. The GPI, which is endorsed by a number of Nobel Peace laureates, eminent individuals and renowned academics, considers factors related to both negative peace, that is, the absence of violent conflict, and positive peace, or characteristics of just and humane societies, like ample housing, access to education and gender equality.  

The GPI’s Positive Peace Index measures attitudes, institutions and structures that either promote or prohibit a peaceful environment. The 2013 GPI noted that since 2008 110 countries have become less peaceful. The U.S is one of these. The U.S scores particularly poorly in regards to its high prison and jail population, its large and active military, the number of conflicts it is engaged in overseas and the number of combat deaths, its heavy weapons capacity and ease of access to small arms. The U.S. rates moderately on measures related to gender equality, education, and infant mortality. This failure to commit to peace is a global catastrophe, and a costly one at that.

The GPI report, available at www.visionofhumanity.org, calculates the total economic impact of containing violence to have been $9.46 trillion in 2012.  According to the report, cutting the cost of violence in half would be enough to repay all the debts of the developing world, provide for European financial stability and fully fund the Millennium Development Goals. So, what does it take to get to the top, to be a “peace” country?

The top ten of the GPI is dominated by small Nordic countries, although New Zealand, Canada and Japan are included as well. Despite being far different geographically and in its population, the U.S can perhaps draw a thing or two from these countries. Despite difficult economic times, Iceland is number one for its low crime rates, its minimal military and its resistance to getting involved in global violent conflict. In general, the high peace countries tend to have, among other qualities, more equitable distribution of resources, greater trust between citizens and more social cohesion. They invest in health and education and seek alternatives to retributive justice.  In essence, nations that score high on positive peace tend also to be high on the overall GPI. All is not lost, however. What the GPI does not do is gauge the number and quality of programs to engage and inspire youth to create a better world. And here, I know from personal experience, there is much to be celebrated. The work of great organizations like the Humanity Project is helping make positive peace by empowering young people to treat each other well, to take action to end bullying and to be leaders for social justice. Alas, while there is much to be done at a larger level, here in South Florida we are headed in the right direction.

I Care ... Growing Again

May 2013 check presentation to the Humanity Project by State Farm

(Editor’s Note: This post is adapted from the June 2013 Humanity Project email newsletter, Humanity News. You can sign up to receive the free newsletter once each month by clicking on the “Go” button in the right-hand column of this home page under “Sign up for our Email Newsletter.” We ask only for your email address.)

Our I Care/Just Let Me Drive program is expanding its reach, coming a step closer to our goal of taking this truly special teen driver safety program to the millions of kids it can help. The May $10,000 check presentation by State Farm to the Humanity Project will allow us to print copies of the I Care book for students all over South Florida: Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Florida SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) plans to help us distribute these witty books, which are the core of the teen-to-teen program. We want to make sure the I Care books get into the hands of teens who will read them, and then share them with their best friends. Once again, thanks State Farm … We look forward to showing you more of the ways this program can help save many, many young lives!

An Education Toward Authenticity

Gabriela Pinto

(Editor’s Note: This blog was written for the Humanity Project by Gabriela Pinto, Vice President of the Humanity Project Board of Directors. Ms. Pinto is the creator of the website http://www.heal-anxiety-and-depression.com.)

As a society we have agreed on general beliefs about what is right and what is wrong. What it means to be successful and what it means to not make the grade. But it is a limited perspective on life. We are all individuals, not molds. As a result, often times we carry on an internal struggle. We impose an image on ourselves of what we think we should be or what others expect us to be rather than what we really are. Instead of befriending and trusting the individual we truly are inside, we sometimes try to deny it or even annihilate it. For instance, if your heart tells you to pursue a career in acting or painting instead of a 9 to 5 office job, what is really keeping you from doing it? The only thing that moves us to be something we are not is fear. Fear of criticism, fear of lack of approval, fear of failure.

It is here where you should ask yourself: Should I trust a made-up version of myself or the real version? Which one would better guide me through life? Which one can I rely on? Being authentic and true is not only a gift to us but a gift to humanity. Discovering our true talents, embracing our limitations and trusting the individual we have inside is what will really fulfill us. Our uniqueness makes for us a unique path to walk. And walking that unique path will teach us unique lessons that will benefit us all. By revealing who we truly are inside we enrich humanity as a whole. An education towards authenticity should be mandatory. It should be the purpose in all stages of life.

The Humanity Project 4 Kids!!

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

Yes, we have a whole new website created by kids … for kids! From the Humanity Project. It is a website intended specifically to serve a largely ignored population of special children: socially isolated middle school kids, including many LGBT students. The site is called thp4kids (“The Humanity Project 4 Kids”) and you’ll find it at this link: http://thp4kids.com It has been under development by talented students at a Florida magnet school for two years, with intensive work during the 2012-2013 school year thanks to a generous grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Our staffers at South Plantation High School created a complicated custom-designed site using the latest Flash technology — and this means the website is best viewed using the Internet Explorer 10 browser. (We plan to work over the summer on cross-browser compatibility issues, which bedevil even professional adult web developers these days. For now, the site is functional in other browsers but at its fastest and best in IE10 with a good Internet connection on a PC. ) We are very excited about this new major addition to the Humanity Project’s programs — and we hope a national, even international, audience of school kids will find the site and benefit from it. Because thp4kids isn’t for every child, as you’ll see. It’s for kids who are smart and lonely, perhaps struggling with sexual identity issues.

Thp4kids home page!

Kids who want to know and understand but feel confused at this point in their lives. We believe our new Internet destination can offer them an online friend as well as guidance, insight and encouragement. Check it out for yourself and you’ll see. For instance, look in the “You’re NOT Alone” section and watch the amazing “Hearing Voices (Inside Your Head)” animated features, one of them created just for boys and another just for girls. And listen to the ultra-cool song, “All Alone, But Not.” Or in the “Being … YOU” section, look at such videos as “Life Can Be Tough” or “How It Is: Life!” These and all other materials are original, made by the Humanity Project and our student staff. That includes the music, videos, writings, everything. It’s fairly impressive, if we say so ourselves. There’s even a “ChillSounds” relaxation feature that offers more than three hours of chillout music and nature sounds for kids to unwind after a hard day. Please pass the link along to your friends and family — to anyone who may help us spread the word about thp4kids. We know this unique website can help thousands of struggling kids. Now we just need help to make sure those kids know we’re there for them, any time they need us.

Adding Our Voice

The Humanity Project is proud to be part of the LGBT equal rights movement. We have spoken out about lesbian gay bisexual and transgender issues in this space and elsewhere. Our highly regarded Anti-bullying Through The Arts program always has had a common bond with efforts to end bullying against LGBT students.

Now we’re almost ready to launch a new website for socially isolated middle school students, including many LGBT students: thp4kids. “The Humanity Project 4 Kids.” We also meet regularly with an alliance of South Florida nonprofits that work to make life better for the LGBT community. Why? Everything the Humanity Project does is based on these ideas: that human beings each struggle for that all-important sense of individual value … that this struggle is at the root of many individual and social problems … and that those problems are greatly lessened whenever people begin to feel better about themselves in some way.

We believe humanitarian programs are much more effective when they accomplish a practical goal such as stopping bullying through helping individuals to gain a greater sense of importance. Because many LGBT kids and adults often have encountered negative messages about themselves, the Humanity Project wants to add our voice to those trying to change public attitudes. With thp4kids, we can offer some positive messages of our own at the same time.

As it happens, June is LGBT Pride Month. The Humanity Project salutes those working to end discrimination against the LGBT community in the U.S. and around the world. It is a cause we believe in, the great civil rights issue of our time. Progress is obvious in recent years but much more needs to happen, of course. June seems an appropriate moment to remind ourselves about this and to redouble our work toward that end.

Helping to Rebuild

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

This post will be brief. There’s no need to dwell on the obvious beyond a simple fact: The devastating Oklahoma tornado shattered many lives, and ended others … and the people there need our help.

The stories have been heart-rending and sometimes inspiring too, like that of the teacher who laid on top of her students during the height of the storm to protect them, risking her own life. She survived. Some of her kids didn’t, despite her courage. I was in tears listening to this brave woman recount those frightening moments from her hospital bed. There are many, many other such memories among survivors.

As always after these awful events, we ask ourselves the question: How can I help? Well, of course we can begin by making a donation. Every one of us can afford at least $10 and the simplest way to give that amount is to text the Red Cross. Just text their name as one word, REDCROSS, to 90999.  I did this and it’s quick and painless. We also can send out our thoughts and prayers to the Oklahoma residents struggling to recover. And we can do something else. We can appreciate our own good fortune, our blessings and our comforts … and use those positive feelings to help us treat others with more respect and kindness. To me, turning tragedy into something that improves the world is the best way possible to honor the dead and the injured and the suffering, doing all we can to tranform the world’s boundless supply of misery into an expanding pool of hope.