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Vote For Equality (VFE)

October 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment

marriage-equality

By Rene NG

On Saturday I went canvassing for Vote For Equality(VFE) which is an organization dedicated to create marriage equality for the LGBT community. This time I was a lot better prepared for the talks that I’d be conducting with various people. The first time I did it I was nervous as hell and it was difficult for me to sound natural because of all the material VFE has you memorize. The point of the conversations is to ask people whether or not they voted on Proposition 8 last year. If they’re against it then you need to have a conversation with them trying to elicit an emotional response- this is key. They’re very much against getting into a logical debate and especially any biblical based discussions/arguments about the issue.marriage-equality[1]

This time around I was sent into the heart of Glendale into a largely Armenian community. The parks were filled with old Armenian men playing chess in large packs. The smells of stews wafted out from the homes. I had a lot of difficulty because most of the people I encountered couldn’t speak English or the people on the voting list had moved away. The most interesting discussion I had was with a mother and her daughter, the mom was dead set against the whole thing because according to her, “That’s the way things are”. The daughter too was against it but I pushed a bit harder and I asked her if homosexuals are worse than heterosexual people and whether or not they should get equal rights. The daughter thought about it for a minute and said, “No you’re right everybody is equal”. At the end of the conversation the mother was still against it and the daughter decided to vote for LGBT marriage rights.

At times when I’m canvassing I feel as if I’m not really making any kind of difference but I think it’s good to bring up the issue and talk about it with people regardless if they’re going to shift their mindset. With that young woman she hadn’t even thought of equality as being an issue. Equality was one of the things that she did believe in and just by bringing that to light made all the difference. I guess sometimes you do make a difference one conversation at a time. To get involved please contact: https://secure2.convio.net/laglc/site/SPageServer?pagename=YW_Vote_for_Equality

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Communing with Nature

October 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment

By Lisa Riggs,

In addition to my intern duties here at Causecast, I am finishing up my last year of college, and as part of my illustrious position as a senior I’m taking those classes, that glorious mixture of graduation requirements that you’ve put off until the last minute (international trade theory may be the death of me) and the fun, fluff classes such as modern dance or… Earth and Space Sciences 19.  Now while ESS 19 may sound intimidating, the course load is fairly light and most importantly includes a weekend adventuring in the Eastern Sierras near Yosemite.

Last Friday, after lugging our rucksacks across campus, our class of 15, including the prof and grad students, embarked on a three day hiatus from the usual hustle and bustle of Los Angeles life to enjoy some true blue sky while learning a bit about the natural history of California, and learn we did.

During our day hikes through the Sierras and moon-phase studying nights, not only did I come to understand more about ice ages, the names of the features within Yosemite’s mountains, and the history of the naming of Mt. Whitney, I had a chance to connect with other students.  We discussed the best ratio of garlic to olive oil in bruschetta while we made dinner, AIDS education and prevention policies over late night hot chocolate, and environmental issues surrounding LA’s ownership and use of Owens Valley as its water source as we walked the dusty valley floor.

Weekends like these remind me why I love communities like my Earth and Space class and Causecast.  Living and working with others can be a platform for gaining new perspectives and appreciating other people’s passions.  The opportunity to commune not only with nature but with one another is one I hope to pursue more often in the future.  Maybe a Causecast camping trip could be in the works?

Categories: Uncategorized

Causecast, one year later…

September 25, 2009 · 1 Comment

Causecast celebrated its one-year anniversary two weeks ago (Sept 12 2008 was the day of launch), but today I’m celebrating my one-year anniversary of working at Causecast.

It’s hard to condense down a full year into one blog post, and I’ve never been a sentimental person by any stretch of the term, but I do love taking pictures. And I’ve been fortunate enough to tag along when Causecast has gone to different parts of the country: Washington DC during Obama’s inauguration, Austin Tx for SXSW, San Francisco for the NTEN conference just to name a few. It’s been amazing. And if I ever had a moment to spare I’d take some pictures and post them on our Flickr page.

Here are just a few, which I’ll be expanding over time when I have a moment to go through the collection.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonthebuck/sets/72157622448363970/

Lately I’ve been using the camera to shoot timelapses (here’s the CC crew having lunch).

Where will we be going in the next year? God only knows. It’s pretty amazing how far we’ve gone now. But you can be sure I’ll be taking pictures all the way.

Categories: Uncategorized

Day of Peace

September 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment

By Hellen Yemane

Two days ago, on September 21 it was the international day of peace. This day was established by the United Nations in 1981 to promote peace and bring awareness to world wars. Its purpose is to dedicate a day of nonviolence and peacefulness. Personally, I found out about this day last year around this time. I decided then that I wanted to create a poser to promote global awareness towards peace. I started off thinking of nations that are in ongoing conflict and have been for an extensive period. I immediately thought of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. To me, the dispute between Israel and Palestine has gone on for as long as I can remember and has always been in the center of world conflicts. For my poster design I decided to do a set of three posters, each poster have the word ‘peace’ written in the center of a white and plain background. The writings I did were in Hebrew, Arabic and English. For each type I had put the international peace symbol as background in colors of red, orange, green and blue. Making these was no big deal, however, I for some reason felt like this was one way of encouraging a course towards strengthening the idea of peace one day.

PEACE1PEACE3PEACE2

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Movements for an Unhappy Commuter

September 22, 2009 · 1 Comment

I hate driving. I’ve avoided driving since I turned 16, deluding myself into thinking I could move to LA and hold a job without a car. After months of feeling mildly trapped in my house, I broke down and bought my own environmental disaster last year. Well, a semi-environmental disaster since I bought a hybrid.

contemplating social justice while a friend drives me around

contemplating social justice while a friend drives me around

I feel like a sell-out every time I commute to work. The car catalyzed the explosion of sprawling suburbs and office parks that segmented people’s lives into dehumanizingly specific activities. The streets have been reduced to linear spaces that exist only to move workers/consumers from workplace A to shopping mall B. All the points in between are bypassed, sold back to the general public at the price of gas, insurance and debt payments to the auto industry.

The street is no longer a common ground in most communities. There are efforts to return this space back to the public, namely in progressive planning offices that are developing “walkable communities.” Making towns and cities sustainable, integrated and livable is now widely popular in the urban planning circles.

For decades, the idea of reclaiming the streets back from cars was radical. Creative grassroot activists demonstrated against and resisted the co-opting of public space.

Here are some of my favorite/fun movements that subvert the urban landscape:

Critical Mass – While it may appear to simply be a friendly community bike ride, Critical Mass is a recurring demonstration against cities unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists. Organizers of the first rides (San Francisco, circa 1992) named the event Critical Mass because it is the amount that is necessary to cause a reaction. The name aptly characterizes the power that can be internally created through non-hierarchical collective action. In other words, gathering enough bicyclists allows them to safely challenge cars for domination of the roads. “Massers” typically don’t cooperate with local authorities, organizing the rides as if they were spontaneous events instead of planned disruptions. As the Atlanta Critical Mass website declares, “It is, more than anything else, a reclamation of space, a demonstration to show that the city belongs to people and not machines.”

Though Critical Mass occur everywhere on the monthly basis, there is no national or international organization rides.

Reclaim The Streets – This movement bubbled up in London a few years before Critical Mass, organizing “spontaneous” street parties that allow residents to take control of their urban environment. Employing a strategy of “organized coincidence” to maintain their demonstrations’ disruptiveness, the movement views the street as a literal and symbolic battlefield in which local communities must stake their claim.

Flash Mobs – A group of people who suddenly gather in public, flash mobs don’t belong on this list since they are typically done without a larger social agenda.  Flash mobs are the celebutante children of Reclaim The Streets (i.e. famous and a lot of fun to party with).

Parking Day - Another idea from San Francisco, Parking Day converts metered parking spaces into public parks. The yearly event was started by Rebar in 2005 to bring attention to the disproportionate allocation of San Francisco public space to automobiles. Since metered parking essentially gives individuals a temporary lease upon space, organizers encourage participants to use their property rights creatively.

Parking Day now occurs worldwide. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Big Lunch – Britons held the first ever “Big Lunch” this past summer, an event that approximately 2 million people attended. Aimed at building local community spirit, participants threw parties and picnics and invited their neighbors – many of whom they’ve probably never talked to before. Attempting to connect communities, the Big Lunch shut down streets across Britain to make room for communal feasts.

Walking School Bus - This movement is not terribly counter-culture, but it is a pragmatic idea that encourages communities to rediscover fresh air. A walking school bus is simply a group of children walking to school with an adult volunteer. Parents, college students or retired people take turns walking children on a predetermined route, fighting childhood obesity and unnecessary car travel at the same time.

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The United States is shooting for the Top Spot, Literally!!

September 18, 2009 · Leave a Comment

weapons

By Greg Whitehead

This is an interesting article I stumbled on a few weeks back. Despite the current condition of our nation/global economy, The United States is leading the world in gun sales. Last year sales totaled nearly $40 billion accounting for nearly 70% of the worldwide weapons market share. Italy was second at 3.7 billion in sales. Now this comes at a time when a close relative of mine was shot last week and is fighting for his life as we speak. I’ve already lost a younger cousin to gun violence less than two months ago so you can imagine what me and my family are going through right now. Now my question is this; If this is the amount of guns we’re selling abroad and exporting to different countries, Think about how many weapons we have here domestically? Imagine that!!

Here’s a link to the full ariticle: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/world/07

Categories: Uncategorized

My AIDS Walk LA Flop

September 17, 2009 · Leave a Comment

by Erica Liepmann, Associate Editor


AIDS Walk LA is coming up….and we’re getting pretty excited over here at Causecast. I’m especially excited.


I haven’t participated in the AIDS Walk since my sophomore year of college, when I made the rookie mistake of completing the entire 10k walk….IN FLIP FLOPS. I really don’t think I’m below average intelligence…I’m just not a morning person, heinously overslept for the walk and had to jump out of bed and essentially go in my pajamas. The PJ part wasn’t so bad…if only I could have remembered sneakers, I would have been fine. I couldn’t really walk or stand for days after the walk, because I’d injured my feet so badly. But DAMMIT I finished the walk!!! It was totally worth it.


It’s a pretty inspiring thing to be a part of so many people all in solidarity for a cause they care about. Our generation doesn’t really get out to protest – but you can still get us out there to walk for a cause. And depending on how you think about it, it’s kind of the same thing – we’re protesting (in this case) AIDS effect on our communities and the world. We’re refusing to let it beat us and we’re committing to fight it and all the negativity associated with it.


I’ve lived in LA (or the ‘burbs) my whole life, and it’s pretty crazy to see the streets of the city closed down for the event. Who has ever walked right down the middle of the big boulevards of West LA before? It really shows you what it would be like to live in a city without cars, and to be honest it’s pretty cool. I took in so much I’d never noticed before…the shops and restaurants and people and everything about the area I’d never seen from my car before.


So…if you’re free Sunday October 18th and you want to spend the day with meee and like, THOUSANDS of other LA folk, I recommend coming out for the AIDS Walk. I’m doing it up big this year, I’m even going to try to remember shoes…

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My Subliminally Cause Infested Weekend….

September 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment

By Christian Borneman

After a somewhat arduous week of fighting the good fight at Causecast, by which I mean having every waking moment (and some sleeping) consumed with thoughts of human rights, greening my home and office, how people can really make a difference in the world, I was beat.  I mean really exhausted.  My weekend was going to be me time, free from any thoughts of any kind about anything.  As it turned out, all of my weekend plans intersected nicely with what we do at Causecast, and it was really rewarding to see people doing great things that promoted cause awareness and philanthropy.  It began on Saturday when Jon and I biked over to the opening night for an exhibition at a gallery we like.  As always, the artists involved brought it.  The showing was a self-portrait of each of the 48 artists represented.  Like most galleries, some of the art was inspiring and some terrifying, the tunes were thumping and the shwag was interesting, if not entirely practical.

The kicker, though was that the proceeds from each painting purchased went to causes.  Booyah.  Not only did we all have a great time, and the artists get exposure, but it was all for a good cause.  Makes you feel all warm and snuggly inside, don’t it?  The next morning after having a relaxing breakfast at this place in Venice, I began to browse the café gift shop.  They had some reusable water bottles (BPA free of course) that were novel and refreshing (no pun intended).  The cool thing was that the bottles came in one of four colors.  Each color represented a different environmental cause.  Awesome.  So, for instance, if you had purchased the blue bottle you would have been supporting something like ocean clean up.  Had you purchased the green bottle, it would have represented the global water crisis.  And so on.  Pretty nifty, huh?  Finally, and wholly unrelated to causes, Seu Jorge and Bebel Gilberto were playing at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night.  For those of you who don’t know, both are Brazilian superstars.  Seu Jorge acted in and did the soundtrack for Life Aquatic and was in City of God.  Both great movies; check them out.  Bebel Gilberto is more or less bossa nova royalty.  They were both fantastic live and the show culminated with the Hollywood Bowl’s famed fireworks display.  Show de bola, gente!!

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Introducing….

September 14, 2009 · 1 Comment

After a long episode of (slightly tearful) goodbyes from our summer interns’ departure, it is with equal emotion that I have the pleasure to introduce our stellar “creme de la creme” of the Cause world, 2009 Causecast fall interns! They hail from all corners of the world, and we are fortunate to have their talents on our side!

So without further ado……

Tammy Tammy Rosecrans
To break it down, basically I am a snowboarding crazed, human rights advocate and serial adventure seeker. It was not until my journey to South Africa that I truly changed the direction of my life. Since then, I have redirected my graduate school goals, spontaneously jumped on a bus to travel the nation with Invisible Children, and fortuitously found my way into the arms of Causecast. As the newest editorial intern, I am able to explore the world in a new light, continuously educating myself and those around us so that we may all become more effective activists.

Rene NgRene
I am an environmental activist, and I worked in China for the last ten years. I worked specifically in the areas of theater and education. I’ve just moved to LA to find a way to transition into film and television. Cause Cast is the perfect place for me because it melds my passion for environmental activism with media. If you want check out my Chinese environmental website go to chinasgreenbeat.com!

Lisa
Lisa Riggs
As I begin my last year of undergraduate education, I am excited to enter that great unknown, the “real world”, in June. Despite the presence of vast problems and difficult questions across the globe, there are also many great minds on this planet, which deeply desire revolution, reform and responsibility, and the fact that together, we might be able to realize a dream of a better world for every human being, gives me hope and inspires me to try and make a difference. In particular, the cause for women’s rights, especially in developing nations, is central to solutions for a myriad of issues today. Women are central to the home and society and they are vital to creating lasting change.
Carol RasFall-8
I am from Sacramento and known as Carol with the long last name that everybody butchers! I am a filmmaker and my goal is to entertain and educate all in one big car chase and a giant explosion. My focus is to create content with substance in hopes to encourage people to recognize their potential on many levels, to hone their crafts and specialties, and apply them in a positive way. The world needs us, people need us, we need us, so why not see where you fit in on this chaotic planet and help make a difference? The outcome is very rewarding to both witness and endorse once the pieces of the puzzles come together, so get to it!

Fall-10Erald Sejdini
You can take the boy out of Political Science, but you cannot take Political Science out of the boy. It was my major at Boston University, until I realized that politics would not change the world. Governments only play mannequins in window displays, while people’s passion produces energy that elevates the fighting spirit of life. So, in an act of re-invention, I got myself a one-way ticket. Destination: The Los Angeles Film School. As an aspiring “change maker,” it is my duty to nurture myself in an environment that is full of change-making energy. When you are about to take off from film school and in to an industry that cares only for the kind of activism that makes money, this destination is particularly difficult to discover. CauseCast is where you find it.
Matt BrionesFall-12
I think Dylan said it best when he said, “There is nothing so stable as change.” Aside from Dylan some of my other interests include: basketball, editing, Kafka and most recently change! After helping film a documentary on a local Austin non-profit, I truly realized the potential video could have as a means of philanthropic empowerment. Originally from Austin, Texas, I look forward to exploring the west coast, the Pacific and most importantly helping Causecast bring organizations and activists together.
Fall-4
Eric Andrew
I’m back for round 2! I just couldn’t watch this place fade in my rear view. I learned a lot about myself while I’ve been here. I’m excited to keep fighting for these causes and perpetuating the non-profits I’ve come into contact with. I’m ecstatic about working with the campus reps we are bringing on board to represent Causecast at colleges and universities around the nation. The music site is taking shape as well and the things we have in store are mind-blowing.

Stephanie ParkFall-3
I just graduated from UCLA where I studied Comparative Literature. Naturally, I applied those skills to real world experiences (read: threw out everything I learned about French and English lit) and headed off to live/work on a small organic farm in Oregon. I am currently applying to law schools so I can hopefully pursue a career in Environmental Law. I enjoy learning about ideals of sustainability that can be applied everywhere and to everyone. I want to see change in the way people look at food, health, and the future. I also like riding bikes and delivering happiness to others in the form of baked goods.

Fall-9Greg Whitehead
Greetings my name is Greg. I’m a cinema/tv production major at LACC. I’m very excited about having the opportunity to work with Causecast. To see a company that has such dedication to spreading awareness of real issues and being a foundation for harvesting change demonstrates the power of true unity. I believe media is the new way of reaching out to those who want to help and get involved, and those who need help most of all. I’m passionate about helping our youth through development and outreach programs in and outside of school. I also have experience working with the HipHop Summit Action Network (HHSAN).

Fall-13
Theresa Pham
On the surface, I am a graduate of UCIrvine, have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information and Computer Science, am the youngest of 4 Girls, Vietnamese American, a native of Southern Californian, and slowly inching past the quarter-century mark in age. Dig deeper and you will find out that I collect stamps in my passport, enjoy making lists, think people are inherently good, snowboarding in the winter, chai tea lattes, acoustic covers, photography, complimenting color pallets, technology, and random bursts of dancing (my default move is almost always the running man). Why Causecast? Inspired by the quote “Be the Change You Want to See in the World” I want to use my talents and explore my interests to do something to effect efficient and positive change in this world.

Fall-6Amy Tanaka
Hajimemashite Tanaka desu. Doozo yoroshiku. I love to connect with people that have a genuine passion to do good. Therefore, I am grateful I found my niche with Causecast as a Community Manager to be able to work and communicate with all of you! “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”-Margaret Mead

Andy Stoneandy-1
Hello loyal readers, my name is Andy Stone. I am a graphics designer who also works in photography, user-experience, development and animation. See also: nerd. I intern at Causecast working on the design team for projects that I care about. I love good design, but it means a lot to me when it is for a good purpose.

Fall-5Christian Borneman
Hey everyone! I just graduated from UCSB, and am having a blast as a marketing intern at Causecast.  So far, I’ve been working on human rights in Burma and awareness for Aung San Suu Kyi.  I love traveling and have been fortunate to visit India and Brazil in the last few years.   Both places were inspirational and helped me realize the interconnectedness of the world’s causes.  My passion is the environment and I’m particularly interested in urban development and green design.

Hellen YemaneFall-11
My name is Hellen Yemane. I came to the U.S. about 5 years ago as an international student from Sweden, originally from Eritrea, northeast of Africa. Last May I graduated from CSUN with a BA in graphic design. In my work so far my goal has been to incorporate graphics with matters dealing with people in struggle to bring viewers awareness. When projects were given in my courses, I tried to think of different ways to include global issues in my concepts. This way I hope I can be part of contributing to positive change to our world. And by being part of Causecast I believe I can contribute for that change

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Cause for Comedy Success!

August 28, 2009 · 1 Comment

Cause for Comedy by Jonathan Kalan

Last night was our 3rd Cause for Comedy event at the Hollywood Improv, and for all those unfortunate people who couldn’t make it out, it was awesome! Hosted by Ben Morrison, and featuring comedians Eric Schwartz, Ben Gleib, Adam Richmond, Erin Foley, Nadine Rajabi, and Hugh Moore, it was a night of laughs and drinks- all for a great cause. The beneficiary was the Causecast organization Creative Visions Foundation, supporting “Creative Activists,” individuals who use the power of media and the arts to create positive change in the world.

Aside from an almost full house, Causecast was streaming the entire event online—on Causecast.org, Comedy.com, Creativevisions.org, and HuffingtonPost.com—reaching over 10,000 viewers.

While the comedy inside the club was good enough, the shenanigans continued outside  after the event. There was a little “red carpet”  event set up outside with “Renegade Reporting?” interviewing everyone from Ron Jeremy to Corey Feldman (seriously?) . Somehow, Causecast’s own Managing Editor and comedic relief Jonathan Harris,  convinced them that he indeed was famous, and took an interview. Who knows where it is now…. but he owned the red carpet for at least a couple of minutes… and I think almost took his shirt of at one point?

Anywho, if you couldn’t make it to this month’s Cause for Comedy, be sure to come out in September. They just keep getting better….

Categories: Uncategorized