Last week, I attended the Power to the Peaceful Festival in Golden Gate Park. It was a festival of musicians, yoga practitioners and global humanitarians and activists who all see the potential for a world without poverty. Crazy optimistic, right? So true, so sincere and I'm willing to bank on it. Michael Franti put the event together for the eleventh year in a row. He started with a pre-September 11th vision of creating a massive party to celebrate global harmony and activism. It has grown to be a major musical event and opportunity for those who also believe the time has come to create positive momentum in the world. Franti has teamed up with Care - the global humanitarian organization that invented the Care Package back in WW2. Now, they work with communities, focusing on women and girls, in 66 developing countries. They work within cultures in countries that need help with infrastructure, healthcare, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and education. They're an up-and-up organization that I've spent the past year traveling with and writing about. I have a feature in the Aug/Sept issue of Fit Pregnancy magazine about work they're doing in Peru to improve maternal mortality.
I spent the weekend experiencing the festival and follow-up Care educational forum with a writer's eye. I came home with dozens of ideas to write about. Here are some of my favorite people/organizations who participated in the event: Seane Corn - Off the Mat Into the World; Howard Schiffer - Vitamin Angels; Les Leventhal - Yoga and Recovery; Room to Read; Spark; and of course, my favorite - Care.
I'm most optimistic about how many ways there are to help people who need what you have to offer.
