Mother and Child Reunion: Help UNICEF Win Kiwanis Support to Save Lives

Support UNICEF in eliminating Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus!

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A personal appeal from Living in Turnaround:

No, I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away...

I have seen it in Haiti.

I have been a witness, in Indonesia, in Mexico, in Congo.

I have seen a mother cradling a gravely ill child, babies being born amid chaos and destruction, and children all alone, wandering desolate streets in search of anything resembling the familiar.

I have seen tears and sorrow, pain and anguish.

Oh, little darling of mine,
I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day
I know they say let it be
But it just don't work out that way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again...

And through it all, I have seen hope.

Hope arrives wearing a powder blue t-shirt, armband or beret.



--- UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Cecilie Modvar speaks with children who are living in a makeshift camp in Canapé Vert Plaza in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. © UNICEF, Photo by Roger LeMoyne


For over sixty years, hope has been spelled "UNICEF."

I have seen the human toll of natural catastrophes and scenes of conflict through the eyes of UNICEF staff, field workers, volunteers and Goodwill Ambassadors like Clay Aiken, Lucy Liu and Danny Glover.

I have seen something more, something better. I have seen UNICEF save lives.

Every four minutes, a baby dies from tetanus, a disease that is highly preventable. With your vote, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF could receive a $110 million investment by partnering with Kiwanis International to eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus.

Working in over 150 countries across the world, UNICEF has proven results in bringing "effective, low cost solutions" to crises that have an impact on children's health and survival. UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization, delivering essentially needed supplies, clean water, food, medicine and medical care, shelter and more despite "war or conflict, disaster or disease, geography or logistical complexity."

Source: U.S. Fund for UNICEF

UNICEF is ready to go to work to end deaths from tetanus. Here's how:

The investment of $110 million from Kiwanis International will support the elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus over the next 5 years, protecting 129 million women and their future babies from the deadly disease. Together, we will achieve zero.

--- from UNICEF Fieldnotes.

So don't sit there idle: get into motion and vote for UNICEF's Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus program at Kiwanis International. With your help, there is real hope to end this deadly disease.

Vote HERE now!

But I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
When the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away...

--- "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon

UNICEF: Haiti Earthquake Emergency Alert

I'm reposting this information from UNICEF on the Haiti eartquake and UNICEF's mission to provide immediate relief to the victims. Please follow the link to read the full story, then act immediately to help save lives.

Donations are urgently needed for earthquake victims following a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and many more injured, homeless and still trapped in the rubble. UNICEF has more than sixty years of proven results in acting quickly and effectively to help victims of natural disasters, without regard to race, religion or country of origin, and completely free of political interests.

Please go here to make a secure donation at the UNICEF site: Earthquake in Haiti: Donate Now

From UNICEF:

UNICEF gears up relief efforts for earthquake-stricken Haiti

PANAMA CITY, Panama, 13 January 2010 – Despite heavy damages to its own offices in Port-au-Prince, UNICEF is ready to provide immediate support to the victims of the unfolding humanitarian crisis following the earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday.

"While relief efforts have begun, communications are extremely difficult and accurate information is still scarce," UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a statement this morning. "It is clear that the consequences are severe and many children are among the victims," she added. "Our hearts go out to the families whose lives have been so terribly impacted by this tragedy."

Veneman noted that UNICEF will deploy essential aid – including safe water, sanitation supplies, therapeutic foods, medical supplies and temporary shelter materials – as quickly as possible to assist with recovery efforts. "We will also be focusing on children who have become separated from their families to protect them from harm or exploitation," she said.

While confirming that all UNICEF staff in Port-au-Prince have been accounted for, despite severe damage to their premises and communication facilities, Veneman indicated that others in Haiti have been less fortunate. She said UNICEF was "greatly concerned for our colleagues from the United Nations mission, MINUSTAH, many of whom are still missing."

Constant struggle

The situation of children and women in Haiti was already marked by great vulnerability before the earthquake hit the island. Haiti is one of the poorest countries on earth. It ranks 148th out of 179 countries on the UNDP’s Human Development Index; is struggling to recover from years of violence, insecurity and instability; and has a long history of being struck by one natural disaster after another.

Read more at UNICEF, then make a secure donation at the UNICEF site: Earthquake in Haiti: Donate Now

Revival House: "The Great Debaters"

Imagine this: a movie as exciting as any action picture, as harrowing as a top-notch thriller and sometimes as amusing as a classic comedy --- and it is about the power of the mind and the spoken word. "The Great Debaters" (2007), directed by Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington, is the overlooked gem featured in this edition of "Revival House."

Words can be thrilling and a mind, fully engaged, is one of the most riveting things of all.

Denzel Washington stars as Professor Melvin B. Tolson, a brilliant and charismatic debate teacher at Wiley College, a small college for black students in Marshall, Texas. In a time of crushing racial discrimination, lack of opportunity, and violent racial attacks, a group of young African American students prove themselves equal to --- and even better than --- the most honored debaters in the country.

Nate Parker portrays Henry Lowe, Jurnee Smollett is Samantha Booke, and Denzel Whitaker appears as James Farmer Jr. The film also stars Forest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer Sr. Every performance is nuanced and authentic, and the film as a whole was nominated for and won a number of awards, including the Golden Globes, the Image Awards, the Christopher Awards and others.

Anyone who appreciates listening to Barack Obama's eloquent thoughts (or the speeches of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., a contemporary of James Farmer Jr.) will appreciate the film's word portraits and the supple intellect of these young people. I think I appreciate the film even more, in a current era where some people, even in the highest positions, prefer to play dumb, and even some of my fellow and sister African Americans think that to speak well is to imitate being white. Oh, hell, no --- the English language belongs to all, and only a person who strives to master his or her mind can make the most of life.

I love a brilliant mind.

This movie is not a dry recitation of events from the distant past. There are scenes in this movie where I as a viewer felt tension and fear, was moved to anger or celebrated vicarious victories, and times where I cheered or laughed out loud. Not to be overlooked: the insightful humor; the many moments where a character struggles to move forward and, after stumbling and crashing, learns to soar; the successes achieved despite appalling racism.

The film is "inspired by a true story." (Tolson and the Farmers were real, the other debaters composites.) The location of the climactic debate was also changed, but the accomplishments portrayed were no less real because of these few dramatic liberties.

"The Great Debaters" is a thoroughly entertaining film. Don't miss it.

For photos and film clips, visit the official site at thegreatdebatersmovie.com


"The Great Debaters" is available at Amazon.com.



"Revival House" is a recurring feature, spotlighting some of the first-rate, innovative and other noteworthy projects that were overlooked upon initial release.

New Year's Day 2010: (Just Like) Starting Over

Here we are, on the first day of a new year and a new decade.

It's completely arbitrary, of course, that we mark this day with resolutions, promises for the future and plans to start anew. Yesterday or tomorrow, last month or five months from now --- what difference, really, would it make if we made our pledges now or then?

I guess it's good to have a goal, a time set aside, a catalyst for change.

So Happy New Year. I'm going to spend a little time creating a better me, being the change I want to see in this world and working to extend some of life's blessings to those who see too little joy, love and acceptance.

Hey, it's better than another useless pledge to lose weight.

Here's a song about renewing love, from one of my favorite musicians. John Lennon was one of my favorite people, too. Snarky bastard, rebel genius.

Let's make the most of our time.

I'm starting over.

Maybe I'll get it right this time.





John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over

Our life together is so precious together
We have grown, we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere alone

It's been too long since we took the time
No one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you, darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over

Everyday we used to make it, love
Why can't we be making love nice and easy?
It's time to spread our wings and fly
Don't let another day go by, my love
It'll be just like starting over, starting over

Why don't we take off alone?
Take a trip somewhere far, far away
We'll be together all alone again
Like we used to in the early days
Well, well, well, darling

It's been too long since we took the time
No one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you, darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over

Our life together is so precious together
We have grown, we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere

Starting over.