We are silent

Photo credits: Free the Children

215 million children are forced to work as child labourers and are denied the right to attend school. One in every three children in developing countries is malnourished. One billion children are deprived of essential services like food, water, education, or health care.

We are Silent, formerly the Vow of Silence, is Free The Children’s annual fundraising and awareness-raising campaign, made possible by Second Cup. The campaign began in 2004 and challenges participants to stand in silent solidarity for 24 hours with children whose voices are silenced by not having their rights upheld.

We are Silent is one of Free The Children’s most powerful campaigns. Every year, tens of thousands of participants stand up for children who are being silenced by the denial of their basic human rights, collecting pledges as they take a vow of silence. All over the world, young people will go silent for 24 hours to raise awareness and funds for children without a voice. The campaign can be done as an individual, group, school, or even an entire silent city.

In Free the Children - We are the Change (abridged)

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The Big Apple

Many cities have their original nicknames or are known for something special. Chicago is called the Windy City, Las Vegas is Sin City, and, of course, New York City 'The City that never sleeps' or most commonly known 'the Big Apple'. The others make sense, but why is NYC nicknamed after a fruit? According to Heather Cross, from the About.com Guide to New York City Travel, 'racing, jazz musicians and a tourism campaign all play a part in NYC's nickname'. 

                                                                                                    photo credit: sdh_zh via photo pin cc

"This commonly asked question got me wondering, why do we call New York City the Big Apple? While I've seen several apple trees in New York City, I don't particularly recall them as being in notable quantity. There are certainly more pigeons than apples in New York City, but we don't call New York City the 'Big Pigeon.' As with anything New York, there are many opinions and contradictions.

In the early 1920s, 'apple' was used in reference to the many racing courses in and around New York City. Apple referred to the prizes being awarded for the races, as these were important races, the rewards were substantial.

Based on the research of Barry Popik, the use of 'Big Apple' to refer to New York City became clearer. Popik found that a writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, John Fitzgerald, referred to New York City's races 'Around the Big Apple.' It is rumored that Fitzgerald got the term from jockeys and trainers in New Orleans who aspired to race on New York City tracks, referring to the 'Big Apple.' In the late 1920s and early 1930s, New York City's jazz musicians began referring to New York City as the 'Big Apple.' An old saying in show business was 'There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple.' New York City being the premier place to perform was referred to as the Big Apple. A 1971 campaign to increase tourism to New York City adopted the Big Apple as an officially recognized reference to New York City. The campaign featured red apples in an effort to lure visitors to New York City. It was hoped that the red apples would serve as a bright and cheery image of New York City, in contrast to the common belief that New York City was dark and dangerous. Since then, New York City has officially been The Big Apple. In recognition of Fitzgerald, the corner of 54th & Broadway, where Fitzgerald lived for 30 years, was renamed 'Big Apple Corner' in 1997."

photo credit: hernan.seoane via photo pin cc

To finish this post, I invite you on a tour around the 'city that never sleeps' on the company of two very well known New Yorkers: Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. 'Empire State of Mind' is a fantastic tribute to this dazzling city! Do enjoy!...

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Found pic @BlackEiffel

                                                                                                                                                                                  

The Campaign

Found pic @Mint Vinetu

This campaign, "Become Someone Else" by the Lithuanian Agency called Love, for Mint Vinetu, is a clever concept, well executed. Here is what they said about it:

"When one reads books, 

he/she starts living it and identifies (or not) with main hero. These print ads for the Mint Vinetu bookstore, which sells lots of classics, focuses on the idea of becoming someone else. And provokes people to try on different personas."

'Sharing the joy of reading'...

Mint Vinetu is a bookshop of used books, where good people meet. One can buy popular books recommended by others, in English or Lithuanian, cheaper. Read, while sipping mint or cinnamon tea, use free and fast wireless internet.

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