Here's a baker's dozen of documentaries worth checking out from the World Vision ACTS website...many of these films have served to break, educate, inspire, and bring reality home to myself and a generation of students seeking to figure out how and where the Kingdom needs to break through in our world today...
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
1. Call+Response, directed by Justin Dillon, explores the reality of modern-day slavery by merging investigative reporting (undercover in the brothels of Cambodia, interviews with prominent luminaries such as Nicholas Kristof and Cornel West, etc.) with musical response. Performances by artists such as Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot and more show that music is also part of the movement against human slavery.
2. At the End of Slavery, by International Justice Mission (IJM), takes you inside the ugly business of modern-day slavery, from the brothels of the Philippines to the brick kilns of India. Undercover reporting along with testimonies from former slaves, experts, and modern abolitions both prove the harsh reality of the crime and offer hope for its end.
3. Very Young Girls, by Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), explores the reality of sex trafficking in New York City. Young women, who were often as young as 12 or 13 when they were forced into prostitution and now struggle to leave “the life” behind, tell stories of extreme manipulation and abuse. The film also focuses on GEMS and its founder, Rachel Lloyd, a former prostitute who now dedicates her life to helping other women escape their abusers, heal, and get an education.
4. Invisible Children, shot in Africa by a team of three filmmakers in 2003, documents the reality of child soldiering in Uganda, where kids were forcibly recruited into the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
5. Sex+Money: A National Search for Human Worth, follows a group of journalists as they travel across the U.S. investigating how the sexual exploitation of children has become “the nation's fastest growing form of organized crime” and how we can fight back.
HIV & AIDS
6. Tapestries of Hope exposes the Zimbabwean myth that raping a virgin cures HIV/AIDS. Check out our review of the film here: “Film Reveals Both Horror and Hope”
7. Angels in the Dust takes place in the midst of the devastating AIDS epidemic in South Africa, which has left thousands of children orphaned. Offering a ray of hope, the film tells the inspiring story of Marion Cloete, who left behind life in a wealthy Johannesburg suburb to build Botshabelo - a village and school that provides shelter, food, and education to more than 550 South African children.
8. A Closer Walk provides a broader look at the global AIDS epidemic by interviewing individuals from all over the world: Uganda, South Africa, Haiti, Switzerland, India, Nepal, Ukraine, Cambodia, and the United States. Their stories cover the broad spectrum of the AIDS experience - everything from AIDS orphans to doctors, social workers, human rights advocates, scientists, government leaders, and NGO officials.
9. The Lazarus Effect, a documentary by HBO, reveals the transformative effects ARV treatment can have on people and communities affected by HIV. The hopeful thread of this film shows the real impact - and the continuing need - of the large-scale AIDS programs being implemented in sub-Saharan Africa.
10. We Are Together: The Children of Agape Choir, told mainly through the eyes of a family of nine children who lost their parents due to AIDS, describes the creation of the Agape Child Center for orphaned children - and the resulting children’s choir that helped provide healing through music and led to a global journey.
MALARIA
11. Malaria: Fever Wars offers a global view of the malaria pandemic, discussing where in the world it occurs, possible cures, and what is (and isn’t) being done about it. Scientists, doctors, and many others offer their opinions on how to overcome this devastating infectious disease.
12. When the Night Comes, directed by Bobby Bailey, founder of Invisible Children, follows Bailey’s journey through with a small team through Northern Uganda to tell the story of malaria and examine its effects on children and families. Watch the full length free on Vimeo.
13. ACT:S to End Malaria is a short 12 minute video by ACT:S and RELEVANT magazine that tells the story of malaria and how we can do our part to help end malaria deaths by 2015. The film unearths malaria’s devastating ripple effects into economic and healthcare infrastructure, childhood development, school absenteeism, and more.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
But I do not despair...By Adam Jeske, Associate Director of Communications for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
A great little piece from a guy who I loved meeting at CU last year...a voice worth listening to, especially due to how he and wife have lived what they write and say...
Close your eyes and imagine this…
Imagine if our culture was taken to the -nth degree, to its logical end.
Maybe Lady Gaga is president. Maybe digital devices hang in front of our faces, precluding any unmediated communication. Maybe our nations war over water. Maybe norms about intimacy and privacy have melted. And maybe our speech has deteriorated into grunts, slang, and chuckles.
If North American culture keeps it up, we could be in big trouble.
Our culture is infatuated with stars like Justin Bieber, and our top TV show is even called “American Idol.” We revel in Charlie Sheen “winning.” Our king is LeBron. Chatroulette and PostSecret spotlight our basest tendencies and hidden shames. College grades are inflated. Polar ice caps are melting. Our states are broke, and our nation is $14,421,378,214,947 in the red.
As consumers, we spend more than we make. Kids kill other kids. Yesterday, I heard the phrase “economic collapse” on the radio a few times. A friend of mine jokes that she’ll put her tent in our yard when it really hits the fan.
And that just may be in the United States. Think of international conflicts, malnutrition, malaria, HIV and AIDS, human trafficking, simple grinding poverty, and the vulnerable people (especially children) who take the brunt of it.
Holy smokes. I’m only 33, and I sound like a crotchety old man. My years overseas have held a lot of pain for me and for those near me. But I’m not a Chicken Little kind of guy — I do not despair.
Jesus came to this screwed up world. He died and rose to break the brokenness — of me, of you, of LeBron, of Gaga, and of the systems in which we swim. So I work to tell that Good News and to train up leaders for God, for good.
I work for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
We’ve served God for 70 years, now at 550 colleges and universities across the country. And God works through InterVarsity: By His grace, students and faculty members start following Jesus, the culture of institutions is shifted, and graduates head out to lead in every sector for Jesus, from education to business to medicine to technology to politics to families to nonprofits, and of course the Church.
InterVarsity alumni are leading all around the planet, along with our sister movements in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
Jesus has saved and redeemed us. And now we serve so that others have that same opportunity, and so that we give God the maximum glory in every sphere we touch.
The work of InterVarsity’s campus ministry doesn’t result in bunch of ignorant, pie-in-the-sky Pollyannas. Rather, we have trained and sent hundreds of thousands of thoughtful, talented leaders into society (and around the world), with God and His priorities in the Bible guiding them.
Last week, I met with colleagues from InterVarsity and World Vision ACT:S about ways we can work together to encourage and equip the next generation of leaders who will follow Jesus, share Him with others, and seek His righteousness and justice.
And that is even better than President Gaga.
Close your eyes and imagine this…
Imagine if our culture was taken to the -nth degree, to its logical end.
Maybe Lady Gaga is president. Maybe digital devices hang in front of our faces, precluding any unmediated communication. Maybe our nations war over water. Maybe norms about intimacy and privacy have melted. And maybe our speech has deteriorated into grunts, slang, and chuckles.
If North American culture keeps it up, we could be in big trouble.
Our culture is infatuated with stars like Justin Bieber, and our top TV show is even called “American Idol.” We revel in Charlie Sheen “winning.” Our king is LeBron. Chatroulette and PostSecret spotlight our basest tendencies and hidden shames. College grades are inflated. Polar ice caps are melting. Our states are broke, and our nation is $14,421,378,214,947 in the red.
As consumers, we spend more than we make. Kids kill other kids. Yesterday, I heard the phrase “economic collapse” on the radio a few times. A friend of mine jokes that she’ll put her tent in our yard when it really hits the fan.
And that just may be in the United States. Think of international conflicts, malnutrition, malaria, HIV and AIDS, human trafficking, simple grinding poverty, and the vulnerable people (especially children) who take the brunt of it.
Holy smokes. I’m only 33, and I sound like a crotchety old man. My years overseas have held a lot of pain for me and for those near me. But I’m not a Chicken Little kind of guy — I do not despair.
Jesus came to this screwed up world. He died and rose to break the brokenness — of me, of you, of LeBron, of Gaga, and of the systems in which we swim. So I work to tell that Good News and to train up leaders for God, for good.
I work for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
We’ve served God for 70 years, now at 550 colleges and universities across the country. And God works through InterVarsity: By His grace, students and faculty members start following Jesus, the culture of institutions is shifted, and graduates head out to lead in every sector for Jesus, from education to business to medicine to technology to politics to families to nonprofits, and of course the Church.
InterVarsity alumni are leading all around the planet, along with our sister movements in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
Jesus has saved and redeemed us. And now we serve so that others have that same opportunity, and so that we give God the maximum glory in every sphere we touch.
The work of InterVarsity’s campus ministry doesn’t result in bunch of ignorant, pie-in-the-sky Pollyannas. Rather, we have trained and sent hundreds of thousands of thoughtful, talented leaders into society (and around the world), with God and His priorities in the Bible guiding them.
Last week, I met with colleagues from InterVarsity and World Vision ACT:S about ways we can work together to encourage and equip the next generation of leaders who will follow Jesus, share Him with others, and seek His righteousness and justice.
And that is even better than President Gaga.
Monday, June 20, 2011
6 things to know at 20-something...
A piece from the WORLD VISION ACTS blog written for college students...
Now that you’ve been around for about two decades, you know that what happens in high school isn’t the end of the world, that driving your parent’s old station wagon won’t really affect your social status, and that college homework is much harder than you thought it was going to be.
You’ve also been around long enough to know that meaningful friendships are the ones that last, that deciding your career path is an exhausting challenge, and that “growing up” and “living out your faith” is easier said than done.
Here are six things really worth taking seriously in your 20s.
1. Practice generosity. An easy way to think about generosity is to believe that it’s only for rich people. It’s only for people who have lots of spare change and too many clothes to fit in their drawers, for people who are 401K-secure and appear on TV shows like “Secret Millionaire.” But the fact is, generosity isn’t that.
Being generous doesn’t mean being rich. It means sharing what you have. In the same way you were taught to share your toys and goldfish crackers on the playground as a kid, you should also share your knowledge with your classmates, your wisdom with your younger siblings, your talents with the church, and your Top Ramen with your roommate.
2. Make it count. You know when they talk about the “glory” days? What they’re really talking about is right now. After all, 20ish can be one of the best, most fun times in your life. You can stay up ‘til three a.m. and eat Taco Bell every meal if you choose to. You can start a rock band (or just play “Rock Band”) and switch your fashion style with the season.
But let me tell you: there is nothing glorious about years of student loan repayments, no job, and no retained knowledge from your senior courses. What I’m saying is… being 20ish is not cheap. College is not cheap. So if you’re going to pay more money for school than you’ll probably make in your first five years out of college, then don’t waste it. Go to class. Get smart, and make it count.
3. Explore. When you were five, you walked across the street holding your mom’s hand. When you were fifteen, your dad nervously sat in the passenger’s seat as you took your first drive. But now that you’re 20ish, you’re more on your own than ever. Take this opportunity to explore and discover yourself, and explore again. In another 20 years from now, it might not be so easy.
Explore career paths and hobbies, travel destinations and volunteer opportunities, campus clubs and part-time jobs. Explore your likes and dislikes, your political and religious viewpoints. Maybe most importantly, explore your faith. Explore the reasons why you believe what you believe, and then stand up for them.
4. Don’t skip the rules for one night out. Being in college is one of the first times in your life that you are without ever-present parental control or your youth pastor’s moral supervision. You can do what you want when you want.
But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Part of “growing up” is growing your ability to be able to discern the difference between right and wrong and when something isn’t worth it. Skipping the rules for [insert your own thought here] is one of those things that isn’t worth ruining your reputation over, being kicked out of school for, or compromising your moral integrity.
5. Making your parents proud still counts. This is one of those principles that’s way too easily ignored by young adults. It’s like the moment we get out of the house, and “on our own,” we think we’re invincible and that we’re only accountable to ourselves.
But we’re wrong. For most of us, at 20ish, our parents are still paying our cell phone bill and flying us home during Thanksgiving weekend. The truth is, our parents deserve much more of us. They deserve to be able to be proud of the daily decisions we are making. (And honoring your parents is a biblical mandate, too. “Honor your father and your mother…” –Exodus 20:12)
6. Dream big. Consider this: Every year, nearly one million people die because of malaria (Source: World Health Organization, Who.com). Now consider this: We could be the generation that actually ends malaria. To me, that’s not just a possibility that we live with… it’s a responsibility we have to make this world a better place.
You don’t have to be rich or old or famous to make a difference. You can be 15 or 50 -- it doesn’t matter. All you need is a dream big enough to chase. Look at organizations like Invisible Children, Krochet Kids, and TOMS Shoes. They were all founded by young people who dreamed big and pursued their dream to make a difference.
Our world needs young people who dream for an end to malaria, who dream of peace and unity and an end to poverty. It’s no longer the next generation’s job. It’s ours.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist
.
Now that you’ve been around for about two decades, you know that what happens in high school isn’t the end of the world, that driving your parent’s old station wagon won’t really affect your social status, and that college homework is much harder than you thought it was going to be.
You’ve also been around long enough to know that meaningful friendships are the ones that last, that deciding your career path is an exhausting challenge, and that “growing up” and “living out your faith” is easier said than done.
Here are six things really worth taking seriously in your 20s.
1. Practice generosity. An easy way to think about generosity is to believe that it’s only for rich people. It’s only for people who have lots of spare change and too many clothes to fit in their drawers, for people who are 401K-secure and appear on TV shows like “Secret Millionaire.” But the fact is, generosity isn’t that.
Being generous doesn’t mean being rich. It means sharing what you have. In the same way you were taught to share your toys and goldfish crackers on the playground as a kid, you should also share your knowledge with your classmates, your wisdom with your younger siblings, your talents with the church, and your Top Ramen with your roommate.
2. Make it count. You know when they talk about the “glory” days? What they’re really talking about is right now. After all, 20ish can be one of the best, most fun times in your life. You can stay up ‘til three a.m. and eat Taco Bell every meal if you choose to. You can start a rock band (or just play “Rock Band”) and switch your fashion style with the season.
But let me tell you: there is nothing glorious about years of student loan repayments, no job, and no retained knowledge from your senior courses. What I’m saying is… being 20ish is not cheap. College is not cheap. So if you’re going to pay more money for school than you’ll probably make in your first five years out of college, then don’t waste it. Go to class. Get smart, and make it count.
3. Explore. When you were five, you walked across the street holding your mom’s hand. When you were fifteen, your dad nervously sat in the passenger’s seat as you took your first drive. But now that you’re 20ish, you’re more on your own than ever. Take this opportunity to explore and discover yourself, and explore again. In another 20 years from now, it might not be so easy.
Explore career paths and hobbies, travel destinations and volunteer opportunities, campus clubs and part-time jobs. Explore your likes and dislikes, your political and religious viewpoints. Maybe most importantly, explore your faith. Explore the reasons why you believe what you believe, and then stand up for them.
4. Don’t skip the rules for one night out. Being in college is one of the first times in your life that you are without ever-present parental control or your youth pastor’s moral supervision. You can do what you want when you want.
But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Part of “growing up” is growing your ability to be able to discern the difference between right and wrong and when something isn’t worth it. Skipping the rules for [insert your own thought here] is one of those things that isn’t worth ruining your reputation over, being kicked out of school for, or compromising your moral integrity.
5. Making your parents proud still counts. This is one of those principles that’s way too easily ignored by young adults. It’s like the moment we get out of the house, and “on our own,” we think we’re invincible and that we’re only accountable to ourselves.
But we’re wrong. For most of us, at 20ish, our parents are still paying our cell phone bill and flying us home during Thanksgiving weekend. The truth is, our parents deserve much more of us. They deserve to be able to be proud of the daily decisions we are making. (And honoring your parents is a biblical mandate, too. “Honor your father and your mother…” –Exodus 20:12)
6. Dream big. Consider this: Every year, nearly one million people die because of malaria (Source: World Health Organization, Who.com). Now consider this: We could be the generation that actually ends malaria. To me, that’s not just a possibility that we live with… it’s a responsibility we have to make this world a better place.
You don’t have to be rich or old or famous to make a difference. You can be 15 or 50 -- it doesn’t matter. All you need is a dream big enough to chase. Look at organizations like Invisible Children, Krochet Kids, and TOMS Shoes. They were all founded by young people who dreamed big and pursued their dream to make a difference.
Our world needs young people who dream for an end to malaria, who dream of peace and unity and an end to poverty. It’s no longer the next generation’s job. It’s ours.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist
.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
SO MUCH MORE THAN EXPECTED: Being a Dad
Occasionally there will actually be something in life that goes beyond my expectations and is greater than it is promoted to be...even in a media saturated and globally connected environment! Things like the grass in a major league outfield, the friendliness of an African village community, and the beauty of a Colorado mountain peak...
And there is absolutely no doubt that being a dad is at the top of this unique list...having Olivia and Trey as my two children is and continues to be a remarkable part of my life and faith and personal growth...I love them more than I imagined I would, I worry about them more than I should, I spend more time with them than I expected I would as they grow up, and I pray for them more than just about anything else...
On Father's Day today I am blessed because God has given me this responsibility and privilege to seek to control my frustration with their choices, to help them not become materially focused in a suburban world, to teach them what God says and longs for their lives without sucking the life out of following Jesus, and to set them free to become independent and mature and confident in a world that breeds insecurity, sarcasm, and not growing up as a way of life...
Being a dad is one of the highlights and joys of my life in these days...and I am so, so glad that it really is way more than I ever dreamed it would be...and that's why Father's Day is such a good day for me...
And there is absolutely no doubt that being a dad is at the top of this unique list...having Olivia and Trey as my two children is and continues to be a remarkable part of my life and faith and personal growth...I love them more than I imagined I would, I worry about them more than I should, I spend more time with them than I expected I would as they grow up, and I pray for them more than just about anything else...
On Father's Day today I am blessed because God has given me this responsibility and privilege to seek to control my frustration with their choices, to help them not become materially focused in a suburban world, to teach them what God says and longs for their lives without sucking the life out of following Jesus, and to set them free to become independent and mature and confident in a world that breeds insecurity, sarcasm, and not growing up as a way of life...
Being a dad is one of the highlights and joys of my life in these days...and I am so, so glad that it really is way more than I ever dreamed it would be...and that's why Father's Day is such a good day for me...
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