The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer
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Politics and Activism

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer

...is channeling your thanks into action!

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The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer
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It’s everyone’s favorite time of year: the holiday season. Over the Thanksgiving break this past week, we focused on being thankful for what we have— I myself gave thanks for my family, my home, my health and my education. In the atmosphere of positivity that is created during the holidays, it’s easy to live inside a bubble, and even more tempting to tune out the negativity of the world. By turning on the news, our brains are flooded with information, most of which is negative. When each day brings news of a new atrocity, many find their holiday bubble burst, myself included. However, I’ve realized that the things I have to be grateful for— my upbringing, my education, and any money I may have — grant me the capacity to help those around me. This holiday season, instead of tuning out the news, I encourage you to spread some cheer to others. Whether it be through volunteer work, a small donation, or even by simply garnering publicity, try to give back not only to the community, but to the world. Today, I’d like to take the time to honor some of the nonprofits that I’m most passionate about.

1. The Equal Justice Initiative

EJI, or The Equal Justice Initiative, was a founded by lawyer Bryan Stevenson in Montgomery, Alabama. EJI specializes in work towards the elimination of the death penalty in America, life sentences for children, and discriminatory judicial practices affecting men and women of color. Since its conception in 1994, the firm has expanded considerably; since then, EJI has expanded its work beyond the realm of litigation, as Stevenson himself has become an advocate through Ted Talks and university lectures.

Most notably, 2014 brought the publication of Just Mercy, a novel written by Stevenson that has since topped charts. Just Mercy lays out the personal stories of some of Stevenson’s clients, such as Walter McMillan. EJI offers countless opportunities for involvement; aside from traditional donations, monetary support can be given through the purchase of a racial history calendar or using the Amazon Smile program. EJI also encourages its supporters to host social justice book clubs or events on criminal justice reform to start the dialogue about judicial inequality in the US.

2. The Malala Fund

In 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate at the age of seventeen. Born in Pakistan, Malala began a career in the advocacy of education for women. Growing up in a world terrorized by the Taliban, Pakistani females were banned from attending school when Malala was just ten.

Continuing her education in secret, Malala’s activism began with a series of anonymous journal entries given to the BBC. As her voice grew louder over the years, she was met with international praise— and domestic criticism. In 2012, on a bus home from school, Taliban soldiers halted the vehicle and shot Malala. With wounds to the head, she was forced to be transported to receive care in England, where she now lives with her family.

Now, as an Oxford freshman, Malala is the head of The Malala Fund, an organization co-founded with her father, Ziauddin. Committed to facilitating educational opportunities for young women, The Malala Fund focuses its efforts in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan and Lebanon. The organization offers numerous opportunities for involvement; most simply, they welcome small-donor donations. Alternatively, they encourage followers to start their own fundraisers or host screenings of He Named Me Malala, a documentary about the organization’s namesake.

3. Shining Hope for Communities

Like The Malala Fund, SHoFCo is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to underprivileged girls. The organization is based in Kenya, where its founder, Kennedy Odede, grew up. SHoFCo’s work was inspired by Odede’s childhood in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, where he experienced the plagues of poverty and gender inequality. The organization links tuition-free female education to social services, a model designed to empower women to reach their full potential. The social services provided by SHoFCo include the creation of computer and library access, sanitation services, and civil society groups like sports teams.

In addition to fundraising and donation opportunities, SHoFCo also provides openings for on-the-ground participation through their Summer Institute in Kenya. Through participation in the Institute, college students are able to make an impact firsthand by teaching at The Kibera School for Girls. Moreover, college students are encouraged to continue their work back home by opening college chapters of SHoFCo. From an institutional standpoint, high school and middle schools have the opportunity of becoming sister schools under the School-2-School program.

4. Polaris

Polaris is an American run organization based in Washington, DC, committed to combating human trafficking worldwide. Polaris is the driving force behind the National Human Trafficking Hotline, institutionalizing the first part of their three-part model entitled “Respond-Equip-Disrupt.” The group also coordinates activity at the governmental level, advocating for concrete legislative protections for victims of human trafficking and asking for measures to stop it. In terms of such protection, Polaris provides advisory services to survivors to help them rebuild their lives and confidence.

In terms of prevention, data analysis allows the targeting of trafficking hubs, knowledge of which can aid the efficiency of intervention programs. When looked at in totality, the programs offered by Polaris amount to a holistic approach to the extraction and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking. Polaris provides advocacy opportunities through congressional petitions, which are made available for supporters to sign. Aside from advocacy, a variety of monetary donation plans are available, ranging from the North Star Guide opportunity of month donation to corporate partnerships.

Although monetary donation is often the first thing to come to mind when one thinks of nonprofit support, these organizations exemplify the ability of giving when money is tight. Often, advocacy is one of the most effective tools one can use to aid the cause of a nonprofit; just by signing a petition or sharing a link to a website, one can make the voice of change heard. Whether it be through the donation of just a dollar, a film screening, or a click of the “share” button, make this holiday season special by channeling your cheer into help for others!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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