Do Something! Awards – I’m Nominated!
Posted on July 9, 2010 - Filed Under Edeyo, Nigel Barker Today, Travel Shoots
I am so excited and honored to inform you that I have been nominated for a Do Something! Award in the category of “Do Something With Style.” DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US that helps youth promote causes they care about. Since 1996, DoSomething.org has honored the nation’s best world-changers, ages 25 and under, with The Do Something Award – the premiere national award for social action. Nominees and winners represent the pivotal “do-ers” in their field, cause, or issue. Additionally, users can vote on celebrity categories, which spotlight areas of and individuals in the entertainment industry that continue to dedicate time and resources to activism and charity projects. This year, I have been nominated for my work with Haiti, including my film, Haiti: Hunger and Hope and my involvement with the The Edeyo Foundation.
In 2008, my team and I traveled to Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere to film Haiti: Hunger and Hope. Even before being hit by one of the worst earthquakes in modern history, Haiti was in dire straits. My team and I were stationed in Cité Soleil, one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Port–au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. We were scheduled to arrive after a series of riots over food shortages. The U.S. Embassy had temporarily closed, warning that if we went there, it could not guarantee our safety. After much debate, we decided to go anyway, as we knew that the prevailing situation only meant the people there needed us all the more. Their story had to be told. The trip turned out to be one of the most moving experiences of our lives. We saw that, despite the hunger and tumult, there was hope. We saw young men and women doing all they possibly could, under extremely adverse conditions, to support not just their own families but also complete strangers. We witnessed selfless acts by old and young alike. Our mere presence made those we met feel acknowledged, like somebody in the world cared, and we were widely welcomed with open arms. The resulting film and photographs were hauntingly beautiful, but what I personally walked away with was a renewed sense of compassion for humankind. I learned that we need to love one another in order to bring love to ourselves. To that end, I am now a board member of the Haitian charity Edeyo (which translates to “help them” in Haitian Creole) and do all I can to keep Haiti and its people in the public eye.
This year’s awards Do Something! Awards will air on Monday, July 19th at 9PM (EST) on VH1. Voting is still open, so please head to the polls! You can do so at http://bit.ly/NBDoSomething.
For more information about The Edeyo Foundation, please visit www.edeyo.org.
For more information about Do Something! and the Do Something! Awards, please visit www.dosomething.org.
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That sounds reallt good!
And, nice blog!
Ciao
Regards
/LarsS