This Friday, 3rd of September (the first Friday in September) is RAK day.
RAK stands for “Random Act of Kindness”, doing something for someone you don’t know, out of a warm heart, randomly (eg like paying the toll fee for the car behind you, carrying someones groceries etc).
Some of the Australian media is getting behind this and encouraging people to join in, creating and sharing their RAK stories, the idea being to unite people in goodwill (website here). In NZ RAK day has been celebrated since 2005.
In the USA, three similar days are:
Pay It Forward Day
2010: April 29
www.payitforwardday.com
World Kindness Day
2010: November 13
Random Acts of Kindness Week
2011: February 14-20
On the one hand it feels abit of a shame that we need to create a day, to remind ourselves to act the way we all should, daily. On the other hand, every little bit helps and the good feelings received hopefully carry over throughout the year reminding us and others of our humanity.
Tomorrow is September 1st. May all readers, and non-readers, have a good month and good last third of the year.
I stumbled across Kiva.org a couple of years ago, but failed to sign-up due to problems with my Paypal account, now fortunately rectified.
What a great use of technology to aid the world’s less well off would-be entrepreneurs (and actual ones.) Kiva.org (www.kiva.org) is an online system based in San Fransisco that unites anyone willing to make small interest free loans to entrepreneurs in some of the worlds poorer countries.
Am struggling to embed a sweet little film, that traces a $25 loan made in London to the recipient in Cambodia, but you can access it here.
Unlike a charitable gift, the loan is repaid (typically between 6-18 months) putting the money back into the lenders paypal account, which can then be withdrawn or hopefully re-lent to another worthy borrower.
So far around 400,000 people have received loans helping them set up or expand their small business. $150 million lent and people in 200 countries benefited.
Take a look, the interface is very easy to use and apart from being tempted to help you might get a rush of gratefulness for how lucky we are.
You know those pesky (unwritten) rules that stick to product categories like flies on … ?
Take charities. The rules are: 1) Instill a sense of guilt, 2 and 3) repeat rule 1. If you want to compete with the thousands of ads for charities out there, these rules may work just fine for you. But what if you want to play a different ball game alltogether? What if you want to compete with everything else, all the really awesome stuff we’d much rather spend our time with than just another ad?
You take the rules, you study them carefully and then you go away and do the exact opposite!
I give you SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation’s “Pee in the Shower”
Total estimated media return: US$20.642.189,36.
Here’s to breaking rules and changing the world…one ad at a time,
“Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity”.
This is not only thought provoking but extremely funny.
An interesting article from AdAge.com about fierce rivals partnering up.
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — As the beverage industry comes under assault with proposed sugar taxes in several parts of the country, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group have begun running print and TV ads touting their joint initiative to remove full-calorie soft drinks from schools across the country. The normally fierce rivals are collaborating on a three-year commitment that has led to an 88% decrease in calories from beverages shipped to schools since 2004.
A short while back (see October 25th blog last year) we posted Randy Pauch’s “The Last Lecture” – a truly moving video (and book) of this great Professor’s “Last Lecture” at Carnegie-Mellon.
Life goes full circle, and today here is Steve Jobs’s commencement address at Stanford. Ironically both Steve and Randy took the hardship of pancreatic cancer as part of their inspiration. Clearly only part, they are remarkable men in sickness and health.
Enjoy the lecture …. and thanks to Simon Wong for sharing.
Just came across a great CSR program summarized on film courtesy of CREATIVITY ON-LINE.
It’s for the Pepsi Refresh project, and why last year’s largest “Superbowl” advertiser isn’t even appearing in this year’s.
Why?
Because they are giving away US$20Million to “refresh everything”.
The public chooses what needs improving, makes a case for it through Social Media and Pepsi awards grants for the most popular choices of between $5k and $250k …. from the environment, arts, health through to education. Make a case for what needs help, get the public on your side and Pepsi will support it.
A while back, I came across a terrific book titled “Phra Farang” (Thai for “Foreign Monk”), the story of how Peter Robinson, an Englishman became Phra Peter Pannapadipo.
This was followed shortly by another cracking book called “Little Angels: Life as a Novice Monk in Thailand“.
Why do I mention this, apart from encouraging you to read these books?
Well in the course of being a monk, Peter, or Phra Peter, set up an incredible charity, helping disadvantaged children in Thailand. The charity is known as SET or the Students Education Trust.
Starting off with just one child, the trust, under Peter’s direction has now provided educational scholarships (ranging from high school up to University and even doctorates) to over 3000 Thai students and Welfare funds to hundreds more allowing them to stay in education rather then be forced to take dead-end jobs.
I’m humbled by how such goodwill can prevail in difficult conditions to make such a difference to so many youngsters, so many families, so many communities.
Rather than write more, let me direct you to their website, in both Thai and English.
Please read it, please help it. Its a very worthy cause with NO donations going to administration (these are all covered by one particular donor).
You can read more about it here. (yes, click the word “here”)
Whether as an individual or a company looking for a great CSR program to support, please take a look at SET.
If you haven’t had a great day, its not too late, you can make something really good happen, quite easily.
Perhaps the best way to get a good day, is to give one.
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