Facing History & Ourselves

What Can I Do?

Each one of us can be the change that makes a positive difference in this world. Choosing to participate can come in many forms, from small acts like treating others with respect or standing up for someone being bullied, to larger acts such as voting or volunteering for a cause that is important to you.

There are so many things you can do to make a difference. And you can start right now:

  • Nominate someone you know to be one of our Student Spotlights.
  • Learn about the work of Facing History and Ourselves.
  • Keep up to date with Facing History on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MTVThink
  • Investigate organizations in your school or community that are doing good work you care about. Then volunteer your time with one of them.
  • Tell a friend or teacher about this site.
  • Use the extensive lists of human rights and social justice organizations, listed below, to learn more about the issues you most care about, and the ways you might get involved.

When You Investigate Organizations...
Below are some organizations to help get you started as you think about participation. There are thousands of organizations around the world doing human rights and social justice work, and these lists offer only a small sample. Some of the organizations provide information, while others present the opportunity to see the ways people are choosing to participate. We are not endorsing those listed, nor advocating that you join or work with any of them. There are many ways to participate without being involved with any group or organization.

Any time you are considering joining or working with any organization, it is important to do careful research and ask key questions such as:

  • What is the reputation of this organization?
  • Has anyone you know worked with this organization, and if so, have they had a positive experience?
  • What are some of the strategies and approaches this organization uses? Do you agree with them?
  • Have you compared this organization to other organizations dealing with similar issues?
  • Does the organization's website clearly state its goals and mission?
  • What aspects of the organization's values and work do you agree or disagree with?
  • How is this organization funded and how much of the money goes directly to programs?
  • What specifically would you do for this organization? What role would you play?

Facing History and Ourselves Human Rights-Related Resources

  • Facing History and Ourselves: Choosing to Participate. "Choosing to Participate is a multifaceted educational and civic initiative that challenges us to think deeply about what democracy means – and what it asks of each of us. An initiative of Facing History and Ourselves, Choosing to Participate has won nationwide praise for encouraging people of all ages to consider the consequences of their everyday choices and for inspiring them to make a difference in their own schools and communities." (http://www.choosingtoparticipate.org)

  • Facing History and Ourselves: Student Jessica S. In this video clip from the Facing History 2007 Los Angeles Benefit Dinner, Jessica talks about her experiences in the Facing History classroom and how it opened her worldview. She discusses her classmates and the Human Rights club they started together in their high school.

General Information

  • Amnesty International USA -- Issues. "Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards." This page lists some of the main human rights issues and topics AI addresses. (http://www.amnestyusa.org/Our_Issues/page.do?id=1108051&n1=3)

  • Change.org. "Change.org is a social network for social activism, incorporating nonprofits, politicians, and people across the globe. Change.org aims to transform social activism by serving as the central platform that connects likeminded people, whatever their interests, and enables them to exchange information, share ideas, and collectively act to address the issues they care about." (http://www.change.org/)

  • Do Something. "Our website is a community where young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask, and take action to make the world a better place. Currently, only 23% of this generation actively volunteers. Our hope is to create a do something generation: a world where more than 51% of young people are involved with community action." (http://www.dosomething.org/)

  • Free the Children. "Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education. Through our organization's unique youth-driven approach, more than one million young people have been involved in our innovative programs in more than 45 countries." (http://www.freethechildren.com/)

  • GenerationEngage. "GenerationEngage is built on three principles: Young people suffer not from a lack of interest, but from a lack of access; Our democracy should be a dialogue, not a monologue; The best investment we can make in the future of our democracy is in young leaders at the local level." (http://www.generationengage.org/index.html)

  • Generation Why. Oxfam's website for youth: "Do what you love doing. Just change the world while you're doing it. Oxfam has loads of ways for you to get involved – from sporting challenges to club nights, and from volunteering at a festival to campaigning. And that's why we've put this site together – so you can get involved with the things that you love and help fight poverty while you're at it." (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/index.htm)

  • Global Youth Action Network. "GYAN is a youth-led organization that unites the efforts of young people working to improve our world. GYAN works to facilitate youth participation and intergenerational partnership in global decision-making; support collaboration among diverse youth organizations; and to provide tools, resources, and recognition for positive youth action." (http://www.youthlink.org/gyanv5/index.htm)

  • Global Youth Connect. "GYC's mission is to build and support a community of youth who are actively promoting and protecting human rights, and to educate and inspire the next generation to work for peaceful change." (http://www.globalyouthconnect.org)

  • Idealist.org. "Over 45,000 nonprofit organizations from around the world use Idealist to list information about the work they do. This information includes their mission and how to contact them, volunteer opportunities, internships, resources, and services that they provide." (http://www.idealist.org/kt/)

  • iEARN. "Started in 1988, iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) enables teachers and youth worldwide to collaborate on projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. Young people can join the full network (http://www.iearn.org) by way of a teacher, or get involved directly in projects like the PEARL World Youth News Service (http://www.pearl.iearn.org/pearlnews/) or YouthCaN http://www.youthcanworld.org/, a global network of young environmental activists." (http://www.iearn.org)

  • Interfaith Youth Core. "The Interfaith Youth Core aims to introduce a new relationship, one that is about mutual respect and religious pluralism. Instead of focusing a dialogue on political or theological differences, we build relationships on the values that we share, such as hospitality and caring for the Earth, and how we can live out those values together to contribute to the betterment of our community.” (http://www.ifyc.org/about_core.php)

  • NetAid. "NetAid is a non-profit organization that educates, inspires and empowers young people to fight global poverty. Focusing our efforts on the U.S. and other wealthy countries, we're creating a movement of young people who are champions for the world's poor and engaged global citizens."(http://www.netaid.org/)

  • TakingITGlobal. "TakingITGlobal.org is a global online community, providing youth with inspiration to make a difference, a source of information on issues, opportunities to take action, and a bridge to get involved locally, nationally and globally." (http://www.takingitglobal.org/) You may also want to check out their "guides to action." (http://www.takingitglobal.org/action/guide/Guide_to_Action.pdf)

  • think MTV. "think MTV seeks to inform and engage our audience to take action on the domestic and global issues they care about most. Whether it is education, sexual health, discrimination, the environment, or any relevant issue, young people have the power to make a difference and think MTV is the place to go to find out how to make it happen." (http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/)

  • UNICEF Voices of Youth Campaign. "Voices of Youth is an Internet site created by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for young people who want to know more, do more and say more about the world. It's about linking children and adolescents in different countries to explore, speak out and take action on global issues that are important to them and to creating a world fit for children."(http://www.unicef.org/voy/voy.html)

  • youTHink (World Bank). "Here you'll find information about global issues that matter to young people today. Explore the research, knowledge and experience gathered by World Bank experts on issues like poverty, development, and conflict." (http://youthink.worldbank.org/getinvolved/)

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Do Something. "Our website is a community where young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask, and take action to make the world a better place. Currently, only 23% of this generation actively volunteers. Our hope is to create a do something generation: a world where more than 51% of young people are involved with community action." (http://www.dosomething.org/volunteer)

  • Generation Why. Oxfam's website for youth: "Do what you love doing. Just change the world while you're doing it. Oxfam has loads of ways for you to get involved – from sporting challenges to club nights, and from volunteering at a festival to campaigning. And that's why we've put this site together – so you can get involved with the things that you love and help fight poverty while you're at it." (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/index.htm)

  • Idealist.org. "Over 45,000 nonprofit organizations from around the world use Idealist to list information about the work they do. This information includes their mission and how to contact them, volunteer opportunities, internships, resources, and services that they provide." (http://www.idealist.org/kt/)

  • VolunteerMatch. "There are hundreds of ways to help out. With VolunteerMatch, it's never been easier to find a rewarding way to give back and make a difference. We make it easy for you to find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests, skills and schedule." (http://www.volunteermatch.org/)

  • Youth Noise. "YOUTH NOISE is a web-based program created to motivate young people ages 13-18, to improve their lives and the lives of children and youth, worldwide, through volunteering, fundraising and speaking out." (http://www.youthnoise.com/)

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