No, we are not goin’ out to dance the (in)famous coreography of the Travolta from the classic movie… not this time. The title stands for an AIDS awareness campaign, and for a cause what I’m ready to stan up for any time of the year… especially around Christmas time.
Because they worth it!
Staying Alive is an MTV international initiative to encourage HIV prevention, promote safer lifestyle choices and fight the stigma and discrimination which fuels the HIV epidemic. Staying Alive is now the world’s largest HIV mass media awareness and prevention campaign. It features the world’s biggest stars from Beyonce to Justin Timberlake, Mary J Blige, Diddy, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, to Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. I was honoured and happy when the MTV Hungary asked me to be the ambassador of the campaign, and on the side of many other Hungarian artist, promote health and safe sex in the form of concerts, documentaries, public service announcements, TV film, film competitions and many others.
Staying Alive began in 1998 as a one off award winning documentary, of the same name, about six young people from around the world and how their lives were affected by HIV and AIDS and hosted by George Michael. Now, a bit more than decade later we’ve been hosting an amazing, all day event in the heart of Budapest, with free and anonimus HIV testing, exhibition, a press conference, and an all night long party with top bands and singers. Just one sentence from my speech in front of the crowd: let’s not call the people “sick”, or “ill”, who suffering from HIV. Let’s call them “healing people”.
There are so many people out there who are terrified of not being able to celebrate Christmas with us next year. You… we are capable of giving them a gift. The same way,as Dorothy needed all her friends to be able to get back to Kansas, the same way as Santa needs Christmas spirit to fly on his sleigh, they need us to believe. The cure is here with us! With the power of collective consciousness we are capable of changing our reality into a world where we all take care of each other. The Bible says, love your neighbour as you love yourself… well I say, sometimes it’s okay to love them even a bit more.
I’m sure that you, like me, have been heartbroken by the images coming out of Haiti since the devastating earthquake shook the impoverished nation on Tuesday. Madonna felt the same way – that’s why she is calling for our help. Here is the letter what I received a few minutes ago…
The time is now!
Dear Kristóf,
My prayers are with the people of Haiti. I can’t imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing. Sadly, the depths of the tragedy are just becoming known and the need for our support grows more urgent with every passing moment. I have given a donation of $250,000 to assist Haiti’s earthquake victims through Partners in Health, one of Haiti’s leading health care providers. I urge all of my friends and fans around the world to join me collectively to match my contribution or give in any way you can.
Many of you will remember Dr. Paul Farmer, a founding director of Partners in Health, from my film, “I Am Because We Are.” Paul is a medical anthropologist and a physician who has dedicated his life to treating some of the world’s poorest populations. Paul has been working alongside Haitians for decades, empowering them to improve their own communities. His dedication to Haiti and his transformative work there has inspired my own work in Malawi.
I realize I’ve asked for your help before. But when the suffering of tens of thousands of people comes into our homes and touches us the way the situation in Haiti has, I believe we are called to act. Right now, Partners in Health is rushing to provide medical supplies and additional staff to the 120 doctors and hundred of nurses they already have on the ground in Haiti. Supplies are quickly running out. I’m inspired by Partners in Health, and I whole-heartedly support their work. Please join me in supporting their relief efforts, which are needed more now than ever before. Please donate to Partners in Health now: http://www.raisingmalawi.org/partnersinhealth
We cannot sit idly by and watch the suffering of so many. We must act now.
Thank you for your support,
Madonna
Why do angels not fall as often as Serena Van der Woodsen? Because they see behind the movie set. They know they are messengers of God – and so are we. So why do we want to be Gossip Girls and not angels?
“Love your neighbor…”
Don’t get me wrong, I love the silly soap operas. But after reading Yehuda Berg’s weekly connection letter, I started to think: we wouldn’t follow our selfish desires if the right path would be clear. So why do we read and watch and listen to all these trendy pop-cult sparkles, when it seems like they are only setting up bad examples for us. Why are we not watching the stars on the sky instead of the telly?
Well, in my opinion to go wrong with this is for our own good. We can’t make all the mistakes in the world, what people do in the series: cheat on each other, lie, gossip or even kill, but because of our inner Satan, we do want to. These bad girls, these evil guys just do the job for us, so we can remember we are messengers, or angels – and not whores or sluts. We need to feel like we can do anything – and for this we watch these fictional vixens.
Yehuda says: “Because everyone affects someone else, imagine multiplying this effect by 1000. Perhaps you meditated on an ill family member, and they recovered. Perhaps you reasoned with a friend on the verge of a breakdown, and they are still here today because of words you spoke. Each of us has at least one story like this. Multiply it by tens of thousands, or even a million people. This is the true affect we have.” That’s why we have to remember, that Cruel Intentions is a fun movie, but the film of our faith is more like The Wonderful Life.
There are so many more blessings we are capable of giving the world except “xoxo”… Let’s start it today!
