gloria002

If you're fond of direct aid, allow me to guide you to www.kiva.org Microfinance. the best thing since sliced bread if anyone asks me :-)

thanks victaniac. good company :-) btw, the link is still working properly :p

yeppers, works perfectly again :-)

ok! I'll come back later. thanks!

tried to donate but for some reason I can't access that website, it says the website has been disabled. I surf with internet explorer, btw. Can anyone help me? congratulations for crossing your first 1,000 dollar!!! :-)

online printing service Hi guys, Merry Christmas to you all ! Haven't been here in a while, nice to see these t-shirts designed, they look beautiful! I was wondering ... would you consider putting up a second shop on Zazzle? Have a look at this http://www.zazzle.com/pn/edun/overview. Edun (brand started by Ali - Bono's wife) now has Edun Life and they started a cooperation with zazzle. You can now choose to have your design printed on 100% African t-shirts. And they have a designing contest that runs until december 31. I just thought it would be well worth it to upload your design to the contest ... Happy holidays! Tina

you were ? too funny ! another one of those 'weird coincidences' as we call them ... they usually bring interesting stuff ... although I probably sound like a flippin' lunatic now. lol. historic ? eh, ... I guess I have my nose too close to it to see that. But I must admit when I take it out, even I get this feeling like WOW, it's amazing what people have done and where it's been. It's now wrapped up stored in the dark. My idea was to have it somewhere in Dublin as each U2-fan travels there if he/she can afford the trip. But exposure to light makes the names fade and I don't want it to grow worse than it already has, so I'm trying to find a solution. I've contacted a few companies, tested a few suggestions, so far nothing's come up. I am now even considering duplicating it but first there's a U2-fan meeting in Dublin this summer (july 19 - 23) and I'm taking it there for those attending who've never seen nor signed it (mainly the Europeans). After that, we'll see. I must also admit I was dumbfolded the first second I read you'd love to sign it. But given what you guys are doing ... that moment only lasted for about 2 seconds. Who knows ... :-) I'll tell Donna for sure :-). And I think I want to have a closer look at what you guys have been doing need to finish that book first, but I'll be back. thanks for the welcome, again :-)

ooops, posted that twice, not really necessary. lol

good heaven's no, we're not the ones who set this up. We're just promoting the concept and the idea, guiding people there. Mainly for those who don't really like the charity-concept. Many of us are continuously on our feet (or online) trying to convince people to sign up to The One Campaign. This concept has proven to be an efficient way to explain people that Africa isn't all about diseases and death. And that people out there are quite willing to work for a living, if they're given half the chance. Some people really are sick of charities ... 'we've been sending them money for decades, nothing much has changed, so why would I give my money now' is a line often heard'. It's what stops them from even looking into things to find out if what they are thinking is true. So they never learn that many of the mistakes that were made in the past, have been corrected these days. There's better and more efficient aid out there now. Trying to change people's views and the prejudices they have about Africa is just as important as getting aid to those who need it. Others just want to work with a direct link, fearing their money will get lost in endless administration or lord-knows-whose-pockets ... Ah well, we're all small particles in a big radarwork ... :-)

Saw this one and thought, heck ! this is great, WHY has found its way to the Coldplay message board. I should have known this was posted by you, John :-)

http://www.kiva.org/ What is Kiva ? Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty. This isn't charity, it is A LOAN. As loans are repaid, you get your money back. Microfinance loans worldwide are generating repayment rates of 97% (UNCDF: Basic Facts About Microfinance). To date, Kiva.org’s repayment rate is ... 100% ! When Yunus Mohammed won the Nobel Prize last year with his Microfinance concept, I was immediately won over. I was looking into a way to contribute to the system, and one of my friends on the u2.com board - Jacquie - came up with this website. Just thought I'd share :-)

what a treat ! Hi guys, dunno if you remember me. I came on the board about a year ago, because I'd found a link someone posted here about the Zootopian banner (U2-fans). Meanwhile the banner is home, it has travelled some 135,000 kms - in case you want to know :-). And to preserve the memories of 2 amazing years, I started writing my part of the journey, added everybody elses story and almost 350 pictures to it, to make it a full journal. A few friends said they'd love to have a copy, so I decided to have it up for sale online (printing on demand), with proceeds going to The African Well Fund. I'm almost done ... Heaven knows I am no lay-outer, I don't even know how to use photoshop (apart from cutting, lol) so trust me when I say it's been quite a challenge. But I really enjoyed it :-) Anyway ... while I was writing I remembered coming here last year and thougt ... how would their 1.36$ campaign be doing ? ... so I decided to have a look. And I was thrilled to see it's still going. I've experienced the power of positivity myself, so I thought I'd leave a note saying : kudos you guys ! It's always a treat to run into more inspi(red) people :-)

AND ... And we might find more pple willing to spread the word at other concerts. Cause big events are a perfect place to do this kind of work. Enough bands on tour this year, right ? :D :D :D

a long story and no questions ... that would be too much to ask for :-)) I started in feb 2005. I think Donna did too, but we didn't know that from one another. We found each other ... mmm ... april ? early may ? Been wondering 'bout that one myself :-) Holly Hight ... Donna passed me her name, and she responds instantly at every question I ask. It's really amazing. But euhm ... not everything goes that easy. I contacted ONE, DATA, ... on our white bands for Brussels too. It took quite a few mails, phone calls and text messages to get a reply. Eventually, it came. From London (I started off in America, btw). hih. Donna can tell you a few sad stories on how MPH works (or rather - not works) in Cananda :-( What we will do when the tour is over. Good question. We're struggling with that one. Donna has the comfort dolls, and I'm trying to give her a hand but so far, I haven't been succesfull. She's also talking to everyone she sees wearing a ONE band, to join the Walk against poverty ... (that's her story to tell :-)) I'm talking to Reggy, the one I worked with in Brussels, to get into motion in our own country again. Sammi started a yahoogroup to unite people who continue working. To exchange information and stuff. Renee is building a group of ONE volunteers in Salt Lake City, they'll be organising a fund raising festival this summer, ... Irene (who is in charge of the campaign in Japan) goes to New Orleans once a month with a group of volunteers to help restore houses, Tania just moved from Lisbon to Cork (ireland) to do volunteer work in a home for disabled, ... We're all doing something, but our biggest strenght lies in us working together. We just have to find a new way to do that. Which is why I said you guys can be an inspiration, 'cause I saw you've been quite busy :-) And no, we don't raise awareness at every show. Because we need someone going to that show to take the lead. If we don't find one doing that, we can't to a thing from such a distance. o, right. I know, as a whole, the story is quite impressive. At times I'm wondering how the hell it all happened. LOL Just know that it's a story of hundreds of people, and one thing leading to another. It's not like someone had a blueprint in his/her head before all this started. So don't admire us but join us in your own way, that's all I ask for.

blessings My biggest blessing on this whole journey, is the knowledge that there's SO MANY people with good hearts still out there. In a world where terrorism, bombings, wars, natural disasters, famine and deseases seem to rule, and it is so damn easy to grow cynical ... I have found so many who dare to think different. It is a tremendous treat to find you guys, doing the same. Bless you all for the work you'll be doing. I hope our story can inspire you, motivate you, as yours will do to us. And when you get frustrated from hitting brick walls, when you are tired and things don't seem to move as fast as you want them to, know that you are not alone ! United, we CAN make a difference !