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What does it take to change the world? Small actions. As author Duane Elgin put it, "If each person were to begin to act in a more compassionate manner … small changes would accumulate into a tidal wave of revitalizing change." Because ALR is a socially conscious consulting and design firm, we run across potentially-world-changing information every day. We share it with you here in hopes that it will help bring on that tidal wave. As always we appreciate your feedback. If you like what you see, be sure to visit the ALR blog for near-daily updates. Thanks for reading! -Noah Scalin, ALR founder [01] ALR project profile  The Red Flag Campaign for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance. ALR recently helped create the Red Flag Campaign for Virginia’s college campuses. The campaign combined traditional media with guerilla marketing to educate students about the warning signs – the red flags – of dating violence. We talked to Kate McCord, the Alliance’s Public Awareness Manager, about the campaign and what made it so successful... Let’s start at the beginning. Why is a campaign like this necessary? The frequency of dating violence in college relationships makes it necessary. In more than 20%, one partner physically or emotionally mistreats the other through excessive jealousy, coercion, isolation, victim-blaming and even sexual assault. Why was launching the Red Flag Campaign so exciting? It was the first statewide awareness and educational campaign specifically addressing dating violence among college students. [The interview continues online HERE.] [02] marketing  At first look, what Oprah and Bono did with RED campaign seems well intentioned. The idea is simple: buy RED products created for the project by partner companies such as the Gap, Motorola and Converse and a portion goes to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. Still, the people at the website BUY (LESS) have a few questions, like how much of what you pay for a Gap t-shirt actually goes to The Global Fund? Is shopping really a panacea for the world’s suffering? And what if we just donated directly to The Global Fund and left out the knee-jerk consumption? Find out more, along with a list of places to donate to directly, at http://www.buylesscrap.org/.[03] activism  Greenpeace has an issue with Kimberly-Clark’s destructive environmental practices. To make its point, Greenpeace is targeting Kleenex tissues’ cringe-inducing “Let it Out” ad campaign. In the ads, real people on a city street sit down on a blue couch, share a personal story and then stem the flow of tears with a Kleenex tissue. Problem is, says Greenpeace, those tissues are made from ancient, 100% virgin growth forests. Greenpeace activists infiltrated the filming of the ads to make the point that what really makes them sad is Kimberly-Clark’s disregard for the environment. If Greenpeace can raise enough awareness, says one of its activists, they can put an end to the company “wrecking our environment for somebody to blow their nose on a soft tissue.” View the whole thing on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZCym0DB7hA and find out more about the campaign at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/kleercut.[04] health  Most people are so busy kicking the tires and playing with the moon roof when they buy a new car, they’re not giving a thought to how toxic it is. That’s where HealthyCar.org comes in. They measure toxicity levels throughout the car, from steering wheels to seats to wiring and more. You can search by class or model and view bests and worsts on a scale of 1 (least concern) to 5 (most concern). Among convertibles, for example, the 2007 Chevy Corvette and the 2007 Mercedes SKL280 tied for least concern with a 1.2 rating and (say it isn’t so) the humble 2006 VW Beetle convertible tipped the scale at 3.7 [Of course not owning a car at all will get you down to an extremely safe Zero on the scale. –Ed.]. Start researching today at http://healthycar.org/.[05] resource  Better Thinking, the folks who brought you the perfect T-shirt, have been hard at work making the perfect magazine. The first online issue is up now, it’s free and it’s filled with stories on sustainable businesses and products. As Better Thinking says, “Ultimately, involving customers in sustainability isn’t soft, it’s smart. By tuning into such a rapidly growing demand to let people make a positive difference, businesses can increase their relevance, revenues and profits.” You’ll find articles about a company mascot with morals, the making of a socially responsible t-shirt, bottled water with a conscience and more. Read up at http://www.betterthinking.co.uk/magazine/index.html.
For more items of interest be sure to visit the ALR blog. Recent entries include: Real Costs: The Plug-In ALR on Tour: Youth Peace Summit, Richmond, VA Sign Free Cities Car-Free America |
written by Jo Lord edited by Noah Scalin about designletter Designletter is a semi-regular update on the activities at Another Limited Rebellion, the world of socially conscious design, and beyond. Another Limited Rebellion is a socially conscious consulting and design firm committed to helping businesses and organizations bring positive changes to their communities in a sustainable manner. Noah is a lifelong activist whose first protest marches were spent in a stroller and then on roller skates. In addition to starting Another Limited Rebellion, Noah created the community supported agriculture group Sprout and teaches a course on socially conscious design called Design Rebels at Virginia Commonwealth University. Jo is a socially conscious writer who eats vegetarian, drives a 40-mile-a-gallon car and recycles like mad. When she isn’t fretting about global warming, nuclear proliferation, the nursing shortage, trans fats and the correct way to hang toilet paper, she volunteers for cool organizations and anxiously awaits November 2008. Sign-up or read back issues here. |