Alicia Bay Laurel added an entry about promote peace, justice, sustainability, creativity and diversity:
I am doing two kinds of things to promote peace, justice, sustainability, creativity and diversity. Either I am taking actions directly in my own life, or I am influencing others through my example and through my media works.
In the first category are: using mediation techniques to communicate (I like Marshall Rosenberg’s system—Nonviolent Communication—which I learned from his book of the same name), voting with my pocketbook by buying from businesses that support my ideals and boycotting those that don’t, minimizing my use of petroleum, recycling, registering voters, campaigning for politicians who represent my ideals (I organized for Dennis Kucinich in 2004), writing to newspapers and to my representatives in government to express my political views, participating in street rallies, staying informed through online news services (truthout.org, grist.org, commondreams, alternet, etc.), and being as peaceful, just, sustainable, creative and open as I possibly can in my interactions with people, places and things.
In the second category, influencing others, is my writing—in my books, my blog, my song lyrics, and published articles. Other people give me courage by their willingness to stand up to the despots spoiling the planet today. I send blessings to those who speak truth to power. I am particularly encouraged by the women—Cindy Sheehan, Randi Rhodes, Barbara Boxer, Arundati Roy, Starhawk, Granny D (Doris Haddock), Molly Ivins, Arianna Huffington, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Barbara Lee, Cynthia McKinney, Medea Benjamin, Digna Ochoa, Ani DiFranco, Julia Butterfly Hill. There are many more. I will stand firm for the people who are listening to me, that they, too, will stand firm for the people who are listening to them.
Alicia Bay Laurel 