The whole world is watching as South Africa hosts the world’s largest and arguably most globally relevant sporting event in history. In addition to screaming for our favorite teams (and sometimes screaming at the refs), we’ve been interested in the ways in which this event is bringing attention to the issues and challenges Africa faces. Here are some organizations doing good via the World Cup:

World Development Center: The WDC brings us “Who Should I Cheer For?,” a fun and interactive website that allows you to compare World Cup teams and countries based on social justice indicators.

World Cup Song Contest: The World Cup Song Contest invites individuals from around the world to submit an original song (via YouTube) that represents their country and culture – a great way to bolster cultural pride and promote user-generated content!

Playing For Change: Righteous Films is currently raising money to fund a documentary entitled “Playing For Change”. The film will explore football as a means of social advancement and how this develops in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals this summer.

It's that time again – summer reading. Adults love it, kids sometimes loathe it (perhaps they enjoy it in secret, we suspect), but either way it's a great time to stock up on a few good reads. Here are some of our picks:
 
Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok: The story of a Hong Kong immigrant who comes to the United States and has to work in a sweatshop with her mother to survive. This work of fiction touches on many of the real social aspects and challenges of immigration and class divides in the United States.
 
Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn: Written by two married New York Times correspondents, this inspiring non-fiction book explores the lives of women in developing countries around the world, demonstrating not only the hardships they face, but their resilience and unwavering spirit. New to paperback this summer!

The Long Song by Andrea Levy: Levy's fifth novel, The Long Song is a dramatization of the Jamaican slave trade of the 1800s. It tells the story of a young slave girl, July, and her struggle with plantation life. An interesting look at this dark page in history.
 
In the Place of Justice by Wilbert Rideu: This memoir uncovers one man's experiences with justice (and injustice) at the infamous Angola prison in Louisiana.
 

And something for the kids too: Salon put together a great short list of social impact summer reading for kids, with selections covering topics such as feminism, immigration, and cultural sensitivity. Check it out here.

Mixing it Up: The sun was shining, the melon margaritas were flowing, and the conversation was…meaningful! We’d like to thank the 70+ folks who came to our first Meaningful Media Mixer of 2010. We met new friends, networked on our projects, and took a vow to create more meaningful media.

Join us at our next Meaningful Media Mixer in the courtyard of our Culver City offices. It's a great way to meet the community and the Meaningful Media team. So stop by, grab a drink, and enjoy the company. (10825 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232)

Meaningful Member of the Month: Kenji Williams

Kenji Williams is a director, composer, filmmaker, music producer, and classically-trained violinist. Bella Gaia, his astoundingly moving multimedia show, is his way of helping to spread the message that we only have one planet to call home. Using sophisticated scientific visualizations powered by NASA data, Bella Gaia uses live onstage musical performance, large-scale visuals, cutting-edge technology and a thought-provoking stream of crucial scientific data to showcase the amazing art and culture heritage of civilizations inhabiting Earth. In addition, Bella Gaia incorporates satellite imagery, timelines and data to elucidate the impact of everything from climate change to air traffic. More

Must See Films at the LA Film Festival

The Los Angeles Film Festival is in full swing in downtown LA. Check out the free community screenings of these powerful pro-social documentaries produced by members of the Meaningful Media community!

LOST ANGELS: Director Thomas Napper brings us this empathetic but tough-minded documentary about life on Skid Row in Los Angeles. In the film we meet some of the area’s residents, including a former Olympic runner, a transgender punk rocker, and an eccentric animal lover. Lost Angels is showing on Friday June 25th at 7:45pm and on Saturday June 26th at 1:45pm.

A SMALL ACT: Jennifer Arnold's colorful and moving documentary tells the story of Hilde Back, a Holocaust survivor living in Sweden, and Chris Mburu, a Kenyan youth. Back’s small act of sending Mburu $15 a month for his primary school education transforms his life. After attending Harvard and becoming a human rights lawyer for the U.N., Mburu starts a scholarship in the name of the benefactor he never met.
A Small Act is showing on Saturday, June 26th at 7:30pm.

Meaningful Film Review: Babies
By Laura Ridlehoover
Sparks Rating*

Director: Thomas Balmes
Social Issue Themes: Cross-Cultural Understanding, Health/Well-Being, Education

Everyone loves babies – this is a universal truth. And so perhaps director Thomas Balmès had a significant advantage with his latest venture, BABIES, a documentary-esque look at the first year of life for four babies from around the world. However he doesn’t let his cute and instantly loveable subjects steal the show. Balmés takes this film to another level, exploring not only the idiosyncratic daily lives and personalities of the babies but also the cultures and social paradigms in which they're raised. More

Job Spotlight! We’re committed to bringing you the latest opportunities in pro-social media, especially when they're hiring...

Echoing Green: Echoing Green inspires, educates and mobilizes next generation talent to deliver bold new solutions for social change through the operation of a world-renowned and highly competitive fellowship program. They are seeking a Development Director. Apply

Meaningful Opportunities

We recently launched a Leadership Corps program designed for inspired professionals who want to use their skills to make a difference while gaining valuable experience in pro-social media.

We are thrilled to have such a great group of volunteers and wanted to recognize our newest teammates: Nitai Aleksiewicz, April Fazio, Madelaine Jereczek, Ashley McCormick & Adam Popp.

We also want to give a special thanks to Brian Han, who has joined our Intern Trainee Program for the summer.

Newsletter written by Laura Ridlehoover. Layout by Michael Bourne.

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