"In the summer of 2011 the Playing For Change Band was invited to perform at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. While we were in town long-time friend of the project, Jimmy Buffett, invited us to a jam session on the roof of Margaritaville that rocked into the wee hours of the morning. The PFC Band kicked off the night with this tribute to the people of Japan who have been a affected by this past spring's Tsunami."
"7 Billion People | 7 Billion Actions | 7billionactions.org - By the end of 2011 the world will have reached 7 billion people. The United Nations Population Fund is leading an innovative global campaign to bring awareness to the opportunities and challenges that this milestone presents. But 7 Billion people means 7 Billion hearts. Music has always been the best way to speak to the hearts of the people. Playing for Change has partnered with the United Nations to present an original song around the world to serve as an anthem for such an important time, "United".
We traveled across the globe, put headphones on musicians, added them to the track, and created a video that can serve as a tangible example of something positive we can all do together as a human race.
Lets inspire each other. Lets everybody get involved and join us on in this journey, so that together we leave this world better than we found it. To learn more about how to be part of the "United" track go to http://7BillionActions.org."
"http://www.playingforchange.com - Today we are proud to share a new video titled, "La Tierra Del Olvido" (The Land of The Forgotten), featured on our PFC 2 CD/DVD. This video features over 75 musicians across the country of Colombia. Throughout our journey we have learned that music is the greatest tool for healing broken countries, cultures and hearts. With this video we set our to unite and inspire the people of Colombia so they can move forward from years of conflict and create a positive future. Listen to the music, see the smiling faces and remember we are going to make it as a human race!! One Love, Mark
Follow the link below to order the new album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement at http://playingforchange.com Order "PFC2: Songs Around The World" now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2"
"http://playingforchange.com - "Higher Ground" is a song that speaks of the perseverance it takes to reach the higher consciousness. Let's all keep trying together, one heart and one song at a time, until we all reach the Higher Ground.
Follow the link below to order the new album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement at http://playingforchange.com"
"Fair Trade Certified products are some of the highest quality goods available on the market. Farming communities around the world are rapidly realizing that quality-not quantity- is directly related to profitability; leading many Fair Trade cooperatives to invest their premium funds in quality control initiatives. By strengthening their capacity to produce high quality goods these farmers are gaining increased market access, strengthening their business capacity and in turn earning higher wages to support the well being of their families and communities."
"Through Fair Trade certification not only do farmers earn a higher price for their goods, they also receive an additional premium fund for community development projects. These funds are used for things like building schools, health care clinics and clean water wells, as well as for home loans, scholarships and transportation. Fair Trade empowers communities to take their futures into their own hands."
"Fair Trade is not just about earning a higher price for the harvest, it's about learning techniques for sustainable agriculture that help protect the environment and make the world a better place for future generations. To become Fair Trade Certified, farms must adhere to a strict set of environmental standards, including but not limited to: no use of GMO's, minimal and safe use of chemicals, elimination of slash and burn techniques and responsible disposal of waste and water runoff. These standards not only ensure sustainable production practices, but also worker health and safety.
Additionally, while Fair Trade does not require organic certification, it does encourage organic conversion to further enhance environmental commitment."
"Fair Trade is a system that harnesses the power of the market to help alleviate poverty and generate significant global change; this is why the American consumer has so much power. By making small, simple changes to your everyday purchasing habits, such as choosing a cup of Fair Trade coffee or eating a Fair Trade banana, shoppers are able to vote with their dollar for a better world."
"http://playingforchange.com/episodes/51 - As someone who makes or listens to music, you know the incredible power it has to connect and inspire.
You're invited to join our 1st annual Playing For Change Day on September 17, 2011 - a global day of action where musicians will perform on stages, cafés, city squares, and street corners worldwide to raise money to support music in the lives of young people.
You can create an event on that day - OR you can find our about PFC Day events in your community - by signing up at PlayingForChangeDay.org. Whether you're performing yourself, or heading out to see another artist perform, everyone's participation is needed to make September 17th a day to remember.
This year's event carries the theme Power To The People, drawing its inspiration from John Lennon's activism, thanks to the gracious support of Theatre Within and Yoko Ono who believe in our mission and recognize it as one manifestation of John's vision for the role of music in creating a better world.
Proceeds raised will go to support the work of the Playing For Change Foundation and Theatre Within to help build music schools, strengthen music and arts education, support teachers and performances, purchase instruments, and connect young people to promote cross cultural learning and conflict resolution.
You understand the power of music and the ways it can change the human heart and the human experience. Will you bring your passion and presence to a global day of music? Please visit PlayingForChangeDay.org to learn more and to participate."
http://www.playingforchange.com - Hello everyone,
Today our heroes and soul brothers, Roger Ridley and Grandpa Elliott, return for a new song around the world, "Sitting on the dock of the bay", featured on our new PFC 2 album. I once asked Roger why with such a powerful voice like his he was singing on the streets, he replied, "I am in the joy business, I come out here to be with the people". Roger and Grandpa have brought so much joy to the life of millions and today we are blessed to see them reunited again. We all shine on and Roger's light is as bright as the sun!!
Follow the link below to order the new album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement at http://playingforchange.com
Order "PFC2: Songs Around The World" now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2
"http://playingforchange.com/episodes/40/ - Hello everyone, today we are honored to share with you all the first video from our new CD/DVD titled, "PFC2: Songs Around the World". This video is a version of "Redemption Song" performed around the world in honor of Bob Marley's birthday. We have reunited Bob with his son Stephen and the support of the entire planet. In this song there is a felling of rising above the past and moving forward with love in our hearts and hope in our eyes.
Follow the link below to pre-order the album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement.
Pre-Order "PFC2: Songs Around The World" now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2"
"http://playingforchange.com/episodes/38/Imagine - In the beginning of 2010 the Playing For Change crew began work on a new Song Around the World, John Lennon's "Imagine." It has been an amazing year of production, taking the crew from the favelas of Brazil to the shrines of southern India, from villages in Nepal to the glittering urban landscape of Tokyo and New York, and beyond.
This song is the Playing For Change Foundation's gift to the world. The Playing For Change Foundation feels honored to have the blessing and generous support of Yoko Ono as music lovers around the world join together to launch the Power to the People campaign. The campaign seeks to advance John Lennon's vision of peace by engaging artists and audiences to contribute to music education programs worldwide. Proceeds raised will help build music schools, support teachers and music programs, purchase instruments, and connect schools for cross-cultural learning and conflict resolution across borders. Music IS the power: Power to the People.
To learn more about the PFC Foundation, the schools they are building, the lives they are touching, and how you can participate, please visit the Playing For Change Foundation's website at http://playingforchange.org/
"Imagine" appears on "PFC 2: Songs Around The World" due in stores May 31, 2011. Pre-Order "PFC 2: Songs Around The World" now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2"
"http://www.playingforchange.com - This video is the first track on our new album, PFC 2 -- Songs Around The World, coming May 31st! We begin the journey in West Africa, the ancient village of Kirina, Mali. Three instruments start to play and we hear the familiar words "don't worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright." This timeless message invites us on a musical journey through time and space. Together we continue to connect the world through music.
Follow the link below to pre-order the album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement.
Pre-Order "PFC2: Songs Around The World" now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2"
"Chocolate - The Bitter Truth 1 of 5 - Ivory Coast Child Trafficking - BBC Panorama Investigation, recorded 08.05.2010 We spend more on chocolate each year than investors spend on gold - but as Easter approaches, how much do we really know about where it comes from or how it is made?
Panorama reporter Paul Kenyon goes undercover as a cocoa trader in West Africa and discovers children as young as seven working long hours on cocoa farms, helping to make the chocolate we love so much. He buys a tonne of cocoa made with child labour, and sees how easy it is to sell it into the supply chain which leads to our high streets.
He also helps rescue a 12-year-old boy - trafficked across borders - to pick cocoa as a modern-day slave and reunites him with his mother. For the first time, we meet the kids who harvest our cocoa but who have never tasted chocolate.
Tracing the bitter truth of chocolate and child labour, Panorama reporter Paul Kenyon poses as a cocoa dealer to uncover the extent of child labour in the chocolate trade.
Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rqm4n."
