Have you ever really wanted to do something, to change the world, but felt totally insignificant? Ever thought that just one person couldn’t make a difference?

“A Beginner’s Guide To Changing The World” (formerly called “For Tibet, With Love”) is about just that.

[Published by Harper One: ISBN 0060834528]

It describes the incredible journey of Isabel Losada as she discovers the truth about what is going on in Tibet, since the Chinese occupation 59 years ago. She put all her energies behind a campaign to raise global awareness of the situation and achieved mass media coverage, with a combination of inspired publicity stunts and dogged, patient determination. At the same time, she shares with us the emotional and spiritual journey, which led her to gain an audience with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.

It is touching, enlightening and amusing. I found myself literally rationing it, to make the experience of reading it last for as long as possible.

If you want to find out about the human rights issues in Tibet, then this book is a must-read because Isabel explores all angles – covering both sides of every argument, allowing you to come to your own conclusions.

The thing is that this book didn’t just inform me about the Tibet situation, it also helped me look inside myself to uncover the blocks that were holding me back from speaking my truth and believing that I could make a difference.

So if you’ve got a cause that’s close to your heart and you want someone to help inspire you to believe that you really can make a difference, I invite you to read “A Beginner’s Guide To Changing The World” and do something about it today!

Love,
Clare x

P.S. If you want to help make a difference and bring a peaceful resolution to the suffering in Tibet, please consider signing the www.avaaz.org campaign – it got over 1 million signatures, worldwide, in the first few days and they’re looking for a second million this week!

It isn’t just “in your head” anymore, an international study of two million people from over 70 countries confirms what many of us have always assumed: the happiest times in our life span make a “U” and with the “up times” early and late in life. In the middle of the dip are our middle years.

If, like me, you are knee deep in the mid-life dip then imagine your  relationship and your capacity to love as tools to stretch out the curve and soften the bottom of this bumpy life transition.   Remember the intensity of the love you invested in easier times and bank on it now, even if you can’t always feel it. The initial investment is still there. Take the time out of the busy schedule to listen, take a walk, or have a physical conversation.  Reach forward in time and realize how golden this will all feel when looking backwards.  Admittedly sometimes I can’t imagine it ever feeling golden, but I do know that there is a tenderness and connection that replaces and restores the bruises of moving through hard times.   No matter where you are in the life cycle of love, commit yourself to finding the love that surrounds you.

I’m a massive fan of contemporary Indian art, and it was during a research trip in India that I witnessed the shocking reality of how some labels produce their clothing so cheaply. None of us would buy an item of clothing knowing it was made in a sweatshop, the problem is that when we buy clothes on the high street it’s almost impossible to find out about the conditions under which they were made.

The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent organisation which examines production methods in companies and then awards the Fairtrade mark. Wherever you see the Fairtrade mark you can be certain that no-one has been exploited during production and that your purchase has supported sustainable development. It also guarantees that no child or forced labour was involved, working conditions were healthy and safe and work is done with respect for the environment.

Our generation has really pushed forward ethical clothing and lifestyle issues. My trip to India was a catalyst to me setting up my own Fair trade clothing label. Tam & Rob is a women’s wear label dedicated to helping impoverished groups in developing countries. The clothes are produced in India and Nepal using organic fabrics and artisan techniques including hand tailoring and weaving. The entire production line is certified fair trade.

Fairtrade organisations specifically seek to work with marginalised and disadvantaged groups to help them overcome the barriers they face. The difference that fairtrade makes is that instead of living on the poverty line and constantly worrying where their next meal is coming from, workers have the opportunity to save money and make plans for the future.

Tam & Rob employs women who had a hard time finding work because they suffered discrimination for reasons such as their being victims of abuse. These people now have secure employment and we wanted to do something extra special for Christmas to help others in similar situations.

The idea was born of donating a sari to a woman through a suitable charity for every item of clothing sold. Social Action for Association and Development (SAAD) is a charity in Maharashtra, India, which gives skills training and legal advice to women outcast from society due to being descendant from Devdasi woman who had been married to idols or Gods. In previous generations they enjoyed a high status but changing beliefs mean they are now left ostracised and highly vulnerable. SAAD gives them the support they need to start an independent life and we hope the new sari will aid them in this. We named this idea Buy One Give One Free, a play on buy one get one free schemes which fuel so much unnecessary consumerism and waste.

One tenth of the worlds’ population works in the clothing industry and I for one feel so much more comfortable in my clothes knowing that everyone involved in the process of making them is treated fairly and lives a dignified life. To view our collections have a look on www.tamandrob.co.uk

I found this post on one of the love groups on a really cool social network site that I write for, Care2.com-and I was so taken by the words of children that remind us in the deepest place what we have all known all along. We all know the simple and loving acts which make our lives worthwhile and we used to have words to share them way more easily than we do now. Ask a child you love this question and watch the reflection in their eyes about what love means while they look at you.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds, “What does Love mean?”  The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what You think:

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too” Rebecca-age 8

“When someone Loves You, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth” Billy-age 4

“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other” Karl-age 5

“Love is when my Mummy makes coffee for my Daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay” Emily-age 8

“If You want to learn to Love better, You should start with a friend who You hate” Nikka-age

“Love is when You tell a guy You like his shirt, then he wears it every day” Noelle-age 7

“My Mummy Loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night” Clare-age 6

“Love is when Mummy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken” Elaine-age 5

“I know my older sister Loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones” Lauren-age4

“Love is when Mummy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross” Mark-age 6

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I Love You’ unless You mean it. But if You mean it, You should say it a lot. People forget” Jessica-age 8

And the final one – Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old man’s yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry”

If you want to see more- www.care2.com – the group is called Land of Love, I also have a sustainable love group there-

Victoria Visser has posted the 12 principles of peace on her blog

they were originally mentioned by a visionary called Baha’u’llah in the middle of the 19th century – but here is basically what it states :

-Equality of rights for men and women. Until this happens, there is little chance for peace to develop.

-Abandon of all kinds of prejudices; social, racial, … etc.

-Universal education (basic education and instruction for everyone should also enhance greater tolerance and understanding among people.)

-Universal auxiliary language to facilitate global communication and better understanding.

-Strike a balance between science and religion (i.e. science and religion cannot be in contradiction with each other; they are complementary in nature. Like two sides of the same coin; dealing with the material and spiritual aspects of human life. )

-Search for spiritual (ethical) solutions to economical issues to eradicate the extremes of wealth and poverty on earth.

-Create a (true) international tribunal binding to all nations.

-Independent investigation of truth (learn to use and trust your own thinking, which is easier to do when you know how to read and write.

-Religion to become the cause of unity among people as opposed to an excuse for war and strife.

-Accept that all major religions are equal in status and basically stem from the same source.

-Hence all messengers of god are united in essence. However impossible it may be to define the concept of god, there appears to be evidence that the basic moral principles of most religions are complementary in nature and that diffences in the practical precepts are mostly due to historical and environmental contexts. As the world evolves, contexts change. So, why wouldn’t we have to adapt our thinking and behaviour as well?

- logical consequence of the preceding 11 principles would be a condition we might define as World Peace.