The meaning of life is to positively impact someone else life. Consequently, this impact our own. The initial change is personal. If it is successfully achieved, then a genuine understanding of others will come. What follows is put that philosophy into action. Helping others is the simplest way to touch a life positively.
In my case, among other things, I can contribute my time, donate profits or give away photographs for auction. However, the truth is that the most valuable thing I can do is spread the idea of helping others. Propagate the value of empathy and solidarity. If someone read this, and a single person join any of the organizations suggested here (or any other), and gives time or money; it will be a good start. Something remarkable would be achieved encourage them to do the same and help join others.
There are all kinds of organizations. Probably the largest have a better structure of control of resources and audit of donations, these require support to grow. However, small organizations need help simply to subsist. It is in our power to do something for them. Come closer. Get to know them.
Sea Shepherd is a non-profit, marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington, US. The tactic is direct and confrontative in order to achieve their goals on animal protection and to avoid the hunting on species on the verge of extinction. Most of the time, Sea Shepherd ships simply chase and directly confront large fishing ships and whaling ships on protective waters. Paul Watson is currently the captain of Sea Shepherd boat. According to him, «hostile governments» in the US, Australia and New Zealand act «in league with Japan» against a Sea Shepherd protest vessel.
Médecins Sans Frontières is an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organization founded on 1971. It goal is developed health projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. The group is active in 70 countries with over 35,000 personnel mostly medical professionals, logistical experts, and sanitation engineers. Private donors provide about 90% of the funding, while corporate donations provide the rest. It was founded by French doctors and journalists who sought to expand accessibility to medical care across national boundaries and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.
Amnesty International (also referred as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization with headquarters in the United Kingdom, founded in London in 1961 and focused on human rights. It has more than seven million members and supporters around the world. It works to mobilize public opinion to generate pressure on governments where abuse takes place. AI considers capital punishment to be «the ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights.» The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over 55 countries and an international coordinating body in Amsterdam. It was founded in 1971 by Irving and Dorothy Stowe. Its goal is to «ensure life» and focuses its campaigning on issues such as climate change, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, and anti-nuclear issues. It uses direct action, lobbying, research, and ecotage to achieve its goals. Greenpeace does not accept funding from governments, corporations, or political parties, relying on three million individual supporters and foundation grants.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. The nonprofit corporation claims 6.5 million supporters. Today, it focuses on four core issues—opposition to factory farming, fur farming, animal testing, and the use of animals in entertainment. It also campaigns for a vegan lifestyle and against eating meat, fishing, the killing of animals regarded as pests, the keeping of chained backyard dogs, cock fighting, dog fighting, beekeeping, and bullfighting.
World Wide Fund (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. Is the world’s largest conservation organization, with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects. They have invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995. WWF is a foundation with 55% of funding from individuals and bequests, 19% from government sources and 8% from corporations in 2014.
UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF’s activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
Avaaz is a US based nonprofit organization launched in January 2007 that promotes global activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, animal rights, corruption, poverty, and conflict. In 2012, The Guardian referred to Avaaz as «the globe’s largest and most powerful online activist network». The name chosen for the community is a Romanization of a word meaning «voice» in various languages, such as Hindi and Urdu.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human rights abusers to denounce abuse and respect human rights, and the group often works on behalf of refugees, children, migrants, and political prisoners. HRW shared in 1997 the Nobel Peace Prize as a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and it played a leading role in the 2008 treaty banning cluster munitions.
The Non-Violence Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire, motivated & engage young people on how to solve conflicts peacefully. It holds violence prevention and nonviolence education programs. It was registered in 1993 in Bagnes, Switzerland, and has currently offices in 11 countries. Its logo is the iconic Knotted Gun sculpture named Non-Violence. It has educated eight million students, teachers, and coaches covering three main subjects: conflict management, self-esteem building, and nonviolence. Sir Paul McCartney, Lionel Messi and Yoko Ono are, among others, ambassadors of the project.