MESTO: Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra

It's amazing how music can bring people together.

A few nights ago I watched a documentary about how the MESTO orchestra united Jews and Muslims. The conductor talked about how he started the group to counteract all the turmoil that happens between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. He believes that this kind of work, the building of friendships and bonding over commonalities will bring about the right kind of change. And I agree with him.

MESTO is based in Los Angeles and they travel the world (particularly the Middle East) performing their unique blend of traditional Western orchestra pieces as well as Middle Eastern arrangements.

Sex Slaves in the Suburbs

Human trafficking is an American problem too.

Last night I watched one of the most riveting documentaries about teenagers being kidnapped and sold into prostitution. MSNBC's Sex Slaves in the Suburbs centered around the horrific story of Shauna Newell, a then 16-year-old who was tricked into a Florida sex trafficking ring. She was repeatedly drugged, raped and beaten and nearly sold off and lost forever to someone in Texas.



When teens go missing the police often chalk it up to them being runaways but with human trafficking and the sex industry becoming more lucrative there's a great chance that teens are getting sucked into that realm. And when you examine the Red Light hot spots around the world you realize that it's not only teens and adults who get caught in its snares. I've seen several documentaries that show little girls (and boys) being sold to the highest bidder, with some being as young as 7-years-old. Can you even begin to imagine the horrific lifestyle that awaits such a child? They lose themselves and become indoctrinated by their pimps and captors that sex is all they're good for and that their life could be taken away from them at any moment. It's a sad reality for countless youth.

There aren't many songs that deal with this heavy subject but Aly & AJ's "I Am One of Them" talks about their concern to help missing children:

It's hard to look outside my door / with all the news reports and more / yet I will do my part and stay on alert / for all the kids out there who are getting hurt / it could have happened to me / can you make me believe / this could have a happy end / 'cause I am one of them

Every time I listen that song it tugs on my heart so deeply and I've kind of made it my theme song to inspire me to find ways to be active in the cause against human trafficking.

You can check out these sites for more info on how to join the fight:

www.klaaskids.org
www.catwinternational.org
www.stopthetraffik.org

Know of any organizations doing work in this area? Share your links in the comment section.

***
[photo: random suburban house]

PBS Engage

I wish more people watched PBS.

For all the crappy TV shows that get made every year, PBS is the constant work horse that produces quality programming. Check out their new site www.pbs.org/engage

It explores "what role social media can play in public broadcasting."

There are plenty of cool features including links to blogs, documentaries and a section for you to give feedback.

Reel Artsy

A couple of my favorite movies are Garden State and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. They're quirky, offbeat and fun. Plus, they feature two of my favorite actresses Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet who are prime examples of women who've built solid careers on playing a smorgasbord of versatile characters.

Which brings me to my latest blogging venture. I started up a new supplemental blog to Think Virtue! called Reel Artsy where I will spotlight quirky films by minority filmmakers. I'll be posting short summaries/reviews of cool films that I think are noteworthy. It will include trailers and links to film festivals and such. And at some point I'm hoping to do some brief interviews with the indie filmmakers who are producing these kind of movies.

I'll be covering...black films, Latino films, Arab films, biracial films, Deaf Culture films, Asian films, Native American films, Christian films, experimental films and pretty much anything that aspires to do something a little "outside of the box."

If this sounds like something you're interested in then head over to http://reelartsy.blogspot.com and check out the Bollywood film Drona that I saw in theaters this weekend.

By the way, if you look at my sidebar you'll see that I added a widget that updates you with the latest Reel Artsy posts.

Journalists Do Care!

"The media" has become a dirty phrase in our society.

They're often blamed as being part of the problem instead of being part of the solution. Some people call them heartless. Some people call them money-hungry. And some people just call them plain stupid. But contrary to popular belief, some journalists really care. They're not in it for the money, the fame or whatever people want to negatively associate them with. When it comes down to it, they're regular people who dedicate their lives to telling stories that need to be told. And that's courageous.

Ann Curry is one of my favorite journalists. Please take the time to watch her acceptance speech for her work on "Crisis in Darfur" at the 28th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Her words are heartfelt and beautiful.



[photo credit: Ann Curry and Sudan President Omar al-Bashir.
Photo by Antoine Sanfuentes, NBC News]