Michael Jackson's Heal the World Foundation (x-post from Entertainment)

Triana

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Mon Jul-27-09 01:36 PM
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Michael Jackson's Heal the World Foundation (x-post from Entertainment)

Edited on Mon Jul-27-09 01:37 PM by Triana

I'm posting this in GD in addition to "Entertainment" because it deals with progressive causes that all of us (should) support and therefore it deserves exposure (IMO).

Mods, move if you deem appropriate.

MJ's Heal the World Foundation:

http://www.healtheworld.us/members/htwf

The Charities He's Supported:

http://www.mjaid.com /

From the President of HTWF:

"To all those who love him,

"The death of Michael Jackson is a great American tragedy. His heart had been battered on all fronts, but he believed in humanity and wanted to change the world.

People are now remembering his music legacy, but behind the scenes, unknown to all but a small handful of people, during these last 7 years he authorized that tens of thousands be spent on preserving his charity organization Heal the World Foundation (HTWF)."
_ _ _ _ _

ALSO - this writer (article link below) sums up the pain so many of us are feeling right now. Not only about losing MJ but about the fact that his MESSAGE is being lost amidst the tabloid garbage (again).

http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/07/celebrity-scales-michael-jackson-the-wounded-messenger-star-studded-legal-commentary-for-the-celebrity-obsessed?dsq=13404188#comment-13404188

Through his prolific body of work, advocacy initiatives and multi-million dollar charity efforts, Michael Jackson raised international awareness and support for some of the most complex and timeless issues confronting the human condition. AIDS, cancer, famine, homelessness, gang violence, racism, totalitarianism, environmental degradation, child abuse, violations of animal rights, restrictions on freedom of speech and other infringements upon basic civil liberties are just some of the difficult subjects Jackson tackled by leveraging the power of his celebrity. Michael Jackson’s intuitive understanding of the problems besetting the human ecological system was uncanny and uncharacteristic for any entertainer close to his magnitude.

Many have been so dazzled by Jackson’s masterful showmanship and the consistent controversy surrounding his life and death that it would be easy not to recognize the overarching social and political themes embodied in his music, videos and public interviews. The intense emotional pull, messages and raw feelings that reverberate through the lyrics and sometimes disturbing video imagery of songs such as “They Don’t Care About Us,” “Heal the World,” “Earth Song,” and “Man in the Mirror” are gut-wrenching. A deeper analysis of Michael Jackson’s work reveals an individual with a burning concern for improving the lives of the disadvantaged and persecuted around the world. The passion and verve with which Jackson digs his hands into the soil and grasps the trees in his video for “Earth Song,” an operatic piece where he addresses environment and animal welfare, is a reflection of a leader of humanity who cares deeply about the issues he is challenging.

Global events in the weeks surrounding Jackson’s death alone directly mirror the complex problems for which he attempted to raise international awareness. In Iran and before the world’s eyes, civilian demonstrations were squashed and innocent victims like the young Neda Agha-Soltan brutally murdered by instruments of a totalitarian state. In Washington, D.C., a white supremacist motivated by pure hate attempted a killing spree at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, murdering an African American security guard in his rampage. In North Korea, U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were unjustly sentenced to twelve years of hard labor to merely serve as international bargaining chips for an evil dictator. Michael Jackson spoke out loudly against these forms of racism and repression and attempted to ignite our passion to prevent the continuance of such abuse, neglect and discrimination. How are we now missing this message when it is even more crucial for it to be absorbed into the public mind? Not only do Michael Jackson’s cries of awakening continue to be ignored but his reputation continues to be smeared.

MUCH more at link above.

We can't let this happen. We can Change the World. And not just for the memory of MJ - but for US - ALL of us who are still here and for the children, whom he cared so much about. Please don't let his work on behalf of the World, his inspiration, and the message die just because he did. He said: "I can't do it by myself. Gonna take somebody's help."

Thanks...