The holiday season is quickly approaching, and to help you get into the spirit of giving, the Starbucks Love Project invites you to help fight AIDS in Africa by picking up a copy of the limited edition (RED)Love CD.

The compilation features exclusive songs from an excellent line-up of artists, including U2, John Legend and Playing For Change, and when you spend $15 at any participating Starbucks, you’ll receive a copy of the CD and $1 will be donated to the Global Fund.  You can also create a Love Drawing and for every drawing added to the online gallery, Starbucks and (RED) will contribute 5 cents to the Global Fund.

Check out the video for U2’s I Believe in Father Christmas below, and use the action link to get involved with the Love Project. Read the rest of this entry >>

I know what you’re thinking right this very minute. You’re thinking, “You know, reading about the climate and stuff is all well and good, but I really wish that this Kondrat character would bring me video of Jay-Z joining U2 on stage to rap during ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday,’ as that would realize many of my dreams.” Well, GUESS WHAT! Done.

Man. Powerhouses, teaming up in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Read the rest of this entry >>

U2’s Bono and his wife Ali Hewson have launched a new collection for their eco-fashion line, Edun, which they founded in 2005. A percentage of proceeds from the new T-shirt collaboration with British lifestyle publication Dazed and Confused will benefit the charity War Child International, a global network of independent organizations helping children affected by war. The network uses creative methodologies for psycho-social trauma recovery and assistance based on musical, creative, and sports activities, coupled with counseling. Hewson’s contribution aims to enable the charity’s projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Most of Edun’s manufacturing is done in sub-Saharan Africa with the aims of driving sustainable employment there. It’s a great model: raise consumer awareness with style, and engine that with localized, sustainable production.

Another manufacturer that outfits leading apparel and style makers, LITE leather, champions these aims; its tannery, newly opened in Vietnam, is the first ecologically low impact kind of its size and output. LITE Leather has reduced its carbon emissions by 35% compared to conventional tanneries, which can often be awful for the environment and its many global workers by proximity. Read the rest of this entry >>

U2 rocked my world last night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and if you weren’t one of fortunate 90,000 people in attendance you can watch a rebroadcast of the live streaming performance on YouTube now, and also get involved with the groups efforts to help fight poverty, AIDS, and injustice throughout the world.   I’ve been a huge fan of U2 since my brother introduced me to The Joshua Tree album when I was about 6, and as I grew older I began to fully appreciate the political movements that the group has given voice to over the years, and this tour is no exception.

One of the featured organizations on U2’s 360° tour is the RED campaign, which seeks to generate funding from the private sector to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  Last night’s show also included a video message from Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu who spoke about the importance of the One campaign, which aims to fight extreme poverty and preventable diseases, particularly in Africa.  Read the rest of this entry >>

As it becomes “official” that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is “the elected leader” of the Islamic republic we should not forget, as Andrew Sullivan puts it, that the revolution is not over.

U2’s performance below makes that very clear:

This morning on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic I learned about War Child: Heroes, an amazing new album that will benefit children around the world affected by war.  War Child International, a network of organizations helping kids  trapped in the atrocities of political violence, asked 15 musical icons to choose young bands to cover their classic songs.  From what I’ve heard, the result is likely to be the best benefit album in, well, forever, and all proceeds go to an vitally important cause.  Seriously, Beck covering Bob Dylan, TV on the Radio covering David Bowie, and the phenomenal list goes on. Here’s a sneak preview:

takepart by learning more about War Child and  pre-order your copy of Heroes.

I figure this Friday afternoon, we can all use a little fun to guide us into the weekend, and what better way than for Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder singing U2 karaoke? Yeah, I can’t think of a better way, either. Vedder, while a vegetarian, has not yet been an Awesome Sunday Vegetarian, though he still very well may be before I retire that series (which will be happening soon, I’m sad to say, though you probably don’t care/haven’t noticed I’ve been doing them). Sorry, we’re back on track. Eddie Vedder doing karaoke to “Where the Streets Have No Name,” off The Joshua Tree, which many contend is U2’s greatest album. And many are wrong. It’s Achtung Baby.

Thanks to Pitchfork for the clue, and the Best Western in Mesa, Arizona, for having karaoke. I guess.

Posting this clip made me remember that a while back, Awesome Sunday Vegetarians Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, of R.E.M., performed U2’s “One” with Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton (the guys in U2 that aren’t Bono or The Edge). And we have video! Read the rest of this entry >>

TakePart.com is in its alpha stage. But not for long. We are in the process of building our new BETA site and we would love to hear your thoughts on how you Take Action online.

Your feedback is enormously helpful and to thank you for your help, we are giving away some tunes. The first 250 people to respond to this survey will get 4 free songs from the Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur:

U2 – Instant Karma
Green Day – Working Class Hero
Jack Johnson – Imagine
Snow Patrol - Isolation

Take the survey:

http://poll.takepart.com

takepart and tell us how your take part online.

Related:

Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur

Rocker Bono and artist Damien Hirst sent made it a very special Valentines for people in Africa Thursday night, raising more than $40 million for AIDS relief.

Queen Noor, Michael Stipe, Dennis Hopper, Martha Stewart, Christy Turlington, Ed Burns, Q-Tip, Helena Christensen, Brian Williams and Anna Wintour were among the celebs who turned out at Sotheby’s auction house to bid on the work of some of the world’s top artists.

Organizer Hirst’s piece, “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way,” fetched the top price of $7.15 million. Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Matthew Barney, Banksy, Richard Prince and Antony Gormley were among the 100 artists who donated masterpieces. The Gagosian Gallery-curated auction established new sales records for 17 artists.

The evening benefited (RED), the charity Bono and Bobby Shriver founded 18 months ago that has now generated more than $100 million for the UN-created Global Fund, according to (RED) organizers. takepart and get involved with (RED).

Need an inspirational song to get you to the weekend? Try The Raveonettes cover of John Lennon’s One Day at a Time.

Those Danes sure can sing!

Want to hear more John Lennon covers? and buy the CD to help support Darfur!

Need More? Read the rest of this entry >>