Every Monday Matters

Every Monday Matters is a cool new book that gives you 52 creative but doable activities that make a difference and change the world. The premise is that the world would be a better place if everyone did one thing for others and for the world, every Monday. Activities include turning off the TV, eating healthy, helping the hungry, changing to energy saving lightbulbs, getting rid of junk mail, donating books, etc. The book is also part of a movement and website at EveryMondayMatters.com, where you can submit user videos, tell the world which actions you've done, and support the Every Monday Matters Foundation.

Underwater Hotel to Debut

It may sound like a sci-fi fantasy, but the new Poseidon Undersea Resort is scheduled to open next year. The hotel will include a library, restaurant, and fitness center, and 24 rooms with breathtaking views of the sea floor 40 feet below the surface. The resort, made up of 70% acrylic glass, is being assembled in Portland, Oregon, before it is submerged in its final location in Fiji. There are two other underwater hotels debuting in 2009 -- the 220-suite hotel Hydropolis in Dubai, and the Shanghai Shimao Wonderland in Shanghai. Poseidon's $15,000/week price tag per person, may not be for the budget traveler, but if you've ever dreamed of living like a James Bond villain, this could be the ticket. Check out the amazing virtual tour and photos at Poseidon Undersea Resort.

Igniting Change Through Film

GroundSpark creates visionary films and dynamic educational campaigns that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just world. The group produces groundbreaking documentaries on a variety of social justice issues, ranging from environmental concerns to preventing prejudice. Their Respect for All project helps create safe, hate-free schools and communities by providing youth and the adults who guide their development the tools they need to engage in discussions about human difference, preventing prejudice, and building caring communities. Issues include diversity in families, bullying and name calling in schools, gender issues, and even affordable housing. Check out their website and find out how to get involved -- these are the issues that can rebuild an America of compassion and hope.

Buy a Bead, Change the World

Check out the My World Wish website, where the simple purchase of a "wish bead" will fund crucial aid programs around the world. The beads are hand formed by the women of Kazuri, outside Nairobi, Kenya. Kazuri only hires disadvantaged women such as widows, single mothers, or the handicapped. They pay three times the average wage in Kenya, provide healthcare, savings plans, daycare, and are members of the Fair Trade Act. The beads are strung on a knotted brown silk cord and hand knotted by local villagers in a sister project in Cambodia. There, the workers make five times the average daily wage, and are further supported with schooling fees for their children and doctors visits. The sales of these beads so far have funded a children's home in Argentina, an orphanage in Mexico, a hospital in Cambodia, a gardening project in Senegal to meet the nutritional needs of AIDS patients, and even funded gifts of cows to widows in Kenya, changing their lives from poverty to self-sustaining in one day. There are other ambitious wish projects in development, and all are financed by the wish bead purchases. Buy a bead today at My World Wish or find out more about the sponsor organization at Global Colors.