It´s all for L.O.V.E: 2013

December 31, 2013

Happy New Year ! 新年快乐 ! Un an nou fericit ! Feliz año nuevo ! Frohes neues Jahr !

2013 has been very busy and it's been so painful at times. We lost so much this year, we miss our dear ones gone but we are grateful for LOVE.

Looking forward to the new year hoping it will be a kinder, gentler, better, filled with love.

Ecstasy

"I was born to never die

To live in bliss, to never cry

To speak the truth and never lie

To share my love without a sigh

To stretch my arms without a tie

This is my dance, this is my high

It's not a secret, can't you see

Why can't we all live in ecstasy

Ecstasy Ecstasy

Why can't we all Live in Ecstasy.

Without a guilt, without regret

I am here to forget

Tainted memories of imagined sin

In every friend, kith and kin

We have come to celebrate here

The getting rid of every fear

Of every notion, every seed

Of any separation, caste, or creed.

This alienation, fragmentation, abomination

Of separation, exploitation, isolation

This cruelty, hysteria, absolute madness

This anger, anxiety, overflowing sadness

Disrupted ecology, wanton destruction

Diseased biology, nature's obstruction

Endangered species, environmental pollution

Holes in the ozone, defying solution

Is not knowing the spark that lights my interior

Is the same fire, glowing in every man, child, and mother superior

We have come to celebrate here

The getting rid of every fear

Of every notion, every seed

Of any separation, caste, or creed.

Feeling free, let us fly

Into the boundless, beyond the sky

For we were born to never die

To live in bliss, to never cry

To speak the truth and never lie

To share our love without a sign

To stretch our arms without a tie

This is our dance, this is our high

It's not a secret, can't you see

Why can't we all live in ecstasy

Ecstasy Ecstasy

Why can't we all Live in Ecstasy."

Michael Jackson "Dancing The Dream"

Happy New Year !!! Un an nou fericit !!! 新年快乐 !!! Feliz año nuevo !!!

あけまして　おめでとう　ございます !!! Frohes neues Jahr !!! Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun !!!

Gott nytt år !!! Feliz ano novo !!! Szczęśliwego nowego roku !!! Godt nyttår !!! Felice anno nuovo !!!

Gleðilegt nýtt ár !!! Hauoli makahiki hou !!! Bonne année !!! Gelukkig nieuwjaar !!! Gelukkige nuwejaar !!!

December 23, 2013

Love Is Ours

Once upon a time ...

... ages ago, preciseley at this time of the year an angel was sent to earth. He wanted mankind to remember the real important things in life.
He gave them three gifts:
Warmness, contemplativeness and L.O.V.E.
People were given three days to accept the gifts.

Three days on which business as usual fell silent, people came closer and the world seemed to be covered with a peaceful blanket. The angel looked with satisfaction at his work.
From this time people should get this gift every year.
These special days were named Christmas.

(credits to an unkonwn author; transmitted from memory)

The Its-All-For-Love-Team wants to thank you for constantly supporting our blog and for never getting tired to bring your love into the world.

Merry Christmas – and a happy new year all our brothers and sisters around the word.
May the spririt of Christmas rule all over the next year.

*

December 11, 2013

December 10 - Human Rights Day

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

Nelson Mandela

"To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity."

Nelson Mandela

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

Nelson Mandela

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

Nelson Mandela

We stand taller today because of the efforts of so many who have fought to ensure that the human rights are a certainty and not just an ideal.

The 2013 Human Rights Day celebrates the past 20 years since the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Unfortunately we also have to say goodbye to one of warriors who inspired people all over the world. It is his leadership, his actions and inspiring words that we will continue to honor and cherish.

Human rights are too often set aside, when they should be a fact of life. We own ourselves and each other that human right should not be just a talking point but a goal for which we each work every day. For human rights to become a certainty for all there are no small actions, just actions.

Amnesty International - Write for Rights 2013 Campaign

"Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed,

and where individuals and nations are free."

14th Dalai Lama

For more information and ways to help

Amnesty International

Amnesty International Report 2013

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

One International

Walk Free

Oxfam - Arms Trade Treaty

Nelson Mandela Foundation

Human Rights Watch

United Nations Human Rights - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Human Rights - Blog Action Day 2013

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists

who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

December 6, 2013

The Long Walk To Freedom

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
Nelson Mandela

I am sure the walk isn't over but the struggle and pain are.

Words are small today. Love is impressive.

... gone too soon.

“The greatest glory in living
lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.”
Nelson Mandela

The Nelson Mandela Foundation

December 1, 2013

2013, December 1st - Getting to ZERO

"Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths"

This is the 2013 World AIDS Day theme.

For this goal to be achieved we need to be informed and act. Though there has been progress in the past few years in preventing new infections and raising hope for the people leaving with HIV/AIDS we still have a long way to go.

“It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance. ”

Elizabeth Taylor

According to World Health Organization

HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 36 million lives so far.

There were approximately 35.3 [32.2–38.8] million people living with HIV in 2012.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, with nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV. Sixty nine per cent of all people living with HIV are living in this region.

HIV infection is usually diagnosed through blood tests detecting the presence or absence of HIV antibodies.

There is no cure for HIV infection. However, effective treatment with antiretroviral drugs can control the virus so that people with HIV can enjoy healthy and productive lives.

In 2012, more than 9.7 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries.

worldaidsday.org

For more information and ways to help please visit:

The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation

Keep a Child Alive

amfAR

(RED)

UNICEF

UNICEF - Children and AIDS

ONE International

UNAIDS

World Health Organization

You can also sign this petition to demand world leaders to step up their support for the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria.

World leaders must step up their support for the Global Fund

“Love is the human family’s most precious legacy. Its richest bequest. Its golden inheritance.”
Michael Jackson

Send Me an Angel from keepachildalive on Vimeo.

November 25, 2013

November 25, 2013 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women

In 2012 the UN's Secretary-General's UNITE to End Violence against Women campaign declared the 25th of each month as Orange Day. The initiative comes as a result of the need to further promote the cause and raise awareness to the ongoing struggles to eliminate violence against women.

To this day this is one of the most widespread violations of human rights.

FACTS

Up to 70 per cent of women experience violence in their lifetime.

Between 500,000 to 2 million people are trafficked annually into situations including prostitution, forced labour, slavery or servitude, according to estimates. Women and girls account for about 80 per cent of the detected victims.

It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM/C, mainly in Africa and some Middle Eastern countries.

The cost of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion is for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion.

Source UN

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women identifies violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Source Amnesty International

Starting today, the next 16 days (up until Human Rights Day on December 10) are dedicated to providing education, awareness and a platform for individuals and groups to come together and join efforts in ending violence against women.

For more information and ways to help

Amnesty International

UN Women

UN Women - Voices Against Violence

UNiTE to End Violence

Say NO - UNiTE To End Violence Against Women

UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women

Stop Rape Now

UNiTE Worldwide

November 20, 2013

November 20, 2013 - Universal Children's Day

#ENDviolence

"The foundation of all human knowledge, the beginning of human consciousness, must be that each and every one of us is an object of love. Before you know if you have red hair or brown, before you know if you are black or white, before you know of what religion you are a part, you have to know that you are loved"

Michael Jackson

More on Universal Children's Day / Children's Rights:

UNICEF

UNICEF Report

Human Rights Watch

Philippines Relief

Oxfam - Typhoon Haiyan

Doctors Without Borders

UNICEF

World Food Program

October 22, 2013

Children's Day, October 22, 2013 - Play !

"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."

Friedrich Nietzsche

For children play is the way they learn about the world, themselves and others. Play is their laboratory in which they can experiment with being anywhere, anyone, anytime.

At least that is how it should be ...

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

Kay Redfield Jamison

To some children I know play is hard work as they have to learn how to play, it doesn't come naturally. And as they discover bit by bit the wonder of play, they find themselves and meet the others. I also know children for whom play is a distant dream. It's something that they crave but seldom get a chance to experience. I know children who have been fortunate to be able to play with almost no restraints, who's play is nurtured and protected. I know children who live in fear, forced out their homes, forced to work, being abused and have no place to play outside their minds.

"A child's play" is often use as a way of describing something that is easy, simple, trivial.

To me nothing could be further off reality. Child's play is complex in both it's construction and effects on the development, child's play is most important for the development of imagination and social, emotional, language and thinking skills.

“Play is the work of the child.”

Maria Montessori

Teachers, scientists, philosophers, psychologists, psychiatrists, authors from the earliest times have argued the importance of play for both children and adults.

When we grow up we chose to forget about play. We dismiss it and get caught in our serious business. We have no time to play and we rush our children along.

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

George Bernard Shaw

Around the world there are people dedicated to bringing love, joy, laughter, escapism to children and adults who find themselves in difficult situations and would not have otherwise access to such wonder, through play.

The Flying Seagull Project is an example of dedicated individuals who donate their time and talents to create opportunities for children and adults alike to play with all the resulting benefits.

Their actions are based on these beliefs:

We believe everyone has the right to laugh and enjoy their life,

no matter their financial, physical, pychological or societal situation.
We believe every child should have the right to play freely without risk or threat.
We believe play, creativity and laughter is essential to a child’s development

and therefore to the community as a whole.
We believe that energy and positivity are contagious

and intend to spread them as far and wide as possible.
We believe that everyone, everywhere is entitled to communicate and to be heard in whatever way is possible, and we hope to give people voices wherever we go.
We believe that the purpose of learning something is so that you can offer to share it with someone else, somewhere else, sometime else.
We believe that a stranger is a member of the family you just haven’t met yet.
We believe the first point of contact with anyone should be a smile.
We believe in FUN as a philosophy.
We believe in you!

You can visit their website and find out about their work and ways to help.

If you know about other such projects you can leave a comment and we will add them to this post.

October 16, 2013

Human Rights - Blog Action Day, 2013

On this day we decided to be part of Blog Action Day

On short is an attempt to get people together in talking about an issue and this year the focus is on human rights, in the hope of widening the conversation and gather ideas and stir up action.

The Universal Declaration has 30 articles that list as many rights. Each of us has every one of them, no exceptions, equally, no expiration date.

Human rights are inalienable.

No one can ever lose their human rights, they are not transferable nor can they be repudiated.
They cannot be taken away or given away.

Human rights are indivisible.

There is not one more important than other.
To be able to live, be free, and be safe all the other rights must be upheld.
Therefor no violation of human rights is more or less important. It's not the severity of the violation or where it occurs that is bad but just the fact it does.

Human rights are interdependent.

If one right is not respected then all the others are affected.
And as many have said it before if one of us is denied their rights then all of us lose them.

Responsibility and respect are our rights - we should exercise them more.

When we each talk about human rights, our vision and position are heavily influenced by our life experience and the realities of where we live. Living in a country that is known as stable (from political, economical, social points of view) do not assure us ours rights being respected.
In many instances the talk about human rights is containing only the concern for freedom of speech and equality/civil rights while education, health, family, work are treated separately
and mostly outside the human rights framework.
Living with dignity, free from fear is what every person should be able to do.
It cannot be achieved unless the human rights are upheld for all, in any time and circumstances.

"Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or sovereign. ...
You must weep that your own government, at present, seems blind to this truth."
Mother Teresa

Sources

Amnesty International

ONE

Human Rights Watch

WalkFree

September 21, 2013

Children's Day, September 21st, 2013 - International Day of Peace

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

Albert Einstein

The UN passed the resolution for a world peace day in 1981 and in the next year the day was first observed as International Day of Peace.

The theme chosen for this year's International Day of Peace is "Education for Peace", in recognition of the importance of educating people about consequences of war on our children, our environment and on every aspect of life with the intent to reduce the probability of wars prolonging and expanding and thus holding captive our spirits and killing our loved ones.

“The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent.”

George Orwell ("1984")

Educating ourselves, our children and people around us will improve our understanding of the world and each other. Getting to know ourselves, the others and the world in which we live will bring us closer to finding a solution to our disagreements and making wars just part of our history. And most of all we need to rediscover our connections.

“Human knowledge consists not only of libraries of parchment and ink -

it is also comprised of the volumes of knowledge that are written on the human heart,

chiseled on the human soul, and engraved on the human psyche. ”
Michael Jackson

The end of war is within our power. Now I know I cannot stop the conflict in Syria, or the violence in Sudan, but I can donate, I can sign a petition, I can raise awareness to a cause, I can post a tweet or a Facebook update that will state my believes or help spread the word, I can participate in public debates and in the political process in my country, I can learn, I can open my heart and my mind, I can pray, I will.

“Declare it. Just the same way we declare war. That is how we will have peace... we just need to declare it.”
John Lennon

August 29, 2013

Happy Birthday, Michael !

"I have learned many things but greatest lesson I have ever learned is how to love and be loved. I learned that from Michael Jackson. Love is forever. That is why Michael Jackson will always live in our hearts. Maya Angelou said people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. They way he made us feel… was loved. Michael Jackson healed, filled and lifted the hearts of people all across this globe. It is time for us to try to "heal the world." Rev. Catherine Gross, Ed.D Read more: http://www.truemichaeljackson.com/on-love/ Create your own website for free: http://www.webnode.com

"You and I were never separate
It’s just an illusion
Wrought by the magical lens of
Perception

There is only one Wholeness
Only one Mind
We are like ripples
In the vast Ocean of Consciousness

Come, let us dance
The Dance of Creation
Let us celebrate
The Joy of Life"

Michael Jackson - "Heaven Is Here" (taken from Dancing the Dream)

I will always remember the spirit, the feeling of love and the excitement and amazement. But most of all I appreciate the stories and the feelings contained in the music, the love I share with so many wonderful people and the example in how to stand up in spite of all.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

"Always appreciate the gift of life. Be happy and have fun. I love you."

Michael Jackson (at Bambi Awards, November 21st, 2002)

June 25, 2013

Justice for Michael

Photo: Jonathan Exley

"Sometimes the heart is so heavy that we turn away from it and forget that its throbbing is the wisest message of life, a wordless message that says, 'Live, be, move, rejoice -- you are alive!' Without the heart's wise rhythm, we could not exist."

Michael Jackson

Justice for Michael has become the one cry that raises above all in the Michael Jackson fan community. During the 2005 trial it was what kept us going through and showed Michael he was not alone in his fight and showed the world that Michael meant so much to so many people.
After June 25th, 2009 Justice for Michael become an outcry of pain and sorrow and as details of how Michael died we all wanted for the doctor and the others to be brought to justice.
This year with the wrongful death trial Justice for Michael is a way of keeping strong through the details and attitudes and the grief.
And all that was and is amazing.
But Justice for Michael should mean more.
The success with the Jackson 5, the success with the Jacksons and as a solo artist, his talent, his work has brought him great joy, admiration, millions of fans but also envy and hate. For braking barriers, for reaching new heights, for transforming the music industry and for doing that while speaking in a soft voice. That contrast between the fierce artist and shy person has brought much comments, a lot of them mean and in tabloid style.
But in my opinion it wasn't the commercial success that attracted the hate. It was the raising up of his voice and profiting the success of Thriller and his work and starting to push for a message that brought together millions and made it possible for me to call family someone from Hong Kong, some people from the USA, some people from Germany, someone from Argentina. And I am sure I am not the only one who can say that.
And it is not like he started to be preoccupied about the state of the world and the well being of children after the sparkle dust from Thriller mania settled down. He was involved with charities and helping people from an early age. His music contained his concerns and expressed his willingness to act. His actions spoke of his kindness and determination to make a change within himself and bring people together for a better future. It's usually things that we admire in the people around us.
Yet he was ridiculed and criticized for it in many situations. His advocacy for children causes has been used as a way in to hurt him and since there was no way of limiting his talent and creativity people (and corporations) tried, and succeeded at times, to control his outreach around the world with the help of mud throwing.
If you take any Michael Jackson album review most critics you'll find are about the songs with messages about the greater good. With few exception. Even to the point where I felt some people wouldn't allow for him be anything else but a dance floor wonder. He was supposed to come up with as many Billie Jean as possible.
I don't intend to go further in this direction.
What for me would truly mean Justice for Michael is that Earth Song, Heal the World, Cry, They Don't Care About Us, Be Not Always, Another Part Of Me, Why You Wanna Trip On Me, Man In The Mirror, The Lost Children, We Are The World would be the most viewed and most listened songs.
I got nothing against Thriller. Or any other song. I love them all. Equally - even though I do prefer one over the other depending on the state of mind I am in just like everybody.
But when these songs will be most talked about and consequently reach that many people, when his work as a humanitarian and environmentalist will be recognize in full, then Justice for Michael would have been achieved.

And what is most amazing is all the people working towards that.

I miss you Michael.
Thank you.

"There is no one in the world like MJ. Never has been. Never will be. We all know him in one way or another. In some way he has touched us, been the voice of one of our sweetest memories. And what a wonderful, genuine, compassionate, soft-spoken giant so full of love. He gave us love, excitement, one-of-a-kind moments in a mundane world. I can't believe he won't be with us here on earth anymore. But long from now, when we are all dust, he will still never be forgotten.
To the best that ever did it!
You are loved, admired and respected forever."

Alicia Keys

http://its-all-for-love.blogspot.ro/2010/01/mj-honoring-webprojects-from-our.html

http://its-all-for-love.blogspot.ro/2010/01/mj-related-great-blog-posts.html

http://its-all-for-love.blogspot.ro/2010/01/darlinks-collection-of-mj-related.html

http://its-all-for-love.blogspot.ro/2010/01/darlinks.html