To all of you who went to the contest at Change.org in December, and in round two in January -- thank you! With all of your efforts, and by spreading the word through MySpace, FaceBook, and other methods, the idea garnered support even from Yoko Ono, who posted her support on her site. The goal was to make it into the top ten, and we made it to number two!

Here's the link to the blog begun by Kathy Kidd of the National office of The Peace Alliance. Please feel free to add your comments!

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/appoint_secretary_of_peace_in_department_of_peace_and_non-violence


And here's the notification from Change.org, inviting participation on the site.

More to come on this. Change.org has pledged to support our grass-roots efforts to bring this idea to fruition. Thanks to all of you who voted, and who spread the word!

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10 National Campaigns Launched at Ideas for Change in America

Greetings, Changemakers!

A little more than two weeks ago we announced the 10 winners of our Ideas for Change in America competition at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Macon Phillips, Director of New Media for the White House, formally accepted the ideas and said that "I can speak with authority that a lot of people in the transition were paying attention to the competition."

But now, with the voting over, the real work begins. Today, in collaboration with an outstanding group of nonprofits, we're excited to announce the launch of advocacy campaigns around each of the 10 winning ideas which aim to turn each idea into national policy.

These are no ordinary campaigns. Because the ideas behind them were voted on by you, each nonprofit is committed to involve each of you in the process of unfolding and running its campaign. We've turned Ideas for Change in America into a platform to host each of these efforts, where our nonprofit partners will be blogging about their progress, soliciting your suggestions and feedback, and providing opportunities for direct action.

We're also excited to announce that Participant Media's TakePart.com has generously donated Flip video cameras to each of the campaigns so that participants can easily document their work and feature it on the Ideas for Change site. In addition, Participant will be working in the coming months to compile videos from all of the campaigns into serial shorts that will show, from the inside, how advocacy campaigns are built and create real social change.

So how can you participate? First, check out the list of ideas at Ideas for Change and join the conversation by commenting on one of the introductory posts. Second, take action by emailing your Congressperson to tell them why each issue is important to you. Third, offer a suggestion for one of the campaigns you support, or help raise awareness by sharing the campaign with friends. These campaigns are owned by all of us, and this is your chance to directly participate in the effort of turning an idea you care about into reality.

See you on the site!

- The Change.org Team
    
Top Ideas for Change
Appoint Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Non-Violence
Sponsored by The Peace Alliance

Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide
Sponsored by Join the Impact

Pass the DREAM Act Now: Support Higher Education for All Students
Sponsored by DREAM Activist

Make the grid green in ten years
Sponsored by 1Sky

Get FISA Right, repeal the PATRIOT Act, and restore our civil liberties
Sponsored by Get FISA Right

http://www.change.org/ideas/