tagged w/ Current Coraggio
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Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran away from group homes and ended up on the streets. Homeless and alone, she begged and stole to feed herself.
Foster care ignored her. The juvenile justice system failed her.
With no one to turn to, she was taken to "Motel Drive," a street in Fresno known for prostitution, and told what to do.
She was twelve years old.
Amazingly, Carissa turned her life around. She graduated from UCLA in June, 2007, with both a law degree and an MBA. Today she is a national spokesperson on the issue of youth homelessness for Virgin Mobile's RE*Generation campaign. She is also starting a non-profit foundation and developing a fund for community economic development in Fresno.
A classmate at UCLA Anderson, David Sauvage, has made Carissa, a documentary about her life. He and Carissa traveled to Fresno in the summer of 2006 and captured the best and worst of her journey, to see what can be learned from it.
They came back with some astonishing material.
Sponsored by Virgin Mobile and the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream Foundation, the film has been having great success on the festival circuit, winning the Jury Prize in its category seven times. Carissa was also one of four short films selected by the International Documentary Association for Docuweek, a prestigious theatrical showcase held at the Arclight in Los Angeles that qualifies documentaries for Academy Award consideration.Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran... more
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Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran away from group homes and ended up on the streets. Homeless and alone, she begged and stole to feed herself.
Foster care ignored her. The juvenile justice system failed her.
With no one to turn to, she was taken to "Motel Drive," a street in Fresno known for prostitution, and told what to do.
She was twelve years old.
Amazingly, Carissa turned her life around. She graduated from UCLA in June, 2007, with both a law degree and an MBA. Today she is a national spokesperson on the issue of youth homelessness for Virgin Mobile's RE*Generation campaign. She is also starting a non-profit foundation and developing a fund for community economic development in Fresno.
A classmate at UCLA Anderson, David Sauvage, has made Carissa, a documentary about her life. He and Carissa traveled to Fresno in the summer of 2006 and captured the best and worst of her journey, to see what can be learned from it.
They came back with some astonishing material.
Sponsored by Virgin Mobile and the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream Foundation, the film has been having great success on the festival circuit, winning the Jury Prize in its category seven times. Carissa was also one of four short films selected by the International Documentary Association for Docuweek, a prestigious theatrical showcase held at the Arclight in Los Angeles that qualifies documentaries for Academy Award consideration.Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran... more
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Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran away from group homes and ended up on the streets. Homeless and alone, she begged and stole to feed herself.
Foster care ignored her. The juvenile justice system failed her.
With no one to turn to, she was taken to "Motel Drive," a street in Fresno known for prostitution, and told what to do.
She was twelve years old.
Amazingly, Carissa turned her life around. She graduated from UCLA in June, 2007, with both a law degree and an MBA. Today she is a national spokesperson on the issue of youth homelessness for Virgin Mobile's RE*Generation campaign. She is also starting a non-profit foundation and developing a fund for community economic development in Fresno.
A classmate at UCLA Anderson, David Sauvage, has made Carissa, a documentary about her life. He and Carissa traveled to Fresno in the summer of 2006 and captured the best and worst of her journey, to see what can be learned from it.
They came back with some astonishing material.
Sponsored by Virgin Mobile and the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream Foundation, the film has been having great success on the festival circuit, winning the Jury Prize in its category seven times. Carissa was also one of four short films selected by the International Documentary Association for Docuweek, a prestigious theatrical showcase held at the Arclight in Los Angeles that qualifies documentaries for Academy Award consideration.Years ago, Carissa was abandoned in the lobby of the juvenile hall in Fresno. She ran... more
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A 'helping hand' is given to a victim of the 2005 earthquake that devastated Pakistan.A 'helping hand' is given to a victim of the 2005 earthquake that devastated... more
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Sabrina Sagheb is changing the face of Afghanistan. At 26 years old, she's head of the Afghan Women's National Basketball team and she's been elected to Parliament.Sabrina Sagheb is changing the face of Afghanistan. At 26 years old, she's head... more
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Kaj
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added this
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7 years ago
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Ex-girl gangsters serve up Mexican cuisine at a Los Angeles eatery with a side of salsa and attitude.Ex-girl gangsters serve up Mexican cuisine at a Los Angeles eatery with a side of... more
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Let's talk about sex:
In a culture where it's still taboo to talk about sex, our silence acts as an enabler to perhaps the most far-reaching epidemic of our time. The numbers are staggering; we all know someone who has been touched by sexual violence. Men and women of all ages, classes, and religions are affected every day. Communities are left to pick up the pieces.
WE WILL NOT SPEAK IT is an exploration of the problem of sexual violence and the culture of tolerance that exists to support and enable it on a global scale.
One courageous young woman's story is a window into the epidemic of sexual violence against both women and men in our society.
When will too much be enough? When will we, as a culture, decide to act? When will our tolerance of sexual violence finally come to an end?Let's talk about sex:
In a culture where it's still taboo to talk about... more
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What do you think a person with a severe disability looks like? If the image that comes to mind is a person who uses a wheelchair for mobility, than you're not alone. But here are the facts: over 33 million people in the United States have a severe disability. Of those 33 million, only 10 million use assistive devices such as a wheelchair, cane, crutch or walker. In other words, over 67% of the Americans with severe disabilities do not use any devices. So you can't judge a person's disability by whether or not the person looks disabled. It is "invisible."
Our daughter Brianna saw your contest on Current TV and asked what I thought about her doing a piece on discrimination. She felt that this was the perfect chance to share our family's story and I couldn't have agreed more. Brianna wrote to her friend's uncle, Marty Langford, asking him to help tell her story. Brianna wanted the pod to reflect who she was, a little silly, a little dramatic and a whole lot of inspiring! She didn't want to do anything too emotionally heavy, believing that laughter can be just as powerful as tears when it comes to empowering change in people perceptions, challenging them to look harder. Brianna's goal is to make people aware of the unconscious cruelty in the ignorance of people's treatment because of pre-judging a healthy appearing person.What do you think a person with a severe disability looks like? If the image that... more
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A look inside the groundbreaking Native organization Wings of America, which empowers native youth to become long distance runners. In this pod, VC2 producer Jon Sims goes behind the scenes of the organizations facilitator training camp, where at the outset of the summer, Native College students come together to learn how to lead running camps for kids across the country.A look inside the groundbreaking Native organization Wings of America, which empowers... more
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Koor Garang was a lost boy: one of thousands of orphaned boys who came to the US from Sudan following a decades-long civil war. Now a nursing student living in the US, Koor returns to southern Sudan to find his family and to use his medical training to help his fellow countrymen.
Filming for this project was made possible in part by a travel grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Koor Garang was a lost boy: one of thousands of orphaned boys who came to the US from... more
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Born with cerebral palsy, FEZO (a.k.a Keith Jones) is a hip-hop artist determined to use his mic, and his feet, to turn the hip-hop community and your perception of disability upside down.Born with cerebral palsy, FEZO (a.k.a Keith Jones) is a hip-hop artist determined to... more
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ctv
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added this
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7 years ago
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In 1971, cult leader Jim Jones established the headquarters of the Peoples Temple on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, CA. The building is now a US Post Office, and a local survivor of the cult's 909 member mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 remembers what it was like in the early days of the Peoples Temple.In 1971, cult leader Jim Jones established the headquarters of the Peoples Temple on... more
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We all remember Kerry from the Transex Llama farmer but now in this new pod we follow her as she undergoes her long-awaited gender realignment surgery...We all remember Kerry from the Transex Llama farmer but now in this new pod we follow... more
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Zetaman is a thirty-year-old, real-life superhero, patrolling the streets of Portland (in-costume) to help the needy and protect the innocent. Less a crime firefighter, Zeta is more like a costumed neighborhood watch. In this pod, VC2 producer follows Zeta through a nights patrol and discusses the issue of non-sanctioned crime-fighters with community members and police officers.Zetaman is a thirty-year-old, real-life superhero, patrolling the streets of Portland... more
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Twenty-four year old Rachael Scdoris has more than 1,150 miles of grueling terrain ahead of her in the Alaskan Iditarod race, none of which she can see, as she is legally blind.Twenty-four year old Rachael Scdoris has more than 1,150 miles of grueling terrain... more
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Young journalist Dan Eldon was brutally stoned to death in Somalia by rebel forces, but his work lives on through a foundation started by his sister.
Produced By: Donnie EicharYoung journalist Dan Eldon was brutally stoned to death in Somalia by rebel forces,... more
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estone
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4 years ago
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Jimmy grew up on the hard streets of Long Beach. This pod follows Jimmy's life changing decision to quit a Cambodian gang and we see as is initiated into the possibility of hope for a better future.Jimmy grew up on the hard streets of Long Beach. This pod follows Jimmy's life... more
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90 years ago Nelson Mandela was born. Since that time, Mr. Mandela has been one of the finest leaders this planet has ever seen. Happy Birthday indeed.90 years ago Nelson Mandela was born. Since that time, Mr. Mandela has been one of the... more
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Colifata Radio is a small station in Argentina, but it has something that makes it unique. This radio station is run by the inmates of a local psychiatric hospital. Colifata -which means "crazy" in Lunfardo, a local slang- was founded by psychologist Alfredo Olivera in an attempt to support people who are mentally challenged.Colifata Radio is a small station in Argentina, but it has something that makes it... more
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This inspiring story is about finding laughter in the last place you would think. In 1944, Werner Reich was a teenager in the Nazi death camp known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, when the infamous Josef Mengele, "The Angel of Death," randomly "selected" 96 boys out of 5,000, saving them from the gas chamber. Werner was one of the surviving "Birkenau Boys" spared, it seems, because of a bad joke. Thank you to my friend Mikal Reich for introducing me to his courageous father who will do anything for a laugh. Today, Werner is a magician (a profession he learned in Auschwitz) and speaks to schoolchildren in hopes the Holocaust will never happen again.This inspiring story is about finding laughter in the last place you would think. In... more
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