OBAMA for PRESIDENT 2008

OBAMA for PRESIDENT 2008


MADONNA for OBAMA


HOLLYWOOD for OBAMA


TOM HANKS for OBAMA


OPRAH for OBAMA


USHER for OBAMA


ROBERT DENIRO and MATT DAMON for OBAMA


CHRIS ROCK for OBAMA


TYSON BECKFORD for OBAMA


BEN AFFLECK for OBAMA



HOLLYWOOD for OBAMA

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CALIFORNIANS PLEASE SAY "NO to 8"!

Senator Feinstein says "NO on 8"!


Hollywood says 'NO on 8!'




Kathy Griffin says 'NO on 8!'








Ellen DeGeneres say 'NO on 8!"

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TOP 15: MISS PUERTO RICO

Miss Unibarse PUERTO RICO 2008
National Director: Juan Carlos
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: Designer Againts AIDS






DESIGNERS AGAINST AIDS (DAA) is a project of non-profit organisation Beauty without Irony and was founded in 2004 to raise AIDS Awareness in the international media and towards the general public, more specifically towards young people in the industrialised countries.

We do this by asking famous and emerging fashion designers, musicians, artists and other celebrities to create designs that we then print on items such as T-shirts, sweaters, bags, hoodies, condom boxes, ringbinders, etc. The T- shirts and sweaters of all DAA collections are made of organic cotton in a Fair Trade community in India with the help of German company Sense Organics.

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TOP 15: MISS PHILIPPINES

Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Organization of Choice: BANTAY BATA





WELCOME TO CHILD WATCH: BANTAY BATA 163

Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides shelter, therapy and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or referred to proper child-caring agencies.

BB163 gives emphasis on the family through the following services: training and advocacy on child abuse prevention, rehabilitation of families in crisis, educational scholarships, livelihood, community outreach and medical and dental missions.

VISION

To be Asia’s best media-based child protection and welfare organization, providing comprehensive and integrated programs and services

MISSION

To create and provide a safe, nurturing and loving environment where children can develop and realize their full potential

OBJECTIVES

* To provide holistic and proactive programs, services and facilities and to uphold the welfare of the children;

* To heighten public awareness, responsibility, and community involvement in child protection and welfare through mass media and advocacy programs;

* To generate resources to ensure continuity, growth and long-term sustainability of the organization;

*To develop a committed, well-motivated and proficient BB163 workforce by providing opportunities for professional growth and excellence;

* To upgrade the capabilities of the child protection sector in the Philippines and Asia.

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TOP 15: MISS MALAWI

Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008
National Director: Bryan
Non-Profit Agency of Choice:RAISING MALAWI





Our Mission

Since 2006, Raising Malawi has been dedicated to bringing an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. Co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, Raising Malawi uses a community-based approach to provide immediate direct physical assistance, create long-term sustainability, support education and psycho-social programs, and build public awareness through multimedia and worldwide volunteer efforts.

As a part of its activities, Raising Malawi works to distribute financial support that will help community-based organizations provide vulnerable children with nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, and emotional support. We do not create or manage our own programs in Malawi; rather we support dedicated people on the ground and in the villages, the ones closest to the realities that exist. We believe in empowering the smartest and most caring of those people, the ones who understand the challenges and the solutions.

By choosing to work at a community-based level, rather than trying to impose Western beliefs and methodologies on a different culture, real and lasting change is occurring in the lives of hundreds of thousands of impoverished children in Malawi.

Our Background

In the impoverished nation of Malawi it is thought that 15% percent of the population is HIV positive. It could be even higher, but very often, in many of these villages not a single person has been tested for the virus. A lack of proper medical care and nutritious food leaves sick Malawians unable to care for themselves or for their families.

The stigma and superstition surrounding wasting disease perpetuates a misunderstanding of how illness is contracted. And with an entire generation of parents dead or dying, twelve year old children suddenly find themselves the heads of their desperate households. Without the tools for transforming their fragile lives, these children will grow up to perpetuate the tragedy into which they were born. If they grow up at all.

This is a cycle that must be broken.
Raising Malawi is an organization that has become synonymous with reclaiming human dignity for children whose lives have been devastated by disease, starvation, abuse and neglect. Bearing witness to the brutalities of the developing world, Raising Malawi works tirelessly to save lives, and strives also to bring the plight of suffering children to the forefront of the global community.

There was a moment, forty-five years ago, of great expectation for Malawi and her people. After decades of colonialism and dictatorship, the former Nyasaland became independent as Malawi in 1964. Peace Corps volunteers, who had just been granted permission to work there, were optimistic about the future of this fertile new country. The political and social climates were changing, and the people of Malawi were prepared to rebuild their nation.
But then, as in so many other nations in Africa, a humanitarian disaster began to unfold in Malawi that would be unrivaled in modern times. Political corruption and violence would soon take hold of the country. A scourge of diseases ravaged its people and crippled their infrastructure. Famine and droughts left the lush landscape barren. Extreme poverty would eventually render this nation of thirteen million utterly without hope.

Moved by compassion and a desire for increased understanding of the global emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, Madonna and Michael Berg began a journey that would bring them to this impoverished and often overlooked country. A country that had become home to one million orphaned children. What began as a modest effort to increase humanitarian aid for impoverished kids soon began to transcend the limits of what many thought possible in the developing world. By choosing to work at a community-based level rather than trying to impose Western methodologies on a uniquely African culture, Raising Malawi is empowering those who best understand Malawi’s challenges to implement lasting solutions there.

An intermediary between the planet’s most vulnerable children and those who possess the greatest resources in the world, Raising Malawi holds fast to the belief that we can never truly be happy in life until we care for other people at least as much as we care for ourselves. In reaching out to Malawi, Madonna, Michael, and dedicated volunteers all over the world are heeding that call. Many have shared their wealth with those who need it the most. Others have worked to create worldwide awareness of the realities of extreme poverty. Some have traveled to Malawi to provide direct medical care to dying children. All remain hopeful that a generation of children who once suffered so needlessly will now do more than just survive – they will play an active role in the rebirth of their nation, and go on to create a better world.

To date, hundreds of thousands of children have received nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care and emotional support through Raising Malawi. Tens of thousands more will be reached this year. Join Raising Malawi in bringing sustainable change to the lives of children who need it most.



MESSAGE from MADONNA

From the moment I began my work on behalf of Malawi’s ONE MILLION orphans, people have asked, “Why did you choose Malawi?" I always answer “I didn’t. Malawi chose me."

Malawi is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the poorest - suffering from famine, drought, extreme poverty, and diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. All of which could be treated with proper health care and education, if it were available.

Through the Raising Malawi, Michael Berg and I have committed to doing all that we can to help this small country in desperate need. We have met with world experts in healthcare, economics, education, and international development - leaders like Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Paul Farmer, who have given a voice to the most underprivileged sectors of society. Together we are working to raise the quality of life for a generation of orphaned and vulnerable children.

Now I’m asking you to join us.

Malawi and her children are at the heart of the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenges facing these children are unimaginable. Everyday in Malawi, hundreds of children die from preventable illness, thousands are affected by abuse and neglect, and millions face a lonely struggle for survival without parents or adult supervision.

At Raising Malawi, we believe in turning these challenges into stepping stones. Malawi is a country with incredible promise. Malawians possess resiliency and great spirit. If we give them a chance to achieve lasting sustainability through smart solutions and the proper support we will, in fact, raise Malawi. No matter who you are or where you are, you can join this cause and get involved. Volunteers of all ages and from every corner of the world are needed. Donations, no matter how large or small, can make a big difference: from buying a bed net to helping build a school or a clinic. Every little bit helps.

I urge you to please support Raising Malawi and remember: by committing a little bit of your time, talent, or treasures to these extraordinary children, you will help to save a life.

MADONNA

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TOP 15: MISS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2008
National Director: Etienne
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The DREAM PROJECT



The Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring (DREAM) Project, a US 501c3 nonprofit organization, provides quality education for all children born into poverty in rural areas and small communities of the Dominican Republic.



We fulfill our mission by:

• Building classrooms, libraries, computer science labs and sport recreation areas
• Securing books, school supplies and educational materials for the classrooms
• Partnering with public schools
• Operating private preschool classrooms
• Operating youth groups and summer camps
• Empowering local communities by providing models, resources and training
• Raising awareness within the international community
• Soliciting international volunteers; and
• Training Dominican teachers and local community members in modern child centered
teaching methodologies

We are sustained through the generous contribution of time, talent, funds, materials and supplies from individuals, foundations, government agencies and businesses.

Vision:

It is our vision that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.

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TOP 15: MISS SRI LANKA

Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: SRI LANKA AID DIRECT






Sri Lanka Aid Direct is working to improve the physical and social welfare of the victims of the tsunami via a direct, project-driven approach, delivering practical support which leads to visible results.

We focus our efforts in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka's Ampara districts, worst hit by the Tsunami and affected by the ongoing civil conflict.We work in partnership with proven local individuals, charities and aid organisations. There are no middlemen or administration costs. All money raised goes directly to the front-line.

The charity is run by a team of people with strong links to Sri Lanka and a range of complementary skills and experience. Sri Lanka Aid Direct is a registered charity with no political or religious affiliations or agenda

Practical support with visible results
Following the Tsunami we focussed immediately on helping the displaced victims of the Tsunami rebuild their lives and homes, through:

o Bicycles for displaced individuals in refugee camps
o Community-based concrete block workshops

We also responded rapidly to local needs, while the main charities concentrated on large-scale reconstruction.

o Books, materials and equipment- supplied to Thambattai school
o Children's playground- built in Komari
o Water and electricity- connected to Lahugala school and cottage hospital

Longer-term we are now supporting practical projects to help rebuild and develop communities, through:

o Lahugala irrigation project
o Girls' boarding hostel- Thambiluvil School
o Youth Clubs

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TOP 15: MISS ZAMBIA

Miss Unibarse ZAMBIA 2008
National Director: Emily
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: UNICEF: Protecting Our Children

Building a Protective Environment







An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection.

Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development. UNICEF’s commitment to protecting children is underlined in our Medium Term Strategic Plan and Child Protection Strategy. We draw on our Core Corporate Commitments, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration, and numerous international human rights agreements as the basis for our response.

UNICEF advocates and supports the creation of a protective environment for children in partnership with governments, national and international partners including the private sector, and civil society. National child protection systems, protective social practices and children’s own empowerment coupled with good oversight and monitoring are among the elements of a protective environment and enable countries, communities and families to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse.

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TOP 15: MISS KENYA

Miss Unbarse KENYA 2008
National Director: Bryan
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: Kenya Human Rights Commission

The Kenya Human Rights Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which was founded in 1991. KHRC conducts monitoring of human rights violations, education programs aimed at raising awareness of human rights in all parts of the country and advocacy on key issues.

KHRC includes refugee issues in its monitoring and research. It has been involved in lobbying for the passage of a refugee law in Kenya. KHRC also refers refugees to the Refugee Consortium of Kenya and UNHCR.

KHRC is a member of the African NGO Refugee Protection Network.

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TOP 15: MISS MONTENEGRO

Miss Unibarse MONTENEGRO 2008
National Director: Kenneth
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The HUNGER PROJECT



Mission Statement

The Hunger Project is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger.

In Africa, Asia and Latin America, The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children.

The Hunger Project carries out its mission through three essential activities: mobilizing village clusters at the grassroots level to build self-reliance, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with local government.
Vision

Our vision of the future is not based on everyone achieving a high-consumption lifestyle, which is environmentally unsustainable. Nor does it permit one-sixth of the human family to continue to live in abject poverty. The Hunger Project is committed to transcending this polarity and creating a future that rejects the inevitability of hunger and recognizes the limitations of a consumerist society.

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TOP 15: MISS INDIA

Miss Unibarse INDIA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: HELP AGE INDIA







Help Age India is secular, not-for-profit organization registered under the Societies' Registration Act of 1860. We were set up in 1978, and since then have been raising resources to protect the rights of India’s elderly and provide relief to them through various interventions.

We voice the needs of India’s 90 million (current estimate)“grey” population, and directly impact the lives of lakhs of elders through our services every year.

We advocate with national & local government to bring about policy that is beneficial to the elderly.

We make society aware of the concerns of the aged and promote better understanding of ageing issues.

We help the elderly become aware of their own rights so that they get their due and are able to play an active role in society.

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TOP 15: MISS AFGHANISTAN

Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008
National Director: Marco
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: AFGHAN AID


Please watch the AFGHAN AID You Tube Video



About us

Afghanaid has worked alongside Afghan communities for over two decades. We currently work directly with over 500,000 adults and children focusing on long term sustainable development in rural areas.

In a country where 1 in 5 children die before the age of 5, our work has an immediate effect helping build a future where people have healthier lives.

Our vision is of a peaceful and secure Afghanistan, where Afghans exercise their rights to political freedom and economic opportunity in a country where institutions are held accountable.

Afghanaid works alongside poor and marginalised Afghans to increase their chances and capabilities to enjoy sustainable and fair economic and social development.

Afghanaid’s Head Office is in Afghanistan with a UK office providing advocacy and fundraising support. The UK office has five staff. We have 300 staff in Afghanistan, 95 per cent of whom are Afghan.

Approximately 60 women work for Afghanaid. Afghanaid is governed by a board of trustees in London and managed by a team of four directors and one managing director.

Afghanaid‘s origins are in the Afghanistan Support Committee which was founded in London in 1981. Two years later, Afghanaid was set up as an independent charity and has worked in Afghanistan continuously and independently ever since.In the 1980s, we helped Afghans who had fled their homes either to other parts of the country or to neighbouring Pakistan.

From the 1990s, we’ve concentrated on community development in some of the poorest and most remote parts of Afghanistan, rebuilding their lives and working to secure their future.

Afghanaid believes that our work must reflect the wishes and needs of the Afghan people.




Please watch the KITE RUNNER

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TOP 15: MISS INDONESIA

Miss Unibarse INDONESIA 2008
National Director: Felix
Non-Profit of Choice: CHILDREN of SUMATRA





The Children of Sumatra was set up with the aim of helping children suffering from cleft lip and palate living on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Many families there are too poor to pay for a simple operation that can transform their child’s future. In Europe and America we are almost unaware of this condition as it is corrected within the first year of a child’s life but in Indonesia this is not the case and the condition affects 1 in 300 children.

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TOP 15: MISS CHINA

Miss Unibarse CHINA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management and Eve
Advocacy Work of Choice: HUMAN RIGHTS in CHINA

Our Mission and Approach

Founded by Chinese students and scholars in March 1989, Human Rights in China (HRIC) is an international, Chinese, non-governmental organization with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People’s Republic of China (China). HRIC’s board and staff include Chinese, North American, and European individuals devoted to fostering greater space for democratic reforms and social justice.

HRIC’s approach is a long-term process of engaging multiple international actors, including the media, governments, corporations, various United Nations bodies, and other multilateral organizations. HRIC also aims to maximize and leverage its resources by collaborating with other local, regional, and international NGOs.

HRIC’s education, research, and advocacy strategies are guided by three key objectives:

* Supporting the work of local civil society groups to promote the process of economic, administrative, and legal reforms;

* Generating international pressure for social change through monitoring to ensure accountability, transparency, and compliance with the Chinese government’s international human rights obligations; and

* Strengthening international human rights frameworks and facilitating international cooperation by working with other non-governmental organizations, the UN, and other multilateral and bilateral organizations, national governments, and donors.

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TOP 15: MISS JAPAN

Miss Unibarse JAPAN 2008
National Director: Marco
Advocacy Work of Choice: MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION







Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 after a little boy named Chris Greicius realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 167,000 children around the world.

Although it has become one of the world's most well-known charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has maintained the grassroots fulfillment of its mission.

A network of nearly 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.

As the Foundation continues to mature, its mission will remain steadfast. Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish®.

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TOP 15: MISS NEPAL

Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008
National Director: Marco
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: STREET CHILDREN of NEPAL

Welcome to The Street Children of Nepal Trust



The Street Children of Nepal Trust is a UK registered charity that raises funds to support projects and initiatives in Nepal. We focus on helping those organisations that help both children who live and work on the street and those from the poorest families.

The aims of the charity are:

* To relieve hunger and improve nutrition amongst destitute street children
* To support education of both street children and children from the poorest families
* To provide basic healthcare for children in need
* Assist in providing shelter for children who have nowhere to live

About Nepal

Nepal is a country of soaring mountains, beautiful valleys and subtropical jungle. Its steep terrain, lack of natural resources and inaccessibility has meant that it has remained one the very poorest and least developed countries in the world with 24% of the population living on less then US $1 a day.

The UN’s Human Development Index (2005) ranks Nepal 142nd out of 177 countries and shows a life expectancy of 62.6 years, adult literacy rate of 48.6% and a GDP per capita of US $1550. However these figures mask major differences between the majority who live in the countryside and those who live in urban environments as well as very significant gender and income inequality.

UNICEF report that:

* More than 50,000 children die annually in Nepal, with malnutrition as the underlying cause in more than 60% of those deaths

* Half the children in Nepal are underweight

* Only 35% of the population have access to adequate sanitation facilities

* The literacy rate for 15 – 24 year olds is 81% for males and 60% for females

* Only 3 out of every 100 have access to a phone

* 31% of children aged 5 to 14 are involved in some sort of child labour

Although the majority of the population still live in rural areas and derive their livelihood from agriculture the pressure of change including population growth, declining fertility of farmland and the pressures of globalisation has seen a significant and rapid rise in the numbers living in cities.

Currently an estimated 38% of the population is aged under 14 years and the pressure of change falls heavily on this age group and this has resulted in significant levels of child migration. Children move away from their homes for a variety of reasons including the death of one or both parents, poverty, illiteracy, domestic abuse and the perceived attractions of city life. Many of these children find themselves living on the streets in urban areas and attempt to earn money in marginal economic activities such as collecting rags, shining shoes, dishwashing in hotels, pulling carts and rickshaws and begging. Street children are highly vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse.

Trafficking of children also occurs with children being ‘recruited’ often for an exchange of money. These children will often then be used for domestic labour, carpet weaving and a variety of other jobs. They and their families are lured by promises of good employment but the reality is very different with very low pay, if any at all, and harsh living and working conditions.

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TOP 15: MISS SWITZERLAND

Miss Unibarse SWITZERLAND 2008
National Director: Christian
Advocacy of Choice: LEARNING DISABILITY AWARENESS





LDA's Vision:

LDA Visualizes a World in Which:

* All individuals with learning disabilities are empowered to thrive and participate fully in society
* The incidence of learning disabilities is reduced
* And learning disabilities are universally understood and effectively addressed

The LDA Mission:

LDA's mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations.

What LDA Does To Accomplish That Mission:

Promote Prevention: We believe that the number of individuals affected by learning disabilities can be reduced with an effective, comprehensive prevention plan. We encourage research that seeks to identify the causes of learning disabilities and disseminate research findings which could lead to the reduction of the incidence of learning disabilities.

Foster Research in Best Practices: We encourage ongoing research efforts into recognition, assessment and intervention strategies throughout the lifespan. We monitor and disseminate these research findings.

Encourage Identification: Too many people go through life unidentified. We advocate for early identification, which increases the possibility of successful intervention. We will continue to advocate for access to identification throughout the lifespan.

Support Intervention: We strongly support best practice interventions for individuals with learning disabilities throughout the lifespan.

Protect Rights: We are committed to advocating for and protecting the rights of all individuals with learning disabilities. This includes legislative advocacy for laws to improve and preserve the rights of all individuals as well as individual advocacy.

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MISS UNIBARSE SUPPORTS EQUAL RIGHTS for the LGBTQ COMMUNITY

MISS UNIBARSE 2007
Keora Malani of PALAU

ADVOCACY of CHOICE: MARRIAGE EQUALITY USA









Marriage Equality, Inc. began as an idea in 1996 with a handful of activists believing that same-sex couples should have the freedom and the right to civil marriage, and angry that the federal government wanted to pass a law barring LGBT people from this right. The organization was officially founded and formed February 12, 1998, on National Freedom To Marry Day. The New York chapter became so successful that activists in Los Angeles Oakland and San Francisco California, responding to that state's 2000 anti-marriage referendum, began Marriage Equality California.

In the late autumn of 2000, the national organization, Marriage Equality USA was officially founded. Since then other chapters have formed across the country and are chapters are growing every day. The organization's sole purpose and focus is to end discrimination in civil marriage so that same-sex couples can enjoy the same legal and societal status as opposite-sex couples.

Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) understands how critical it is for a greater number of voices to be heard and often works in tandem with other state and national organizations. With greater numbers of people working together towards ending discrimination in civil marriage, MEUSA hopes to accomplish in the foreseeable future what truly is the inevitable. civil marriages for same-sex couples.

Polls today tell us that 40 percent of the U.S. public approves of the basic civil right for gay people to marry. With the help of committed individuals and organizations, we are confident that that percentage will continue to grow. Only then can we shape the kind of social climate that will change public opinion embolden our courts to make fair decisions in winning the freedom to marry.

Some of MEUSA's activities to date include:

* Began the Valentine's Day/Freedom to Marry Day Marriage License Counter demonstrations across the country where same-sex couples ask for marriage licenses from their city hall and county recorder's offices.

* The first organization (joint effort with Lambda Legal) to institute a comprehensive grass roots marriage and media training program for activists.

* Obtained support of our Marriage Declaration from council members, clergy, community boards, mayors, and other key people throughout the U.S.

* Sponsored the first-ever Same-Sex Wedding Expo in NYC, garnering solid support from gay and non-gay businesses.

* Created National Bridge Marches for Marriage Equality in San Francisco and New York City.

* Acknowledged for shaping the civil marriage for same-sex couples discussion in the LGBT and non-LGBT communities.

OUR APPROACH

Education

Speaking engagements, forums, and outreach functions provide our greatest opportunity to educate people on same-sex marriage. Our educational material gives us the opportunity to explain ALL the issues. Using our Marriage Declaration as a vital tool, we meet with organizations and individuals, explaining why marriage matters. Through these meetings, we build coalitions with other gay and non-gay organizations, which increases the number of individuals who believe in equality through marriage. We also provide training classes.

Media Campaigns

Greater awareness lessens the fear many people have around same-sex marriage. That is why MEUSA actively sponsors and engages in letter-writing to publications, large media events and press conferences, statewide rallies, speak-outs, and other high-profile activities. We believe exposure through film, TV commercials, and print ads are extremely effective. By putting same-sex marriage in the news, we can ensure visibility of the issue.

Partnerships

Organizing and building coalitions and alliances with social and civil groups, churches and individuals (gay and non-gay) are key to getting our message out. Co-sponsoring events, discussion groups and outreach to the business community are just some of the ways to get the greater community involved with marriage equality

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Mechikung (Good Bye): MISS BRAZIL

Miss Unibarse BRAZIL 2008
National Director: Adelmo
Advocacy of Choice: None




HISTORY of MISS BRAZIL at MISS UNIBARSE

2005: Doll-egate
2006: Doll-egate
2007: Top 20 (Semi-Finalist)
2008: Top 25 (Semi-Finalist)

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Mechikung (Good Bye): MISS TURKEY

Miss Unibarse TURKEY 2008
National Director: Asla
Advocacy of Choice: SOS Children's Villages in TURKEY

SOS Children

This is the UK charity homepage of SOS Children, the world's largest orphan and abandoned children's charity. Child sponsors and donors worldwide provide a new family and home for more than 70,000 children in 473 unique Children's Villages in 123 countries. Our supporters also help a million children and their families through SOS community outreach programmes.

Our strategic goal for the next eight years is to help a million child sponsors give a million children a family life. Of these, one hundred thousand will be given a new family and home in an SOS Children's Village and nine hundred thousand will be able to grow up within their own (or extended) family with our support.

SOS Children... giving children a family for life.

Our sponsors and donors help children whose parents are not there for them. They may be AIDS orphans, street children, child soldiers or children orphaned by war, poverty or natural disasters. We give these children a mother and a family in a home within an SOS Children's Village. Donations pay to build the Villages and run them until child sponsors cover the running costs. Where family life is at risk (for example where parents in Africa have AIDS), we run programmes to help strengthen them and keep them together.




HISTORY of MISS TURKEY at MISS UNIBARSE:

2005: Top 25 (Semi-Finalist)
2006: Doll-egate
2007: Top 20 (Semi-Finalist)
2008: Top 25 (Semi-Finalist)

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Mechikung (Good Bye): MISS NICARAGUA

Miss Unibarse NICARAGUA 2008
Natonal Director: Eddwins
Advocacy of Choice: None



HISTORY of MISS NICARAGUA at MISS UNIBARSE:

2005: Doll-egate
2006: Doll-egate
2007: Top 10 (Semi-Finalist and Best National Costume)
2008: Top 25 (Semi-Finalist)

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Mechikung (Good Bye): MISS NAMIBIA

Miss Unibarse NAMIBIA 2008
National Director: Brenda
Advocacy of Choice: None




HISTORY of MISS NAMIBIA at MISS UNIBARSE:

2005: Miss Unibarse WINNER
2006: Doll-egate
2007: TOP 15 (Semi-Finalist)
2008: Top 25 (Semi-Finalist)

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Mechikung (Good Bye): MISS CURACAO

Miss Unibarse CURACAO 2008
National Director: Jesus
Advocacy Work of Choice: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Message from the Director:

She will be doing charity activities for victims of domestic violence because my sister passed away because of that. Here is a page about contact information of a home dedicated to that here in Puerto rico and was the home that I collected money during the past Miss Doll Curacao 2008 in June 20. The name is "Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos". The page doesnt have pics of it because they dont have a specific web page about it. It is just a home funded with donations as I did with them.




HISTORY of MISS CURACAO at MISS UNIBARSE:

2005: TOP 20 (Semi-Finalist and Miss Photogenic)
2006: Doll-egate
2007: Doll-egate
2008: TOP 25 (Semi-Finalist)

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MIRROR, MIRROR on the WALL, WHO is the FAIREST of THEM ALL?

Now that you have met the TOP 20 come see their recent shoot to see if you can spot a UNIBERSAL BEAUTY amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown PALAU!

Competition begins TUESDAY and ends THURSDAY. Only 15 will move onto the next round LIVE on STAGE!

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TOP 20: MISS SWITZERLAND

Miss Unibarse SWITZERLAND 2008
National Director: Christan
Advocacy of Choice: LEARNING DISABILITY AWARENESS





LDA's Vision:

LDA Visualizes a World in Which:

* All individuals with learning disabilities are empowered to thrive and participate fully in society
* The incidence of learning disabilities is reduced
* And learning disabilities are universally understood and effectively addressed

The LDA Mission:

LDA's mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations.

What LDA Does To Accomplish That Mission:

Promote Prevention: We believe that the number of individuals affected by learning disabilities can be reduced with an effective, comprehensive prevention plan. We encourage research that seeks to identify the causes of learning disabilities and disseminate research findings which could lead to the reduction of the incidence of learning disabilities.

Foster Research in Best Practices: We encourage ongoing research efforts into recognition, assessment and intervention strategies throughout the lifespan. We monitor and disseminate these research findings.

Encourage Identification: Too many people go through life unidentified. We advocate for early identification, which increases the possibility of successful intervention. We will continue to advocate for access to identification throughout the lifespan.

Support Intervention: We strongly support best practice interventions for individuals with learning disabilities throughout the lifespan.

Protect Rights: We are committed to advocating for and protecting the rights of all individuals with learning disabilities. This includes legislative advocacy for laws to improve and preserve the rights of all individuals as well as individual advocacy.

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TOP 20: MISS NEPAL

Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008
National Director: Marco
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: STREET CHILDREN of NEPAL

Welcome to The Street Children of Nepal Trust



The Street Children of Nepal Trust is a UK registered charity that raises funds to support projects and initiatives in Nepal. We focus on helping those organisations that help both children who live and work on the street and those from the poorest families.

The aims of the charity are:

* To relieve hunger and improve nutrition amongst destitute street children
* To support education of both street children and children from the poorest families
* To provide basic healthcare for children in need
* Assist in providing shelter for children who have nowhere to live

About Nepal

Nepal is a country of soaring mountains, beautiful valleys and subtropical jungle. Its steep terrain, lack of natural resources and inaccessibility has meant that it has remained one the very poorest and least developed countries in the world with 24% of the population living on less then US $1 a day.

The UN’s Human Development Index (2005) ranks Nepal 142nd out of 177 countries and shows a life expectancy of 62.6 years, adult literacy rate of 48.6% and a GDP per capita of US $1550. However these figures mask major differences between the majority who live in the countryside and those who live in urban environments as well as very significant gender and income inequality.

UNICEF report that:

* More than 50,000 children die annually in Nepal, with malnutrition as the underlying cause in more than 60% of those deaths

* Half the children in Nepal are underweight

* Only 35% of the population have access to adequate sanitation facilities

* The literacy rate for 15 – 24 year olds is 81% for males and 60% for females

* Only 3 out of every 100 have access to a phone

* 31% of children aged 5 to 14 are involved in some sort of child labour

Although the majority of the population still live in rural areas and derive their livelihood from agriculture the pressure of change including population growth, declining fertility of farmland and the pressures of globalisation has seen a significant and rapid rise in the numbers living in cities.

Currently an estimated 38% of the population is aged under 14 years and the pressure of change falls heavily on this age group and this has resulted in significant levels of child migration. Children move away from their homes for a variety of reasons including the death of one or both parents, poverty, illiteracy, domestic abuse and the perceived attractions of city life. Many of these children find themselves living on the streets in urban areas and attempt to earn money in marginal economic activities such as collecting rags, shining shoes, dishwashing in hotels, pulling carts and rickshaws and begging. Street children are highly vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse.

Trafficking of children also occurs with children being ‘recruited’ often for an exchange of money. These children will often then be used for domestic labour, carpet weaving and a variety of other jobs. They and their families are lured by promises of good employment but the reality is very different with very low pay, if any at all, and harsh living and working conditions.

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TOP 20: MISS JAPAN

Miss Unibarse JAPAN 2008
National Director: Marco
Advocacy Work of Choice: MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION







Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 after a little boy named Chris Greicius realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 167,000 children around the world.

Although it has become one of the world's most well-known charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has maintained the grassroots fulfillment of its mission.

A network of nearly 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.

As the Foundation continues to mature, its mission will remain steadfast. Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish®.

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TOP 20: MISS INDONESIA

Miss Unibarse INDONESIA 2008
National Director: Felix
Non-Profit of Choice: CHILDREN of SUMATRA





The Children of Sumatra was set up with the aim of helping children suffering from cleft lip and palate living on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Many families there are too poor to pay for a simple operation that can transform their child’s future. In Europe and America we are almost unaware of this condition as it is corrected within the first year of a child’s life but in Indonesia this is not the case and the condition affects 1 in 300 children.

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TOP 20: MISS MOZAMBIQUE

Miss Unibarse MOZAMBQUE 2008
National Director: Queen of Africa Doll Organization and GQBM
Advocacy Work on Choice: PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2.0 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds and other "pests," and the abuse of backyard dogs.

PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.

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TOP 20: MISS CHINA

Miss Unibarse CHINA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management and Eve
Advocacy Work of Choice: HUMAN RIGHTS in CHINA

Our Mission and Approach

Founded by Chinese students and scholars in March 1989, Human Rights in China (HRIC) is an international, Chinese, non-governmental organization with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People’s Republic of China (China). HRIC’s board and staff include Chinese, North American, and European individuals devoted to fostering greater space for democratic reforms and social justice.

HRIC’s approach is a long-term process of engaging multiple international actors, including the media, governments, corporations, various United Nations bodies, and other multilateral organizations. HRIC also aims to maximize and leverage its resources by collaborating with other local, regional, and international NGOs.

HRIC’s education, research, and advocacy strategies are guided by three key objectives:

* Supporting the work of local civil society groups to promote the process of economic, administrative, and legal reforms;

* Generating international pressure for social change through monitoring to ensure accountability, transparency, and compliance with the Chinese government’s international human rights obligations; and

* Strengthening international human rights frameworks and facilitating international cooperation by working with other non-governmental organizations, the UN, and other multilateral and bilateral organizations, national governments, and donors.

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TOP 20: MISS MALAWI

Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008
National Director: Bryan
Non-Profit Agency of Choice:RAISING MALAWI





Our Mission

Since 2006, Raising Malawi has been dedicated to bringing an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. Co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, Raising Malawi uses a community-based approach to provide immediate direct physical assistance, create long-term sustainability, support education and psycho-social programs, and build public awareness through multimedia and worldwide volunteer efforts.

As a part of its activities, Raising Malawi works to distribute financial support that will help community-based organizations provide vulnerable children with nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, and emotional support. We do not create or manage our own programs in Malawi; rather we support dedicated people on the ground and in the villages, the ones closest to the realities that exist. We believe in empowering the smartest and most caring of those people, the ones who understand the challenges and the solutions.

By choosing to work at a community-based level, rather than trying to impose Western beliefs and methodologies on a different culture, real and lasting change is occurring in the lives of hundreds of thousands of impoverished children in Malawi.

Our Background

In the impoverished nation of Malawi it is thought that 15% percent of the population is HIV positive. It could be even higher, but very often, in many of these villages not a single person has been tested for the virus. A lack of proper medical care and nutritious food leaves sick Malawians unable to care for themselves or for their families.

The stigma and superstition surrounding wasting disease perpetuates a misunderstanding of how illness is contracted. And with an entire generation of parents dead or dying, twelve year old children suddenly find themselves the heads of their desperate households. Without the tools for transforming their fragile lives, these children will grow up to perpetuate the tragedy into which they were born. If they grow up at all.

This is a cycle that must be broken.
Raising Malawi is an organization that has become synonymous with reclaiming human dignity for children whose lives have been devastated by disease, starvation, abuse and neglect. Bearing witness to the brutalities of the developing world, Raising Malawi works tirelessly to save lives, and strives also to bring the plight of suffering children to the forefront of the global community.

There was a moment, forty-five years ago, of great expectation for Malawi and her people. After decades of colonialism and dictatorship, the former Nyasaland became independent as Malawi in 1964. Peace Corps volunteers, who had just been granted permission to work there, were optimistic about the future of this fertile new country. The political and social climates were changing, and the people of Malawi were prepared to rebuild their nation.
But then, as in so many other nations in Africa, a humanitarian disaster began to unfold in Malawi that would be unrivaled in modern times. Political corruption and violence would soon take hold of the country. A scourge of diseases ravaged its people and crippled their infrastructure. Famine and droughts left the lush landscape barren. Extreme poverty would eventually render this nation of thirteen million utterly without hope.

Moved by compassion and a desire for increased understanding of the global emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, Madonna and Michael Berg began a journey that would bring them to this impoverished and often overlooked country. A country that had become home to one million orphaned children. What began as a modest effort to increase humanitarian aid for impoverished kids soon began to transcend the limits of what many thought possible in the developing world. By choosing to work at a community-based level rather than trying to impose Western methodologies on a uniquely African culture, Raising Malawi is empowering those who best understand Malawi’s challenges to implement lasting solutions there.

An intermediary between the planet’s most vulnerable children and those who possess the greatest resources in the world, Raising Malawi holds fast to the belief that we can never truly be happy in life until we care for other people at least as much as we care for ourselves. In reaching out to Malawi, Madonna, Michael, and dedicated volunteers all over the world are heeding that call. Many have shared their wealth with those who need it the most. Others have worked to create worldwide awareness of the realities of extreme poverty. Some have traveled to Malawi to provide direct medical care to dying children. All remain hopeful that a generation of children who once suffered so needlessly will now do more than just survive – they will play an active role in the rebirth of their nation, and go on to create a better world.

To date, hundreds of thousands of children have received nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care and emotional support through Raising Malawi. Tens of thousands more will be reached this year. Join Raising Malawi in bringing sustainable change to the lives of children who need it most.



MESSAGE from MADONNA

From the moment I began my work on behalf of Malawi’s ONE MILLION orphans, people have asked, “Why did you choose Malawi?" I always answer “I didn’t. Malawi chose me."

Malawi is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the poorest - suffering from famine, drought, extreme poverty, and diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. All of which could be treated with proper health care and education, if it were available.

Through the Raising Malawi, Michael Berg and I have committed to doing all that we can to help this small country in desperate need. We have met with world experts in healthcare, economics, education, and international development - leaders like Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Paul Farmer, who have given a voice to the most underprivileged sectors of society. Together we are working to raise the quality of life for a generation of orphaned and vulnerable children.

Now I’m asking you to join us.

Malawi and her children are at the heart of the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenges facing these children are unimaginable. Everyday in Malawi, hundreds of children die from preventable illness, thousands are affected by abuse and neglect, and millions face a lonely struggle for survival without parents or adult supervision.

At Raising Malawi, we believe in turning these challenges into stepping stones. Malawi is a country with incredible promise. Malawians possess resiliency and great spirit. If we give them a chance to achieve lasting sustainability through smart solutions and the proper support we will, in fact, raise Malawi. No matter who you are or where you are, you can join this cause and get involved. Volunteers of all ages and from every corner of the world are needed. Donations, no matter how large or small, can make a big difference: from buying a bed net to helping build a school or a clinic. Every little bit helps.

I urge you to please support Raising Malawi and remember: by committing a little bit of your time, talent, or treasures to these extraordinary children, you will help to save a life.

MADONNA

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TOP 20: MISS AFGHANISTAN

Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008
National Director: Marco
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: AFGHAN AID


Please watch the AFGHAN AID You Tube Video



About us

Afghanaid has worked alongside Afghan communities for over two decades. We currently work directly with over 500,000 adults and children focusing on long term sustainable development in rural areas.

In a country where 1 in 5 children die before the age of 5, our work has an immediate effect helping build a future where people have healthier lives.

Our vision is of a peaceful and secure Afghanistan, where Afghans exercise their rights to political freedom and economic opportunity in a country where institutions are held accountable.

Afghanaid works alongside poor and marginalised Afghans to increase their chances and capabilities to enjoy sustainable and fair economic and social development.

Afghanaid’s Head Office is in Afghanistan with a UK office providing advocacy and fundraising support. The UK office has five staff. We have 300 staff in Afghanistan, 95 per cent of whom are Afghan.

Approximately 60 women work for Afghanaid. Afghanaid is governed by a board of trustees in London and managed by a team of four directors and one managing director.

Afghanaid‘s origins are in the Afghanistan Support Committee which was founded in London in 1981. Two years later, Afghanaid was set up as an independent charity and has worked in Afghanistan continuously and independently ever since.In the 1980s, we helped Afghans who had fled their homes either to other parts of the country or to neighbouring Pakistan.

From the 1990s, we’ve concentrated on community development in some of the poorest and most remote parts of Afghanistan, rebuilding their lives and working to secure their future.

Afghanaid believes that our work must reflect the wishes and needs of the Afghan people.




Please watch the KITE RUNNER

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TOP 20: MISS VIETNAM

Miss Unibarse VIETNAM 2008
National Director: Kim
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: SAIGON CHILDREN'S CHARITY

What is the problem to which we are the solution?

Saigon Children's Charity was founded in 1992 for a specific purpose: to help disadvantaged Vietnamese children to get an education and a fair start in life. Today, we continue to focus on the same needs.

Children born into poverty face numerous obstacles in getting to school. If they do get to school it is probable they will drop out early. Many will not be able to remain in school unaided after age 10 or 11. They are most unlikely to make the most of their potential and struggle later in life as a result. They will emerge into the adult world unqualified for anything other than the most menial and lowest paid jobs that no one else will do. In short they and their families will remain trapped in the cycle of poverty into which they were born and that is the setting into which their children will be born.
This, in short, is the problem to which we believe Saigon Children's Charity is the solution.

Our Philosophy

We believe that a measured amount of carefully targeted help from us can make all the difference. We believe that by focusing on the educational needs of the most disadvantaged children we are able to achieve positive change for them. We measure our results in the numbers of children going to school, graduating from school and finding decent jobs.
Since our inception we have followed certain guiding principles:

* We help only the poorest
* We foster independence and never allow dependency
* We never take away personal responsibility (we believe parents are responsible for educating their children. But we know they are poor so we help them to do it)
* We require all beneficiaries (and local authorities) to make a contribution to the project that is helping them

What we do

Saigon Children's Charity takes simple, practical steps to ensure that the children most in need get an education. We build schools, we give scholarships, we target additional support and help and we provide vocational training.
Our work achieves rapid results (scholarships get children into school immediately) and we know it works. Where SCC provides scholarships the drop-out rate will fall from 7 or 8% sometimes to just 2 or 3%. Longer term we know that a good education increases their choices in life and their opportunity to find and sustain decent paid employment.

Where we work

We work in and around Ho Chi Minh City, mainly in the rural fringes such as Can Gio and Cu Chi but also in difficult areas like District 4 and District 7. In addition we work in 5 provinces surrounding HCMC – Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and in the northern provinces of the Mekong Delta, Tien Giang and Tra Vinh.

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TOP 20: MISS PHILIPPINES

Miss Unibarse PHILIPPINES 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Organization of Choice: BANTAY BATA





WELCOME TO CHILD WATCH: BANTAY BATA 163

Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides shelter, therapy and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or referred to proper child-caring agencies.

BB163 gives emphasis on the family through the following services: training and advocacy on child abuse prevention, rehabilitation of families in crisis, educational scholarships, livelihood, community outreach and medical and dental missions.

VISION

To be Asia’s best media-based child protection and welfare organization, providing comprehensive and integrated programs and services

MISSION

To create and provide a safe, nurturing and loving environment where children can develop and realize their full potential

OBJECTIVES

* To provide holistic and proactive programs, services and facilities and to uphold the welfare of the children;

* To heighten public awareness, responsibility, and community involvement in child protection and welfare through mass media and advocacy programs;

* To generate resources to ensure continuity, growth and long-term sustainability of the organization;

*To develop a committed, well-motivated and proficient BB163 workforce by providing opportunities for professional growth and excellence;

* To upgrade the capabilities of the child protection sector in the Philippines and Asia.

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TOP 20: MISS INDIA

Miss Unibarse INDIA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: HELP AGE INDIA







Help Age India is secular, not-for-profit organization registered under the Societies' Registration Act of 1860. We were set up in 1978, and since then have been raising resources to protect the rights of India’s elderly and provide relief to them through various interventions.

We voice the needs of India’s 90 million (current estimate)“grey” population, and directly impact the lives of lakhs of elders through our services every year.

We advocate with national & local government to bring about policy that is beneficial to the elderly.

We make society aware of the concerns of the aged and promote better understanding of ageing issues.

We help the elderly become aware of their own rights so that they get their due and are able to play an active role in society.

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TOP 20: MISS SPAIN

Miss Unibarse SPAIN 2008
National Director: Victor
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: None

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TOP 20: MISS MONTENEGRO

Miss Unibarse MONTENEGRO 2008
National Director: Kenneth
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The HUNGER PROJECT



Mission Statement

The Hunger Project is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger.

In Africa, Asia and Latin America, The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children.

The Hunger Project carries out its mission through three essential activities: mobilizing village clusters at the grassroots level to build self-reliance, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with local government.
Vision

Our vision of the future is not based on everyone achieving a high-consumption lifestyle, which is environmentally unsustainable. Nor does it permit one-sixth of the human family to continue to live in abject poverty. The Hunger Project is committed to transcending this polarity and creating a future that rejects the inevitability of hunger and recognizes the limitations of a consumerist society.

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TOP 20: MISS CHILE

Miss Unibarse CHILE 2008
National Director: Wesley
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: Global Fund for Women

We are part of a global women's movement that is rooted in a commitment to justice and an appreciation of the value of women's experience. The challenges women face vary widely across communities, cultures, religions, traditions and countries. We believe that women should have a full range of choices, and that women themselves know best how to determine their needs and propose solutions for lasting change. The way in which we do our work is as important as what we do. This philosophy is reflected in our flexible, respectful and responsive style of grantmaking.

The Global Fund makes grants to seed, strengthen and link women's rights groups based outside the United States working to address human rights issues that include:

* Ending Gender-Based Violence and Building Peace
* Ensuring Economic and Environmental Justice
* Advancing Health and Sexual and Reproductive Rights
* Expanding Civic and Political Participation
* Increasing Access to Education
* Fostering Social Change Philanthropy

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TOP 20: MISS KENYA

Miss Unbarse KENYA 2008
National Director: Bryan
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: Kenya Human Rights Commission

The Kenya Human Rights Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which was founded in 1991. KHRC conducts monitoring of human rights violations, education programs aimed at raising awareness of human rights in all parts of the country and advocacy on key issues.

KHRC includes refugee issues in its monitoring and research. It has been involved in lobbying for the passage of a refugee law in Kenya. KHRC also refers refugees to the Refugee Consortium of Kenya and UNHCR.

KHRC is a member of the African NGO Refugee Protection Network.

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TOP 20: MISS ZAMBIA

Miss Unibarse ZAMBIA 2008
National Director: Emily
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: UNICEF: Protecting Our Children

Building a Protective Environment







An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, also remain without adequate protection.

Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development. UNICEF’s commitment to protecting children is underlined in our Medium Term Strategic Plan and Child Protection Strategy. We draw on our Core Corporate Commitments, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration, and numerous international human rights agreements as the basis for our response.

UNICEF advocates and supports the creation of a protective environment for children in partnership with governments, national and international partners including the private sector, and civil society. National child protection systems, protective social practices and children’s own empowerment coupled with good oversight and monitoring are among the elements of a protective environment and enable countries, communities and families to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse.

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TOP 20: MISS UNITED STATES

Miss Unibarse UNITED STATES 2008
National Director: Ovaz
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: None

Stumble It!

TOP 20: MISS SRI LANKA

Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA 2008
National Director: Global Queen Beauty Management
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: SRI LANKA AID DIRECT






Sri Lanka Aid Direct is working to improve the physical and social welfare of the victims of the tsunami via a direct, project-driven approach, delivering practical support which leads to visible results.

We focus our efforts in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka's Ampara districts, worst hit by the Tsunami and affected by the ongoing civil conflict.We work in partnership with proven local individuals, charities and aid organisations. There are no middlemen or administration costs. All money raised goes directly to the front-line.

The charity is run by a team of people with strong links to Sri Lanka and a range of complementary skills and experience. Sri Lanka Aid Direct is a registered charity with no political or religious affiliations or agenda

Practical support with visible results
Following the Tsunami we focussed immediately on helping the displaced victims of the Tsunami rebuild their lives and homes, through:

o Bicycles for displaced individuals in refugee camps
o Community-based concrete block workshops

We also responded rapidly to local needs, while the main charities concentrated on large-scale reconstruction.

o Books, materials and equipment- supplied to Thambattai school
o Children's playground- built in Komari
o Water and electricity- connected to Lahugala school and cottage hospital

Longer-term we are now supporting practical projects to help rebuild and develop communities, through:

o Lahugala irrigation project
o Girls' boarding hostel- Thambiluvil School
o Youth Clubs

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TOP 20: MISS PUERTO RICO

Miss Unibarse PUERTO RICO 2008
National Director: Juan Carlos
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: Designer Againts AIDS






DESIGNERS AGAINST AIDS (DAA) is a project of non-profit organisation Beauty without Irony and was founded in 2004 to raise AIDS Awareness in the international media and towards the general public, more specifically towards young people in the industrialised countries.

We do this by asking famous and emerging fashion designers, musicians, artists and other celebrities to create designs that we then print on items such as T-shirts, sweaters, bags, hoodies, condom boxes, ringbinders, etc. The T- shirts and sweaters of all DAA collections are made of organic cotton in a Fair Trade community in India with the help of German company Sense Organics.

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TOP 20: MISS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2008
National Director: Etienne
Non-Profit Agency of Choice: The DREAM PROJECT



The Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring (DREAM) Project, a US 501c3 nonprofit organization, provides quality education for all children born into poverty in rural areas and small communities of the Dominican Republic.



We fulfill our mission by:

• Building classrooms, libraries, computer science labs and sport recreation areas
• Securing books, school supplies and educational materials for the classrooms
• Partnering with public schools
• Operating private preschool classrooms
• Operating youth groups and summer camps
• Empowering local communities by providing models, resources and training
• Raising awareness within the international community
• Soliciting international volunteers; and
• Training Dominican teachers and local community members in modern child centered
teaching methodologies

We are sustained through the generous contribution of time, talent, funds, materials and supplies from individuals, foundations, government agencies and businesses.

Vision:

It is our vision that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.

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MEET YOUR TOP 20 THIS WEEKEND

WHO MOVES ON to the NEXT ROUND?
WHO IS STRONG ENOUGH to STAND OUT?
MEET THIS YEAR'S TOP 20 BEGINNING FRIDAY!

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GET UP...IT'S TIME for CHANGE!

"SARAH PALIN CAN GET OFF MY STREET!"


STICKY and SWEET Tour PROMOTES BARACK OBAMA


MADONNA PSA



MADONNA "SWEET and STICKY" WORLD TOUR


To find out more about MADONNA, the TOUR and the MUSIC please visit: MADONNA

VOTE for CHANGE Please VOTE for OBAMA for PRESIDENT

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MISS UNIBARSE Supports OBAMA

VOTE for CHANGE Please VOTE for OBAMA for PRESIDENT

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HOLLYWOOD on PALIN

Betty White on Sarah Palin


Matt Damon on Sarah Palin


Sharon Osbourne on Sarah Palin



VOTE for CHANGE Please VOTE for OBAMA for PRESIDENT

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UNIBARSE CHOSE a JUDGE from INDIA

CONGRATULATIONS to the nation of INDIA!

The Miss Unibarse Organization have chosen a person from INDIA to be a part of the judging panel during the finals! This is the very first judge from INDIA and we are excited to have him on board!

Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming response. Enjoy the rest of the competition and see you in Palau!

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BATTLE of the TOP 25 BEAUTIES

Miss Unibarse KENYA 2008

Miss Unibarse SWITZERLAND 2008

Miss Unibarse AFGHANISTAN 2008

Miss Unibarse MONTENEGRO 2008

Miss Unibarse NEPAL 2008

Miss Unibarse MALAWI 2008

Only 20 will move onto the next round who will they be?

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UNIBERSAL BEAUTY with SUBSTANCE

In an effort to provide global awareness about the issues facing the world, the MISS UNIBARSE Organization have included an advocacy component entitled "UNIBERSAL BEAUTY with SUBSTANCE"

The directors were asked to select a platform faced by their country that they would like to highlight and bring to the the frontline with the goal of bringing awareness and global support.

Let's meet a couple of this year's "UNIBERSAL BEAUTY with SUBSTANCE"



MISS UNIBARSE CANADA has chosen to be the spokesperson for the Canadian Association of the Deaf. The reason is because she has friends with the condition of deafness that have suffered discrimination. She wants to raise awareness on the rights of these people into society.

Please find out more about the organization by visiting their website: CANADIAN ASSOCIATION of the DEAF




MISS UNIBARSE ZIMBABWE is all about the animals. She feels that although there are many worthy charities and world issues, we often forget about animals. She believes that education, spaying & neutering is the easiest solution to unwanted animals running and dying in the streets.

“I’d pick everyone up if I could” the Zimbabwean beauty was quoted. Although she knows of many no kill animal shelters one in particular stands out to her because of her best friend who has lived in the US and adopted several dogs from this agency, Much Love.org

Much Love provides dogs and cats with loving homes by providing shelter, food and sponsors many pet adoption events that have placed 1oo’s of homeless animals.

Find more about this wonderful organization by visiting their website:
MUCH LOVE ANIMAL RESCUE

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IGNORANCE is BLISS in OHIO

But it is time for CHANGE in this WORLD!

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VOTE for MISS JAPAN

Please VOTE for Miss Doll Universe JAPAN

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VOTE for MISS INDIA

Please VOTE for MISS Doll UNIVERSE INDIA.

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VOTE for MISS PHILIPPINES

Please VOTE for Miss Doll Universe PHILIPPINES

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MISS UNIBARSE SUPPORTS LOVE, HONOR and EQUALITY for EVERYONE

This year, the MISS UNIBARSE ORGANIZATION wholeheartedly endorses the campaign to VOTE NO on PROP 8 and would like to urge everyone to do the same. It is time for all of us to take action and for all of us to know the facts!

Please visit their website and VOTE NO to PROP 8!
VOTE NO on PROP 8



Proponents of Prop 8 continue to lie in their television ads.

Here’s what’s fiction and what’s fact:

Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.

Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is “false and misleading.”

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.

Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent's objection to the school curriculum will happen here.

Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don't agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won't affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.


Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…

Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it's about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn't grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren't supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.


Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.

Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.

Fact: The university has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.

Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won't have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.

Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.



Videos courtesy of YOU TUBE
Facts and Fiction Article courtesy of VOTE NO on PROP 8

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DO YOU WANT to BE A JUDGE?

Do you have an eye for beauty?

Miss Unibarse Organization is looking for a few qualified individuals to judge during the final rounds of MISS UNIBARSE 2008!

Send us an email and a recent photo and state why you want to be a judge.
Winners will be selected base on originality and will be revealed later on this week just in time for the FINALS!

Email your entries at: missunibarse@gmail.com

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THANK YOU to OUR DIRECTORS

You have met this year's TOP 25 doll-egates moving on to the semi-final rounds! What a strong batch of semi-finalist do we have this year!

As they prepare for the next rounds of competition we wanted to THANK the DIRECTORS from all around the world for their time and energy in supporting MISS UNIBARSE 2008.

We invite everyone to come back next year for MISS UNIBARSE 2009!

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Miss Doll Puerto Rico's TOP 25

The Miss Doll Puerto Rico Organization headed by Juan Carlos recently released their choices for the TOP 25. Under Juan Carlos, this is Puerto Rico's 2nd year joining Miss Unibarse. Their doll-egate missed last year cut but returns with a vengeance as this year's rep was recently announced in the TOP 25.

Afghanistan
Aruba
Canada
Curaçao
Germany
Japan
Kenya
Trinidad & Tobago
Venezuela
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Philippines
Namibia
Estonia
Colombia
Brazil
Russia
India
Montenegro
Costa Rica
Greece
Switzerland
Hong Kong
Ireland
Puerto Rico

* Bolded countries have already been announced as a TOP 25

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BRAZIL'S GLOBAL BEAUTY

Who is this refreshing BRAZILIAN beauty that will soon set the pageant world on fire? Meet BRAZIL'S representative to MISS WORLD 2008, Tamara Almeida Silva.

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Tribute to MISS EARTH JESSICA TRISKO

Miss EARTH 2007 Crowning!


Miss Earth 2007 Final Question


A true beauty with a cause!


Jessica's Interview with OPMB

Find out more our judge and Queen of our EARTH!
Video courtesy of Jessica's fans from YOU TUBE

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UNIBARSE Sends OFF INTERNATIONAL

Miss Unibarse CHINA meets with GQBM's International Queens


Miss Unibarse DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and GQBM Dominican Republic International exchange beauty secrets as another Dominican beauty heads off to conquer the International crown!


QGBM TANZANIA presents her competition gown for Miss Doll International in MACAU



GQBM SRI LANKA International chats with Miss Unibarse SRI LANKA about tips for her upcoming competition in MACAU



Miss Unibarse UNKRAINE wishing GQBM UKRAINE International as she prepares to compete in MACAU for Miss Doll International 2008



GQBM JAPAN International will try to bring home the Miss Doll International crown as she prepares to leave for Macau. Miss Unibarse JAPAN briefly chatted with Ericho as she prepares to embark the plane.

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MISS UNIBARSE on GENDER BLENDER

Gender Blender Teaser


Gender Blender feauturing GQBM Kendy Mae


Gender Blender Featuring GQBM Asia Vitale


Gender Blender featuring F&G and MISS UNIBARSE



THANK YOU JOE and FELICIA for the WONDERFUL GIFT!
WE LOVE and TRULY APPRECIATE YOU THINKING of US!
IT'S A GREAT PROJECT! WE, Miss Unibarse Dolls Included, ARE SO HAPPY to BE A PART of the SERIES! WATCHING the EPISODES BROUGHT BACK MANY FUN MEMORIES!

WE MISS YOU GUYS!

Find out more about the LGBTQ community by visiting
CRUSHED PLANET
To watch the entire series please visit and subscribe to
GENDER BLENDER

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GLOBALBEAUTIES and MISS UNIBARSE

Photo of Lia Andrea Ramos
Miss Philippines UNIVERSE 2006
Courtesy of: F&G Photography

CONGRATULATIONS to MISS UNIBARSE ORGANIZATION for being recognized as a 'LEGIT' doll pageant by one of the world's leading pageantry website GLOBALBEAUTIES.

MUO spokesman stated, "Some people drink coffee and eat cereals for breakfast, us pageants loving individuals check out Globalbeauties for the latest scoop around the world as part of a 'complete breakfast'."

The Miss Unibarse WEBSITE is now available and listed under OTHER INTERNATIONAL PAGEANTS making Miss Unibarse the FIRST and ONLY doll pageant event to be featured on their website.

"This is HUGE! Globalbeauties has always been a reliable source for up to the minute news of all and the major grand slam pageants in the world but never for dolls! To be included onto their website and links page is an honor."

Make GLOBALBEAUTIES a staple of your daily routine and be informed with the latest info on pageants on a global scale!

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WHO is GOING to be on TOP?

MISS UNIBARSE'S 'NEXT TOP 25 MODOLLS'
WILL BE REVEALED on OCTOBER 6, 2008

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Miss Unibarse CONTINENTAL QUEENS

Just for fun, this year the MISS UNIBARSE ORGANIZATION decided to include a competition that would identify the best doll-egate from all corners of the globe! Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the quest for your CONTINENTAL QUEENS!

VOTE and SELECT your favorites for the 2008 MISS UNIBARSE CONTINETAL QUEENS HERE Winners of the competition will be awarded a special prize and will be announced during the Miss Unibarse coronation in October.

Who is it going to be? Only YOU can make that decision!

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PHOTO EXHIBIT WELCOMES BEAUTIES

A week after the preliminaries, the doll-egates for MISS UNIBARSE 2008 continue to rest and enjoy the sights, the sounds and the charm of Palau as they wait for this year's announcement of the TOP 25!

Last weekend the doll-egates were invited to a photo exhibit by F&G PHOTOGRAPHY who happens to be the official photographers of MISS UNIBARSE. Check out the photos from the exhibit as they walk through posing and smiling for the Palauanian press.

To see more of their work please visit: F&G PHOTOGRAPHY
You can also add them on your MYSPACE at F&G PHOTOGRAPHY

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VIDEO TRIBUTE to PRISCILA PERRALES

Priscila WINNING NUESTRA BELLEZA MEXICO


Priscilla at MISS UNIVERSE 2006


Priscila WINNING in JAPAN
MISS INTERNATIONAL 2007

Videos are courtesy of YOU TUBE Fans of PRISCILA

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