At least one in three women will be victims of violence in her lifetime.  Whether in the form of physical abuse, domestic slavery, or sexual abuse, some countries have up to 70% of their women affected by these heinous crimes.

War and natural disasters increase the risk of women and girls becoming victims of violence. Millions of females have a high probability of being beaten, raped, or even killed every day.

In the U.S. alone, three women are murdered by a partner each day and a woman is raped every ninety seconds. 47% of female victims of a homicide in Egypt were killed as an “honor killing” after being raped.

Hopefully this Act will pass, ensuring that preventing and responding to worldwide violence against women are made a top priority not just in the U.S. but in the global community as well. Considered a landmark move, the Act, which is a piece of bipartisan legislation, would also further the United States’ efforts to increase international diplomacy, as well as put its foreign assistance program funds where they are in the most need.

Both medical and mental health care would be provided for victims under the act.  Women would also be able to increase their and their families’ livelihood through the included education and other programs.

Participants will engage in thorough discussions regarding the equality movement, including challenges, opportunities and the latest news available. GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios will be hosting the live events.

This will be the organization’s first attempt to unify supporters all over the country in such a live way with this technology.

“I want to share with you our vision for the future, and how GLAAD will play a lead role in making our world better in the months and years ahead,” says Barrios in his web invitation on the site. “I also want to hear from you and your friends and loved ones as we work toward making equal rights a reality in America.”

GLAAD has been a leading equal rights organization for the past 25 years in America. Their mission is to promote “fair, accurate and inclusive representation” for all people in the media in order to end discrimination and ensure both tolerance and acceptance of the GLBT community based on facts.

From the “Let Ellen Out” campaign to media coverage of the murder of Matthew Shepherd, GLAAD has been helping advance the equal rights movement since the mid-1980s.

The conferences will take place on November 4, November 17, and December 14 at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. To sign up to host a house party or to attend one near you, click here.

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced October 6. The award will be given on December 10, which is the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

So far, the concert’s lineup features Donna Summer, Wyclef Jean, Luis Fonsi, Amadou & Mariamand, and Toby Keith. While some of these performer selections make sense, Keith, known for his pro-war stance and songs that promote the “American way” of fighting other countries, may be considered a questionable choice by some.

More performers will be added to this lineup; hopefully the updated list will include a few more pro-peace singers as well. Speculations also abound on whether or not Will Smith himself will perform at the event.

Regarding the event, the Smiths released this statement: “The opportunity to recognize the laureate’s contributions to the world peace movement will be an awe-inspiring experience. We are both humbled and honored to take part in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert this year, and look forward to sharing the historic evening with artists and humanitarians from across the globe.”

Last year’s laureate was Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson were last year’s celebrity hosts.

Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Geir Lundestad said the Smiths were chosen for their collective impact on philanthropy and the arts in general. He said that they “will be excellent ambassadors of peace.”

Each marcher was unique; each one had his or her own personal story. But they were tied the by hope that they all marched for.

There were workers from the City of Detroit, who were marching out of hope that they wouldn’t be laid off soon. There were teachers facing contract disputes from Oakland University, marching in hope of fair negotiations and stable, life-supporting jobs. There were members of the Michigan Education Association, marching in hope of retaining their current health care plan.

They marched for two miles, in hope that their masses would create a strong, unified voice for the American worker. Amidst the signs and colorful group t-shirts, a unified, passionate cry for justice sounded by the people, for the people.

Marchers from the City of Detroit, who face wage and benefit cuts, hope that Mayor Dave Bing will hear their cry. Bing has already sent out 1,000 layoff notices and also plans to cut city transportation.

80,000 people, including industrial laborers, service employees and American workers from all walks of life, turned out in support of health reform, union organizing rights, and worker rights in general.

Politicians did not turn a deaf ear to the event. In fact, several Michigan officials were in attendance, including a handful of Democrats who support the workers’ requests–such as U.S. Representative Gary Peters, U.S. Representative John Conyers, U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Lieutenant Governor John Cherry.

The Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO organized the march.

The third-longest running senator in U.S. history, Kennedy was a man who fostered peace between people of all backgrounds. A staunch supporter of women’s rights and a strong presence against violence, he was known as a key player in the advances in rights of minority groups, women, and immigrants.

Honorarily knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Kennedy was also a champion of racial justice as well as gay rights and gender equality. One of his goals before his death was to obtain a good health care plan for America, what he called the cause of his life. Like his sister, Kennedy was a man for the people, and he knew the way to true peace was to eliminate the divisions caused by human differences and instead to embrace all of humankind as brothers.

Kennedy was also awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, honorary degrees from many universities, including Harvard, the Order of the Merit of Chile and the Order of the Aztec Eagle.

A powerful speaker and progressive leader, Kennedy was known as the “Lion of the Senate.” The co-writer of more than 300 bills that were passed into law, he believed ina just world and fought to make it so. Among many of the important pieces of legislation he passed, some of his most memorable include AIDS care, cancer research, medical health benefits, rights for the disabled, and education.

Today the country stands in solidarity, remembering the man who led the movement toward progress and peace for so many years. As President Obama said, he was a “champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party.”

The women, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, had entered the country illegally and were sentenced to hard labor as a result. After talks with Clinton, Kim issued the journalists a pardon–less than 24 hours after Clinton’s visit.

Lee, 36 and Ling, 32 had been held for four months in the country, following an attempt to report for Current TV. Their sentence was previously for twelve years prior to the Clintons’ intervention.

Upon their release, Clinton apologized for the journalists’ actions and expressed President Obama’s thanks.

“Obviously I am very happy and relieved to have these two young woman, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, on their way home to their families. I spoke to my husband on the airplane and everything went well. They are extremely excited to be reunited soon when they touch down in California. It was just a good day to be able to see this happen,” says Rodham Clinton.

She has been pushing for the release of the women since last month.

Clinton’s visit–during which Kim smiled and waved for photos–marked the first “high-level contact” with the country in almost ten years.

Officials are hopeful that these negotiations will pave the way for future peaceful talks regarding the current tensions over the country’s nuclear weapons activity.

And the United States doesn’t perpetuate land consumption and culture elimination simply within its own lands; no, it does so around the world as well, through many means. In the case of Peru, it’s through a free trade agreement.

As a result of a series of forest laws in Peru–made possible by free trade agreements with the United States–indigenous peoples in the country have lost the land they live on. These laws permit foreign mining, timber, gas and oil companies to have access to the land and to do as they wish, without regard to those who live there.

For almost two months, these people have now staged road and pipeline blockades in protest of the encroachment, which has had disastrous results–including death.

Unbelievably–in a case of history repeating itself yet again–military officers who kill these protesters are not being held punishable, given immunity by the agreement and forest laws. Because of this wrongful immunity, at least 30 peaceful protesters have already been killed, and others have been violently attacked with tear gas and other ammunition.

One positive result has been born through this tragedy and continuing injustice: a sense of global solidarity, which includes citizens of the U.S. People around the world are protesting with our brothers and sisters in the Amazon, demanding not only an end to the violence, but also fair treatment.

To take a stand, sign this letter asking for U.S. intervention.

And now, following the declaration of “peace” that was made in May, Sri Lanka has been added to this list.

While the country recently declared a “victory” over the Tamil Tigers who rebelled against the government, the acknowledgment of Sri Lanka’s actions as genocide against the Tamil people has been rapidly coming to light globally.

The declaration of peace was immediately met with some skepticism when humanitarian workers were unable to deliver much needed aid and supplies to the displaced Tamil people; and now, though officials are denying it, the country is being accused of firing at hospitals during the civil war that lasted nearly three decades.

During a visit to Dresden, Germany and the former Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald, today, President Obama said that it is up to other nations to help stop genocide when a country is danger from its own government.

“The international community has an obligation, even when it’s inconvenient, to act when genocide is occurring,” he said, responding to reporters who inquired as to how “never again” might apply to the situations in Darfur and Sri Lanka today.

He said that the United States is currently working to stop the genocide in Darfur, even as Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir refuses to allow humanitarian aid into the country.

Though the president’s words were necessary and true, it is also true that words alone cannot stop genocide from happening. We can hope that President Obama’s words have not fallen on deaf ears, and that the international community–including the United States–collectively takes a stand and says together, “Never again,” this time, with an intent to make it so.