Charlotte Hill

Name: Charlotte Hill Location: Berkeley, CA

A little about me

I'm driven by the belief that everyone shares a common right to humanity, to dignity. When that right is violated -- whether it be through genocide, which I've studied and advocated against for almost five years, or through poverty, which I blog about daily for Change.org -- the human race as a whole suffers. We are unique because of the premeditated effort that we put into our interactions with our fellow people. Accordingly, we can choose to treat them with respect and kindness, or we can take the path of greed and power, stripping away the dignity of others in the process.

Through my blogging and my activism efforts, I try to convey that everyone deserves to have their humanity respected and protected. (I also try to throw a fair amount of sarcasm and wit in for good measure.)

P.S. I'd like to give a special shout-out to my friend, Megan, who created the awesome Obama-esque photo accompanying my application!

I would describe myself as a

blogger

Why I deserve a Netroots Nation Scholarship

First, I doubt that many anti-genocide activists have applied for the conference, as we're a small, tight-knit community. But we're exercising cutting-edge activism techniques, trying to hold domestic elected officials accountable to the protection of individuals in need on the other side of the globe. As a 2010 Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network, I'd love to represent the anti-genocide movement at Netroots Nation.

And second, I'm a strong writer and a passionate activist who can help bring about real reform in the way our democracy functions here at home. But I need the opportunity to network with fellow progressive minds, and unfortunately, it can be hard to do so on a (very) limited budget.

The blogs I use most are

Change.org, Poverty in America

What first inspired me to get involved

I was in my senior year of high school, participating in a discussion during an English class about the Holocaust. One girl, frustrated at how we fellow students kept referring to "genocide" as a thing of the past, spoke up: "Genocide's still occurring today," she angrily remarked. "Ever heard of Darfur?"

I, for one, hadn't. Ever the skeptic, I Googled "Darfur genocide" during my study hall session and was completely shocked and horrified at the photos and stories I encountered. For some reason, that day, something clicked. I remember immediately walking up to two of my teachers and announcing, "I want to give a presentation on the genocide in Sudan in your classes this month. Also, I want to organize a trip down to the Bay Area to attend an anti-genocide protest."

My passion never died off. Within a few years, I was serving as the National Outreach Coordinator for STAND, the largest student-led anti-genocide organization in the country. And even though I've graduated from college now, I'm still involved, serving as a 2010 Carl Wilkens Fellow with the Genocide Intervention Network.

How I've gotten others involved

Instead of bombarding people with negative messages and sad stories, I try to focus on the positive. How can we affect change on a given issue? What do we hope to accomplish?

Specifically, I think working through political channels is essential to making progress on important issues. Legislators hold a lot of power in our country, and, best of all, they're directly accountable to us. I like to encourage people to contact their elected officials directly (preferably through in-person meetings, but hand-written letters and phone calls are great options, as well!).

Why I think participation in the blogosphere is important

The blogosphere puts us one step closer to democracy. Information is distributed in a way that's accessible for most Americans (except, of course, for those who still lack internet access). These people then also have the ability to respond to posts or even write their own. Everyone has a voice online.

I've always loved writing, and I have strong ideas about how America could be improved to better care for the least fortunate among us. Journalism doesn't offer me an outlet for expressing my own views; the emphasis is always on neutrality, which, in my opinion, is impossible for any human to truly achieve. We're special because we have opinions; we don't interpret information sans a filter. I love that blogging allows me to let my personal voice shine through my writing.

More about my involvement with DFA and local work

My involvement with DFA is usually online, participating in email actions.

More about my volunteer work

I'm active with several organizations:
-Genocide Intervention Network -- I'm serving as a Carl Wilkens Fellow for 2010. My year-long project is the development of a thriving anti-genocide community group in the East Bay. As part of that goal, I've joined forces with the local Sudanese diaspora to plan a Sudan Culture Day for the end of August, where local activists can forge stronger relationships with the Sudanese community. I've also been actively working with the SF Bay Area Darfur Coalition (I'm a member of their Executive Committee) to lobby our federal senators and representatives for genocide prevention legislation that's being introduced next month.

-Slow Food -- Last fall, I helped organize Slow Food LA's "Time for Lunch" campaign, where we invited local residents to "break bread" at big tables across the city and share good food, stories, and a sense of community. The goal was to increase support for legislation aiming at changing the food served in school cafeterias around the country. Since that time, I've moved from LA back to the Bay Area, but I'm increasingly becoming involved with similar efforts at Slow Food Berkeley.

-Harry Potter Alliance -- I'm helping this fantastic group of world-changing young individuals develop and sustain a thriving social networking strategy (using skills I've developed through my personal business, Charlotte's Web Strategies).

My Twitter manifesto on online activism

Rushing AT&T donations to Haiti. Stopping "Smart Choice" labeling on unhealthy food. Change happens online: http://tinyurl.com/2cl7xj3