Whatever It Takes (organization)
Encyclopedia
Whatever It Takes is an artwork campaign founded by the non-profit organization, 21st Century Leaders, in December 2002. The campaign is largely based on celebrity artwork raising awareness on global issues. Individuals who contribute to the campaign are called "global leaders" and have taken the pledge to do "whatever it takes" to help tackle issues of the 21st century.
. After years of development, 21st Century Leaders launched Whatever It Takes as an international campaign to raise awareness about environmental, educational, health, and several other global issues.
Contacting some of the most famous names in society - royalty, Hollywood celebrities, Nobel Peace Prize
laureates, fashion designers, and musicians - Whatever It Takes aims to channel celebrity status into raising awareness, in hopes to bring forth change in society. These global leaders donate artwork, which in turn is sold on environmentally friendly products that are also economically sound, in terms of trade.
. This non-profit organization was created in 1993 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, with the main intention of protecting children’s education in India for Tibetan refugees. Support is provided through collecting and analyzing data, providing monetary donations, and helping to design better programs. In Canada, the headquarters are located in British Columbia
. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" Ringo Starr
, ex-drummer of the famous British rock outfit, The Beatles
.
. Their goals are to aid the poor and abused children, and ensure greater levels of education, health services, and social care. They also participate in raising awareness toward the situations working children are placed in, providing special education to disabled children, and teaching children about landmines. $5,000,000 Euros have been raised to give children better care and support.
This initiative also helps the Ponte en Mi Lugar organization in their efforts to take children off the streets of Bogotá
. Ponte can house a maximum of 14 children that are currently living on the streets, and they provide support to over 200 other street-driven children that suffer from malnutrition and addictions. Through staff dedication, the children housed at this residence are provided with proper care, a healthy environment, and hope for a brighter future. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" JJ Garden of the New York rock band, Scissor Sisters
.
project in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
to provide support for 200 HIV
infected individuals and their families. The help included training and recruitment of 20 Red Cross Volunteers, as well as providing Home-Based Care Kits, food, and non-food items. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" Ville Valo of the Helsinki rock band, HIM.
. The goal is to support parents infected with HIV in planning for their children's future. They provide legal assistance and training to help with the psychological effects on the family. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" and musician, Annie Lennox
.
, Save The Children
, and UNICEF, this organization raised $725 000, $139 280 and $88 802, respectively,.
The list of artists, also known as "global leaders", ranges from His Majesty the King of Spain
, to internationally renowned rock band Coldplay
, to the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly
. When artists are chosen, they are asked to draw an image of hope and a stick-figure portrait of themselves. They then write a small, original quote and add their signature. The artwork is processed and produced through manufacturers following ethical trade
guidelines, specifically set out by Whatever It Takes. All artwork is printed on environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.
The artists are generally linked to one specific cause of their choice. The proceeds from the selling of any item produced by the artist will be split between 21st Century Leaders and the cause chosen by the artist. If the item is purchased through the Whatever It Takes online store, the cause receiving the proceeds will be specified.
History
In 2003, Charlotte di Vita founded the 21st Century Leaders as a subsidiary to the British charity, Trade Plus Aid. When starting out, Trade Plus Aid’s mission was to become an ethical trading organization that was both sustainable and economically friendly, focusing mainly in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. After years of development, 21st Century Leaders launched Whatever It Takes as an international campaign to raise awareness about environmental, educational, health, and several other global issues.
Contacting some of the most famous names in society - royalty, Hollywood celebrities, Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
laureates, fashion designers, and musicians - Whatever It Takes aims to channel celebrity status into raising awareness, in hopes to bring forth change in society. These global leaders donate artwork, which in turn is sold on environmentally friendly products that are also economically sound, in terms of trade.
Organizations
Whatever It Takes aids in supporting multiple causes through funding various charities. The effects are felt at an exponential level, since public donation to this organization can help many different charities, which can then help numerous individuals within a community. As of 2011, Whatever It Takes helps over 50 different organizations achieve their mission goals. A few of the notable organizations aided are:Lotus Outreach
Lotus Outreach focuses its attention on the developing world, particularly women and children at risk of danger. Youth are given the proper support needed to stay in school, prosper, and sustain themselves. Girl’s Access to Education (GATE) is a program supported by this organization, funding over 600 disadvantaged Cambodian girls through scholarships. Lotus Education as a Right Network (LEARN) is another noteworthy association, helping to increase education quality for kids suffering from poverty in the deprived locations of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This non-profit organization was created in 1993 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, with the main intention of protecting children’s education in India for Tibetan refugees. Support is provided through collecting and analyzing data, providing monetary donations, and helping to design better programs. In Canada, the headquarters are located in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, ex-drummer of the famous British rock outfit, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
Children of the Andes
In 1991, Children of the Andes (COTA) was created in collaboration with local NGOs to aid the poverty stricken youth of ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Their goals are to aid the poor and abused children, and ensure greater levels of education, health services, and social care. They also participate in raising awareness toward the situations working children are placed in, providing special education to disabled children, and teaching children about landmines. $5,000,000 Euros have been raised to give children better care and support.
This initiative also helps the Ponte en Mi Lugar organization in their efforts to take children off the streets of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. Ponte can house a maximum of 14 children that are currently living on the streets, and they provide support to over 200 other street-driven children that suffer from malnutrition and addictions. Through staff dedication, the children housed at this residence are provided with proper care, a healthy environment, and hope for a brighter future. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" JJ Garden of the New York rock band, Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
.
International Committee of the Red Cross
Whatever It Takes helped the International Committee of the Red CrossInternational Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
project in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to provide support for 200 HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infected individuals and their families. The help included training and recruitment of 20 Red Cross Volunteers, as well as providing Home-Based Care Kits, food, and non-food items. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" Ville Valo of the Helsinki rock band, HIM.
Healthlink Worldwide
Whatever It Takes, through Healthlink Worldwide funded the Nacwola Women’s Project in UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. The goal is to support parents infected with HIV in planning for their children's future. They provide legal assistance and training to help with the psychological effects on the family. This charity is specifically supported through Whatever It Takes by "global leader" and musician, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
.
Accomplishments
Whatever It Takes has raised a total of over $4,000,000 USD from all of their projects. They strive for poverty elimination, proper treatment of children, and environmental conservation. They work to reduce their footprint in the world; paper material is created form recyclables, packaging is designed so that minimum waste is acquired, and inks used in products are low in toxins. The products created by this organization work in favour of environmental friendliness and meet high ethical standards. The methods of this organization have proved successful in raising money. For example, to support the charities Reach Out To AsiaReach Out To Asia
Reach Out To Asia is a Qatari-based non-profit organization that empowers local communities by providing access to quality primary and secondary education to children affected by crisis across Asia...
, Save The Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, and UNICEF, this organization raised $725 000, $139 280 and $88 802, respectively,.
Artwork
Whatever It Takes raises money, with the help of 660 celebrity artists, through the selling of artwork on mugs, plates, bags, clothes, and even bed linens. The proceeds from every piece of art sold are donated to a variety of charities through 21st Century Leaders. The artists chosen are encouraged to nominate charities they feel are worth supporting.The list of artists, also known as "global leaders", ranges from His Majesty the King of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
, to internationally renowned rock band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, to the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
. When artists are chosen, they are asked to draw an image of hope and a stick-figure portrait of themselves. They then write a small, original quote and add their signature. The artwork is processed and produced through manufacturers following ethical trade
Ethical trade
Ethical trade means different things to different people. In particular, some people refer to “ethical trade” as an umbrella term for all types of business practices that promote more socially and/or environmentally responsible trade...
guidelines, specifically set out by Whatever It Takes. All artwork is printed on environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.
The artists are generally linked to one specific cause of their choice. The proceeds from the selling of any item produced by the artist will be split between 21st Century Leaders and the cause chosen by the artist. If the item is purchased through the Whatever It Takes online store, the cause receiving the proceeds will be specified.