Syria “The night before we fled, a plane attacked our neighborhood. It was very dark. We were all hiding. The noise was very loud so I stayed awake. We all stayed flat on the floor for hours.” The next morning Abdulmajid’s parents and their 10 children fled their family home. His school was destroyed on the same day. “We didn’t take anything. There was no time. On the road I saw houses in rubble and burned out cars. I saw massacres, people and children, killed without any reason.” He pauses, thinks and then whispers:

Water Changes Everything. Support World Water Day.

The Fight the Fear Campaign, founded by musician Brandi Carlile in 2010, is excited to announce a Sexual Assault Awareness Evening for Western Washington High School Girls.  This free event will take place on Thursday, April 28th from 7-9pm in Roosevelt High School’s Performing Arts Center.  Girls will learn to recognize the red flags that often precede assault, as well as the assertive communication, self-defense, de-escalation, and boundary setting skills that are a proven deterrent to violence.  Guests will hear from survivors, including Jennifer Hopper, whose story is the subject of Eli Sanders’s new book While the City Slept.  To get tickets for this free event, please visit our News/Events page at www.fightthefearcampaign.org.

The twins and I are currently producing the new The Secret Sisters album! This is our first production project that isn’t our own. PLEASE read my letter below to understand how you can be a part of changing The Secret Sisters story and helping us make this album! It’s revolutionary. Xobc “Boys they can’t take my refrigerator now!!” Who said it? No no – it wasn’t a bandit on the run from the law fearing the dreaded appliance repossession… it was Patsy Cline not long before she left us in 1963, why is it important? Because Patsy Cline had a slew of number one hits under her belt while she frequently pondered the real possibility of repossession of her prized possession… her refrigerator.

This is Beating the Odds

The IF Project team has produced a feature length documentary that follows one extraordinary police officer and four incarcerated women through their journey as they are released, reunited with their families and faced with life on the outside. By telling their stories in an intimate and rarely seen way, The IF Project documentary lays the groundwork for change. Don’t miss your chance to watch a screening near you.

The Fight The Fear Campaign (FtFC) is now a Seattle, WA-based non-profit 501c(3). Congratulations to Executive Director Melinda Johnson and Program Coordinator Meggan Atkins. Further proof that we can effect change from the ground up! Please support this community-oriented violence-prevention initiative by becoming a sponsor. Check out FtFC for upcoming self-defense workshops in 2016.

BENEFITING: UNITED WAY OF GENESEE COUNTY THE STORY: Join Pearl Jam & friends. Help Flint. Pearl Jam and a close group of friends and partners have pledged $300,000 and counting to support relief efforts for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. They encourage all fans and supporters to join in their efforts. Donations will be made to The United Way of Genesee County’s Flint Water Fund which serves both the immediate and longterm needs of the community. Monetary donations will first be used for the purchase of water filters, bottled water, emergency support services and prevention efforts in Flint, Michigan. After the short-term need of Flint residents has been met, any remaining funds will be directed to the Flint Child Health and Development Fund.  This fund will provide aid to children and families with interventions that support positive health outcomes. 100% of donated funds are used for Flint community projects and no administrative fee is assessed. Please give what you are able and spread the word. Donate here. Special thanks to Pearl Jam donation partners Glaser Progress Foundation, Live Nation, Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation, Republic Records, Ticketmaster, Universal Music Publishing Group and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Thank you to detective Kim Bogucki from the Seattle police department for the opportunity to sing Christmas carols with the ladies at the Washington CorrectionCenter for Women. It’s a transformative thing to be with folks who are unburdened by greed this time of year, but would wish for nothing more than forgiveness and time with their families. It was a perspective that I needed. Sometimes to truly appreciate what you have, it takes being with someone who would give anything to have it for even one day.