Before I introduce my special guest blogger, I want to say a big thanks to all the members of the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit for touring me and Every Crooked Pot on their blogs--thanks ladies! 

Also, I need to take this opportunity to turn you all onto an author whose work I recently discovered: Jonathan Santlofer. I just finished The Killing Art and really could not put this one down. Anyone who appreciates art and suspense with twists and turns galore will love this book--so enjoy.

Okay and now for today's special guest blogger...

For those of you who have been following this blog, you may recall that I met with a rather remarkable young woman over the summer. Amber is not your typical high school student. At sixteen, this young dynamo is already a book reviewer, an aspiring filmmaker and a lovely person, to boot. I was so impressed with her that I asked her to come visit and guest blog. So take a look and you'll see why I think Amber is so special and why I know she has a tremendous future ahead of her!

 
Here's Amber... 

As an active member in my school's Human Rights' Club, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that I would have the chance to hear John Prendergast speak at a Facing History and Ourselves event at Northwestern University. For those of you who haven't heard of John, he is a human rights activist who used to work for the Clinton administration and now works with the Enough Project, speaking out against the genocide in Darfur. He has spent an extensive amount of time in Africa, has worked with celebrities including Don Cheadle and George Clooney, and has basically dedicated his life to bring the people of Africa the peace and happiness they deserve.
 
Since this is Renee's blog, and she is an author, I will tie books into this post by recommending that you purchase (or at least read) John's book, co-written with Don Cheadle, entitled Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. It is very powerfully written, and contains a lot of John and Don's personal experiences. After reading it, I promise that you will be moved to action.
 
At the Northwestern event, I had the honor of speaking to John with a small group of students prior to his speech, and ask him questions about his experiences. While I was at first a little intimidated by this opportunity, John is such a genuine and down-to-earth guy, and he immediately put everyone at ease. He would talk about his life with such a passion for his work, but he also cracked jokes and was able to put a smile on our faces.
 
Speaking with John taught me a lot about how to be a more effective activist and inspired me even more than before to make a difference in the world. John is really a rolemodel for the kind of life that I think we all want to live, a life that can impact many people in a very positive way.
 
So, if I have inspired you to do something to make the world a better place, here are some ideas that I encourage you to take part in:
 
Learn about what is happening in Darfur, so you can better understand what it is you are fighting for.
Sign the petition to all prospective 2008 presidential candidates, asking them to do their part in helping to stop the genocide.

Call your senator and ask him/her to support the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.

Join an organization dedicated to ending genocide in Darfur. I recommend Ask the Candidates , Save Darfur, and if you are a student, see if there is a STAND chapter at your school.

Divest your money from companies that are economically supporting the genocide in Darfur.

Attend an event, like the Dream for Darfur torch relays that are happening all across the country.

Above all, never forget that you can definitely make a difference - and embrace every opportunity you have to help make somebody else's life better, whether it's in your community or the world.

Thank you to Renee, for this opportunity! I am honored to be a guest blogger.

Amber