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I’m a Diver That Came Up For Air: Thriving In the Resistance

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I’m a diver that came up for air.  While chatting with a friend recently about summer happenings I caught myself (with a sigh) saying “I had to unplug for a bit”,  I quickly changed my story to, “I plugged

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Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Her New Project & 3 Steps to Take the Lead

She created Miss Representation & The Mask You Live In.  Jen Siebel Newsom talks about her bold new film and how you can step into action today.  Elisa Parker caught up with the potential First Lady

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Road Trip with Elisa & Sheila: What’s Going On at the CA Democratic Convention

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Have you ever wondered what goes on at a political convention?  Elisa Parker & Sheila Cameron take a road trip to the California Democratic Convention…their first time.  They threw on their Danskos

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Jessica Holcome, She’s Running For the First Time…in Trump Country

Jessica Holcome said enough is enough and is running for California District 1 Representative against incumbent Doug LaMalfa.  Elisa Parker caught up with Jessica at the California Democratic Convention

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The Rise of the PerSister

Resist. Run. Win…

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Women’s March on Washington Announces Celebrity Line-Up

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America Ferrera to serve as Artist Table Chair; celebrities including Uzo Aduba, Patricia Arquette, Danielle Brooks, Cher, Chelsea Handler, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Debra Messing, Frances McDormand,

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Digital Nintey-Nines: A New Podcast Series Featuring Women Leading Innovation

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Digital Ninety-Nines: A Podcast Series on Digital Leadership! We are thrilled to introduce a new series produced by Episerver hosted by Elisa Parker. Digital Ninety-Nines: A Podcast Series on Digital

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See Jane Do Women & Wealth with Janice Dunn: Investing for Life & Dealing with the Big Transitions

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Janice Dunn, Financial Advisor of R.W. Baird discusses how to financially handle the big transitions in life:  Retirement, Divorce, Death & Kids. About Janice Dunn Janice strives to create financial

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See Jane Do Women & Wealth with Janice Dunn: Cash Management & The Evil Reality of Budgeting

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“Money is not exclusive, it is available to everyone, it is used by everyone and it needs to be managed by everyone.“ ~Janice Dunn, Financial Advisor with R.W. Baird About Janice Dunn Janice strives

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Women Moving Millions: Dr. Gail Dines Takes on the Porn Industry & Launches Online Program for Parents

“The media industry and porn industry have hijacked your children’s sexuality…what we need is a movement where we have brought together a blue ribbon team of educators, doctors, community leaders…and

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Yang Lan, The Oprah of China: The Power of Influence at Women Moving Millions

“ I wanted to establish my own media company which was very difficult.  My first motivation was to tell the stories, having women’s voices heard to push progress in public policy.” ~Yang Lan, Her Village

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A Life of Purpose: Maysoon Zayid at Women Moving Millions

“When we as women talk about planet 50/50, rooms where 50% of the people making decisions are women, I say to you do not leave disabled women behind.“ ~Maysoon Zayid Women Moving Millions Annual Summit:

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See Jane Do: Meryl Streep, Christy Turlington, Eileen Fisher & More Come Together for Women Moving Millions

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Watch what happens when a global ambassador, a comedian, a princess, a filmmaker, a writer and one Meryl Streep along with hundreds of change-makers join together to support women and girls. Women

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From Silicon Valley to Swaziland: How I Found Purpose through Adventure Travel

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“We hope that our readers enjoy reading about our experiences and we hope that we inspire them to do similar things, to convince them that they don’t have to be Mother Teresa and forego all worldly benefits

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See Jane Do Women & Wealth with Janice Dunn: How To Thrive & Prosper with a Budget

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“Budget is not an evil word.  All a budget does is allow you to be more successful with your money.  It’s not a restraining thing.  It’s a place where you can plant seeds to you know where you can grow

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See Jane Do Women & Wealth with Janice Dunn: Reclaim Your Money Story

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“What are we [as women] doing so we stay engaged in the whole money picture?  By having the conversation and stepping into that arena we regain some of the power, we accept a position of equality…out

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Arts for Social Change Jam 2015: Artivists Wanted

Are you an artist who cares about social justice? If so, we hope to meet you this July at the annual Arts for Social Change Jam, a five-day retreat for “artivists” (artist-activists) in the beautiful Santa

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Remembering Mary Jorgensen, Freedom Rider with Kathleen McIntire

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Mary Jorgensen’s Passing and the Shawl My last visit with Mary Jorgensen was very difficult.  It was our first time in many weeks that we weren’t able to cuddle.  She was very deep into the other world.  A

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Embracing Vulnerability means Enhancing Pleasure

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What does the word vulnerable conjur up for you? Is it something positive or negative? I had a brilliant

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International Leaders Gather to Draft Women’s Climate Action Agenda

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Policymakers, Scientists, Businesswomen, Indigenous Leaders, Activists and Environmental Luminaries Join Forces To Address Climate Crisis  New York—A powerful cohort of women leaders from 35+ countries

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Farm Girl Nursery: One Woman’s Mission to Get Kids and Grownups back in the Garden

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by Danielle Leida

The entrance to Farm Girl Nursery is a dirt path bordered by fruit trees and wheelbarrows of flowers. It leads to a former horse arena on Lisa Marvier’s property in Novato, a small town in Northern California’s Bay Area. A fenced yard houses her collection of variously colored hens, along with two adorable potbelly pigs snuffling after them and eating their food. Just inside the gate, visitors are greeted with the sight of plot after plot of different edibles growing into maturity. Squash with green vines stretching over the ground, a patch of ripening strawberries, and the green leaf tops of potatoes, purple snap peas and lush spinach are growing in fertilizer provided handily by Lisa’s horses. They are interspersed with flowers, twined arches of roses and garden sculptures. The backdrop is Lisa’s red barn, a garden shop where she sells heirloom seeds, local eggs and her large collection of seedlings.

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The Work of One Woman Activates Thousands to Provide Clean Water

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By Gemma Bulos

Director, Global Women's Water Initiative

Award-winning Social Entrepreneur

Can you believe an award-winning mission to  provide clean water to over 160,000 people in  Asia and Africa started with a song? As a pre-school teacher and singer who was not on my regular 8:50am train to the World Trade Center on 9/11, I witnessed a global community united through tragedy. In response, I wrote “WE RISE”, a rousing anthem that celebrates water as a metaphor for peace and unity in action. Based on the notion that “it takes a single drop of water to start a wave”, I left my life, career, gave away all my belongings and with my guitar, backpack and meager savings, began traveling around the world to build the unprecedented Million Voice Choir!  By September 21, 2004, I mobilized over 100 cities in 60 countries to sing 'WE RISE" from all over the planet in celebration of the UN International Day of Peace. This was the “single drop” that has rippled into my award-winning humanitarian mission!

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Real Rural: One Woman Explores the “Other” California

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By: Vanessa Richardson There’s Hollywood and Silicon Valley. There’s Big Sur, Palm Springs, maybe the Redwoods. These are the places most people know or have heard about in California. But have you

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How Girl Scout Cookies can Save the Planet

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By RhiannonTomtishen and Madison Vorva

 

Having been a part of the Girl Scout organization for the past 11 years, we have certainly sold (and eaten!) our fair share of Girl Scout cookies. Imagine our surprise when five years ago we discovered an ingredient in the Girl Scout cookies we had been selling was contributing to rainforest deforestation, endangers thousands of species and contributes to human rights abuses.

In 2007, as 11 year olds, we set out to earn our Girl Scout Bronze Award, which required us to pick an issue we were passionate about and raise awareness within our community. Inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall’s selflessness and dedication in protecting the chimpanzees, we set out to advocate for another great ape, the endangered orangutan.

We discovered that one of the main reasons orangutans are endangered is due to the destruction of their rainforest habitat to plant oil palm plantations. The clearing and burning of these forests, and carbon-rich peatland have made Indonesia the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the United Sates. Unsustainable palm oil production is a human rights crisis too: the US Department of Labor links its production to child and forced labor. The palm oil harvested from these plantations is used in a variety of products, including everything from baked goods to candy bars and cosmetics. In fact, it’s used in about half the products in the grocery store.


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Kathy Sanchez: Embracing our Power at UN CSW

A See Jane Do exclusive interview with Kathy Sanchez, Co-Director of TEWA Women United. Elisa caught up with Kathy at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Kathy shared her insight into

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Marilyn Fowler: Moving Women Forward in 2012- UN CSW

See Jane Do exclusive with Marilyn Fowler, Founder & President of the Women’s Intercultural Network. Marilyn discusses the importance of women coming together for 2012 at the UN CSW

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Be a Part of See Jane Do’s New York City Adventure!

See Jane Do is going to New York City as delegates for the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as part of Jean Shinoda Bolen’s delegation, Pathways to Peace February

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How do we empower women?

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Mary Evelyn, a renowned educator of world religions and ecology at Yale University  calls us forward to "awaken to our common origins and our shared futures" and encourages us all to effect change by having the confidence to use our voice.  Mary Evelyn's passion for life is evidenced in her works including Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase (Open Court Press, 2003), Moral and Spiritual Cultivation in Japanese Neo-Confucianism (SUNY, 1989) and The Philosophy of Qi (Columbia University Press, 2007).  Her latest endeavor the film & book, "Journey of the Universe" co-written by Mary Evelyn and Brian Swimme will be featured at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival (January 13-15) in Nevada City, CA.

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Jennifer Siebel Newsom: Miss Representation

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“If you can see it you can be it” ~Jennifer Siebel Newsom. When I met Jennifer Siebel Newsom in San Francisco she was captivating the attention of hundreds of girls with the trailer of her new

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Bioneers Conference Highlights

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If you have not heard of Bioneers, it is time to learn more. For 22 years Bioneers has cultivated conversations and acted as a “fertile hub” to connect social and scientific innovators. Bioneers

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Kathryn Davis shares her Passion Into Action experience and the great work she is doing now to heal women who have breast cancer.

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Kathryn Davis shares her Passion Into Action experience and the great work she is doing now to heal women who have breast cancer.

Passion became action for me after attending the Passion Into Action event.  I had relocated to the Grass Valley Area three years ago and had become pretty restless. Prior to moving I had been working in hospitals and cancer clinics in the Bay Area doing Healing Touch, an energy based healing art.   While I continued to work with folks in this area after my move, I was feeling at loose ends and that I could be doing a lot more, but I was having trouble getting something going up here.

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Extraordinary Jane: Ginny Woods – ani Karma Drolma Words Jesse Locks and Elisa Parker

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Ginny Woods is an everyday woman living in the foothills of Northern California. Ginny is many things, among them a mother of four, grandmother, registered nurse, Traditional Chinese Acupressure Therapist,

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Extraordinary Jane: Cheryl Wicks Words Jesse Locks and Elisa Parker

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Cheryl Wicks is an everyday woman living in Grass Valley, CA. Ten years ago, Cheryl, a psychologist and professional coach, moved to the Sierra Nevada Foothills with her partner Curt Romander to retire.

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Making the Planet Less Trashy and with Less Plastic

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Women are flexing their purchase power by leaving the planet less trashy and with less plastic. Join See Jane Do and take a ride on the plastic free wave (literally) and feature several extraordinary Jane's who demonstrate alternatives to a throw away society.

Blogger of Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry began to eliminate her use of plastic three years ago and is now encouraging everyone to participate in the plastic challenge.  Beth proved that one person can make a difference. She took on one of the largest corporations in the Bay Area and persuaded Brita to recycle their water filters in the United States.

And what do you do with all that left over plastic? Activist, artist, and surfer, Kathleen Egan collected plastic from all over the world and created a giant plastic wave to bring awareness to our plastic waste.

Beth Terry examining her plastic collection and Kathleen Egan in the plastic wave

Kathleen isn't the only one riding for a cause.  We spoke with education advisor of Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Anna Cummins who rode her Xtracycle (with activist and husband Dr. Marcus Eriksen) over 2,000 miles from Canada to Mexico to present over forty workshops about plastic pollution and its harmful effects on humans and wildlife.  Cummins even traveled 4,000 miles by boat to the plastic gyre that circles in the Pacific Ocean.

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Jane Mail – Donna Childress

Hi, Elisa and Leta. I saw your post on the DC EcoWomen listserv and wanted to share my story. I’ve loved nature and playing outside for all of my life. But I didn’t know much about environmental issues

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Lilly Marie is Doing Her Part by Supporting a Department of Peace

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Find out how this peace activist is working to transform policies around peace and work within her own community to encourage peace as a patriotic practice. Do you know an everyday women doing extraordinary

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Norma Henry is Doing Her Part by Learning About Our Past

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Norma Henry might be retired but that hasn’t slowed her down. She continues to do her part for the planet by volunteering at an animal shelter. And as a fan of genealogy, Norma also stresses that we

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This Mom Fought in Iraq, Now She is Fighting For Our Planet

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Thursday March 19th, 2009 marked the 6th anniversary of the Iraq war. What does that mean for us as women? Are we better off than we were before? For Lindsey Campbell, this question is very personal. Four

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She’s Making History in Our Community!

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, See Jane Do is broadcasting a conversation with eight women leaders from our community who are leading the way to enhance the planet and are making their mark

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Getting Back to the Basics: Three Economical Ways Women Go Local with Food

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See Jane Do has interviewed numerous women who are getting back to the basics in order to enhance the planet, improve their quality of life and save money. Following are three economical ways they have

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Jane Mail: She’s Creating a Legacy at Home

I’m a firm believer that being extraordinary means sharing your passion and going above and beyond the standard norm. It’s about doing your part and being exceptional at whatever your contribution might

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Is Your Voice Being Heard? Amy Goodman Shares the Importance of Women in Media & Standing Up Together

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Who are the storytellers and what are the stories being told that represent the good work women are doing in mainstream media?Women hold up half the world but who is speaking on our behalf in the media?Who

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Four Women to Receive Goldman Environmental Prize!

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It’s probably one of the most coveted environmental prizes and certainly the largest environmental prize in the world. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Goldman Environmental Prize will honor six

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The Best Carnival on Earth: Uniting Voices Around the World.

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Several factors shifted for me when I became a new mom. First, I wanted the safest products, the best food, and a healthy environment for my daughter. Second, having worked full time amongst my peers

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See Jane Do Speaks with Goldman Environmental Prize Winners and Activists

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The Goldman Environmental Prize is the largest award in the world to recognize grassroots environmental activists. The 2009 recipients were celebrated at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House with

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Jane Mail

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Whether you participated in a peaceful gathering, spent time with loved ones, or simply took time to yourself, peace was a quiet undertone for many of us during Mother’s Day this year. Following is

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She’s Inspiring the Nation to Lose 20 Tons!

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Social media is not only connecting communities but it’s also enabling individuals to get fit and team up with others to lose weight. AARP partnered with Nevada City local and Community Meltdown founder,

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Sweeta Noori Tells Us How We Can Help Women in Afghanistan

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The CODEPINK Mother’s Day event in Washington D.C. attracted incredible women from all over the world to promote peace and social justice. The See Jane Do team had an opportunity to speak with an everyday

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Listen to Stories of Everyday Extraordinary Women at CODEPINK’s Peace Vigil

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What does an activist, a colonel, an Iraq War veteran, a mother, a woman living under occupation, and an actress all have in common. They are all everyday extraordinary women who participated in CODEPINK’s

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Lydia Olympic: Protecting a Bay that Brings Life to Her Community

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“What happens in a fish camp, stays in a fish camp”Lydia Olympic Meet everyday extraordinary woman, Lydia Olympic. As a tribal activist she is taking the lead to fight the development of a proposed

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Who are the Women in Your Neighborhood: Meet Virginia… Saving a California State Park

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See Jane Do met Virginia Brunini in our own backyard of Nevada County. In the early 1970s Brunini fought hard to get the Empire Mine State Historic Park established. The Grass Valley landmark is one of

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Jane Gets Her Hands Dirty on KVMR News

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Let’s get back to our roots for a moment. Do you know where your food comes from or who grew your next meal. On this KVMR news special meet everyday extraordinary people who will tell you how you can

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Recommended Read of an Extraordinary Jane

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Warrior Mothers: Stories to Awaken the Flames of the Heart by Thais Mazur is this week’s recommended read of an extraordinary Jane. Mazur captures the stories of twenty-five incredible women who are

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The Greatest Lessons Learned From Around the World

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What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned? Reporter and author, Sharon Sobotta took this question to heart and went one step further to find the answer. She traveled around the world meeting everyday

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Behind the Scenes with BlogHer Founders: How Blogging Works for Women

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July 24th, 2009 kicks off the largest conference for women bloggers in the world. Bloggers from all over are convening in Chicago to connect in real life including the See Jane Do team. We went behind

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Are We Eating Fake Plastic Fish?

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The kids are vacuuming the floor and cleaning up remnants of the See Jane Do plastic challenge. Inspired by blogger of Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry, Jesse and I along with my family collected our plastic

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Green Team Goes Wild and Scenic this Weekend at High School

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Riley Grim and Shayla Lund represent the next generation of Extraordinary Jane’s, working together to enhance the planet. Inspired by Mayor Reinette Senum’s address to Nevada Union High School Students

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Extraordinary Jane: Joan Blades

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Joan Blades is an everyday woman living in Berkeley, CA. She is the Co-founder and President of MomsRising, an online organization for moms and the people that love them to connect on issues like healthcare,

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Big Green Purse in Copenhagen!

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In less than a week concerned policy makers and citizens of the world will participate in the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. We’re hoping some Extraordinary Jane’s will speak out and participate

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Extraordinary Jane: Gloria Steinem

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“Listen to the inner voice that tells you what you love, and I’ll help.” Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem started out as an everyday woman who after being moved by the stories of other women put her

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Top Twelve See Jane Do Stories of Extraordinary Women in 2009

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“May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future“ In 2009 See Jane Do connected with everyday women who are fulfilling their dreams to create a better future for the planet and generations

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Extraordinary Jane: Rachel Barge

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Rachel Barge is an everyday women living in the San Francisco Bay Area. See Jane Do met the 23-year old powerhouse last year at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, where she was speaking

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Passion into Action and Kathleen McIntire

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” We often think, I am only one person, what effect can little ole me have? But if each one of us lived our passion we could move mountains! ” Kathleen McIntire Kathleen has a gift for bringing women

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Carrie Dann of American Outrage, the Real Avatar Story

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Two feisty Western Shoshone sisters put up a heroic fight for their land rights and their human rights in the award-winning documentary “American Outrage” by acclaimed filmmakers Beth and George Gage.

Carrie and Mary Dann endure terrifying roundups by armed federal marshals in which thousands of their horses and cattle are confiscated, for the crime of grazing them on the open range outside their private ranch - even though that range is part of 60 million acres recognized as Western Shoshone land by the U.S.

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Grandma Jane is Rockin’ the World!

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As team See Jane Do attempts to get back to the basics in our personal life; gardening, cooking, walking to town and connecting with our community, we can't help but think of the wise women, our grandmothers who often led this lifestyle long before Slow Food, organic, or free range became selected options.

Nowadays with a disconnect from local community, genetically modified, processed foods, and ill-treatment of our land, It seems the lessons grandma taught us and the wisdom they can offer us are more important than ever. We met a handful of grandmothers that are taking the grandmother archetype of a sweet old lady, sitting on her porch in her rocking chair crocheting doilies and turning it upside down.  In fact, one of our guests from Nevada County Grandmother's For Peace organization suggest that while they might not be rocking in chairs they are rocking the world to create a peaceful planet for the generations to come.

These women are proving that activism and community involvement doesn't end in one's golden years, but rather with the knowledge and patience that comes from years of lived experience, can be a powerful asset when taking on multi-billion dollar corporations that threaten our health and environment, teaching back to the basics, spreading messages of peace, or that change is always possible.

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Training Women to Take the Lead and Run

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Kristy Pagan is an everyday woman living in Washington D.C. While growing up in Plymouth, MI, she wasn’t raised to lead a political life nor was she encouraged to get involved in politics, but early

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The Story Behind See Jane Do and the Future of Extraordinary Janes

 

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