January 16, 2011: International News From the Field

16 January: In its weekly Briefing, Youth Service America (www.ysa.org) notes:

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to the work of building a more just and equal society. While we have made great progress, we still have work to do to realize Dr. King's dream. As Americans, that is a job for all of us – not just on MLK Day but throughout the year. To mark the 25th anniversary of the King holiday, and to encourage ongoing service throughout the year, [the Corporation for National and Community Service] will be launching the MLK 25 Challenge next week. It's a call to all Americans to honor Dr. King by pledging to take at least 25 actions during 2011 to make a difference for others and strengthen our communities. Stay tuned for the launch on www.MLKDay.gov, which will include a list of 100 ways for you to get started!

Patrick Corvington, head of the Corporation, announced the MLK25 Challenge in his Serve.gov blog posting on Friday, January 14th.

MLKDay.gov provides lots of ideas for running a MLK service project.  For example,  Action Guides are available with step-by-step instructions for planning a project that will leave a lasting impact, plus Tips & Tools to get you started.  Note to non-Americans:  The volunteering ideas on this site can be adapted anywhere!