Join Jude Law and Speak Your Peace on September 21

Last year, in honor of Peace Day - a United Nations-sanctioned day of global nonviolence and ceasefire held on September 21 - a nonprofit called Peace One Day helped persuade Taliban forces to lay down their arms for the day, making it possible for 1.6 million Afghani children to be immunized against polio.

This year, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the effort to make peace a reality, YouTube is partnering with Peace One Day and actor Jude Law to spread the message of Peace Day to an even wider audience through the "My Take on Peace" contest. All you have to do to participate is upload a video to www.youtube.com/peaceoneday telling the world what you'll do to create peace on September 21. The winner will receive a new HD camera and participate in a workshop with award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley. Find out more about the program from Jude Law, here:



You have already stood up for peace in a variety of different ways: by performing songs that entertain and inspire us, by making us laugh while making us think, and by creating homemade films that have mobilized thousands of others. Your actions don't need to be revolutionary, just heartfelt and creative.

The deadline to submit your video is September 30, but entries submitted before September 21 will have the opportunity to be showcased on YouTube and in the annual Peace One Day Music Concert, which, last year, was viewed by a television audience of more than 250 million people.

Upload your video now to www.youtube.com/peaceoneday and show us how you're promoting peace and changing lives.

Posted by Ramya Raghavan, YouTube Nonprofits & Activism, recently watched "Boyfriend Story - Pressure Pic Problem."

Video for Change Finalist Finds Local Fame

Emote 360, one of the finalists in YouTube and the Enough Project's "Come Clean 4 Congo" contest, were recently profiled by the local news station in Bend, OR about their efforts to raise awareness about conflict minerals through video.

Whether you're interested in the issue, or in the anatomy of a successful YouTube contest entry, it's worth a watch.

And if you're interested, you can click here to view and vote on all of the finalist videos.

Conflict in Congo: Secretary Clinton and YouTube Community Respond

Today, the New York Times reports, Secretary of State Clinton is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visiting women affected by the sexual violence that results from the war over minerals in the region. NTVKenya provides a brief synopsis of her trip here:



The war in the Congo over minerals is an issue that is still relatively underexposed in the United States - that's why we partnered with the Enough Project on our first Video for Change program, the "Come Clean 4 Congo" contest, to bring this important issue to light. While the submission period is over, you can still learn more about the issue from our three semi-finalists, whose work will be showcased at the Hollywood Film Festival's Human Rights Symposium:

Who Goes to the Hollywood Film Festival? You Decide.

In May, we asked you to participate in our first-ever Video for Change program, the Enough Project's Come Clean 4 Congo contest, by making short videos that illustrate the tie between the minerals in cell phones and the ongoing war in the Congo.

You responded by submitting many excellent videos that increased public awareness of this important, but under-exposed, issue. In the end, our panel of judges (actor Ryan Gosling, director Wim Wenders, and Lost actress Sonia Walger) narrowed the entries down to three semi-finalists. Now, as Walger notes, it's up to you to choose the final winner:



The winner will receive a trip to Los Angeles where his/her video will be shown at the Hollywood Film Festival's first Human Rights Symposium. Please take a look at the semi-finalist entries below and vote for your favorite at www.youtube.com/enoughproject.

Last Chance to Submit to "Come Clean 4 Congo" Contest

Last month, we asked you to participate in our first YouTube Video for Change program by creating a compelling video that portrays the link between the minerals in your cell phone and the war in the Congo, for the chance to have your video screened before a celebrity panel of judges and an influential audience of entertainment A-listers.

Today is the last day to submit your video if you'd like it to be considered. The judges (including Ryan Gosling and director Wim Wenders) will then pick the three semi-finalists and turn it over to the YouTube community to select the final winner. We've already seen many inspired submissions -- for a sample, check out this playlist:





It's not too late to get your video in -- you have until 12 AM EST tonight to visit www.youtube.com/enoughproject and submit.

Cell Phones, Celebrities, Congo & You

We've seen both nonprofits and the YouTube community use the site to run powerful campaigns that raise awareness for important issues. But we want to do more than just be a platform for grassroots activism. That's where Video for Change comes in: It's a new initiative that helps nonprofit partners connect with you in a high-profile environment to initiate meaningful change.

Our first Video for Change program features an organization called the Enough Project. They've been on YouTube for over a year, calling attention to issues that don't get much coverage in the mainstream media. For the "Come Clean 4 Congo" contest, Enough wants you to create a compelling video about the "conflict minerals" used in cell phones and the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo –- the deadliest war since World War II.

Learn more here:

The creator of the winning video will be flown to Los Angeles, where his or her work will be screened at a star-studded entertainment industry event. Your video will be viewed by a panel of judges that will include Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling, actress Sonya Walger from ABC's Lost, and Oscar-nominated director Wim Wenders. The "Come Clean 4 Congo" contest is limited to U.S. residents -- you can find complete contest rules here.

So do what you do best, YouTube -- get creative. Make a video and submit it at www.youtube.com/enoughproject. Use video to make a change now.