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Working together towards a more beautiful world

For potential partners: we’re ready to take the next step- are you?

 

NGO Beauty Without Irony -the art collective that gave birth to Designers Against AIDS in 2004- wants to expand its work into other concerns of young people today. In the face of the problems the world is going through (environmental disasters, global financial crisis, violence, the struggle for equality for all…) it has become critical to encourage and stimulate youth during these difficult times, to remind them of the beauty and the potential of life. To do this we want to apply the same successful methods that we have developed over the years with Designers Against AIDS to reach out to more young people and the issues that concern them such as:

– Environmental issues

– Peace / Non violence

– Gender & LGBT Equality

– Animal protection

– Volunteer work & social activism

– Staying Healthy (physically and mentally)

– Cultural awareness and tolerance

We are seeking partners in our efforts to inspire and motivate young people through projects that target these concerns.

Beauty Without Irony

Beauty Without Irony was established in Antwerp (Belgium) in 2001. Its main goal is to help create a brighter future by re-orienting youth towards a more sane, happy, healthy, tolerant and productive society. For the last 8 years the major project of BWI has been Designers Against AIDS, an initiative to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among youth, as they were increasingly becoming victims to this disease due to ignorance and a lack of correct information. To achieve this goal, Designers Against AIDS sought to spread the safe sex message through what interests youth the most (pop culture) and through the people who influence them the most (pop stars). For that DAA partnered up with popular companies such as H&M, Eastpak, MAC Cosmetics and Marc Jacobs and popular stars such as Rihanna, Yoko Ono, Timbaland and Katy Perry to bring them the message together and to make them proud advocates of safe sex through their individual fashion, works of art and music.

At the end of 2010, Designers Against AIDS launched the International HIV/AIDS Awareness Education Center (IHAEC) in Antwerp, Belgium. A place where young students from all over the world come to learn how to set up simple and effective HIV prevention and awareness programs. The students take this knowledge home, to replicate these campaigns in their countries of origin.

In tandem to this initiative, BWI wants to extend its support to youth on more of the issues that concern them.

Project ideas:

– Create a Respect Festival.

– Join forces with cultural institutions, cities and commercial partners to develop a platform for youth through a specific project (or more than one at the same time).

– Collaborate with brands and celebrities on uplifting projects which can be linked to a commercial collection and campaign.

– Join forces with other NGOs to get their message out or for a specific project. We would also like to help them reach more youth to volunteer and funding, using the tools that we have developed with Designers Against AIDS.

– Organize an exhibition that unites high profile artists with emerging creatives and marginalized youth to show beautiful and uplifting work, according to their individual perception. A project that encourages solidarity through the differerent visions on true beauty where world famous & emerging artists are mixed with work by amateurs. For instance, we want to ask young people in urban cities to take pictures of the people, buildings, trees and objects around them that they love, showcase them and invite their family and friends to come and take a look and discuss.

BWI admires the following organizations:

– It Gets Better: www.itgetsbetter.org
– The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org
– Improv Everywhere: www.improveverywhere.com
– Super Wise Me: www.superwiselovefoundation.org
– Center for a new American Dream: www.newdream.org
– Playing for Change- Connecting the world through music: www.playingforchange.com
– Occupy Together: www.occupytogether.org
– Imagine Peace by Yoko Ono: www.imaginepeace.org
– World Happy Day: www.worldhappyday.com
– Sparked Micro Volunteering: www.sparked.com
– Microfinance to alleviate worldwide poverty: www.kiva.org
– Advice on how to become happier and les stressed: www.lets-get-happy.com
– The Non Violence Project: www.nonviolence.com
– Unstoppable (to keep kids in schools): www.unstoppable.com
 

The opportunities of this partnership:
–  Helping and supporting a worthy concern of youth
–  A great way to be in touch with your younger customer base and appealing to those who are not yet customers
– A perfect opportunity to join forces with celebrities to lend a hand to their young fanbase and to inspire them
– Being part of the change towards a better and more beautiful world!

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