One Day’s Wages is incredibly pleased to announce our first compilation album: Songs for a Cause, Volume 1

In support and partnership with ODW and our movement to alleviate extreme global poverty, 21 amazing artists have donated their music to bring together a special compilation of 21 unique songs, including four never-before-released tracks. This unique album is available for download for one year from its release (June 29, 2010 – June 29, 2011).
Artists & Songs include:

1. All the Wine – Clare and the Reasons
2. Bless This Mess – David Bazan
3. Shoulder Full of You – Blitzen Trapper
4. Invisibrother – Polka Dot Dot Dot
5. Hi-Fi Goon – Throw Me the Statue
6. Skyscrapers – OK Go
7. Country of the Future – Mirah
8. Now! – Angelo Spencer
9. Bee of the Bird of the Moth – They Might Be Giants
10. Secrets – Headlights
11. Born in Spain – Sea Fever
12. Snowman in Tompkins Park – Mike Viola
13. The Jig is Up – The Tasteful Nudes
14. Crash Deconstructed – Eluvium
15. Woke Up This Morning – The Moondoggies
16. Don’t Give Up – LAKE
17. There There – Get Down Moses
18. Kingdom of Glass – Nick Drummond
19. Go From Here – Hiram Ring
20. Sunbeams and Some Beans – Kimya Dawson
21. Instrument (Live) – Rocky Votolato *

* Rocky Votolato is also donating 10% of the royalties of his new album, True Devotion to ODW. [read more]

Songs for a Cause is available for download now!

* $10 minimum donation
* Be generous and donate $21 ($1/song)
* Be generous and donate $42 ($2/song)
* Be generous and donate $100.

100% of your donations (minus credit card costs) go directly to projects to alleviate extreme global poverty.

* Once you make a donation, an email will be sent to you with a link to download the zip file for all the songs.

Learn more about how to become an artist for a cause, join our global street team, or start your own personal cause campaign.

Join us in our movement! Purchase the album, spread the word, and enjoy 21 fantastic tunes!

“A sort of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ for global economics … a powerful description of how Western policies since colonialism have subjugated Third World countries.” – Charles Masters, The Hollywood Reporter

THE ECONOMIC CRISES PUSHES AN ADDITIONAL 53 MILLION PEOPLE INTO POVERTY

WILL WE EVER SEE ‘THE END OF POVERTY?’

A NEW DOCUMENTARY OPENING IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE STARTING NOVEMBER 13 PROVIDES THE ANSWER

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LOS ANGELES, CA (October 2009) – In February, the World Bank issued this stunning report: the spreading global economic crisis is set to trap up to 53 million more people in poverty in developing countries; this is on top of the 130 – 155 million driven into poverty in 2008 by soaring food and fuel prices, bringing the total of those living on less than $2 a day to over 1.5 billion. This dynamic, where the rich are bailed out – or carried by – the poor is the focal point of a new documentary film directed by Philippe Diaz, which has been impressing critics and economic justice activists worldwide and will be released in US theaters nationwide.

Award-winning actor and activist, Martin Sheen, provides the narration for THE END OF POVERTY? that connects the dots from colonialism to modern times in an indictment of the creation of the free market system – the system now blamed for the worst global recession in decades.

After premiering at Critics’ Week during the Cannes Film Festival and subsequently invited to over twenty-five international film festivals, the film will open in New York City on November 13, 2009, and in Los Angeles on November 25, 2009 with a platform release to include runs in Seattle (WA), Portland (OR), Austin (TX) with additional markets to follow including Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. The film was produced in association with the New York based non-profit, Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, and will be distributed by Cinema Libre Studio.

“There has been a lot of dialogue in the last few years about ‘the end of poverty’ with technology or micro-financing positioned as the new ’solution,’” says filmmaker Diaz. “For example, economists such as Jeffrey Sachs cheerfully suggest that poverty can be ended with increased transfers of capital and technology (such as improved mosquito nets), the film shows why that kind of thinking is simplistic at best, harmful at worst. More foreign aid does nothing to rectify the cumulative problems from centuries of exploitation.”

Filmed in the slums of Africa to the barrios of Latin America, THE END OF POVERTY? explores how the true causes of poverty stem from actions taken during and since colonial times to perpetuate exploitation: first by forcing people from their land and their access to natural resources, then through unfair trade, debt repayment and unjust taxes on labor and consumption. This system was carefully built and maintained by free market policies, resource monopolies and structural adjustment programs by the World Bank, the IMF and other international financial institutions.

The documentary features: Nobel prize winners in economics Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz; expert authors Susan George (”Another World Is Possible If”), Eric Toussaint (”The World Bank: A Never Ending Coup d’Etat”), John Perkins (”Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”), Chalmers Johnson (”Nemesis: The Last Days of the America Republic”), Brookings Institute fellow and author, William Easterly (”White Man’s Burden”); government ministers such as Bolivia’s Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, and leaders of social movements in Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and Tanzania.

The film has since been embraced by activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide for its ‘direct talk’ about the role of debt, free trade, and neo-liberal policies and poverty. Groups including: Action Aid Greece, Amnesty UK, ATTAC (Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions to Aid Citizens), CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of the Third World Debt), Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), InterAction, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Jubilee USA, Jubilee Australia, Make Poverty History, Share the World’s Resources (STWR), Tax Justice Network, Transnational Institute, and the UN Millennium Campaign have screened the films as part of their anti-poverty campaigns in the past year.

Synopsis: Narrated by Martin Sheen, The End of Poverty? is a daring, thought-provoking and very timely documentary by award-winning filmmaker, Philippe Diaz, revealing that poverty is not an accident. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor. Today, global poverty has reached new levels because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies — in other words, wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries such that today 20% of the planet’s population uses 80% of its resources and consumes 30% more than the planet can regenerate.

Produced by Cinema Libre Studio with the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, 104mins, 2008, USA, documentary in English, Spanish, and French with English Subtitles. Learn more at www.theendofpoverty.com

More information as well as clips and images for download are available at www.TheEndofPoverty.com with additional information to be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Theatrical roll-out includes the following theaters/cities:

NEW YORK – Starts November 13

City Cinemas Village East Cinema (181-189 Second Ave. (@ 12th St.)

LOS ANGELES – Starts (Wednesday) November 25

Laemmle’s Sunset 5 (8000 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 90046)

Culver Plaza Theaters (9919 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232)

PORTLAND, OR – Starts December 4

Living Room Theaters (341 SW Tenth Avenue, Portland, OR 97205)

SEATTLE, WA – Starts December 4

Regal Meridian 16 (1501 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101)

AUSTIN, TX – Starts December 18

Regal Arbor Cinema @ Great Hills (9828 Great Hills Trail Suite 800, Austin, TX 78759)

About Cinema Libre Studio:

Cinema Libre Studio has been a leader in the distribution social issue films that tackle timely issues. The company is a haven for independent filmmakers offering one-stop shopping for production and distribution. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company is best known for distributing social-issue documentaries that include: Outfoxed, Uncovered, WMD: Weapon’s of Mass Deception, Darfur Diaries, The Future of Food, A River of Waste, Desert Bayou and The Beautiful Truth. The company has recently released the films of French auteur Jean-Jacques Beineix and has partnered with Iranian director Masoud Jafari Jozani to bring the first film crew to shoot in US since the Iranian revolution. For more information, please visit www.cinemalibrestudio.com.

Media Contacts:

Screeners are available upon request – please include complete shipping address in reply!

There will be a press screening in New York:

Wednesday, October 28 at 6pm at Magno Review 1 (729 7th Avenue, 2nd floor, NYC)

>> Please RSVP to Sasha Berman at SashaBerman@mac.com<<

New York and LA Media:

Sasha Berman
Shotwell Media
2721 2nd St. # 205
Santa Monica, CA 90405

tel. 310-450-5571
fax 310-450-5577
email: SashaBerman@mac.com

Other requests: Publicity: Cinema Libre Studio 8328 De Soto Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91304 Ph: (818) 349-8822, press@cinemalibrestudio.com

Now imagine 117 million people all around the world, on every continent, standing up at the same time. This weekend, that’s what’s going to happen.

More than one hundred million people are taking a stand this weekend against global poverty as part of the Stand Up and Take Action Days. While many of us work on poverty issues everyday, talk about it at home and in our communities, once a year we have the opportunity to literally stand in solidarity with people across the world at the same time – all people who care about ending poverty once and for all.

Almost 10 years ago, world leaders committed to a bold roadmap to end global poverty and its root causes – beginning with achieving the Millennium Development Goals which include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, improving maternal health and ensuring environmental sustainability by 2015. This weekend we are all coming together because we know that despite the gains we’ve made, the global economic crisis is threatening our progress.

At Jubilee USA Network, our almost 100 Stand Up events across the country are focusing on one part of the poverty puzzle: debt cancellation and responsible lending. Without debt cancellation, we will not reach the Millennium Development Goals in time. Right now the world’s poorest countries pay rich creditors more than $100 million in debt payments everyday. Can you imagine if this money went toward shelter, education and health care?

We know that it is possible. Debt cancellation has already brought increased education, healthcare and vital social services for many countries in Africa and Latin America. But too many needy countries have been left out.

This weekend, churches, synagogues and community groups will by taking the Stand Up Pledge to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. They’ll also urging Congress to support the Jubilee Act, a bill which calls for expanded debt cancellation to help all the poor countries that need it to reach the MDGs.

This weekend, all over the world we are going to pledge our commitments to fighting global poverty. Let’s continue to work to break the chains of international debt.

To learn more about Stand Up and to find out how YOU can stand up, visit www.jubileeusa.org.

This year on Oct. 5 in Washington, D.C. and around the world, please join Habitat for Humanity in support of this global observance as we come together and declare that the lack of decent, affordable housing is unacceptable.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.

Worldwide, more than 2 million housing units per year are needed for the next 50 years to solve the present worldwide housing crisis. With our global population expanding, however, at the end of those 50 years, there would still be a need for another 1 billion houses. (UN-HABITAT: 2005)

Raising awareness and advocating for change are the first steps toward transforming systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing. World Habitat Day serves as an important reminder that everyone must unite to ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to call home.

The U.N. further states that both developed and developing countries, cities and towns are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity, population growth and economic instability.

Rapid rates of urbanization cause serious negative consequences – overcrowding, poverty, slums with many poorly equipped to meet the service demands of ever growing urban populations.

With over half of the world’s population currently living in urban areas the U.N. believes there is no doubt that the “urban agenda” will increasingly become a priority for governments, local authorities and their non-governmental partners everywhere.

On this day, we reaffirm that adequate shelter is a basic human right, and we focus on the housing conditions of cities and towns around the world. We also use this day to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

On October 5, 2009, please join us in support of World Habitat Day, as we raise our voices and declare that the lack of decent, affordable housing is unacceptable.

What can you do for World Habitat Day 2009?

Educate yourself and your friends and family.

* Read Habitat’s World Habitat Day handbook to learn more about the importance of secure tenure and neighborhood revitalization.
* Take a virtual tour of the Capotillo informal settlement in the Dominican Republic.
* Read statistics and research about poverty housing in the U.S. and around the world.
* Link to our World Habitat Day 2009 resources page on your social media pages, personal Web site or blog.

Advocate for decent housing for all.

* Submit a photo of yourself holding a sign that says “It all starts at home” and submit it to Habitat’s photo petition on Flickr.com.
* Send a message to your members of Congress on World Habitat Day.
* Tell your friends and family to take action too!

Join a World Habitat Day event in your community.
Visit World Habitat Day events.

Donate to support Habitat’s efforts.
Donate online today.