Happiness - RESOURCES
An Equal Opportunity In The Pursuit Of Happiness For Everyone
The most important document in America, the Declaration of Independence, claims all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
What if, instead of using “men,” the Founders had used the word people? Imagine how that could have changed history.
Everyone has the right to self-determination and… happiness.
“Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.” — Oprah Winfrey
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Here are some excellent resources with information on how to help everyone have an equal opportunity in their pursuit of happiness.
Thomas Jefferson, main author of the Declaration of Independence – the Jonathan Sprout page with lyrics to “What He Wrote” written by Jonathan Sprout and Dave Kinnoin
The Peace Center - is a diverse community committed to living together in Justice and Peace. Their mission is to educate, empower and support individuals and organizations in efforts to prevent violence, promote peaceful resolution of conflict and foster inclusive, equitable and safe communities. The Peace Center is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, US. They have been working for community peace and social justice since 1982. Their programs are designed to help reduce violence and conflict in schools, homes and communities through a multicultural, community-based approach. They are dedicated to furthering peace by understanding and managing conflict.
The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. their mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
Black Lives Matter started as a chapter-based, member-led organization whose mission was to build local power and to intervene when violence was inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. In the years since, they’ve committed to struggling together and to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive.
Me Too Movement supports survivor healing and community-based action to interrupt sexual violence.
The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters.
“In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature’s way of forcing change — breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place.”
The Declaration of Independence Transcription - a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.
Declaration House in Philadelphia, where Thomas Jefferson resided while drafting the Declaration of Independence. In rented rooms on the second floor, Jefferson wrote his timeless defense of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and all the while attended by enslaved servant Bob Hemings.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
Global Goals 2030 - One World: a bold commitment to eradicate poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing access to basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate - related disasters.