Oil and Anguish: Alaska, Nigeria, and the Gulf Coast

Today, Prince William Sound appears "normal" to the naked eye. However, if you look below the surface, oil continues to contaminate beaches, national parks, and designated wilderness areas.

The Danger of Intolerance

When do people know they are contributing to intolerance that may lead to violence? When is silence complicity?  When is it time to stand up to those voices and say, "Enough"?

The afternoon of July 19th, the Oakland Police Department called the Tides office to inform us that the man who survived a shoot-out with the California Highway Patrol last Saturday night had intended to target our organization. It was shocking: an American seeking to reign terror on fellow Americans.

Tides CEO Statement on 580 Incident

We are greatly dismayed to learn from law enforcement officials that the man arrested over the weekend following a shootout with the CHP had targeted the Tides Foundation for violence. To the best of our knowledge, this person has never had contact with any Tides organization or program. As there is an ongoing investigation into this incident, we will not speculate as to what his motivations may have been.

The Story of Cosmetics: "N-Nitrosoethanolmaine?"

In The Story of Stuff, Annie explained that as long as we keep putting toxic chemicals into our production system, we'll keep bringing toxic stuff into our homes, workplaces, and schools. Which means we'll keep getting toxics in us.

We're revisiting 'Toxics In, Toxics Out' on July 21st with the release of The Story of Cosmetics, which exposes the $50 billion cosmetics industry's use of toxic chemicals in everything from lipstick to baby shampoo-even chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. Yuck!

The List Project Invites You

The List Project invites you to attend a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing focusing on the current status of Iraqi refugees and the dangers faced by our Iraqi allies. Panelists include: Assistant Secretary Eric Schwartz (Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration); Michael Newton, Professor of Law (Vanderbilt University) and former Brigade Judge Advocate (U.S. Army Special Forces); Craig Johnstone of Refugees International; and our founder, Kirk Johnson. Johnson will discuss the need for contingency planning as the U.S. withdraws from Iraq and will put forth recommendations from our recent advocacy report, Tragedy on the Horizon.

Please join us in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, July 22nd for this important step in calling for immediate action on behalf of our Iraqi allies.

Celebrating Life and Championing Courage for a Decade

Colin Higgins Foundation looks to communities across the country to nominate and lift up the LGBTQ youth leaders who inspire them and play critical roles in their schools, organizations, and community spaces. Championing the leadership of LGBTQ youth independent of scholastic achievement is especially important when there are so many barriers standing in the way of their success, from schools that compromise their safety and well-being on a daily basis, to the alarming number of youth who get kicked out of their homes and become homeless due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Ellen Friedman Says Farewell

After 24 amazing years of innovative partnerships, working with the world's most cutting edge organizations and watching the organization grow from a handful of people in a downtown office to a 125 person thriving enterprise, today, June 30, 2010 is my last day at Tides.

Media Misinformation Impacts Entire Progressive Agenda

In the rich and varied landscape of important issues about which progressives care, there are many that currently stand out in the news:  drilling, immigration reform, and foreign policy are just a few. One issue that has become a constant backdrop for all the others is misinformation in the media—and it doesn't get the attention it deserves.  While some of you may know a lot about this topic and stay up to date on what right wing media is doing, many of you may have less information. We at Tides do not profess to be experts or have all the answers, but we do...

Immigration is an American Value

On its face it seems so sane and simple: a new Arizona law that "requires local police to enforce federal immigration regulations." What is wrong with that? Enforcing existing regulations is a good thing, right? Except that it is not for the states to enforce federal regulations. So what are the federal regulations in question? What is the purpose of immigration policy? And what is the issue Arizona is actually trying to address with its state law?

I have spent no small amount of time over the last few weeks trying to wrap my head around these questions. You see, I was raised in an America of opportunity, the land of Lady Liberty who welcomes the huddled masses. We are a nation of immigrants–interlopers who were not invited, but dared to imagine a better life for ourselves and our children. What I've discovered is that we come at this debate from so many perspectives with as many legitimate concerns as fear-based reactions.

Making the Case for Integration: The Tides Africa Fund Approach

Why not integrate separate models of care if it could mean better health for clients and their families? That is the essential question that drives the work of our Africa Family Planning and HIV Integration Fund, or Tides Africa Fund. With support from the Hewlett Foundation, the fund dispersed grants totaling $1.3 million in 2008–2009 to pioneer integrated care efforts in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

A new report about the fund, Making the Case for Integration, documents this holistic approach and has just been released. Read on for an introduction to this illustrative report that includes profiles of leaders in the integration field, a summary of current research, and analysis of difficult challenges and real solutions by experts from the public and philanthropic sectors.