Rock music has always been associated with a lot of negative stereotypes. However, a group is now making a conscious effort to offer this form of entertainment to the youth minus its ills.

LiveJam had humble beginnings in a small town in Kerala and has come a long way since 2005. While it has been obvious that many musicians indulged in substance abuse, LiveJam attempts to do the opposite.

Their objective is to empower the youth to believe in these key messages.  

•    NO to Drugs & YES to Life. 

•    NO to Chains & YES to Freedom.

LiveJam is a non-profit organisation that is strumming out hope for those who are struggling with drug/alcohol abuse and those struggling from the aftermath of broken homes – a plight many youngsters face today. They tie music to a message of social reform through personal transformation. Their weapons are contemporary music, arts, media and entertainment.

Among LiveJam’s many activities, the BreakFree Tour and U180 are the most significant.

BreakFree Tour as the name suggests is focused on the theme of freedom. The annual tour takes place at 10-20 locations where the team engages the youth with music and also talks about freedom: freedom from drugs, alcohol, insecurity, identity issues and other similar issues that plague the young today.

U180 stands for ‘you’ turning 180 degrees according to LiveJam. An attempt at transforming individuals through testimonials of people who have struggled with issues but are now making a difference in other people’s lives. The monthly concert also provides an opportunity for upcoming bands in the city to showcase their skills. All in all an educative yet electrifying experience. 

Today LiveJam stands as a successful organisation that is helping hundreds of young people find purpose and gain strength inspite of their weaknesses. LiveJam has toured college campuses in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Cochin and Ooty over the last four seasons, with a wide array of music programs, and still continues to spread the message of hope to the NOW generation.

The youth hold the key to the future of the country. Their choices become the reality of tomorrow. Here’s a group that is attempting to make an impact, altering the perspective of the youth and influencing them with music. A successful one at that. Can you influence the youth or your fellow citizens positively? It’s time we started asking ourselves. Start with a visit to www.jaagore.com or read more about this organisation at http://bit.ly/zaqNHh. A small act that could inspire thousands. 

We’ve been talking about change for quite some time now and how one act can inspire many others, alter perspectives and ultimately assure a better future for the country.

But what does change really mean? And what causes it? It is a question we all must ask ourselves.

Take a walk in the area where you live or work. What do you see? Potholes, poor garbage management and sanitation and dilapidated public spaces. Add crime and poverty to this mix and we are talking about serious issues of governance. These are problems that have existed for long and have continued to spread.

Before looking for solutions, would it not be more prudent to look where the accountabilities lie? Politicians? Government? People? Most of us tend to respond with the easiest way out, “There is no fix for these problems anywhere on the horizon”.

Pause to think what role YOU, as an individual, would have in this large scheme of things? A very important one. A role that can change the future and this can be accomplished with something well within your grasp – the power to vote. Imagine a billion Indians voting for the government they want. Now that’s a cause worth fighting for. 

With the election season kicking off, let’s remind ourselves that we live in a democracy where the power of our vote can determine the future. Many of us underestimate this power. Perhaps it’s time we look at around for a healthy dose of inspiration.

One man who is changing perspectives and encouraging people to take charge is Anoop Khanna. The chemist shop owner from Noida has the solution, for real.

Voting for a political party lies at the heart of a democracy. After all, our votes decide our future. But what can you do when people give in to apathy? Anoop Khanna came up with a unique solution. He offered discounts on medicines to people who had voted. Discounts would be available for as long as the voting mark remained on the finger. This contributed to the rise of voters in his community. A simple action inspired a change of perception. It doesn't stop there; Mr. Khanna has employed quirky solutions for a whole host of causes ranging from antiplastic bag drives to sparking the No Fuel Day in Noida.

Anoop Khanna's philosophy is simple. The community we live in provides us with our livelihood; it's only fair to contribute to its well being. We should give back to society in the best way we can. That's his Soch. How can you incorporate this thinking into your business or at your workplace? Can you offer incentives?

Or at a very basic level, can you simply cast a vote and earn what’s rightfully yours?  Good governance.

It’s time to take matters in our own hands. Register to Vote on http://www.jaagore.com/vote/ and complete the electoral registration form. A quick and easy way to take part in the change. 

Like any young aspirant, a well planned life was on Maggie Doyne’s mind too. She'd been an ambitious and driven student -- the editor of her school yearbook, a varsity athlete, and the class treasurer. But due to the increasing pressure of choosing a college, she decided that she should take some time off. Most people her age would be content with a vacation around the world, but not Maggie.

She embarked on an expedition which led her to India. During her visit to North East India, she met countless young Nepalese refugees who had fled the country after the recent Maoist uprising and civil war. One teenage girl had escaped Nepal six or seven years earlier, and hadn't returned since. So she and Maggie decided to take a trip together - back to Nepal, to look for the girl's family. They sought details about her dispersed family and where many of her relatives had ended up.

She was mesmerized by Nepal's natural beauty, as well as the sense of community and optimism in its people, but she was also deeply affected by the orphans she met in the villages. She believed she could educate these children and provide them with a loving home.

So Maggie did. And she realized she could help rather than waiting for these kids to flee to India, or, worse, get stuck at the border and find themselves victims of human trafficking or domestic servitude.

That was when Maggie put her life savings - $5000 she'd earned from babysitting in high school - into Nepal. She managed to buy a piece of property in Surkhet, Nepal, but soon realized she'd need more funds. So she flew back to New Jersey and worked. She babysat, dog sat, house-sat, held garage sales, bake sales, and anything else she could possibly do to raise more money. Local papers eventually picked up Maggie's story, and soon checks from admirers started pouring in. In five months, Maggie raised close to $60,000.

At 22, she and her team in Surkhet were able to continue the construction and finish Maggie's home. Today at 24, Maggie has formal custody of 40 Nepalese children, all of whom originally came to her with no family, no money, and no education. Many were abused. She has provides all of them with basic medical care and food, and she has taught them to read and write. Her NGO is known as Kopila Valley Children's Project.

"A lot of people think I grew up in a teepee or belong to some crazy family or I was raised in a hut in Africa," she said. "But I just tell them I'm a regular girl from Jersey."

A regular girl made a life choice that has brought hope to underprivileged children. A regular life plan wasn’t her goal.

It only took a change in perspective and that’s why this story is a Soch Badlo story. What will be your contribution? Come, see, get inspired, submit, and share more of such stories @ www.jaagore.com

Imagine an HIV+ person cooking and serving you food in your home. We bet most would not be open to the idea no matter how aware they are of the disease. People are conditioned to think and react in a certain way towards HIV+ people. Even in our urban centres, where people know how the disease is contracted, there is prejudice involved.

However, a small idli shop in Usilampatti in southern Tamil Nadu, a place known for female infanticide, has become the toast of the nation. At daybreak, people begin to crowd around the bustling marketplace to buy idlis and dosas from a woman who is HIV+.

Vijayarani's customers are aware of her condition, but have no problem patronising her. Vijayarani and her co-worker Sumathy, 40, who is also HIV+, together run this enterprise, earning up to Rs. 500 per day. The duo serve people a reminder of how inherent prejudices can be overcome in a socially backward town like Usilampatti.

It was only three years ago that Vijayarani's world fell apart. She and her six-year-old son were diagnosed as HIV+. Though initially devastated, she found solace when she heard about the Vaigai network of people living with HIV/AIDS. These women do not hide the fact that they are carriers of the deadly virus; instead claim that society has come to accept them.

"People have come to realise that mere physical contact with a HIV+ person does not spread the disease," Vijayarani points out. She admitted her son in school after informing the authorities of his condition. Now the nine-year-old is a student in the fifth standard and he ranks among the top 10 in his class.

P Annathai, who had been instrumental in spreading awareness about the shop, said, "I told my family and friends that we should help them and not shun them."

Dr E S Thangapandian, programme manager of the government-run district AIDS Prevention and Control Unit said, "Theirs is an example for many to follow".

This isn’t a sad story or a call for sympathy but a story of triumph in adversity, a clear example of changing perspectives and how one act can inspire many to look at things differently. One woman did not let her condition stop her from leading a normal life. If a humble villager has the power to alter mindsets, you with your resources can do wonders. Just imagine a world made of people who look at the brighter side, a world full of positive people. It’s achievable. Take a small step towards realising this dream by visiting www.jaagore.com. The most positive destination on the web.

Need more inspiration? Here are a few stories of triumph.

http://bit.ly/xzDpAO

http://bit.ly/zZ15sM

http://bit.ly/wsbKF6

Markets at an all time low

Crisis halfway across the world

Tragedy hits your hometown

A new scandal becomes the trending topic on social media

It’s safe to say that people are all too familiar with news. Be it in the papers or on our screens, it shows you the same picture. One cannot deny the reality and one definitely cannot deny that there is very little respite in the negative updates that show on our screens or papers.

This can have several outcomes. Many express their opinions furiously in retaliation on various platforms, while others shrug it off and move on with their life. Neither is constructive nor helping the country on a macro scale.

This blog is a reminder that there is hope in this state of turmoil.  News from around the country that we found hope in. A sign of a positive India. 

An Eco-Cab. A Novel Approach.

A folk singer and a civil services aspirant, both rickshaw pullers, have started a dial-a-rickshaw service. This facility in Punjab is transforming the lives of those earning a living out of it. It also promises to take care of a whole lot of critical issues like traffic congestion, air pollution, parking, and road safety. 3,000-odd green vehicles have been rolled out under the dial-a-rickshaw project and financed by State Bank of Patiala. What’s more, these people will double up as tourist guides. A programme to train them in etiquette, behavioural skills and expertise that are required to be a tourist guide is on the anvil.

Thanks to this unique service about 4,000 eco-cabs in Fazilka, Patiala, Amritsar and a few other districts in Punjab are just a call away. In Fazilka, a team of young IIT graduates have got this concept rolling and have hired a tea vendor to act as a “customer care executive” handling close to 50 calls a day on phone from custo­mers seeking rickshaws. To help the rickshaw puller lead a better life, a tie-up for heavily discounted medicine at chemist shops has also been arranged to lessen the cost of treatment.

And to add a feather to the whole concept, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States is studying the eco project. With an aim at helping civic bodies offset the traditional car-centric development patterns. The project has been titled “Future of Urban Mobility.”

This is just one instance out of the many good things happening around the country. Unfortunately, mainstream media fails to cover these exceptional stories. In our busy lives, we’ve become strangely addicted to negativity. Sensationalist news headlines are not helpful, they appeal to our lurid side. Positive News is different; it aims to inform but also to find solutions to the problems we face.

You too can help thousands discover the bright side of news. All you need to do is submit positive news on www.jaagore.com. It’s a simple act that can help the country look at the glass half full. After all, who doesn’t like good news!?

Look around you. Everyone’s busy. Right?

Clicking away on their computers or hooked to their Smartphones. Life is spent in meeting deadlines, keeping appointments and making schedules. We’ve come far from the days when simple things made us happy, like receiving a letter from a friend or spending a whole day with family. Now emotions are expressed in smileys and virtual hearts. Keeping in touch today means an SMS once in a while.

In this era of virtual connections, where physical presence is becoming a thing of the past, something as simple yet real as a hug is rare to find – only exchanged when congratulating someone on an occasion or when someone is sad.

However, Juan Mann decided to change the trend. Inspiration struck when he was standing at the arrivals terminal in London where he felt like a tourist in his own hometown. The sight of other passengers greeting their friends and families with hugs made him realise a very simple truth. Everyone needs a hug, to feel better, to feel happier.

He picked up a cardboard and a marker to make a sign that read “FREE HUGS”. Busy pedestrians stared and wondered what was going on but soon they yielded to the warmth. His philosophy is simple – “Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven't compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time.” His mission, to put the focus back on simple ways of being happy, by doing an act people seem to have no time for.

This small action has now become a global phenomenon, inspiring people from everywhere to start their own Free Hugs Campaign in their neighborhoods. The movement has also had its share of controversy and had been banned for Public Liability fear and red tape but it continues to spread joy and happiness across the world till date. 

This was the story of a man who set out to spread positivity with a simple action – a hug. A story that embraces the core philosophy behind Jaago Re. You can play an important role in bringing positivity to other people’s lives.All you have to do is submit and share positive content at www.jaagore.com

Everybody dreams. Our hopes and ambitions lead us to go to many lengths.

Some of us stand in front of the mirror, hair brush in hand, singing our guts out. Some of us resort to styling ourselves in the manner of our idols. Others day dream of receiving an award and even delivering an acceptance speech. 

Reality check! While we were building castles in the air, there were some people who made castles for real. January marks the birth of these people turned legends that we have grown to idolise. You probably know all of them.

While friends his age were playing and enjoying their childhood, a boy was cleaning musical instruments in a corner. He went on to polish his musical skills too and became one of India’s and the world’s greatest musicians. The name AR Rahman needs no introduction. His story doesn’t end with him achieving fame. He is involved in various charitable causes – from being the Global Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by WHO to composing a song that helped raised funds for orphans affected by the 2004 Tsunami. The most recent was the one where he composed a song inspired by Juan Mann’s Free Hugs Campaign – Jiya se Jiya. It was his way of spreading positivity.

http://bit.ly/xtISb8 / http://bit.ly/xffBCr

There are thousands of others who deserve recognition. For now, we have two more.

A girl who spent her childhood dressed in potato sacks. Living in poverty wasn’t the only struggle for her. She was also subjected to sexual abuse. But her voice never gave up on her. She started out as an anchor and today the same voice has taken her to places most of us can only dream of. She is known to the world as Oprah Winfrey. Till date, she has donated millions of dollars to various projects. Some notable ones include The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, Rebuilding the Gulf Coast and Project Cuddle, which rescues hundreds of babies from abandonment and abuse every year.

http://bit.ly/xVMyGa

Finally, the tale of an academic celebrity whose scientific works and intelligence have made him a household name. During his early years in college, he developed a type of motor neuron disease which paralysed him completely. Stephen Hawking, perhaps the most well known cosmologist in the world is not a victim of circumstances. He continues to share his genius with the world. Today, he funds young disabled people through an organisation named ACE. He is also associated with SOS Children’s Villages and helps support vulnerable children and their families.

http://bit.ly/xFVxG3

The common factor between AR Rahman, Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Hawking is that they fought the odds and followed their dreams. But they didn’t stop there. They've become beacons of hope to thousands of others who could do with a helping hand.

Every hero has his hour and while you wait for your moment of glory, why not become a curator of positivity? It's easy. Check out Jaagore.com's new avatar. We want to build the largest reservoir of positivity in the country and you can help. If you spot anything on the internet that motivates, inspires, sparks happy thoughts and smiling faces, share it on www.jaagore.com or http://www.facebook.com/jaagore. Music, art, quotes, movies, books or images, everything works! Get started and become the greatest Positivity Influencer in the Country.

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Happy NEW YEAR!

Then there are people who just think positive and do something good. For them, the New Year is a chance for positive action that will give hope to others.

Many of us think that these people have nothing better to do or they belong to a different mindset. The truth, however, is that these people are just like us - they go to work, earn a living, yet find time to take positive action. People who don’t wait for support from society or bother about what consequences they’d have to face. These are people who believe in positivity and act on it – all on their own.

This is the power of positive thinking.

Think of simple things in your everyday life. Music you listen to, the medical store you visit or your camera phone. How would you spread positivity with these? Here are examples of people who think differently. 

• Faith Gonsalves brings joy to the lives of underprivileged children through music at Music Basti. 
• Anoop Khanna, a medical shop owner, offers discounts to customers who have voted in the recent elections.  
• Pankaj Tuteja uses his camera phone to record incidences of bribery in order to teach the corrupt a lesson.

Each example above had a different effect on people. While thousands of children get hired as house help, there is Music Basti that helps enrich the lives of the young. While countless people couldn’t care to vote, there is an Anoop Khanna who incentivizes the act of voting in order to motivate people. And while there are corrupt politicians everywhere, there is a Pankaj Tuteja who shows them the mirror.

These are real life stories of individuals who didn’t need help to make a difference. They spread positivity without much financial or political influence. Now spreading positivity can also be in your hands.

Come let’s make India contagiously positive.  

• Submit positive content like art, movies, music, videos, books or quotes, at www.jaagore.com
• Or visit http://www.facebook.com/jaagore

It’s the dawn of a new era. Let’s work towards this collective resolution that will change positively India forever!

Here is where you come in. If you’re good at communicating, if you are excellent at organizing events or if you simply love writing, put your talents to good use. All you have to do is dedicate an hour every week to this activity. 

Learn more about how you can help by visiting these links:

http://www.jaagore.com/project/asha-sadan