via nj.com

We dig Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation, which helps to build green, affordable housing for the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, an area destroyed by Katrina. In 2006 Brad got together a team of architects, and since then has had help from Bill Clinton, a huge donation from Will Ferrell and his wife Viveca. Even Ellen DeGeneres has helped form a team.

Brad has been using the Martin Luther King School For Science and Technology in the Ward for team meetings, and teacher Doris Hicks told People Magazine that "Brad has given me his promise he's going to do some special things with us. We're not going to let him forget!"

Considering that young people are playing a huge role in this year's election, the presidential candidates (and their spouses) are integrating pop culture and trends into their campaigns. In February, Hillary Clinton picked her all-time worst outfits for the Fashion Police section of Us Weekly while Barack Obama was featured in the Just Like Us section for buying groceries and loving hot sauce.

In this week's issue of Us Weekly, Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton penned personal appeals on behalf of their respective spouses. Michelle Obama wrote about her childhood and why she thinks she is married to "the answer." Bill wrote about the goals Hillary is setting for America and about the first time they met.

Celebs are also stepping up to endorse their favorite candidates. Supporters for Barack Obama include Pete Wentz, Ben Affleck, Kate Walsh, Amy Smart, Oprah, and Scarlett Johansson. And in Hillary Clinton's corner-- Portia de Rossi, Kelly Rutherford, Cheryl Hines, Rose McGowan, Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Laura Linney.

Click here to learn more about the campaigns and get your voice out there!

I told you about Bill Clinton's innaugural meeting of Clinton Global Innitiative University down in New Orleans last weekend.  Here's a video of Clinton from a few months ago, when he announed the launch of CGI-U:

The former Pres led groups of college students and educators through an intensive program that included workshops addressing various levels of global change:

• Climate Change:  seizing the economic opportunity
• Starvation Amidst Plenty, Obesity Amidst Poverty: Malnutrition's devastating toll on children
• Building Peace on Campus and Beyond
• Students Ending Poverty: Start from where you are
• Building the Groundswell for Change
• The Overlooked International Emergency: Mental health in post-crisis communities
• A More Employable Future: Educating our global youth
• Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Women through Empowerment

This is sooooo inspiring and empowering! I love that Clinton is putting the future in the hands of young people. Keep reading below for info on Billy boy's date with Brad . . .

Bradley and Bill got a round of applause when they finally broke ground on their New Orleans housing project, Make It Right. 

I've posted a lot about how amazing this project is -- aiming to rebuild the most devastated parts of New Orleans struck by Hurricaine Katrina with sustainable green housing for a brighter future.  Former President Bill Clinton was there to support the build and to hold his innagural meeting of CGI - U . . . the Clinton Global Initiative University.  I'll be posting more about it soon . . .

Our own CGG contributor was on hand doing some Habitat for Humanity building and checking out the progress on the Lower Ninth Ward.  Melanie said that she's finally seeing change after such a slow start, but that she's still suprised at how unbelievably slow the government has been to respond to victims' needs.  It makes projects like Make it Right and Habitat that much more important and powerful.  Keep checking back for more of her comments . . . and details of her Angelina sighting!

Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt inagurated their building project in New Orleans, officially breaking ground on new sustainable housing in the lower 9th ward.

As part of the Make It Right campaign, Brad says, "it's not about a hand-out, it's about a hand up."  Here's what the guys had to say:

“We are so appreciative of the support we have received from the Lower 9th Ward Community, the Clinton Global Initiative, and university students from around the country at our groundbreaking today,” said Brad Pitt. “I especially want to thank former President Bush and President Clinton for their early support of Make It Right. We are excited about today, but need to remember that our project is one small part of addressing a much larger need. Thousands of people still need help in order to return home.”

Clinton was equally impressed, and stressed commitment to the area for the long term as key to getting people back up and running. “The way to really get New Orleans all the way back and all the way back in a hurry is to rebuild in the right way and make it a long-term, five- to six-year commitment, to create a much higher base level of jobs through this whole energy efficiency endeavor.”  (source)

Celebs wined and dined (and danced) at VH1’s Save the Music Foundation gala on Thursday to promote the restoration of music education in public schools.

Performances by John Mayer, Jon Bon Jovi, and Roger Waters were accompanied by an orchestra made up of VH1 Save the Music Foundation students from all over the country. Among the celebrities that showed up to “save the music” were Mariah Carey, Bill Clinton, Quincy Jones, and Conan O’Brien.

Conan provided the audience with some laughs when he cunningly bashed Miss Britney for her shabby performance at the MTV Movie Awards….“If any of you watched the MTV Video Music Awards, you saw that more than ever we need music education.” (source) 

Oh, snap!  Ha, ha, ha . . . I love me some Conan.

For her do-good efforts, Mariah got an honorable mention at the star-studded event.

Everybody is buzzing about Bill Clinton's new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World.  The former President of the United States -- and former BRICK Presenter!!! -- took the famed Oprah stage yesterday to promote the project. 

Recounting his own experiences and discussing changes made in the world of philanthropy today, Clinton gives examples and illustrations on how we can all be participants in making the world a better place.  Fitting right in with the Do Something philosophy, the book is on sale now.