I remember growing up I watched the television program Nick News as if it were my religion. Every week Linda Ellerbee would host the news show for children and tweens about world events and educational stories in a way that they could easily understand. I still remember one episode of the show she conducted on “Stranger Danger.” While the “Stranger Danger” talk is important to have with your children, we know now that over 80% of sexual assault cases committed against children are committed by a person that child knows and trusts. This information, while horrifying, calls for swift changes in how we educate our children about their bodies, sexual assault, and what to do in a case where someone touches them inappropriately.

With the times changing so drastically, there is a lot more than we have to educate our children about as they grow older. Conversations that are crucial to have now may not have been conversations that you remember having with your parents. For that reason, Jill Starishevsky, an Assistant District Attorney who has dedicated her career to prosecuting child abuse and sex crimes in New York City, has written a great book to help ease parents into having the conversation about their bodies and who they can trust to go to if someone hurts them.

My Body Belongs to Me is a book written for children on the topic that parents can read to their children to start the conversation. It is written as most typical children’s books are, in words that your child can understand at a very young age. As we read and see news reports of sexual assault cases coming up in children at younger and younger ages, you are participating in a potentially life-saving act by reading this book to your child—It is perhaps the most important book you will ever have the responsibility to share.

Darfur, a country just about the size of France, is currently the scene of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, the biggest U.N. aid operation, and the 21st century’s first genocide.

As of July 3, 2008 the Genocide Intervention Network estimates that more than 200,000 civilians have died due to violence, malnutrition, and disease and a further 2.2 million people have been displaced within Sudan and an additional 250,000 refugees have crossed the border into Chad.

What does this have to do with social media? Bloggers from all over the United States have realized that this horrifying situation has gone on for too long and are now taking action. My dear blogging friend Mark Hayward made a committment not too long ago and is spearheading the Train For Humanity project………

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, Mark Hayward spent his last night in the village listening to the horrific screams of the young woman on the left dying from the effects of cerebral malaria because the proper medication was not available.

That evening he made a promise to himself that one day he’d give back to the world by starting a humanitarian organization.

Years later, Mark was out running, and thought of the successful campaigns like Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and Joints in Motion (Arthritis Foundation) that have raised funds and awareness for their health-based organizations by utilizing everyday athletes and their training.

Mark thought, “Why hasn’t anybody used a similar model of endurance athlete training to assist with humanitarian fundraising and awareness?” and the seeds for Train for Humanity were planted.

The concept is simple: getting fit + social media + blogging = social good

Mark is so right! By using the web, social media, and blogging in tandem with everyday athletes in training, Train for Humanity is set to support those organizations that help prevent suffering and alleviate the pain of children, orphans, and refugees who have been displaced due to genocide or internal strife and war within their country.

How can you help? For starters, you can sponsor a TFH athlete. You may recognize the names Leo Babuta and Dan Clements. Both are big time bloggers and along with Mark Hayward are trying to raise $50,000.

If a donation is something that you just can’t do right now then consider spreading the word about this organization through a blog post, Plurk post, Twitter post or some other viral social media tool. TFH has even made a sample post that you can use to make it easy for you to communicate the tragedy that is taking place in other parts of our world and how we can help.

You can financially support Mark, Dan and Leo here.

I’m doing my part, what are you doing?