Wake Up Walmart

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/

You might think that this is an organization that would like to see Walmart shut down. You would be wrong. Walmart is the largest private employer in the United States. They don't want to see Walmart go away. What they would like to see is Walmart not become an overwhelming monopoly in the world of department stores; but more importantly, they would like to see the workers treated better. They are fighting to see that employees get better pay and better benefits; that they are treated equally and not taken advantage of. Their mission is not to destroy Walmart, but to transform it into a company that works for the common human being and not against them.

The Progressive

http://www.progressive.org/

Forget the New Republic!--This is what real liberal news looks like. That is to be emphasized, though: you do not go here for balanced news. This may be the most liberal news outlet around, but that's also one of its strengths. They'll do coverage on most of the usual suspects from politics to celebrities to major world events to the economy, etc. They'll usually put their perspective on any given topic, which most of the time is the point of view you won't see any where else. One of their strongest attributes is historical perspective. They will often incorporate similar events from history into their regular coverage; which, I feel, is one of the most important things missing in mainstream media. A one-of-a-kind organization that has been going for 100 years, and hopefully does not stop any time soon. I know very well that they have been struggling to stay afloat recently, so stop on over there and give them your support and keep this uniquely American voice alive for the next century to enjoy!

Prison Radio

http://www.prisonradio.org/

A good and unique organization, but seemingly disorganized. It is part of a larger organization started by environmental activist Judi Bari in 1994. It'd be hard for me to tell you a whole lot about what the organization does, because the website does not keep up regular updates on the various things it claims it is involved in. The main aim of the group seems to be, as they put it, to "help shift public opinion toward a more humane view of prisoners." That is done through giving prisoners a voice "into the public dialogue on crime and punishment." I'm not sure how all they do this, but their main way (and the sole reason this website made it onto The Noise Network) is through weekly recordings from Mumia Abu-Jamal. You may know him as the man put on death row over two decades ago for the alleged murder of a police officer, who is most likely innocent of any crime. He does a weekly recording about current events, done with his unique insight and historical perspective included (which you can also subscribe to as a podcast on iTunes).

Workers Rights Consortium

http://www.workersrights.org/

If you've never heard of this organization, and especially if you are currently attending a college or university, now is as good a time as ever to get familiar with this group. This is a non-profit, independent organization that monitors labor practices in foreign countries for clothing companies. Especially those who produce collegiate apparel. I am proud to say that I (as of 2009) attend a college that is a member of the WRC. Their code of conduct includes bans on forced overtime, child labor, and discrimination; while upholding living wages, safe working conditions, and collective bargaining. They have done investigations into some major companies including Wal-Mart, Levi, and Nike. They do not warn the factories ahead of time of their arrival and they publicly report their findings. Right now their main bread & butter is in collegiate apparel, but I read somewhere that they are trying to move into the mainstream clothing market and the related companies. Here's hoping.

Global Exchange

http://www.globalexchange.org/

An organization that is 21 years and going strong worldwide. They are dedicated to education and action on issues such as sweatshops, war, human rights, environment, and have become one of the strongest supporters of Fair Trade products.

What is Fair Trade?--Essentially, it is making sure that the people who harvest crops, grow coffee, and make shoes/clothing are getting paid a wage (considering exchange rates) comparable to a wage of someone who lives in an industrialized nation, along with receiving vacation pay, sick days, and clean working conditions. The core idea of Fair Trade is to treat the workers of these other countries as our equals, with the hope that we can improve their lives and economies.

I strongly encourage you to get involved with this organization any way that you can; or if nothing else, support this organization and check out their Fair Trade store.