everyone needs a hug

yeah. i think what people need is hug. everyone deserves it. Very basic touch to the heart, yet it is straightforward and very simple.

the moment you hug someone or being hugged, a lovely friendship has confirmed, discrimination gone, happyness and sadness has been shared, forgiveness filled the gap, feel the love... are you longing for someone to give you a hug? have you hug your grandmother today? (as i will do it everyday, starts from today)

I have been looking into this campaign, surprisingly, it is already been there for quite some time, also amazed with the result generated.
tonnes of photos can be found on flickr

the Free Hugs campaign
The Free Hugs Campaign began on Wednesday June 30th, 2004 in an effort to cheer up one person’s day. Mine. --Juan Mann--

results:dated 1st march 2008

on facebook:
Free Hugs cause:
614 members

A Campaign for Free Hugs group:
35,208 members
Type: Common Interest - Beliefs & Causes
"Research shows that we need at least three hugs a day to grow and become a better person. A hug is a universal symbol of support, concern, or just a way of saying, 'I’m here and I matter.' "
Has anyone heard of the Free Hugs Campaign over in Sydney, Austraila?
Sydney is such a lovely place. I love it so much, may b much more than New Zealand, if I would have stayed there longer.

Free Hugs application:
"Hugging is all natural: it is organic, naturally sweet, it has no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, and is 100% wholesome.
Hugging is practically perfect: there are no movable parts, no batteries to replace, no periodic check-ups, has low energy consumption, high energy yield, is inflation-proof, non-fattening, has no monthly payments, no insurance requirements, is theft-proof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and is, of course, fully refundable."
-- Sharon Lindsey --

Firefox Add-ons:
HugBack for facebook - Changes all 'poking' on Facebook.com to the lovable action of 'hugging'! - that is i have not give a try yet.

on AOL:
'Free Hugs' was aired on 'Good Morning America.'

on Oprah Winfrey's:
So do people think he's crazy? "All the time," Juan says. "People tend to be a bit wary of strange men in velvet coats walking around with giant signs."

on youtube:

Added: since September 22, 2006
Views: 24,222,734
Comments: 47714
Video response: 407

The Illustration Guide to Free Hugsyou are allowed to download the book there, as well as make donation.

basically, when you google "free hugs campaign", it comes up with 1,030,000 results.

last but not least, on wikipedia:
The Free Hugs Campaign is a phenomenon which involves individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public settings. It began in June, 2004,[1] and was widely publicized in 2006 by a music video on YouTube that was filmed and produced by the australian band Sick Puppies. The campaign is an example of a random act of kindness, a selfless act performed by a person for the sole reason of making others feel better. The original organizer has stated in interviews that the purpose is not to get names, phone numbers, or dates.

add-on with International Free Hugs Day! every first weekend after June 30!

many more to be discovered, t-shirts, my space, forums... argh, again, i am not sure if i am too late to blog about this. well, it is awesome. the hand drawn typography style on the boards are very interesting too!

i hug you