Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2010

We honestly wouldn’t complain if we never had to listen to John Lennon’s played-to-death peace anthem again, but it’s far harder to sneer at the good work that’s being done in its name. WhyHunger, an NPO that works with grassroots partners to root out the causes of hunger and poverty around the world, adopted the song for its “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign back in 1994, and now enjoys the high-profile backing of Yoko Ono and Hard Rock International. If you want to do your bit for this year’s campaign, pick up a t-shirt or pin at a branch of Hard Rock Cafe: 15 percent and 100 percent of net proceeds, respectively, will go straight to WhyHunger and its partners. Oh, and give peace a chance while you’re at it.

Imagine There’s No Hunger Tee, ¥2,800; pin, ¥1,400. Available at branches of Hard Rock Cafe. www.hardrockjapan.com