Before Mother Teresa fed thousands of starving children and Nelson Mandela used nonviolent tactics to free his countrymen, these great leaders had one thing in common: an unwavering belief that they could make a difference to help others.

Neither of them could have predicted the greatness they would achieve. What they could do, however, was act on a desire to create change when it was needed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Never Underestimate the Power of One

What if every man, woman and child acted on that same desire? What if we all did something that would make life just a little bit easier for our neighbor or added a tiny bit of joy to someone's day?

That's why we have developed CMT One Country, a new initiative to help you connect to ways to take action and bring about positive change in your community.

Led by Advisory Board members former President Jimmy Carter, Maya Angelou and Gen. Colin Powell, whose combined service to America is legendary, CMT One Country offers tools that enable virtually anyone to start making a difference immediately. We will also celebrate the accomplishments of everyday heroes and showcase other nonprofit partners working to keep America great.

According to CMT executive vice president and general manager Brian Philips, "CMT will enlighten our fans and inspire them to take action in the places where they live. With the help of our biggest stars, we'll reinforce the messages that resonate in so much of CMT's music. We know our viewers care deeply about the needs of their neighbors. One Country will make it easy for them to help."

So, stay tuned to CMT for new programming that will reflect the CMT One Country initiative, including spotlights on your favorite country music icons leading by positive example and shows that tell stories of volunteers building affordable housing, mentoring our children, serving the poor and frail senior citizens and supporting American military families.

And make sure to visit our website often as we add features that provide you with the best volunteer resources.

From all of us at CMT, thank you for taking the first step toward creating a brighter future. After all, we're all in this together. We are One Country.