All Perspectives
Difference MakerJonathan Rapping helps give poor and minority Americans a strong defense in courtHe cofounded Gideon鈥檚 Promise to assist idealistic public defenders, who fight long odds to make sure the scales of justice are fairly balanced.
Readers RespondReaders write: An economic environmental plan, the politics of immigrationLetters to the editor for the Feb. 16, 2015 weekly magazine
In Afghanistan, teaching men that education is not a threatSakena Yacoobi started the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) to educate young girls. Then young boys started asking if she could teach them too.
Finding knowledge that's uncloudedExtremism is a shallow concept, an easy answer in a complicated world. One part of fighting extremism is encouraging deeper thinking.
Four projects that zero in on four big world problemsThe $42.3 billion Gates Foundation is looking to achieve four monumental goals by 2030. Here are four entrepreneurs already working on solutions.
Points of ProgressOrganic farming continues to rise across the globe2 million of the world鈥檚 1.5 billion farmers are now producing organically, with nearly 80 percent based in developing countries. India boasts the most certified organic producers, followed by Uganda and Mexico.
Finding better paths to justiceSociety is developing smarter, more compassionate, more effective ways of reforming juvenile offenders.聽
In Haiti, a library with no books transforms the way kids learnA library of digital books could eventually bring thousands of titles to millions of students around the world.
Women in India fight sexual harassment with smartphonesInterest in phone apps with SOS buttons to alert contacts and websites to report sexual harassment has surged as more women challenge the view that they have a lower status than men.
Difference MakerBarb Stegemann produces elegant fragrances from the world's trouble spotsThe 'retail activist鈥� charged $2,000 on her Visa card and made 1,000 bottles of Afghanistan Orange Blossom, selling it out of her garage.
A passionate 25-year-old builds a charity for CambodiaKenny King created Global ADE, which has already built schools in several communities in Cambodia.
Private funds spark a 鈥楪olden Age鈥� for public parksIn roughly half of major US cities nonprofits raise money to fund public parks, led by New York's Central Park Conservancy, which has provided more than $700 million since 1980.
Solar 'generators' power up remote African homes, factoriesIn Tanzania more than 840 households and small factories have been connected to solar grid systems, bringing electricity to a remote region.
The road to more income in Uganda? Owning a motorcycle.In the capital of Kampala, Uganda, a local business called Tugende is doubling profits for taxi bike drivers through its lease-to-own program.
Feeding a cycle of virtueSmart, sensitive policing is crucial in fighting crime and building healthy communities. And healthy communities build healthier ones.
Readers RespondReaders Write: Little help for China鈥檚 churches, the Net needs fast lanesLetters to the Editor for Feb. 9, 2015 weekly magazine
#ShovelItForward: Kindness crossing borders?In a show of winter warmth, young people as far as Connecticut and Canada are turning the hashtag into action by helping others clear their driveways of snow.
'Climate smart' farming tackles challenges of a warming worldWith temperatures rising and extreme weather becoming more frequent, 'climate-smart agriculture' is using a host of measures 鈥� from new planting practices to improved water management 鈥� to keep farmers ahead of climate change.
Difference MakerJohn Henneberger helps the poor solve problems from housing to voting rightsHenneberger, a behind-the-scenes force for social change, relishes improving lives through better housing and race relations, as well as economic opportunities.
These graduates are primed to reduce world hungerAfrican Plant Breeding Academy students aim to introduce overlooked crops to African communities in need.
