All Perspectives
From the EditorsPublic schools, private beliefsSeparation of church and state is enshrined in the US Constitution. But here's what's sometimes overlooked: While the state must not back any particular faith -- or even faith itself -- it also must not restrict expressions of faith. That distinction is crucial to how public schools treat religion.
From the EditorsThe greening of the WestLong the province of mountain men and rugged individualists, the Intermountain West is drawing a new generation of entrepreneurs, knowledge workers, and venture capitalists keen on experiencing the region's natural wonders while staying connected to the global economy.
Difference MakerDavid Eads runs FreeGeek Chicago, 'an Apple Store for the rest of us'FreeGeek Chicago gives volunteers hands-on training in restoring old computers to sell or recycle 鈥� while they earn credits toward taking home their own desktop or laptop free of charge.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Gun-rights advocates have it wrong; Obama's 'red line' blurred on chemical weapons in SyriaLetters to the Editor for the June 10, 2013 weekly print magazine:The interpretation of the Second Amendment by gun-rights advocates as disallowing any regulation of guns fails to understand human rights. By supporting gun ownership as an unrestricted right, they allow gun violence and public mayhem to exist.Lost in the heartfelt hand-wringing and deliberation over the conflict in Syria is the fact that with every passing day more innocents die on America's watch.
Solar pumps could boost farm yields in poor countriesFoot-powered irrigation pumps are useful but limited. Diesel pumps are expensive. Solar-powered pumps could be an answer.
Difference MakerJohn Ferguson spreads goodwill for America through the power of musicPianist John Ferguson founded American Voices, a nonprofit whose mission is to help aspiring young artists around the world pursue their interest in American jazz, Broadway, break dancing, and classical music.
Cereal banks empower women and fight famine in Africa's Sahel regionGroups such as the World Food Program and Care are joining forces to create all-women-managed cereal banks in villages throughout the drought-prone Sahel region of Africa. They help protect against famine, but also empower women.
If sci-fi spurs technology, can 'social fiction' spark change?If more movies, TV series, and other media were created to help people envision better future societies, 'I bet we鈥檒l create the societies,' says Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize-winning founder of the microcredit movement.
2013 Torchlight Prize honors grass-roots US community groupsThe Torchlight Prize, a project of the Family Independence Initiative, recognizes homegrown groups that are finding unique ways to solve local community problems.
From the EditorsAre MOOCs making education a monoculture?The rise of Massive Open Online Courses is presenting higher education with a powerful challenge. Access to great teachers will help millions. But will MOOCs cause a massive college shakeout as well?
Law student Yasmene Mumby already is a veteran education reformerIn a feat of tenacity and organization worthy of a veteran leader, young law student Yasmene Mumby helped push passage of $1.1 billion in funding to improve Baltimore's schools.- Readers RespondReaders Write: How US must deal with North Korea; Sex trafficking close to homeLetters to the Editor for the June 3, 2013 weekly print magazine:The Obama administration should use soft power with North Korea, but Kim Jong-un is also unfortunately underestimated by the US and South Korea. Many聽Americans might be surprised to know that sex trafficking is a problem in their country.聽This is a grim reality, but it does not have to be our future.
Elaine Hamel uses power tools to teach girl powerElaine Hamel founded Girls at Work Inc., which helps at-risk girls discover their inner power tools of strength and courage through building projects.
Difference MakerWar survivor Mariatu Kamara speaks for children at risk in conflictHer story shows 'the devastation conflict has on children's lives but also the power of the human spirit.'
From the EditorsVacation: nothing betterThe newest trend in time off doesn't involve tweeting from Tahiti, competing in a triathlon, or climbing Mount Everest. The newest trend is unhooking, powering down, and reconnecting -- with family, friends, your own backyard, and even that little inner voice.+
From the EditorsSouth Korea's amazing riseAlmost out of nowhere -- after a devastating war, the near ruin of the 1990s Asian financial crisis, and the constant threats of annihilation from its nemesis to the north -- South Korea has moved into the first ranks of innovative, economically confident nations.
Ashoka Future Forum tackles 'Tomorrow's Media,' 'Leadership'The Ashoka Future Forum May 30 and 31 in Washington, D.C., (see a live video feed below) brings together social innovators, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to explore how people can solve problems in their families, communities, and workplaces.
Gaza Sky Geeks backs tech startups in the Gaza StripThe conflict-torn Gaza Strip produces more than 2,000 young graduates with technical degrees each year. Gaza Sky Geeks helps them launch their own high-tech businesses.
Filmmaker Mira Nair tells stories 'no one else will'Her latest feature film, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist,' and her free film school in Kampala, Uganda, are just two ways she's broadening the stories being told on screens.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Other ways to close the income gap; Time to change US health systemLetters to the Editor for the May 27, 2013 weekly print issue:聽The major problem with the income gap is CEOs and owners have gotten a bigger portion of the pie over the past 40 years. For better health care, the US needs a聽government-managed, nonprofit, single-payer system.
