All Perspectives
The interface is the messageThe Internet needed a friendly face to become usher in the digital revolution. The browser, which launched 20 years ago this spring, was that face. Today's interface of choice, the app, has launched a second revolution.
Difference MakerRachel Goble helps stop sex trafficking of impoverished childrenThe SOLD Project helps young girls in Thailand avoid becoming prostitutes through mentoring and education.
'Solar Mamas': Barefoot College women turn on the lights in off-grid villagesBesides learned to install and repair solar equipment, rural women at India's Barefoot College can learn about clean water, health care, handicrafts, communication, and more.
A new approach to suicide prevention: promote happinessInstead of talking about death and depression, Samaritans, a Boston-based suicide-prevention group, is focusing on the opposite 鈥� life and happiness 鈥� in a publicity campaign.
'Jollywood' film school shines spotlight on HaitiFollowing the lead of 'Bollywood' in India and 'Nollywood' in Nigeria, 'Jollywood' hopes to become a center for filmmaking and film education in Haiti.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Zero Dark Thirty fails to take moral stand; Founding Fathers' compromise on faithLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of January 21, 2013: Films like Kathryn Bigelow's聽Zero Dark Thirty should take a better moral stand on torture. America's Founding Fathers knew the art of compromise 鈥� even on issues of faith.
Why second acts matterScoring a 'first' is worthy of celebration. But second acts, second tries, and second chances are crucial. First, they correct for first-time flaws. Second, they prove that firsts were no fluke.
National Day of Service calls on Americans to help othersOn Saturday Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C., as well as around the United States, a National Day of Service will find Americans volunteering in myriad ways to serve others.
Difference MakerRandy Grim and Stray Rescue reshape a city's approach to animal controlGrim, a passionate dog lover, and thousands of his Stray Rescue volunteers rehabilitate stray dogs in St. Louis and place them in loving homes.
Using Hollywood to teach people about disaster givingMike Rea latched onto the release of a Hollywood film on the 2004 tsunamis in Asia to help spread his message about how to effectively support charities engaged in disaster relief.
Nonprofits respond to the Delhi gang-rape caseGroups are using blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and in-person events to marshal resources and stand up for women's rights.
In India, SELCO brings solar power to the peopleSELCO founder Harish Hande set out to dispel the myths that poor people can't afford or maintain solar technologies.
Reviving Europe鈥檚 biodiversity with exotic animalsScientists are bringing back long-lost species, such as water buffalo, to encourage the spread of native plants that fare poorly in Europe鈥檚 human-dominated landscape.
Hello Mars. Goodbye sci-fiSince the dawn of astronomy, the Red Planet has fascinated humans. For most of history, it's been just outside the range of human discovery, which made it ripe for the imagination. Now, with the Curiosity Rover's high-resolution photos and mobile science lab, Mars is joining our world.
SOCCKET energy-generating soccer ball powers up poor villagesUncharted Play has designed a soccer ball called the SOCCKET, which generates electricity for an LED light. One minute of kicking produces around six minutes of light to read, do homework, or help illuminate a home.
Difference MakerEric Schwarz and Citizen Schools give inner-city kids a leg upCitizen Schools helps level the playing field for students who grow up in low-income households by extending and enriching the school day with hands-on projects and citizen mentors.
Trapped killer whales freed by shifting ice?A pod of killer whales, trapped by a sudden freeze since Tuesday, may have found a path to freedom, thanks to warmer weather and winds that shifted the ice floes around the orcas.
Neighborhood initiative in D.C. wins federal backingThe D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative, which aims to lift children out of poverty, involves marshaling schools, nonprofits, and other community organizations to help children in troubled neighborhoods from 'cradle to college.'
In Kenya solar lamps reduce childbirth risksInstead of relying on moonlight or dangerous and smoky kerosene lamps, midwives now use solar-powered lamps to make childbirth safer in remote regions of Kenya that are off the electric grid.
The 'gift economy' offers a rule-breaking way to relate to othersWhat鈥檚 better than turning a profit by selling your work? Filmmakers, cafe owners, and even corporations like Panera Bread point to the satisfaction that comes with giving it away.
