All Perspectives
Difference MakerRohini Nilekani pours her wealth into getting books to India's poorest childrenWhen she found herself suddenly wealthy, the Indian philanthropist founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publisher that uses innovative ways to put low-cost books in the hands of millions of kids.
Gardening projects change lives of troubled veteransEncouraging recovering military veterans to work in community gardens helps lift them out of depression, increases their self-esteem 鈥� and even gets them eating better, says Vietnam War vet and gardening guru Howard Hinterthuer.
Inner-city grocery chain innovates by hiring ex-cons, providing fresh foodThe story of a Philadelphia grocery store chain suggests that collaboration with the community may be the key to success for businesses in struggling neighborhoods.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Can we teach robots to think ethically?Letters to the Editor for the October 8, 2012 weekly print issue:聽When we create artificial intelligence, will we create artificial 'ethicators,' too? The potential for 'cognitive decision-making skills' in computers is both challenging and exciting.
How poor is poor? How rich is rich?Everyone from the US Census Bureau to the United Nations has a definition of poverty. A reasonable income is unquestionably important. But income alone doesn't determine whether someone is poor. Or rich.聽
Alice Walker: 'Go to the places that scare you'The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Color Purple' says a life worth living must be fought for. 'You have to go wherever you need to go ... and place yourself there against the forces that would distort you and destroy you.'
Difference MakerBrenda Palms Barber offers ex-cons in Chicago a honey of a second chanceSweet Beginnings, a growing business on Chicago's West Side, provides just released prisoners with job experience making honey and other products.
Ex-NASA engineer designs an app to chart water qualityJohn Feighery created mWater 鈥� a cell phone app that instantly records and maps the results of water-quality tests, making monitoring of water quality in developing countries quicker and easier.
'Parent power' film stirs hopes among education reform activistsReviewers called it trite and dull, but education reformers on both the left and right have hailed 'Won't Back Down' as a potential game-changer for public education.
One solution to Palestine's economic problems? Export bits and bytesThe technology sector, which simply requires an Internet connection, is free of the border restraints that most other Palestinian industries experience.
Five cities and the groups that are making them greenAround the world cities are promoting urban agriculture to help feed their growing populations.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Labor unions deserve our thanks; Alcohol is deadliest drugLetters to the Editor for the October 1, 2012 weekly print issue: Only 12 percent of workers are in unions now, but we should remember how unions have improved our lives and thank the many laborers around us today. In driving accidents, alcohol 鈥� not marijuana 鈥� is the deadliest drug.
Reading the Quran in a new wayLike the Bible, the Quran is filled with fiery passages and gentle ones. Some sentences contradict others. But a new way of reading the Muslim holy book -- based on an old way of storytelling -- might shed a very different light on its meaning.
Difference MakerBruce Lasky trains young lawyers in Asia to defend the poor and powerlessThe New York City native quietly champions legal reforms in Southeast Asia, a region where the rule of law is often weak and governments are criticized for their human rights records.
Southeast Asian scientists look to reinvent the flush toiletThe 200-year-old flush toilet requires a substantial amount of infrastructure, which is expensive to build and run. Innovative toilets could be a source of energy while dramatically improving sanitation.
This '1 percent' helps nonprofits solve architectural problems'The 1聽percent' a program of public architecture based in San Francisco, connects nonprofit groups in need of design assistance with free help from architecture or design firms.
Battling back: US veterans help each otherIn Florida, Veterans Helping Veterans assigns former military service men and women to mentor other veterans who have ended up on the wrong side of the law.
How a mobile phone vendor became Zimbabwe's fastest-growing bankEcoCash, a mobile money-transfer service, now has a million subscribers. 'There is a lot of money to be made by investing in the poor,' says Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
Balancing food, weather, and populationThe drought that has hit the United States and other grain-producing nations could be global warming or just a one-season aberration. But while weather fluctuates year to year, global population doesn't. And that means that feeding 9 billion mouths by 2050 will require unprecedented effort.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Grading teachers isn't enough; Teachers deserve useful evaluation and support.Letters for the Editor for the September 24 weekly print issue: When done with teacher buy-in, multiple measures, and meaningful professional development, teacher evaluation benefits entires school systems. Should teachers be graded? Yes. And so should parents, administrators, school boards, communities, and students. Evaluation shouldn't begin and end with teachers.
