All People Making a Difference
Free shoes from TOMS: Can such philanthropy hurt more than help?An Oscars ad will highlight TOMS, the company whose sustainable-philanthropy program has given away 50 million shoes. But critics say that what 'free' philanthropy sustains is poverty itself.
Difference MakerKaryn Parsons tells inspiring true stories of little-known African-AmericansShe founded Sweet Blackberry to make films that introduce new historical figures to children of all ethnic backgrounds.
'It's a Wonderful Life' actress shares the film's uplifting messageKarolyn Grimes played little Zuzu Bailey in the classic 1946 movie. Today, she travels the country talking about its message of hope and healing 鈥� and sometimes her own story, too.
Difference MakerVewiser Dixon's ambitious vision: make inner-city Kansas City a 'black Silicon Valley'The African-American entrepreneur is applying his brand of 'marketplace ministry' to create a climate for minority-owned technology start-up companies.
Uganda's anti-child trafficking campaign goes to schoolsAn American charity, Books for Africa, is part of anti-human-trafficking task force reaching out to poor communities vulnerable to child trafficking by promoting literacy.
Youths in Brooklyn create jobs and community roots through compost programThis New York City neighborhood makes gardens out of vacant lots to tackle gentrification and high youth unemployment.
Women in Zanzibar learn the law to keep control of their landThe government and several NGOs have embarked on a series of awareness campaigns to help women understand their rights of land ownership.
KaBOOM! moves beyond the playgroundThe nonprofit has led more than 16,000 projects to build or improve playgrounds using local volunteers. Now it's broadening its mission to encourage more child play everywhere.
Difference MakerIan Anand Forber-Pratt returned to India to put every child in a loving familyAdopted by an American couple he's gone back to the country of his birth to found Foster Care India with a goal of placing every unwanted child in a caring family.
Historic deal protects Canada's Pacific forest 'jewel'About 85 percent of forest in The Great Bear Rainforest, one of the world's largest temperate rain forests that stores high levels of captured carbon, will be preserved.
How a prize for water innovators could save billions of gallonsThe competition, called Dreampipe, looks for innovative ways to reduce the huge amount of water lost through leaks, theft, or inaccurate meters in developing countries.
'Natural geoengineering鈥� could slow global warmingAn overlooked tool in fighting climate change is enhancing biodiversity 鈥� especially the top predators 鈥� to maximize the ability of ecosystems to store carbon.
Robotics classes in Nigeria inspire a new generationProject 10,000 Kids provides tech education to young people and plans to create the first STEM high school in the country by 2017.
Volunteering for Lifewater International: 'I was hooked'Sally Scholl travels across Africa and Asia teaching local communities better sanitation and hygiene practices. She's just embarked on her 21st trip.
Difference MakerTom Szaky started TerraCycle to help 'de-junk' the worldHis company now is an international leader in 'recycling the unrecyclable.'
'I saw myself as a university professor'Older Americans are making a difference in 'encore careers.'
A Greek grandmother, fisherman among Nobel Peace nomineesEmilia Kamvisi and Stratis Valiamos symbolically show the best responses Greeks have made toward a huge influx of refugees.
Syrian orchestra will reunite in LondonThe Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music, which includes musicians from different perspectives of Syria's war, will perform June 25, showing 'another side to the Syrian story.'
Citizen science can empower communitiesFrom the Nappy Science Gang to the Flint Water Study ordinary citizens are partnering with experts to do scientific research to solve problems.
Difference MakerCorita Bussanmas 'saw a need and tried to fill it'Decades later, thousands of children and parents in Kansas City have benefited from Operation Breakthrough.
