All People Making a Difference
Arts center helps youths in Bogota shun guns, drugsAn arts center, run by a Colombian non-governmental organization, works with former child soldiers 鈥� leftist rebels and right-wing paramilitaries 鈥� to help them return to civilian life.
Difference MakerVolleyball for all on a famous Rio beachRoberto Bosch's volleyball school was getting nowhere. Then he invited kids from the slums to join for free.- Difference MakerScott Neeson left Hollywood to save children rooting in Cambodia's garbage dumpsHe sold his mansion, Porsche, and yacht and set off for Cambodia to provide food, shelter, and education to destitute children.
Tasintha sets Zambia's sex workers on a better pathThe nonprofit group Tasintha helps prostitutes reform their lives using a positive, nonjudgmental approach.
Could the blackout be fuel for India's energy entrepreneurs?New technologies created by India's energy entrepreneurs could provide affordable clean energy through community-scale micro-grids, solar home systems, and solar lanterns that displace the need for subsidized kerosene and provide a hundred times the lumens for a fraction of the cost.
As cities grow, technology could help quench the world's thirstApplying known technologies and changing old practices could make a big difference in ensuring an adequate water supply for both agriculture and cities, one expert says.
How cities can get drivers bikingHow can planners attract the 60 percent of Americans who say they would bike more if they felt more secure? The answer could be cheap and simple.
A modern, wired university grows in NigeriaThe American University of Nigeria provides a modern education right in the backyard of Boko Haram, Nigeria's homegrown terrorist group. One clue: The campus claims 55 percent of all the Internet traffic in Nigeria.
Bamboo farming takes pressure off Kenya's forestsEvicted from Kenya's protected forests, displaced people are finding a new way to make a living 鈥� without cutting trees 鈥� by turning to bamboo farming.- Difference MakerOne-time skinhead Arno Michaels helps youths respond with compassionHis Kindness Not Weakness outreach program challenges diverse audiences to show the kind of 'warrior' strength needed to practice nonviolence.
12 innovations that could combat droughtClimate change is making it increasingly important to protect US agriculture and address its vulnerability to natural disasters, such as drought.
'Own your own boda' (motorcycle taxi) empowers UgandansA startup helps motorcycle taxi drivers in Kampala, Uganda, buy their bikes, which in turn helps them buy homes, start businesses, and send their kids to school.
'Popovers for Pigs' helps green up famous Acadia National Park restaurant'Popovers for Pigs' is just one of the many environmental initiatives undertaken by Jordan Pond House, the only restaurant to operate inside Acadia National Park on the scenic seacoast of Maine.
Difference MakerChepe Ubaque survived Colombia's mean streets. Now he helps others do the same.Hip-hop, graffiti, break dancing, and journalism programs give teens in Colombia a safe way to express themselves 鈥� and avoid violence.
Charities plan to distribute $2 million in aid for Colorado shooting victimsMore than 2,500 individuals have donated to help victims and their families in the aftermath of a shooting spree in a Colorado theater. At GivingFirst.org donors can choose from a list of 10 organizations to contribute to.
Teach Twice shares stories with the worldTeach Twice's title echoes its dual purposes: Provide parents with great stories to read to children, and provide financial aid to schools and students in developing countries.
Fish-loving Japan begins to embrace sustainable seafoodIn fish-crazed Japan, where eating seafood is a vital part of the nation's culture, conservation groups are working with companies to persuade more Japanese to eat certified, sustainably caught seafood. If they succeed, it could have a significant positive impact on the world's fisheries.
Water harvesting slakes thirst at an innovative Kenyan innFaced with an expensive and unreliable municipal water supply, an entrepreneur collects rainwater for his inn in an underground tank, creating an abundant supply for the guest rooms, toilets, bathrooms, kitchen, and restaurant.
Social media: Kids leverage online networks for civic engagementSocial media is a tool that enables kids to engage in issues they care about and bring about real change. Just ask Seventeen magazine and Universal Studios.
Why resilience is the key to solving 21st century problemsAuthor and PopTech executive director Andrew Zolli says the ability of people and institutions to bounce back from challenges will be needed more and more. It can be learned, as he found out in his own life.