Delegates at an African International Media Summit convened in Ghana this week to discuss ways to change the continent’s doom and gloom image, are proposing a good news network to combat what they call a culture of negative reporting… "We would like to call it the ‘positive story network’". (Reuters)
African Media Wants Good News Story Network
15-Year-Old Amputee Shines On Stage as Dancer
Natalie decided at 13 she wanted to be a dancer. Only problem was one of her legs was artificial below the knee. She started taking classes at Georgio’s American Dancer Centre but never told the instructor about her prosthetic. Eight months later, her teacher was stunned to learn the truth. Natalie danced better than other girls with two legs and won a spot in the senior company. She never gave up her dream and now stands out as “one of the dancers with the most rhythm and grace.” (Details and video at MSNBC)
Paraguay: Music against Hunger
Tomorrow a group of world-famous artists raise their voices in Paraguay’s capital to draw attention to the world’s hungry and raise money for food programs. The mega-concert, Music vs. Hunger will be staged in “Defensores del Chaco” stadium in the Paraguayan capital, the first time an event of this magnitude has been organized in Paraguay…
Muslims Cross Cultural Bridge in Scouting
The Good News Network is proud to present video for the first time! In a report featured by Voice of America, Muslim children are finding a cultural bridge with American kids by becoming Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. The parents believe scouting teaches values similar to those of their faith… The best part is the seeding in young kids of understanding for different cultures. (read the story and see photos at voanews.com)
Bad News is Making Us Sick
Gabriel Miller writes a story in The London Paper pointing to health experts who say the prevalence of
Alternative Medicine Saves Foot from Amputation
A South African newspaper reports doctors told diabetic Terry Whitfield that his gangrene-ravaged foot would need to be amputated. Instead he sought the help of an alternative healer and calls the outcome a miracle…
Hockey Fan Gives Life to Another Fan
Atlanta Thrashers fan Andy Freeman, after having been on dialysis for two years, received a donated kidney from a stranger solely because they shared a love of hockey.
Freeman, who could not find a single match among his family, was watching a Thrashers game in an Atlanta sports bar with fellow fan Doug Shaw and mentioned his need for a kidney. Shaw then mentioned Freeman’s plight to his wife, Brandi, who, as it turns out, shares the same blood type as Freeman. The odds of being a perfect match for a non-relative, though, were “astronomical”.
China, India Once Food Aid Recipients, Now Food Donors
In the same year it stopped receiving global food aid, China emerged as the world’s third largest food donor. According to a report by the World Food Programme (WFP) released late last month, China donated 577,000 tons of food in 2005, mainly to neighbor North Korea, placing it only behind the United States and the European Union on the list of global food donors.
“With 1.3 billion mouths to feed and a land mass largely unsuited to agriculture (only around 14 per cent of the territory comprises arable land), China’s achievements in vanquishing hunger are all the more impressive,” says Pallavi Aiyar in The Hindu’s online edition…
Another success story is India’s transformation as a recipient of food aid in 2000 to becoming the 15th largest donor to WFP last year. (WFP delivered 54 percent of the world’s total food aid that year.)
“In the last three years,” United News of India reported, “India has made donations through WFP worth about $52 million to assist children in Afghanistan and Iraq to return to schools benefitting nearly 2 million children.” The distribution of India’s biscuits at educational facilities have persuaded families to allow their daughters to enroll in schools across Afghanistan.
So, the lesson is that once we help countries to become developed, they can help still more countries…
The Big Picture for Food Aid
Global food aid overall grew by 10 percent to 8.2 million metric tons in 2005. China accounted for more than half of the rise in overall food aid donations in 2005, with a 260 percent increase compared to the previous year. Canada increased its donations by 42 percent, to 275,000 tons. Other relatively new donors, such as the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, doubled or even tripled their support from 2004 to 2005.
Donations from non-governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross, increased by 64 percent.
The U.S. Still Most Generous Donor
The United States remained the world’s most generous food aid donor, providing 4 million tons, or 49 percent of all donations. Overall donations from the European Union totalled 1.5 million tons, with the European Commission, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden significantly increasing their support.
“Donations of food made the difference between life and death after the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake and in Sudan, so we are extraordinarily grateful to all who gave last year,” said James T. Morris, Executive Director of WFP.
Which Countries Receive the Food
For the first time on record, more than half of all food aid was sent to sub-Saharan Africa, which received 4.6 million tons of food aid. Ethiopia again topped the list of countries receiving food aid, with 1.1 million tons of food aid, or 13 percent of all food aid delivered in 2005. Other major recipients in Africa included Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea and Kenya.
Food aid to Asia increased by 14 percent, and the Democratic Republic of Korea received the second-highest amount of food aid worldwide, with 1.1 million tons – most of it bilateral aid donated from China and the Republic of Korea. Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka were also among the principal recipients.
Food aid destined for Latin America and the Caribbean increased 8 percent against 2004, while deliveries to the Middle East and North Africa dropped 53 percent and to Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States fell by 30 percent.
“Sadly, there still is not enough food aid to feed everyone who needs it. The number of hungry is rising by more than 4 million people a year in the developing world, even though poverty is declining. We need a food first policy,” added Morris.
You can help by donating to the United Nations World Food Programme (which receives no dues or UN contributions).
The Hindu- Food Security: China’s Success Story
India’s Success
Utah Man Spreads Gift of Books Around the World
A man from Holladay, Utah has made it his passion to give away books, almost a half a million so far, to school children who have no libraries. Ken Deyhle has been shipping text and storybooks to 28 countries around the world with his Deyhle Foundation ever since he retired from the insurance business eight years ago. Kids now have brand new books — in Spanish and English — thanks to Ken’s contribution, with its retail value of over $5 million. (video for Windows users at KSL.com)
Stunning Finds of Fish and Coral
Scientists have discovered hugely diverse fish and coral populations thriving off Indonesia’s Papua coastlines including dozens of new species like the “walking” shark that travels on its fins. The expeditions led by Conservation International (CI) to the heart of Asia’s “Coral Triangle” confirmed the region as the Earth’s richest seascape. (“Walking” shark photo, right, by Gerry Allen)
The unmatched marine biodiversity of the Bird’s Head Seascape, named for the shape of the distinctive peninsula on the northwestern end of Indonesia’s Papua province, includes more than 1,200 species of fish and almost 600 species of reef-building (scleractinian) coral, or 75 percent of the world’s known total.
Researchers described an underwater world of visual wonders, such as the small epaulette shark that “walks” on its fins and colorful schools of reef fish populating abundant and healthy corals of all shapes and sizes.
“These Papuan reefs are literally ‘species factories’ that require special attention to protect them from (expanding commercial fishing),” said Mark Erdmann, senior adviser of CI’s Indonesian Marine Program, who led the surveys. “Six of our survey sites, which are areas the size of two football fields, had over 250 species of reef-building coral each — that’s more than four times the number of coral species of the entire Caribbean Sea.”
Researchers found more than 50 species of fish, coral and mantis shrimp previously unknown to science in the Bird’s Head Seascape that covers 18 million hectares (44.4 mil acres) including 2,500 islands and submerged reefs. The seascape also includes the largest Pacific leatherback turtle nesting area in the world, and migratory populations of sperm and Bryde’s whales, orcas and several dolphin species.
Evangelical Christian Opposes School anctioned Prayer
An evangelical Christian wrote a letter to the editor of WorldNetDaily.com describing exactly why prayer at a high school football game is a bad idea. His opinion of religious beliefs contrary to his own is not a generous or charitable one, but he now understands the alienation that can occur when one is subjected to the beliefs of others in a public environment where the community’s welfare should be the top concern…
Five Former Soviet Republics Swear Off Nuclear Weapons
Last week, five former Soviet republics committed themselves to never acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, or testing nuclear weapons by signing a treaty to create a Central Asian nuclear-weapon-free zone. The nonpartisan, independent Arms Control Association (ACA) welcomed the move as a positive step forward in reinforcing a beleaguered nuclear nonproliferation regime and advancing the goal of nuclear disarmament…
Central Asia used to house part of the sprawling Soviet nuclear weapons complex. But now Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have broken with this nuclear past by signing the free zone pact at a former Soviet nuclear testing site, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. Negotiations on the agreement started in 1997.
Despite being surrounded by nuclear-armed neighbors, these five states have courageously and correctly concluded that nuclear weapons are not necessary for their future security, declared ACA Executive Director Daryl Kimball. All states clinging or aspiring to nuclear weapons should heed this principled example and take their own steps to revive the lackluster nuclear disarmament process, which is the only sure way of protecting all countries against nuclear terror, he urged.
The Central Asian zone will be the fifth such arrangement. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco), the South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga), Southeast Asia (Treaty of Bangkok), and Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba) have also banded together to create nuclear-weapon-free zones. Mongolia has also outlawed nuclear weapons on its territory and all countries are prohibited from stationing nuclear weapons in Antarctica, on the seabed, and in outer space.
(Thanks to my Italian friend Sergio Tripi and his Good News Agency for all the great news in this month’s newsletter)
Gates, Rockefeller Charities Take Aim at African Hunger
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation have teamed up to tackle hunger in Africa, starting with a $150 million endowment. The alliance will focus on efforts to “improve the productivity of small farms in a bid to move tens of millions of people out of extreme poverty and to significantly reduce hunger”.
(The Seattle Times)
Soros Invests $50M to Lift African Villages From Poverty
US financier George Soros is to invest $50 million in a development project that aims to show how targeted investment can end extreme poverty in African villages. His donation is being matched by other donors to bring in $100 million for The Millennium Villages program which involves small, focused investment in community-driven projects in the health, education and agriculture sectors…
Wetlands Funding Approved by U.S. House
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The bill, which was passed by lawmakers without debate, authorizes $375 million to fund wetlands conservation programs over the next five years. (ENS)
Branson Investing $400m in Eco-Friendly Fuel Research
Richard Branson went green today when his Virgin Group launched an investment fund for environmentally friendly fuels. Branson said the new Virgin Fuels business will invest up to $400m (€315.6m) in renewable energy initiatives over the next three years. The most exciting news is that Branson said…
Crafting Guns into Guitars
Polished rosewood, guitar frets and strings are added to the shotguns and AK-47s reclaimed through Colombia’s peace process “turning tools of death into symbols of hope… As part of a United Nations program to promote peace, Luis Alberto Paredes receives the decommissioned rifles with the working parts wielded together for safety… Now, his distinctive instruments are sought by musicians worldwide.” Carlos Santana and Paul McCartney are on the long waiting list… (Sapa-AP or Reuters)
Just-a-Minute Can Transform Your Life
A new campaign to create personal peace in an ever-intensifying global climate of chaos and change is being launched this Sunday at London’s Wembley Arena and around the world with an internet simulcast. Entitled just-a-minute (j-a-m), the initiative introduces regular one-minute periods of silence into peoples lives, whether stressed out executives, social activists or busy moms, and includes multi-media tools such as one minute spoken meditations to download onto computers or podcast…
Organized by the Brahma Kumaris, a global women-led spiritual organization, the just-a-minute campaign emphasizes the positive effects of meditation on our health and well-being. Its purpose is to help people incorporate a short period of meditation into their busy schedules.
Join people around the world for a virtual one minute wave of peace this Sunday, September 17, via the Internet. Register on the just-a-minute website and your locations will light up on a vast world map visible in the Wembley stadium.
The Benefits of Meditation
Meditation is now offered in schools, hospitals, offices, government buildings and prisons to help people relax and refresh the mind making it more focussed and effective. Increasingly aware of the well documented benefits, doctors are recommending meditation for patients with chronic problems such as heart conditions, AIDS and cancer, as well as depression, hyperactivity and ADD.
- Meditation can be an active rather than passive process. Brain areas dealing with input from the senses become less active, but other parts “light up†and the heart rate increases.
- People who believe in and practice connecting with a transcendent being suffer less from symptoms of depression than those who don’t.
- Scientists used to believe connections among brain cells were fixed early in life and did not change in adulthood. But recent studies using brain imaging have shown that meditation can enhance brain circuitry. It can improves mental activity by increasing coordination between different brain areas.
The Web cast begins at 3:30pm London time, 10:30am New York time. The global link up segment starts at 4:00 pm in London (11:00am NY) with 100 countries tuning in and lighting up the world map. At 4:25pm (11:25am in New York) the one-minute of silence will commence spreading a wave of peace across the world.
The just-a-minute launch event is dedicated to the United Nations International Day of Peace (September 21) and celebrates 70 years of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.
The Wembley event is free to the public but very few tickets remain. To reserve your seat, or for more information, visit www.just-a-minute.org or call 020 8902 4141 (in England).
Four Exchange Kidneys In Remarkable Swap
A new program allows healthy family members to donate their kidneys to strangers in exchange for receiving an organ for their loved one. In Chicago, the second such swap ever brought together two families from very different backgrounds and united them in a bond of lasting friendship. Instead of Doug’s wife only helping her husband, she is helping someone else in the process. Watch the video or read the story at CBS2Chicago.
Clean Up the World Weekend Mobilizes Millions
Some 35 million volunteers from 122 countries are expected take part this weekend in rubbish-clearing efforts along coastlines and waterways across the globe as part of the annual Clean Up the World Weekend. Volunteers will pick up trash on beaches, in villages and at various other sites around the world, among them Australia’s Sydney Harbour, the Nile River in Egypt, and Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach.