"Sinn Fein members have voted to support policing in Northern Ireland for the first time in the party’s history, a ‘landmark decision’ which opens the way to Northern Ireland power-sharing." Republicanism and Unionism had reached an historic compromise, said Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein President, describing the latest in a long timeline of steps taken toward peace in Ireland. (BBC) (Submitted by new GNN member, MJ Allen)
Brazil Nuts Transforming Poor Villages, Forest Preservation
"Help is at hand for the Amazon rainforest and Brazil’s poverty-stricken rural people – courtesy of the country’s famous native nut. Small communities are using the Brazil nut to generate income from the rainforest without destroying it. Co-ops are forming and providing the promise of not only more production but better living conditions for rural workers." (BBC) Thanks to new GNN member, MJ Allen, for submitting link!
Homeless Man Helps Save Houseboat Resident From Drowning
"A great story that shows you never know how your angels may be packaged," wrote Ken E., who submitting a link to this Washington Post report: "It was 10:30, and not a soul was around to hear him cry "Help!" … Next, a homeless man told him: " ‘You’re not going to die tonight. I’m going to hold on to you. I got you,’ " (The man) lost consciousness a few times… but Lipscomb never let go… Later his brother called it a miracle."
Nigeria’s Thriving ‘Lady Mechanics’ Once Disadvantaged
Sandra Aguebor, an activist known to Nigerians as the Lady Mechanic, is a mother of two who rose from humble beginnings to national prominence creating a thriving enterprise that trains disadvantaged women in Nigeria to learn a promising trade once considered for “men only.” (Christian Science Monitor)
Visit the Lady Mechanic Initiative for more details.
Poachers Turned Eco-Tour Guides
"They once were criminals who hunted endangered animals and stripped rare trees in the forest preserves of India. Now they are stewards and protectors of the land" making their living as as eco-tour guides. The reformed poachers are excellent guides because their jungle skills are so advanced. They’re proud to be respectable citizens now, even helping to catch new poachers. A great government program! (National Geographic Video)
Homeless Brought to See ‘Happyness’ Film
The mayor of Washington, D.C., was approached by a 52-year-old homeless woman with the idea of hosting a free screening of the movie Pursuit of Happyness for the city’s homeless people, and the mayor did just that. Thursday, a crowd of homeless folks were inspired with hope seeing the actor Will Smith play a father who, living on the streets with his son, finally achieves his goal of becoming a stock broker. (AP interviews the moviegoers, via Chron.com)
Kevin Bacon Uses ‘Six Degrees’ To Raise Money for Charity
Kevin Bacon launched SixDegrees.org, a new Web site that encourages the creation of charitable social networks and inspires giving to charities online.
Bacon started the network with celebrities who are highlighting their favorite charities – including Kyra Sedgwick (NRDC), Nicole Kidman (UNIFEM), Ashley Judd (YouthAIDS), Bradley Whitford (Clothes off Our Back), Dana Delany (Scleroderma Foundation), Robert Duvall (Pro Mujer), Rosie O’Donnell (Rosie’s For All Kids), and Jessica Simpson (Operation Smile) – and he’s encouraging all of us to become celebrities for our own causes by joining the Six Degrees movement…
“SixDegrees.org is about using the idea that we are all connected to accomplish something good,” said Bacon. “It is my hope that Six Degrees will soon be something more than a game or a gimmick. It will also be a force for good, by bringing a social conscience to social networking.” The game, ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,’ made the rounds of college campuses over the past decade and lived on to become a shorthand term to describe the phenomenon of a small world.
Through SixDegrees.org people can learn about and support the charities of celebrities or fundraise for their own favorite causes with their friends and families. The public can create their own celebrity badges to mark their charity by uploading their own photos and stories and using AIM Pages. The site even keeps a running tally of donations for each charity. So far, the site has collected a total of more than $71,000 in its first two weeks.
Bacon will match the charitable dollars raised by the top six non-celebrity fundraisers with grants of up to $10,000 each.
Kicking off the launch of SixDegrees.org, Bacon attended the opening of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, last week where he and other celebrities encouraged charitable giving. Entertainment Weekly celebrated SixDegrees.org and Kevin Bacon with plans for a third annual Sundance Opening Weekend Party. Items were to be donated by celebrities to be later auctioned on eBay using eBay Giving Works. Bacon was also to be feted at an AOL reception where he will tape an episode of Moviefone.com’s Unscripted with Bradley Whitford, a SixDegrees.org participant and star of “An American Crime” premiering at Sundance.
Bacon created SixDegrees.org in partnership with the nonprofit, Network for Good, AOL, and Entertainment Weekly.
Photo: Instagram
Asian Poverty Reduction at 95%
In 1990 there were 500 million people living in poverty in East Asia and the Pacific region. That number is now under 200 million, and the World Bank projects that by 2011 it will be under 20 million — a reduction of 95 percent.
— Ray Kurzweil, author, inventor and futurist speaking at the Ted Conference
Recognizing People Who Do The Right Thing
Over the last five years or so there has been an incredible amount of giving by more and more people, whether it’s contributing money or time. People are feeling connected and “making a difference.” But many are choosing to keep their contributions private. They are modest or they suggest that their donation is too small to be made public or they don’t want to appear to be boasting about what they have done. I think the time has arrived for us to build momentum in a different direction.
For every good deed that you do for someone else, I think it is important to shout it from the rooftops in any forum that you can find.
When you hear of someone else’s good deed, do you hear yourself thinking, “Couldn’t you have done better?” or, “I guess you think you are the top dog now?”
Fear of that kind of reaction prevents many people from proudly stating the things that they are doing to help, regardless of the size of the act.
So, I say, let’s take everything we do for people, from the smallest compliment to the largest donation of time, energy, money and knowledge, and start boasting about it. It’s time that people really started to share what they are doing so that others are encouraged to share also.
Let’s create an environment where all forms of media, TV, radio, print and the Internet, are oozing with stories of contribution and making a difference. Forums like the GoodNewsNetwork.org are perfect places to share your stories. Let’s not be afraid to highlight some contribution, to boast of some deed where you made a difference.
Maybe we could create a place where contributions are captured for all to see and learn from. Maybe here at GNN?
Feeling proud in secret and feeling proud in public create different levels of positive energy. I would suggest the latter is more productive, as the feelings become amplified as you tell the stories of your success. The energy increases exponentially as others get ideas from your success and look for ways to implement variations and improvements. When someone takes an idea that I had and improves it, I say “Yes – way to go!” Everyone wins when such energy is released and not contained.
For example, two weeks ago I wrote a story called, Giving a Break to Hassled Customer Service People. It told my story of observing a gate attendent at an airport who was really getting hassled after people missed their flight during bad weather. I was inspired to get in line along with all the ornery people, even though I didn’t need a ticket, and then when it was my turn, to ask her to enjoy a little break; to remember her goodness; to relax a bit and recover for a minute before returning to the next irate customer in line.
Some people wrote to me and suggested that I was, in fact, bragging and that I should keep such stories to myself. Others critiqued it and said, “Yeah – so what? So you did a nice thing? Big deal.”
If we all follow the model that these writers suggest, then we lose the opportunity to share good ideas with others or we feel afraid to share such things for fear of criticism.
I replied where appropriate, outlining my belief in the reasons for sharing ideas about making a difference.
The greatest energy, however, was manifest in the number of people who wrote to me, congratulating me on the suggestion and taking it upon themselves to do something of a similar vein within 48 hours. Some of these writers even suggested ways of improving what I did or implementing the idea in a different variation.
To those people, I say, “Bravo – go for it.”
The more we publicly share, the more momentum is created for spreading positive energy to everyone around us and the smaller the voice grows for the naysayers who believe that such good works must be kept silent.
Sharing these stories provides more people with the courage and desire to make a difference in their own way, no matter how small.
It is not the size of the gesture that counts – it is the existence of the gesture itself that is important.
I make a point of helping at least 10 people per week with unsolicited contributions of kindness, time, energy or money (whatever is appropriate). I keep a list each week to make sure I am on track to help at least 10. I share these acts with others and encourage you to do the same.
Proudly tell others what you have done. Don’t judge the size of the contribution – just share it. Together, we are all making a difference and driving the envelope of positive, sharing energy to new levels. Take care and be well. Harry
(Photos TOP: Dr. Wentz, an American scientist who donated a medical center and lab in Uganda – CENTER: Rob Brezsny does reverse panhandling)
Improvisation Boosts Reading in Poor Inner City School
Rachel Farmer is a fourth-grade teacher in Brooklyn who defies the stereotype of the exhausted teacher, run down by poor inner-city schools. Instead of burned-out, Rachel is lit up — and so are her students.
The kids read more books than any other class in the city of New York, placing them at the pinnacle of NYC’s Accelerated Reading Program. This is a story of how Rachel beat the odds using a playful (improvisational) approach to teaching…
Her class is a New York City success story. Eighty-five percent of the students were ranked on or above reading level for their age, and 92 percent were on or above level in math. Her students love to read so much (“Harry Potter” is a favorite) that she often needs to tell them to stop so they can do other activities.
How did Rachel beat the odds at PS/IS 165 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, her public school? The answer lies in her playful (improvisational) approach to classroom learning.
As the teachers got better as improvisers, they learned how to integrate the games into a math or history or geography lesson. Further, they advanced their ability to relate with students as part of a learning ensemble, that could succeed together, with nobody left behind.
Rachel practiced the improv games with her students every day. She noticed an immediate difference in classroom performance: the young people were focused, more attentive, more excited about succeeding and excited about supporting their fellow students to succeed. The games presented a challenge – for everyone.
The “Yes-And” game, for example, is designed to teach students how to “accept conversational offers.” Children create a collective story where they have to build upon what the previous speaker says — relating to each statement as an improvisational “offer.” As they go around the circle, adding new sentences onto the collective story, each child starts his/her sentence with the words “yes, and.” The game requires students to stretch to learn a new way of communicating that includes listening and focusing on what the other person is saying.
Most of Rachel’s students knew how to negate, disagree and argue, but it was much more difficult for them to accept and build upon their classmates’ contributions. Rachel and her colleagues discovered that performance games could have enormous value in creating the kind of group environment in which students can support one another.
For example, one day their assignment was to perform the “number game.” In this game, students stand in a circle and count out loud from one to ten, with only one person speaking at a time. If more than one person calls out a number, the group must start over. This game requires the students to listen, look at each other and concentrate. After practicing, each group of five or six students had to perform the game for the entire class. They were given only one chance to succeed. All the groups got it right, except one. The class asked Rachel if the unsuccessful group could have one more chance. Rachel agreed. When they succeeded, the class applauded.
Rachel was awarded a Developing Teachers Fellowship from the East Side Institute for the school year 2006-2007. The 10-month fellowship program, led by Lois Holzman (www.loisholzman.net), Institute director and author of Schools for Growth: Radical Alternatives to Current Educational Models
On The Need for a Program in Schools (from the Institute’s Website):
Many teachers feel unprepared for the complex challenges of today’s classrooms: mixed learning styles and grade levels; cultural diversity; lack of motivation – all with the pressure to raise standards. In order to meet these demands, teachers need new tools for developing a rigorous and inclusive community in the classroom.
Whether they’re working with a small group or a class of 40, whether they are teaching workshop style or “chalk and talk” teaching to the test, or engaging in creative play, teachers are always working with groups. Teachers of all grade levels and content areas can benefit greatly from learning the latest innovations in group process.
They call their particular approach, social therapy, and it is practiced at ten social therapy centers in the US. The non-profit East Side Institute runs on grants and donations and more info is available at the link below.
(Janet Wootten is Communications and Marketing Director for the The East Side Institute)
Homegrown Power a Fix for Energy Crunch and Global Warming
Homegrown electricity could be one ingredient used to combat the 21st century’s expected energy crunch, easing the load on electrical grids with a system called “net metering,” now legal in 34 states. Net metering works by enabling electricity customers who make their own power to actually sell to, as well as buy from, their utility companies…
Oil Firm Offers to Pay College Tuition for All Students in Town for 20 Years
Executives of Murphy Oil Corporation thrilled their hometown of El Dorado, Arkansas when they announced to students in a packed gymnasium their intention to offer college scholarships to everyone graduating from El Dorado High School over the next 20 years. The $50 million fund will dole out college money for any institution in or out of state equal to the tuition at an Arkansas public university.
“This is a huge day. As of today, El Dorado High School graduates will have an unprecedented opportunity to continue their education,” said Bob Watson, superintendent of El Dorado Public Schools. “For some students, this is life-changing. Those who have worked hard, but would not have been able to attend college because of financial limitations, now have the means to do so.”
The “El Dorado Promise” scholarship program was established and funded by Murphy Oil Corporation, a major supplier of gasoline for pumps at Wal-Marts and Sam’s Clubs, as a way to better the town, attract new businesses, and create better jobs for returning graduates.
“We are committed to making El Dorado a great place to live and work, and we created the Promise to further invest in El Dorado’s greatest resource: our children,” said Claiborne Deming, President and CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation.
The Promise college grants are available to all students who graduate from El Dorado High School, reside in the district, and have been an El Dorado Public School student since at least the ninth grade.
The scholarship amount is determined by length of attendance in the El Dorado Public School District. For example, graduates who have attended in the district since Kindergarten will receive 100 percent of the scholarship. Students who have attended since freshman year of high school receive 65 percent.
The maximum amount of the Promise scholarship is based on the maximum level tuition payable at an Arkansas public university. In 2006-2007, the highest tuition rate in the state was $3,005 per semester.
The company will put up $5 million a year for 10 years to fund El Dorado’s Promise, which could be offering grants to graduates for up to 20 years. (Photo from El Dorado Promise)
Tesco to Build World’s Largest Solar Roof and Spend Nearly a Billion on Carbon Cuts
Tesco, the world’s fourth-largest retail chain, announced the installation of possibly the world’s largest solar roof, a $13 million, 820,400-square-foot panel, to cover the new USA distribution center in California. The solar investment is only one part of Tesco’s new determination to become a "leader in helping to create a low-carbon economy." A five-part plan unveiled last week costing nearly $1 billion includes labels to help customers discern which products most impact climate change…
Dad Rescues Baby Whose Pram Rolled into River
"A father was still emotional yesterday after diving into the Waikato River to save his baby daughter. Jared Bruning, 26, said he thought five-month-old Holli was dead as he dived into the water after her pram rolled off a river path and plunged down a 10-metre cliff into the water." (photo with story- Waikato Times, New Zealand)
Man with Cardboard Sign Gives Away Cash on Freeway Exit
Rob Brezsny, the mirthful author and lecturer, stands on a highway exit ramp handing out cash calling it, “reverse panhandling.”
His latest book is Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
His Free Will Astrology Web site features this photo… (imagine the delight he felt!)
Leading CEOs Lobby Bush to Curb Global Warming
After a year of back room talks, and on the eve of the president’s State of the Union speech, leading CEO’s of major corporations emerged yesterday, partnered with environmental groups, to announce a new agreement to support bold action on global warming, including an aggressive, market-based cap on carbon emissions. The historic U.S. Climate Action Partnership, consists of market leaders like Alcoa, BP, Caterpillar, DuPont, GE, Lehman Brothers and PG&E, coupled with four environmental groups led by Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense.
5 Minute Stretch at Your Desk (Video)
Has working at the computer made you stiff? Release that stiffness in your neck, back, chest, arms and shoulders with five minutes of stretching you can do right at your desk. Tip: Use your abdominal muscles to keep your spine straight and tall for the duration; press pause to take time to complete each breath count. – courtesy Lime.com
Cheap Safe Drug Kills Most Cancers
It sounds almost too good to be true: a cheap and simple drug that kills almost all cancers by switching off their “immortality.” The drug, dichloroacetate (DCA), has already been used for years to treat rare metabolic disorders and so is known to be relatively safe. It also has no patent, meaning it could be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of newly developed drugs…
Flood of Relief for South Australia
"WHEN rain finally came it was a one-in-50-year phenomenon which deluged the outback, bursting across some of the driest land in the country. South Australian farmers who have not seen rain for months, communities down to their last drop, and Victorian firefighters battling to contain raging bushfires were all celebrating yesterday after their big dry finally broke. For the state’s farmers, it hasn’t been just a matter of months without rain, it’s been virtually years without good rain. Across the state, dams on parched outback stations were full to brimming for the first time in years." (The Australian, Jan 22)
The Bridge-Builder Brings Hope to Rural Villages
"He is a man on a mission, building bridges in rural India that link places, people and hearts. Sixty-two bridges later, he is a rich man: My payment is the enormous joy and gratitude of my village people. Their world has literally expanded. They could go to Sullia to work, children could be educated. Veterinarians and health assistants began visiting the village. The feeling of oneness the project fostered in the village gave my life a new direction.” (India Tribune) Photo by GoodNewsIndia.com
