The Brookfield Zoo proudly announced this week the birth of a new baby okapi — an endangered animal known to be native only to a single forest in Democratic Republic of Congo.
This Illinois zoo was home to the first okapi birth in captivity in 1959 and has since helped to raise 28 calves, writing the book on okapi husbandry. The new female calf named Sauda, a Swahili word meaning "dark beauty,” has tripled in size since her birth two months ago. (Brookfield Zoo)
A negotiated cease-fire was agreed upon by Palestinians and Israelis themselves who sought and achieved Sunday’s truce. (Lebanon Daily Star)
Opening in theatrical release this week, Beyond the Call is an Indiana Jones meets Mother Teresa adventure, in which three middle-aged men, former soldiers, travel the world delivering life saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors in some of the most dangerous places on Earth, where few would ever go — the front lines of war.
"People need to get out of this country and open their eyes — and most people don’t." … Getting out to the theatre and seeing Beyond the Call is the next best thing. (Click more for video…)
JERUSALEM – In a moving scene of reconciliation and hope, the father of the Israeli soldier whose capture started the current round of fighting in Gaza visited a Tel Aviv hospital Thursday to see Palestinians injured in last week’s Israeli bombardment of Beit Hanoun…
And two Palestinians whose families were decimated by the attack joined Noam Shalit in offering prayers for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the recovery of the injured and an end to the holding of his son.
“I came in order to express my sympathy with the families from Beit Hanoun, who lost 23 of their loved ones and have a large number of injured here at the centre,” said Shalit after visiting the wounded Palestinians. His son, 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit, was seized on June 25 in a cross-border operation that also killed two soldiers and wounded six others.
Usama Ahmed al-Athamna, who lost his wife, mother and 16 other family members in the Israeli artillery strike, said he was praying for the health and safe return of the Israeli soldier.
“I truly thank Gilad’s father for the visit, and I pray that his son is returned home safe and sound and that it will bring an end to the tragedy we had at home,” al-Athamna said.
Rasan Gasan, whose brother Basem died of his wounds in the hospital last Friday after being injured in Beit Hanoun, said, “I want to thank Gilad’s father for coming to visit us. It breaks our hearts, more than they are already broken, that this man’s heart breaks for us.
“I hope his son is brought him soon, and I ask both governments, enough, stop. They are continuing negotiations through bloodshed when it’s better to sit at a table of peace and speak eye to eye. We can reach an agreement through peace, not bloodshed,” Gasan said.
Shalit’s visit to the Sourasky Medical Centre in Tel Aviv came a week after Israel admitted that its artillery guidance system malfunctioned on Nov. 8, sending huge shells crashing into civilian homes in Beit Hanoun, killing 20 people. Three more subsequently died from their injuries. Three of the 40 wounded were transferred to a hospital in Tel Aviv the day after the attack after Israel offered medical assistance to the victims.
“I have met the families, and I can see that the people of Beit Hanoun are peace-seeking and not involved in terror, and they only want to provide for themselves,” Shalit said.
“I feel that the Athamna family and the other families who lost their loved ones are exactly like the Slutzker family in Sderot and my family in the Galilee,” he said, referring to the family of the woman killed by a Hamas rocket attack on Wednesday. “We are all victims of the same madness, the same incessant wars and illogical violence, from firing rockets towards populated centres, to two terribly erroneous shells, the common denominator is that the civilian population pays the price.”
Early reports from Gilad Shalit’s captors said he had been wounded and had received medical treatment, but since the first week of his capture the only information about him has been assurances by leaders of both Hamas and Fatah, the two major Palestinian political parties, that he is still alive. Egypt has been leading international efforts to secure his release, but so far without success.
Noam Shalit said after leaving the Israeli hospital that the injured Palestinian children lying unconscious were paying the price of “these useless wars”. He urged the Israeli government and Palestinian leaders to “end the violence which brings more violence and hatred in a perpetual cycle that must be broken.
“We aren’t looking to see who is to blame or who started it. I hope there will be developments in negotiations with a new Palestinian government that will allow for a fresh start when all this madness ends soon,” Shalit said.
“It is time to end this affair. So much suffering has been caused since June 25 to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians,” he said.
“One of the main obstacles in bringing Gilad home is that the Hamas leadership is in Damascus and unfortunately won’t heed our calls. Unfortunately, they don’t see the suffering of the Palestinian people, the residents of the Gaza Strip, and they are apparently living the good life in Damascus,” Shalit said.
Matthew Kalman is a journalist writing for the AP wire services.
Distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews)
Originally printed by Ynetnews, 16 November, Reprinted with permission
The number of family foundations and nonprofits has doubled in the past five years. For the wealthy, giving money or creating charities to make a difference in the world is becoming ‘the cool thing to do’. Read about the positive developments in philanthropy at the Christian Science Monitor.
(Editor’s Note) Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers. In that spirit comes the second article in a series about cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude by Harry Tucker. Last week he discussed the notion that giving comes before getting (the G, in GRATITUDE). Today we explore the R in GRATITUDE: Responsibility — for ourselves, those around us and our environment. Harry tells a moving personal story (featured on GNN last July) confirming the benefits of being responsible to that still, small voice in our head (or heart) that sometimes asks us to talk to a stranger, or to stop our car and help someone on the road.
People routinely tell their children that if they don’t take care of a toy, they are showing their ingratitude for it. By the same token, we have a moral and ethical obligation to help others be the best they can be, provided they actually want or need the help. (If they don’t want or need the help, we have an equal responsibility to give them the space they need to explore their world in their own way.)
Just as we have a responsibility to others, we demonstrate gratitude by being responsible towards ourselves. Our minds and our bodies are living miracles. Not taking care of our physical body or nurturing our mind is not being grateful for the wonderful gifts we have been given.
To illustrate the concept of living responsibly, consider what happened to me in 2005, an event confirming that when we listen to our inner instincts to help others in need, the result is always a benefit to us but also can be a miracle for another.
BUTTING IN
We often don’t show the necessary responsibility toward another because we think we may be butting in or intruding upon someone’s life, or we’re afraid we might look silly or stupid. Sometimes we need to take action, even if we don’t know why at the moment.
In the summer of that year, I was embroiled in a large international fraud trial in New York Supreme Court. As key witness for the prosecution, I alternated between being perceived as everyone’s best friend and everyone’s worst enemy. I had death threats against myself and my family and I had been offered the most incredible bribes.
One day I was driving up through Topsail, Newfoundland when I received a call on my cell phone from one of the parties in the case. I wanted to concentrate on the call, so I pulled over next to a beach. For the hour that I was on the call, I could not believe how life was so complicated and that I had allowed myself to get caught up in such a mess.
KEEP YOUR THIRD EYE OPEN
During that hour, I kept noticing a lady in a red car to my left who was crying profusely, with her head in her hands. When I was finished with the call and wondering what could make my day darker, I started my truck and drove away. When I drove about 150 feet or so, I had a feeling that something wasn’t right, so I turned around and went back to the red car.
I walked over to the driver’s side and tapped on the glass. Now you can imagine someone 6 foot 3 with dark glasses on, approaching you in a remote area. The lady opened the window about an inch and I asked her if she was ok. She indicated that she was fine. I told her that from where I stood, she did not appear to be fine at all.
I butted in, and told her that however dark life appeared to her at that moment, it was in fact filled with love for her and that if she could see that, she would find her way out of the darkness. She thanked me and I walked away.
DON’T ARGUE WITH YOUR STILL, SMALL VOICE
As I got back to my truck, I thought “Nope, that’s still not good enough”. I turned around, went back and gave her my name and phone number on a piece of paper. I told her to call anytime and that there were lots of people out there who could help her find the light that she needed. She thanked me again and I left.
A week later, almost to the hour, I was driving past the same spot and realized that my cell phone wasn’t on. I turned it on and it promptly told me that I had a message. I pulled over and listened to the message, a message so profound that I couldn’t speak. I silently passed the phone to my partner so she could listen to it. It was a message left at 1:20 AM that morning.
It was clear from the message made by the mysterious lady I had met a week earlier, that while I had been wondering why my life was so complicated, Lynn, as the caller identified herself, was contemplating why life was worth living at all.
It appeared that my spontaneous act had interrupted plans of despair. In her message she indicated that my act of compassion and kindness — a simple decision to speak to her — would stay with her forever. (I suspect that she’ll pass this compassion and kindness on to others).
When my day is difficult I replay her message to help put my day back into perspective. My act of going over to speak to her had caused her to rethink her actions, to change her perception of the world and to see the beauty in Life. In return, her act of calling me to thank me caused me to change my perception of my world, putting my court case in much clearer perspective. When you change how you look at things, the things you look at change.
Showing responsibility for another created such gratitude in me. When you have a chance to exercise responsibility to yourself and others, take it. You may not know until days, months or years down the road what a positive impact you had. (You may never know.) But when your instinct tells you that you need to act, trust it and listen to it. You never know how big an impact it might produce in someone’s life.
Next week, in the 3rd segment of this series, we explore the A in GRATITUDE, creating a discerning ATTITUDE. Take care and be well. Harry Tucker
For all you Tom Waits fans, Robert Siegel’s interview this week uncovered the exploding humor and wit of a treasured American singer/songwriter: "The flavor of whiskey is still in Waits’ voice, and his song lyrics still invoke the poets of the Beat Generation. Waits, who turns 57 in December, has released a new, three-CD set called Orphans." (All Things Considered – Hear the whiskey voice in RealMedia)
The City of Millbrae, California, celebrated the completion of a treatment plant that will use restaurant kitchen grease as a renewable power source to treat the city’s wastewater. Such a reduction in demand for electric power from utilities will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 million pounds annually, the same as planting about 170 acres of trees. It is also an energy savings for the city of $366,000…
Many years ago during the very first days I had quit drinking, I joined a support group for help. They initially suggested that I not allow myself to get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (remembered as the acronym, HALT — also advice given to parents of small children).
After a card game at their club house I stepped outside to collect my thoughts and to try to calm those first day ‘jitters’. I was trying to decide whether to address my hunger at a burger joint up the street or go back inside and sooth my lonelines….
I then tried the support group’s further advice and said a quick prayer, “God, I really don’t know what to do right now. Help me out, will you?”
Not more than five seconds after my hungry plea to God, I heard a “flump-flump-flump.” A young woman pulled across the street with a flat tire. I looked back up to God and said, “You want me to change a tire? Okay…I guess.”
While changing the tire I was still faced with my immediate personal dilemma. I’m hungry but I don’t want to leave the comfort and safety of the group. Way too soon the tire was fixed.
The young lady then said to me, “Listen, I don’t have any money but I feel like you deserve something for helping me out.”
I replied, “Oh no, it was no bother. It’s done already, glad to help.” I didn’t get into God’s strange reply to my prayer.
But then she surprised me, “I got no money, but here…I do have a cheeseburger you can have.”
Thank you God!
Michael Kannon
Winnipeg Canada
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The Good News Network wishes all of you the blessing of the burgers — translation: ask and it is given — throughout this winter season. Thanks so much to Michael for his “Small World Story”.
"Deep in the most remote jungles of South America, Amazon Indians (Amerindians) are using Google Earth and Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping to protect their fast-dwindling home… Indians log on to Google Earth and study images, inch by inch, looking to see where new (illegal) gold mines are popping up" …
Wonderful story from AP about one innovative school that operates on the principle that “children are naturally curious and learn best when they want to, not when forced to… for parents and students tired of standardized testing, excessive homework, and overly rigid curriculums.”…
The Secret Santa from Kansas City has long brightened the hearts of hundreds each holiday season by handing out hundred-dollar bills to strangers on city streets. Now, after 26 years and $1.3 million of anonymous holiday giving, he has decided to reveal his identity. He is weak from cancer and chemotherapy but Larry Stewart, a 58-year-old businessman from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is determined to pass on his belief in random kindness…
From December 2001, a Good News Network story:
Secret Santa Hands out Cash in NY
A big guy with a beard wandered the streets of New York handing out cash at Christmas. The man, wearing a red Santa hat, handed out $100 notes to dozens of people at random over three days. He distributed a total of $25,000 before flying home to Kansas City, MO. He says he has done this every Christmas for 22 years.
The anonymous businessman told the Kansas City Star that he was once destitute when the owner of a Mississippi diner handed him a $20 bill and said, “Son, you must have dropped this.”
“That fella just knew I was in trouble and helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass me,” recalled the Samaritan Santa.
Santa also gave money to fire stations, churches and charities. He also dropped $100 into the bucket of a dumbfounded Salvation Army worker, said, ‘Merry Christmas,’ and kept going.Now, read the full AP story about him in 2006 — how his giving nature was born around Christmas time after he’d lost his job, and why he wanted to reveal himself — and check out the photo gallery at KansasCity.com featuring the faces of his those he’s blessed. The photo used in this story is a wonderful example of the collection there and used to illustrate their tribute.
Larry started a Secret Santa Facebook Page, and has a tribute there about one of the sweetest men to live in this century, Buck O’Neil, of Negro League baseball fame, and also one of Secret Santa’s helpers on his many rounds…
(link submitted by GNN supporter, Sarah Cool – Thanks, Sarah!)
Today Charmin unveils the first ever, fully-staffed, deluxe public restrooms in New York City’s Times Square just in time for the holiday season. The Charmin Restrooms — an installation of 20 plush restrooms — are a treat for families and seniors who need toilets in the high-traffic shopping area during the busiest time of year. The Restrooms are staffed with attendants to service each stall after every use. Added luxuries include a lavish blue waiting area with flat-screened TVs in the walls, plush sofas and fireplace, baby changing stations,…
Watch "Happiness and Your Health: The Surprising Connection," a Sanjay Gupta special, tonight, November 19 at 10 p.m. ET. Check out slide shows, articles and surveys all related to happiness at CNN.com.
U.S. medic, Sgt. Ernesto Haibi, described the Iraq War as containing love and hate, peace and violence alike. In a radio essay, This I Believe, he said, "For all the death and destruction reported in the news, there are thousands of stories of kindness and caring that no one ever knows…I believe that by striving for a world that accepts its oneness, we can transform wars, intolerance, religious persecution and political extremism into memory and maybe even folklore." Click on Listen at NPR to hear this short but insightful essay. (RealMedia) He blogs at Candle in the Dark.
Thursday on CNN’s Larry King LIve, Larry hosts the second of a two-part series entitled “Beyond Positive Thinking”. His guests will explore The Law of Attraction and how viewers can use their thoughts and feelings to create what they want to experience in their lives. The shows ties in with a 2006 documentary movie, The Secret, which reveals the life-changing principles of The Law of Attraction. Here is a sneak peak of the film, and what you can expect on tonight’s Larry King Live… UPDATE: If you missed the Larry King shows, check out the posted comments for this article.
After nearly a year of helping elderly and disabled homeowners begin the clean-up process in flood-ravaged New Orleans, Catholic Charities volunteers will gut their 1,000th home Wednesday.
To date, 6,848 Operation Helping Hands volunteers have gutted 999 homes and given 178,641 hours of service. Volunteers have come from across the United States and as far as Canada and England to join in this effort.
The grin on the Iraqi soldier’s face widened as a little girl ran back to her house holding up a new stuffed animal and showing it to her parents… Children smiling and parading off with their new toys was a common sight as Iraqi soldiers took a break from their normal duties recently to pass out toys. Stopping in the village of Mukashyfa, near Samarrah, the soldiers not only cheered local children, they positively affected the opinion Iraqi adults have of their nation’s troops.
Reuters featured this yesterday: “Two lost paintings by Italian Renaissance master Fra Angelico have turned up in a modest house in central England in a discovery hailed as one of the most exciting art finds for a generation.” One curator at the National Gallery in London described the find as breathtaking, saying, “It never ceases to amaze me how these things come to light!”
EDITOR’S BLOG — As the editor, I need to decide what meets our standards of good news. I was stymied this week when reading about South Africa becoming the fifth nation to sanction gay marriage, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada.
I know for much of the public — here and in Africa — the subject of same-sex couples still evokes strong negative feelings and, for some, the issue has already been decided by their religion’s impression of “the word of God.” But, I have to admire, and thus promote to print, the way in which the African National Congress party leaders got down to brass tacks and established with certainty the standard with which this issue should be judged…
