http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home News RSS feed. en-gb http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_908/14/2008_at_09:10:35 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9 Here are some more positive article titles in our recent issue-- You'll need a hardcopy of this issue or download the paper to read them! http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/thelongest08/14/2008_at_09:10:36 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/thelongest SAN FRANCISCO, CA  On February 11 more than two hundred participants began the Longest Walk 2, a five month cross-country journey on foot to spread their message that all life is sacred. The walkers have come together from many Native American nations and other communities in order to raise awareness about the environment, to visit and promote the protection of sacred Native sites, and to help clean up our Mother Earth.People have come from as far away as England, Poland, and Australia... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/symptomsof08/14/2008_at_09:10:41 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/symptomsof by Saskia Davis Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed; and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world. Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/positively08/14/2008_at_09:10:45 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/positively (c) Ruth Robertson San Quentin is not a typical state prison.  It is one of only a handful of prisons in the US that offer higher education courses in a classroom setting.  In this correctional facility just north of San Francisco, students take courses in philosophy, sociology government and geology, just to name a few. A big goal of the Prison University Program (PUP) is also to challenge popular myths and stereotypes about people in prison.PUP brings together volunteer teachers... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/playingfor08/14/2008_at_09:10:51 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/playingfor Growing up in a small town in Mexico, I was delighted to be surrounded by the beauty of nature, and to always be able to enjoy clean air.  As a child I spent my days working the fields with my parents or taking care of our animals. This was how I learned to appreciate what Mother Earth gives us, and began to believe that there is more beauty in nature than the materialistic life that many people in cities value.Our family's life changed when we decided to come to the United States.... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/scotlandwi08/14/2008_at_09:10:55 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_9/scotlandwi Scotland has won the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup-the international football tournament that changes lives. Forty-eight nations and 500 players were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country for true grit, spirit and glory. Scotland beat Poland in the finals by 9 goals to 3 in front of packed crowds.The Homeless World Cup is a life-changing international football tournament. It unites teams of homeless people from across the globe. The tournament consists of... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/summer200808/20/2008_at_09:20:20 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/summer2008 Canadian Schools Cultivate Peace http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/canadiansc08/20/2008_at_09:24:48 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/canadiansc by Donna Beckwith The Canadian Cultivating Peace project was born as an alternative to the use of force to resolve conflict. Developed by Classroom Connections in 2002, Cultivating Peace provides classroom-ready resources free to secondary schools throughout Canada. Understanding that long term solutions require a substantial cultural shift, and believing that the strongest force available is education, Cultivating Peace supplies curriculum materials are designed to be part of a... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/chinasaysn08/20/2008_at_09:24:59 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/chinasaysn by Daleena Samara In June, the steady flow of some three billion ultra thin shopping bags into landfills across China slowed down.  This dramatic change wast the result of new laws enacted to ban the practice of giving free plastic shopping bags to shoppers at supermarkets and stores in the country. Instead, shoppers in China have been asked to bring their own cloth bags or shopping baskets when shopping.  The new law, which will come into effect on 1 June, also bans... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/kidssaveap08/20/2008_at_09:25:07 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/kidssaveap by Haley Stern Well, it all started over the course of a few weeks. My cousin was coming - and for her birthday she wanted to go to the zoo - so we went to the Bronx Zoo for a celebration. One of the places we wanted to see was the "Congo Gorilla Forest", so we walked and walked, and - love at first sight. Deep in my heart something told me that these gentle creatures needed me. I went to school being called "H-Gorilla", or "Gorilla Girl" for the next... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/risinggasp08/20/2008_at_09:25:12 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/risinggasp by Ruth Robertson At first Tian Harter worked solo from his home in Mountain View, California on his "Don't Be Fuelish!" campaign to promote bicycle commuting. Retired from a hi-tech job, he came up with a simple drawing of a car and bicycle sharing the road with his favorite slogan as the key message. Tian withdrew money from his personal savings and turned that now well-known sketch into a green and white bumper sticker that he passes out to nearly everyone he... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/seachangeg_208/20/2008_at_09:25:19 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/seachangeg_2 A woman walking on the beach of South Padre Island, in the tropical tip of Texas, was appalled at the rubbish lying around and felt compelled to do something about it. She organised a beach cleanup day and in just two hours 2,800 volunteers had bagged 124 tonnes of waste. That was in 1986. Today, a worldwide movement has grown out of that single event, attracting more than six million volunteers from 127 countries, over the last 23 years. Now, Ocean Conservancy's International... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/vetsfindhe08/20/2008_at_09:25:25 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10/vetsfindhe Drew Cameron and Drew Matott prove an organic pair when it comes to paper-making. Through their project, Combat Paper, they have been generating inspiration for war veterans the nation over. Drew C. is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, having served multiple tours abroad. Whether or not someone agrees with war resistance, the Combat Paper project focuses on encouraging all veterans of combat in their return to civilian life. The striking, if not shocking, part: the paper is... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_1008/20/2008_at_09:26:20 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_10   Empowering the Next Generation  Jammin for a Better World Natural Happiness for All   Students Help Empower Ghana Residents to Prevent Malaria The Power of Positive Walking http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_1110/30/2008_at_01:40:44 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/georgianwr10/30/2008_at_01:40:50 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/georgianwr by Cindy Golos Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA), a Center for Transformative Action program, provides asylum and much more to writers at risk.  Irakli Kakabadze (pronounced eye-ra-klee ka-ka-bahd-zee), is the most recent recipient of the program.  Through his many publications, including five books, scores of short stories, and a play that forced him to flee his homeland, Georgia, he works to promote peace and social justice. "We hope to put ourselves out of work.  We... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/reshapingh10/30/2008_at_01:40:56 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/reshapingh By Kyle Taylor SOUTH AFRICA - Recently graduated and living in Orange Farm Township in Johannesburg, Zaks found himself unable to get a permanent job. He decided to use an artistic outlet to express his frustration. Through Township Glory, he was able to raise up an entire community of young people, launching a leadership movement that is now reshaping the Township. Focusing his message on the idea that change needs more than just one or two leading voices, Zaks taught each of his... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/servingfoo_210/30/2008_at_01:41:04 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/servingfoo_2 by Donna Beckwith  Do you believe that: 1. If our governments and corporations spent as much time and energy feeding people as they do on war, no one would be hungry? 2. There is enough food for everyone? 3. Vegan and vegetarian foods are healthy and nonviolent? Any member of Food Not Bombs would answer yes to the above questions. Food Not Bombs is a loose knit group of independent collectives, all around the globe, that prepare and share free meals. They call attention to... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/smallfarme10/30/2008_at_01:41:10 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/smallfarme CANADA - After a ten year long David and Goliath battle, Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser has finally won damages from Monsanto in an out-of-court settlement. The agrochemical company took Percy to court for growing 'their' genetically modified (GM) canola - the yellow blossomed plant, known as Canadian rapeseed - without paying them. However, he never wanted to grow any genetically modified crops in the first place. Quite the reverse. Much to his distress, the unwanted seed... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/worldprize10/30/2008_at_01:41:16 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/worldprize SWEDEN - Three extraordinary brave women, who have been campaigning to create a better world for children, have had their efforts recognised by a truly deserving accolade: the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child. A total of 17 million students at 37,000 schools from 92 countries, participated in this event and each year the numbers grow. A staggering 6.6 million of these children voted to determine who received the 2008 Global Friends Award. Somaly Mam from... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/ishitastar10/30/2008_at_01:41:53 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_11/ishitastar By Kyle Taylor DELHI, India - Following a major government decision that angered the majority of young people in India, Ishita Chaudhry realised there was no outlet in her country for young people to express their political views. She gathered her friends, converted her family garage into an office and began building an organisation that could give her generation a voice. Based in Delhi, the Youth Parliament is a national network of young leaders who inform government officials on the... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/exposingpo01/03/2009_at_04:07:41 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/exposingpo LONDON, UK - More than 100 men and women clad just in their underpants trooped on to the concourse of a central London train station this November setting a new world record for the largest gathering of people wearing underpants. The event was organized by Pants to Poverty, a Fair Trade Organization, to mark Guinness World Records Day. Pants to Poverty, part of the Make Poverty History coalition aims to "rid the world of bad pants" by selling ethical underwear that is fair... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/messagetot01/03/2009_at_04:07:45 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/messagetot Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/powertothe01/03/2009_at_04:07:50 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/powertothe SOUTH AFRICA - What began in 2005 as the Kennedy Road settlement's protest of apartheid-like land allocation has grown into a powerful democratic mass movement of over 35,000 people and 30 settlements across South Africa. Abahlali baseMjondolo, Zulu for ‘people who live in shacks', has fused into a powerful force against evictions, unlawful arrests, and other injustices of the country's poorest citizens. Office holders at the branch, settlement and movement levels... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/standingup01/03/2009_at_04:07:54 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/standingup Have you ever heard someone say "Oh, she don't work, she just takes care of her kids"? Pat Gowens and fellow volunteers at Mother Warriors Voice want to change that common perception of what is really the very important job of child rearing.  They are getting the word out that Motherwork IS work and that it should be paid and prioritized by the community and in the workplace. "We actively protest the devastation caused by cruel welfare reform," says Pat... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/swedendemo01/03/2009_at_04:08:00 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/swedendemo The northern European country of Sweden is named the 'most democratic' nation in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a project of the conservative Economist magazine. "Sweden, a near-perfect democracy, comes top, followed by a bevy of similarly virtuous northern European countries," the EIU reports. When 60 indicators were graded from 1 to 10, Sweden achieved a dazzling score of 9.88. The indicators were spread across five broad areas: electoral... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/whymydadsg01/03/2009_at_04:08:05 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/whymydadsg It started with a lawn sign war. It was 2000. I was 16, and sold on Ralph Nader, even though I couldn't actually vote. I staked a Nader lawn sign in front of my parents' house. It was quickly stashed in the garage. I put it out again. And again, back to the garage. Dad was rooting for Bush. I never really felt like my politics fit in my family. There was my conversion to vegetarianism (the same as "communism" in Dad's book), my stance against President Bush and... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_1201/13/2009_at_09:28:59 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12   Other Stories from the Full Edition  Cultivating Health and Well Being  Harlem Children's Zone On the Trail of the Urban Scout The road to the Electoral Reform Williams's Windmill http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/ecuadorshi01/14/2009_at_06:09:31 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_12/ecuadorshi QUITO, Ecuador - Approximately two-thirds of Ecuador's population voted ‘yes' this Autumn, in a historic, national referendum - a result that reflects the vast majority's hopeful expectation of political change. By an overwhelming margin, the Ecuadorians backed their president, Rafael Correa, in voting for a new progressive constitution - the first in the world to grant Nature the same inalienable rights as human beings. "I think a lot of eyes will be on... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/winter200601/14/2009_at_08:58:20 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/winter2006 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/sping2007i01/14/2009_at_08:58:50 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/sping2007i http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/summer200701/14/2009_at_08:59:40 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/summer2007 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news04/10/2009_at_02:55:53 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news   http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/comingthis04/10/2009_at_03:18:06 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/comingthis By Marty Luster Remember the old slogan, "What if they threw a war and nobody came?" Over the next several months that might well be changed to, "What if they held a peace march and everybody came?" That's exactly what WorldWithoutWars and other sponsors of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence are hoping will happen when this worldwide event kicks off on October 2, 2009 (Gandhi's birthday) inWellington, New Zealand.The March will take 90 days, ending in... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/youngswede04/10/2009_at_03:24:02 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/youngswede Six year old Marcus Marcus, from Stockholm in Sweden, was so outraged when he heard about sharks having their fins cut off to make soup, that he decided to take action and start his very own Save the Shark Campaign. "You must do something," Marcus explained. "That ́s what it ́s all about. You must do something."  "My goal was to show my son that one person, even small people, can make a difference," his father, Fredik Marcus told us. A web... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/rockherowi04/10/2009_at_03:26:04 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/rockherowi Musician and songwriter Peter Gabriel was recently presented with the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award 2008 at London's Hard Rock Cafe.  "For more than 25 years Peter Gabriel has been at the vanguard of the struggle for human rights and justice around the world," explained Art for Amnesty's Bill Shipsey. "Peter's involvement with the pioneering Amnesty International music tours of the 80s, his establishment of and promotion of... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/transition04/10/2009_at_03:27:10 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/transition Driven by a new vision of hope, cities and towns across the globe are transforming themselves. One by one, entire communities are making a positive, conscious choice to create a healthier, cleaner, more sustainable future.  Inspired by Rob Hopkins, founder of Transition Network, these Transition Towns are actively working to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions, and foster a culture that utilizes local, renewable resources. According to Rob, "... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/thegiftofs04/10/2009_at_03:29:21 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/thegiftofs Traveling in the back of a pick-up truck in the remote interior of Guyana, in South America, we stopped in an Amerindian town, near the border of Brazil. The savannah stretched before me, dotted with straw huts and bony cows; the Kanuku mountains rising up in massive peaks at the edge of the horizon. As we pulled away, I saw a young girl running towards the truck. The driver rolled down his window. "Could you take this to Aloma?" she asked, "in Lethem?" She handed... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/changemake04/10/2009_at_03:31:02 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/changemake Recognizing that universities can play a powerful role both in helping to solve the problems of today and in building up a generation of leaders that is fully equipped to tackle the problems of tomorrow, Ashoka has launched a year-long partnership with four universities - Cornell, Johns Hopkins, George Mason, and the University of Maryland. The partnership is designed to accelerate the changemaking potential of universities and the students, faculty, and staff who occupy them. ... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/laughteris04/10/2009_at_03:41:16 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/laughteris BALTIMORE,  MD     -  With  ten  years  of  success in educating health care practitioners and the public and addressing global health crises since the hit movie "Patch Adams" was released, Patch Adams, M.D. has become the international household name for compassionate medicine. Dr. Adams, along with the Gesundheit! Institute, have called for an overhaul of the U.S. health care system while building and inspiring models... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/debtfornat04/10/2009_at_03:42:49 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6/debtfornat A historic commitment has recently been announced between the governments of France and Madagascar, with £14 million allocated in the largest debt-for-nature swap agreement. Burdened with high levels of debt, Madagascar's rather limited resources have been sadly diverted away from the preservation of its wildlife. However, the debt-fornature scheme will now allow the country to fund extensive conservation activities and protect its unique and globally significant... http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_604/10/2009_at_04:16:22 http://www.positivenewsus.org/content/home/news/samplestor_6   Other Stories from the Full Edition  Trees Have Rights Too  Beauty and the Dirt The Curitiba Story World Class Volunteering Senate Expands Wilderness Protection