India Gate, Mumbai Having just returned from a trip to India, visiting Mumbai and Kolkata, the good news to report is that India seems to be on the rise, with more and more people climbing out of abject poverty. There’s been a huge increase in the size of the middle class. Sure there are still […]
The Good Times is back. After a short absence, during which time it seemed there was no good news to report (the Euro crisis, the lack of world leadership, human rights abuses worldwide, crazy weather across the globe, just to mention a few), The Good Times has surfaced much that’s good to profile. So stay […]
John ‘Jody’ Kretzmann and John McKnight are the directors of Assets Based Community Development Institute (ABCD Institute) at Northwestern University in the US. ABCD mobilizes struggling communities using resources already at hand and shows them how to work toward positive change. “Challenging the traditional approach to solving urban problems, which focuses service providers and funding agencies on the […]
Many of you in the US will no doubt have heard about KaBOOM! Elsewhere, though, little is known about this non-profit organization, “dedicated to saving play for America’s children.” What is KaBOOM!? In their own words, “We are peppy, purple-adorned people who passionately promote the power of play!” It’s clear that children are more sendentary […]
“Friends-International believes that together we can protect marginalized children and youth and give them exciting opportunities to build their futures.” Friends-International’s key principles include: “-Breaking the stereotypic images of pity and charity and promote empowerment, hope and transformation -Making sure everything we do has a direct, positive impact on children -Creating innovative, responsive and flexible initiatives […]
Recently the Boston Globe profiled the work of Qiamuddin Amiry, President and co-founder of non-profit organization, the Afghan Scholars Initiative, which enables students from Afghanistan to attend American high schools and universities. Raised in Kabul, having himself won a scholarship to a high school in Hong Kong, Amiry decided to find a way to bring higher […]
Shy Prince with a Huge Heart These may be the worst of times for Japan.They are the best of times for Ryo Ishikawa. Ishikawa is the 19-year-old golf sensation who has captured the minds and imaginations of his Japanese homeland. He is a big-time newsmaker at a very tender age. At a time when most […]
Marie Trempe: Devoted Mother, Autism Education Trailblazer Tony Attwood, author of The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, believed that individuals with Asperger’s represent “bright threads on the rich tapestry of life.” Applying these bright threads to tapestries can result in works of art that stand out from the rest; however, properly applying these threads is […]
With a view to providing positive role models for children in the Islamic world, Naif Al Mutawa created the Teshkeel Media Group and THE 99, comic book heroes working together to improve the world. The idea behind these children’s adventures is to “tell universally relevant stories” that promote “diversity, multiculturalism, personal responsibility and personal accountability”, […]
