Tea Parties with a Twist

Lots of good news is coming from social entrepreneurs. For instance,  The Guardian has published a piece called “The young social entrepreneurs who are changing the world,” which mentions the important and brilliant accomplishments of some of these inspiring individuals. One of those featured in this article is Fraser Doherty. He founded SuperJam, and invests […]

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Good Advice and an Upbeat Tone

Publicly available but worth repeating, here are Richard Branson’s 5 top tips to starting a successful business: “1. Listen more than you talk We have two ears and one mouth, using them in proportion is not a bad idea! To be a good leader you have to be a great listener. Brilliant ideas can spring […]

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Brightening Lives in Medical Institutions

The Anouk Foundation adds light and spirit via music and art to health institutions across Europe. It is celebrating a prestigious humanitarian honour that it hopes will help to expand its life-enhancing work. The Foundation, which creates soothing environments for children and adults in hospitals, special needs centres and nursing homes, has received the prestigious 2012 Clarins Prize […]

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Solar Mamas

Bunker Roy is truly a visionary. He’s the now well-known founder of Barefoot College in Tilonia, India. Recently The Good Times had the privilege to meet Bunker and hear about one of his new ideas: Solar Mamas. The initiative provides grandmothers from Africa with training in solar engineering. The women who are sent to Barefoot College for six months to […]

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Find the Bright Spots

The concept of positive deviance is the the idea of identifying what is going right in an area in order to amplify it, as opposed to focusing on what is going wrong and fixing it. The term was first used in the 1990s by Tufts professor Marian Zeitlin who documented “Positive Deviant” children in poor communities who […]

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Bridges to Justice

International Bridges to Justice

In recognition of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is dedicated to protecting the basic legal rights of ordinary citizens in developing countries. Specifically, IBJ works to guarantee all citizens the right to competent legal representation, the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment, […]

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“Becoming a Pioneer Is All in the Mind”

What is Solar Impulse? It’s already quite well known, but here’s how it’s described on the Solar Impulse website: “The gigantic, but ultra-lightweight dimensions of this revolutionary airplane – capable of flying day and night without fuel – are its trademark feature.” It’s a long-range solar powered plane whose challenge is to fly around the […]

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India Will Shine Again

By Pankaj Adhikari With the Indian rupee over the past few months continuing its losing streak against the dollar, and foreign investors leaving Indian shores, sentiments about the Indian economy are gloomy and bleak. A world renowned economist, our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has taken over the finance portfolio. There is no reason whatsoever to […]

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You’re as Young as You Feel

Bonnie Fatio, “founder of AgeEsteem®, is an internationally recognized motivational speaker who inspires and challenges. For more than 20 years, she has specialized in motivation and its power to influence positive change in individuals and organizations.” On her website, Bonnie asks us to, “Envision a world where age and aging are celebrated and people of […]

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Waging a War against Educational Inequality

By Pankaj Adhikari, Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh) – This story is about a doctor in central India. He is fighting a lone war against government apathy and bureaucratic bungling to raise funds for a school for tribal girls in a remote village called Pondki in Madhya Pradesh. He is badly in need of funds for the […]

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