All People Making a Difference
- Mama Hope uses humor to change the West's view of Africa
Nonprofit Mama Hope has released three videos that employ humor to create new perceptions of Africa and to show that it is full of capable people with the potential to support themselves. The aim is to create a new conversation about the continent and humanize the people who live there.
- Difference MakerAn engineering mom leads effort to save an old-growth Russian forest
Yevgenia Chirikova found out a national forest was quietly being sold off. What she did to try to save it may change Russia forever.
- A Kenyan woman stands up against a massive dam project
Ikal Angelei is helping lead a campaign to stop construction of the Gibe III dam in Ethiopia that threatens the water supply and way of life of tens of thousands of indigenous people.
- Looking for a few good boomers to help others
Retiring baby boomers are proving to be valuable volunteers. 'A part of paying for our spot on earth is to help those who need help,' says one.
- Transition Towns moves communities beyond sustainability to resiliency
The 320 Transition Town initiatives in 14 countries focus on urban agriculture, crowdfunding, and other social enterprises, using a 12-step model to organize a community toward a sustainable, resilient future.
- Actor-activist Sean Penn says he's in Haiti for the long haul
Sean Penn's role in Haiti has evolved from heading a band of volunteers and serving as unofficial mayor of a homeless camp to becoming ambassador-at-large for President Michel Martelly, the first non-Haitian to receive the designation.
- Catherine Rohr helps ex-cons return to society by learning to start businesses
Former venture capitalist Catherine Rohr founded the nonprofit Defy Ventures to train ex-prisoners in the ethical and other demands of becoming legitimate entrepreneurs.
- Bakery charity feeds North Korean children
Love North Korean Children has built four community bakeries with the humble intention of providing 5,000-plus youngsters with one steamed bun per day.
- 'One Day on Earth' captures the variety of human experience
Kyle Ruddick and Brandon Litman got some 19,000 people to make videos of what they saw on a single day in every country in the world. The film 'One Day on Earth' shows what they found.
- Karen Armstrong argues for practical compassion
The historian has helped world religions unite behind the idea of a worldwide charter for compassion. Can it become more than just a nice idea?
- Obamas gave 22 percent of their 2011 income to charity
The biggest Obama charitable gift went to the Fisher House Foundation, a group that provides free or low-cost housing to military personnel or their families while they receive medical treatment.
- Difference MakerMa Jun helps Chinese find out who's polluting and shame corporations into cleaning up
2012 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Ma Jun enlists ordinary Chinese to help clean up China's pollution.
- Shakira advocates for children at the Summit of the Americas
Shakira will meet with heads of state, including President Obama, at the Summit of the Americas in Colombia. Shakira is already working to provide better education to children.
- 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games' fans urged to do good
Movies can inspire social action, says Andrew Slack, head of the Harry Potter Alliance. He challenges fans to 'fight injustices in our world the way [Harry Potter] fought injustices in his world.'
- Three ways Africans are making cheap do-it-yourself electricity
In countries like Kenya and Tanzania, most people lack access to electricity. Wind turbines made from local scrap and a 'Netflix' model for distributing batteries may be solutions.
- Young entrepreneurs do good - and make a profit
Young entrepreneurs find new ways to drive social change through founding businesses.
- GoodGuide and others use technology to help turn consumers green
A host of companies and nonprofits are using technology – from smartphones to social networking – to make it easier for consumers to choose environmentally friendly products.
- Difference MakerSeventh grader steers bus to safety in Washington
When his school bus driver collapsed, 13-year-old Jeremy Wuitschick grabbed the steering wheel and pulled the keys from the ignition.
- Difference MakerJon Wilson helps victims talk with perpetrators - and find closure
When victims go behind bars to talk with those who did them harm, they receive something the legal system doesn't provide: a chance to find real closure, maybe even forgiveness.
- Nonviolent Peaceforce helps protect women, children in South Sudan
Brewing conflict with Sudan in the north, and Joseph Kony's LRA in the south, are just two of South Sudan's challenges. Nonviolent Peaceforce is working to protect the population, especially women and children, from these and other threats.