I Trust You
Karim Sulayman is an Arab-American tenor from Chicago. Ten days after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Sulayman teamed up with filmmaker Meredith Kaufman Younger to perform a trust experiment. Watch this silent video (set to Sulayman singing Sinead O'Connor's "In this Heart") as Sulayman stands blindfolded outside Trump International Hotel in Central Park West in New York City and asks strange... posted on Jan 03 2017, 9,263 reads

Giving the Homeless a Hand Up with Technology
At HandUp.org, before you help someone in need, you can see their face, look into their eyes, see their children, their smile, read about their challenges, and even send them a message. In a meaningful way, HandUp.org connects donors with those in need. The brainchild of Rose Broome, HandUp.org fulfills a need she realized existed when saw a homeless woman sleeping on the street. Here she was in S... posted on Jan 02 2017, 15,273 reads

What Will The Theme Of Your Life Be In 2017?
"As we ponder resolutions for the coming year, New Year's can also be a time to reflect on our life story -- and to figure out how everything fits together. Incorporating our goals into the larger narrative of our life can give us more energy to pursue them, and to become the person we want to be...Studying stories is not easy, since every person's life is so unique. In their quest to categorize a... posted on Jan 01 2017, 20,985 reads

Krista Tippett on Sounds True
In this interview with award-winning journalist and author Krista Tippet, she shares insights on journalism as a force for progress, beginning, first, with a good question and active listening: "Good listening starts even before words begin to be spoken, even before we speak the question. It starts with the invitation we create, the way we create the invitation, the space we create. If it's not tr... posted on Dec 31 2016, 13,522 reads

Two Blind Brothers: A Cause Driven Clothing Brand
"In an effort to shop from socially-conscious brands this holiday season, I came across an interesting startup that caught my eye. Two Blind Brothers is a cause-driven clothing brand that sells luxury causal wear and gives 100% of its net profits to medical research to cure blindness. Read on."... posted on Dec 30 2016, 12,710 reads

Madrid's Robin Hood Restaurants
"It is early evening at a restaurant in central Madrid and Jose Silva sits down for a meal of rice, meatballs and vegetables as waiters flit from one table to another. All very normal, except for one crucial detail: Silva, 42, cannot afford to pay. He lives rough under the platform of a cable car station in Madrids sprawling Casa del Campo park, one of dozens of homeless people who have started di... posted on Dec 29 2016, 14,106 reads

An Artist's Take on How to Deal With Heavy Things
"The world was falling apart. No one noticed at first. I tried to ignore it. But soon that became impossible. I wasn't sure how to react. I tried to hide from reality." In this wonderfully whimsical series of drawings, artist Grant Snider explores how to deal with the heavy, soul-crushing realities we are sometimes faced with. ... posted on Dec 28 2016, 23,270 reads

Orchestra for Ghaza
Daniel Barenboim is an Argentine-born Jew with a Palestinian passport. For 12 years, he has used his musical reputation to push for peace between Israel and its neighbors. In May 2011, he crossed from Egypt into Gaza with 25 handpicked musicians from the leading ensembles in Europe to play for an audience hungry for music.... posted on Dec 27 2016, 2,582 reads

Why We Love Our Own Creations
In this article, behavioral economist Dan Ariely explains why we feel joy and engagement when we make things ourselves. He discusses "The Ikea Effect" and how even small contributions to an item's creation can lead to more affection and attachment to that item. He shares: "The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning -- and that is a high return."... posted on Dec 26 2016, 15,928 reads

Kids in Hospital Receive Magical Christmas Surprise
This holiday season, kids in a hospital in Australia were able to see Santa and hang out in a winter wonderland without having to leave the building.In one day, photographer Karen Alsop took photos of 30 kids with Santa and a green screen at Monash Childrens Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. During their photo shoots, the patients expected a typical Santa photo. They had no idea Alsop had plans to... posted on Dec 25 2016, 10,549 reads