Memoirs Of A Boy Soldier
At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Ishmael Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. At sixteen, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at his rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive hims... posted on Apr 15 2007, 2,859 reads

The Universal Concept Of Ubuntu
There is no English equivalent to the word Ubuntu. The Nguni word from South Africa refers to the capacity to express compassion, justice, reciprocity, dignity, harmony and humanity in the interests of building, maintaining and strengthening community. It is about the self being so rooted in the community, that your personal identity is defined by what you give to the community. 'I am because we a... posted on Apr 14 2007, 3,812 reads

Bangladeshi Housewives Overcome TB
Mohammed Salim Sheikh crosses the threshold of a village home. The housewife inside, Zahida Khatun Jharna, rises from her cooking fire, fetches his medication, fills his water glass, ticks off his chart for the day and sends him home. This routine plays out in countless villages across Bangladesh, representing a remarkably simple but effective national tuberculosis treatment program to overcome th... posted on Apr 12 2007, 2,359 reads

Violin Virtuoso Goes Incognito
He emerges from the Washington Metro and positions himself against a bare wall. Joshua Bell is one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. A onetime child prodigy, 39-year-old Bell usually plays for standing-room-only audiences so respectful of his artistry that they stifle their coughs until... posted on Apr 11 2007, 3,714 reads

Key Characteristics of Changemakers
There are millions of citizens who refuse to succumb to what their more cynical neighbors call "reality," who insist with their lives that there has to be a better way -- and who day by day go about bringing it into being. What makes them tick? What enables them to see beneath the surface and work for the common good rather than simply for their own private welfare? What inspires people to act fro... posted on Apr 04 2007, 4,541 reads

Helping the Needy Get Nerdy
More than 200,000 computer systems become obsolete in the U.S. every day; meanwhile, the gap between people who can afford technology and those who cannot -- the digital divide -- keeps growing. Enter Free Geek, with an elegant solution. It takes unwanted computer systems from local residents and recycles the stuff that's beyond repair; everything is fixed up using volunteer labor and in exchange ... posted on Mar 29 2007, 2,091 reads

MIT Offers Entire Curriculum Online
MIT looks to reach an epic milestone soon: By the end of the year, its entire curriculum should be available online for free. Scholars and amateurs are coming in droves; this month, the site could receive 1.5 million visits. "It's exceeded our expectations," said Anne Margulies, head of MIT’s online curriculum program, OpenCourseWare. MIT began putting courses online in 2001; more than 1,500 are... posted on Mar 26 2007, 3,169 reads

Airline Ambassadors: Wings of Love
It was 10 years ago when Nancy Rivard asked a simple question. "I'm working on these flights every day, and I would see empty space in the overhead bin, empty space underneath in freight, empty seats, and I thought, why can't we use this to help others?" she says. Initially, the airline answer was no, but Nancy would not give up. Eventually, she convinced executives any additional costs were outwe... posted on Mar 14 2007, 2,364 reads

Overcoming the Bystander Tendency
We've all found ourselves in these situations: when we’ve driven past a car stranded by the side of the road, assuming another driver would pull over to help. We witness a problem, consider some kind of positive action, then respond by doing ... nothing. Something holds us back. We remain bystanders. Why don't we help in these situations? Why do we sometimes put our moral instincts in shackles? ... posted on Mar 12 2007, 2,837 reads

Maisie's Six Million Cans
Maisie DeVore, a senior citizen of Eskridge, Kansas, spent 30 years single-handedly raising enough money to build a community swimming pool. Each week, she would drive the back roads and gather aluminum cans and deliver them to a recycling facility. Can by can, year after year, she raised the necessary $100,000. Says Maisie, "If you get involved, you can do more than you thought you could."... posted on Mar 06 2007, 3,888 reads