In a country where the privileged social status of boys is compelling, it is nice to know that some small villages are bucking the patriarchal tradition. In north east India, in the state of Rajahstan, female infanticide is a tradition. However, a community of 8000 inhabitants, the village of Piplantri, celebrates the birth of each…
Category: Positive News
Positive News
When we open newspapers or watch the news on television it is easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the amount of negative news that is the media’s focus.
And yet, throughout the world, there are many “points of light” – people and organizations who labour hard and tirelessly to make this world one that is brighter, more equitable, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable among us. These are the types of inspiring stories this new section will include – they can’t help but bless!
“Every Acacia Tree for a Hive” …
… producing honey, protecting trees AND providing income to small farmers!A win-win project wherever acacia trees grow! I bless us in our ability to develop a relationship of deep caring, unconditional love and authentic reverence towards our sisters the bees and all creation. Pierre Pradervand, from his forthcoming book ‘365 Blessings to Heal Myself and…
On Gaza’s border, potato farmers hope to lay groundwork for peace
“I bless the millions of small farmers everywhere that they may learn to regroup to defend their interests and innovate intelligently. I bless those in government responsible for enacting laws and regulations of all sorts that they may be inspired by divine wisdom rather than narrow interests.” From a blessing by Pierre Pradervand Even as…
A landmark environmental agreement in British Columbia that benefits all
Great Spirit, give us hearts to understand; Never to take from creation’s beauty more than we give; Never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed; Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth’s beauty; Never to take from her what we cannot use. Big Thunder Algonquin prayer Following a decade…
Education and conservation – a win-win for African communities
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela. Education is a challenging undertaking even under the best circumstances. It is especially problematic in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo which has gone through years of political upheaval and violence, where schools were raided by paramilitary…
A Disappointing Restaurant Experience Turned Into an Effort That Now Feeds Poor Children
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead What started as a small gesture, feeding destitute children, by 31-year-old Darshan and his friends has turned into a full-blown movement. An email Darshan Chandan sent to a restaurant, after being…
Welcome the ‘gift economy’
What is the gift economy? In a gift economy, goods and services are given without any strings attached; it is an economic system where it is the circulation of the gifts within the community that leads to increase; in this context, hoarding actually decreases wealth. At its core, gift-economy is a shift from consumption to…
Turning Children of War into Children of Peace
An estimated 19 million children have been caught up in world conflicts but perhaps the most famous may be Amina Ali Nkeki . She was one of 219 Nigerian girls abducted by Boko Haram militants in 2014, and the only one to be rescued so far. After meeting with the Nigerian president, she was promised…
Connecting willing helpers with those in need
I slept and dreamed that life was joy, I awoke and saw that life was service, I acted and behold service was joy. Rabindranàth Tagore Whether it involves help with cat sitting or learning a new language, moving a sofa or lending a hand at a charity event, helpfulpeeps has seen the need requested –…
Muslim Woman Disarms Anti-Islam Protester with a Hug
What do you do when a protester stands outside your place of worship preaching words of hatred and intolerance? If you attend the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, you give them a hug and free breakfast. The mosque was prepared for angry protesters and signs after a Facebook campaign tried to organize picketing at dozens of…
9-Year-Old girl builds shelters for the homeless and grows food for them too
Though Hailey Fort is only 9 years old, she has already done more to help the homeless and needy than many of us have. This young girl spends her free time building mobile shelters for the homeless, and even grows food and provides toiletries for them too! When Hailey was 5, she saw a homeless…
Sikhs Set Up Free Bakery Near War Zone to Feed Fleeing Syrians
Sikhs are taking one of their traditions of religious hospitality to one of the most inhospitable places on Earth — five miles from the Syrian border in refugee camps for people fleeing that country’s civil war. The UK group, Langar Aid, an organization that provides food and water to people in need, has set up a…
The three wonders of the ancient world solving modern water problems
All round the world, innovative new measures and policies are urgently needed to face what could, with time, become huge challenges for tens of millions. A relevant blessing from Pierre Pradervand I bless the peoples all round the world who are facing the more challenging aspects of climate change…I bless them in the vision and…
The man who moved a mountain
“True love lived always includes your neighbor. It can never be selfish or exclusive.” Evan Mehlenbacher He was among India’s poorest of poor. He decided, if those in power would not help his people, he would. This is a man who believed in the Do-It-Yourself spirit! Without pausing for a thought, he went ahead and did…
A Preschool inside a Nursing Home? A Win-Win for All!
“Compassion… the capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there never can really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.” ~ Frederick Buechner Who would have ever thought that pairing preschoolers with elderly nursing home…
Elderly Blind Man and His Armless Friend Plant Over 10,000 Trees in China
from an article by Jenny Zhang, syndicated from mymodernmet.com, Apr 27, 2015 Looking at the lush, green, tree-filled stretch of land north of the Yeli Village in Sunzhuang Township, Jingxing County, Hebei, China, it’s hard to imagine that just 12 years ago, those plains were filled with nothing but rocks and weeds. This miraculous transformation…
Nepal enters new era of peaceful worship and celebration
Based on an article by FARAH AKBAR – nbcnews.com/ ““Humankind is making amazing discoveries concerning our partners from the animal kingdom. More and more specialists believe animals have a conscience like we do and daily we are discovering their amazing abilities – while at the same time continuing to slaughter them on an increasing scale!…
An End to Great Barrier Reef Dumping Is Imminent
“We bless Mother Earth in its infinite abundance and stunning beauty, the wealth of its fauna and flora, the infinite subtlety of its growth and survival mechanisms and its mission of supporting the human race.We bless it in its ability to protect itself against the chemical and physical abuses of which it is a victim.…
Saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea: Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS)
More than 20,000 men, women, and children are estimated to have lost their lives in the past two decades, while trying to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. So far in 2015, 1,826 migrants are thought to have died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Last year, at least 3,419 people died trying…
Pay-As-You-Feel Cafe Feeds Thousands on Food Waste
based on an article by Cat Johnson, syndicated from shareable.net, May 03, 2015 “I bless this day for the food which blesses my table three times a day … And I say yes, yes, yes for the innumerable opportunities to bless, knowing that each sincere blessing returns to bless me too.” Pierre Pradervand Adam Smith…
One man saves his island by planting a forest – all by himself, with his bare hands!
“When we recognize the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection – love is born. We want to be connected. That is the meaning of love, to be at one … You would do anything for the benefit of the Earth, and the Earth will…
Blessing by Providing Better healthcare – aboard a ship!
“Every human being has the right to look human. To be treated as human. To have a place at the table of the human race,” states Dr. Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer of Africa Mercy. “And when you have been deprived that seat, and it’s offered to you again . . . to be able…
Columbia – a role model for peace and reconciliation
“I decided to forgive him,” says former child soldier Colombia’s talks to end a six-decade-long civil war (in which an estimated 220,000 have been killed and thousands more abducted) .offer valuable lessons. One big one is how to create an atmosphere that can soften attitudes before hard decisions have to be made. Recently, the government…
The world’s best currency
“I am the world’s richest man because I get paid in hugs and smiles, the most valuable currency that exists. I love my children and I love my job,” says Charles Fletcher, founder of SpiritHorse, an international network of equine therapy centers that offers free riding programs to children with severe disabilities… Following his early…
The world’s most vulnerable people honored
by the awarding of the Templeton Prize 2015 to Jean Vanier “The words we all need to hear all our lives: ‘I love you … as you are.’” The Templeton Foundation recently awarded the 2015 Templeton Prize to Jean Vanier for his discovery of the central role of vulnerable people in the creation of a…
Why Love is the best ‘revenge’
“We are choosing love, not for an outcome but for the actual creation of a different reality, where cynicism cannot overshadow the real connection of Love. The norm is fear and separation, but Love is the greater reality. I don’t have to judge those who fear, I can feel compassion for them. There are wounded…
Art, Beauty and Healing
“Indeed, the subtle touches of beauty are what enable most people to survive. Yet beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we hardly notice it. Everywhere there is tenderness, care and kindness, there is beauty.” John O’Donahue For thirty years, Lily Yeh was a professor of painting and art history at Philadelphia’s…
Berlin to Build a Mosque, Synagogue, and Church – All Under the Same Roof
This text is an excerpt from an article by Tom Lawson which was published in Yes Magazine on June 8, 2014. In view of the growing anti-moslem and anti-Semitic feelings in parts of Europe, it is appropriate to us to show that the common values of these three religions are more important than their differences,…
She has helped Thousands of Homeless Pregnant Women Rebuild Their Lives
Niko Pitney, Sr Editor, The Huffington Post, 12/19/2014 Martha Ryan’s clients are society’s most vulnerable women. They are pregnant and they are homeless. Virtually all were born into poverty, and many are battling addiction or are victims of domestic violence. And yet these women achieve extraordinary results. Over 90 percent of their high-risk pregnancies result…
The Tiniest of Tiny Homes: An Austin University Dean is Living Inside a Dumpster
by MICHELLE BURWELL, syndicated from truthatlas.com, Nov 14, 2014 “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” Socrates How much stuff do we really need to live happy, healthy lives? “What this is, is an experiment to test to the absolute limit, if you…
