19 Reasons to Feel Hopeful about the World

Photo: Franco Folini

If youre feeling down, weve got nineteen reasons to feel carefree about a world.

1. Andris Bjornson

Long-time Matador part of Andris Bjornson has a grade in physics. Hes worked as a wildland firefighter, a State Department diplomat, as well as an adventure trip leader.

But a reason why Andris is #1 upon this list is since of a work he has done in Haiti. Within six days following a Jan 12, 2010 earthquake, Andris traveled to Port-au-Prince with Inveneo, a non-profit dedicated to mending information communications record in underserved communities. Within three weeks we related eleven NGOs, among them CARE, a IRC, as well as Save a Children, setting them up with networks so they could connect with their headquarters, Andris says. Though a service bid seem[ed]chaotic, it would be much more so but a record we were able to put in place.

2. The Epicocity Project

Using blogging as well as amicable media to widespread a word about real-time charge projects will eventually be so common as to be unremarkable. Until then, Epicocitys showing other individuals as well as organizations how to amp up recognition as well as get people stoked about a environment. They must be we do something rightearlier this week, they were featured in Monster Fish upon a National Geographic Channel.

3. Mitch Anderson of AmazonWatch

Prior to (finally) assembly Mitch in person here in New York a couple of months ago, we was already tender with him; each email conversation, each phone call with Mitch is a total stoke. The man lives with a sense of coercion about safeguarding a sourroundings as well as inland communities, generally in South America, though hes remarkably giveaway of a nervous stress which tends to lead people with such interests in to pulling others to adopt their beliefs. For someone whos so intense, hes incredibly lai! d-back.< /p>

Photo: Mitch Anderson

we similar to conference Mitch talking about in attendance oil companies shareholder meetings, where he tries to reason with people who have an obvious interest in perpetuating our tellurian oil addiction. we similar to how he disappears from a radarliterallyfor a couple of months, as well as afterwards earnings for a minute, banging out emails which finish with Im headed out right away to request some oil pits though will be back online after this evening. And Im proud to publish his first-person reports upon all of this critical work, generally this photo essay.

4. Ken Saro-Wiwa, Jr.

Like Mitch, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Jr. battles big oil companies as well as demands which they be accountable for a damage they cause. Kens interest in a struggle, however, is profoundly personal: his father, a writer as well as activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, was killed for a work which he did to lift recognition about Royal Dutch Shells activities as well as their effects upon a Ogoni people.

Ive seen Ken Saro-Wiwa speak. More than a year later, we go upon to be desirous by his calm, rational, as well as positively tenacious proceed to his work. Big oil might have big resources, though with folks similar to Mitch as well as Ken

5. The recognition of a immature movement

So most causes as well as movements come as well as go, though it looks similar to a immature transformation is here to stay. Yes, we still need to revoke our coherence upon oil, innovate alternative appetite sources, as well as revoke our consumption, though environmental recognition seems much more visible right away than it did a decade ago.

Photo: mastermaq

6. Plastic bag bans

Matador part of as well as writer Anna Brones recently wrote to let us know ! which Po rtland, Oregon is a latest US city to issue a plastic bag ban. For a list of other cities as well as countries which have criminialized plastic bags, read Plastic Bag Ban: Coming Soon to a City Near You?.

7. Majora Carter

I called Majora Carter out for a specious argument about civic misery as well as environmentalism, though which critique aside, Carter is a critical impulse for civic environmentalists. Sustainable South Bronx, a classification she founded, is turning a former industrial zone in to a livable neighborhood.

8. Misty Tosh

Misty, also a long-time Matador part of as well as contributor, set up her own NGO, 4th World Love, in Lombok, Indonesia.

That was after she helped account split taste surgeries for a bunch of kids.

Who knows what shell roll out next?

9. Twitter as well as a power of amicable media

Yes, we can spend approach as well much time in front of a shade instead of engaging with a single another in genuine life, though when used well, amicable media can have incredibly positive implications, both for communicating about critical issues which arent rught away urgent, as well as in emergencies.

I have a feeling were only only commencement to daub in to amicable medias possibilities.

10. Chris Jordan

Some artists caring essentially about aesthetics. Others have been more endangered with their message. Chris Jordan is endangered with both. What proposed out as a simpleproject to request human expenditure by photography has turned in to an ongoing joining to regulating his creativity to draw attention to a worlds environmental crises.

11. Passports with Purpose

Four Seattle-area transport bloggers got together as well as motionless to leverage their relationships in a incomparable transport blogging community in sequence to account a plan abroad which could positively stroke other peoples lives. 2010 marks a third year of Passports with Purpose. Read about last years plan here, as well as add a PwP! blog to your reader; it will be updated soon with sum about this years project.

12. LAT 42

There is a downside to a recognition of a immature movement: each outside debate user as well as each hotel/lodge/motel/hostel call themselves green.

But LAT 42 seems similar to a genuine deal, substantially since Matador comparison editor David Miller is so stoked about it.

13. ProPublica

Dont get me proposed upon a diatribe about what passes for news in a US these days. Instead, let me focus upon ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom which produces inquisitive broadcasting in a public interest. Heres their mission:

Our work focuses to one side upon truly critical stories, stories with moral force. We do this by producing broadcasting which shines a light upon exploitation of a weak by a strong as well as upon a failures of those with power to vindicate a certitude placed in them.

Though ProPublicas reporters have been working upon dozens of critical stories during any since moment, Ive been generally tender by as well as grateful for their work about New Orleans during as well as after Hurricane Katrina.

Photo: Jenny Buccos

14. ProjectExplorer.org

I learned about ProjectExplorer.org after assembly its owner as well as director, Jenny M. Buccos, upon Twitter. Like so most Matadorians, Jenny used to reason down a corporate jobas a selling plan manager for Credit Suisse First Bostonbut ditched it in 2001 so she could transport around a universe as well as make free, educational films for kids.

She as well as her group only wrapped their Mexico series, which MatadorTV intern, Lindsay Clark, helped produce.

For kids who might not be able to travel, ProjectExplorer is an incredible resource.

15. Glimpse Correspondents Program

The Matador group was stoked to acquire a National Geographic Glimpse module earlier th! is year, mainly since of a Correspondents Program. When we read From Egypt to Israel as well as Back Again, Two Villas in Iraq, or Hello, My Name is Run Basketball, youll understand why.

16. Without Borders

Doctors but Borders. Reporters but Borders. Teachers but Borders. Scientists but Borders. Builders but Borders. The members of these organizations realize which true power is in pity hold as well as collaborating with other people.

17. Voluntourism

Im definitely not naive enough to hold which voluntourism is problem-freein fact, we wrote a total section about a perils of voluntourism in a book The Voluntary Traveler: Adventures from a Road Best Traveled. But for travelers who have been wakeful of these problems as well as ensure opposite them, voluntourism can be a transformative knowledge for everybody involved.

18. More women have been (finally) gaining grave domestic power

I dont hold in tokenism, as well as we dont think which only since a lady is in bureau which womens conditions will necessarily improve, though a actuality which women have been finally gaining grave domestic powerespecially in countries where women have been evenly kept over a marginsis an critical development.

19. The Matador community

The members of Matador have been curious, caring, as well as generous. Check out a forums as well as see what we mean. They give me lots of goal for a future.

Community Connection:

Who as well as what give we hope? Share your sources of impulse in a comments.