Good News Stories You Might Have Missed in the Madness of 2016

2016 has been a crazy year for everyone, and sometimes it's hard to find the light and good in all the madness. So this year, Newsweek has dug out eight bits of good news that you might have missed "amid the turmoil."

Medicine: An End to Animal Testing?

2016 has brought the animal testing paradox , which is scientists' attempt to give humans better lives without making animals’ existences shorter and more painful. The first-ever fully 3D-printed “heart-on-a-chip” was developed by Harvard researchers this year, offering a synthetic alternative for the living tissue that is currently used in animal testing. Beyond saving animal lives, organ-on-a-chip devices can be efficiently produced and researchers claim they are more accurate at mimicking human pathophysiology. 

Economics: Generation K Will Save Us All

In February economist Noreena Hertz revealed the results of her research about the group she calls “Generation K” after their affinity with Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the Hunger Games series of novels. She conducted focus groups and interviews with 16-to-18-year-olds in the U.K. and surveyed nearly 2,000 people aged between 14 and 21 in the U.K. and U.S. “They’re actually a very surprisingly financially cautious generation,” she said. Hertz also found that they’re more likely to save as a precaution than the next couple of generations up, and 72 percent of generation K said they were worried about debt. In our politics as well as our pockets, we’re still feeling the impact of the great recession and its economic anxieties. But it seems one long-term outcome could be a generation more careful and less inclined to crash the system than their parents.

Conflict: The Toy Smuggler

Some people risk their lives to deliver aid to Syria; one man does it to deliver toys. Miral Khalagi, the “toy smuggler” profiled by NBC in September, has traveled to the war-torn nation more than two dozen times, slipping across borders with bags of toys for children hit by the conflict.
Originally from Aleppo, Khalagi grew up in Finland. “As a Syrian, I wanted of course to do my part in helping people,” he told NBC. He decided on toys rather than aid after his daughter Yasmeen, then 3 years old, brought him some of her dolls to take. There’s not much in Syria this year that could be classed as “good news," but Khalagi is just one of thousands of humanitarians, from large or small organizations, working to remind the civilians caught in our lifetime’s most devastating crossfire that the world remembers them.

Environment: A Sea Springs Back to Life

The Aral Sea, which lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the planet’s fourth largest freshwater lake. But in the decades since the 1960s it became dry. Nikita Khrushchev began a project that saw its two main tributaries, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, diverted during the 1960s. While nearby arable land expanded, the sea shrank. The local fishing industry almost vanished.
But now, there are signs that the Aral is returning. An Al Jazeera reporter at the old port of  Aralsk, near the northern part of the sea, found this July that fish production at the port has grown from 600 tonnes in 1996 to 7,200 tonnes. The nearby village of Tastubek, over 49 miles away from the sealine in 2010, is now only 12 miles from the water. It’s all thanks to the World Bank-funded Kok-Aral Dam, completed in August 2005, that is finally starting to show progress. The dam separated the northern and southern parts of the sea, in order to divert water back into the desolate north. A second phase of the project is planned, which should bring the water right back up to Aralsk.

Religion: A Broad Church

In a year when Islam has been targeted throughout the West and faith-based sectarian conflicts have re-opened in the Middle East, “religious unity” isn’t a phrase that immediately springs to mind when you think about 2016. But a meeting between two branches of the Christian church did go against the grain. Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, and Patriarch Kirill, leader of Russian Orthodox Christianity, met in Cuba in February. It was the first time in nearly 1,000 years that the most senior figures in the Russian and Roman Churches had met; the two branches split in the “great schism” of 1054. The two Churches did not agree to any formal advance in relations. But the meeting sent a message to Christians: ending human suffering—such as that faced by Christians in war-torn parts of the Middle East—should be more important than theological differences. “God makes no distinctions between those who suffer,” the Pope said at the time. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis embrace in Havana, February 12. The meeting was a historic moment for the Christian denominations.

Women in Politics: Japan Breaks a Glass Ceiling

Japanese politics is still heavily male-dominated — The World Economic Forum ranks the country 101st out of 145 in terms of gender equality. But this year Japanese people smashed a glass ceiling when Tokyo, the capital, elected its first female governor in a landslide victory. Sixty-four-year-old Yuriko Koike is a former defense minister, an Arabic speaker and an environmentalist. In her campaign she referenced female historical icons, including Joan of Arc, and pledged to tackle childcare shortages “so that both women and men can shine in Tokyo.” Koike is no progressive—she’s a right-wing nationalist who is hawkish on foreign policy—but her presence at the top of politics and willingness to explicitly tackle equality issues is a step toward opening up the top of Japanese politics to women.

Energy: The Sun Shines on Chernobyl

The Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine has stood silent since 1986, when the nearby nuclear reactor exploded. It stands as a reminder of the perils of the nuclear age. But now, as Anthony reported back in November, two Chinese companies this year agreed a plan to regenerate the land surrounding the reactor by constructing a giant solar power plant. The solar farm will be capable of producing 1 gigawatt of energy and construction is expected to begin next year. “There will be remarkable social benefits and economic ones as we try to renovate the once damaged area with green and renewable energy,” said Shu Hua, chairman of Chinese energy firm Golden Concord, the company planning to revive the exclusion zone. If all goes to plan, Chernobyl will be reborn as an icon of the era of renewable energy.

Violence Against Women: Somalia Takes New Steps on FGM

According to UNICEF, about 98 percent of Somali girls and women aged between 15 and 49 undergo some form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the removal of external female genitalia. The Somali constitution forbids the practice, but the country’s parliament, which was only established in 2012, has not passed a law on it. But back in March, as my colleague Conor reported, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke added his name to a petition that calls on the Somali government to adopt a full FGM ban. Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali anti-FGM campaigner, told the BBC his backing would provide a “huge boost” to the campaign. Somalia’s government is presently in limbo as a general election scheduled for next autumn has suffered repeated delays. But campaigners hope the commitment will stick, and turn into a step forward for the country’s women.

Read more at Newsweek

"Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough."

                                                                           -Arthur Freed

Deed of the Day!

The five goats, two alpacas, two rabbits, potbellied pig, cat, guinea pig, dog and five horses at veteran Tice Ridley’s ranch play critical roles in helping veterans, along with first responders and their families, heal from the wounds of war.      

 
Ridley, at the age of 44 is a retired Army war veteran and major who served for 18 years. He calls his farm the Circle of Veterans and Families, and its mission is “to keep soldiers alive and families together.”            
  

In 2015, after taking medical retirement from the Army, he co-founded the nonprofit organization with his wife, Samantha Ridley, in Florida. Located on his 10-acre Circle V Ranch, the organization gives him "purpose while providing hope." Ridley told TODAY that an inspirational to this project is that they are aware that “not all wounds are visible."      
 
The ranch welcomed its first veteran guests on November 2 in a joint effort with Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to provide services to veterans. The use of alternative therapies differentiates the ranch from more traditional treatment facilities. At Circle V Ranch, participants can engage in meditation, yoga, hypnosis and smoking cessation. They can also participate in peer group support, equine-assisted psychotherapy and companion dog pairing canine therapy. For about a year, Ridley and his wife had been self-funding limited weekend visits on the ranch as a test run for the broader program that was recently opened.
 
Jay Hoffman, who served in the Navy from 1972 to 1975, visited the ranch on that first day. He’s rehabilitating from drug and alcohol addiction. “Tice has opened up a door for me,” Hoffman told TODAY. He said that addiction treatment at a for-profit facility usually means that when the treatment period ends, he’s sent “back to the streets, with no place to go. If you want to get drunk or high then, you can.” But being at the ranch is like “being in no man’s land, and that’s good,” he said. “We’re so far out here, away from the city. Friends and the animals are just so therapeutic.” Hoffman said he likes rubbing the ears of the rescue potbellied pig, Bacon, and feeding him. He also pets the resident kitty, Mittens, and waters the horses.      
 
Ridley, who has six medals for outstanding service, returned from Afghanistan in 2010; in 2013 he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. And he’s far from alone: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year.      
     
Ridley told TODAY that he found himself struggling to understand his condition and finding help so he could integrate better into society and try to live a normal life. Ridley had lived in Chicago, which has no military base, meaning a lack of treatment resources for veterans. Ridley knew that waiting to find mental health treatment could take a long, and he wanted to investigate lesser-known alternative therapies he'd heard about, some of which involved his passion for animals.    

He was then further motivated after a disappointing visit with a therapist in Chicago. That counselor advised Ridley's wife to "just leave” or divorce her husband when it appeared that Ridley’s current treatment wasn’t working. Ridley decided to try alternatives including hypnosis and rapid-resolution therapy. The treatments helped, and Ridley says he's a lot less jumpy now and less prone to outbursts or periods of extreme emotional upset.

Darlene Williams, a licensed clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who sees veteran clients at the ranch says, "What's happening at Circle V is such important work for people who have experienced the tragedies of war. The problems can be very complex and for that we need to offer something more comprehensive.” She told TODAY that, “The research supports the benefits of these kinds of alternative therapies for military populations.”      
     
Some people may be intimidated by the horses’ size, Ridley admits, but clients don’t ride them. Instead, they do what's called "ground work,” and it’s therapeutic for veterans. "With ground work, they can't touch the horses or use a treat," he said. "They can put a halter on them and they can try to figure out what the horse wants in other intuitive ways.”      

Ridley's other furry creatures provide a warm, hands-on experience to calm sensitive nerves and allow the veterans to know the joy of safe, noncompetitive "aha! moments” when they interact with animals. “For a couple to open their home to other veterans just blows me away,” said a friend and veteran. “They are so gracious and kind.”      

As for Ridley, he’s proud of his fellow veterans. On November 18, he hosted a special Thanksgiving dinner for them and the ranch’s supporters. He's looking forward to many more, since he knows Veterans Day is but one day a year.

Deed of the Day!

Some people risk their lives to deliver aid to Syria; one man does it to deliver toys.

Miral Khalagi, the “toy smuggler” profiled by NBC in September, has traveled to the war-torn nation more than two dozen times, slipping across borders with bags of toys for children hit by the conflict.
Originally from Aleppo, Khalagi grew up in Finland. “As a Syrian, I wanted of course to do my part in helping people,” he told NBC. He decided on toys rather than aid after his daughter Yasmeen, then 3 years old, brought him some of her dolls to take.

There’s not much in Syria this year that could be classed as “good news," but Khalagi is just one of thousands of humanitarians, from large or small organizations, working to remind the civilians caught in our lifetime’s most devastating crossfire that the world remembers them.

Not Enough Good News

In 2007 a study was done to investigate the news put out by the media in America. When asked about which issues get too much attention in the news, 40% of the public said celebrity news. That is more than three times the number citing any other subject. At the time the study was conducted, about 12% of Americans said the media devoted too much attention to the Iraq war, while politics generally, the presidential campaign or crime and violence received 5% each.

 

People were then asked about which stories they thought got too little attention from the news media. The conclusion was that one in ten Americans say the media does not pay enough attention to good things that are happening in the country, including positive outcomes and good deeds done by average citizens. The study showed that people thought the media devotes too little attention to the good news about Iraq and that women are more likely than men to say good news is undercovered.

 

Deed of the Day!

The post-election tension following the 2016 Presidential Election left the emotions of Americans across the country scattered. In an attempt to heal this tension, Alejandro Andrade decided to spread the love to his classmates  at Virginia Commonwealth University. The 18-year-old psychology student stood on the campus in the cold Virginia weather holding a sign reading “In light of the hate and/or mistrust… FREE HUGS”. Andrade stood outside for a total of 8 hours offering hugs to anyone who walked by. When asked about his actions, other VCU students – Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian alike – were all grateful for the compassionate gesture.

 

 

Read about more good deeds at www.goodnewsnetwork.org



Helping the Homeless and Their Pets

In a recent collaboration with Allie O'Neil, we read an article about a woman who has dedicated her life to helping the homeless and their pets.

Karen Hamza became homeless after the house she was living in became infested with mold, and she was forced to move out. With her dog Tippy by her side, Hamza started living in her 1988 Acura. For Almost two years, Hamza and her dog stayed in her car, through the freezing winters and the boiling summers, she described the experience as "it is like being in an oven. In the winter, it's like being in a literal freezer.". The cold weather negatively impacted her health, and Hamza reached one her lowest points. Thankfully, she found a small apartment suitable for her and Tippy. Once she was back on her feet, Hamza began to focus on helping others get out of the situation she was in.

 

In 2009, Hamza’s organization, Angel Hanz For The Homeless Inc., became registered as a nonprofit organization. Hamza immediately put her plan into action. At around the same time she met a homeless couple, Peggie and Herbie, who were struggling to support themselves and their pet cat. Hamza reached out to them and Hamza bought them cat food, blankets and some clothing. She then went further to offer Peggy and Herbie work in her organization and provided them with a pay of $10 an hour and the products they needed. In a year's time the couple was on their feet and living in an apartment. "I assisted them back into the mainstream of living," she said. "It's what we do. It's not like a handout, it's a hand up."

 

This is only the first of many of the homeless Hamza will help. She continues to help the homeless and their animals; encouraging them to bring their animals to attend her monthly gatherings at a local park. The now vegan organization provides food, clothing, blankets and her resource guide to help the homeless get themselves and their pets back on their feet. The organization also works to assist the homeless with veterinarian services, and keep the animals out of the area's kill shelters. Angel Hanz For the Homeless provides barber services and a library. She continues to educate through speaking engagements at schools, on television and on radio shows.

Hamza says that her own homelessness "made me want to help people all the more because I was so desperate and alone that I knew what it was like for no one to be there. My heart literally ached because no one was there for me." Today, she cares for her two rescue dogs, Jimmie and Rex, and continues to offer hope and solutions to countless homeless people and their animals, and lives by her organization's mantra, "Homeless Not Hopeless."

 

Hamza holds her rescued dog Jimmie while receiving a hug

from one of the homeless men she helped.

Deed of the Day!

This Halloween babies in the NICU at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, got a special surprise.  

March of Dimes volunteers made the tiniest Halloween costumes and held a special party for the families.

 "The parents were able to choose their babies' costumes to match the babies' personalities," Michelle Manuel, the hospital’s director of media relations, told ABC News. "The idea is to be able to allow parents to have a sense of normalcy. In the NICU you might be there for weeks or months and this is to help spend that first Halloween and those special first moments together -- make those special family memories with us."The handmade costumes range from butterflies to superheroes because "these are our NICU super babies," said Manuel.

In addition to the Halloween costumes, the volunteers and nurses provided the families with a card with the newborns' tiny footprints, a hand-crocheted pumpkin filled with treats and a Halloween book that the parents and their babies can read together next year.

 

 

 

Deed of the Day!

 

Toys R Us locations across the U.K. are hosting a quiet hour for parents of kids who have autism this holiday season. Toys R Us marketing director Mike Coogan told The Telegraph that "Making slight adjustments to stores and creating a quiet shopping period allows children and young adults to experience the fun in a toy shop, regardless of their disability." The changes are easy to put into effect but make a huge difference for the children with autism.

 
On November 6 the stores "will dim their lights, reduce the amount of fluorescent lighting, cut the in-store music, and eliminate the loud speaker announcements." Store employees will also put up autism-friendly signs and create quiet zones for families."For many autistic people and their families a simple trip to the shops, which should be an enjoyable experience, can be fraught with difficulty," Daniel Cadey, autism access manager for the National Autistic Society, explained. "Autistic children and adults can become overwhelmed with too much information inside a busy store."

The artificial lighting and loud announcements only make it worse. Kids with autism can easily become overwhelmed in these situations and even feel physical pain from the experience.

"Simple changes like this can make a huge difference to the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and to their families," Cadey added. "We hope that many more major retailers will follow the great example set by Toys R Us."

Read more at http://www.sunnyskyz.com

How You Can Help the Victims of Hurricane Matthew

The residents of Haiti, parts of the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have been affected by Hurricane Matthew and will be trying to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Matthew. In Haiti, it is expected that food, water and medical supplies will be in short demand.
The U.S. states affected by Hurricane Matthew are facing the challenges of dangerous storm surges, flooding and power outages. Humanitarian organizations have already begun mobilizing to step in as soon as the storm passes. Many local churches and other relief agencies throughout the United States will be collecting donations in the weeks to come.
 
Here are some organizations you can support:

 The American Red Cross has mobilized more than 3,000 disaster workers, 149 response vehicles, and 100 trailers filled with water, ready-to-eat meals, shelter and kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies and comfort kits, insect repellant, gloves, masks, shovels, rakes, coolers and more. The Red Cross is working in close collaboration with government officials and community partners to coordinate response efforts to ensure people receive the help they need as quickly as possible. The Red Cross depends on donations to provide immediate relief. _­Help people affected by Hurricane Matthew by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word MATTHEW to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.  Hurricane Matthew has also forced the cancellation of dozens of blood drives in the Southeast, and dozens more could be cancelled. For those in areas unaffected by the storm, please give blood or platelets now to help patients in need. Please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800- 733-2767) to make an appointment.

International Red Cross Societies across the Caribbean and central America began preparing for impacts as the hurricane plowed through the Caribbean. “Our Red Cross teams in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia are currently running preparedness activities with the communities. In Haiti, the Red Cross has put all its branches on alert and prepositioned stock to respond to the needs of more than 3,000 people. To donate, visit the organization's website here.

The Salvation Army maximizes resources and allocates those resources to the units expected to see the most impact from Hurricane Matthew. To donate to the domestic relief effort and help provide food, shelter, and other forms of emergency assistance to disaster survivors and rescue workers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and other U.S. states affected, visit this page.  The Salvation Army also asks people who want to help those directly affected by the storm to call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or text STORM to 51555. The Salvation Army is also mobilizing resources and personnel to assist with the international relief effort in Haiti and Jamaica. Donations to Caribbean relief efforts can be made here, or by going to salar.my/Matthew. 

World Vision serves more than 900,000 people, including 58,000 sponsored children, through programs in 200 rural and urban communities in Haiti, and  according to Lauren Fisher, public relations manager for disasters and international news for World Vision, said the non-profit organization had mobilized ahead of the storm to aid the Haitian people."(We have) pre-positioned emergency supplies to assist up to 15,000 families with items including tarps, water containers, hygiene kits and blankets," said Fisher. "We’re mobilizing with plans to provide relief for approximately 250,000 people, depending on the impact of the storm." You can donate to World Vision here.

The United Nation's Children's fund is dedicated to the survival and well-being of children. 
According to the organization's website, 90 percent of all donations go directly to children. They are accepting donations for disaster relief in Haiti here.

Operation Blessing International (OBI) is one of the largest charities in America, providing humanitarian services such as strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 37 countries in the last year, according to a press release. To learn more about their efforts in Haiti and to donate, visit their website here. 

Food For The Poor is one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, according to its website. The organization has loaded trucks with rice, canned meats, rice-based nutritional meals known as MannaPack, first aid kits and blankets that will be sent to the worst-hit areas of Haiti. Thirty ship containers of relief to Haiti are expected to ship out within the next two weeks, according to ABC 10.

Mercy Corps senior communications officer, Lynn Hector, said "We already have 32 team members in Haiti and our team is prepared to shift its operations to determine how we might help meet urgent needs and support longer-term recovery." Donations can be made to Mercy Corps’ Humanitarian Response Fund, which helps us respond to emergencies as quickly as possible.

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and is one of the largest humanitarian agencies in Haiti. In response to Matthew, CARE plans to supply clean drinking water, food assistance and emergency supplies such as tarps for shelter, blankets and hygiene kits. “The biggest needs following the storm will be clean drinking water as the anticipated flooding will contaminate the water supply.” You can support CARE's efforts in Haiti here. 

Direct Relief runs the world's largest hurricane preparedness medical supply program, according to an email sent to weather.com. "Since the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Direct Relief has been the largest private provider of medical aid into Haiti and has supported over 200 medical facilities with donations of medicines and medical supplies totaling $240 million wholesale," said Paul Sherer, who works with the non-profit organization. To donate to Direct Relief, visit their website here.

Catholic Relief Services is a faith-based organization committed to assisting the poor and vulnerable overseas. As soon as the storm passes, CRS is also poised to provide cash to victims so they can purchase critically needed relief supplies and distribute relief items, including bottled water, water purification tabs, blankets, tarps and tents, and kitchen kits. CRS engineers are on standby to assess structural damage and begin repairs once Matthew clears out. Based on the extent of damage, part of CRS’ response could include temporary shelters and distribution of shelter materials like tarps. To donate to CRS, visit their website here.

Save the Children has deployed an emergency response team to work with staff and partners on the ground to help the children and families affected by the storm. The organization says they have pre-positioned a stockpile of non-food items, including hygiene kits, baby items, household kits, mosquito nets and jerry cans, which will be used in coming days, according to an email sent to weather.com. To donate to Save the Children, visit their website here.

International Medical Corps is also responding to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, giving priority to water, sanitation, and hygiene needs. “We have pre-positioned our teams so that they will be prepared to immediately," said Chris Skopec, Senior Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “They will assess the most urgent needs so we can respond appropriately with lifesaving assistance and help communities recover and rebuild.” For more information and to donate, visit their website here.

GlobalGiving's Fund will support these vetted nonprofits that are deeply-rooted in Haiti and other Caribbean nations and have strong track records of success. GlobalGiving is a top-rated charity on Charity Navigator. For more information and to donate, visit their website here.

Concern Worldwide officials said workers are already on the ground responding to life-threatening Hurricane Matthew. They already have contingency stocks in place as well as life-saving items such as blankets, shelter equipment and aqua tablets. To learn more and donate, visit Concern Worldwide's website here.

Handicap International is on the ground and ready support to people with storm-related injuries, and to those with disabilities, provide essential needs support, support people who have lost their mobility devices and provide psychological support for those distraught by the storm’s damage and impact.For more information and to donate, visit the Handicap International website here. 

Samaritan’s Purse is sending its DC-8 airplane loaded with 20 tons of essential items such as clean water, hygiene items and plastic sheeting for emergency shelter to Haiti. The organization is also sending a Disaster Assistance Response Team to join staff already on the ground to respond to the catastrophe. For more information and to donate, please visit their website here. 

Americares has emergency response teams in Haiti and Florida focused on meeting the health needs of hurricane survivors. The organization is delivering $1.6 million in medicine and relief supplies in southern Haiti, including intravenous fluids to treat cholera and medical supplies to treat storm-related injuries. In Florida, Americares relief workers are on standby ready to assess needs and quickly offer assistance as soon as it is safe to venture into affected communities. For more information and to donate, please visit their website here. 

ActionAid USA is an international development organization working with over 15 million people in 45 countries to eradicate poverty. The organization has been working in Haiti on the ground with local partners right now, providing clean water, improving hygiene, and helping women find safety in the areas worst-affected by Hurricane Matthew. Your donation will help ActionAid reach more people more quickly. You may give here or at globalgiving.org.

All Hands Volunteers is a U.S.-based natural disaster relief and reconstruction organization that enables volunteers to help survivors of disasters around the globe. All Hands provides shelter, food and volunteer management.  People who want to help just need to get themselves to the project sites. All Hands Volunteers spent two years rebuilding in Haiti after the last earthquake. For more information, visit their website here. 

SOS Children's Villages is an international organization dedicated to the care of abandoned, orphaned and vulnerable children in 134 countries around the world. SOS's ongoing work in Haiti consists of providing children a safe home in their villages, many of whom were orphaned in the earthquake of 2010; helping children and families stay together and thrive as part of their family strengthening programs; and providing day-care, counseling and psychological support to families. For more information and to donate, visit the organization's website here. 

Source: https://weather.com/news/news/hurricane-matthew-how-help

Being Good Can Make You Happier

An Oxford University analysis has found that performing good deeds can actually make someone happier. Researcher Dr. Oliver Scott Curry used the results of twenty-one studies, involving a total of over 2,500 people from around the world, to examine the link between kindness and happiness. Curry said that the effect is small and "will not change your life" but "might help nudge it in the right direction." He stated that, "Offering kindness to others has been explored as a possible panacea for many of our social ills, ranging from social isolation to more serious mental and physical health conditions."

Dr. Oliver Scott Curry explained the reasoning for this to be that, "we genuinely care about others’ welfare, and because random acts of kindness are a good way of making new friends, and kick-starting supportive social relationships." More research is planned to be done on this subject to "find out if some people benefit more from being helpful than others."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3822502/Helping-DOES-make-happier-Doing-good-deeds-effect-like-paracetamol-improving-mood.html#ixzz4N4DjaZlY

"As small as it may seem, a good deed is always worth doing"

                                                      -Spark Matsunga

Deed of the Day!

This past Sunday marked fifteen years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. Students of Binghamton University in New York honored this with the fourteenth annual Mitzvah Marathon. The Mitzvah Marathon, with "mitzvah" meaning "good deeds" is hosted by the Chabad Center for Jewish Students as a day where students preform selfless acts such as making sandwiches for the homeless, a blood drive, donating money to CHOW, a local toy drive and writing letters to sick children and soldiers. As well as these acts, some of the Jewish students of the university recited special prayers for peace for the victims of this attack. After the deeds had been preformed, a large display of cards filled out by the students was hung in memory of the victims.

 

Source Birminghanmtonhomepage. com

What Is Good?

In ninth grade I decided that since I was officially a high school student, it was time for me to start watching the news. So one morning I flipped to Channel 5 instead of the usual MTV and opened myself up to the world of current events. Within the first few weeks of watching the news I noticed a pattern - everything was so negative. There were constantly stories revealing fires, kidnappings, bombings, and plane crashes. Every once in a while there would be a brief report on a celebrity that visited a sick child or family reunited with a lost pet. But that was it. The reporters never took the time to linger on the good deeds done throughout our world, or even our country. They didn't report on all of the good that attempts to outweigh the bad that is forced upon us. So even at the age of fifteen, it didn't take long for me to find out that not many people tended to focus on the good done in our world. Today, four years later, I still hold this opinion and continue to be frustrated with the lack of acknowledgement of the good done in the world, and this is why I have chosen to make this blog into one that explore and explain the good in the world and the different ways it can be viewed.
 
The title "Finding the Good in the World" seems pretty vague, and I did this on purpose. The topic of this blog isn't simply to report on the good that is happening in our world today, but to look into everything that is happening, even the supposedly bad and dissect it in a way that allows us to see it from different perspectives. Looking at the good in the world will connect with simple things such as the good deeds and charity done locally, nationally and globally. It will also dig deeper into the cultures and beliefs of people throughout the world, and how these can lead to the various beliefs of what it means to be good and what actions are viewed as good.

I think that it is important for people to not only recognize the good that is done in the world, but to understand that a crime to one person may be considered a good deed to another. It can be a strange and difficult thing to think about in some cases, but I hope to shed more light on it throughout the course of this blog. I want this blog to prove to people that there is good in the world, and that the acknowledgement of this good can inspire others to spread the positivity. I want people to read this blog and believe that behind the all of the horror that is forced upon us, there is a world that is truly and genuinely filled with good.