Maclean's Magazine
21 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
To help get supplies to the vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic, mutual aid programs have begun developing across Canada. Across the nation, Facebook groups help connect people with resources, with the underlying goal of protecting "the precarious livelihoods of groups who were marginalized long before coronavirus came along."
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/the-payoffs-of-time-banks
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
20 September 2011
Text / 800-1500 Words
Two columns on Time Banks, where people swap services – teach calligraphy to one neighbor, and get computer repair from another neighbor. Time Banks create community and make people healthier – which is why hospitals and clinics are now starting them.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/slashing-the-price-of-health-with-common-sense
David Bornstein
The New York Times
2 August 2011
Text / 800-1500 Words
Organizations are mobilizing volunteers in hospitals to connect low-income families with human services which address social factors like poor housing, nutrition, etc. so patients are able to work and thus afford healthier lives.
http://elitedaily.com/news/vets-rebuild-communities-after-disasters/1278973
Alexandra Svokos
Elite Daily
11 November 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization of military veterans that provides disaster relief, has provided relief after flooding in Detroit, tornadoes in Oklahoma, a typhoon in the Philippines and an earthquake in Nepal, among dozens of other communities across the globe.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/in-the-fight-against-poverty-its-time-for-a-revolution
David Bornstein
The New York Times
12 January 2012
Text / 1500-3000 Words
LIFT, founded in 1988 by college students, employs an approach to poverty alleviation grounded in building relationships with communities. LIFT finds volunteers who have demonstrated empathy and then employs them to meet with local families in need, helping them set goals, monitor their progress, and access services.
http://theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/05/the-mapmakers-helping-nepal/392228
Robinson Meyer
The Atlantic
2 May 2016
Text / 800-1500 Words
Whenever there’s a natural catastrophe, a team of “crisis mappers” activate around the world. These volunteers use crowdsourcing tools to turn satellite data into digital maps, which are then used to make decisions on the ground, enabling rescuers to deliver food, shelter, and supplies to areas that need them most.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04yzvm9
Mukul Devichand
Nick Holland
BBC
18 April 2017
Radio / Over 15 Minutes
Around the world, more and more people are launching projects through mobile apps that use smartphones to collect massive amounts of data for solving chronic issues. By asking thousands of volunteers to donate their data for the greater good, researchers can access data in quantities that were previously unobtainable.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/from-young-adult-book-fans-to-wizards-of-change
Courtney E. Martin
The New York Times
21 March 2012
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31843501?ocid=socialflow_twitter
Lauren Gelfond Feldinger
BBC
12 March 2015
Text / Over 3000 Words
The refugee crisis in Syria is one of modern society's greatest diasporas. Syria's refugee children are not a lost generation, but the country's next generation, according to volunteers who want to prepare them for the future.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article/20140831/News/308319872
Greg Barnes
Fayetteville Observer
31 August 2014
Text / Under 800 Words
Cabarrus County’s Project Re-entry gives those experiencing incarceration a chance at an education and self-reflection. The program has shown such success that it is being expanded to other detention centers in the county. Those who take part are able to take classes – all taught by volunteers – like literacy and religious studies, or choose to enroll in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/features/anonymous/camcorders-justice
James Scudamore
Intelligent Life
1 January 2014
Text / Over 3000 Words
In India, videos made about the many social problems are secretly broadcasted in different villages to make people aware of the real problem and also aware of what they can do to fix it. Video Volunteers, an organization that coordinates these video productions, catalyzes community change through transparency and accountability.
Photo Credits: Almudena Toral; Cody Pope; Matt Stokes; Kriston Bethel; Noah Friedman-Rudovsky
All other photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license, and are credited to the following photographers: Rowan El Shimi; Samuele Arcidiacono; Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2017 © DW/H. W. Lamberz
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