All People Making a Difference
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In Africa, producing food from waste
Farmers in southern Africa use composted food scraps, human waste, and livestock manure for many purposes, from enriching soil to feeding fish.
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'Encore entrepreneurs': Older Americans start businesses with social impact
Not all entrepreneurs are kids in college dorms. A generation of baby boomers want to start businesses that will serve real needs.
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An Oregon experiment in citizen government
A new law in Oregon that puts a citizen review panel in charge of breaking through political spin. It could be a first step in making better policy decisions.
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Difference Maker Juan Castillo teaches immigrants who speak obscure languages how to make it in New York.
Some immigrants from Mexico don't speak Spanish or English but native languages. Juan Castillo helps them learn.
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Mercy ship brings basic hospital care to West Africa
The Africa Mercy, a charity-funded hospital ship docked in Sierra Leone, provides the most sophisticated medical facility in the region.
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Difference Maker Khaldun Bshara has dodged bullets to preserve Palestinians' heritage
Khaldun Bshara heads RIWAQ, a West Bank architectural firm which renovates and preserves buildings that are part of Palestinians' cultural heritage.
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Lessons from America's surprising No. 1 bike town
How did snowy Minneapolis beat out Portland, Ore., for the title of best bike city in America? This year, Minneapolis is adding 57 new miles of bikeways to the 127 miles already built, and an additional 183 miles are planned over the next 20 years.
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Pierre Dulaine teaches poise, grace, respect – and fun – through Dancing Classrooms
Ballroom dance instructor Pierre Dulaine helps kids from all backgrounds in New York City and around the world gain confidence and other life skills through ballroom dancing.
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Is Walmart’s $1 billion sustainable agriculture strategy a model?
The giant retailer says it doesn't 'want customers to have to choose between products that are sustainable or products that are affordable.'
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Difference Maker Jeremy Teicher helps young Africans tell the world 'This Is Us.'
American Jeremy Teicher teaches youths in Senegal how to be filmmakers who tell their own stories.
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Older Americans a (labor) force for social change
Baby boomers discover ways to apply their skills and life experience to purposeful second careers.
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Could a 'Good Samaritan' law help China become more compassionate?
'Good Samaritan' laws around the US and elsewhere shelter those giving aid in emergencies from prosecution and encourage good deeds.
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Books flow from an American teen to African schools
High school junior Tatiana Grossman founded 'Spread the Words' to send books, both paper and digital, to schoolchildren in Africa.
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Reading, writing, empathy: Schools try 'Social Emotional Learning'
Yale researcher Mark Brackett says helping students to develop empathy can make teachers more effective and students more successful.
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As world population passes 7 billion, two strategies make for a sustainable future
Ensuring that women make their own choices about child-bearing and cutting waste are two important ways to ease the challenges of a more populous world.
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Difference Maker Ryan Clinton wants to make animal shelters 'no kill' zones
Ryan Clinton helped make Austin, Texas, a 'no kill' zone for shelter animals. His next goal: The rest of the US.
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Tim Peters provides Helping Hands to North Korean defectors
Christian missionary Tim Peters sends aid to impoverished North Korea while working to help defectors come to the South.
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Toni Maloney's path to peace: create jobs
New York-based nonprofit Bpeace provides a network of business professionals who volunteer to help entrepreneurs in conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, and El Salvador.
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In India, SELCO blazes an entrepreneurial trail to bring solar power to the people
Harish Hande wants to make solar power available to all Indians – even the poorest street vendors.
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Movirtu – building a virtual mobile phone for the developing world
Nigel Waller wants to bring 'virtual mobile phone' service to the Bottom of the Pyramid – the poorest of the world's poor.
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