Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • How to Get Wheelchairs on Planes

    When you step on an airplane, you might not be thinking about people who use wheelchairs, neither are airlines. People who need to use wheelchairs have faced a number of challenges on airplanes, like lost and damaged wheelchairs, not being able to use the restroom, and feeling dehumanized. Some people, are taking matters into their own hands.

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  • Meet India's dam-building grandmother

    In Rajasthan, India, the Aakar Charitable Trust is building dams in previously drought-ridden areas using traditional practices that use the contours of the land to retain water. These check dams are cost-effective, partially owned by local communities, and do not displace residents; the trust builds an average of 30 dams each year, but they hope to ramp up construction in the future while cautioning that the method will not work for every topography.

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  • Faith Based Farms

    In the United States, a multi-denominational movement combines faith and farming. “Gardens are magical places,” says Venice Williams, executive director of Alice’s Garden in Milwaukee, one of three faith-based farms profiled in this story. “This garden and most gardens slow you down, connect you to other people, and help you to put things into perspective and to celebrate everything that the creator has provided for us--however you identify with that creator.”

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  • One woman's simple recipe for a happy street

    In an attempt to fight childhood obesity and social isolation in Bristol, the organization Playing Out is helping kids exercise more. They are creating a way for children to safely be physically active in their neighborhoods by closing off streets at certain times each week. The UK government created a system for streets to apply just one time for weekly events, and now the system has spread to 40 UK local authorities and cities around the world, including Toronto.

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  • How one country persuaded teens to give up drink and drugs

    Icelandic teenagers used to be infamous for their heavy smoking, drinking, and drug use. But the country has done a complete 180, thanks to investment in after-school activities, a curfew, and a pledge that all parents sign to keep their kids away from alcohol. One unintended benefit of the program is that youth are now excelling in music and sports.

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  • How Iceland Saved Its Teenagers

    Iceland used to be one of the worst countries in Europe for underage teenage drinking. The country’s government realized they needed to change that. Each year, students fill out an anonymous survey about their drinking and lifestyle habits that gives the government data to inform programs and interventions. Since 1998, the number of 16 year olds who drank in the last month decreased from 42% to only 5%. The government has helped fund after school sports programs, implemented a curfew, and created a successful model that has now been applied to 30 European countries.

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  • The Missing Maps

    In Malawi and other countries around the world, thousands of towns are not mapped. There is often no financial incentive to do so. However, unmapped areas face many challenges, especially because they are harder to reach after a natural disaster. Missing Maps is trying to help. The project holds map-a-thons in cities such as Beirut and London, and these events use the power of communities to map the world on a massive scale. Over 45,000 volunteers have mapped the homes of over 50 million people in less than three years.

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  • The Town Where Public Toilets Are Everywhere

    In cities all around the world, locals as well as tourists struggle to find adequate public restrooms. In Bremen, Germany, a creative partnership is solving the public restroom problem. “The Nice Toilet” initiative allows the local government to pay small businesses a stipend in exchange for putting a sign in their window notifying visitors of their public toilets. The government saves money, businesses make money, and visitors are happier.

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  • Making it Work: Agriculture in India and Kenya

    Farmers play a vital role in the health of people around the world, yet often are not financially compensated in a sustainable way to survive. Entrepreneurs in India are attempting to shift this reality by introducing start ups that help low income farmers bring in a consistent income.

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  • How Iceland is Fighting the Gender Pay Gap

    Iceland may be "the best country in the world for gender equality" but women get paid 30 percent less than men. Trade unions and businesses united to fix the problem. They reevaluated people's salaries through a point system, regardless of their gender. Now, the government has decided all companies in Iceland will have to implement the system, or pay a fine.

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