An antidote to IS recruitment of women

Because there is not widespread acceptance of homosexuality in Mumbai, many parents of LGBTQ people struggle to accept it. To solve this, a number of parents formed a group called, "The Rainbow Parents." The group started in February 2017, and membership has been steadily rising since. They discuss the common issues that face them and how to solve them, and they meet regularly with supplemental Facebook and Whatsapp groups. Parents within the group testify to how comfortable and safe the space is.

In the United States, the incarcerated feel like they have no voices and their mistakes that led them to jail go unacknowledged. A documentary film spotlights the IF Project, a writing program that encourages female inmates and recently released felons to write down what they would have done to change the path they went on. With police and teachers as mentors, the convicted have support transitioning into society and can reflect on what they can do to change their lives for the better.

Grassroots organizations are helping Palestinians and Israelis to meet and discuss their experiences with each other, often for the first time. Ali Abu Awwad, a Palestinian, co-runs one of these groups with two Israeli settlers. He describes their center is a place where “the enemy is transformed into a neighbor,” a process he says must happen before lasting political solutions to the conflict can be reached.

Chicago nonprofit Life After Hate provides mentorship, individualized education, support groups, and job training to help draw people away from violent extremism and hate-based ideology. Founded by former extremists, the group uses a process of disengagement and deradicalization based on compassionate, nonjudgmental discussion with social workers and peer mentors.

The Alternatives to Violence Project, an international nonprofit, provides workshops around conflict resolution, personal growth, and other social skills to people experiencing incarceration. While a large-scale organization, individual prisons have the agency to implement the workshops. In Washington’s Pierce county, they tailor their workshops for veterans experiencing incarceration, teaching community-building, self-reflection, listening, and de-programming aggression and violence.

Millions of Americans, particularly the working class, LGBQT, minorities, and immigrants, feel left behind by the system, and in light of the revival of violence from white supremacists and the tumultuous debate on gun control, many feel that the only solution is to take the defense of their rights and needs into their own hands. The Redneck Revolt is an anti-racist, pro-gun organization that works to represent the working class - across race, sexual identity, and creed - and to protect their communities and interests from white supremacists and economic disparity alike.

Stop underestimating yourself. That’s the call of Sam Daley-Harris to the many everyday Americans who feel that they cannot effect change in their country. He’s the founder of Results, a grassroots network that has spent decades teaching people how to build relationships with their congressional representatives and advocate for legislation.

For people like Jasmine Smith, a single mother of two who lost her job after her broken and unfixable car thwarted her commute, one's options to provide for themselves and their families are few and far between. However, through Pathway of Hope, a national Salvation Army initiative that’s supported thousands in finding housing and financial stability, Smith was given financial resources, housing assistance, emotional support, a sense of self-sufficiency, and the will to continue her education.

Under an administration that frequently spouts racist rhetoric and enforced divisive legislation such as the Muslim ban and the border wall, minority communities - particularly Islamic and Latino communities - are having to work harder than ever to combat the dichotomy of their neighborhoods. In Santa Ana, the Islamic Center has created a clever way to unite the varied demographics of the community: taco trucks - once the punch line of a derogatory quip from a Trump supporter - open during Ramadan to help foster cultural exchange and neighborly relations.

Young adults who decide to abandon their cloistered Jewish communities have only one another to help them navigate the alternate reality of modern-day New York. 'Footsteps', is a nonprofit organization that brings formerly ultra-orthodox people together to talk and learn to navigate their new worlds, while also bringing in social workers and providing GED classes. For individuals leaving their families, life can be extremely difficult, but this group seeks to create a more positive transition to the secular world.