“Something to be Proud of”: UK Graphic Novel Highlights Homeless
Passersby ignore a beggar, homophobic insults crowd a wall, a woman burns a note penned to a “victim” – not the usual stuff of comics but all vignettes from a new graphic novel by homeless people that aims to kill the stigma surrounding street life. The Book of Homelessness, launched this week by a youth […]
Aboriginal Names Get Pride of Place In Australian Addresses
Australia Post has backed a months-long campaign to add Aboriginal place names in addresses to recognise the country’s indigenous people and the traditional names of their lands. Rachael McPhail, an Aboriginal woman, began a social media campaign in August to ask Australia Post to add traditional place names to postal addresses. She also started an […]
‘First Line of Defense’: COVID-19 Prompts Rethink In Role of Buildings
From office workers to students, Americans facing colder weather and more time inside have a pressing question: How can they keep safe amid a pandemic that scientists say thrives in indoor settings? The search for answers has prompted a new look at what architects and their buildings can do to help, both now and in […]
94-Year-Old David Attenborough Attracts 6 Million Instagram Followers in 6 Weeks
Youth climate activists have urged David Attenborough to ‘pass the mic’ rather than jettison Instagram after just six weeks, saying the British naturalist should not abandon his 6 million followers. Attenborough’s team opened the Instagram account in September to coincide with the cinema release of ‘A Life on Our Planet’ documentary. It attracted 6.1 million […]
‘Not Seeing the Urgency’: Communications Failure Blamed For Climate Inaction
“Many people still do not seem to fully understand (climate change) is impacting our lives today,” says Britain’s Prince Charles. Humans’ collective inability to stem planet-heating emissions – which continue to rise despite pledges to slash them – is largely the result of failures to communicate the risks effectively, government officials and activists said this week. […]
From Child Laborer to Top Executive: Indian Tycoon Hopes His Story will Inspire
Rakesh Walia hopes his journey from child labourer to boardroom executive will inspire other children toiling in India’s roadside eateries, fields and factories to break free of the shackles of poverty and despair. In his autobiography Broken Crayons Can Still Colour, Walia, 59, gives a rare first person account of life as a child labourer […]
With Big Business Touting Ethics, How do Small Social Brands Survive?
Whether it is U.S. denim brand Levi’s campaigning against gun violence or British supermarket Iceland drawing attention to the environmental impact of palm oil production, big businesses want to show they care about people and the planet, not just profits. But this growing trend has made it harder for social enterprises – which are organisations […]
Not ‘Business as Usual’: How 5 Social Entrepreneurs Are fighting the Coronavirus
As leaders who aim to solve a diverse range of problems, from poverty to pollution, social entreprenerus are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and help in a time of crisis. But as the coronavirus spreads rapidly around the world, prompting governments to take huge measures to protect public health and their economies, what […]
Don’t Overlook Africa’s ‘Fragile’ States For Social Businesses, Urge Industry Experts
African nations such as Somalia may be perceived as conflict-ridden and risky for business but “fragile states” can be an untapped opportunity for social enterprises that are flexible and think out-of-the-box, said industry experts. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) lists 58 countries as “fragile states” – most of which are in Africa […]
Bono’s New Venture Takes Aim at ‘Fuzzy Thinking’ In Impact Investing
Impact investment funds must stop relying on “fuzzy thinking” about how much good they do, Bono said as he announced a tie-up with U.S. private equity company TPG to measure the social and environmental change they achieve. Impact investing – which promises social and environmental benefits as well as financial returns – is growing, but […]
