Ripple (verb) – to cause small waves.

A ripple effect is often used to describe a situation where an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally. These effects can be either negative or positive and occur quite frequently in society and yes, the Internet. But let’s switch it up for a few seconds – We use search engines (like Google) to look for things on the web (news, entertainment, products, information, etc.).

Alright, so imagine combining the two and creating a search engine that creates a positive and socially conscious ripple effect.

Well on May 4th 2007, 4 friends from Australia (Jehan Ratnatunga, Simon Griffiths, Matt Tilleard and Mack Nevill) did just that.

Together they decided to use Google’s built in search engine (Google Co-op) to build a non-profit website that harnesses the power of the Internet, leverages affiliate advertising to generate revenue, and use that money to help people, instead of Read more…

What if your plastic shopping bag or the ring pull tab from your Coke can could help pay for a child’s education?

Recycle for a Cause, a campaign launched in the UAE, allows for just that kind of wonder—turning your trash into treasure.

How so?

Plastic bags and ring pull tabs collected from the community are sent to the Philippines and used to create and sell high quality merchandise as a source of livelihood for Filipino families in poverty.

The Recycle for a Cause campaign has been launched by Abu Dhabi Cause Connect (ADCC) in support of the Philippine Community Fund (PFC), which helps to provide shelter, food and education for children who are rescued from living on dump sites. PCF is a UK registered charity that works to free Filipino children and their families from the effects of poverty. The Recycle for a Cause product line alone provides employment for over Read more…

She’s a beautiful, old soul.

Raven upon arrival at the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society

With jet black hair and sad, gentle eyes that say much more than her underweight 19-year-old frame allows.

Nothing is known of her history, how long she went without food, or how long blindness has clouded her left eye.

She was abandoned, a victim of circumstance, hard times, and debilitating drought.

And she isn’t alone.

The Perfect Storm

For nearly a year now, Texas has endured a punishing combination of drought, consecutive days of climbing 100 degree temperatures, vanishing water supplies and, now, pockets of sporadic wildfires racing across acre after acre of cracked earth.

Currently, 96 percent of the state is facing exceptional and extreme drought conditions, with area lakes dropping as much as 41 feet in some cases, according to a National Weather Service Drought Information Statement issued September 8, 2011, with little to no relief expected in the upcoming months.

Read more…

Quick question: “When you buy a winter hat, where does your money go?”

Hold on to that thought and feast on the countless possibilities while you read on.

Winter is coming.

You can just tell by breathing in the morning air. And I guess I am lucky enough to be able to say that, living in St. John’s, Newfoundland, by far one of the cleanest cities in Canada. Along with winter comes the obvious shift in fashion. Out with the shorts and in with the jackets. The bandanas make way for scarves and toques.

Speaking of which…

I reached into my closet and pulled out my hat bin. You see, I’m a cap/hat/toque lover. (For those of you who think I’m talking gibberish when I keep saying the word ‘toque’, a toque is the Canadian equivalent of a knit winter hat. A beanie if you may.)

As I pulled out the storied heroes of past winters Read more…

This story begins with Jacqueline Novogratz’s favourite blue sweater…

Jacqueline Novogratz: Founder of Acumen Fund

And so this amazing tale inspired Jacqueline’s ambitious venture into social good with her creation of Acumen Fund: an organization dedicated to investing in social entrepreneurs and enterprises focused on providing critical goods to the world’s poor.

Investing Patient Capital in Social Entrepreneurs

By using the idea of patient capital (where investors are willing to make a financial investment in a business with no expectation of turning a quick profit) and investing this into people trying to solve vital problems for the poor in their region, this essentially creates a system that combines both businesses (whose bottom line is profit) and philanthropy (a focus on creating a positive impact on society), ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty.

Since a social entrepreneur’s model is based on not one but three bottom lines – People (society), Planet (the environment) & Profit Read more…

When Regina Yau received two SOS mails from the Malaysia Women’s Aid Foundation in the same week, she knew something wasn’t right. She realized that the foundation was and still is at a great loss of funds. There seemed to be lack of donors and decrease in pledges. Regina noted such state of affairs and decided to do something about it. Her eagerness and drive to help the community of women suffered due to domestic violence led her to brainstorm variety of ideas.

The Pixel Project: Piecing it Together

Coming from a conservative family background herself, and witnessing the hardships of her grandmother, she decided it is time to put an end to abuse towards women in all its forms. She created Pixel Project in hopes to aid the Women’s Aid Foundation for the desired betterment. Malaysia Women’s Aid foundation shares its funds with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), which Read more…

Sports have always been an important part of my life.

Whether it’s basketball, baseball, tennis, football, swimming, running or soccer, I’ve always been involved in sports in some aspect or the other.

Playing sports has kept me fit and out of trouble. It’s taught me individual (strength, perseverance) & team (interpersonal, collaboration) skills.

Most importantly, sports have taught me responsibility.

My actions (big or small), always have an impact on myself, teammates and the game. By being accountable, it’s forced me to always strive to become better.

Better World

Nike is a brand that’s synonymous with sports.

Seek high performance in any sport, and you’ll find a Nike product that is specifically designed to help you do better.

In recent years however, Nike has opened up its “better” focus towards positively impacting society, and the environment.

Earlier this year, Nike launched its corporate responsibility micro-site “Nike: Better World” with one mission: Make the world better through sport.

Start of by Read more…

What does climate change mean to you? In the UK it often feels like a series of scientific debates and middle class people wondering if we’ll have a thriving wine industry in 30 years.

For many children in the developing world, though, it means destruction, death, poverty and no chance to go to school. Climate change is happening now and it is the most vulnerable children in countries not responsible for messing with our climate that are paying the price.

UNICEF – Climate kid shows you how children will have to adapt if we do nothing.

The World’s governments know all about the challenge of climate change. At the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009 developed countries promised to raise an extra $100 billion a year by 2020 for developing countries for climate change. This money is to be evenly split between trying to prevent further rises in global temperatures and helping to adapt Read more…

A few months ago whilst catching up on the latest social media news I came across the “Social Good Summit” – an annual conference hosted by Mashable, 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation aimed at bringing together technologists, thought leaders and passionate activists to unlock the potential of new media and technology to make the world a better place.

Why not?

Since I was heading back to North America for a few months, and seeing that Ted Turner, Lance Armstrong and Doug Ulman were going to be amongst some of the notable speakers, I thought to myself, “Why not grab a couple of tickets and use this as a reason to visit New York?”.

Afterall, it’s an opportunity to connect with some amazing people and organizations involved in social good.

At first I thought it was just going to be a small event, however as the weeks rolled by more and more Read more…

Imagine a normal day-in-life.

You probably wake up, get ready for work or school, you come home and do some chores around the house. Maybe you’ll hang out with friends in the evening or enjoy a night at home watching TV. As you reflect on your day, consider this—how much of your daily life somehow involves using the Internet?

Not Connected

You probably use the Internet throughout the day at work. For many it’s the first thing you do when you wake up. Now imagine your life without the Internet. Sound crazy? Well for many people—76% of the world’s population in fact—having no Internet access is a reality.

Two noteworthy organizations are hoping to change this fact. After all, the Internet has become indispensable not just in terms of making our lives easier, but for many developing countries, having Internet access can make the difference between a life of poverty and a life Read more…

Nigeria is often a country that creates news because of its vast oil fields.  There have been countless negative effects from being one of the world’s largest oil producers.  Few Nigerians actually reap the benefits from being such an oil rich country while limitless violence and corruption haunts the Niger delta.

Last year I met Brittany Atchison in Rwanda.  After our human rights delegation in Kigali, she was going to Nigeria for nine months. I knew that she was going to learn and gain immeasurable life experiences but I didn’t know what a powerful impact she would have on the north-eastern community of Jalingo.

Brittany and her Nigerian counterparts, Hannatu Robinson and Yusuf Jatutu, with the assistance of a 20 year partnership between the Iowa United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church of Nigeria, started EmpowHER – a microfinance initiative that supports women to start their own businesses.

A little hope Read more…

3 litres of water per day.

According to the Water Encyclopedia, that’s how much the average human needs per day for survival.  This amount increases with physical activity and with temperature.  Aside from replacing our body’s water we need water for a number of purposes including agriculture, cooking sanitation and hygiene.  This amounts to 50 liters required to meet human needs.

Treatment and delivery of water costs a lot of money.  The water needs to be pumped from a source like a lake, river or well to a water treatment plant.  Depending on requirements the water can be treated in different ways.

Commonly it is filtered and then disinfected with a chemical such as chlorine.  However, the equipment to do this costs thousands of dollars.  Plants also need a building to be situated in, sensors to monitor the process, and an operator to run and maintain the system.

Costs for this are often Read more…

South Africa has the largest HIV population in the world, with more than 5.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Because of its widespread prevalence and increasing acceptance, HIV has become a part of the everyday fabric of society.

South Africa’s AIDs history is marred by poor decisions by denialist leadership, resulting in unnecessary lost lives. Fortunately, Treatment Action Campaign, born out of system frustration, was founded in 1998.  TAC held the South African government accountable in up keeping basic tenants of the constitution, and is largely responsible for the implementation of antiretroviral treatment and mother-to-child transmission prevention programmes in South Africa. TAC is a member-based organization that advocates for increased access to treatment, care and support services for people living with HIV. For a detailed history of TAC, read the recently published Fighting for Our Lives. TAC’s vibrant history is also chronicled in the documentary TAC: Taking HAART.

Equal Treatment is the Read more…

Procrastination.

It’s a word we all know too well. We live in a day and age where comfort overrules all – we much prefer to put goals off until we absolutely can’t anymore. However, there is one assignment we cannot afford to procrastinate any longer because the consequence is the suffering of billions of people struggling in poverty. This assignment is urgent. This assignment is timed.

This assignment is End Poverty 2015.

What is it?

Ban Ki moon speaks at the United Nations Millennium Summit

At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 world leaders signed the Millennium Declaration and agreed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), an “eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world’s poorest people”.

Basically, the world leaders promised to reach milestones in making the world a better place, and the deadline to meet these goals is 2015.

Check out this amazing Read more…

Ah, the Bahamas.

So warm, so relaxing, so…. progressive?

Hey, I’m not just talking about their ever expanding drink menu, or the arguably the greatest invention ever – island time.  Nope, I’m talking about something even better, something that’s even got our environment-loving friends to the North beat, and it can be wrapped up in one word.

Sharks.

photo by Rob Stewart

No, really. It’s their sharks, or more importantly, the Bahamas approach to this long-feared fish of the deep that’s leaving countries around the world in its clear blue wake.

More specifically, it’s the July 2011 banning of shark fishing in the nation’s territorial waters that’s making everyone else look primitive in comparison.

What’s shark fishing anyway you wonder?

Feeding a Caribbean reef shark, Bahamas. Photo David Hannan.

Well, according to award-winning shark conservationist Rob Stewart, it involves the sale, import, and export of shark products that were acquired by fishing, most often Read more…