Quote of the Day: “Do what you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” – Anthony Robbins
Photo: by Brainbitch, CC license, Flickr
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
A new way to provide cooling without power
Device developed at MIT could provide refrigeration for off-grid locations.
Written by David L. Chandler
MIT News
MIT researchers have devised a new way of providing cooling on a hot sunny day, using inexpensive materials and requiring no fossil fuel-generated power.
The passive system, which is primarily being hailed as a way to preserve food and medications in hot off-grid locations, is essentially a high-tech version of a parasol.
The system allows emission of heat at mid-infrared range of light that can pass straight out through the atmosphere and radiate into the cold of outer space, punching right through the gases that act like a greenhouse. To prevent heating in the direct sunlight, a small strip of metal suspended above the device blocks the sun’s direct rays.
The new system is described this week in the journal Nature Communications. In theory, the system they designed could provide cooling of as much as 20º Celsius (68º Fahrenheit) below the ambient temperature in a location like Boston, the researchers say. So far, in their initial proof-of-concept testing, they have achieved a cooling of 6º C (about 42º F). For applications that require even more cooling, the remainder could be achieved through conventional refrigeration systems or thermoelectric cooling.
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Other groups have attempted to design passive cooling systems that radiate heat in the form of mid-infrared wavelengths of light, but these systems have been based on complex engineered photonic devices that can be expensive to make and not readily available for widespread use, the researchers say. The devices are complex because they are designed to reflect all wavelengths of sunlight almost perfectly, and only to emit radiation in the mid-infrared range, for the most part. That combination of selective reflectivity and emissivity requires a multilayer material where the thicknesses of the layers are controlled to nanometer precision.
But it turns out that similar selectivity can be achieved by simply blocking the direct sunlight with a narrow strip placed at just the right angle to cover the sun’s path across the sky, requiring no active tracking by the device. Then, a simple device built from a combination of inexpensive plastic film, polished aluminum, white paint, and insulation can allow for the necessary emission of heat through mid-infrared radiation, which is how most natural objects cool off, while preventing the device from being heated by the direct sunlight. In fact, simple radiative cooling systems have been used since ancient times to achieve nighttime cooling; the problem was that such systems didn’t work in the daytime because the heating effect of the sunlight was at least 10 times stronger than the maximum achievable cooling effect.
But the sun’s heating rays travel in straight lines and are easily blocked — as we experience, for example, by stepping into the shadow of a tree on a hot day. By shading the device with the figurative umbrella, and supplementing that with insulation around the device to protect it from the ambient air temperature, the researchers made passive cooling more viable.
“It’s kind of deceptively simple,” says department head and study collaborator Evelyn Wang. “By having a separate shade and an emitter to the atmosphere — two separate components that can be relatively low-cost — the system doesn’t require a special ability to emit and absorb selectively. We’re using angular selectivity to allow blocking the direct sun, as we continue to emit the heat-carrying wavelengths to the sky.”
This project “inspired us to rethink about the usage of ‘shade,’” says Yichen Shen, a research affiliate and co-author of the paper. “In the past, people have only been thinking about using it to reduce heating. But now, we know if the shade is used smartly together with some supportive light filtering, it can actually be used to cool the object down.”
While most research on radiative cooling has focused on larger systems that might be applied to cooling entire rooms or buildings, this approach is more localized. Wang says: “This would be useful for refrigeration applications, such as food storage or vaccines.” Indeed, protecting vaccines and other medicines from spoilage in hot, tropical conditions has been a major ongoing challenge that this technology could be well-positioned to address.
Even if the system wasn’t sufficient to bring down the temperature all the way to needed levels, “it could at least reduce the loads” on the electrical refrigeration systems, to provide just the final bit of cooling, Wang says.
The system might also be useful for some kinds of concentrated photovoltaic systems, where mirrors are used to focus sunlight on a solar cell to increase its efficiency. But such systems can easily overheat and generally require active thermal management with fluids and pumps. Instead, the backside of such concentrating systems could be fitted with the mid-infrared emissive surfaces used in the passive cooling system, and could control the heating without any active intervention.
The team has applied for patents on the invention and hope that it can begin to find real-world applications quite rapidly.
Reprinted with permission from MIT News
Be Sure And Share This Cool Piece Of Research With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Bikram Bhatia
While some towns rally around high school athletic teams, this community has found common ground in their care and appreciation for a homeless man named Steve Arnold.
Enamored by his kind ways, the people of Blue Springs, Missouri have been regularly offering gifts and services to Arnold. Although the 66-year-old veteran never asks for anything, out of principle and personal conviction, he has accepted their kindness and appreciates their willingness to help. Most recently, the local residents gifted Arnold a new sleeping bed, a cot, a new tent, socks, and food. Some made kind offers to do his laundry and give him car rides or a place to shower.
The origin of the community’s fascination with Steve is somewhat of a mystery, even to the residents themselves. But the town’s Facebook page, Blue Springs Community Awareness, primarily became a place to talk about Arnold, what he is up to, and how he is faring.
Sella Minker, a manager of the Woods Chapel QuikTrip where Steve is often seen, told the Kansas Morning Star: “The Facebook page for Blue Springs has been blowing up about him for months.”
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Minker first became familiar with Arnold because he would regularly pick up cigarette butts and trash in front of her store. When asked why Steve became so popular she said: “You know I don’t know; he’s very down to Earth. He’s very quiet, very polite. He doesn’t ask people for money. Just very humble. Very thankful all the time. Gives people hugs. He’s such a sweet guy.”
“That’s just it. He doesn’t ask for anything,” resident Laura Booker told the Star. “Me and some friends gave him $100. He started crying. He didn’t know where his next meal was coming from.”
Steve had been living with his daughter prior to becoming homeless, but due to financial difficulties, had to resort to living in a makeshift tent near the highway. Fortunately, his daughter is currently working on getting a place of her own so he can move back in with her.
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Afflicted with mental illness, Steve finds difficulty holding a job and survives with his social security benefits, which don’t offer enough to provide him with rent, and all that goes with that.
Thanks to the local support, however, his quality of living has increased dramatically.
(WATCH the interview below) – Photo by WDAF
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Danny Hayden has just proven to his son that he might be the closest thing to a real-life Santa Claus.
In this sweet Yuletide video, dad can be seen holding his son, Bo, while he performs a Christmas magic trick—and while it isn’t necessarily rising up the chimney with a nod of his head, the child’s delight is contagious.
(WATCH the cute clip below)
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Quote of the Day: “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber
Photo: by Mike Hipp, CC license, Flickr
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In Brazil, it is very common for slum residents or homeless people to collect recyclables on the streets to sell and make a living—but it’s not so common to see them sit down in a restaurant where the average meal costs $100.
But that’s exactly what happened when a man walked into Benvindo, a high-end restaurant in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State.
According to the staff, a customer who appeared to be homeless approached the waiters at the front door and asked for a meal.
The 21-year-old waiter, Felipe Rodrigues Fontes, said that this request was particularly strange because the man also insisted that he wanted to pay for the meal with the money he had made by working decently: a single $50 bill.
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Fontes thought this was peculiar, but he proceeded to serve the man as he does every other guest.
The man chose an executive lunch, which includes an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. According to Fontes, the bill came to a final tally of $121.80 – but when the man asked for the bill, the owners of the restaurant asked the waiter to waive the charge.
Instead of accepting the free meal, however, the man politely refused and insisted on paying for the meal with the money he had earned from collecting the cans.
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“He truly wanted to pay for it,” Fontes told Correio Braziliense.
When it became apparent that the man was not budging in his position, the waiter agreed to charge him $10 – although, he says that he “had to lie, saying it was an ongoing promotion, because the man had $50 and was refusing to get the $40 change.”
A customer having lunch with her friends took a picture of the man and the waiter and posted it to a private Instagram, saying: “We just watched a great example of compassion and synergy. The ease of this guy made me think about the many paths we choose in life trying to be happy … and many times, it’s in the simplest and most truthful and unexpected way that is is closer and more accessible than we realize.”
The photo was later reposted to a Facebook group about restaurants in Belo Horizonte where it garnered over 2,400 shares and dozens of comments praising Fontes and the customer.
Currently, nobody knows any further details about the homeless man—or whether he is even homeless; but Fontes said that he simply wanted to perform an act of kindness for an honest hard-working man.
Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media – Photos by Rafael Salazar
Luxembourg will soon become the first country in the world to offer free public transportation to everyone.
The European nation suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the world—and scores the highest cars-per-capita rate in the European Union.
Though its population is small, some 560,000 residents, the number of international commuters from France and Belgium has nearly doubled what it was two decades ago.
According to the New York Times, the 180,000 commuters are attracted to Luxembourg by jobs that offer substantially higher annual salaries than those in neighboring nations.
Previously, trams, buses, and trains have offered free fare to children, students, and senior citizens, but starting in 2020, public transit will be free for all.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who was just sworn in for his second term earlier this week, hopes that the initiative will benefit the environment by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously freeing drivers from such infuriating traffic jams.
Be Sure And Drive This Story To Your Friends On Social Media – File Photo by Ex 13, CC
Never was there a story of true love like Jack and Diane: an emu and donkey that have been given a loving new home courtesy of a television star who couldn’t bear to see them separated.
Animal rescue organization Carolina Waterfowl Rescue first found Jack and Diane on an abandoned farm in South Carolina.
Though the owner of the farm had skipped town and left the animals to fend for themselves, Jack and Diane found comfort in each other, resulting in an unshakeable bond of friendship.
The Waterfowl Rescue, which is based out of North Carolina, took the emu and donkey back to their sanctuary and posted photos of the dynamic duo to social media in hopes that they could find a home for both of them, saying that “where one goes, the other follows.”
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Though Jack and Diane received plenty of social media traction, they happened to catch the eye of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor on the critically-acclaimed TV show The Walking Dead.
Morgan and his wife, actress Hilarie Burton, own a farm in Hudson Valley, New York that is already home to a “menagerie” of donkeys, cows, and other unusual critters.
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 3, 2018
So when the couple read about the plight of Jack and Diane in November, they were more than happy to welcome the star-crossed animals.
Earlier this week, Morgan made a Twitter post saying that Jack and Diane had successfully been transported to their new home where they are settling in nicely and enjoying nighttime treats of apples and berries.
Hey there... read the story... if you are looking for a forever home for jack and diane? Happy to take them, and keep them together at our farm. They would be a welcome addition to our menagerie of happy creatures. Xojd
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 11, 2018
Morgan has promised to post pictures of Jack and Diane once they have grown more comfortable at the farm, but as further testament to the love between his new animal companions, Morgan wrote a final anecdote about their journey to the farm.
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“When they got here today… in a 3 or 4 stall trailer… Diane had crawled underneath the door separating them and rode for god knows how many hours, laying beneath/between Jacks legs,” said Morgan. “Made me smile big. Love is an amazing thing.”
(WATCH the footage of Jack and Diane’s new home below) – Feature photo by Carolina Waterfowl Rescue
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Between studying for tests and finishing some last-minute projects, these fifth-grade students are sending 600 donated Christmas trees to service members who will be on duty around the world for the holiday season.
The sweet Yuletide initiative at Bethlehem Elementary School in New Hampshire is their contribution to the Trees for Troops program, currently in its 14th year of operation.
For the troops receiving the trees, the gift of Christmas cheer makes a substantial difference. Sam Patree, one of the first Bethlehem students to participate in the Trees for Troops program, has since become a U.S. Marine. 14 years after he helped donate trees to service members, Patree has received his first tree from the program.
And students aren’t the only ones pitching in to cheer overseas soldiers. More than 200,000 sustainably grown trees from 25 states have been donated to Trees for Troops since was founded in 2005, and FedEx ships them for free.
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In addition to teaching the students how their efforts can positively affect the world, it has also taught them valuable life skills, such as fundraising, time management, and the importance of resource allocation.
“They learn how to raise money,” organizer Nigel Manley told WMUR. “They do cold calling. They write all the tags that send special messages to the troops, and we put them on the trees.”
“I know how it feels to be away from your family and your loved ones during the holidays. It’s a really tough season,” Sam Petree told WMUR. “These kids are supporting the troops, learning about them and what they do, and with that, it builds respect for everybody.”
Visit the Christmas Spirit Foundation to get involved with their tree donation program.
(WATCH the news footage below) – Photo used with permission, Trees for Troops on Facebook
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Quote of the Day: “Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Photo: by Thomas Magnier, CC license, Flickr
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The Lesson: There is not a significant correlation between personal accomplishment and happiness – in fact, accomplishment often creates new stressors that result in discontentment, as it creates new goals that need to be accomplished in turn. Shawn Achor, however, examines how an incorrect system – one in which happiness is predicated on achievement – can be inverted so that when happiness, not accomplishment, is the primary focus, accomplishment naturally follows.
Notable Excerpt: “Most people follow the formula, which is if you work harder, you’re going to be successful. ‘As soon as you achieve these goals, think how happy you’re going to be’ – think how often we do that. ‘As soon as I finish this project, I’ll be happier … as soon as I get the right job, I’ll feel happier,’ but what we notice is that formula … is scientifically broken … Every time your brain has had a success in the past, what have you done? You’ve changed the goal post for what success looked like almost immediately.”
The Speaker: Shawn Achor is a New York Times bestselling author and Harvard-educated expert on the psychology of happiness. The American motivational speaker has spent much of his life researching the science of happiness and publishing his findings for the masses. Achor also founded GoodThink Inc., an organization dedicated to giving lectures on science-backed methods of pursuing happiness.
The Book: “The Happiness Advantage” discusses how happiness is directly related to our work performance, and our ability to achieve in both our personal lives and a work setting. Using scientific research and psychology, Achor explores what is truly the driving vessel behind success.
(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below) – Photo by Don McCullough, CC
Good Advice? SHARE It – Or Check Out More On Our Good Talks Page…
Christmas came early for hundreds of families thanks to Tyler Perry.
Earlier this week, the actor and filmmaker paid for all of the layaway items at two Walmarts in his city of Atlanta, Georgia.
Between the two stores, Perry ended up paying for $432,635 worth of layaways. All the lucky shoppers have to do is pay one penny at the time of pick-up to take their items home.
Though the movie star tried to do the good deed anonymously, he says that unforeseen circumstances revealed him as the Secret Santa.
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“Merry Christmas to everybody!” Perry said in a Twitter video formally announcing the gesture. “I know it’s a hard time, a lot of people are struggling, and I’m just really, really grateful to be able to be in a position to do this.”
Amongst the thousands of followers praising Perry for his kindness, the Walmart Twitter page responded to the video by saying: “Anonymous or not, we hope you know that you just made Christmas for so many families. You went above and beyond. Thank you.”
(WATCH Perry’s announcement video below) – Photo by Tyler Perry
I was trying to do this anonymously but oh well!!! pic.twitter.com/T0dhRHyU66
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) December 6, 2018
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Instead of letting misfit cereal go to waste, Kellogg’s is turning their rejected cereal flakes into beer.
The food company’s new “Throw Away IPA” is being brewed with 70% wheat and 30% corn flakes that were too small, big, or undercooked to make it onto supermarket shelves from their UK manufacturing locations.
Additionally, 10 pence from every can sold will be donated to Fareshare, a food poverty charity.
The English beer is being made by Seven Bro7hers Brewery, which has locations in Salford and Manchester. According to the beer experts, the brew tastes sweeter than the usual IPA – and it maintains the iconic golden color of its breakfast cereal ingredients.
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Each Throw Away IPA brew uses roughly 132 pounds (60 kilograms) of rejected cornflakes. Since the craft brewery first teamed up with the food company to make the beer earlier in the year, Kellogg’s says that it has reduced their UK-based food waste by 12.5%.
Corporate social responsibility manager for Kellogg’s UK, Kate Prince, said: “Kellogg’s is always exploring different and sustainable ways to reduce food waste in its factories. So it is great to be involved in such a fun initiative with a local supplier.
“Kellogg’s is working hard to eliminate food waste in our manufacturing processes and give our consumers the wholesome products they love with minimum impact on the planet,” she added.
We’ll Cheers To This! Be Sure And Share The Good News With Your Mates On Social Media – Photo by Kellogg’s
Genevieve Purinton was only 18 years old when she gave birth to her one and only child back in 1949.
When she asked to see the baby, however, the doctors told her that the child had died.
Now 88 years old, Purinton lives in an assisted living facility in Tampa, Florida. Since her eight siblings have passed away, she didn’t think that she had any immediate family left – but then she got a card from a woman named Connie Moultroup.
The card, which included a phone number, said that Moultroup believed herself to be Purinton’s long-lost daughter.
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Though news reports do not explain why the doctors misinformed Purinton about her daughter’s death, Moultroup says that her adopted mother passed away when she was only 5 years old. Furthermore, Moultroup’s father went on to marry an abusive step-mom.
For years, Moultroup fantasized about her biological mother coming to rescue her – and while this did not come to pass, she was given an Ancestry DNA kit as a Christmas present from her 50-year-old daughter last year.
The kit led Moultroup to call someone with the same last name as her mother.
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“I said, ‘Here’s my mother’s given name,’” Moultroup told WTVT. “She said, ‘That’s my aunt and she’s still alive.’”
Finally, after 69 years of separation, Moultroup and Purinton met each other at the nursing facility earlier this week and the reunion was an emotional one – because not only did Purinton discover that her daughter was still alive, she also found out that she now has a granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.
(WATCH the emotional news coverage below) – Photo by WTVT
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It was just an ordinary Tuesday morning for Henry Irizawa.
He was riding the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay – a trip that he says that he has made at least 300 times.
Except this time, he was 40 minutes into the trip when the captain came on the PA system and excitedly told the passengers that there was a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the ship.
Sure enough, Irizawa and a dozen other passengers raced to the ship’s deck and were surprised by the sight of what appeared to be 200 Pacific white-sided dolphins speeding through the water.
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“I couldn’t believe it. It was nothing like I had ever seen. Two hundred dolphins just having so much fun, jumping, racing,” Irizawa told CBC. “People around me couldn’t speak. It was so exciting.”
Irizawa, who is from Comox in British Columbia, Canada, quickly pulled out his phone to record a video of the breath-taking sight.
Since he posted the video to Facebook the following morning, it has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
He has also been quick to reassure viewers that the dolphins were swimming alongside the ferry and none of them were struck by the vessel – they were simply content to “escort” it to its destination.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Storyful
You Should Dolphinately Share This Amazing Video With Your Friends On Social Media
Quote of the Day: “To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” – Helen Keller
Photo: by Antoine Gady, CC license, Flickr
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Australian scientists are being hailed for possibly developing a quick and easy test that can detect any kind of cancer in a matter of minutes.
Cancer is an extremely complicated and variable disease and different types of cancer have different signatures. Up until now, the scientists have had trouble finding a simple signature that was distinct from healthy cells and common to all cancers – but the team was finally able to identify a unique biomarker that was common in every type of cancer they examined, including prostate, colorectal, lymphoma, and several different forms of breast cancers.
The researchers found that – in a healthy patient – there are tiny molecules called methyl groups that are spread across DNA structures. Since the methyl groups are dramatically affected by the presence of cancer, however, the patterns and clusters of methyl groups will change their formations.
The team then developed a simple tool that could search and identify these pattern changes within a matter of minutes.
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“In healthy cells, these methyl groups are spread out across the genome, but the genomes of cancer cells are essentially barren except for intense clusters of methyl groups at very specific locations,” said Dr. Laura Carrascosa, one of the University of Queensland researchers involved in the project.
Professor Matt Trau said their team discovered that intense clusters of methyl groups placed in a solution caused cancer DNA fragments to fold into unique three-dimensional nanostructures that could easily be separated by sticking to solid surfaces, such as gold.
“We designed a simple test using gold nanoparticles that instantly change color to determine if the 3D nanostructures of cancer DNA are present,” explained Trau.
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He said cancer cells released their DNA into blood plasma when they died.
“So we were very excited about an easy way of catching these circulating free cancer DNA signatures in blood,” he said. “Discovering that cancerous DNA molecules formed entirely different 3D nanostructures from normal circulating DNA was a breakthrough that has enabled an entirely new approach to detect cancer non-invasively in any tissue type – including blood.
“This led to the creation of [our] inexpensive and portable detection devices that could eventually be used as a diagnostic tool, possibly with a mobile phone.”
The new technology has proved to be up to 90% accurate in tests involving 200 human cancer samples and normal DNA.
If it continues to be successful in clinical trials, the technology could be used alongside smartphones to offer cheap and effective cancer screenings to the masses, especially in rural or undeveloped regions of the world.
“Cancer is a complicated disease, [and currently] every type has a different testing and screening system,” said co-researcher Dr. Abu Sina. “In most cases, there is no general test to test their status. Now, people only go [to get checked out] if they have symptoms. We want [cancer screening] to be part of a regular checkup.”
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Additionally, having access to frequent cancer screenings could drastically impact cancer mortality rates, as early cancer detection can greatly increase a patient’s chances of survival.
“We certainly don’t know yet whether it’s the holy grail for all cancer diagnostics, but it looks really interesting as an incredibly simple universal marker of cancer, and as an accessible and inexpensive technology that doesn’t require complicated lab-based equipment like DNA sequencing,” Trau said.
The research, which was conducted at the University of Queensland, was published in the journal Nature Communications earlier this week.
(Source: University of Queensland)
Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by University of Queensland
Greg Bishop is never one to ask for favors, but he is always first to offer them – which is why he has become so beloved by the people of Floyd County, Texas.
So when the community heard that the farmer would be unable to participate in this year’s harvest because of the debilitating effects of his chemotherapy treatment, Bishop’s friends and neighbors rushed to his aid and harvested his crop for free.
His crop, spanning 450 acres, was nearly ready to be harvested when his doctor informed him that he must remain indoors due to his weakened immune system – but with the help from the community, the entirety of his harvest was ready to be ginned within days.
Dozens of people came out to lend their support – so many, that some needed to be turned away. A local restaurant provided free burgers to all of the helpers. Even local fuel companies offered to support the event with free fuel and funding, but the farmers decided to pay for the costs anyway.
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Within five hours, the volunteers had processed 1,200 bales of cotton worth $420,000. If Bishop had been forced to do it by himself, it would have taken weeks.
When asked why they so readily offered their help, the volunteer helpers simply gushed about Bishop’s character.
“He’s a very good Christian man. Just a good-hearted man. He’s very humble. He’s just the best person,” Aaron Hendricks, general manager of Floydada Co-Op Gins, shared with Inside Edition.
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Needless to say, Bishop was emotional over the kindness of his community.
“He was just overwhelmed by what everybody did,” Hendricks told Inside Edition. “He was in tears; He couldn’t thank us enough for what we did.”
The future for Gary Bishop is looking brighter each day, as he continues his treatment and plans for a bone marrow treatment in the upcoming months. His neighbors and friends, ever-willing to help, have established a fund that will help pay for his continuing treatment.
Plant Some Positivity Amongst Your Friends By Sharing The Good News – Photo by Aaron Hendricks
This 9-year-old boy is already on his way to a seat in Congress after he successfully led a convincing city-wide campaign to lift an archaic ban on snowball fights.
Dane Best was stunned to hear that it was illegal for him to hurl snowballs at his little brother within the city limits of Severance, Colorado.
The ban is technically part of a larger ordinance that was set in place 98 years ago. The ordinance states that it is illegal to throw stones or missiles at any trees, people, property, or buildings – and according to Kyle Rietkerk, assistant to the Severance town administrator, snowballs fall under the “missile” category.
“All of the kids always get blown away that it’s illegal to have snowball fights in Severance,” said Rietkerk, according to the Associated Press. “So, what ends up happening is (town leaders) always encourage the kids with, ‘You have the power, you can change the law.’ No one has.”
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So for the last 98 years, Severance children have always doggedly thrown their winter weapons in secret – until this week.
After he discovered the town law a month and a half ago, Dane became determined to have the ban lifted. He gathered signatures from his classmates and encouraged them to write letters to the city council. Then earlier this week, he made a presentation at the town board meeting asking for the law to be changed.
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Needless to say, the board members unanimously agreed to lift the ban on snowballs.
“We didn’t know that, at his age, he could even have a voice in the community,” Dan’s mother Brooke Best told the Greeley Tribune. “So that’s been pretty cool.”
After Dane was given the honor of throwing the first legal snowball in a century, he says that he now plans on changing other outdated city laws before going on to become US president.
(WATCH the NBC coverage below) – Photo by NBC News
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The Nobel Committee has awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war amidst armed conflict.
The laureates have “made a crucial contribution to focusing attention” on the problem by not only combatting the crime, but, healing the victims.
Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.
Dr. Denis Mukwege has put his own life at risk for decades in order to aid the formerly voiceless victims of wartime violence. Kate Grant, a longtime friend and colleague of Mukwege, paid tribute to the extraordinary physician in an email to GNN.
“I have been privileged to know Dr. Denis Mukwege for nearly a decade,” she wrote. “When Fistula Foundation adopted a global mission in 2009, he became our very first partner. We have been proud to support his work with more than $2.3 million in grants that help him restore health to thousands of women who have suffered from traumatic fistula incurred as a result of sexual violence.
“Since the announcement in October that he would receive the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Fistula Foundation has established the Denis Mukwege Fistula Fund to support his future work, for which nearly $200,000 has already been raised. Our community has also celebrated this news, collecting more than 700 messages of congratulations and well wishes via an e-card. Some of the signatures are from grateful champions of his work from 36 countries around the world.
“He is truly a remarkable man, and it has been a pleasure to get to know him well over the last decade. The son of a Pentecostal minister, Dr. Mukwege is a quietly devout man who told me at our very first meeting that he wanted to do with his hands what he felt that his father had done with his words: make the world a better place.
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“And he truly has. His 400-bed Panzi Hospital is a beacon of healing and hope to women who have been traumatized by decades of war. It has been said that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the worst place in the world to be a woman, and if you hear Dr. Mukwege share the stories of women and young girls, you will know this is true. He and his staff work day and night to heal these victims—body and soul.
“What Dr. Mukwege does is important, and dangerous. He is a global force, using his voice beyond the walls of Panzi Hospital to speak on the world stage to denounce the crimes of armed groups that have operated in DRC for more than two decades. He has been targeted by assassins who took his daughters and wife captive. Yet, this remarkable champion of women perseveres.
“Every day, he serves as my North Star. His portrait has hung on the wall next to my desk for nearly as long as I’ve known him. In a white doctor’s coat and a lapel pin that says ‘Do not stand idly by,’ he reminds me every day of the sacrifices he’s made to give the voiceless a voice, and return their health and hope.
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“Join the 700+ others from around the world who have already left a message for Dr. Mukwege on our e-card: add your name and message, which will be delivered to him after the Nobel Ceremony on December 10th.”
Kate Grant is CEO of the Fistula Foundation, based in San Jose, California and dedicated to ending the suffering caused by obstetric fistula.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by the Fistula Foundation
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