A chihuahua puppy has become Japan’s latest heartthrob after he was born with a heart-shaped mark on his coat. The dog, named “Heart-kun,” was born in May to a breeder and pet shop owner, who believes the puppy has brought her luck. She’s even won the lottery.
Puppy Born with Heart-Shaped Mark Brings Luck and Celebrity
Water Hope for Darfur
Boston University researchers have discovered a massive underground lake in the arid Darfur region of Sudan. By digging 1000 wells they hope to quell much of the violence arising over water scarcity. (AP) Thanks to GNN-i member Anna W. for the link!
High School Dropout Succeeds, Proving Them Wrong
“Basketball player Jerri Taylor is about to begin her Junior season on the Xavier University women’s team, but her journey to becoming a Division-1 player was not an easy one. She was kicked out of high school and her father was sent to prison. But by taking his advice, she overcame the odds stacked against her. ‘People wrote her off,’ Jerri’s dad said. ‘But I kept writing her letters and at the end of every one I said ‘prove them wrong,’ and she did.’ ” (WSJV South Bend) Thanks, Andrew!
(Note. Source material has been removed by the source.
The Elders – Veteran Diplomats Unite to Save the World
Imagine a group of famous retired diplomats forming an alliance to solve the world’s most intractable problems. Meet The Elders: Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Muhammad Yunus, Mary Robinson, and others have already convened and agreed to combine their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity, and together be a force for good.
The group was conceived in 1999 by Virgin billionaire Richard Branson and musician/activist Peter Gabriel as a new way to deal with the difficult conflicts facing the world. For their model they looked to traditional village elders, trusted by their people to resolve conflict within their communities. In 2001 they took their idea to Nelson Mandela — which even led to an agreement of Mandela and Kofi Annan to travel to Baghdad and meet with Saddam Hussein with the request for him to stand down (too late as it happened). The idea remained to form a small, dedicated group of leaders, working without any vested personal interest on the problems of humankind and, with the help of Graça Machel, they set about to make it happen.
Nelson Mandela announced the formation of this new group, The Elders, yesterday in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his 89th birthday.
“This group can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken,” Mandela commented. “Together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.”
Desmond Tutu, Chair of The Elders remarked, “Despite all of the ghastliness that is around, human beings are made for goodness. The ones who ought to be held in high regard are not the ones who are militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They are the ones who have a commitment to try and make the world a better place. We — The Elders — will endeavor to support those people and do our best for humanity.”
The Elders will use their unique collective skills to catalyze peaceful resolutions to long-standing conflicts, articulate new approaches to global issues that may cause immense human suffering, and share wisdom by helping to connect voices all over the world. They will be working together over the next several months to carefully consider which specific issues they will approach. The Elders’ criteria are not only the magnitude and importance of the challenge, but a deliberate view that their role could contribute significantly to solving the problem.
“I see The Elders as a small but independent group that may fill an existing void in the world community,” said Jimmy Carter. “Almost impervious to the consequences of outside criticism, the group will conduct unrestrained analyses of important and complex issues and share our ideas with the general public and with others who might take action to resolve problems.”
The Elders will invite new members who share the attributes of the original ten: trusted, respected worldly-wise individuals with a proven commitment and record of contributing to solving global problems. Elders will step down if they are elected to public office. Fill in a form on their Web site to receive updates or give your ideas on possible new Elders.
Founder Peter Gabriel said, “In traditional societies, the elders always had a role in conflict resolution, long-term thinking and applying wisdom wherever it was needed. We are moving to this global village and yet we don’t have our global elders. The Elders can be a group who have the trust of the world, who can speak freely, be fiercely independent, and respond fast and flexibly in conflict situations.”
Independently funded by a group including Branson and Gabriel, the Elders also attracted support from Ray Chambers; Michael Chambers; Bridgeway Foundation; Pam Omidyar; Humanity United; Amy Robbins; Shashi Ruia; Dick Tarlow; and The United Nations Foundation.
“This group of Elders will bring hope and wisdom back into the world. To play a role in bringing us together to stop unnecessary human suffering and to celebrate the wonderful world that we are so privileged to be part of,” said Founder Richard Branson, at TheElders.org.
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Actor Jude Law in Afghanistan Promoting UN Peace Day
“Jude Law traveled and filmed in treacherous areas of eastern Afghanistan” to help promote the annual worldwide United Nations Peace Day, celebrated on September 21. His interviews with children, governors and community leaders will be compiled in a film to mark the day. “I think the message of peace is for everyone,” Mr. Law said at a press conference in Kabul, where he was joined by the founder of the “Peace One Day” project, filmmaker Jeremy Gilley.
Mr. Law, who is also an ambassador for Peace One Day, and Mr. Gilley are in Afghanistan to film a documentary as part of the annual observance of Peace Day, an initiative of the world body to promote one day of ceasefire and non-violence throughout the world.
Mr. Gilley, who for eight years now has been working in conjunction with the UN and a host of other organizations and individuals to promote Peace Day, said the film is meant to inspire and empower individuals to mark the Day and to become “the driving force behind the vision of a united world.”
“So in order to inspire people, we need to see action and we have come to Afghanistan to ask organizations and individuals to carry out that action so that what happens in Afghanistan inspires the world, gives them hope,” he stated.
The film will focus on some of the life-saving activities carried out by UN agencies working in Afghanistan, “where the people are full of pride and courage, where there is hope, where there is beauty,” Mr. Gilley added.
“The message has always been the same… to recognize and celebrate Peace Day, a single day,” said Law. “Obviously, the hope is that this will affect the other 364 days of the year.”
Visit PeaceOneDay.org to see a video of Jude Law and details on other activities to help countdown the days to September 21.
Photo: Peace One Day Twitter
You Get What You Expect: Attracting Thieves
EDITOR’S BLOG — A perfect example of the Law of Attraction was presented to me last night when my new neighbor came to our door sullen and cross. In spring when we introduced ourselves to Alan, standing in a woodland between our homes, he mentioned with pride that he was going to install a security system in his cabin, which is at the end of a gravel road, a half mile from the main street. I was surprised that he’d assumed such a location would need security and explained that in 15 years I’d had no trouble here. "The only thing that’ll bring crime down this road is you installing a security system."…
CEO Gives Fortune Away: £1 Billion to Charity
Ten years after CNN founder Ted Turner announced that he would donate one billion dollars to U.N. efforts “to help the poorest people of the world,” Sir Tom Hunter, a billionaire businessman, has become Britain’s most generous philanthropist. He told The New York Times today: “My wife and myself are going to leave this world as we came into it — pretty much with nothing. I don’t want to take £1billion to my grave with me.”
UK Readers Donate Thousands to 3-Year-Old Ethan for Treatment of Rare Condition
Three-year-old Ethan is readying for the first of several operations in Germany to remove disfiguring cysts on his face and head from a rare disease. Warrington Guardian newspaper readers have donated many thousands to Ethan’s campaign because his family fears the taunting from other children, and also because the condition poses serious health problems for the boy. (Warrington Guardian) Andrew sent this one.
Light Bulbs Made from Aluminum Foil
"Cheap, skinny aluminum foil lamps may be a mercury-free alternative to big, bulky light bulbs. University of Illinois researchers made the low-cost lamps by treating ordinary aluminum foil bought at the grocery store with an acidic bath. The new light source is lighter, brighter and more efficient than incandescent light." From the June issue of the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. (LiveScience) Thanks to Andrew for the link!
Teen Trends Look Positive
The Chicago Tribune editorial board might have been reading the Good News Network. Today they added together the positive trends in the lives of American teens and were surprised to find that teenagers are "growing more careful and responsible." GNN-i has covered the decline in teen drug use and the drop in numbers of teens having sex, drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. The Tribune’s nod to teens includes a high-five for increasing the rates of high school graduates. Thanks to Andrew for the link…
Girls’ Team Returns from Africa with Opened Eyes
Traveling abroad for a teen, especially to Africa, can “jump-start a lifetime of social and moral awareness.” For a D.C. girls’ soccer team, a trip to South Africa opened their eyes to the poverty and HIV/AIDS epidemic burdening girls their age who faced them on the soccer field. After returning home, the American teens are already thinking about what they can do next year to continue their involvement. (Wash Post) Thanks to Jim S. for the link!
Lawnchair Takes Flight with Helium Balloons (Video)
In 1982 Larry Walters took flight in his patio chair attached to 45 helium-filled weather balloons. He rose to an altitude of 16,000 feet (3 miles) and floated from his home in San Pedro, California, into federal airspace near Long Beach airport, inspiring the romantic comedy Danny Deckchair (Great Australian movie!)
Last week, an Oregon man fulfilled his own dream of flying in a lawn chair.
Kent Couch of Bend Oregon attached 105 helium balloons to his lawn chair and flew 193 miles over two states at altitudes exceeding 12,000 feet. This was his second flight.
WATCH a news report video below:
Baby Panther Adopted and Nursed by Dog (Video)
A rejected baby panther in Serbia was adopted by a dog, who feeds the cub as if she were her own, licking and nursing the panther along with a litter of pups.
Celebrities Whose Babies Use Cloth Diapers
As a follow-up to our Dave Matthews story that he uses cloth diapers for his new son, Celebrity Baby Blog has compiled a list of celebrities whose babies wear cloth. The article also reminds people that cloth diapers, these days, are not the kind used for my son 16 years ago, with clumsy clips, nor the first generation model that used pins…
Endangered Bird Makes Dramatic Comeback in UK
One of England’s most endangered birds — The Woodlark — is making a significant comeback, almost doubling its population in the last ten years. "It shows how important set-aside [land] has become as a refuge for wildlife on our farmland." Conservationists hope the farmland won’t be lost in the rush for biofuel. We hope so too. (BBC) Thanks to Richard for the link!
Seoul Hails North Korea’s Reactor Shutdown
“South Korea on Sunday hailed North Korea’s announced shutdown of a plutonium-producing reactor as an ‘encouraging’ move which will hopefully speed up its nuclear disarmament.” (Forbes)
Third Graders Helping to Stop Childhood Hunger
Baking cookies and selling brownies don’t seem like solutions that could end childhood hunger, yet, thanks to the Great American Bake Sale Campaign, 5.3 million nutritious meals and snacks were served to low-income children paid for by proceeds from the bake sales all across the country. Garrett Wiehler and Damon Halvis, both soon-to-be third graders from Monrovia, Md., are hosting their third annual Garrett & Damon Stop Hunger Now Bake Sale tomorrow. Baking cookies and selling their brownies has already generated a whopping $1,500 for the cause…
The two close friends will be in front of the Green Valley Pharmacy on Fingerboard Road at 7:00 a.m. and welcome your donations of baked goods, as well as your purchases, until they close up shop at noon.
“Kids in our world do not have enough money to buy food. We need your help to make this stop for all of America and the world. We are having a bake sale because of this. We are going to be part of the Great American Bake Sale — their goal is the same as ours. Please bake something like muffins, cookies, pies, cornbread or anything else you can think of and we will sell it at our bake sale.”
Great American Bake Sale is a national campaign created by a phenomenal hunger organization, Share Our Strength, in Washington, D.C., founded and directed by my friend, Billy Shore.
Anyone can host their own bake sale from May 19–August 31 and send their proceeds to Share Our Strength to help groups in their very own community to end childhood hunger.
One million participants so far have helped to:
- Serve more than 5.3 million nutritious meals and snacks to children
- Establish an additional 926 sites where children can get meals
- Reach more than 97,000 low-income children with after-school and summer feeding programs
Watch a touching music video that shows what three years of bake sales can do for the 12 million hungry children in America. Look for the Monrovia, Md., kids in the slide show.
To register, get more information, find a bake sale or start your own, visit www.greatamericanbakesale.org.
Thanks to Ronn Wiehler for the information!
The World’s Fastest Broadband Goes to 75-Year-Old
To show that you can build a low-price, high-capacity Internet line over long distances, a Swedish IT guru has equipped his mother’s PC with the fastest connection on the planet. The 75-year-old will be able to download a full, high-definition DVD in just two seconds. (Sweden’s The Local) Thanks, Andrew!
Take a Look at the GNN-i Team
EDITOR’S BLOG — I wanted to express my gratitude to the people who make my job a lot easier. They are the volunteers who give their time so that GNN-i might flourish. This is a wonderful group: Kerrie, my proof-reader; Michael, our new science writer; Cristina, our summer intern; Andrew, a dedicated viewer who uncovers good news links and sends them by e-mail… Our Team Page is now edited (in the About Us section) to reflect these new faces and tell who they are. If you want to offer your talent and enthusiasm to the group (maybe you’re a tax preparer, or a photographer) we’d love to hear from you. Go to the Team Page for details.
Seven-Part Harmony Live on Paris Subway (Video!)
New York City hip-hop artists N7 were riding the Paris subway when they broke into song — an incredible a capella rendition of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight. They treated the commuters to seven-part harmony — beatbox style — and though some were annoyed at first, the beautiful rhythm and vocals warmed their hearts, eliciting applause at the finish. N7’s music is solely created by voices, no instruments whatsoever. (2006) More free Naturally 7 videos
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