Something somebody/group has done that is an unexpected good deed.
Ashai.com has a groovy article about Japanese executives helping out charities. The article points out that in Japan “philanthropy is still below the levels in the United States and Europe” but that is starting to change.
Corporate talent is helping out NGOs and charities with talent and money. Japanese NGOs generally rely on membership fees and a few projects that generate revenue, so philanthropy is needed.
$14 million has been raised to compensate Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip who give up their greenhouses to the Palestinians. The donors are American and are techincally giving the money to the Aspen Group who will then redistribute the funds. Many Palestinians rely on jobs provided in the greenhouses, some settlers originally planned on disassembling the greenhouses because they felt that the Isreali government wasn’t giving them enough compensation.
The deal, brockerd by the former World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn, will ensure that the greenhouses stay and the Palestinians can contiune working in them. Ownership of the greenhouses will be transffered to the Palestinians which means that the greenhouses have the potential to become a large contriubution to the Palestinian economy.
Just got an email about a site dedicated to people in Toronto doing good things. The Toronto Heroes blog covers everything from a man calling 911 to another person saving people from a fire.
The blog was “created to honour those who make the city a better place to live.” It also hopes to inspire others to do heroic things.
By far my favourtie post is the one on the guy trying to get Toronto to loosen up.
Thanks, Dave!
Environmental Law students are beginning a very cool trend all over the United States. They are contributing free legal services to Environmental causes to gain hands on experience in their field!
At Pace University’s environmental law clinic in White Plains N.Y, for example, some second and third year students are acting as lead attorneys and have gone against such high powered lawyers as those at Exxon-Mobil! They often take cases which government agencies aren’t willing to back up and that means taking serious risks to fight for a good cause that needs help. Some students can even wind up with legal victories on their résumés before they take their bar exam!
Rather than focusing on a grade these students actually learn by making a difference! With their energy and conviction they are going head-to-head with corporations that have armies of lawyers and unlimited budgets.
Wow! If only all lawyers were so kind!
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport witnessed a plane crash yesterday, and believe it or not good news can be found in this.
Every passenger and crew member survived the crash!! This is the first time I’ve heard of a jetliner crashing and exploding into a fireball in which all persons aboard came out alive.
Editor’s note: This is also the first entry into our newest category Spin da News. This new category will explore the positive side of things in the news that are normally deemed to be negative.