When is public shaming a good thing?
When Greenpeace UK launches ad spots like this.
A little bit of public shame can be a relatively benevolent way to bring about social change.
Direct Action
Good Events
Looking for something to do? Perhaps a way to make the world a better place?
Well, we’ve got the thing for you! We’ve launched an events section of ThingsAreGood.com! It’s still in beta and only pulling in events from eventful. Hopefully we’ll get more sources for events.
Musicians In New Orleans Build A Village
A 23-year-old saxophone player named Dan Oestreicher and other fellow residents of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans have come together with Habitat For Humanity to build a “Musicians Village”. The new housing program aims to provide affordable housing for victims of last years hurricaine as well as to bring together the musicians in the area. The concept was dreamed into frution with the help of Harry Connick Jr and sax player Branford Marsalis. The only catch is that they have to help build it! They must spend 350 hours pounding nails and cutting drywall, and the result will be a community based in commradere and good tunes!
First Fair Trade Town in USA
Buying fair trade is increasing in popularity, as any ThingsAreGood reader already knows, but it has taken a little longer for the World Bank to catch on. On the WB’s private sector development blog they announced today that fair trade is popular. Even if they are a little slow, good for the WB for figuring things out.
In the United States of America, a town has proclaimed itself to be the first town to be a fair trade community. These communities have existed in Europe for years now, but now that it’s happening in America let’s hope the idea continues to grow. Congrats go out to Media, Pennsylvania becoming a fair trade community.
“The Media Borough Council unanimously passed a resolution on June 15th supporting the concept of Fair Trade and promising to serve Fair Trade products at its meetings and functions. The resolution was the last goal necessary to become a Fair Trade town. The other goals are that a certain percentage of retailers and institutions sell and use Fair Trade products, widespread support and media coverage exist for Fair Trade, and an ongoing steering committee keeps the Fair Trade issue vital. Since there is as yet no national Fair Trade town initiative in the United States, Media, Pennsylvania used the goals established by the Fairtrade Foundation of Britain.”
Urban Etiquette Handbook
Being proper in an urban setting is not that hard, but it’s always fun to have a guide to see if you are doing it “right.” The New York Metro has released an Urban Etiquette Handbook. What better city than New York to write a guide like this considering they are the most polite?
The basics of the list:
(1) No raking women with your eyes; glance quickly and respectfully.
(2) Offer to share a taxi rather than fight over it.
(3) Babies in strollers get right-of-way—until they abuse it.
(4) Still no ogling girls—c’mon!
(5) And skateboarding, are you kidding me?
(6) Not everybody loves your dog as much as you do.
(7) No bicycling on the sidewalk unless under the age of 6.
(8) Pedestrians can die of secondhand smoke, too”