Good News Tuesday for Nov. 16, 2021: Improving Safety and Justice for Native Americans, Repairing Old Stepwells in India, Transforming Cameroon Deserts, and a Team Rescue Uses Turbans

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

US Executive Order to Improve Safety and Justice for Native Americans

During the Tribal Nations Summit yesterday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order for the departments of Justice, Interior, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to create a “comprehensive strategy to improve public safety and justice for Native Americans,” and to address the “epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people.” The summit continues today at the White House. For source and details, visit: Good Morning America

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Repairing Ancient Stepwells Helps Supply Water in India

India’s stepwells are being repaired to bring water to drought ridden lands. “Fifteen wells have been restored or targeted for restoration in the city of Delhi alone, which will cost less than $60,000, but supply another 33,000 gallons of water to the city.” Check out the interesting architecture in this article from The Good News Network.

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Refugees Transform Cameroon Desert into a Thriving Forest

Survivors of Boko Haram violence are transforming a desert refugee camp in Cameroon into a thriving forest as part of the Green Great Wall. You can read more about this forest emerging in the camp of 70,000 refugees in this article from the Good News Network.

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Sikh Group Rescues Hikers

Five Sikh men rescued two tourists who fell down the steep slope just above a thundering waterfall in British Columbia, Canada. With no cell phone service to call for outside assistance, the five international students turned their turbans into a 33-foot rope and encouraged the tourists to climb up to safety. NBC news has more.

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Good News Tuesday for August 24, 2021: From Mining to Fruits and Flowers, Goodbye Pesticide, Raising Butterflies, and the Cat Who Knew Where to Look

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

An Indian Mining Community is Switching from Coal to Forest Fruits and Flowers

The state of Chhattisgarh in India is moving away from opening new coal mines and toward supporing the harvest of forest goods like tamarind, cashew nuts, flowers, and medicinal seeds. Sushma Netam, who oversees the state program has reported an increase in fmaily incomes since setting a minimum price prompts middlemen and traders to pay a fair price. You can read more about this green economy at Good Good Good.

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EPA Finally Bans Pesticide Linked to Neuroligical Problems in Children

After years of pressure, the US Environmental Protection Agency is following the scienc to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos which has been linked to neurological problems in children. The chemical will be banned from food crops, but has not yet been banned for use on golf courses. For details, see US News and World Report.

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97 Year Old Encourages Others to Join her in Saving Butterflies

Just a few years ago, Gwen Erickson, 97, of Minnesota started raising and releasing endangered monarch butterflies. She collects the eggs to let them go through metamorphosis in relative safety for a better survival rate. Read more and see her getting a butterfly kiss here in this article from Postbulletin.com.

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Cat Helps Rescuers Find 83 Year Old Woman

Piran, a black cat whose 83 year old guardian went missing was meowing persistently by a gate to a cornfield. When rescuers searched the field, they found where the woman had fallen into a ravine. Here’s the video:

Here’s more of the story from the Good News Network.

Good News Tuesday for March 23, 2021: First Native American in US Cabinet, New Dialysis Facility in India, Economic Benefits of Protecting Nature, Gorilla Fund Donations, and Great Grandma Zooms in on Exercise Class

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Deb Haaland Confirmed as US Interior secretary and the first Native American on US Cabinet

The Senate voted 51 to 40 on March 15 to confirm Congresswoman Deb Haaland  to be Interior secretary, making her the first Native American to hold a Cabinet secretary post. Here’s more from CBS News.

You can learn more about Secretary Haaland in this recording of her accepting the nomination.

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New Dialysis Facility in India Opens with Free Services

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) launched “India’s biggest” kidney dialysis facility that will offer dialysis to 101 patients simultaneously free of cost. Here’s more from tribuneindia.com.

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Study Clarifies the Economic Benefits of Protecting Nature

In the largest-ever study of its kind, a team led by the University of Cambridge concluded, “The economic benefits of conserving or restoring natural sites now “outweigh” the profit potential of converting them for intensive human use.” Most of us already know that, but it’s good to have documented research back up. Read more about the study here.

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Gorilla Fund Receives Huge Donations

The Diane Fossey Gorilla fund has received “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in donations from the WallStreetBets subreddit. You can read more about here in the Gorilla Fund’s statement.

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102-Year-Old Joins PE Zoom Class with Six-Year-Old Great Grandson

Julia Fulkerson recently got to exercise with her great grandson after his parents were vaccinated. Here’s the story from Good Morning America. I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired! Here’s a video:

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Good News Tuesday for Jan. 12, 2021: Democracy Prevailed, Women in the Catholic Church, Rice ATM, A Returned Wallet, and Food from the Heart

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Democracy Prevailed

After domestic terrorists attacked the US Capitol building on Wednesday in an attempted coup, members of congress evacuated to safety. The coup failed. Lawmakers returned to their posts that same evening and finished their jobs. Working through the night, they certified the Electoral College votes confirming Joe Biden as the 46th US president. The announcement was made at 3:40 AM on Thursday. Later that day, Donald Trump stated for the first time that “there will be an orderly transition on January 20.” We don’t know what the future holds, but on the morning of Thursday January 7, democracy prevailed. This article from MSN provides details and historical perspectives.

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Pope Francis Gives Women More Opportunity to Serve in the Catholic Church

 Pope Francis, “in another step towards greater equality for women in the Roman Catholic Church,” decreed on Monday that women will be allowed to serve as readers at liturgies, altar servers and distributors of communion. These things have been happening in some churches, but the decree formalizes and ensures the opportunity to be allowed even in conservative Catholic parishes.

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Rice ATM

In India, Ramu Dosapati has spent close to $61,000 of his own money to create a ‘Rice ATM’, giving out rice and other necessities 24 hours a day, to those in need. Here’s more from the Good News Network.

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Girl Donates Birthday Money to Homeless Man who Returned Grandma’s Wallet

Sean Curry, who has been homeless for five years, found a wallet in a dumpster behind a coffee shop. He found no cash, but there were credit, debit, and medical cards in the wallet. Sean arranged to have the wallet returned to the owner, Evelyn Topper. Evelyn’s grand daughter, Mikayla had planned her 12th birthday party to include a drop off for charity donations. She gave the several hundred dollars in birthday money, to Sean. For more details and a video from the Good News Network, click here.

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Food from the Heart

The Sakina Grill has served rich and poor alike. When the pandemic threatened the business, the community rallied in support with over 65 donors contributing more than a quarter of a million dollars. You can learn more about the Sakina Grill and be inspired by owner/chef Kazi Mannan here.

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Good News Tuesday: Adopting a Deaf Puppy, Determined Voting, and Opening Minds with Books

 

Nick and Emerson: A Puppy Adoption Story

When Nick Abbott saw a Facebook post about a deaf puppy needing a home, he had to go see him. Nick and Emerson are both deaf. Now, they are family. Nick adopted Emerson and is teaching him sign language.

I found this story first on Good Morning America:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/deaf-man-adopts-deaf-rescue-puppy-teaches-sign-62700366

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Making Sure Everyone Gets to Vote

Indian officials traveled nearly 70km (45 miles) to make sure one man got to vote in the Indian general election. Four election officials accompanied by a police officer set up a special polling station for Bharatdas Darshandas, a 69 year old priest who lives at a temple in the Gir wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat.  You can read more in this short article from The Guardian. 

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From Graffiti to Books: Opening Minds of Teen Offenders

Five teenagers were arrested for painting racially charged graffiti on a historic Virginia schoolhouse that had been used by black children during segregation.

The offenders were ordered to read 12 books chosen from a list of 35 and to write an assignment on each of the books they chose. Here’s an excerpt written by one of teens:

I thought a swastika was just a symbol and it didn’t really mean much – not any more. I was wrong and it meant a lot to people who are affected by them. It reminds me of the worst things – losing family members and friends, of the pain of torture, psychological and physical, among that it reminds them how hateful people can be and how the world can be cruel and unfair. Swastikas are also a reminder of oppression, not being heard and being kept down on the ground. Swastikas are also a sign of white power, that their race is above all else, which is not the case.

People should not feel less than what they are and nobody should make them feel that way. I feel especially awful after writing this paper about how I made anybody feel bad. Everybody should be treated with equality, no matter their race or religion or sexual orientation. I will do my best to see to it that I am never this ignorant again.

For more information, please read this article from BBC:

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-47936071