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Shopping for a Better World

Sarika Bansal

May 09, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The philanthropic practice of buy-one-give-one can be ineffective if communities are given ill-fitting donations or if the donations supplant local markets. The company Warby Parker ensures lasting change by financing the means of local production of a pair of glasses for every pair bought.

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Can Coffee Kick-Start an Economy?

Daniel Bergner

April 06, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Kasese, Western Region

African coffee growers sell their raw beans cheaply to traders, earning very little for their work. The creator of Good African Coffee in Uganda was able to sell the first African roasted coffee internationally by selling consumers the story of the coffee.

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From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change

Courtney E. Martin

March 21, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.

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Helping Where Help Is Wanted

Tina Rosenberg

January 10, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Vacant positions exist in many employment sectors, including in education and in hospitals. ReServe is a program that joins retired professionals to part-time paid positions in non-profits to perform duties. A controversy has emerged that suggests these positions should be paid at a professional-rate salary.

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Outsourcing Is Not (Always) Evil

David Bornstein

December 08, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The United States can outsource certain kinds of "microwork," such as accurately digitizing large swaths of information, to developing countries without taking jobs from Americans ― if it’s done carefully, and ethically, as some organizations are working to do. As the author Robert Wright has argued, we no longer live in a zero-sum world, where one person’s, or one country’s gain, must be another’s loss.

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Quick Change That Lasts for the Long Term

Tina Rosenberg

October 04, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sudan

Rapid Results Initiatives are micro social change projects that a village, government office, or business will work accomplish in just 100 days. They have proven to be sustainably effective at various tasks because they create a sense of local ownership and empowerment within the community that inspires additional change and improvement.

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The Health Payoffs of Time Banks

Tina Rosenberg

September 20, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vancouver, Washington

Two columns on Time Banks, where people swap services – teach calligraphy to one neighbor, and get computer repair from another neighbor. Time Banks create community and make people healthier – which is why hospitals and clinics are now starting them.

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Salvaging Medical Cast-Offs to Save Lives

Tina Rosenberg

August 04, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Benin, Cotonou, Littoral

Many organizations are building distribution systems to get surplus items in one place to those who need them in another. For example, an organization in Brooklyn collects the surplus medical equipment from United States hospitals and ships it to hospitals in poor countries.

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Trusting Families to Help Themselves

David Bornstein

July 19, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

To give support to struggling families without prescribing solutions requires respect and discipline. The Family Independence Initiative (F.I.I.) encourages low-income families to define their own goals and work towards them in mutual support groups, while carefully documenting their successes.

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Out of Poverty, Family-Style

David Bornstein

July 14, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

A non-traditional program called the Family Independence Initiative (F.I.I.), uses a radically different approach from the traditional American social service model to empower entire families alleviate themselves from poverty. The results in multiple states thus far have been so striking, that this model of self-sufficiency may be able to have a significant impact reducing poverty nationwide.

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