Within the last two decades a quiet revolution has been occurring in the legal profession. Largely ignored by the media, it began when various pioneers around the country got to the point that they just couldn't practice law in the typical polarizing, adversarial way any more. Innovators like Stu Webb, a family lawyer who lost his best friend when they were on opposite sides of a contentious divorce, created Collaborative Law and other new approaches and models to law. Judges like Peggy Hora and Len Edwards couldn't stand putting the same people behind bars time after time and transformed their courts into problem-solving courts that got to the root cause of the criminal behavior and supported defendants in becoming responsible citizens. Lawyers began to inquire into what it was to be a conscious lawyer, exploring meditation, well-being and balance. Read more...
In Every Language, a Louisville-based interpreting and translating provider, has joined the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association’s (KDVA) council for the development of domestic violence interpreting certification. As there is currently no domestic violence interpreting certification available in the United States, the certification will be the first of its kind. Lead by Isela Arras with the KDVA, the Interpreter Certification Project hopes that its certification model, once complete, can be used to qualify or certify domestic violence interpreters in other states. This project therefore only not impacts victims of domestic violence in Kentucky, but has the capability to help people throughout the nation. Read more...
Billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros announced that he will donate $35 million to the state of New York to provide money for school supplies and clothing for low-income youth. The gift leverages federal stimulus money bringing the total amount to about $175 million going toward the program. To access the federal money the state must provide 20 percent of the funds, but due to recession-related budget cuts New York couldn't put up the money, so George Soros stepped in. The program will give $200 to about 850,000 low-income families in New York state to help pay for back-to-school supplies and clothing.
"Even in the toughest of economic times, starting the school year right is key to a child's success," said Mr. Soros in a press release announcing his gift. Read more...
Professor Muhammed Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, was honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside fifteen other individuals being honored for their work as “agents of change.”
Dr. Yunus, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, challenges the notion of hopeless poverty in his country, Bangladesh and now in the United States. Currently, Dr. Yunus is expanding into health care services in Bangladesh and offering financial services in the United States - striking in the epicenter of the financial world of New York. Read more...
Traveling has become more personal than ever, and the well-seasoned traveler is looking for something more than tourist-filled plazas and resorts. The modern day traveler wants to experience the places they visit hands-on and many desire to also make a difference. With a perfect blend of service, community and raw experiencing of local spirit, Travel for a Cause is the answer for globetrotters with heart.
A vacation with a cause touches all levels of mind, body and spirit while providing true cultural immersion and contributing to greater good. Independent tour operators are popping up to provide travelers with philanthropic travel itineraries that allow meeting regional natives, participation in ceremonies and giving back either in dollars or volunteered time. This is Travel for a Cause. Read more...
You may be the type of person who tells yourself that you need to get away in order to rest or that you will rest when you have time. Perhaps you say that when the job or project is done, then you'll rest. Maybe you are even waiting for "the kids to be grown up" before you'll rest. This way of living life, where we are consistently putting off what is essential for us, makes no rational sense at all. Rest is already in our presence and the purpose of this article is to assist you in making a crucial, subtle shift that may enable you to fully experience rest in at least one of its many facets.
There are many ways of looking at what rest actually is. It is not only a multifaceted word but also, in life, a richly nuanced expression -- an attitude that we can bring into our daily lives, no matter what we are doing. There is no need to wait to rest when we can rest right now in the moment or between moments. We don't need to strain to live. As counterintuitive as it may seem in today's culture, for the most part life can be lived in a relaxed, restful way. Read more...
Greenwashing. A particularly evil practice used by companies to fool you into thinking you are buying an environmentally-friendly product or service. Here are three ways to out-smart cunning companies with deep pockets.
1. "Natural" isn't a regulated term, and products labeled as such are often quite the opposite. Because no laws govern the use of terms such as "derived from natural ingredients" or "all-natural", these phrases are frequently abused. Arsenic and formaldehyde are both naturally-derived, but that doesn't mean we want them in our products. Read more...
During the "Notes & Neurons: In Search of a Common Chorus" event from the 2009 World Science Festival, musician Bobby McFerrin treated the audience to several live performances and cross cultural demonstrations to illustrate music’s note-worthy interaction with the brain and our emotions. Read more...
Meatless Mondays, a non-profit initiative started by The Monday Campaigns in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, encourages people to refrain from eating meat one day a week (Monday). The campaign has received global support, endorsed by Paul McCartney and his daughters who started a Meatless Monday campaign in the U.K. as well as Michael Pollan - author of In Defense of Food
Their goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet by reducing our carbon footprint. The campaign offers avid omnivores an opportunity to help reduce the massive waste created by the meat industry while still maintaining their usual diet the rest of the week. Read more...
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