Is it a crime to sleep outside? To beg for money on the streets? To store your personal belongings in public spaces? Is it a crime to be homeless? In some states, it is. An excellent publication, “Homes not Handcuffs,” by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, reports that activities like sleeping, eating,…
Today, I’m happy to introduce Pragya Nandini, a student passionate about social change who writes about current events and her interests in the social sector over at Bites of News. This is one part of a series of interviews I hope to do featuring young changemakers and non-profiteers (if you’d like to take part and…
Please take a moment to read a guest post I have written for The Take Action Leaders Blog, which aims to provide insight from leaders into social issues and solutions, with a focus on youth leadership in social change. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute my thoughts about social change to their blog! You can…
Last night, I finished reading “Strength in What Remains” by Tracy Kidder. It’s the incredible, heartbreaking, and moving story of Deogratias, a young medical student in Burundi who became a refugee during the genocide. It tells the story of his harrowing and indescribably difficult escape from Burundi and his subsequent arrival in the U.S. In…
A recent New York Times article describes the world of comfort – and perhaps even luxury – that war criminals are provided with at The Hague, Netherlands. I don’t have a gym, a personal trainer, or a spiritual room in my tiny bedroom. On my (soon to be) non-profit salary, I certainly won’t be able…
This quarter, as I approached the end of my time here at Northwestern, I found out about LIFT, a national movement to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people here in the U.S. I immediately applied to become a volunteer, but I only wish I had found out about the organization earlier. LIFT provides…
I know — this post is coming really late in the day (it’s 7:30 pm!). I haven’t had a free moment all day, in between assignments, classes and activities. But seeing as how this blog is all about contributing to a brighter world…I felt it would be a travesty if I didn’t sit down and…
Here’s the second installment of Feature Friday this week: Beyond Good Intentions. Beyond Good Intentions is a wonderful ten-part film series investigating the effectiveness of international aid. According to the website: The Beyond Good Intentions film series follows the round-the-world journey of first-time filmmaker, Tori Hogan, as she investigates how international aid can be more…
So, Refugees International beat me to this topic, but I’ll put my opinion out there anyway, because I believe it’s incredibly important to understand. Recently, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about the pirate situation off the coast of Somalia. Currently, 15 ships and 300 crew members are being held hostage by Somali pirates. On…