Good News Stories - part III [Blogpost 93]

Mindful that there is much in the world about which to be desolate and despondent, these articles relating to various stories from places as diverse as Malawi, Australia and beyond warm my heart. As shared in the June 2019 Good News Stories and June 2019 Good News Stories - part II blogposts, stories such as these lend themselves to education in the broader sense. They embody the IB Learner Profile attributes of caring and principled which are respectively defined as “We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.” and “We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.”

• The article, Female Chief Comes To Power, Annuls 850 Child Marriages And Sends Girls Back To School, highlights the actions of Chief Theresa Kachindamoto and the positive effects thereof on girls in Malawi.

• While I am not a big fan of the wording in the article’s title, Watch woman with Down syndrome gets dream job with airline for a day, the less than two minute video on the site which summarizes her experience is wonderful. The write up also includes Georgia’s sister beautifully expressing the importance of Georgia as a role model and breaking barriers as evident in this quote, “It’s a wonderful way to prove that our friends who have disabilities are just as capable as those who don’t. Georgia is all about promoting love and acceptance, and has always enjoyed being a (sic) ambassador for people who have disabilities.”

• This video, Nobody cheered when this young man was getting his diploma, is - despite the title - beautiful. This illustrates the compassion of meeting individual needs and the amazing way a group of people come together and respond in a compassionate, respectful way to acknowledge others whose needs are different.

• Whilst implementing this practice is well overdue, this article, Delta is making it easier to identify crew members who speak sign language, highlights a simple, yet effective way to be more inclusive to the needs of those flying.

• The Great Green Wall, started in 2007, is a wonderful African initiative focussing on bringing life back to the land which has lead to much needed improved food security, jobs and stability to people’s lives.

What good news stories relating to inclusiveness, compassion, and our world do you have to share?