Perseverance

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Veronica Khosa – Bringing Compassion and New Thinking to the Battle Against AIDS in South Africa

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

In the face of what is one of the modern world’s most devastating epidemics, Veronica Khosa is championing compassion. Much has already been written regarding the rising toll that HIV/AIDS-related illnesses and deaths have had on the African continent, but little of the social entrepreneurs who are facing the daily challenges head on. Khosa, a [...]

Javed Abidi – Giving Visibility and Hope to India’s Disabled

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Power and compassion – these two words can sum up the focus behind Javed Abidi’s mission. As an impassioned advocate for India’s disabled citizens, he has given voice to an ‘invisible minority‘ – one that has been denied to them by both political and social sectors for decades. It is a subject that he understands [...]

Florence Nightingale – An Early Social Entrepreneur

Monday, January 4th, 2010

In the century since her death, the name of Florence Nightingale has become synonymous with kindness. But while recognizable to all, just who she was – and how influential her life’s work has been in the ensuing decades – is still shrouded in mystery. She is an icon – for healthcare workers, professional women, social [...]

Bob Ballard – Deep Sea Explorer Extraordinaire

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Explorer Bob Ballard knows that there’s more to our world than meets the eye. From discovering the existence of creatures living in total darkness to developing the technologies that enable deep-sea exploring, he has uncovered a world that has been mostly unknown to even the brightest scientific minds. And, after a career spent revealing some [...]

The Real Discovery of America

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

It is a cornerstone of American history – the 1492 discovery of the Americas by Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus, setting in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the colonization of the New World by the Puritans. Recited by schoolchildren, expounded upon in basic history texts, and portrayed in film – this [...]

Deconstructing the Much Maligned Captain Bligh

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

It has been said that history is written by the victors. But in the case of Captain William Bligh, and his unsuccessful command of the HMS Bounty, history has been re-written over the ensuing centuries by writers and filmmakers to tell an entirely different sort of story. The majority of these fictionalized works regarding the [...]

Remembering Ted Kennedy

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

The court of American opinion was not kind to Ted Kennedy. We expect our heroes to be without fault, perfect and polished at every turn. He was not that, and we would not let him forget it. Even in death, the multitude of obituaries were certain to include reference to his numerous personal struggles and [...]

Sports and ADHD

Friday, September 11th, 2009

The Water Cube was filled to capacity, with thousands of fans waiting in anticipation to see one of the greatest Olympians of all time take the starting block. At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps was under intense pressure, but you wouldn’t have known it. Amid his anxious competitors, Phelps [...]

Final Episode – Farrah Fawcett’s Public Battle with Cancer

Friday, July 31st, 2009

“Cancer is a disease that makes its own rules. Cancer is my own private war.” – Farrah Fawcett It is an extraordinarily brave portrayal of one person’s private battle with cancer. From seemingly constant rounds of treatments, the highs and lows of small victories and frightening test results, to the agony of family and friends [...]

Microgrids Challenge to Big Utility Goliaths

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

It is an environmentalist’s dream – harnessing the power of natural resources to provide households with cheaper, more reliable energy. For thousands of American homeowners this is a daily reality – not just a dream, as rooftop solar panels and wind turbines reduce their reliance on traditional power utilities. But for all the promise of [...]