Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
War widows are clearing landmines as Colombia peace talks advance
52 years of civil war has made Colombia one of the most landmine-scarred countries in the world. Only in Afghanistan and Cambodia are more landmines. According to government figures, since 1990 11,440 people, including civilians, children and soldiers have been killed or injured by landmines. Now Read More...
A provocative ad campaign fights Islamophobia in Canada
The arrival of Muslim refugees is provoking strong sentiments in many Western countries, particularly in Europe where right-wing, anti-immigration politicians are cashing in on the trend. Since last November, Canada has resettled nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees. At the same time, reports of hate Read More...
Black lives matter: The picture that’s worth a thousand words
Sometimes one image tells the whole story. A Reuters photographer captured this moment during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Just before and after this moment there must have been a cacophony of yells and arguments, but in the moment there’s an inspiring heroic Read More...
Serena Williams: The hope black America needed
Last week, for me, was about Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the list of names of hundreds more black bodies that they joined. It was about protests and it was about anger. It was about 11 police officers wounded and five killed in a tragic slaughter in Dallas. It was about grief, and it was Read More...
There are countries where police don’t carry guns, and they are more peaceful
So far this year 569 people have been killed by police in the U.S. There are countries where police usually don’t carry guns. New Zealand police were disarmed for routine work in 1886, following the principle that: “Constables are placed in authority to protect, not to oppress, the public.” Read More...
On rare Israel visit, Egypt FM pushes for renewed peace talks
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made a rare visit to Jerusalem on Sunday and asserted, standing alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Cairo remained a “steadfast and unwavering” supporter of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sameh Read More...
Blockchain technology helps Brooklyn inhabitants use their neighbors' solar energy
TransActive Grid is a small community energy market in Brooklyn, NY, that's a test run for both the idea of a clean-energy local microgrid and the use of blockchain technology to enable its transactions. TransActive Grid is a new way to trade solar energy among neighbors. The project runs on a Read More...
Can these rooftop cabins solve urban apartment shortages?
Like in many other cities, it's getting harder to find an apartment in Berlin. Rents have gone up almost 60% over the last seven years, and vacancies are so scarce that the city decided to ban Airbnb rentals of full apartments in May. But the city has around 55,000 unused roofs. So two Berlin-based Read More...
Shake, rattle and charge: Harnessing the power of music
The British musician and drummer, Sudha Kheterpal, is proudly cradling her new creation. Called a Spark, it's the size and colour of a peeled mango and when shaken gently, it makes a noise a bit like a maraca. Sudha made her name bashing out trance-like rhythms with electronic band, Faithless, and Read More...
Research: “Deep” readers think and write better, have more empathy
A recent study shows that college students who read, write better. And it matters what you read. The research shows least benefits for the ones who only read web-based content. The real benefits come from what’s called “deep reading”. Deep reading occurs when the language is rich in details, Read More...