Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 1953 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

The human right that benefits nature

Katarina Zimmer

March 16, 2021 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

A court in Costa Rica decided that a local municipality was illegally polluting a stream and this ruling set the stage for the country to ensure that a clean and healthy environment is a human right. They ingrained this right in their constitution joining about 110 other countries that have constitutionally recognized it. Although the law is not perfect, it has allowed courts to rule that killing endangered green sea turtles is unconstitutional, for example. Costa Rica’s success with this legal pathway could be used in other countries seeking to adopt the right to a healthy environment.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Community Health Program Changing Health Narrative in Rural Areas

Sharon Atieno

March 16, 2021 |

Science Africa |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Siaya County

In Kenya's Siaya County, community-selected individuals known as nyamrerwa are trained "to address healthcare issues of individuals and communities in their respective localities." The initiative is part of a larger strategy that is helping to localize care and empower community members to "take control and responsibility of their own health achievement efforts."

Read More
Go to Original Story
Seattle's success at fighting the pandemi‪c‬

Mike Baker Bill Radke

March 16, 2021 |

KUOW Radio |

Radio Talk Show |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Despite a tumultuous start to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle area has one of the lowest per capita death rates of any metro area in the United States. Because of actions taken early on by government officials and individuals, they were able to save lives and prevent an economic downturn due to lockdowns. This longterm investment in public health infrastructure could be a model for other cities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Solar lights help Kenyan women escape sex-for-fish trap

Kagondu David Njagi

March 16, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kendu Bay

A renewable energy project in Kenya is empowering women to catch their own fish instead of relying on “sex-for-fish” deals. Previously, men used to control the mechanisms for catching fish and would only sell to women who would have sex with them. About 400 women have received free solar lights, which allows them to fish at night. The batteries are lightweight and can run up to 120 hours on a single charge. For one woman, using the light also enables her to keep her fish stall open longer, earning her 10 times more than what she used to.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A California town was promised police reform – then police got involved

Aaron Miguel Cantú

March 12, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chico, California

A series of killings by the police sparked a community-led movement urging greater accountability and better training. The campaign bore fruit when the Chico mayor formed a committee to examine use of force policies. While police-reform advocates got appointed to the committee, the panel was dominated by the police and their political allies. Use of force policies never got examined. The city, in fact, ended up giving the police more resources and power. One policing critic concludes from this episode that professionalizing the police without scrutinizing their mission is bound to fail.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Oakland's Chinatown finds solutions to hate crimes

Heidi Shin

March 11, 2021 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

With hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise, Oakland's Community Ambassadors program serves the city's Chinatown by caring for the neighborhood and making people feel safe. Started as a way for formerly incarcerated people from San Quentin Prison to reconnect with the community, the program builds trust with residents who might be wary about asking the police for help and who may be so afraid of street crime that they don't leave home. Ambassadors walk the streets to help the elderly get groceries, check in with people experiencing homelessness, and hear the concerns of shopkeepers and residents.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The plus-size knitters who are solving an inclusivity problem

Mia Sato

March 10, 2021 |

The Verge |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Knitters are using social media, crowdsourcing, and spreadsheets to make the knitwear industry more inclusive of different body types. Designer Sarah Krentz offers patterns using an interactive spreadsheet where knitters fill in key measurements like bust, waist, and bicep circumference and the pattern automatically populates with the correct number of stitches and rows based on a pre-set formula created by Krentz. Fat Test Knits connects designers to plus size knitters who will test the patters. The site also serves as a bulletin board where moderators have vetted and shared over 500 patterns since 2019.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Don't call it summer school: Battling the COVID slide in math, science, reading with summer programs

Trisha Powell Crain

March 10, 2021 |

AL.com (Alabama Media Group) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alabama

Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) provides funding for summer programs that mix academic learning and fun enrichment activities. The “COVID slide,” where students fell behind in math, science, and reading, had a greater impact on children of color and those in low-income families, who are the majority of students in SAIL-funded programs. High-quality academics, taught by certified teachers, are paired with fun activities and personal enrichment provided by community partners. Students in SAIL's virtual 2020 summer programs showed average learning gains of 2.3 months in reading and 1.6 months in math.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Japan's tsunami survivors call lost loves on the phone of the wind

Issei Kato Mari Saito

March 05, 2021 |

Reuters |

Photojournalism |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Japan, Otsuchi

A man who lost a cousin to cancer built a phone booth with an unconnected rotary phone to imagine conversations with his loved one. It became "the phone of the wind," used by thousands across Japan who lost family in the 2011 tsunami and others whose longing for contact with lost loved ones turns the "conversations" into a deep form of relief and grieving. People in Poland and Britain plan to adopt this approach for survivors grieving losses in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More
Go to Original Story
In a city where bullets too often hit kids, a program calls on young people to shoot cameras, not guns

Theresa Vargas

March 03, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A group of D.C. teens produced a short film depicting life in their neighborhood, the final product of a pilot project that teaches filmmaking skills in order to lift up community voices and inspire youth to pursue a career. The program, "Don't Shoot Guns, Shoot Cameras," was started by the uncle of a homicide victim in a neighborhood where violence can feel more prevalent than positive inspiration. The program, which partnered with an existing nonprofit, is now seeking to expand.

Read More
Go to Original Story