Sunrise festival matty james2011-529

A festival in Somerset aims to become the first ‘participation nation’, rewarding festival-goers for getting involved, and letting bands choose their own support acts

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Bob Roth: meditation can “transform” schools

 

/ Community

15 May

 
Bob Roth addressing a 2012 US National Education Summit (c) David Lynch Foundation

Paul Ellson talks to Bob Roth, director of the David Lynch Foundation, about transcendental meditation and the organisation's plans to one day set up ‘peace universities’ on every continent

 

Indian communities fight violence against women

 

/ Community

13 May

 
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Last year’s brutal attack against a young woman in Delhi caused a worldwide outcry, igniting calls for changes in women’s rights. Lorenza Bacino examines what progress is being made in India, and the obstacles it faces

 
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‘Revolutionary’ rice-growing gets more for less

 

/ Environment

10 May

 
Freshly-threshed rice (c) Neil Palmer (CIAT)

A groundbreaking method of rice growing is gaining traction in India, thanks to its ability to produce larger amounts of crops and allow for independent farming

 

Good Business: Social innovators at Oxford Jam

 

/ Blogs

08 May

 
(c) Hera Hussain

Good Business is a column hosted by Anna Levy from HUB Islington, an incubation space for socially driven entrepreneurs. Each month she catches up with the people leading change

 

Bristol: the local city

 

/ Community

03 May

 
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What began as an exercise in supporting her local economy quickly turned into a full exploration of independent Bristol. Rin Simpson explains why the city's indie culture makes for a fine model that could be replicated nationwide

 

Food growing & cooking could get curriculum boost

 

/ Community

01 May

 

Food growing and nutritional cooking classes could form part of the national curriculum from 2014, but the changes might be scrapped following criticism from industry

 

Latest News

Retinal ‘implants’ could restore sight for millions

 
 

/

17 May

 

A team of scientists has developed a groundbreaking microchip that could help millions of visually impaired people regain their...

 

Scotland awarded Fair Trade Nation status

 
 

/ Community

14 May

 
Humza Yousaf MSP, Martin Rhodes Scottish Fair Trade Forum with Urban Fox &      Quarrybrae Primary (c) Scottish Fair Trade Forum

Scotland has become the second country in the UK, and the world, after Wales, to gain the accolade

 

Editorial: Let’s choose our direction

 
 

08 May

 

With research showing that the world is becoming more peaceful and that most people in the UK share values...

 

High streets gain as retail parks lose shoppers

 
 

/ Economics & Innovation

08 May

 
Kensington Gardens

Despite concerns that British high streets are deteriorating, new research shows shoppers still favour them over retail parks and...

 

Government pledge to reduce child mortality

 
 

/ Wellbeing

08 May

 

As UK child mortality rates rise to among the highest in Europe, a new pledge aims to turn young...

 

Wildlife charity launches mobile phone network

 
 

/ Environment

06 May

 
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10% of profits from new mobile phone service will go to WWF

 

Most detailed Amazon survey in 30 years will help fight deforestation

 
 

/ Environment

02 May

 
(c) CIAT International Centre for Tropical Agriculture

The Brazilian government hopes to uncover new species and tribes by “knowing the rainforest from within”

 

New technique could stop Parkinson’s disease tremors

 
 

/

30 Apr

 

Researchers at Oxford University could be on the verge of a medical breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

 

Guns swapped for ‘weapons for life’ in Uruguay

 
 

/ Peace & Democracy

29 Apr

 
(c) Davidlohr Bueso

A new scheme hopes to reduce crime and improve lives by offering laptops and bikes in exchange for firearms

 

Over one hundred countries agree to cut mercury pollution

 
 

/ Environment

25 Apr

 

Health threats from mercury are set to be reduced thanks to the Minamata Convention, a treaty regulating the toxic...

 

Fairtrade sales increase despite economic climate

 
 

/ Economics & Innovation

23 Apr

 
(c) Shared Interest

The Fairtrade Foundation says increased public awareness of product supply chains means the demand for ethical goods is growing