The tattoo artist who helps heal the trauma of domestic violence A tattoo artist in Russia is helping domestic violence survivors reclaim their bodies. It helps them believe they can start afresh, finds Manon Masset, reporting for Le Courrier de Russie. Evguenia Zakhar is not just any tattoo artist. Each week, she transforms the scars…
Boys win right to wear shorts by wearing skirts in heat-wave protest These teenage boys are social activists in the making. Even though the schoolboys of Exeter’s ISCA Academy were suffering from the summer heat, they still were banned from wearing shorts because of the traditional dress code. To protest the stuffy school rules, however,…
The project transforming shipping containers into emergency homes for homeless people Could shipping containers help to combat homelessness? Social enterprise Help Bristol’s Homeless thinks so. Old shipping containers are being repurposed and converted into temporary housing for homeless people in Bristol. The scheme was dreamt up by those at Bristol-based social enterprise Help Bristol’s Homeless…
Pakistan opens first ever Violence Against Women Center While Pakistan might be a notorious region for female abuse, the country is taking steps towards better gender equality by opening up 36 different Violence Against Women Centers nationwide. The first of the centers was opened in Multan of the Punjab region. The entirely female-run shelter offers…
Same-sex marriage now legal in Germany German MPs have legalised gay marriage after Angela Merkel dropped her opposition to a vote. Same-sex couples can now be legally married in Germany following a clear majority vote passed a bill in the German parliament the 30 June. The vote took place just four days after Chancellor Angela…
German nonprofit creates new open-source license for seeds We know about open-source software and hardware, but can the concept – decentralized development and open collaboration for the common good – be expanded to address other global challenges? The nonprofit OpenSourceSeeds based in the German town of Marburg has just launched a licensing process for open-source seeds, to…
Diversity in films boosts box office success, finds study Films with diverse casts are proving more popular at the box office, finds a study by the Creative Artists Agency. Ethnically diverse casting appears to be leading to box office success, with films that have at least a 30 per cent non-white cast outperforming those…
Vancouver to eliminate harmful single-use packaging Vancouver is well on its way to becoming the greenest city in the world – and they are now tackling the arduous problem of harmful single-use packaging. The city launched their Greenest City Action Plan 7 years ago by setting a goal to reduce landfill waste by 50%. Now they…
Scottish ballet steps out to become dementia friendly Scottish Ballet are going to set up a programme of dementia friendly dance based activities for people living with dementia, their carers and families across Scotland, and raise awareness about the condition. This is thanks to being awarded £150,000 by the Life Changes Trust to enable…
This awesome water park was designed for kids with disabilities A new water park in San Antonio is making sure kids with disabilities don’t miss out on the splashing fun this summer. Morgan’s Inspiration Island is an extension of Morgan’s Wonderland, a theme park built to be inclusive for all its guests, including kids with…