Stories about 7 Billion Actions

East Timor: Investing in Creativity and Culture

  28 October 2011

Barcelona artist David Palazón ended up in East Timor as a break from his career. Now he is coordinating a project to research Timorese culture in hopes of creating a school for the creative industries, to stimulate jobs in the non-oil economy, small businesses, and tourism.

Armenia: Newfound Support for Domestic Violence Victims

  20 October 2011

Domestic violence has long been a taboo subject in Armenian circles. But when 20-year-old mother Zaruhi Petrosyan was brutally beaten to death by her husband and mother-in-law last October, the case mobilized individuals and organizations in confronting this issue which affects over a quarter of women in Armenia.

Brazil: Creating Opportunities for Life After Jail

  17 October 2011

While serving time in jail, Ronaldo Monteiro kickstarted a project with fellow detainees and turned his life around. Years later, released on parole, Monteiro now coordinates an NGO that offers opportunities of social reintegration for young offenders, detainees and former detainees in Brazil.

Worldwide: Dialogue and Peace Through Sport

  16 October 2011

Joël Bouzou, a bronze medalist during the 1984 Olympic Games and World Champion of modern penthathlon in 1987, is the founder and president of Peace and Sport, an NGO created in 2007 whose motto is "Building sustainable peace through sport".

Cuba: A Tireless Defender of Gay Rights

  29 September 2011

Francisco Rodríguez Cruz is a Cuban journalist and activist who for over a year has maintained a controversial blog committed to advancing the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Cuba.

Pakistan: Speaking Out the Unspoken – Gawaahi

  15 September 2011

Information and communications technology (ICT) has long been hailed as a harbinger of a global change. Gawaahi is one such venture that aims to bring to fore underrepresented voices of Pakistani society by coupling ICT with social activism.

Russia: Connecting Neighbors, Saving Lives

  12 September 2011

The creators of a website that enabled Russians to help each other during wildfires in 2010 have now redesigned the site to enable citizens to assist each other in new ways - including mapping willing blood donors in locations across the country.

Mexico: Hero Reports, Mapping Acts of Kindness

  6 September 2011

Heroreports is a non-profit project dedicated to crowdsourcing and mapping reports of citizen courage and positive social behavior. It started in Ciudad Juárez, México as an initiative of the MIT Center for Civic Media. Ernesto Priego reports.

China: “Free Lunch” for Rural Students via Micro-Donations

  5 September 2011

To help improve education in rural China, a new project by Guangzhou-based charity activist Liang Shuxin called “Free Lunch” is raising online micro-donations to deliver lunch meals to impoverished school children in collaboration with a semi-official agency.

Pakistan: Empowering Youth for a Better Tomorrow

  5 September 2011

Institute of Peace and Secular Studies is a humble, community youth organization in Lahore, Pakistan which aims to empower Pakistani youth and encourage them to face up to today’s challenges so they can shape a better future for tomorrow.