A Tribute to Shyam Chainani
On December 25, 2011, Shyam Chainani, the green activist and Founder of the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), passed away. He was one of the key environment and urban planning pioneers and champions, first in Bombay and then all of India and also beyond. In addition, he was an early, key...
Peace Corps and Ashoka: Celebrating Anniversaries and Collaborations
Did you know that Sargent Shriver, the dynamic force behind the creation of the Peace Corps, provided thought leadership for the creation of Ashoka as a member of the Ashoka Council? In fact, there have been many powerful points of intersection throughout the history of Peace Corps and Ashoka...
Peruvian Fellow Receives Prestigious Honors in US and UK
Ashoka Fellow Albina Ruiz is not afraid of cleaning up garbage. Many of us take efficient waste removal for granted. Yet, in some parts of the world, refuse is not effectively managed. This has long been the case in Lima, Peru. The problem was particularly severe in Lima’s northern district. In 1995...
The Future of Solar Born from a Lifetime of Innovation
UPDATE: Although it’s been just two weeks since we last checked in on the 19-year-old whiz kid Eden Full, there are a couple of updates to her impact story. TechChrunch gave Full a shout-out for her contributions to the solar industry, and for winning the 2011 Staples/Ashoka Youth Social...
Ashoka Remembers Fellow Andrew Macharia
The Ashoka East Africa staff and Fellows were saddened by the recent news of Ashoka Fellow Andrew Macharia’s passing. Macharia (Kenya, 2003) was one of the region’s earliest Fellows; he was elected in 2003 for his innovative community-based waste management and recycling program, The City Garbage...
Courage, Creativity and Renewable Energy
Social entrepreneurs are often credited with having a one-track mind. There is no barrier strong enough or challenge tall enough to stop these positive deviants from achieving their goals. For Ashoka Fellow Tri Mumpuni, not even the harrowing experience of being held hostage by separatist rebels in...
Ashoka's Newest Fellows are Innovating for the Environment
Our hearts and minds have been focused on nature’s power after the recent earthquake in Virginia, and the major blow from Hurricane Irene that tore up the Atlantic coast. But if we look past these most recent disasters, we can see signs of opportunity in the environmental recovery and conservation...
The Emmy Award-Winning Film “The New Environmentalists”
The “The New Environmentalists” film series features portraits of six social innovators “who have placed themselves squarely in harm’s way to battle intimidating adversaries” in the fight for environmental justice. The innovators, including two Ashoka Fellows, are this year’s winners of the Goldman...
Got Empathy? Kids Do!
Ashoka Fellow Cindy Blackstock, a member of the Gitksan First Nation of British Columbia, is building a vibrant social movement to change the discriminatory policies and actions toward First Nations children in Canada. Through the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, Blackstock is building...