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YES! Blogs

Analysis, news, and opinion from our editors and the YES! community.

People Over Profit: Why These Two Small Countries Stood Up to Big Mining

If the governments of Costa Rica and El Salvador can resist the mining industry, maybe we all can.

Robin Broad Mar 12, 2014

The Radical Homemaker Turns 40

I've learned to embrace the dreams I most deeply desire, but also the burdens that so often work against them.

Shannon Hayes Mar 03, 2014

Photo courtesy of Niklas Morberg / Flickr .

Wild Eats, Resilient Farms, and Freedom From Money: 3 Holiday Reads for the Radical Homemaker

Books should light up our lives—especially during the dark days of winter. Here are a few to pass along.

Shannon Hayes Dec 10, 2013

How I Got My Husband to Take Care of His Body (Even Though He Just Wants to Take Care of Me)

If it takes being a "controlling wife" to make my husband value his own health over his love for his family, I'm going to do it.

Shannon Hayes Nov 26, 2013

Six of the Top Ten U.S. Billionaires Are Kochs and Waltons

The profits of corporate giants that crash our economy and corrupt our politics deserve your outrage. But the efforts to curb them need your creative energy.

John Cavanagh Nov 22, 2013

Photo by Cristi / Flickr

Getting Past a Knitting Freak Out: Why I Didn't Let My Daughter Quit

Stepping into the realm of creativity can be scary for little ones. But reward for sticking with it is the powerful feeling of making something beautiful with your own hands.

Shannon Hayes Oct 30, 2013

3 Ways Obamacare Will Help You Out (Even If You're Off the Grid)

Self-reliant farmer types may not think they need help from the government. But they need affordable health insurance at least as much as the rest of us.

Shannon Hayes Oct 16, 2013

Inequality for All: Documentary Antidote to "Elysium Economy"

From gated communities in outer space to graphs about who owns the wealth, two new films are giving Americans a window into the issue of income inequality

Chuck Collins Sep 24, 2013

The Real Cost of Gold in the Philippines

We think of gold as a sign of prosperity, but the farmers and communities most affected by mining just want their rivers and land back.

John Cavanagh Sep 13, 2013

Photo by Felicity Green / Flickr .

Finding the Gold in "Tough" Neighborhoods

To transform economically and socially depressed areas into healthy, vibrant communities, we have to focus on their strengths and trust residents to solve their own problems.

Jay Walljasper Sep 11, 2013

Photo by Shannon Hayes.

The Radical Homemaker's Guide to Sex Talks

Living a happy life in love is the most important sexual education we can give our kids.

Shannon Hayes Sep 06, 2013

Want to Change the World (and Not Get Burnt Out)? Start with Your Neighborhood

Starting the process of change in a place you know well makes it more doable and fun.

Jay Walljasper Aug 14, 2013

Photo by Boon Low / Flickr .

When You've Built a Life of Joys, the Biggest Challenge Is Choosing

I've built a life filled with work I love. But the challenge of choosing among competing joys is very real.

Shannon Hayes Aug 30, 2013

A desk at the author's home, covered with her children's art supplies, drawings, and toys. Photo by Shannon Hayes.

Putting My Kids' Art in the Trash: How I Got Past the Guilt

It feels bad to throw away the crayon drawings and unfinished projects. But the memories stored there can never really be lost.

Shannon Hayes Aug 21, 2013

A Piazza on Every Block: How DIY Placemaking Is Transforming Communities

Americans who’ve enjoyed the vibrant public places of Europe and Latin America are bringing the idea back to the cities and towns of the U.S.

Jay Walljasper Aug 16, 2013