Peace and Justice

To Curb Gun Violence, Chicago Residents Hit The Streets—And Really Listened to Their Neighbors
by Panyin Conduah
Oct 30, 2014
When a group of volunteers walked the streets of Chicago's east side, they learned that gun violence was not the only problem plaguing their neighborhood.
These Two Vets Walked Thousands of Miles to Heal Trauma and Raise Money
by Ricardo Torres
Oct 28, 2014
Two veterans trekked across America to leave behind the trauma of war and raise money for fellow vets. Now they want to offer the same healing experience to others like them.
Denmark Becomes Second Country to Let Citizens Choose Their Gender Without Having Surgery
by Tom Lawson
Oct 21, 2014
A new law allows transgender citizens to decide their own gender—and all it takes is a piece of paper.
Yes, They’re Mostly Students Occupying a Public Square. But Here’s Why Hong Kong’s Protesters Are Different
by John Feffer
Oct 20, 2014
Hong Kong’s “Occupy Central” movement is neither revolutionary nor subversive: It’s a basic demand for a more responsive and accountable government.
The Danger of Silence
Oct 17, 2014
When he was a kid, slam poet and teacher Clint Smith once gave up speaking for Lent. He found that his silence allowed his classmates to be bullied—and that he must use his voice speak up for truth and justice.
When Poverty Was the Enemy, Not the Poor
by Tom Eblen
Oct 09, 2014
The poverty rate in the U.S. would be 15 percent higher if not for the War on Poverty and government anti-poverty programs since 1967.
Americans on Food Aid Document Their Hunger in Photos
by YES! Editors
Oct 09, 2014
“Before I was on SNAP, I budgeted $50 a week for all groceries for my two children and myself. This was for food, shampoo, toilet paper, everything.”
Bangladeshi Workers Organize to Protect Their Most Valuable Export: Themselves
by Tiffany Williams
Oct 08, 2014
In the evolving global economy, migrants facing virtual indentured servitude abroad—and coming home to debt and social isolation—feels like the new normal.
After Ferguson, It’s Time to Turn a Civil Rights Moment Into a Human Rights Movement
by Nathan Schneider
Oct 07, 2014
“We need to expand the civil-rights struggle to a higher level—to the level of human rights.”
Three Projects that Block Violence Against Women By Bringing Communities Together
by Victoria Law
Sep 30, 2014
These projects show how everyday people can address violence in our own communities by breaking through the silence to interrupt abuse.
The Key to a Sustainable Future Is Resisting Violence Every Day
by Yessenia Funes
Sep 17, 2014
The Nonviolence Handbook teaches that when we exhibit patience and refrain from criticizing others harshly, we're building nonviolent potential.
The Antidote to Mansplaining: Rebecca Solnit on Everyday Sexism and What We Can Do About It
by Valerie Schloredt
Sep 03, 2014
Useful as it may be as journalistic shorthand, “mansplaining” is cultural bubblegum in comparison to Solnit’s actual body of work.
Let’s End Poverty: We Have the Money, Do We Have the Will?
by Dean Paton
Aug 28, 2014
47 million Americans live beneath the official poverty line, under a daily judgment of failure. The question today is: Whose failure?
How the #FergusonSyllabus Can Help Teachers Talk About Race and Rights on the First Day of School
by Liz Pleasant
Aug 26, 2014
Teachers and educators collect ideas and resources for how to talk about Ferguson with students of all ages.
Why the Climate Movement Must Stand with Ferguson
by Deirdre Smith
Aug 22, 2014
The tragedy in Ferguson helps us understand why people of color aren't as active as they could be in the climate movement—and what white allies can do to change that.