Forget Venture Capitalists—This Scrappy Composting Co-Op Found Another Way to Get Startup Money
The banking system makes it tough for local businesses to get their hands on startup money. But creative entrepreneurs are finding solutions.
YES! Article archive
Anti-Austerity Party Sweeps Greek Elections—What US Progressives Can Learn
There are plenty of lessons to be taken from Syriza’s victory and the rise to power of Spain's Podemos party, but striving to speak to people rather than politics might be chief among them.
Six Ways the US Is Building a People-Powered Economy
Alternative business models such as worker-owned cooperatives are gaining ground, proving that a more just and sustainable future is possible.
What White People Can Do for Food Justice
Creator of Master Cooks Corps train-the-trainer program Chef Nadine Nelson says White people in the food movement should ask themselves: What are you doing to hold yourself accountable to people of color?
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“Selma”: A Beautifully Shot Film Shows How Change Really Happens
Neither a “great man” history of Martin Luther King Jr., nor a tale of forgotten underdogs, Selma is about skilled activists building a movement.
400,000 Harry Potter Fans—and J.K. Rowling—Just Won a Deal to Get Child Labor Out of Chocolate
Harry Potter stood up for his world's most vulnerable people. Now, legions of real-world kids are too—by demanding Fair Trade certification for products sold in their hero's name.
This Rust-Belt Town’s Survival Strategy Is All About Giving Workers Control
Reading is one of Pennsylvania’s poorest cities. Can its residents turn things around by building a more democratic economy?
How #FergusonSyllabus Helps Teachers Discuss Police, Racism, and History
“Teachers are better prepared because #FergusonSyllabus created a space for exchange among educators about best practices and materials for illustrating the best and worst of our democracy.”
Can Empathy for Birds Make Us Happier? Ten Breakthroughs in the Science of a Meaningful Life
Last year, scientists found that gratitude makes us financially smarter, mindfulness reduces racism, a little sadness makes for healthier people, and compassion for birds could help tackle climate change.
Vermonters Lobby for Public Bank—And Win Millions for Local Investment Instead
Advocates didn’t get the public bank they wanted. But the compromise they reached in the end was still a rare and significant win over Wall Street banks.
Laid-Off Baltimore Workers Beat Disney in Court—And Ask All the Right Questions About Urban Development
By some estimates, the city of Baltimore has sunk more than $1.5 billion into its Inner Harbor. Workers and residents want their share too.
How “Granny Flats” and Suburban Downtowns Are Creating a Different (and Better) Kind of Density
Density has become a dirty word in some circles because people associate it with big, ugly buildings. Luckily, there are other ways to get people living close together.
Owning Together Is the New Sharing
Companies and startups are aspiring toward an economy, and an Internet, that is more fully ours with the use of cooperatives, "commons-based peer production," and cryptocurrencies.
How a Low-Tech Seed Bank in Greece Preserves Thousands of Heritage Crops
Members of the Greek seed bank Peliti say that keeping their wares in production—instead of in refrigerators—improves the health of the plants they’re working to save.
10 Ways Human Rights and Democracy Won in 2014 (Yeah, You Heard That Right)
Let’s be honest: It was a brutal year for human rights. But we still have victories worth celebrating.
Restorative Justice at Work: How This Indigenous Wood Carver Is Finding Peace After a Seattle Officer Killed His Brother
Rick Williams asked for calm when protesters demanded justice for his brother, who was shot and killed by a Seattle police officer. But he realizes that "the only way you can help change the system is show them you are a human being."
I Can’t Breathe Until Everyone Can Breathe
The late Maya Angelou said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” When it comes to injustices, we’re all part of the problem—and the solution.
Walking: The Secret Ingredient for Health, Wealth, and More Exciting Neighborhoods
It's been called "America's untrendiest trend." The evidence that millions of people are finally walking again is as solid as the ground beneath our feet.
Tiny House Living: How Two Families Made It Work—Teenagers, Sleepovers, Alone Time, and All
How do you fit a full-sized family into a tiny house? The Morrisons and Kasls found that the benefits of life in 200 square feet outweigh the difficulties.
A Radical Homemaker on How to De-Stress, Have Fun, and Stay Healthy This Christmas
Tired of the spending that goes along with the holidays? The gifting frenzy? The stress? Maybe this is the year to blend a few new ideas into your holiday routine.
When Christmas Dinner Gets Uncomfortably Political, These Cues From “House of Cards” and Other Shows Can Help You Out
This year’s most popular movies and TV series can be a tool to work your way out of a particularly bad conversation.
Black Lives Matter Protest Shuts Down Mall of America on December’s Biggest Shopping Day
This weekend, thousands converged on one of the world's biggest malls, chanting "Black people cannot breathe while you have a shopping spree." Check out our play-by-play.
12 Hashtags That Changed the World in 2014
Slacktivism? Not so much. From #BlackLivesMatter to #BringBackOurGirls, this year's best hashtags around issues of social justice brought fresh voices into some of our most important conversations.
“Wild” Could Have Been a Standard Hollywood Weeper. Here’s How Reese Witherspoon Saved It
To call “Wild” a redemption film is to minimize the wide range of emotions it works with—not to mention the subtlety of Reese Witherspoon’s performance.
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