The Jan–Mar 2019 issue of Positive News magazine – with four special portrait covers – features the young people who are putting purpose first
“There are so many people who see social injustice and who are doing something about it,” says Josh Babarinde.
Babarinde, 25, is one of the inspiring young leaders who we interviewed for the cover feature in the new issue of Positive News magazine. This impressive group shows that, whether it’s in the media, through social enterprise or in everyday conversations about mental health, a new generation isn’t waiting for permission: it’s getting on with doing things differently.
Millennials have come in for some stick for pulling society up on outdated attitudes. But defining them (and I’m among them) by what they want to curb risks missing what they want to create. Order your copy of the magazine to read about how they and other so-called ‘snowflakes’ are reshaping society for the better.
After all, if one thing is guaranteed in life, it is change. When it comes to shifting society forward, progress can sometimes feel frustratingly glacial. But, as Martin Wright unpicks on p.41, this doesn’t have to be the case. #MeToo and single-use plastics are recent examples of swift and profound change, and we have dug into the history books to find others. Fuel for optimism when it comes to climate change?
“History suggests that we can do this, and that we might be pleasantly surprised when we start actually trying,” say those at the Rapid Transition Alliance.
Another assumption I’d made is that large-scale, industrial agriculture now feeds most of the world. I was pleasantly surprised to discover, while putting this issue together, that small farms – often family-run businesses – actually produce over 70 per cent of the world’s food. As our feature on p.46 explores, small agriculture is often the most resilient kind, even in extreme environments. By growing heirloom and other non- commercial varieties, small farms bolster biodiversity and improve food security.
It’s often at the community level where the most exciting change begins. In the Italian Alps, locals have joined together to reclaim their beloved mountains from the destructive clutches of marble mining. What this diverse group has achieved so far is heartening.
A new generation isn’t waiting for permission: it’s getting on with doing things differently
Beyond defined communities, the lengths that people will go to for others, is reassuring in uncertain times. The small team we meet on p.38. have an ambitious vision to bring wifi to some of the world’s most vulnerable people – from migrants fleeing their homes by sea, to refugees who are stuck in temporary camps.
And I challenge you to remain unmoved by the beautiful stories from women who have survived breast cancer and have gone on to have deeply personal tattoos, as a way to reclaim their identity.
Whether it’s EU uncertainty or a president’s tweets, many people are used to living with the results of someone else’s thinking. The challenge is to find the moments where we can instigate change. By choosing to read Positive News magazine, you’re doing just that. Happy New Year.
