How Gondolas and Hip Hop Transformed the Most Dangerous City in the World
Medellín went from being ground zero of Colombia's drug war to UN poster child for urban equality—and the people made it happen, by designing the city they wanted.
YES! Article archive
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“We Couldn’t Possibly Be Poor”: How a Doctor Fell Into Poverty
“As we found ourselves choosing between rice, oatmeal, or potatoes for every meal, it occurred to us that being in poverty isn’t about how hard you work; it’s about how much money you make.”
Matt Damon, Harrison Ford Lead All-Star Cast in Showtime Climate Change Series
Years of Living Dangerously features celebrity correspondents who thoughtfully explore how politics and religion divide people and impede action on this critical issue.
What I Learned About Living From Dying of Cancer
Many more patients are now living for years with the diagnosis of terminal illness. The author describes her journey to what she calls “livingly dying”—facing her death by living in the moment with grace and mindfulness.
How to Pickle Almost Anything
Why ferment? It’s practical magic. Here are a few basics to get you started.
When Poverty Was the Enemy, Not the Poor
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
“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.”
A Wall Street Equity Firm Evicted My Family. We’re Still Searching for a Home
Our experience strengthened our resolve to fight for housing as a human right.
Why a Tiny Decrease in Unemployment Means a Big Pay Raise for the Poor
A sustained one-percentage-point decline in the unemployment rate is associated with a 9.4 percent rise in the wages of workers in the bottom quintile of the wage distribution.
7 Practical Ideas for Compassionate Communities, From Free College to Debt Relief
It's not hard to bring a little more equality into each others' lives.
Stanford’s Coal Divestment: Meet 2 Students—And 1 President—Who Made It Happen
The movement to persuade schools to divest from fossil fuels has taken off around the country. Meet a few people who helped get Stanford’s money out of coal.
The Key to a Sustainable Future Is Resisting Violence Every Day
The Nonviolence Handbook teaches that when we exhibit patience and refrain from criticizing others harshly, we're building nonviolent potential.
Most Social Change Groups Grapple with White Privilege—But This Book Can Help
The work of activism is full of messy contradictions. In “Towards Collective Liberation,” Chris Crass breaks down the influence of racism and patriarchy, including helpful how-tos—like “Twenty Careful Steps Toward Anti-sexist Action.”
How Residents of a Rural New Mexico County Fought the Fracking Barons and Won—For Now
In Mora County, New Mexico, corporations seeking fracking contracts came up against “querencia”—a traditional way of thinking about and defending the land.
Migrant Farmworkers Find Paths Out of Poverty Through Incubator Farms
Incubator farms help seasonal workers start their own businesses, where they get better pay and the support of a community.
A Wealthy Capitalist on Why Money Doesn’t Trickle Down
Nick Hanauer, venture capitalist and self-described “plutocrat,” says a healthy economy and an effective democracy depend on a thriving middle class of workers.
The Enchanted Land Where Community College Is Free? Welcome to Tennessee in 2015
A new bill provides two years of tuition at a community college for participating high school grads who might otherwise face a 7.5 percent unemployment rate—and other states are already following suit.
The Antidote to Mansplaining: Rebecca Solnit on Everyday Sexism and What We Can Do About It
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?
47 million Americans live beneath the official poverty line, under a daily judgment of failure. The question today is: Whose failure?
How Seattle Led the Country’s Wage Revolution
Seattle's path to a $15 minimum wage is a winding tale of effective organizing, smart messaging, and blind dumb luck. It is also a roadmap for bypassing partisan gridlock—one city at a time.
The Faces Behind the Fight for $15 an Hour
For low-wage workers, Seattle's minimum wage increase means a chance to go to college, pay the rent, and visit the dentist.
If Unions Are Breaking Automakers, Why Are BMW and Mercedes So Rich?
In Germany, auto workers get paid well and their companies still profit. Author Thom Hartmann on why living wages and corporate success don't have to be mutually exclusive.
America Keeps People Poor On Purpose: A Timeline of Choices We’ve Made to Increase Inequality
How four decades of lobbying and legislation gave corporations dominion over our economy—and eroded the American middle class.
Poverty is Not Inevitable: What We Can Do Now to Turn Things Around
Having poor people in the richest country in the world is a choice. We have the money to solve this. But do we have the will?
Americans Spend $1.8 Billion on Eating Out Every Day (And 23 Other Facts You Should Probably Know)
Meanwhile, more Americans got insured, the oceans continued to become more acidic, and the world’s largest collection of rubber ducks grew at a rapid pace.
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