First person to create a Snapchat story inside The White House. Professional at sixteen. Good News Storyteller. Find the good, tell the people.
These are just a few ways of describing the positive power that is Branden Harvey, a twenty-something-year-old from the Northwest on a mission to find the good in the world and tell it to anyone who will listen. There are plenty of devastating facts and statistics that have their place and often inspire people to action, but what effect, Harvey wondered, will the good news have?
In an interview by Isabel Thottam of Moment, Harvey begged the question, “What if we just didn’t say bad things? What if we went out and created things in the world that are only filled with good?”
This talented, driven professional has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry: Disney, Skype, Paramount, Sony and more. He learned from some of the greatest photographers and turned this passion into his main source of income.
But somewhere along the way, passion started to fade. He realized what was missing when he discovered his desire to be a storyteller. Through a podcast, weekly newsletter, Instagram, Snapchat and global travel, Harvey is accomplishing what he set out to do: find the good, tell the people.
Harvey’s travel has taken him to Africa several times, and here he has worked with a non-profit called These Numbers Have Faces. This organization believes “educated, empowered, and community driven young people are the best vehicles for social change.” They pay for the brightest students of Africa to attend university on the condition that they will stay on the continent after receiving their education.
Harvey told Mashable in an interview that he is thankful for the CEO of These Numbers Have Faces, Justin Zoradi, because “he doesn’t see Africa as full of problems, but full of potential.”
Harvey’s desire to find potential instead of problems is manifested in his weekly newsletter. He works to deliver five relevant pieces of news in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations such as natural disasters and this presidential election.
Tapping even further into his storyteller roots, “Sounds Good with Branden Harvey” is a weekly podcast where Harvey sits down with some of the happiest people in the world to discover “what makes them tick” and where they find the good amongst the bad.
Harvey recently interviewed award-winning Australian photographer Nirrimi Firebrace, conversing about what it means to remain honest while searching for the positive. Firebrace explained that vulnerability in her work has been met with a lot of hate. The good news, though, is that the people who appreciate her genuineness only lean in closer to keep hearing the narratives she has to tell.
In writing his own narrative and traveling to Rwanda, Uganda, the Philippines and beyond, Harvey has seen plenty of the bad. He told Moment when discussing the people he met who had been pushed into crime and women who had lost their children, “these are all terrible situations, yet I see good come from them. Good comes from people who rise out of poverty.”
Harvey connects with the people he meets in these countries by learning their language, pulling out his phone before his camera and only going where he is invited. All of these together allow him to connect with the people he meets and tell their stories from an honest and engaging perspective. He says, “I won’t share a photo if I don’t know their name because I’d be taking from them without knowing anything about them. It’s about adding value.”
Harvey urges those with an eye for the good news to share what they see with others. People are searching for it, explicitly or not, and if we focus on the good, consider how much more there could be. “For the people who can see that, pay attention and share that in a way that feels creative and compelling to you.”
Branden Harvey is working hard to find what is good and shout it from the rooftops. And some of the best news? The world is listening.
– Rebecca Causey
Photo: Flickr
Improving the Transparency of U.S. Foreign Aid with Open Data
ForeignAssistance.gov was launched to increase the transparency of U.S. foreign aid programs. A massive data gap, if left unaddressed, may undermine the site’s raison d’être.
In 2011, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) was forged to institutionalize a multilateral means of promoting governmental transparency and citizen engagement. OGP seeks to translate bureaucratic goodwill into actionable commitments, which ideally come to fruition through processes made public to the citizenry.
Since its inception, the initiative has amassed an impressive headcount of 70 countries and cycled through numerous National Action Plans, or two-year commitment itineraries designed to keep participants in line.
The Obama administration released its third Open Government Plan a year ago. Framed as a matter of fiscal transparency, the question of foreign aid manifested in a renewed vow to “raise awareness, increase accessibility and build demand for foreign assistance data.”
A similar pledge was made in the Obama administration’s first Open Government Plan, which commissioned, in conjunction with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the creation of ForeignAssistance.gov.
The website collates, reports and visualizes the foreign assistance data of qualifying federal agencies. Easy on the eyes appearance-wise and optimized for public consumption navigation-wise, ForeignAssistance.gov comes across as a user-friendly heuristic and win for transparency of U.S. foreign aid.
A recent evaluative probe conducted by the General Accountability Office (GAO) in September, however, revealed that not all is well beneath the website’s sleek, shiny interface.
By comparing ForeignAssistance.gov data with that of USAID, the GAO report found that over $10 billion in disbursements made by participating agencies went unreported on the website in 2014. Around $6 billion in obligations was also missing, and the regular updates promised in OGP blueprints had long subsided.
Even though all agencies contributing to the ForeignAssistance.gov data bank are required to measure up to the same standard of detail, not all tracking systems are created equal. When surveyed prior to the GAO investigation, the agencies confirmed that limitations on access and technology prevented them from ensuring quality control.
Because the website fails to make such limitations explicitly known, odds are that the stakeholders and other consumers who took the data to be accurate and up-to-date were, in fact, crunching misleading numbers.
With all signs pointing toward misinformation — a notion that goes against the very essence of the OGP mission — the White House had to act fast to stem the damage. As a result, ForeignAssistance.gov was included in a series of U.S. Open Government initiatives rolled out weeks after the GAO let its watchdogs loose.
In an interesting move, the initiatives, which are part of the third U.S. Open Government Plan, conjoined transparency in foreign assistance with security sector assistance.
The Department of Defense (DoD) was implicated in a plan to increase the accountability of U.S. defense institutions, because of which it must now up the number and quality of its data contributions to ForeignAssistance.gov.
Although the commitment signals the White House’s acknowledgment of the website’s deficiencies, it falls short of GAO recommendations, which have been seconded by USAID, OMB and the Department of State.
Living up to them requires more cooperation with USAID and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as a visible pronouncement of limitation disclosures on the website.
Following through accordingly would be as much an act of public service and as a fulfillment of OGP transparency principles. U.S. foreign aid beneficiaries and other stakeholders can benefit greatly from comprehensive reportage on foreign assistance spending — but only if they are made fully aware of the data’s strengths and weaknesses.
– Jo Gurch
Photo: Flickr
Preparing for Natural Disasters in Myanmar
Over the past 20 years, 139,515 deaths have resulted from natural disasters in Myanmar. Myanmar has experienced more of these fatalities than almost every other nation, with the exceptions of Haiti and Indonesia. In order to better prepare for and combat future consequences of natural disasters, Myanmar is working to improve its disaster training and community resilience practices.
The aftermath of natural disasters takes a toll on any nation but is generally worse in low-income nations. Myanmar’s floods in summer 2015, for example, caused 132 deaths, destroyed 1.2 million acres of rice and resulted in economic losses equaling 3.1 percent of the country’s GDP. Another 400,000 lives were disrupted by flooding in summer 2016, with additional damages to 400,000 acres of paddy fields. Such frequent and widespread damages necessitate policies of prevention, rather than reaction.
Myanmar has committed to a region-wide funding system to promote disaster preparedness. The fund “is an expression of the solidarity shared within the region, as well as recognition that preparedness is less costly than response,” said Poonam Khetrepal Singh, the U.N. World Health Organization’s director for the Southeast Asia Region. This funding will allow Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries to invest in the infrastructure and human resources needed to improve disaster preparedness.
Recent conferences and training seminars have further sought to change the attitude of response to one of prevention. Training has been conducted through the Adaptation Fund’s project entitled, “Addressing Climate Change Risks on Water Resources and Food Security in the Dry Zone of Myanmar.”
This project seeks to enhance disaster preparedness through community-based prevention practices. Protecting against the effects of natural disasters in Myanmar is also embedded in the Constitution, and Parliament has discussed and approved prevention plans for the 2016 El Niño heatwave. Integrating this narrative into legislation presents a genuine commitment to institutionalizing preventative measures.
Preparation for natural disasters in Myanmar is especially important in the country’s Dry Zone. Plagued by scarce water, thin vegetation cover, severely eroded soil and chronic poverty, residents are very limited in their livelihood opportunities. By taking preventative measures to enhance development and minimize the risks of future disasters, the Adaptation Fund’s project and other resilience-oriented training prove dedication to mitigating disaster-related effects.
The International Day for Disaster Reduction, observed this year on Oct. 13, marked a call for collaboration on disaster preparedness and reduction. In his 2016 message, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon encouraged governments and civil society members to work together towards the common goal of risk reduction. The pursuit of disaster training and community resilience shows a commitment to proactive climate action and changing attitudes of disaster response to disaster prevention.
– McKenna Lux
Photo: Flickr
New Zealand Education is Superb: Studying Like a Kiwi
Beyond its stunning landscapes, New Zealand education is among the best in the world. The New Zealand Herald claims New Zealand falls within the top 10 education systems of the world. Therefore, New Zealand is what is called an “education superpower.”
According to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), New Zealand has the highest total public expenditure on education out of 32 countries. The public school system is extremely well funded and education is free until the last year of high school for citizens and permanent residents.
New Zealand Now says New Zealand education is also extremely good because of Kiwi culture. Kiwi is a term that refers to the people of New Zealand. In Kiwi culture, it is important to give everyone a fair chance and access to the same opportunities — including education.
New Zealand Educational Institute spokesman Paul Goulter told the New Zealand Herald that for Kiwi teachers, “The profession is about teaching children and doing it not for the pay, but for them.” This outlook on education has reaped success. In the 2015 Expat Explorer Survey by HSBC, 70% of parents said their children were more confident and well-rounded after studying in New Zealand.
Education in New Zealand also promotes acceptance and respect for different cultures. According to the New Zealand government, “Our education system reflects our unique and diverse society. We welcome different abilities, religious beliefs, ethnic groups, income levels and ideas about teaching and learning.”
Unlike education in Hawaii, where native languages and culture were not an integral part of the education system until recently, New Zealand promotes the conservation of Maori culture. The Maori people make up 14.6% of New Zealand’s population and can attend Kura Kaupapa Maori.
The Kura Kaupapa Maori are schools that teach in Maori and provide an education based on Maori culture and values. These schools have their own curriculum that focuses on Maori philosophies. Students who graduate from Maori schools then have the opportunity to attend Wananga (Maori teaching and research institutions).
Education in New Zealand is a success story. Schools are not only excellent and accessible to all; they also promote multiculturalism and diversity by emphasizing the importance of maintaining Maori culture. Other regions of the world where multiple cultures coexist should learn from New Zealand’s success.
– Christina Egerstrom
Photo: Flickr
Two Innovative Solutions for Cleaner Water
As recently as 2013, the United Nations reported that 783 million people across the planet do not have access to clean water and another 2.5 billion people have inadequate sanitation. With demand for food predicted to rise 50 percent by 2030, new and innovative solutions for cleaner water are needed more than ever.
One company actively researching solutions for cleaner water is the Austrian solar company, Pumpmakers. This company develops solar powered water pumps for use anywhere in the world via either the DIY Solar Pump or the larger scale PM Solar Pump System. This Solar Pump System has application beyond drinking water for families, enabling water access for agriculture, irrigation, livestock and fish farming.
The DIY pump is capable of pumping 18,000 liters of clean water per day, and the Solar Pump System delivers up to 50,000 liters per hour. Intentionally affordable and easy to use, these pump systems also require minimal maintenance.
The technology is utilized by countries such as Cameroon, where pumps supply the village of Ndoki with clean water for its 5,000 people.
Another, perhaps even more inventive solution for cleaner water comes in the form of the Waterseer pump, capable of cultivating water literally out of thin air.
The pump uses a wind turbine to draw air into the underground water chamber, where the change in temperature will cause condensation. The result is clean, safe water that uses a simple yet effective filtration system to keep foreign particles out of the water chamber.
The Waterseer pump is currently capable of producing 11 gallons of water each day and will continue to be optimized over time to increase clean water production for areas around the world.
UC Berkeley and the National Peace Corps Association have already teamed up with Waterseer to make an impact. Given that it is a non-profit group, 100 percent of all proceeds go to further developing the technology.
Access to clean water is a necessity for human life, so much so that in some water-scarce regions people are forced to give up six hours of their day to retrieve water that may be unsafe for consumption to survive. Continued research and support are instrumental in fighting the world’s water crisis and ensuring a better life for the entire planet.
– Aaron Walsh
Photo: Flickr
It Only Takes ONE to Make a Difference
According to Nelson Mandela, overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. The fight against poverty is not solely related to a person’s income, it also involves things such as access to water, health care, education, housing and security, and it only takes one to make a difference.
Over the past decades, numerous organizations have come together to help tackle global poverty. Through joint efforts, the world poverty rate has fallen dramatically in most areas. However, in African countries, the percentage has essentially remained the same.
The continent of Africa consists of many countries which have their own historical contributions to this issue. Many are skeptical when discussing poverty in Africa because they sense the continent’s political corruption has played a significant role in this devastation.
In the sub-Saharan Africa, over 40 percent of people are living in poverty. Though some African countries are able to sustain their society through oil and other trades, others are simply unable to do so. Most African economies are dependent almost entirely on the proceeds from natural resources and commodes that thrive on the patronage of markets in the developed world.
These economic structures are weak and their survival and sustainability are reliant on foreign support. It is believed in order to be successful in diminishing poverty in Africa, there needs to be a joint effort from different parts of society.
One organization which has taken notice of the continent’s problem and has pledged to take a stance against it is ONE. The ONE campaign was co-founded by Bono and other activists. It was created to help diminish extreme poverty and treatable diseases in Africa. The organization believes the fight against poverty is not just about charity and donations, but that it also is related to social justice and gender equality, echoing the idea that it only takes one to make a difference.
Members of the organization come from different walks of life. Members include artists, activists, business leaders, students and more. It is beneficial for the organization to have a diverse group because they will be able to bring varying viewpoints and they will be able to touch those in needs more effectively.
ONE has branches all over the world which include Washington, D.C., New York, London, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin and Paris. There are various volunteer opportunities with ONE in which volunteers are able to reach out to governmental officials to ask them to assist them in fighting against “diseases that affect the poor, to expand access to energy and to combat corruption so governments are accountable to their citizens.” Volunteers can also help recruit members by hosting group meetings, planning community events and seminars events.
Over the past decade, the organization has grown and made substantial headway. They have testified before Congress on HIV/AIDS development and poverty. They were also successful in enabling the passage of the Electrify Act, which will help bring electricity to 50 million people in Africa for the first time.
It is essential to remember we are all a part of one race which is the human race and it is commendable that organizations as such can come together for the greater good of humanity. People do not have to wait to be directly affected by an issue before they help with the resolution of it. Just remember you only need ONE to make a difference.
– Needum Lekia
Photo: Flickr
The Kurdish Democracy Model
In Northern Syria, the Kurdish communities have established three administrative and autonomous regions. These regions are called cantons and each enjoys their own legislative, administrative and legal bodies. Although these cantons are part of the Syrian territory, the Kurdish communities enjoyed autonomy in the wake of the Syrian crisis and oppression from the Islamic State fighters. These three cantons are named Afrin, Jezira and Kobani.
The Kurdish democracy model is an outcome of the Rojava movement, which seeks autonomy for Kurdish communities in Syria. The model is manifested in the Rojava constitution, which is also known as the social contract. It was approved on Jan. 6, 2016.
The preamble of the constitution reads as: “We the peoples of the democratic autonomous regions…by our free will have announced this contract to establish justice, freedom and democracy … without discrimination on the basis of religion, language, faith sect or gender.”
This Kurdish democracy model does not accept any imposed ideas of nation-state, centralized, military or religious state. It solemnly believes in human rights, democracy, free will and strives to protect those goals no matter what the cost is.
In every canton, there is a Legislative Assembly, an Executive Assembly, a High Election Commission, a Constitutional Assembly and Regional Assemblies. The Rojava Movement resembles historic acts of resistance such as the Algerian war against France and the Warsaw battle against invading Germany.
The Rojava cantons are remarkable examples of beacons of hope emerging from the Syrian civil war. Rojava maintained its independence and created its own democracy. In the Kurdish democracy model, the top three officials have to be from Arab, Kurdish and an Assyrian/Armenian Christian. One of these has to be women. In this phase of the Kurdish struggle, the Kurdish democracy model could start a global movement towards a better implementation of democracy and a cooperative socioeconomic model.
Financial Times describes the Kurdish democratic model as a power to people model. It is a radical experiment in narrow stretches of Northern Syria. In Rojava, which is hard to access due to Turkish blockade, the authority rests in the communal level (the village). In the villages, every social group has a say in decision making. The communities enjoy self-governing measures.
Furthermore, all minorities are included and everyone gets a chance to speak and participate in governing matters. This might seem radical to even the old-established democracies. But for the Kurds, after decades of oppression, this is one thing to look forward upon with eyes full of hope.
– Noman Ahmed
Photo: Flickr
Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS: The Top Diseases in Namibia
Life expectancy in Namibia has risen over the past 10 years. However, the country still struggles with communicable diseases, which are the largest leading factors of deaths in Namibia. The top diseases in Namibia are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Namibia ranks fourth as one of the countries most afflicted by tuberculosis (TB). The burden of TB has significantly dropped since 2004, when it peaked at 350,000 incidents. Although the number has been steadily dropping — declining 9,950 last year — the number of incidents is up from the previous year.
Yet, this increase is not altogether a negative indication of the preventative methods being deployed to fight diseases in Namibia. In fact, the higher number is due to the new testing measures, which have been able to reach more Namibians and give them a more accurate screening for TB.
The majority of TB care and prevention is funded by the Namibian government (domestic). However, the strength of this epidemic is not one they can fully contain on their own. The Namibian government is in need of more resources than they currently have. The nature of TB, such as long-lasting dormancy and ease of contraction, makes the elimination of this disease difficult.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of HIV also fuels the high contraction rate of tuberculosis. About 41 percent of those with TB also have HIV. Due to a severely compromised immune system, HIV/AIDS and TB often mix for a lethal combination.
HIV/AIDS are currently the diseases in Namibia associated with the highest death rates, claiming over 3,500 lives each year. There are 214,956 diagnosed cases of HIV in Namibia and only 68 percent of them are receiving antiretroviral treatment (ARV). Unavailability of treatment is the leading contributor to the death rate among those with HIV. There are at least 42,500 people that are suffering from HIV in immediate need of antiretroviral medication.
The deputy health minister also pinpoints a weaken health care system as a factor in Namibia’s inability to treat a majority of HIV-positive patients. There are less than two health care workers for every 1000 citizens, fewer in remote areas. Retaining health care workers is a crisis in Namibia. Without the proper amount of healthcare providers to cater to the needs of the people, especially those with HIV, patients cannot receive care in a timely manner.
The U.S. is currently invested in aiding Namibia’s struggle with TB and HIV. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) acts with the Namibian government in a multitude of ways to help stop the epidemics of both HIV and TB.
Together they have increased care for orphans and vulnerable children, expanded testing and awareness. PEPFAR is also working to re-manage the congested healthcare centers to allow for better treatment. PEPFAR’s current aim is to help the Namibian government reach their goal to have 80 percent of those with HIV on ARVs by 2017.
The Namibian government feels that the prevention of HIV for the future begins with the youth of today. If they can explain the risks and the best ways to prevent HIV, before children or young adults get infected, the chance for new incidents will decrease.
As the past decade has shown, with the efforts of the Namibian government and foreign relief, the burden of diseases in Namibia can only continue to decline.
– Amy Whitman
Photo: Flickr
The Kigali Amendment: A Global Commitment to Cutting HFCs
This month in Kigali, Rwanda, nearly 200 nations agreed to a new deal to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, specifically hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The parameters of the deal have the potential to guide countries to preventing up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by the year 2100 and outline a global commitment to cutting HFCs.
HFCs were first used in the 1980s as a replacement for other ozone exhausting gasses. Over time, however, the danger of these gasses has grown. HFCs are used in appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners, and sales among these types of products have soared in growing economies like China and India.
HFC gasses are critically dangerous to the global environment and as a greenhouse gas can be up to 10,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. If the deadlines in the plan are followed, the deal is expected to reduce the use HFCs by 85 percent by 2045.
The Kigali Amendment was made as an addition to the Montreal Protocol, which came into effect in 1989 and aims at reducing the production and consumption of detrimental substances to the earth’s ozone layer.
A statement on the Kigali Amendment from the White House said, “While diplomacy is never easy, we can work together to leave our children a planet that is safer, more prosperous, more secure and free than the one that was left for us.”
The deal includes the world’s two largest economies, the U.S. and China, and separates nations into groups with various deadlines for reducing the use of HFC gas. The U.S. and other Western developed countries want quick action in phasing out HFCs while nations such as India will be allowed a bit more time for their economies to grow and industries to adjust to the new requirements.
The U.S. will start taking action by 2019 and more than 100 developing countries, China included, will start to cut back by 2024 when HFC consumption levels are expected to be at their highest.
The deal puts the promises made at the Paris climate change conference last year into effect. In December 2015, 195 countries met in Paris and agreed to the first ever universal and legally binding climate change deal. Now, the Kigali Amendment is holding these countries accountable for their promises.
U.N. Environment Chief Erik Solhiem stated in reference to the Kigali deal, “Last year in Paris, we promised to keep the world safe from the worst effects of climate change. Today, we are following through on that promise.”
This global commitment to cutting HFCs shows dedication and acknowledgment to current issues relating to global warming and climate change. The requirements of the legally binding treaty have the potential to considerably reduce the damaging effects of greenhouse gas emission.
– Peyton Jacobsen
Photo: Flickr
Education for Children with Disabilities Stunted Globally
An international advocacy group released a report this month outlining the enormous task the world faces on the global issue of education for children with disabilities. The report states that “at least half of the world’s 65 million school-age children with disabilities are not in primary or lower secondary school.”
The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDCC) commissioned the report with an eye on understanding whether the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) can be achieved with respect to “inclusive and equitable quality education for all.” According to UNESCO, “children with disabilities make up the largest group of readily identifiable children who have been and continue to be persistently excluded from education.”
The contrast between education for children with disabilities and children generally is stark. As of 2016, 91 percent of all children in the majority world are enrolled in primary education. Meanwhile, in a 2015 report by UNESCO, 98 percent of children in majority world countries do not have any schooling afforded them.
The link between poverty and the disability is also telling. In the majority world, where poverty rates are often severely detrimental to social growth, the problems self-perpetuate each other. UNICEF notes that “Poverty and disability reinforce each other, contributing to increased vulnerability and exclusion.”
UNICEF explains that’s because children who are poor and who also live in poor countries are more likely to become disabled because of poor health care and other social systems. Furthermore, they are often denied basic resources that would otherwise mitigate or prevent their increasingly impoverished state.
Much is to blame for the apparent discrimination toward children with disabilities. One primary cause is a lack of understanding by government officials on the efficacy of investing in children with disabilities. The IDCC in part concluded that many governments incorrectly believe that investing in education for children with disabilities will yield low returns.
However, the group’s research has shown that inclusive education for all can reduce the population of uneducated, tackle discrimination generally and promote solutions for other school-related problems. They also found that segregated education, beyond the extent to which certain students may need it, is more expensive.
UNESCO and the IDCC conclude that to tackle the problem as it is now, greater reform culturally and politically is needed among “stakeholders.” Governments and non-governmental organizations must reverse global trends of divestment in education for children generally, as well as educate on nearly all social levels the need for investment in children with disabilities.
The IDCC urges prioritization of education for children with disabilities around the world if the SDGs are to be realized. Those changes must occur in terms of increased and targeted funding practices and increased normalization of disability-awareness and responsiveness to the needs of children with disabilities.
– James Collins
Photo: Flickr
Find the Good, Tell the People
First person to create a Snapchat story inside The White House. Professional at sixteen. Good News Storyteller. Find the good, tell the people.
These are just a few ways of describing the positive power that is Branden Harvey, a twenty-something-year-old from the Northwest on a mission to find the good in the world and tell it to anyone who will listen. There are plenty of devastating facts and statistics that have their place and often inspire people to action, but what effect, Harvey wondered, will the good news have?
In an interview by Isabel Thottam of Moment, Harvey begged the question, “What if we just didn’t say bad things? What if we went out and created things in the world that are only filled with good?”
This talented, driven professional has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry: Disney, Skype, Paramount, Sony and more. He learned from some of the greatest photographers and turned this passion into his main source of income.
But somewhere along the way, passion started to fade. He realized what was missing when he discovered his desire to be a storyteller. Through a podcast, weekly newsletter, Instagram, Snapchat and global travel, Harvey is accomplishing what he set out to do: find the good, tell the people.
Harvey’s travel has taken him to Africa several times, and here he has worked with a non-profit called These Numbers Have Faces. This organization believes “educated, empowered, and community driven young people are the best vehicles for social change.” They pay for the brightest students of Africa to attend university on the condition that they will stay on the continent after receiving their education.
Harvey told Mashable in an interview that he is thankful for the CEO of These Numbers Have Faces, Justin Zoradi, because “he doesn’t see Africa as full of problems, but full of potential.”
Harvey’s desire to find potential instead of problems is manifested in his weekly newsletter. He works to deliver five relevant pieces of news in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations such as natural disasters and this presidential election.
Tapping even further into his storyteller roots, “Sounds Good with Branden Harvey” is a weekly podcast where Harvey sits down with some of the happiest people in the world to discover “what makes them tick” and where they find the good amongst the bad.
Harvey recently interviewed award-winning Australian photographer Nirrimi Firebrace, conversing about what it means to remain honest while searching for the positive. Firebrace explained that vulnerability in her work has been met with a lot of hate. The good news, though, is that the people who appreciate her genuineness only lean in closer to keep hearing the narratives she has to tell.
In writing his own narrative and traveling to Rwanda, Uganda, the Philippines and beyond, Harvey has seen plenty of the bad. He told Moment when discussing the people he met who had been pushed into crime and women who had lost their children, “these are all terrible situations, yet I see good come from them. Good comes from people who rise out of poverty.”
Harvey connects with the people he meets in these countries by learning their language, pulling out his phone before his camera and only going where he is invited. All of these together allow him to connect with the people he meets and tell their stories from an honest and engaging perspective. He says, “I won’t share a photo if I don’t know their name because I’d be taking from them without knowing anything about them. It’s about adding value.”
Harvey urges those with an eye for the good news to share what they see with others. People are searching for it, explicitly or not, and if we focus on the good, consider how much more there could be. “For the people who can see that, pay attention and share that in a way that feels creative and compelling to you.”
Branden Harvey is working hard to find what is good and shout it from the rooftops. And some of the best news? The world is listening.
– Rebecca Causey
Photo: Flickr