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Hearts & Minds Blog
Personal thoughts on how to change the world

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Tuesday, December 5, 2006

How You Can Help Make History

You can help change the course of history. Here's how to maximize your power...

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Some Lessons from History

It's amazing how much things have changed in the last 100 years. It's also very interesting how similar some things are.

About a hundred years ago, a few miles from where I sit, New York City's Lower East Side was as impoverished and crowded as many cities in Latin America, Africa and Asia are today.

There was a very big difference between a minority of well off people and a large number of poor people right here in New York City, already one of the most prosperous cities on the planet.

In the 1890s, New York City's Lower East Side was one of the most densely populated and impoverished places on the planet.

The way it is today
Unfortunately, unequal opportunities and great poverty are still widespread in many nations.

That can change. Successful reform in the United States, Europe and elsewhere helps show the way.

Inspiration for change
A hundred years ago, things some people saw in New York City inspired them to work for changes.

Thanks to their efforts, life is much better in many nations. Hundreds of millions of people escaped poverty, sometimes within a few years.

We can learn from how this happened:

  • Starting with small groups of people, reform movements grew in strength. Politicians who answered only to wealthy special interests were voted out or forced to change their policies.

  • Laws were passed to end slavery, discrimination, child labor and unsafe workplaces.

  • Workers were better able to organize in labor unions with freedom to strike. They successfully created better employment conditions.

  • Large monopolies were broken up. Free enterprise gave increased opportunities for economic growth and the development of many useful, less expensive products.

  • Substantial public and private funds were spent to improve public health, education and social conditions.

Things changed, sometimes quickly. As a result, most people were living better than even royalty a generation earlier.

Now we have the resources to make poverty history - worldwide.  Here's a platform that takes into account many factors that can cause - and solve - poverty:

We Can End Global Hunger and Poverty by 2012 - Readily achievable - for less than the Marshall Plan - a letter you can send to your elected representatives

More on our Global Survival Campaign with easy, effective actions you can do right now!
 

More of this blog: Thanksgiving Thoughts & How to Get Inspired, Help Others and Make Yourself Happy, Too  |  Earlier entries

Comments? Questions? You can e-mail Bill directly: greatchange@gmail.com.

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Copyrights: Website © 1997 - 2007 by Hearts and Minds Network, Inc. This Blog © 2006 by Bill Blackman, Lower East Side photo below courtesy of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. http://www.heartsandminds.org/blog/index.htm - blog started September 28, 2006, newest blog entries online November 28, 2006, latest changes November 28, 2006

  

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