Here’s an uplifting story of people who choose a peaceful way to live in community together. Seems like it should be just that easy.

From The Good News Network

By McKinley Corbley

Throughout history, there has been generations of conflict between Muslims and Jews – but there is nothing but peace and respect to be found between the two faiths at this Indian synagogue.

For years, Muslim families have been caring for the Magen David Synagogue in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

The ornate place of Jewish worship, which was built back in 1884, is the oldest synagogue in the entire capital city. Back in the 1940s, the city had a thriving Jewish community which maintained close, amiable ties with their…

Be inspired by this in-depth story from National Geographic of committed people working to save the white rhinos and make your Monday in #backyardbend a good one.

By Haley Cohen Gilliland

On a frigid day in December 2009, four northern white rhinos were picked up from the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic and transported to the airport in Prague, where they were loaded onto a Martinair 747 cargo jet as snow swirled outside. Accompanied by a veterinarian and packed in special wooden crates built to support their heft—they typically weigh between 3,750 pounds and 5,290 pounds—the rhinos flew to Kenya. There, they were scooped up in DHL trucks and driven to…

We are starting each Monday off with a series of “Positive News” stories. Why not start your week on a positive note!

From ABC NEWS

Valentina Sampaio has announced that she is working with Victoria’s Secret as its first transgender model.

The Brazilian star, who has been featured in campaigns by L’Oréal and in Vogue editorials, posted last week from what she said was behind the scenes at Victoria’s Secret.

Victoria’s Secret has not made an announcement about Sampaio, but her manager told Entertainment Tonight that Sampaio is “very happy” and hopes to “break barriers and to make a step to more inclusivity and representation for everybody.”

Other…

We thought some Wednesday wisdom might help get you through the week.

Zen Habits by Leo Babauta “Move Towards Your Resistance”

Our minds have the tendency to turn away and move away from what we’re fearing and resisting the most. We naturally don’t like pain, frustration, difficulty. So turning away and avoiding and putting off are protective acts.

And yet, this keeps us in our comfort zone. The path of growth is in the parts we’re resisting.

Each day, find the thing you’re resisting the most and move towards it.

I don’t mean that you should do something that’s actually unsafe. Jumping off a cliff to your death is not a good example of moving towards your resistance. Putting yourself…

This is so awesome and reminds us that compassion and giving to those who need help is something we can surely find the time and means to do.

From the Good News Network

“Rather than using his birthday vacation money to go to Disney World, this little boy chose to feed Hurricane Dorian evacuees instead.

Jermaine Bell will be turning 7 years old on September 8th. His parents had originally saved up some money so they could celebrate the youngster’s big day at ‘the happiest place on Earth’—but since the hurricane hit the east coast, Jermaine wanted to make sure those in the midst of it had something eat.

He and his family from Allentown, South Carolina then used their…

It’s always inspiring to hear stories of children who make their dreams come true. And hearing of those with severe challenges reaching for more and achieving in spite of those challenges inspires us to reach for our dreams. If they can do, we can too. This little girl is an inspiration to us all. Spoiler alert. You will be amazed, inspired and maybe get the chills. Way to go Daisy-May!!!

From CBS News Via MSN.com

“Daisy-May Demetre is, in many ways, just like any fifth-grader. In school, she prefers English over math, and loves gymnastics. But it’s her moves on the runway that exude the most confidence.

Yesterday, she became the first child double-amputee to walk in a show at…

More new daily flights to California from Central Oregon are coming in 2020. Alaska Airlines has announced it will operate new daily flights to Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.  This positive development opens new connecting flights to new destinations.

This comes on the heels of United’s new seasonal flights to Chicago and Allegiant’s new direct flights to Phoenix and Las Vegas starting in October, 2019. Looks like #backyardbend is spreading its wings.

We hear so much about the stories of illness and disease and they are important to have awareness of the work that needs to be done to fight and eliminate the human suffering of preventable diseases. This is a story of the success achieved in the fight against Polio.

From the Economist

“THERE IS NO cure for polio. The virus, which is spread from person to person, attacks the brain and spinal cord, bending children’s limbs into horrific spider-like contortions. It has killed or crippled millions, rich and poor alike (President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously contracted the disease). Luckily, there is good news. Today marks three years since Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, reported a case of the virus. As…

This should make you feel good on a Monday. Bend’s very own Alyvia is a superstar. Here’s the link to the KTVZ story.

A Bend girl will be seeing herself on the big screen in New York City’s Times Square to help kick off the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Buddy Walk.

Eight-year-old Alyvia Hallman and her family head to New York City for the event on Sept. 14, where her photo will be featured in an accompanying video presentation shown in Times Square.

Her mother, Celeste Hallman, entered Alyvia’s photo in the NDSS worldwide call for photos for four years in a row. Out of the 3,000 pictures submitted, Alyvia’s was one of the 500 selected photos.

Creating awareness of the problem of plastic trash in the world’s oceans seems like positive news. This article from the India Times about an African community who did something about it is inspiring and shows every action counts. See the full article HERE.

“On the Kenyan island of Lamu, a few hundred miles off the coast of Zanzibar, sits a colorful water vessel that looks more patchwork quilt than boat.

It’s not just an eccentric paint job though, it’s because the boat is actually made from recycled plastic and flip flops.

The Flipflopi as it’s called is a life-size sailing boat, approximately 30 feet long. More importantly, it’s constructed entirely from 10 tons of recycled plastics and around 30,000…