In this world often fraught with greed and self-interest there are still random acts of kindness and people who are committed to giving back. Many of the most successful businesses today are focused on social entrepreneurship.
Giving back is good business. It is more common now for startup companies and other entrepreneurs to develop, fund and implement social, cultural or eco-conscious solutions. This is an underlying theme that applies to a variety of organizations.
The acts of altruism to promote someone else’s welfare, especially where it concerns children, is now becoming more widespread when it applies to the healthcare system.
“Though some believe that humans are fundamentally self-interested, recent research suggests otherwise: Studies have found that people’s first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete; that toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of a genuine concern for their welfare; and that even non-human primates display altruism.”
With all the political divisiveness in our country today, watching the news has become a battle ground for negativity and unbridled conflict. Yet in all the rubble there is a spark of hope that emerges, for each act of terrorism, there is a heroic act that shines through. The human race isn’t lost, and you can talk about loads of good in the world. We have seen the demonstration of this characteristic through the charitable loving kindness of Mother Teresa to the brilliant business magnate, investor and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson.
One of the most critical issues of our world today is climate change and the domino effect in all areas of life. Branson made a high-profile pledge to invest $3 billion toward addressing this issue over the course of the following decade. Amongst many other humanitarian initiatives, Branson has been a huge proponent of the Global Zero campaign, a non-profit international initiative for the elimination of all nuclear weapons worldwide. (Launched in Paris in December 2008.)
Even high profile sports heroes are getting into the act. Fox news did a feature on Opening Day Red Sox ace Jon Lester hoping to shut out childhood cancer.
“Lester is hoping to build on publicity he brought to the cause during the 2013 World Series. During the season, he met with a 6-year-old boy named Zein Youseff, and the two formed a bond that continues today. Zein began chemotherapy just before the World Series began, and during the Fox broadcast, the play-by-play team referenced a Twitter shout out from Lester to the little boy. Since that time, Zein has earned his red belt in martial arts, and most importantly, been declared cancer-free.”
Pediatric cancer is a growing worldwide problem, with a child being diagnosed every two minutes. The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation was established in 1982 as a grass-roots organization. It has focused its efforts to improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with malignant disease through treatment, care, and prevention of childhood cancers. The diagnosis of children with cancer is skyrocketing, spurring an urgency to create a task force. New facts and information are challenging everyone to become involved with PCRF’s mission to improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with malignant disease. PCRF has raised over $40 Million for cancer research since its inception. This dedication and commitment of physicians, researchers, volunteers, staff and community partners to improve the care, quality of life and survival rates of children with malignant diseases. The team of tireless workers are dedicated to the health of our future generation—our children.
“The PCRF’s Mission: Funding research to improve the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with malignant disease is the focal point of everything we do. At the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, we remain steadfast in our mission to give every child a cancer-free future. Giving the gift of hope to a charity that has received a four star rating from Charity Navigator for the past three years is is comforting to know the funds are directly saving lives.”
The combined collaboration of different institutions with stable funding and cutting edge technologies, and the acceleration in immunotherapy brings about a more rapid advancement in the study of cancer. The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, created with a $250 million grant from the Parker Foundation, progressively has hastened the breakthroughs in the field that helps the immune system attack cancers.
This is a major breakthrough, to accelerate the pace of converting scientific discoveries into life-saving advances in treatment, prevention and early detection. The MD Anderson Foundation is committed to eradicating cancer. They have developed the The Moon Shots Program™ which tackles cancer in three ways: innovation, scale and collaboration.
“The research platforms to find patterns, evaluate treatments and predict outcomes. We work for results — preventive education, first-of-a-kind clinical trials and personalized surgeries are just a few.”
The Moon Shots Program brings experts together in exciting and effective ways.
With all these goodworks at hand, we are witness to the demonstration of how positivity breeds positivity and all the good that there is in the world in spite of all the problems. We are witness to how many people are committed to paying it forward.