• UK: Queen to participate in annual swan count
• Charity organization distributes bicycles in Zambia
• South Africa's first national literacy campaign launched

• Students comment on the Transcendental Meditation/Quiet Time Programme
• Students from 37 countries graduate from Maharishi University of Management
• Celebrity business leader Russell Simmons speaks out in support of Consciousness-Based Education

• Afghanistan: Child labour risk ever present - new report
• AP poll: Many students in US stressed, some depressed
• Global crisis sparks gold rush in Brazil's Amazon

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

UK: Queen to participate in annual swan count
2 July 2009 - Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen's official Swan Marker from 20-24 July. The Queen has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets (young swans), and the Thames. 'Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience,' Buckingham Palace said. (more)

Charity organization distributes bicycles in Zambia
27 June 2009 - A US charity started distributing bicycles in Zambia on Wednesday in a programme designed to make it easier for thousands of children in the southern African country to get to school. The Chicago-based World Bicycle Relief plans to give away 50,000 bicycles in Zambia, where long distances and a lack of transportation keeps many children from going to school. The first 100 bicycles were delivered Wednesday to children enrolled at Ndapula Community School in Chongwe. Some of the children shed tears of joy as they received the gifts. (more)

South Africa's first national literacy campaign launched
27 June 2009 - The launch of South Africa's first national literacy campaign marks an important milestone in the country's fight against illiteracy. The Yvonne Chaka Chaka - Molteno Institute Literacy Campaign -- introduced on Wednesday in Midrand, will target educators and learners. The campaign will have a particular emphasis on primary schools, as well as adult learners in home and industries. It supports the Ministry of Education's national campaign Kha Ri Gude (Let us Learn) and Foundations for Learning which aim to substantially eradicate illiteracy over the next five years. (more)

The good news report from Canada, 19 - 21 June 2009
23 June 2009 - A University of Victoria language professor is working to preserve one of Vancouver Island's native languages. Health Canada says it plans new regulations banning six types of phthalates used in children's soft vinyl toys and child care articles. The health department said studies suggest certain phthalates may be a reproductive hazard, or cause liver and kidney failure in young children if ingested. Website, ontariofarmfresh.com, is making locally grown food more accessible to Torontonians with a 'Farm Locator' search engine. More than 270 farms listed and people can search by postal code or a specific fruit or vegetable. For these and other stories: (more)

Music charity in Colombia helps transform children's lives
21 June 2009 - More than 100 poor children in Cali, Colombia, ages 6-17, are studying music at a small conservatory named Proyecto Desepaz. The children come from some of Cali's humblest families. Since Desepaz's inception four years ago, music has changed their lives. A curriculum requires children to go to class every day, and each child owns his or her instrument, donated by private individuals. (more)

Former British Prime Minister charity launches interfaith school programme
9 June 2009 - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a project on Tuesday to get schoolchildren of different religions and countries talking to each other using video-conferencing. The 'Face to Faith' initiative, undertaken by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, will involve more than 1,000 secondary school students in Asia, Europe, and North America who will discuss their views on global affairs. (more)

Good news report from Canada, 3-4 June 2009
4 June 2009 - Several indicators point to the fact that Canadian economy has turned the corner and is now recovering: Optimism among investors, consumers, and financial institutions is rising, while the number of building permits is increasing. Also, a report has shown that children who play outside the classroom are more likely to excel inside it. For this and other Canada news: (more)

Canada: Positive news reports - 3 June 2009
3 June 2009 - A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that people's mood affects what they see, suggesting that seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses is more biological reality than metaphor. The visual cortex of people in a positive mood takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision, the study showed. For this and other Canada news: (more)

Canada: Positive news reports, 1-2 June 2009
2 June 2009 - Magna International, Canada's largest auto parts maker, wants to start mass-producing electric cars in Canada within three years. Its International chairman is seeking government support for his new electric vehicle venture. Magana is developing a new model with Ford, which is expected to drive approximately 160-kilometres without recharging. Also, the press is reporting on Dr Ashley Deans' trip to Canada. For this and other Canada news: (more)

Green boot camp puts US cities through their paces
2 June 2009 - Energy efficiency has grown in popularity thanks in part to the Obama administration, bringing new attention to retrofitting with promises of green jobs and meeting energy goals. A range of business people, experts, and officials from 17 cities met this week at the Harvard Kennedy School to discuss how to build jobs and modernize buildings. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

For more news and knowledge in the field of education visit: Excellence in Action

Students comment on the Transcendental Meditation/Quiet Time Programme
4 July 2009 - Students in schools across the United States comment on the powerful and peaceful effect of the Transcendental Meditation/Quiet Time programme, which they are enjoying through the generous support of the David Lynch Foundation. (more)

Students from 37 countries graduate from Maharishi University of Management
1 July 2009 - At Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, USA, 296 students were awarded diplomas on 27 June 2009, including 46 undergraduate degrees, 245 master's degrees (161 of these from the Computer Science Programme), and 3 PhDs. Father Gabriel Mejia, a Catholic priest who directs 47 shelters for homeless children and youth offenders in Colombia and throughout South America, received an honorary doctorate in World Peace. (more)

Celebrity business leader Russell Simmons speaks out in support of Consciousness-Based Education
28 June 2009 - Russell Simmons, founder and CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Rush Communications, is widely renowned and respected for his groundbreaking vision in many fields and generous philanthropy. He talks about utilizing the silent power within everyone for positive change, through the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

IamU projects helping eliminate poverty through educating South Africa youth
28 June 2009 - One of many impressive presentations at the Third IamU (I am Universal) Conference in early June in MERU, Holland, was given by conference call from South Africa. Annie Falk, a graduate of Maharishi University of Management, USA, spoke about projects to eliminate poverty by educating and promoting leadership in the youth of South Africa, through programmes incorporating Consciousness-Based Education. (more)

Trustee Dr Vincent Argiro is Maharishi University of Management 2009 commencement speaker
27 June 2009 - At the Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.) commencement ceremony on 27 June 2009, Dr Vincent Argiro, university trustee, scientist, and philanthropist, is giving the Commencement address, on the theme 'Sustain Your Ability'. (more)

Father Gabriel Mejia to receive honorary doctoral degree at Maharishi University of Management commencement
26 June 2009 - Father Gabriel Mejia, Catholic priest and director of multiple rehabilitation centres for juvenile offenders in Colombia, will be receiving an honorary doctorate degree from Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.) at the 2009 commencement ceremony on the campus in Fairfield, Iowa, USA, 27 June. (more)

Canada: Warm reception for Consciousness-Based Education among educators and students in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg
25 June 2009 - During their tour of Canada, Raja Paul Potter, Raja of Invincible Canada, and Dr Ashley Deans have found a new level of receptivity to Consciousness-Based Education and Transcendental Meditation in meetings with school principals, faculty, and students in Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; and Winnipeg, Manitoba. (more)

Students in Uganda describe better health, more happiness through Transcendental Meditation
25 June 2009 - Students at a Consciousness-Based girls' secondary school in Uganda recently described how their lives have improved after beginning the practice of the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

Tour of Cyprus and Albania awakens keen interest in Consciousness-Based Education
25 June 2009 - The Album of Events page of Global Good News is now featuring many colourful photos of 'Consciousness-Based Education inspires keen interest among educators in Cyprus and Albania'. Educators, government officials, and the public in Cyprus and Albania showed great receptivity to Consciousness-Based Education, during a tour of universities and schools earlier this year by Dr Ashley Deans, Global Ambassador for Consciousness-Based Education. (more)

Togo: Preliminary plans unfold for Maharishi Invincibility Schools, College
24 June 2009 - In Togo, 2,800 hectares of land have been secured with proposed plans for two Maharishi Invincibility Schools, as well as a Maharishi college of sustainable agriculture and business. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Afghanistan: Child labour risk ever present - new report
7 June 2009 - Poverty, community pressure, and the low quality of education mean 25 per cent of children in Afghanistan aged 7-14 are at risk of leaving school and drifting into exploitative work situations, according to a new report by a Kabul-based think-tank. The shortage of professional teachers, books, and convenient venues for education also has an impact on children leaving school prematurely, Fawad Sahil, external relations officer for UNICEF Afghanistan, told IRIN. Afghanistan is one of 14 countries which have not signed the International Labour Organization 1999 Convention 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. (more)

AP poll: Many students in US stressed, some depressed
21 May 2009 - Eighty-five per cent of college students surveyed in an Associated Press-mtvU poll reported feeling stressed in their daily lives in recent months: Worries about grades, school work, money, and relationships were the big culprits. At the same time, 42 per cent said they had felt down, depressed, or hopeless several days during the past two weeks, and 13 per cent showed signs of being at risk for at least mild depression. These students complained of trouble sleeping, having little energy, or feeling down or hopeless. (more)

Global crisis sparks gold rush in Brazil's Amazon
16 April 2009 - The global crisis has revived wildcat mines in Brazil where hundreds of thousands of desperate workers toil in precarious conditions, damaging health and environment. Critics say wildcat mining is more of a curse than a blessing in a region where lawlessness thrives. Working conditions are subhuman. Local strongmen take the bulk of the profit and enforce their rules with a gun. Disease, prostitution, and environmental destruction abound. (more)

US Secretary of Education says kids need to be in class 11 months a year to catch up to other countries
8 April 2009 - American schoolchildren need to be in class more - six days a week, at least 11 months a year - if they are to compete with students abroad, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday. 'You're competing for jobs with kids from India and China. I think schools should be open six, seven days a week; eleven, twelve months a year,' he said. Instead of boos, Duncan's remark drew an unsurprising response from the teenage assembly: bored stares. (more)

US: Schools turn to mass layoffs to ease deficits
15 March 2009 - Some US public school districts are turning to mass layoffs of teachers and support staff to ease ballooning deficits in the latest sign of how the recession is hurting ordinary Americans. On Friday, the Los Angeles Unified School District -- the nation's second largest -- will issue preliminary layoff notices to nearly 9,000 staff members, including teachers. In Michigan, the Pontiac School District put all 774 of its employees, including about 560 teachers, on notice that they may be laid off at the end of the school year, according to school spokeswoman Georgette Johnson. The move was part of a plan to address declining enrolment, a big contributor to an $11.6 million deficit in the district's $92 million budget. (more)

US: Economic crisis threatens small, rural schools
13 March 2009 - Rural schools are being threatened as the economy forces deep cuts to education. Districts nationwide are preparing to shut down many campuses, and small, isolated schools are vulnerable because they serve fewer students and cost more per pupil to operate than larger schools. A century ago, there were more than 200,000 one-teacher schools in the country, but that number dwindled to 335 in 2006. School districts like the ones in California are set to increase class size, close libraries, eliminate sports programs, scrap electives such as art and music, and lay off tens of thousands of employees. Advocates say that when rural schools close, children face longer commutes and parents become less involved. They also note that studies show that small schools lead to better grades and lower dropout rates. (more)

Harassment forces Afghan girls out of school
28 January 2009 - Violence against female students is dashing the dreams of thousands of Afghan girls and women who are thirsty for an education that may help rejuvenate the fractured economy and society of their war-torn country. In villages, and particularly in the deeply conservative south, the Taliban have burned down schools, killed female students and teachers, and attacked schoolgirls by throwing acid in their faces. In relatively safer and less conservative Kabul, girls are facing abuse and kidnappings. 'In the past eight months, around 138 students and teachers have lost their lives and another 172 have been wounded in criminal and terror attacks,' said Asif Nang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education. (more)

US school children not allowed enough play time: study
26 January 2009 - All work and no play may be a hazard for some US school children. Researchers reported on Monday that a growing trend of curbing free time at school may lead to unruly classrooms and rob youngsters of needed exercise and an important chance to socialize. A look at more than 10,000 children aged 8 and 9 found better classroom behaviour among those who had at least a 15-minute break during the school day compared to those who did not, Dr. Romina Barros and colleagues at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported. Today many children get less free time and fewer physical outlets at school 'because many school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics,' they added. (more)

Pakistan: Taliban threats close schools
18 January 2009 - In a dark echo of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, violent religious extremists in Pakistan are moving to restrict girls' education as they seek to impose a draconian version of Islamic law on a beleaguered population. In a northern valley where Taliban guerrillas have been waging a war against security forces for more than a year, hard-liners have blown up or burned down some 170 schools, most of them for girls. Then in December, a warning by militants in a pirate radio broadcast: All schools for girls should close by 15 January. This week, an association representing 400 private schools for boys and girls in the Swat valley said they would all remain closed after the winter break because of the threat. (more)

US: Public schools getting snared by recession
16 January 2009 - America's 13-month-old recession is beginning to sting the nation's public schools and the nine of every 10 US children who attend them. Locally operated and funded, public schools across the country are coming up short as tax collections dwindle and administrators enlarge classes, delay expansions, reduce hours, and even fiddle with thermostats to save money. The pain in public schools is only beginning, even if the recession that is forecast to continue well into 2009 ends sooner, since school budgets for the 2009-2010 academic year are now being prepared. Often, the most affected are schools like Orlando's Liberty Middle School, where two-thirds of the students are poor enough to qualify for government-subsidized lunches. (more)