How long has it been since you were surprised by hope? As you browsed the morning newspaper, when did you last feel a sense that the world was becoming a better place? That the forces propelling the future were on the right track? That the power of imagination was serving those with healing ideals rather than those with darker agendas? Here are a few news flashes from around the globe that made a difference to peoples lives.

• Bill Gates Fights to End Malaria
  The world's richest man, Bill Gates, believes it is possible to completely wipe out malaria that kills thousands every day, including 2,000 kids. He pledged $258.3 million recently for the development of new drugs, a vaccine and better protection against mosquitoes.
• Sea turtles have been saved
  Hundreds of sea turtles rescued in Brazil from a turtle smuggling ring in the Amazonian jungle. Trafficking sea turtles is a serious crime in Brazil which can lead to large fines.
• The father of a Palestinian boy donated his son's organs to Israelis awaiting transplants.
  The father of a Palestinian boy shot dead by Israeli soldiers donated the boy's organs to Israelis awaiting transplants. (Thank you Shahin!) Ismail Khatib's son Ahmed, 12, was shot on Thursday in Jenin. Soldiers said he carried a toy rifle and they mistook him for a militant. He died on Saturday, and Israeli doctors transplanted his kidneys, liver, lungs and heart to Jews, Arabs and a Druse, ranging from a 7 month-old baby to a 58 year-old woman. Ismail Khatib said he hoped the organ donations would send a message of peace to both Israelis and Palestinians.
• The internet might ease community tensions.
  Macedonia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, is becoming the first wireless country. A project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has brought broadband internet access to hundreds of remote villages in Macedonia by putting the country's 460 primary and secondary schools online. In Macedonia, where the spectre of a civil war that was narrowly avoided still remains, there is faith that the internet might ease community tensions.“
• Sportsman of the Year, a Cancer Survivor
  Lance Armstrong became only the fourth cyclist in history to win the grueling Tour de France in four consecutive years. Diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and given a 50% survival rate, Armstrong “simply dominated this year’s Tour from start to finish.” His coach says he is so strong he doesn’t have a real adversary, and we’ve never seen the real Lance.
• Gregory Smith: Graduated from high school at 9; his IQ was beyond genius; at 12, he was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize and earlier this year, he managed to get warring African tribes to come to together in peace! read more
• Creative ideas bring joy to others.
  In high school Liz and her class mates were given an assignment to write an essay and to be creative. She wrote the essay, then proceeded to cut it up into little phrases which she then inserted into fortune cookies with tweezers. The next day, as all the students were turning in their papers, Liz dumped out the pile of fortune cookies on the desk. She got an A. Years later Liz gave birth to Everyday Heroes, a collection of volunteer-written stories of everyday people, who have made a decision to be of service. read more
• "Most needy people are poor because they don't have jobs," car mechanic Hal Colston declares. In 1996, a single mom of two children approached Hal in tears; she had just bought a car for $500, her brakes started failing on the way home, and the previous owner refused to cooperate. Not only did Hal fix that car, but he gave birth to Good News Garage -- a "community garage" that receives donated cars, transforms them into reliable transportation and gives them to folks who can't afford a car. Folks who have a job ... but can't get to work! read more
• Unleashing the Genius within
  Good news, you're a genius! In fact, everyone is born with the capacity to be a genius. That particular talent is located in the right brain but unfortunately schools are unilaterally geared to the left brain, which is rational, linear and selfish, while the right brain is geared towards intuition, love for others, and the absorption of a lot of information. Geniuses are merely people that have found the balance between the right and left brains.
• Toddler is Safe in Mother Bear's Den
  A mother bear appears to have cared for a missing 16-month-old Iranian toddler, who was found safe and sound three days later in the animal’s den. The child's parents, from a nomadic tribe, returned to their tent after working in the fields to find him missing, a newspaper reported. Three days later, a search party found the toddler in a den about six miles from home. The search party said the toddler had probably been breast fed by a mother bear. A medical exam showed the toddler in good health.
• Gratitude from a Whale
  On the front page of the SF Chronicle on -- Thu, Dec 15, 2005 -- you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by
  100s of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She had 100s of yards of line (rope) wrapped around her body - her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

  A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.Within a few hours the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her - a very dangerous proposition; One slap of the tail could kill
  a few rescuers. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
  
  When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around - she thanked them... some say it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

  As the wise ones have taught, we each hold the key to our own life and to the piece of the divine plan that we have agreed to build into form. We came with such joy and excitement to bring the very highest of the heavenly and angelic realms to earth for the glory of all the five kingdoms. For when we saw the extreme pain and suffering upon this planet, we knew there was a better way. We have come to show this better way -- not only for ourselves, but for all around us as well. And it is the same with all others.