In a world plagued by corruption, violence and the idolatry of our golden calf—cold hard cash—it’s often hard not to get discouraged by the values of those in power and the direction the world seems to be headed. Arctic drilling, the melting of the ice caps, war in Syria, corruption at the Olympics, oppression in Myanmar, the list goes on and on and it’s often overwhelming. The knee jerk reaction to this deluge of depressing information is to simply shut it out. But instead of closing our eyes to what we don’t want to see, or writing off these problems as natural and unchangeable, let’s look at people who are making a positive difference in their communities and in the world and find inspiration to start making tangible changes in our own lives.

Taking our lead from the words of Margret Mead, at Peace Works Travel we’re starting our own “power to the peaceful” movement, spotlighting people around the world who aren’t afraid to stand up and say: I can make difference. To kick-start this project we recognize Tim O’Brien, Vietnam War veteran, peace activist and author. Just yesterday Tim O’Brien was recognized as the winner of the 2012 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for his body of work, including his book of short stories The Things They Carry, which humanizes the experience of US soldiers in the Vietnam War. Upon winning the award, Tim O’Brien stated, “Over what has been a long career, this award means more to me than any other by far.” Congratulations Tim O’Brien your words have not fallen on deaf ears. 

To learn more about Tim O’Brien and his literary award check out the article in the Huffington Post.

Have your own inspiring story to share? Leave a comment on this post, we’d love to hear from you.