Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has launched an online positive news platform called Reasons to be Cheerful, filled with good news stories from around the world.
Have you ever travelled to a new country and felt impressed by a certain way they do things and thought 'I wish we could try this at home?" Maybe you've been impressed by Norway's generous social programs? Or perhaps you like the way Mexico City is reclaiming its streets for pedestrians and cyclists? You might admire how cities like Paris and Hong Kong, or even places like Detroit and Tulsa, are trying to retain local artists with residencies and mobile art centres? Maybe you're impressed with Portugal's radical drug policy?
There is good and positive change happening all around the world and with Reasons to be Cheerful, Byrne is capturing these stories in one place so you can be inspired wherever you are and without the need to trawl through all the negativity online to find a sliver of hope.
"I started collecting good news. Not schmaltzy, feel-good news but stuff that reminded me, 'hey, there's positive stuff going on! People are solving problems and it's making a difference," Byrne shared in a statement. "I began telling others about what I'd found. Their responses were encouraging so I created a website called Reasons to be Cheerful and started writing."
The project launched on Saturday as an ongoing editorial project with contributors from around the world. Byrne has written six stories so far, including "India's Tiny, Amazing Art Hub" about the city of Kochi. His longtime collaborator Brian Eno has also contributed with an article on nuclear energy.
"We're telling stories that reveal that there are, in fact, a surprising number of reasons to be cheerful - that provide a more optimistic and, we believe, more accurate description of the world," said Byrne. "We hope to balance out some of the amplified negativity and show that things might not be as bad as we think. Stop by whenever you need a reminder."
