Joan Baez, the '60's "Queen of Folk," spoke out for civil rights and peace when it was safer not to do so. She continues to use her voice to heal lives and awaken compassion.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Bill Baird worked for decades on behalf of women’s reproductive rights. Lecturing on birth control, distributing contraceptives to the poor, and opening the first reproductive counseling clinics brought Baird threats, fire-bombs, pickets, bullets, jail time, and the profound gratitude of thousands of women.
Home when commended: North America, US, New York Home now: North America, US, New York Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Jim Baker of Carmel NY, and his neighbor, Bill Cahill, were personally slapped with a $64 million suit for conspiracy when they led a citizens' group trying to stop a developer from building 2,000 houses in their small town. Baker and Cahill, who used their own funds to fight the suit, lost their appeal. But reform candidates galvanized by the controversy won control of town government, and the developer made substantial changes and reductions.
Home when commended: North America, US, New York Home now: North America, US, New York Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Cathleen Bakker of Everett WA was one of a group of high school students who wrote and put on a play in response to the deaths of two popular classmates. They were met with resistance from their teacher, the administration, and their friends, but these teens persisted. The play was a critical success—but more important to these young performers—the play helped their peers and the entire community deal with their shock and grief.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Ada Balcacer of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, a renowned artist, mobilized the poorest women in her country into crafts collectives, providing them with income and self-respect. She raised funds, developed markets and worked one-on-one with the members of the group to develop their skills.
Home when commended: North America, Dominican Republic Home now: North America, Dominican Republic Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Deacon and Inez Balliew of Calhoun GA believe all kids are winners and founded the Winners' Club to prove it. The Balliews work with handicapped and emotionally scarred children, boosting their low self-esteem by helping them set goals and attain them.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Deacon and Inez Balliew of Calhoun GA believe all kids are winners and founded the Winners' Club to prove it. The Balliews work with handicapped and emotionally scarred children, boosting their low self-esteem by helping them set goals and attain them.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Inez and Deacon Balliew of Calhoun GA believe all kids are winners and founded the Winners' Club to prove it. The Balliews work with handicapped and emotionally scarred children, boosting their low self-esteem by helping them to set goals and attain them.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
George Ballis of Tollhouse CA organized “National Land for People” to ensure that small farm owners would get their fair share of available water, too much of which was going to agribusinesses. Ballis himself runs a 40-acre farm where organic, low-water-use agriculture and edible landscapes are demonstrated.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Sierra Leonean John Bangura saw his parents, other relatives and dozens of friends killed in the fighting in his country. Bangura says he lived for vengeance until he was inspired to work for peace and recovery instead. Through his program, Hope-Sierra Leone, Bangura is now doing community development work in his country, healing the wounds of war.
Home when commended: Europe, Denmark Home now: Europe, Denmark Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Lois Barber of Amherst MA works countless hours as the founder of 20/20 Vision, a peace network that gives its members monthly advisories on peace actions they can carry out in only 20 minutes.
Home when commended: North America, US, Massachusetts Home now: North America, US, Massachusetts Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Jerry Barbosa MD risked his medical career to provide professional services and personal support to the Ray family's three hemophiliac boys, all of them carrying the AIDS virus. Despite severe criticism from his medical colleagues, Barbosa continued to treat and support the family and defend them to the press.
Home when commended: North America, US, Florida Home now: North America, US, Florida Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Marjorie Bard found and assisted women who lived in their cars in affluent areas of Los Angeles. Once upper-middle class themselves, these "unseen homeless" look like the other woman in the area’s malls and libraries. But Bard, once homeless herself, recognized telltale signs, befriended them and helped them restart their lives.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, Maryland Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Clementine Barfield started Save Our Sons and Daughters after her sons were shot in an argument with an armed fellow student. Barfield quit a good job with the City of Detroit to become full-time director of SOSAD, which counsels bereaved families and works to create peace, running community gardens and programs in schools to mediate conflicts.
Home when commended: North America, US, Michigan Home now: North America, US, Michigan Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Richard Bargen MD was known as the Flying Doctor, making his rounds in a small plane to care for poor people in remote areas of Nevada. When increased flights by Navy jet fighters crowded out Bargen's small aircraft, he challenged the Navy's right to withdraw airspace at will and spoke out on the health dangers to Nevadans of illegal low-level supersonic overflights.
Home when commended: North America, US, Nevada Home now: North America, US, Montana Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Judi Bari of Ukiah CA gave up her job as a carpenter when she learned that the boards she was sawing were thousand-year-old redwood. The former union organizer began working to save old-growth trees, and to find common ground between environmentalists and timber workers. She continued her work despite severe injuries caused when a bomb went off in her car, and despite ongoing threats to her life.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
| Powered by Sigsiu.NET |  |
1 Way 2 Help
FIND GIRAFFES
Please note
We're adding stories and photos to the Giraffe Heroes database everyday. If information isn't visible yet, know that we're working on it.
YOU & THE FOUNDER
From time to time, Ann Medlock, this Project's founder, does a brief but inspiring email called Heads Up. You can check out past copies here. They're so good (and so free) we bet you'll join the Heads Up circle and send them on to friends & family.
For further wit & wisdom from Ann, check out her speeches, radio commentaries and OpEds.